PGA TOUR

Canada’s Ben Silverman and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers win 2023 Pebble Beach Pro-Am

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Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, poses with his playing partner, Canada’s Ben Silverman, with the trophy after the conclusion of the third round of the AT& T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 5, 2023.(Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Canada’s Ben Silverman and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will get their names etched on the Wall of Champions behind the first tee at Pebble Beach, joining a long list that includes golf greats Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Justin Rose would love nothing better than to be on an adjacent plaque for winning the PGA Tour event at Pebble.

Rose, whose third round was suspended by wind strong enough to blow his golf ball across the green, returned Sunday morning at Monterey Peninsula by playing 10 holes in 6 under for a 65 that gave him a one-shot lead in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The final round was to start Sunday afternoon, featuring only professionals, and there was no way the tournament could finish until Monday.

The only champions crowned Sunday were Rodgers and Ben Silverman, who held on for a one-shot victory in the pro-am portion of the event. The prize is their name listed on the wall, which features pro-am winners, tournament winners, USGA champions at Pebble and more.

“It’s really significant,” Rodgers said, whose Packers failed to reach the NFL playoffs for only the fourth time in his 15 years as the starter. “It’s always been on my bucket list.”

Rodgers did his share of heavy lifting. Silverman, coming off a Korn Ferry Tour win, finished at 1-over 216 and missed the cut. Rodgers, playing off a 10 handicap, said he had not played golf since training camp until last Monday.

“He’s an athlete, man. Top performer,” noted Silverman. “He knows how to get it done and that’s what he did. It wasn’t like all four days or three rounds of beautiful golf, but when he needed to — when I was making doubles he was making pars. He knew how to get it done.”

They finished at 26-under par, one shot ahead of Peter Malnati and Don Colleran, the retired president and CEO of FedEx whose name already is on the wall.

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PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers with his playing partner, Ben Silverman, at the 18th hole during the continuation of the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 5, 2023 in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Keith Mitchell were four behind. Minus the weather, the leading 25 pro-am teams would have played Sunday afternoon.

“Josh Allen was telling me there’s going to be an asterisk by this win because there was only three rounds,” Rodgers said. “But I think our names are going to be up there for a long time.”

Rose was simply happy to be there. This is his first 54-hole lead since he won at Torrey Pines four years ago, though his form has been trending upward toward the end of last year and early into 2023.

He was at 12-under 203.

Eight players were within three shots of the lead, a list that included Viktor Hovland. He’s playing the tournament for the first time, but his last two trips to Pebble have worked out well. He won the U.S. Amateur in 2018 and was low amateur in the 2019 U.S. Open.

Taylor Pendrith, the leader in the clubhouse (-12), made a 46-foot, 8-inch birdie putt on No. 8, the third-longest made putt of his PGA TOUR career; his second-longest came two weeks ago at The American Express.

Pendrith is the first player since 2013 to post a 64 or better in the final round of the event.

“Yeah. I mean, I would say I’m most proud of I hung in there today,” said Pendrith. “Obviously the front nine most of the holes are downwind, so I got off to a great start. Putter was super hot. Made some nice ones early. Kind of kept the momentum going on the back nine. There was some holes that played really tough and I hit some really quality shots that were into the wind, managed to make the putts.”

PGA TOUR

Canada’s Conners, Hughes named to PGA TOUR’s Player Advisory Council for 2023

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Mackenzie Hughes of Canada (L) and Corey Conners of Canada walk off the 12th tee during the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on April 15, 2022 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR has announced the 16-member Player Advisory Council (PAC) for 2023, which will include Canada’s Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes.

The PAC advises and consults with the PGA TOUR Policy Board (Board of Directors) and Commissioner Jay Monahan on issues affecting the TOUR.

Member of the 2023 Player Advisory Council include:

  • Ryan Armour
  • Sam Burns
  • Corey Conners ??
  • Rickie Fowler
  • Brice Garnett
  • Brian Harman
  • Max Homa
  • Mackenzie Hughes ??
  • Shane Lowry
  • Maverick McNealy
  • Keith Mitchell
  • Henrik Norlander
  • Scottie Scheffler
  • Adam Scott
  • Kevin Streelman
  • Will Zalatoris

Maverick McNealy, Adam Scott and Kevin Streelman have been selected by the Player Directors to run for PAC Chairman via election which ends February 13. The leading vote-getter will replace Charley Hoffman on January 1, 2024 as a Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, serving a three-year term (2024-26). The other Player Directors are Peter Malnati (2023-25), Rory McIlroy (2022-24), Webb Simpson (2023-25) and Patrick Cantlay, who is serving a one-year term (2023).

PGA TOUR

Canada’s Gligic recalibrated for first full field PGA TOUR event of 2023

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Michael Gligic (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

Michael Gligic has only taken a few days off since his last PGA Tour event in November. He’s been working hard during the circuit’s six-week winter break, even getting reps in during a heavy snowfall in Kitchener, Ont.

Gligic is one of five Canadians in the field at this week’s Sony Open, the first full-field PGA Tour event of 2023. The Burlington, Ont., native worked closely with coach Sean Foley for the lengthy break between November’s RSM Classic and the Sony Open to ensure that he has a strong start to the new year.

“I wanted to take advantage of that six weeks to try and really put in some good work,” said Gligic on Monday, a day after arriving in Honolulu, Hawaii for the tournament. “I feel like I got a lot better and made some good changes.”

Gligic struggled through the first seven events of the 2022-23 season, missing the cut six times with his best result a tie for 45th at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Oct. 2. He said that the adjustments he made with Foley were minute changes to his swing _ “technical things” _ to find more consistency.

Even during the holidays and with bad weather, Gligic stuck to his program.

“We snuck in about a 10 day trip back to Canada around Christmas with the blizzards and all but I managed to sneak over to my course (Whistle Bear Golf Club),” said Gligic. “They’ve got some hitting bays where they have a garage door that opens up and I was able to hit balls a few times to try and stay sharp.

“Then it was back down to Florida between Christmas and New Year’s. I practised every day until coming (to Hawaii).”

Despite his calm outward demeanor, Gligic has also been working on the mental aspect of his game, trying to remain more balanced. He’s even taken up meditation.

“My brain is always racing. I’m always thinking about a million things,” Gligic said about learning to calm his inner thoughts. “I feel like it can be good, I guess, in the sense that it’s a distraction when it comes to golf a little bit.

“When I get off the golf course I’m usually not thinking that much about golf or the next day. I shut my golf brain off.”

He’ll be joined at the Sony Open by fellow Canadians Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont.

Conners, Hughes, and Svensson all played in last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. Conners finished tied for 18th, Hughes tied for 21st and Svensson sat alone at 37th at the limited-field event restricted to PGA Tour winners from the previous season and golfers who qualified for the preceding Tour Championship.

Gligic said he’s looking forward to being reunited with his friends and countrymen in Honolulu.

“It’s always fun to catch up and see how everyone’s holiday went,” said Gligic. “We see each other on such a frequent basis and then go six, seven, eight weeks or whatever it is without seeing each other.

“It’s nice to catch up and see how everyone’s doing. But for the most part, everyone’s getting back to business.”

LPGA Tour PGA TOUR

Led by Henderson, Hughes and Svensson, Canadian golf hit new highs in 2022

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There’s an argument to be made that 2022 was the most successful year in Canadian golf.

Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes, and Adam Svensson’s combined four wins between the LPGA and PGA Tours were highlights of the season. But the achievements of Canadian golfers were not limited to those victories.

Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith became the first two Canadians to compete in the Presidents Cup at the same time, Mike Weir was named the first-ever Canadian captain of the International team for the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club, and the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open both returned after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s only getting better and that’s been shown on the golf course and it continues to show,” said Hughes, who won the Sanderson Farms Championship on Oct. 2 for the second PGA Tour title of his career. “It’s very exciting to be part of that winning group this year and to add to that total.

“I think that in the years to come you’re going to see those records continue to fall. I wouldn’t be surprised to see us eclipse that total, once again, in 2023.”

Henderson won the 11th and 12th tournaments of her career, adding to her all-time Canadian record. She was victorious at the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 12 and then won her second career major at the Evian Championship on July 24.

Despite playing through the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship with an injured back, Henderson was still in contention to win the LPGA Tour’s player of the year in the tournament’s final round. Although Henderson tied for seventh at that tournament and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko won the annual award, it was still impressive finish to an exceptional year for the Canadian.

“I just love being in contention and being near the top of the leaderboards on the weekend. Hopefully, I can do more of that in 2023,” said Henderson, who won two tournaments each LPGA Tour season in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. After the circuit lost its 2020 season Henderson won once in 2021 and was eager to start a new streak of multi-win years.

“Hopefully, I can do more of that in 2023. I really wanted to get off to a hot start (in 2022) and try to get more top 10s and be in better positions on the weekends, especially coming off a year where I won one.”

The same day Henderson was finishing out her season, Svensson won on the PGA Tour for the first time of his career with a two-stroke victory at the RSM Classic.

On Sept. 22, Conners and Pendrith made their Presidents Cup debuts. The two best friends were the first Canadian duo to play in a Presidents Cup at the same time, with Hughes and Adam Hadwin also considered to make the International team at the best-on-best tournament at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, N.C.

The next Presidents Cup will have even more of a maple flavour as Royal Montreal Golf Club hosts the 2024 edition and Weir serves as the International team’s captain. The Canadian Golf Hall of Famer joked that after his was introduced as the team captain at Bell Centre on Nov. 30 his phone was blowing up with messages from Canada’s PGA Tour players eager to make the team.

“We have a huge country land-wise to try to bring everybody together as best we can and make sure that they feel like this is part of our golf legacy,” said Weir after closing the Toronto Stock Exchange on Dec. 1. “We want people coming from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, from the East Coast, Halifax.

“I’m hoping they want to come and see the best players in the world compete.”

Top-flight professional golf made its return to Canada in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic put the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open on hiatus for two years.

Golf Canada reported the RBC Canadian Open drew a record 135,000 spectators to Toronto’s St. George’s Golf and Country Club as superstar Rory McIlroy won the national title for the second consecutive time.

The CP Women’s Open drew over 70,000 fans to Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, earning Tournament of the Year honours from the Tournament Partners of the LPGA. Tourism Ottawa said that the event had an expected economic impact of $13.4 million as the National Capital Region’s hospitality sector tried to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-government protests that gridlocked Ottawa in February.

In recognition of the economic benefits of hosting the two national golf championships, Canada’s Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario gave Golf Canada $4.4 million in September. The non-repayable investment is earmarked for the RBC Canadian Open and theCP Women’s Open.

Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board and member of Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, said the investment will help the tournaments stimulate local economies.

The men’s championship is typically held in the Greater Toronto Area and will be at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in 2023, while the women’s event travels across Canada, with next year’s tournament scheduled for Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.

Garrett Ball, Golf Canada’s chief operating officer, said in September that the organization was approached by the federal development agency about the investment in 2021. He said that the money will go, in part, a new double-decker hospitality suite as well as the development of new mobile phone apps for spectators at the two events.

“Simply put these are innovative assets, that will benefit the championships for the foreseeable future,” said Ball. “In fact, at the RBC Canadian Open in June, these assets were major factors in the announcement of record sales, record crowds, and record media impressions.”

PGA TOUR

Mike Weir named International Team Captain for 2024 Presidents Cup

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MONTREAL – Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR officials announced Canadian and Masters champion Mike Weir has been named captain of the International Team for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will return to Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal for the first time since 2007. 

Primed for his first captaincy, Weir has served as captain’s assistant in three consecutive playings, most recently under the leadership of Trevor Immelman at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club. He was an assistant for Ernie Els in 2019, which saw the International Team build its biggest lead in Presidents Cup history before falling to a Tiger Woods-led U.S. Team, 16-14, at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia. His first appearance dates back to 2017, serving for Nick Price at Liberty National Golf Club. 

“Presidents Cup has become such a big part of my career, so to be here in this moment announced as captain of the 2024 International Team is surreal,” said Weir. “When I look back, I have so many incredible memories associated with this event whether it be my debut in 2000; winning my Singles match against Tiger in 2007 at Royal Montreal; witnessing Ernie create the shield in 2019; and then seeing Trevor carry that momentum in 2022. Now as I look with anticipation toward 2024, I couldn’t be more excited to lead the International Team into my home country of Canada for what will surely be the experience of a lifetime.” 

Weir, who was the first Canadian to ever compete in the Presidents Cup, has appeared in five Cups (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009). An eight-time PGA TOUR winner, he is 13-9-2 all-time at the Presidents Cup and one of six International Team members with 10 or more match wins in competition. In 2007, the Presidents Cup was staged in Canada for the first time, with Weir delivering a 3-1-1 record highlighted by a 1-up victory over Tiger Woods in Singles. 

“As the International Team Captain in 2024, Mike Weir will continue the upward trend of the Internationals with his unwavering support for his players and the Presidents Cup,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With his pedigree as a player combined with his history with the Presidents Cup both as a player and a captain’s assistant, Mike is the right leader at the right time as the Presidents Cup returns to Montreal. As an icon in his homeland, he certainly will have the full support for the Canadian fans in building a distinct homefield advantage for the International Team.” 

After turning professional in 1992, Weir won his first PGA TOUR title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship with a two-stroke victory over Fred Funk, becoming the first Canadian to win on TOUR since Richard Zokol. He went on to win seven additional titles, including the 2003 Masters – one of three victories collected that season. The 52-year-old currently competes on PGA TOUR Champions, where he notched his first victory at the 2021 Insperity Invitational. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to congratulate Mike and his family on this incredible honor,” said Presidents Cup Executive Director Ryan Hart. “It will be a momentous occasion to welcome him home to Canada for what will be a historic moment in this country’s sports history, as evidenced by the incredible level of interest and support we have received from partners and fans in the city and throughout the country. It’s no secret that Canadian fans love their golf, so we’re excited to see the momentum build toward 2024 knowing one of their own has the reins of the International Team.”

Founded in 1873, The Royal Montreal Golf Club is the oldest club in North America. Its Blue Course was designed by Dick Wilson and updated by Rees Jones in 2004 and 2005. In addition to hosting the Presidents Cup, Royal Montreal also held the RBC Canadian Open on 10 occasions, most recently in 2014. 

“Captaining the team at this golf course is going to carve out an entire new piece of history in my career that can’t be replaced,” Weir said. “I have such a deep sense of pride bringing the team home knowing that in my opinion, the people of Canada are the most loyal and passionate sports fans in the world. We are hopeful to have a few Canadians on the team that will help muster up some of the loudest roars the event has ever heard.” 

The 2024 Presidents Cup will be held at Royal Montreal Golf Club, September 24-29. For more information about the Presidents Cup, please visit PresidentsCup.com

PGA TOUR

How Mike Weir forged a path to captaincy of the International Team

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MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 30: Mike Weir addresses the media after being named the international team captain for the 2024 President’s cup at Centre Bell on November 30, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis)

After first representing his country on the international stage at the turn of the century, Mike Weir is ready to captain the International squad on home soil.

After serving as an assistant the previous three Presidents Cups and representing the Internationals five times as a player, Weir has been tabbed to lead the perennial underdog team in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Few International golfers match the pedigree of Weir at the Presidents Cup, and even fewer are still actively involved in the bi-annual competition. And despite never being on the winning side of the team event, Weir always brought his consistent, steady play to the world stage.

The Sarnia, Ont. native never had a losing record in a single Presidents Cup appearance. Australian Steve Elkington is the only other International player with at least three team appearances that can make the same claim.

Further, Weir has the second-highest win percentage among International players with at least three appearances. His 58.33 per cent win percentage places him just above fellow major winner Louis Oosthuizen and behind Elkington.

Here is a look at how Weir journeyed from rookie to captain.

Steller Start

Weir’s first ever PGA Tour win at the 1999 Air Canada Championship helped vault him onto the team in 2000, one of three rookies to compete for the Internationals that year. Despite losing his opening match, like all his teammates, Weir was the bright spot for the Internationals the rest of the competition.

Weir was the only player from either team to win both his Friday matches, which meant he and Nick Price were the only Internationals to win a foursomes match all competition, besting Phil Mickelson and David Duval.

Weir would then hand Mickelson his second loss with a 4 & 3 win in Sunday singles. Weir ended the 2000 Presidents Cup with a 3-2-0 record and the highest point total for the Internationals.

Continued Success

In 2003, Weir picked up where he left off, recording another 3-2-0 record in his sophomore outing. Weir’s three points were instrumental in ensuring the Internationals tied with America, the only time Weir was not on the losing end of the team event.

Playing in four matches in 2005, Weir bookended the competition with a foursomes win with Trevor Immelman and a singles win over Scott Verplank. With the teams tied at 11 after Saturday, Weir was one of only four Internationals to record a win during Sunday singles play.

Homecoming

A captain’s selection when the Presidents Cup first came to Royal Montreal in 2007, Weir proved he could be more than just a lightning rod to get the crowd roaring.

Weir compiled a 3-1-1 record to lead the Internationals in points for the second time. And while the team outcome was a forgone conclusion come Sunday, Weir still put on a show for the crowd when going up against the number one player for the United States, Tiger Woods.

Weir fended off Woods in the early stages and built a 3-up lead after 10 holes. However, Woods stormed back to take a 1-up lead after 15. A birdie on 17 by Weir evened the match, sending the players to the 18th, a hole Woods had not played all week.

An errant drive hindered Woods, forcing him to attempt a greenside chip for par that fell short. Woods conceded the match to Weir, to the delight of the Montreal crowd.

“To have that kind of support being in your home country was fantastic,” Weir said at the time. “It was something I’ll never forget.”

Elder Statesman

Weir would finish his playing days at the Presidents Cup with a 2-2-1 record in 2009, winning both of his matches in fourball with Ernie Els.

After being away for a few years, Weir returned in 2017 as a captain’s assistant for Nick Price. He kept the same role in 2019 and 2022, mentoring Canadians like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.

In 2007, Weir was the lone Canadian on the team. Come 2024, he likely won’t be alone. 

PGA TOUR

Tiger Woods to return to PNC Championship with son, Charlie 

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 19: Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods look over a shot on the 15th hole during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club Grande Lakes on December 19, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tiger Woods and 13-year-old son Charlie are returning to the PNC Championship with hopes of doing one better than last year.

The 20-team field is for winners of majors or The Players Championship and a child or parent. This will be the third time Woods plays. A year ago, he and Charlie finished one shot behind John Daly and his son.

The 36-hole event, televised by NBC, is Dec. 17-18 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando.

“We have been looking forward to this week all year,” Woods said. “This is such a special opportunity as a dad to get to compete with my son against so many golfing greats and their family members. It is going to be a very special week and I know that Charlie and I will have a blast.”

Woods has not competed since he missed the cut in the Open Championship at St. Andrews in July. He was schedule to play in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, a 72-hole event against a 20-man field of the world’s top players, but withdrew due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

He also has a made-for-TV exhibition on Dec. 10 with Rory McIlroy as his partner against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Thomas and Spieth also will be at the PNC Championship with their fathers. Thomas and his father, longtime club professional Mike Thomas, won in 2020.

Annika Sorenstam is playing again, this time with her son, Will. The PNC field also includes Nelly Korda and her father, Petr, a former Australian Open tennis champion.

PGA TOUR RBC Canadian Open

Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Young added to Team RBC

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TORONTO – RBC is welcoming professional golfers Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Young as its newest Team RBC brand ambassadors.

Burns, Theegala and Young represent the strong field of talent on the PGA TOUR, with incredible 2021-2022 seasons. Burns, with 22 top-10 finishes to-date, had three PGA TOUR victories this past season, making him only the second player in PGA TOUR history to win three or more TOUR titles in one season.

“I am thrilled to join Team RBC and their roster of elite golfers,” says Sam Burns. “This season has been full of career-highs and becoming an RBC brand ambassador is definitely one of them. I’m grateful for their support and can’t wait to build upon the momentum of 2022.”

Since joining the TOUR in 2020, Theegala has quickly established himself with seven top-10 finishes, including finishing T2 at the Travelers Championship and T3 at the WM Phoenix Open.

“As a rookie on the TOUR, I’m proud to be joining Team RBC, a long-time supporter of golf with a roster of high calibre athletes,” says Theegala. “Visiting Canada for the RBC Canadian Open was a highlight for me last season and I can’t wait to return in 2023.”

Young holds seven top-10 finishes, including the 2022 RBC Heritage, and was named 2022 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2021-2022 season. 

“Joining a world-class group of golfers and working with a brand that shares my own values is a dream come true,” said Young. “RBC is doing great things for the sport, and I’m looking forward to joining them as an ambassador.” 

Team RBC was established in 2009 and is comprised of elite touring professionals on the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour. Along with wearing RBC branding on their apparel and golf bag, Burns, Theegala, and Young will support many of the bank’s marketing initiatives and client experiences.

RBC is the title sponsor of two PGA TOUR events, the RBC Canadian Open and the RBC Heritage, and is also a supporter of community golf events including the RBC PGA Scramble and RBC Community Junior Golf.

“We are thrilled to welcome professional golfers Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, and Cameron Young to Team RBC. It was a pleasure to watch them play at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open and RBC Heritage and to see their incredible success this season,” says Mary DePaoli, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We are impressed by their dedication and passion both on and off the course and look forward to what’s next for these talented golfers.”

PGA TOUR

Canadian Adam Svensson gets 1st PGA TOUR title at Sea Island 

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Adam Svensson (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Adam Svensson handled the cold air and the heat of contention as if he had been there before, closing with a 6-under 64 to win the RSM Classic on Sunday at Sea Island for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Svensson, a 28-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was locked in a four-way tie for the lead on the closing stretch of the Seaside course when he poured in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then hit a tee shot to 10 feet on the par-3 17th for a birdie that gave him a cushion.

Brian Harman (65) and Sahith Theegala (66) were in the group ahead of him and missed birdie chances from about 25 feet on the closing hole.

Callum Tarren of England (64) was the first to post at 17-under par and was hopeful of a playoff. Svensson capped off his bogey-free final round with a par for a two-shot win.

He finished at 19-under 263 and played the tougher Seaside course in 20 under the final three rounds. His tournament began with a 73 on the Plantation, which put him in a tie for 108th. His first job was to make the cut. He wound up winning the trophy.

Taylor Pendrith (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 15th at 13 under.

Svensson is starting his third full year on the PGA Tour and gets a two-year exemption, along with a trip to the Masters and the PGA Championship. He has never played a major.

“To be honest, it’s not even real right now,” Svensson said when he finished. “I’m so happy. I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour means everything to be me. … I just kept believing in myself, and here I am.”

Theegala recovered from a double bogey on the par-5 seventh hole when he was in trouble left off the tee and then hit a chip that came back to him from behind the green. He made five birdies over the last 11 holes.

Harman got in the game late, hitting a fairway metal on the par-5 15th hole that was inches away from rolling in, setting up a short eagle. He birdied the 16th to share the lead, but had to settle for pars on the final two holes.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin, who shared the 54-hole lead, couldn’t keep up. Rodgers didn’t make his first birdie until the 13th hole and closed with a 70 to tie for 10th, while Martin shot a 72.

Cole Hammer, who graduated from Texas in May was playing on a sponsor exemption, shot a 65 to tie for fifth, which gets him into the Sony Open.

The PGA Tour now takes a six-week break in the final wraparound season before resuming with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua the first week of January.

By winning, Svensson was the last man to qualify for that field, the first elevated event that will have a $15 million purse.

Svensson won $1,458,000, more than he won in either of his two previous seasons on the PGA Tour. He is the second Canadian to win this season, joining Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who won in Mississippi.

PGA TOUR RBC Canadian Open

Select 2023 RBC Canadian Open tickets now on sale

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TORONTO (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, are pleased to announce select tickets are now available for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open taking place June 5-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country – a Stanley Thompson classic in the heart of Toronto.

CLICK HERE to secure your tickets before they sell out.

Oakdale will challenge the stars of the PGA TOUR as a 7,460-yard composite championship routing that integrates elements from each of the course’s three nines (Thompson, Homenuik, Knudson).

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the RBC Canadian Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf.

Three ticketing options include:

  • Any Day Ticket: Access to the RBC Canadian Open on any one day, Monday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last).
  • Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Monday through Sunday.
  • 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

Volunteer, sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, visit us online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.