San Antonio, TX – With The Masters just one week away, the PGA TOUR headed to TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open. On day four of the tournament, Adam Hadwin would shoot 5-under 67 and would birdie five of his last seven holes to earn him a T4 finish.

“Obviously today was an incredible finish,” said Hadwin. “It’s a tricky golf course and when the wind blows, the landing areas on the greens are so small, you’ve got to be extremely precise. I hit some good shots on the front. I think my short game kind of let me down. I would have liked to get a couple more up and down today on the first 10, but I hit a lot of really good shots those last seven holes, gave myself a lot of chances and was able to capitalize on five of them obviously. Getting the last two, 17 and 18, were huge and just another good solid week overall.”

Hadwin would finish just three shots back of leader J.J. Spaun with the performance earning the B.C. resident his third straight top 10 finish for the first time in his PGA TOUR career.

Corey Conners shot 67 in the closing round to finish the weekend T35 at five-under. Roger Sloan recorded 72 at two-under.

First played in 1922, the Valero Texas Open is the third oldest PGA TOUR tournament following the Western Open (1899), and the RBC Canadian Open (1904).

Full leaderboard here.

Once again, Corey Conners is rounding into midseason form in March.

Conners shot up nine spots to No. 32 on the world golf rankings, matching his personal best, after beating former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson on Sunday to take third at the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play event. His ascension up the world rankings comes as he returns to the Valero Texas Open, which he won in 2019 for his only victory on the PGA Tour.

“I feel like my game has been trending upwards for a while. I had a little inconsistency maybe to begin this year but I’ve had some solid finishes and I feel like I’m striking it well,” said Conners before play began at TPC San Antonio. “Last week, my ball striking was great and I was able to get the putter going a little bit as well, made some important putts when I needed to.”

The Texas Open was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Conners was the reigning champion last year and therefore the focus of all the on-site advertising, including being featured on the key cards of the players’ hotel. American Jordan Spieth won it in 2021, taking some of the spotlight off Conners heading into this edition of the Texas Open.

“This is definitely a special place to come to even though I’m not on the room keys of the hotel this year,” said Conners with a laugh. “Jordan took over that as the defending champion, but it’s it’s a cool place, a special place to me.”

The native of Listowel, Ont., has had two top-10 finishes this season, starting with a tie for fifth at the QBE Shootout (not an official PGA Tour event) on Dec. 12 and then his third-place finish at the WGC. He also has two 11th-place finishes, first at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Jan. 16 and then at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 6.

He said hard work has been critical to his recent success.

“I’ve been trying to mess around with a few technical changes in my short game and putting, but definitely been working really hard,” said Conners. “That’s been a big focus in my practice, particularly when I’m home, just trying to use my feel and creativity and have a lot more trust that I can get the shots”

Conners is one of six Canadians in the field at TPC San Antonio this week. He’s joined by Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., at TPC San Antonio.

The winner of the Texas Open will earn one of the final spots at next week’s Masters. Indeed, the first of Conners’ three appearances at the Masters as a pro was thanks to his win at the Texas Open in 2019. He tied for 46th at Augusta that year but finished in the top 10 in 2020 and 2021, 10th and eighth respectively.

“I feel like I can definitely be one of the top players in the world but I feel like I’ve got room for improvement in my game,” said Conners. “I certainly like where everything is at right now and where things are trending.”

Full leaderboard for the Valero Texas Open, here.

Scottie Scheffler, whose hot run of golf through the early part of 2022 has earned him the No.1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, will make his RBC Canadian Open debut this summer. 

The 25-year-old captured the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play with a 4 & 3 win over Kevin Kisner in the finale. His first WGC title was his third PGA Tour victory in his last five starts. 

After his WGC triumph, Scheffler became the 25th man to reach No. 1 since the Official World Golf Ranking debuted in 1986. 

A celebrated amateur and college star at the University of Texas, Scheffler broke through for his first Tour win at the WM Phoenix Open in February before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in early March. 

It took Scheffler 92 starts to get to No.1. Only Tiger Woods (21 starts) and fellow Texan Jordan Spieth (77 starts) needed fewer starts as a professional to ascend to the top of golf’s ranking.

He is the sixth-youngest player to reach the top spot in the history of the ranking and couldn’t have drawn up a better start to his professional career. 

Scheffler turned pro in the summer of 2018 and earned Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honours the next year thanks to two victories. Eighteen months ago, he was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. 

He was also part of the United States’ winning Ryder Cup team last fall. He earned his spot on the team by finishing in the top 20 in each of the four majors in 2021, and inside the top 10 in three of the four. 

And now Canadian golf fans will have the opportunity to cheer him on in person this summer.  

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic the RBC Canadian Open is set to return June 6-12 with Scheffler a part of an exciting field expected at St. George’s Golf and Country Club this summer.More field announcements are set for the coming weeks, along with the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Tickets are available here.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Scottie Scheffler is the hottest player in golf and now has the ranking to prove it.

Six weeks after his first PGA Tour victory, Scheffler won the Dell Technologies Match Play for his third title in his last five starts, this one enough to move him to No. 1 in the world.

One year after losing in the championship match, the 250-year-old Scheffler never trailed against Kevin Kisner, building a 3-up lead through six holes and giving him no chance to catch up. Scheffler closed him out with a par on the 15th for a 4-and-3 victory.

Scheffler never trailed in the semifinal win over Dustin Johnson or against Kisner – he went the final 57 holes at Austin Country Club without trailing – and he was so solid in the championship match that Kisner didn’t win a hole.

Scheffler won at Austin Country Club, where the Texas Longhorns occasionally practiced. Scheffler earned a business degree in four years without summer school.

Scheffler won the Phoenix Open six week ago, and followed that with a win at Bay Hill to move to No. 5 in the world. He needed help from Jon Rahm to get to the top. Rahm, who had been No. 1 since July 18, lost in the fourth round in 19 holes to Brooks Koepka. That paved the way for Scheffler to replace him by winning the Match Play.

He’s the sixth-youngest player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986. Scheffler joined Kisner as the only players to win the Match Play the year after losing in the championship match. Scheffler $2.1 million.

In the morning semfinals, Scheffler beat Johnson 3-1, and Kisner edged Corey Conners 2 up. Conners beat Johnson 3 and 1 in the consolation match. The Listowel, Ont., native was the first Canadian ever to advance to the semifinals.

“And I feel like I’ve done a good job this week. Left a few out there today, but the course is tricky. But yeah, feel great about all parts of my game.”

Adam Hadwin, a lifelong Blue Jays fan, was floored when he was introduced to the honorary observers that would be following his pairing in the final round of the Valspar Championship on Sunday: Toronto relievers Ryan Borucki and Jordan Romano.

“There was some guys standing on the tee and I just kind of went up and I didn’t recognize them, I had no idea who they were,” said Hadwin, who threw out the first pitch before a Jays game at Rogers Centre in July 2018.

“Ryan introduced himself and I kind of had to do like a triple take and I’m like wait a second, I know that name!”

Borucki, who said he watches the PGA Tour almost every weekend, said it was a really cool moment for him and Romano, who is from Markham, Ont.

“Right when I introduced myself, I said, ‘Hey, my name is Ryan Borucki. This is Jordan Romano,’ and Adam’s like, ‘Wait, really? Like no way,”’ said Borucki. “It was just a cool feeling because I idolize PGA golfers and just that he knew who me and Jordan were.

“I remember he walked away and me and Jordan were like ‘that was really cool.”’

Borucki and Romano are self-professed “very avid golf fans” and are currently attending Blue Jays spring training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short 20-minute drive from Innisbrook Golf Club, the host facility for the Valspar Championship.

When the two pitchers were told they had the option of trailing Hadwin for the day, the choice was obvious.

“We’ve got to go with Hadwin. Obviously, Canadian guy, we know that he’s a huge Blue Jays fan. We have to support our guy,” said Borucki. “The minute we met him, he’s such a good guy, so friendly.

“He was so good to us while we were out there and it was really a pleasure being able to follow him the entire round.”

Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., started the fourth day of the event in contention but shot a 1-over 72 in the final round to tie for seventh. He finished at 12 under overall five shots back of eventual winner Sam Burns, who beat Davis Riley in a playoff.

“I hope they enjoyed the day,” said Hadwin of the Blue Jays pitchers. “I wish I had played a little bit better in front of them but it was amazing having a couple guys from the team that I root for support me during that final round.”

Borucki, who had only attended one PGA Tour event in person before, loved his time on the course with Hadwin.

“Being able to walk inside the ropes is just an experience in itself.” said Borucki. “It was definitely one of the best days of my life as a baseball player, and as a PGA Tour fan. Oh, I was in heaven out there.”

Although he was disappointed in his final result, it was Hadwin’s second consecutive top-10 finish. He tied for ninth at the Players’ Championship the previous week. The two strong showings elevated him up to 44th in the FedEx Cup rankings on Monday.

“I was able to do that the last couple of weeks through some golf courses that aren’t exactly easy in some situations.”

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Sam Burns celebrated another victory Sunday at the Valspar Championship, and it was nothing like he experienced a year ago.

Not even close.

He lowered his arms and forcefully shook his fists as raw emotion poured out of him on the 16th green, a reaction worthy under the circumstances. Burns capped off his back-to-back wins at Innisbrook with a birdie putt from just outside 30 feet to beat PGA Tour rookie and longtime friend Davis Riley on the second playoff hole.

“It felt like it looked,” Burns said with a wide smile, the trophy at his side from his third PGA Tour victory in the last year, a run that began with his first win a year ago at the Valspar Championship when he won by three shots.

“All through today, just trying to make sure that I never got too high or too low and just tried to stay even-keeled,” he said. “And to see that go in, I mean, that’s just what I felt.”

There was plenty to cause stress during a four-man chase along the back nine on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

Burns, who closed with a 2-under 69, had control until he had to make a 9-foot putt for bogey just to keep the lead. Riley, who steadied himself after a triple bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, hit 5-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the 17th to catch him.

Riley, who started the final round with a two-shot lead and closed with a 72, had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a win. Burns was watching from a distance, hopeful only of a chance to play golf. The putt missed to the right, and two holes later Burns was a winner again.

He is the second straight back-to-back winner at Innisbrook following Paul Casey’s consecutive wins in 2018 and 2019. The tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The victory moves Burns to No. 10 in the world for the first time, knocking Dustin Johnson out of the top 10 for the first time in seven years.

“Man, it’s crazy,” Burns said. “Davis played well today, especially the way he finished. I tried to stay steady. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes. A lot of time on Sunday if you plot your way around, make a bunch of pars, throw in a few birdies, a lot of times it works well. So happy.”

They finished at 17-under 267.

Both made pars on the 18th in the playoff, with Riley saving par from a front bunker. Neither looked to be in great birdie position on the 16th until Burns’ putt caught the left edge and went 180 degrees around the cup before falling in the back side.

Riley hit a strong pitch needing to hole it to extend the playoff and missed long.

“I can’t hang my head about anything,” Riley said. “I played a lot of good golf and unfortunately I didn’t have my best stuff today and I stumbled on hole 5 today and that kind of cost me. But at the end of the day it’s a great week to build on.”

Justin Thomas (70) and Matthew NeSmith (71) each finished one shot out of the playoff, and each had a share of the lead at some point during a tense final round in warm, windy conditions on the Copperhead course.

Thomas was one shot out of the lead when he laid up 54 yards short on the par-5 11th. It settled in a tiny hole that kept him from clean contact, and his wedge went just long into light rough. His chip ran 12 feet by the hole and he took bogey at the easiest hole in the course.

One hole later, Burns made a 15-foot birdie putt and Thomas suddenly was four shots behind. He had two straight birdies to stay in the game and had a chance when Burns took bogey on the 17th. But then Thomas hit his tee shot into the slope of a bunker right of the 18th and couldn’t reach the green.

“I didn’t really do anything at all today and I very easily could have won the tournament,” Thomas said. “I mean, good drive on 18, and I have a wedge in there and could be in this playoff just as easily. But a lot to build on a, lot of positives, and we got a big stretch coming up, so I’m excited for it.”

NeSmith was one shot behind heading to the 10th tee. He made all pars until a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th. He had a 35-foot putt from the fringe to join the playoff and narrowly missed.

Riley had never been in contention on the back nine on the PGA Tour and looked like he might not get there Sunday after his triple bogey.

From well left of the fairway, he went left down the adjacent sixth fairway, only to chunk his third shot from 106 yards into the base of a tree. He took a penalty drop, hit long into the rough, chipped long again into the rough and made triple bogey.

But he steadied himself with a 50-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 8 and a nervy 7-foot par putt on the ninth and the race was on.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Two days around the Copperhead course has created very little stress for Canada’s Adam Hadwin, with his game and between the ears.

The 34-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., has been patient about when to attack and relied on confidence in his putting stroke to pile up the birdies and one big par.

Hadwin finished the second round of the Valspar Championship in second place, two shots behind Matthew NeSmith, who tied the Copperhead course record at Innisbrook with a 10-under 61. NeSmith also set the tournament record for 36 holes in building a lead going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship.

Hadwin, meanwhile, was out of position on the seventh hole in the right bunker when he made a 15-foot putt to escape with par. On the par-3 eighth, he made a 20-foot birdie and before long was on his way.

Scoring has been low all week after rain softened the course and the wind has been minimal. Even so, no one had posted better than 64 until NeSmith put together the round that was more than nine shots better than the average.

He had eagle putts on three of four par 5s, making an eight-footer on the par-5 14th. He shot 30 on the front nine, and his 18-foot birdie putt on his final hole at No. 9 burned the edge of the cup.

The 61 tied the course set by Padraig Harrington in 2012.

NeSmith was at 14-under 128, breaking by two shots the 36-hole record at the Valspar Championship that Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley set a year ago.

Hadwin, whose lone PGA Tour victory was five years ago at Innisbrook, had a 66.

Burns remained in the hunt in the title defense of his first PGA Tour victory. He recovered from a rugged start to post a 67 and was three shots behind with Scott Stallings (66).

Justin Thomas was four behind.

NeSmith only missed one fairway and two greens, and the only stress he was under came on the par-4 second hole, his 11th of the day, when he had to make an eight-foot par putt to avoid a three-putt from 50 feet.

His bonus came two holes later by making a 40-footer on the par-3 fourth.

Thomas was right alongside Hadwin most of the morning, running off four birdies in a five-hole stretch along the back nine. He took care of both par 5s on the front nine and was at 12 under when he attempted one shot he would like to have back.

Blocked by a tree in the rough, Thomas thought he could get enough spin on his ball to hook it toward the green with a 52-degree wedge. It just didn’t work out that way. He missed well to the right by some 30 yards, put it into a bunker between him and the green and took double bogey.

He had to settle for another 66, a good effort over 36 holes, and a reminder to not take on too much, especially in the early rounds.

“I should have just tried to hit it in the front bunker and it was a pretty easy up-and-down,” Thomas said. “As soft as the greens are, I was like, `If I can get this thing turning and landing around there, I can actually had a putt at this.’ As good as I felt with my putter, I felt like if I got it on the green, I could make a 3. But it wasn’t necessary. It just didn’t really need to happen.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., finished the day in a group tied for 49th, Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., was tied for 73rd, and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was tied for 83rd.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Sam Burns prefers to look at what’s next instead of what happened, and that was a big part in how he responded for a 7-under 64 and a share of the lead Thursday in the Valspar Championship, his first time as defending champion.

He used the phrase “flush and move on,” and that’s what he did. Twice after taking bogey, he took aim at the flag on tough par 3s and make short birdie putts. That featured an 8-iron to 2 feet on the par-3 17th and a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Innisbrook.

Burns shared the lead with past champion Adam Hadwin, the well-traveled David Lipsky and Jhonattan Vegas, who had a bounce-back of his own variety.

Burns was closing in on the lead set earlier in the day by Vegas when his bunker shot from right of the 16th green came out soft and he missed the 10-foot par. He followed birdie-birdie.

“It’s OK to be frustrated,” Burns said. “I think it’s just what do you do with that frustration? Do you let it carry over to the next shot or do you address it, flush it and move on? I think that’s the most important thing.”

He felt the same way about his title defense. Burns didn’t get caught up in memories of closing with a 68 to win by three shots last year. The Copperhead course, a sturdy test even in the ideal scoring conditions, was among his favorites even before he won.

“The thing about last year is it has nothing to do with this year,” Burns said. “So many things are different. There’s not much correlation between the two. … I’ll look back forever on that event, it being my first win. Wins don’t happen out here often.”

Danny Lee was among four players at 65, Justin Thomas was another shot back and Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka led the large group at 67.

Hadwin, who won the Valspar Championship in 2017, finished with a birdie to cap off a day of remembering why patience is so important to the way he plays. It’s all about knowing when to attack for Hadwin, and even a little bad judgment worked in his favor.

He went for a front right pin on No. 6 with a pitching wedge when he says he should have taken a safer approach with a 9-iron and leaving a 15-foot putt. No matter he chipped in for birdie. And on his final hole at No. 9, uphill and over a bunker, he had about the same yardage.

His strategy is simple: “Keep it out of the water, hit as many greens as possible.”

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Lipsky went to the same Los Angeles-area high school as Collin Morikawa. He’s 9 years older than the two-time major champion, and his road to the PGA Tour wasn’t quite so smooth.

“I just wanted to play wherever I could,” he said. That took the 33-year-old Californian to a pair of wins on the Asian Tour and the European tour, and a Korn Ferry Tour win _ the same day Morikawa won at Muirfield Village _ that eventually led to a PGA Tour card.

Lipsky played bogey-free at Innisbrook, which he described as one of “crusiest” rounds he could play. He was rarely in trouble. His birdie putts were on the short side. The few times he had to save par, the putts were never far out of range. And he signed for a 64. Cruising.

As for Vegas? He needed a round like this.

Still stinging was his finish Sunday last week at The Players Championship. Despite hitting two balls in the water on the island-green 17th at TPC Sawgrass, Vegas came the par-5 ninth hole right on the cut line and 25 yards from the hole in two shots.

He he bladed a gap wedge over the green and into a bunker, made bogey and missed the cut.

The recovery process is off to a great start.

“Absolutely great,” Vegas said. “Exactly what I needed after last week. Game was there. I took advantage of the great conditions this morning. Greens are a little softer, not much wind, absolutely a perfect day out here.”

Vegas gave his round a boost with a 4-iron to 6 feet for eagle on the par-5 first hole after he made the turn. He had a 25-foot birdie on the par-3 fourth, a tough putt from right of the hole that can get away from players if they’re not careful, and a 6-foot birdie on No. 7.

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – The Players Championship had no shortage of weather delays as the rain and wind pushed the competition to a Monday afternoon finish.

While speaking of the wild week at TPC Sawgrass, Adam Hadwin noted he was “happy to be done” after battling inclement weather conditions since the start of play on Thursday. The B.C. native played well on Sunday and Monday to finish the tournament five under 67 and tied for 9th on the leaderboard.

“Got away with a few things today,” said Hawdin of his game. “I hit some really good shots that I took advantage of, obviously. Made a lot of putts early. Had 10 putts through nine holes today, hit four greens and was 2-under on the front, and that doesn’t happen very often here.”

Taylor Pendrith finished just one shot back of Hadwin to tie for 13th in his first appearance at The Players. The 30 year old also noted his familiarity with playing in colder conditions from his time spent on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“The course was great, yeah,” said Pendrith of the course conditions. “The greens were still very receptive I would say, obviously with all the rain. The rough seems to be a little easier to hit out of than the start of the week, but the greens are good. They’ve got some really nice speed to them and are rolling true. It’s challenging but it’s very fair.”

Corey Conners posted a bogey-free two under 70 in the final round to finish T26.

Next week the PGA TOUR heads to Palm Harbour Florida for the Valspar Championship.

Click here to view the full leaderboard from The Players Championship.

The RBC Canadian Open is officially back to kick off the 2022 summer festival season!

Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, is pleased to offer a full selection of ticket options for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.    

Following two years of cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the RBC Canadian Open returns June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto with nearby Islington Golf Club hosting the tournament’s official practice facility. The stars of the PGA TOUR will return to Toronto as St. George’s prepares to host the tournament for the fifth time and first since 2010.

With a superb June date on the PGA TOUR schedule the week prior to the US Open, the 111th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship will be a week-long summer festival and a premier event on the Canadian sports calendar.

Building on the multi-day sellout that thrilled fans in 2019 and culminated with Rory McIlroy’s impressive victory, fans of all ages will once again experience the energy of world-class PGA TOUR golf and exciting activities all week long including the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series on Friday and Saturday (musical acts to be announced in the coming weeks), The Rink on the 16^th hole at St. George’s, and a variety of food and patio experiences at the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way.

“Together with RBC we are incredibly excited to bring the 2022 RBC Canadian Open back to the PGA TOUR schedule in a big way as a kick-off to summer festival season in Toronto,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “With so much built-up momentum and the deep interest in golf at all levels of the game, the return of the RBC Canadian Open will be a can’t miss pinnacle celebration.”

“We are thrilled to welcome fans back to the tournament along with our partners Golf Canada,” said Shannon Cole, Vice-President, Brand Marketing, RBC. “We look forward to sharing more details on the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series and building on the success of 2019.”

In addition to the full suite of RBC Canadian Open tickets now available, youth aged 12-and-under get free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. All Friday and Saturday tickets will include access to the RBCxMusic Concert Series.

GENERAL ADMISSION – DAILY GROUNDS TICKETS 

Spectators can take advantage of miles of front row seating! General admission tickets provide access to the golf course—get an up-close look at your favourite PGA TOUR stars, enjoy fan activations throughout the property and experience the thrill of major professional golf.  

1904 CLUB PRESENTED BY RBC ISHARES  

The 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares delivers an elevated fan experience in the heart of the golf course. Located between the 1^st and 10^th greens, this premium destination is the perfect home base to sit, relax and map out your experience following the stars of the PGA TOUR. Enjoy relief and shelter from the elements, take in the broadcast on TV and treat yourself to an elevated food, beverage and hospitality experience.  

Visit www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets  for more information, and to secure your tickets before they sell out.

Click here to sign up for the RBC Canadian Open newsletter and be among the first notified for upcoming RBCxMusic Concert Series announcements and updates.