AUGUSTA, Ga. – Even before the Masters began, it was obvious Augusta National in April was nothing like it was in November. Far less clear was which course Justin Rose was playing Thursday.

Rose made seven birdies and an eagle during a torrid 10-hole stretch for a 7-under 65 and a four-shot lead, his lowest score at Augusta National in one of its toughest opening rounds.

It started with a nice hop off the mounds left of the green on the par-5 eighth that set up a 10-foot eagle. Only two of his birdie putts were outside 8 feet. He holed a 12-foot par putt on the one green he missed. Not bad for a 40-year-old from England playing for the first time in a month while resting an ailing back.

His 65 looked even better on a day so tough only 12 players broke par, and the average score was 74.5.

“Listen, I didn’t know where my game was going into this week,” Rose said. “I’ve been working hard. I could have played the last two tournaments, but I was really trying to prepare hard for this Masters.”

Twice a runner-up, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia four years ago, Rose tied a Masters record by taking at least a share of first-round lead for the fourth time. The other to do that was Jack Nicklaus. The difference? Nicklaus went on to win two of his six green jackets from that position.

Rose likes to say he’s only had one arm in the jacket.

Brian Harman, the last player to get into the 88-man field, and Hideki Matsuyama were wrapping up their rounds of 69 about the time Rose began on a course that was dry and crusty, on greens that were so fast there were splotches of brown.

Among those at 70 were former Masters champion Patrick Reed and Masters newcomer Will Zalatoris. Jordan Spieth overcame a triple bogey from the trees on No. 9 for a 71.

Missing were a slew of red numbers on the leaderboard in conditions so difficult that Garcia said after a 76, “I feel like I just came out of the ring with Evander Holyfield.”

Five months ago, in the first Masters held in November because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the turf was so soft that 53 players were under par after the opening round.

British Open champion Shane Lowry chipped from the back of the 15th green into the water in front of the green. He escaped with bogey and managed a 71. U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci hit a 60-foot putt from behind the ninth green that wound up 75 feet away on the other side.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who set the record last year at 20-under 268, failed to break par for the first time since the opening round in 2018. He three-putted for double bogey on the 18th for a 74.

“I feel sorry for the guys’ first Masters in November, and then they’re walking out there today wondering what the hell is going on,” Kevin Kisner said after a hard-earned 72.

This was no surprise. Augusta National has not had rain in more than a week, and players could not recall the last time greens were this fast during practice rounds, much less with a scorecard in hand on Thursday.

“It’s my 10th year, but I’ve never seen the greens so firm and fast,” Matsuyama said. “So it was like a new course for me playing today, and I was fortunate to get it around well.”

And what to say of Rose? Even in more forgiving conditions, he had never done better than 67.

“I didn’t feel like today was the day for a 65, if I’m honest,” Rose said.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is the top Canadian after firing a 72. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont, shot a 1-over 73, and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., – the winner of the 2003 green jacket – came in with a 6-over 78.

No one needed convincing, least of all Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, among top players who struggled with the wind and had just as many problems when the ball was on the ground.

DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion who has been licking his chops about bringing his super-sized game to Augusta National, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole and shot 76, his highest score as a pro at the Masters. Patrick Cantlay hit into the water on both par 3s on the back nine and shot 79.

“Guys are going to shoot themselves out of the golf tournament on day one,” Webb Simpson said after a late double bogey forced him to settle for a 70.

McIlroy, needing a green jacket to complete the career Grand Slam, hit his father with a shot on the seventh hole. That was about the most interesting moment in his round of 76. Lee Westwood, who had a pair of runner-up finishes in the Florida Swing, had a 78.

Rose looked as though he might be headed that direction. He made a soft bogey on No. 1. He three-putted across the green on No. 7. He was 2 over, though not ready to panic. He knew it was tough. He also knew he was headed in the wrong direction.

“You can’t win the golf tournament today. Even with a 65 you can’t win it today,” Rose said. “You can only probably lose it today, obviously. I reset just prior to that and thought if I can get myself back around even par, that would be a good day’s work.”

He hit 5-wood into 10 feet for eagle and a 9-iron to the dangerous left pin on No. 9 to 4 feet for birdie. He holed a 25-foot putt on the 10th and hi 8-iron to 6 feet on No. 12. It never stopped. Even from the first cut of rough on the 17th, his wedge settled 4 feet from the hole.

He finished going over the details of that incredible stretch, smiled and said, “Sounds easy.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Three Canadians will tee it up in the first men’s golf major of the year today.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont.; Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont.; and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., are in the field for the Masters at Augusta National.

Weir gets in by virtue of winning the 2003 edition of the tournament.

Hughes is in after qualifying for last year’s Tour Championship, while Conners gets his berth for tying for 10th at last year’s Masters.

The event is back on its traditional April date after being moved to November last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conners is 43rd in the world men’s golf rankings, Hughes is 51st and Weir is 808th.

TORONTO – Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC have confirmed that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto have strongly supported the hosting of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, with nearby Islington Golf Club serving as the official practice facility for the tournament.

St. George’s and Islington re-committing their involvement for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open follows two years of cancellations due to international travel and government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 RBC Canadian Open was scheduled to be held June 7-13.

“I am so pleased that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club as well as Islington Golf Club will join us in hosting the 2022 RBC Canadian Open,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “We are already looking forward to the return of the PGA TOUR  to Canada and so grateful that both clubs including their respective membership and our host volunteer committee continue to work towards the celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open.”

“RBC is proud to be title sponsor of Canada’s National Open Championship, one of the oldest events on the PGA TOUR schedule with a strong history of celebrating the importance of golf to Canadians,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We are looking forward to welcoming back defending champion Rory McIlroy, our Team RBC golfers, and inspiring the next generation of golf talent at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.”

St. George’s Golf and Country Club has previously hosted the RBC Canadian Open on five occasions, dating as far back as 1933 and most recently in 2010.

“We are proud to continue along the path that we dedicated the club and our membership to for 2020,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Chair Mark Teskey. “With more than 200 volunteer members having devoted countless hours and many others lending their support in a meaningful way, we are excited to continue with those efforts to make the 111^th RBC Canadian Open a great success.” 

“Islington Golf Club is very happy to be partnering with Golf Canada and St. George’s to deliver a fantastic experience for players, volunteers and Canadian golf fans at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Tournament Co-Chair Chris Tortorice. “We are very excited to welcome the PGA TOUR back to Toronto in 2022.” 

Part of the FedExCup Regular Season and conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also creating a positive impact in the event’s host community. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Audi, Acushnet, Steam Whistle, Hilton, Levelwear, Sargent Farms, Coca-Cola and the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support the Golf Canada Foundation as the event’s official charity partner.

Canada’s top two professional golfers are returning to tournaments this week where they were atop the leaderboard the last time they played in the event.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., won the Valero Texas Open in 2019 and, because the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered the reigning champion. As a result, every room key at the players’ hotel for the PGA Tour event this week has his picture on it.

Conners said that although his photo is everywhere at the event in San Antonio, he still enjoyed some anonymity when checking in with a hotel clerk thanks to the mask he was wearing upon arrival.

“She had no idea who I was, but I made a funny comment about it being embarrassing for the guy who’s got to look at himself on the room key every day for the whole week,” Conners said this week.

“I obviously had my mask on and a hat and I think a sweatshirt, so she probably didn’t put two and two together.”

Conners won in 2019 after entering the field as a Monday qualifier. He’s ranked 41st in the world this week after a hot start to the season.

He believes he’ll be a different player when he tees off on Thursday compared to the man who won the Texas Open in 2019.

“I think my game’s gotten a little more polished over the last few years, a little more consistent,” said Conners.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tees off on Thursday at the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. It was last held in September 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Henderson was tied for first with American Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Mirim Lee at 15-under after four rounds at last year’s ANA Inspiration. Lee won the tournament with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

The 23-year-old Henderson, who has the most professional tournament wins in Canadian golf history, said she has learned from that playoff defeat.

“I think it’s really important to take away the positives from that week because I played really well and there’s a lot of good things that happened,” said Henderson. “Unfortunately I didn’t lift the trophy but I was tied for the lead when we finished 72 holes. So that’s a lot of confidence and that’s a great feeling.”

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., as well as Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., are the other Canadians in the field at the Texas Open.

The winner, if not already qualified, gets a spot in the Masters, the first major of the men’s season, next week in Augusta, Ga.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the only other Canadian in the field at the ANA Inspiration.

Canada is coming off a big week on the PGA and LPGA feeder circuits.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., won the Korn Ferry Tour event last week, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for second at the Symetra Tour tournament.

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic – Joel Dahmen won the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, avoiding a playoff when the wind pushed playing partner Rafael Campos’ final birdie try to the left.

Dahmen closed with a 2-under 70 on the windswept seaside course. The American started fast with birdies on three of the first four holes and added another on the par-5 seventh, then played the last 11 in 2 over with bogeys on par-3 11th and par-5 14th and a series have hard-earned pars.

The 33-year-old Dahmen finished at 12-under 276. He didn’t get into the Masters with the victory because the tournament was played opposite the WGC Match Play event in Texas, but did wrap up a PGA Championship berth and a spot at Kapalua in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Campos, the Puerto Rican player whose family has long had a home in the Dominican, had a 71. Winless on the tour, he bogeyed the par-3 17th to drop out of a tie for the lead and watched the wind move his 15-footer off-line in the last few inches on the par-4 18th. His only birdies came on the two front-nine par 5s.

Sam Ryder had a 67 to tie for second with Campos.

Graeme McDowell, the 2019 winner, and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., tied for fourth at 10 under. McDowell closed with a 69, and Gligic shot 71.

It was a career-best finish for Gligic, who was in the mix until two late bogeys took him out of contention.

The 31 year old said he made some mistakes on day one, but played “pretty solid all around.”

It’s an experience Gligic hopes to build off of as he continues on the PGA Tour.

“I can definitely use this next time and hopefully I can finish a little stronger. Those finishing holes are pretty tough,” he said.

Defending champion Hudson Swafford (70) and Emiliano Grillo (71) were 9 under.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – When Matt Jones won his first PGA Tour title seven years ago, he needed a 45-foot birdie putt just to get into a playoff and then a 40-yard chip-in to take the victory.

This win was far less dramatic, yet just as meaningful.

It got him back to the Masters.

Jones won the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday, a final round of 2-under 68 good enough to finish the week at 12-under 268 at PGA National. The margin matched the largest in tournament history, tying the mark set by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and matched by Camilo Villegas in 2010.

“It’s been seven years. It’s been a tough seven years,” Jones said. “I’ve had ups and I’ve had downs, as all golfers have, but it gets me into a lot of big tournaments now.”

The 40-year-old Australian earned $1.26 million and, this time, he’ll have more than a day to prepare for the trip to Augusta National. His win at the Houston Open in 2014 – and his Masters invite – came just one day before he had to go to Augusta, making it a scramble to get family and friends together to share in the experience.

The Masters starts April 8, so he’s got much more time to plan this one.

“It’s going to be nice,” Jones said. “I can go prep for the Masters this time. Last time it was an absolute blur. I can’t remember a thing about it, so I’m going to do some prep this time before.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. finished in a five-way tie for eighth place at 5-under par. Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan finished in a tie for 25th at 2-under par, while Mackenzie Hughes ended his tournament in a tie for 36th at 1-over par.

Jones started the week with a course-record-tying round of 9-under 61. He was three shots behind Aaron Wise after 36 holes after a second-round 70, and his round of 69 on Saturday was good enough to put him up by three entering Sunday.

Brandon Hagy (66) finished 7 under and alone in second on his 30th birthday, his chance at winning doomed by a third-round 76. Chase Seiffert (64), Brendan Steele (65), C.T. Pan (70), Denny McCarthy (67) and Russell Henley (68) tied for third at 6 under.

“There’s a lot of tough holes out there and there’s big stakes for sure, but I’ve been working on some good stuff and it’s nice to see some of that pan out,” Hagy said.

The only stretch where Jones’ grip on the lead seemed in peril was midway through the round; Wise, who once led by six shots during the third round, had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front and got within one of the lead.

Wise’s chances ended at the par-4 10th. He hit his second into a bunker, then four-putted from 25 feet for triple-bogey. Jones’ lead went to four, and he avoided trouble the rest of the way, while Wise finished with a 73 and tied for 13th at 4 under.

J.B. Holmes was in the final group with Jones, three shots back to start the day, and his chances were gone very quickly. He ended up with a costly final-round 79 for Holmes; second place, where he started the day, paid Hagy $763,000 while the tied-for-46th finish paid Holmes $19,070.

Holmes knocked his shot from a greenside bunker off the green and made bogey on the opening hole, then sent his tee shot way right on the par-4 second and needed about 10 minutes to find the ball – it was nestled among palm fronds – and decide how to proceed.

He went on to make double bogey there, and when Jones birdied the par-5 third Holmes’ deficit had gone from three to eight shots in about 45 minutes.

At that point, only a few had a realistic chance at catching Jones. Before long, the outcome was obvious.

“You can’t get a tougher golf course to win on than this one, in these conditions,” Jones said. “To be able to do that on this golf course is amazing and something I can build on for the future, hopefully.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ Justin Thomas found the right time for a near-perfect performance to put a rough start to the year behind him, rallying from three shots behind with bold play to close with a 4-under 68 and win The Players Championship on Sunday.

Thomas becomes only the fourth player to win a major, The Players Championship, the FedEx Cup and a World Golf Championship, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

He called it as good as he has ever played tee-to-green, and he needed it to outlast Lee Westwood, a hard-luck runner-up for the second straight week. Westwood birdied the final hole for a 72 to finish one shot behind.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was among four golfers who shot a 6-under 66 in the final round, the lowest single-round score of the day. Conners finished the tournament in seventh place at 10-under 278.

Abbotsford, B.C. natives Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor both finished within the top-50. Hadwin finished in a tie for 29th place at 4-under par. Taylor finished in a tie for 48th place at 1-under par.

Thomas began the year with a barely audible anti-gay slur under his breath after missing a short putt. That led to one corporate sponsor dropping him and another giving him a public reprimand. The one time he had a chance to win, he learned his grandfather died before the final round of the Phoenix Open.

He was shaken until Sunday at the TPC Sawgrass, where he took on every shot and delivered a gem.

Thomas went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie around the turn, and put away Westwood for good with a pair of lag putts from 50 feet _ one for birdie on the par-5 16th to take the lead, another on the island-green 17th for a par.

Thomas still had one more shot before he was in the clear. He took on the water framing the left side of the 18th fairway, the ball moving right-to-left and bouncing straight off the crown of the first cut, safely in the fairway.

His approach landed on the fringe _ the first green he missed all day _ leaving a simple two-putt for par and the 14th victory of his PGA Tour career. He returns to No. 2 in the world.

“I fought so hard today,” Thomas said. “It’s probably one of the best rounds of my life tee-to-green. I’ve seen some crazy stuff happen on TV in the past, and I’m glad to be on this side of it.”

All the crazy stuff came early.

Bryson DeChambeau, coming off a win last week at Bay Hill, topped an iron off the tee on the par-4 fourth hole that went only about 140 yards until it plunked into the water. From 237 yards on a forward tee to a green protected by water, he hit a slice with a 5-iron some 40 yards right of the green.

“Dude! I don’t know what happened!” he said to his caddie. “I’ve never done that before.”

DeChambeau made double bogey and was scratching the rest of the way to stay in the game. He still had a chance with an eagle on the 16th hole to get within two, but when Thomas made par on the 17th, his chances were about over. DeChambeau shot 71 and tied for third with Brian Harman, who had a 69 and played the final 12 holes without a bogey.

The 47-year-old Westwood hit his tee shot into the water on the fourth hole and had to make an 8-footer to save bogey. He hit his approach out of the pine straw that clipped two branches and found water on the par-5 second hole to make bogey.

He was never far away from the lead, and Westwood regained a share of the lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the 14th.

His chances began to slip away with his second shot into the par-5 16th. It hit a big oak and dropped into the sand, and his third shot found a bunker in front of the green. Instead of matching birdies with Thomas, who was in the group ahead, Westwood had to scramble for par to stay one behind.

And on the 17th, his long birdie attempt rolled 7 feet by the hole. He faced another crucial par putt, and he finally missed.

Thomas was outside the cut line after nine holes on Friday. He followed that with a 64 on Saturday to get in the mix, and he finished off in style to pick up $2.7 million with a win against the strongest and deepest field in golf.

It wrapped up a year in which the PGA Tour shut down after one round of The Players a year ago. Thomas was among those serving on the Player Advisory Council that was a part in getting golf back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He looked at the gold trophy with Commissioner Jay Monahan to soak in how far golf had come in a year. For Thomas, he came a long way in three months.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ Lee Westwood isn’t interested in comparing himself with the player who rose to No. 1 in the world a decade ago. All he knows is he’s playing some of his best golf, and he gets another chance to see if it can hold up against the best field.

Westwood had all the shots Friday in a bogey-free round at The Players Championship, with two birdies at the start and a nifty pitch to a troublesome pin on the par-5 ninth to close with a another birdie and a 6-under 66.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Matt Fitzpatrick (68) going into the weekend on the Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, with U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau not too far behind.

Westwood, who turns 48 next month, played well enough to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week at Bay Hill except that DeChambeau was one shot better in a fascinating duel of generations on a course that favours power.

Sawgrass favours no particular style, and it produced an eclectic mix of contenders at the halfway point.

“I think to compete in any of these tournaments against the best players in the world, you can’t have any weaknesses in your game,” Westwood said. “I wouldn’t be able to say I’m doing this better or that better. There’s not a shot out there I’m afraid of. There’s not a shot out there I’ll walk up to and think, `I haven’t got this one.’

“I’m comfortable out there with everything.”

He was at 9-under 135 and will be part of the All-England final pairing Saturday.

Sergio Garcia was another shot back after a 72 that looked like it was a lot worse with so many putts the Spaniard missed, including a 23-inch par putt on the 15th hole that followed a 5-foot par putt he missed on the 14th.

Still, the 2008 champion showed plenty of game _ and enough par putts that went in _ to stay in the hunt. He drilled his approach to inches away on the par-5 11th for his third eagle of the week, which a already ties the tournament record.

And he finished in style with an approach that danced around the flag and settled 5 feet away for birdie on the 18th.

“It was a beautiful roller coaster,” Garcia said. “There were a lot of good things. Unfortunately, a lot of bad things. But more than anything there was a lot of fighting, and that’s one of the things that I’m most proud of because when things are not really happening and you miss a couple putts here and there, it’s easy to kind of let the round get away from you.”

When the second round was suspended by darkness, 16 players were within five shots of the lead.

DeChambeau was in the group three shots behind after a 69 that began with a double bogey from the trees and a muffed chip out of the rough from behind the green. He was bogey-free the rest of the way on a course that doesn’t let him swing for the fences because of water and cross bunkers and other brands of trouble.

“I’m happy with the fact that I’ve still been able to keep myself in it and score well,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve been pretty lucky, for the most part. I don’t think that’ll happen this weekend. I’ve got to make sure that my game is good off the tee, so I don’t have those issues occurring and I don’t have to rely on luck for the most part. I have to get it in the fairway.”

Kirk holed out from the first fairway for eagle and closed with back-to-back birdies for a 65. Starting with a chip-in for birdie on the 15th, he played six straight holes in 6 under.

Sungjae Im tied the tournament record with six straight birdies, a streak that ended when he missed the green to the left on the par-3 third, and even then he nearly chipped in. He had to settle for a 66 and was three shots behind.

Dustin Johnson wasted a good start and shot 70, leaving him eight shots behind. Jordan Spieth made his first double bogey in 411 holes _ the longest streak of his career _ and shot 74 to make the cut on the number.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is the top Canadian, firing a 72 to stay at 4 under after opening with a 68.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., (69) is 1 under, fellow Abbotsford native Nick Taylor (74) is even, while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., (72) is 3 over and expected to miss the weekend cut.

The weekend is as much about who’s missing.

Rory McIlroy, who opened with a 79, wasn’t much better Friday. He made another double bogey on the 10th hole and shot 75. His 36-hole total of 154 was his highest ever in his 11 appearance at The Players Championship. He is the first defending champion to miss the cut since Rickie Fowler in 2016.

Four players from the top 10 in the world missed the cut _ Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton and Webb Simpson, whose hopes ended with one of 13 balls in the water at the island-green 17th.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Canada’s Corey Conners is tied for second after the morning wave of the first round of the Players Championship.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., shot a 4-under 68 today. He’s tied with England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, three shots back of leader Sergio Garcia of Spain.

Conners holed out for eagle from 154 yards out on the par-4 14th (he started on No. 9) before making a 22-foot birdie putt on No. 15 to get to 3 under.

The Canadian’s lone bogey came at No. 1, with birdies following at Nos. 2 and 7.

Conners is coming off a third-place finish last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I took a lot of positives from last week,” he said. “I had a solid week, was playing well all four days and just tried to keep the same mindset, keep the same sort of game plan that I had last week and just picking my spots to be aggressive. Just playing with a lot of confidence.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 2 under today.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., had afternoon tee times.

(more…)