Saturday golf update.. no Canucks in contention..live scoreboards..

Sorry to be away since my wrap last Monday, but I am double shifted these days, 6.30am - 2.30 with the City, then 3pm to finish with my lawns and gardens which are still growing like crazy after all the spring rain.. Privet hedges need trimming twice a week to keep them sharp, grass growing an inch a day, annuals wilting in this suffocating heat and humidity need a combo of some sun and lots of shade..

Sadly I don't have much good news on the Canadian front this weekend as far as golf is concerned. There is good news as Corey Conners learned Wednesday that he will be playing The Open next month at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, Northern Ireland alongside Adam Hadwin. He earned an exemption into the final major of the season based on his position in the World Golf Ranking (No. 82).

PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

After 3 rounds, Mackenzie Hughes is T39, (66 70 72 -8), Roger Sloan (70 68 69 -9) of Merritt, B.C., and Nick Taylor (68 70 69 -9 are T30

Mike Weir, Ben Silverman, Adam Svensson,and Corey Conners all missed the cut.

A 36-year-old American, Nate Lashley slipped into the tournament as an alternate Wednesday.

He is No. 132 in the FedEx Cup standings but he took advantage of the opportunity to put his name on top of the leaderboard for the second straight day. shooting a 67, putting him at -14, 130 for a one-shot lead at the scoring-friendly Detroit Golf Club. He is currently leading at -18 playing the back nine on Saturday afternoon.



LPGA Tour Walmart NW Arkansas Championship leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/walmartnwarkansaschampionshippresentedbypg/leaderboard

With round 2 well under way down in Arkansas here is the deal with the Canadian contingent. Jaclyn Lee 72 68, -2 T68, Brooke Henderson T85, -1, 69 +1 thru 8, Brittany Marchand T110 +1 73 70.

The leader at -12 is Spanish star Carlotta Ciganda who opened with -7 63 and is playing her back nine, Danielle Kang is in the clubhouse 68, 63 -11

Bryan Angus

 

 

Weekend wrap, final scoreboards/ stories..

Some of golf's lesser lights had huge weekends, none more so that Aussie Hannah Green who led from wire to wire winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

Here are the final scoreboards along with the storylines.


KPMG Women's PGA Championship final leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/kpmgwomenspgachampionship/results

Australia has only produced three women who have won a major championship, the most prolific being Karrie Webb who supports junior girls and brings 2 full scholarship winners to the USA every year. Hannah Green was one of them 4 years ago when she was 18, and now in her second full year on the LPGA, she is the third, firing a final round 72 on Hazeltine to hold off defending champion Sung Hyun Park by a shot to win the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

Canadians: Brooke Henderson T30 76 73 71 70, Alena Sharp T53 77 70 75 72.



PGA Tour Travelers Championship final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html

Back in 2008 I was at my usual perch in the press room at Glen Abbey for the Canadian Open broadcasting/ producing Fairways. There were a lot of thunderstorms that year as I remember, with lots of delays, drenching rain, and an unknown little American rookie called Chez Reavie emerged from no where as the winner, and we all finally went home late on a Sunday night after an exhausting week.

After many injuries and a lot of soul searching, Chez Reavie now 37, is a PGA Tour winner again after 11 years and 250 events winning the Travelers Championship on Sunday, closing with a -1 69 for a four-stroke victory over Keegan Bradley and Zack Sucher at -17, 263.

"It means everything,” he said. “I went through some injuries, had some long years there in the middle. But it was great, because it gave good perseverance and good perspective of what life is and what golf is.”

Canadians: Mac Hughes T51 64 74 69 71 -2, Nick Taylor 69 69 72 MDF.



European Tour BMW International Championship final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019054/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Italy's Andrea Pavan beat Matthew Fitzpatrick in a play-off to win his second European Tour title at the BMW International Open near Munich.

 

On the second playoff hole, Pavan played a poor second but his third was sublime to set up a birdie from two feet and, when Fitzpatrick failed to get up and down from the sand, Pavan was the champion.

Austrian Matthias Schwab had led by two with seven holes to play but he signed for a 71 to finish in a T3 at -13 under alongside defending champion Matt Wallace, overnight leader Jordan Smith, Spanish duo Rafa Cabrera Bello and Alvaro Quiros, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Italian Edoardo Molinari.

Bryan Angus

 

Green hangs onto lead at KPMG Women's PGA Championship.. live scoring, tee times

KPMG Women's PGA Championship leaderboard / tee times https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/kpmgwomenspgachampionship/leaderboard

While Brooke Henderson shot 71 to move up to T46 +4, and Alena Sharp shot 75 T60 at +6 they remain well back out of contention at this KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National.

Hannah Green on her 2nd full year on the LPGA Tour, made it through her first taste of the big stage on the LPGA Tour by holding a lead on the weekend at a major championship and playing alongside powerful Ariya Jutanugarn, a two-time major champion and former No. 1 in the world.

Green matched pars and birdies with Jutanugarn for seven straight holes and was on the verge of building a four-shot lead when she stood over a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. She missed the putt, and two holes later she walked off Hazeltine National with a -2 70 and a one-shot lead in the KPGA Women’s PGA Championship.

Jutanugarn birdied the 17th and Green three-putted from long range on the 18th for a bogey. Green is at -9 207 for her first 54-hole lead in an LPGA Tour event. Jutanugarn shot 68 and is at -8.

Lizette Salas (68) and Nelly Korda (69) were four shots behind at 5-under 211. Another shot back was Sei Young Kim, who had the low score of the round at 67, and defending champion Sung Hyun Park (71). Still in the game was Inbee Park (69) at six shots behind. Park won the last LPGA major in Minnesota at Interlachen for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, her first major in a Hall of Fame career.

Henderson, Sharp well behind at Women's PGA Championship

KPMG Women's PGA Championship leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/kpmgwomenspgachampionship/leaderboard

Atop this weekend's leaderboard at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine  is a relatively unknown Aussie, Hannah Green who has shot 68 69 to lead an all star cast by 3 shots at -7.

Ariya Jutanugarn lurks in 2nd place at -4 while defending champion Sung Hyun Park is at -3 along with Lydia Ko. Nelly Korda us at -2

Canadians Alena Sharp +3 and Brook Henderson +5 made the cut but are well behind on this long daunting Hazeltine National golf course.

Bryan Angus

Thursday tee times / leaderboard for KPMG Women's PGA Championship.

KPMG Women's PGA Championship tee times /leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

The 3rd major of the LPGA season  goes this week at historic Hazeltine National GC in Chaska, Minnesota.

Fresh of her win last week and now ranked World #5, Brooke Henderson leads Alena Sharp, Anne Catherine Tanguay and Jaclyn Lee into Thursday's opening round. Brooke has won a Canadian record, 9 pro events now, including this major in 2016. She also leads the LPGA with 7 top 10's this year. Follow the live scoring/ tee time link above.

Bryan Angus

Woodland holds off Brooks Koepka to win the US Open

US Open final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/us-open/leaderboard.html

Brooks Koepka has won the last two US Opens and after 4 birdies in his first 6 holes on Sunday it looked like it may be three. However he stalled after that hot start to finish 2nd to the man of the week, Gary Woodland who finished in style with a 30 foot birdie for 69 to win his first major, the 119th US Open at -13, three shots clear.

Justin Rose shot 73 to finish T3rd along with Jon Rahm 68, Xander Schauffele 67, and journeyman Chez Reavie 71.

Adam Scott has returned to form this year, he finished T7 -6 along with Louis Oosthuizen.

Other notables: Rory McIlroy T9 -5, Tiger Woods T21 -2, Dustin Johnson T35 +1, Rickie Fowler T43 +2, Phil Mickelson T52 +4

Nick Taylor T43 at +2.

With Mike Weir's former caddie Brennan Little on the bag, the big hitting Woodland from Topeka, Kansas, only made 4 bogey's all week and displayed a new confidence in his short game after joining Butch Harmon's stable.

The signature shot for many of us on Sunday came when he was battling Koepka with a one-shot lead under intense pressure and like a true champion he had the guts to go for the green on the par 5 14th hole with a 3metal from 265 yards, barely clearing a huge bunker, leaving him an up-and-down to open up a 2 shot advantage.

It will be a Father's Day to remember for Gary who's wife Gabby, is expecting twin girls. He also pocketed a little matter of $2.25m for the win and by the way at 10% bonus for caddy Brennan he could well have paid out $225,000 for his efforts (that number unofficial)


Bryan Angus

Brooke Henderson makes Canadian golf history

Meijer LPGA Classic final leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/meijer-lpga-classic-for-simply-give/results

When I think of the long careers of the late George Knudson, Sandra Post and Mike Weir who is far from finished, it's hard for me to to comprehend that at the tender age of 2, Brooke Henderson has caught up with their 8 professional wins...and passed them with her 9th, and her second Meijer LPGA Classic title, this time at -21 holding off Lexi Thompson (68), Nasa Hataoka (65), Su Oh (65) and Brittany Altomare (68) who all finished a shot behind.

After opening 64, 64 Brooke went on to win wire to wire at Blythefield CC., finishing the weekend 69 70, and remember she's only just begun. It is her 2nd win of the year.

"That’s really cool,” Henderson said. “Earlier this year to get my eighth win and to tie that record was a huge deal for me. To now to kind of breakthrough that is awesome. I’m just really excited for the rest of the summer and hopefully many more wins in the future.

It’s really special, I’m so happy that both my mom and my dad can be out here to watch my sister and I win this. It’s always special when they’re here, especially on Father’s Day.”

Her win sets her up well for The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the third major championship of the year, which is next week at Hazeltine in Minnesota

Alena Sharp had another TOP 10 as she finished T9 at -13. Jaclyn Lee T70 -2 and Catherine Anne Tanguay T74 -1.

Bryan Angus

Woodland takes the lead into Sunday at Pebble Beach

US Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/us-open/leaderboard.html

Sunday Tee times https://www.usopen.com/tee-times.html

Gary Woodland brought his power game to the majors once again, shooting 6-under 65 to head into the weekend at 9 under and with a two-shot lead over Justin Rose. The 65 matched the record for a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach,  a number previously shot by Rose on Thursday, and Tiger Woods 19 years ago.

Tiger won’t be anywhere near him at Pebble Beach on Saturday. He finished with a pair of bogeys to shoot 72 and finished at even-par – still among the 79 players to make it through to the weekend, but with tons of room to make up and not much time to do it.

There were 10 players within five shots of the lead, including Koepka, in search of his third straight title, and Rory McIlroy, who made double-bogey on No. 14 after failing to hit the green with wedge on two straight shots. But he followed that with back-to-back birdies to finish at 5 under.

Henderson in front with a round to go at Meijer LPGA Classic

Meijer LPGA Classic leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/meijer-lpga-classic-for-simply-give/leaderboard

Brooke Henderson continued her fine play at this Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids on a Blythefield course she clearly loves, posting 64 64 69 -19 for a two shot lead over American Annie Park 69 65 65 -17, and 3 over last week's winner Lexi Thompson who shot a course record 62 for a -16 total..

She got off to a slow start Saturday with three birdies and three bogeys in the first 15 holes, but birdied her last 3. Brooke defended her Lotte Championship title in April in Hawaii for her eighth LPGA Tour victory, tying Sandra Post’s Canadian record. George Knudson and Mike Weir share the mark on the PGA Tour, also with eight victories, so a win today has added significance.

"Of course, that’s in the back of your mind, but it’s long from over. There’s so many great players close to the top of the leaderboard. And this course, you know there’s a lot of birdies out there, so it’s going to take a low score. So, hopefully, I can just continue to hit good shots and give myself a chance for the win"

Alena Sharp is also playing well posting a Saturday 64 T9 -13. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (72) is -3 under while Jaclyn Lee (73) is -1.

Bryan Angus

Brooke Henderson sets a course record. Leads Meijer Classic going into the weekend

Brooke Henderson is vying to win her 2nd Meijer LPGA Classic in 3 years and she is well on her way with a tournament record 64 64 -16 128 good for a 3 shot lead heading into today's play.

She only managed 6 holes on Thursday which included a hole in one but played 30 on Friday.

If she does go on to win it will be her 9th, a Canadian record including the PGA Tour.

Bryan Angus

Gary Woodland leads US Open into the weekend.. Saturday tee times, live scoreboard

US Open Saturday tee times https://www.usopen.com/tee-times.html#!round-3
US Open leaderboard https://www.usopen.com/scoring.html

Armed with a renewed confidence in his putting alignment big hitting Gary Woodland has posted scores of 68 65 -9 for a two shot lead over Justin Rose 65 70 -7 heading into Saturday at this 119th US Open at Pebble Beach.

However there are plenty of stars close behind him. Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa is at -6 (66 70), Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is poised at -5 (68 69), defending champ Brooks Koepka is at -4 along with steady Matt Kuchar both with 69,69.

Sergio Garcia, and fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm are in a clutch at -3, along with Sweden's Henrik Stenson and former  champion Graeme McDowell.

Nick Taylor made the cut for Canada 74 70 +2.

Tiger Woods is E 70 72.

Bryan Angus

US Open tee times, live Thursday scoring, Rose shoots 65 for the lead

US Open tee times https://www.usopen.com/tee-times.html
US Open leaderboard https://www.usopen.com/scoring.html

This 119th US Open is well under way at Pebble Beach Golf Links under partly sunny skies on the Monterey Peninsula with Rory McIlroy starting along with Dustin Johnson as the 8-1 favourites, Rory after his stunning 7 shot win at the RBC Canadian Open is paired in the early wave with Jon Rahm and Marc Leishman at 10.51 (pst)

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and 2010 champion Graeme McDowell aren't far behind them at 11.13 while two time defending champion Brooks Koepka plays with Francesco Molinari and amateur Vic Hovland at 4.47pm with Tiger, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth get all the late TV time at 5.09pm.

Storylines :

* Justin Rose birdied his last 3 holes to shoot 65 and grab the first round lead at -6.. the lowest score ever at Pebble Beach in a US Open.

* Clubhouse lead : Rickie Fowler -5 66, Xander Schauffele -5 66 Louis Oosthuizen -5 66

* Koepka has won 4 majors out of his last 7, and could join a wee Scotsman called Willie Anderson who was teaching American golf in 1905 by winning 3 in a row.

* Tiger is at 12-1, and was in his prime in 2000 here when he won by 15 shots. That was a long time ago, he'll be hitting his stingers to keep it in play as he looks for a possible but improbable 16th major. He shot a first round  -1 70.

* Mickelson has won the Pebble Beach pro-am 5 times and he's looking for his career Grand Slam.

* Jordan Spieth has found his vaunted putting touch in the last month to finish T3 at Bethpage Black.

* There are 9 players in the world top 20 without a major and Rickie Fowler is right at the top. He is off to a great start at -5 late in his round with the lead.

* Weather: There is no rain or much wind over what will be a cool ( low 60's f) overcast weekend, with the breeze at 16kph at the worst.

* Nick Taylor has shot +3 74, as has Mike Weir  both T77 and they are the only 2 Canadians in the field.

* Rory has opened with -3 68.



Bryan Angus

"Rory is the Story" at RBC Canadian Open

RBC Canadian Open final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/rbc-canadian-open/leaderboard.html

Nothing is worse for the title sponsor  than when their prize product, the one who gets all the buzz, sells all the tickets, brings all the credit... fizzles out like a damp firecracker. John Daly was a prime example on too many occasions.

Not so this week for the folks at the RBC. Many of their expensive stable of stars like Hadwin, McDowell and Stenson finished well up the leaderboard getting their logo loads of TV time while the one with the most props shot an astonishing 67 66 64 61 -22 the lowest in the events history, fulfilling all his immense expectations in spectacular fashion and winning the Canadian Open, clad afterwards in a Raptors singlet no less, by 7 shots.

Rory McIlroy was indeed "the story" on a sun soaked weekend at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club finishing with a near, tap in eagle at the difficult par 5 17th, lapping the field, marking his ball with a lucky loonie, flirting with 59, and giving the bankers a sweet return on their expensive investment.

The brilliant little Northern Irishman won their  $7.6US million event in memorable style before flying off on the flight to the US Open at  Pebble Beach as the pre tournament favourite to add another major to his Hall of Fame resume.

He birdied 4 of his first 5 holes to break out of a three way tie for the lead and never looked back for his 16th career win and became the 4th player to win the Triple Crown since 1935, Canadian, US and British Opens joining Lee Trevino, Arnie and Tiger in the process.

"The reception from the Canadian crowds have been incredible this week,” added McIlroy. “They couldn’t have been any better. They’ve been so welcoming all week. I can’t wait to come back next year.”

For those who have asked me about the low scoring at Hamilton GCC and for that matter next year's event at St Georges GCC which also hosted  in 2010 where Carl Pettersson won it at -14, having just missed a putt at the 18th for 59, the problem, if you have one, with a national championship being won at -22 was the enormous amount of rain which softened those courses, leaving them vulnerable. Any courses with the same rain will yield low scoring. Also McIlroy had a great week. Second place was at -15 for Shane Lowry and Web Simpson, respectable enough.

Rory's been in the top 10 nine times this year, with a win at the Players to show for it, and in my opinion some unwarranted criticism for being a poor closer. That will die down after this weekend, watched by millions around the world.

Adam Hadwin shot 65 66 67 70 T6 -12 to finish as top Canadian winning the Rivermead Cup and a place in the Open this year at Royal Portrush home of Graeme McDowell who also won a spot with his top 10 finish.

Other Canadians: Mac Hughes 66 66 69 71 T14, -8, Ben Silverman 71 61 72 69 -7 T20, Nick Taylor 64 65 73 72 -6 T27, Roger Sloan 68 70 68 73 -1 T56, Richard Jung 67 69 75 74 +5 69th.

Bryan Angus

Hadwin, Hughes, Taylor all in contention for the RBC Canadian Open title.. scoreboard, tee times

RBC Canadian Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/rbc-canadian-open/leaderboard.html

Tee times https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/rbc-canadian-open/tee-times.html


Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson sit in a three-way tie for the lead at 13-under par heading into the final round of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

However a trio of Canadians are right in contention to win the RBC Canadian Open for the first time since 1954.

Adam Hadwin is one-shot back, sitting T4 after moving day. A bogey on No. 2 made for an unfavourable start, but Hadwin clawed his way back into contention with three back-nine birdies. He is tied with Shane Lowry and Brandt Snedeker, a stroke behind the leaders at -12.

Mackenzie Hughes enjoyed his third straight round in the 60s – a 1-under par 69 – that dropped him one-spot into a share of 8^th.

Nick Taylor started the day tied for third but carded a 73 to slip into a tie for 9^th.

 

More to follow

 

Bryan Angus

Taylor leads 6 Canucks into the weekend at RBC Canadian Open..leaderboard, tee times

RBC Canadian Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/rbc-canadian-open/leaderboard.html

Saturday Tee times https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/rbc-canadian-open/tee-times.html

Nick Taylor joined the assault on the Hamilton Golf and Country Club with a -5 65  to share 3rd place with former champion Brandt Snedeker who posted -10, 60 at -11. Adam Hadwin (65 66) is at -9, Mac Hughes (66 66) and Ben Silverman (71 61) are at -8, all inside the top 10. Richard Jung 67 69 is T33 at -4 and Roger Sloan (68 70) is at -2 rounding out the 6 Canucks who will contest the sold out weekend at this RBC Canadian Open.

There were 26 Canadians, amongst those missing the cut that fell at -2, were Corey Connors (70 69) and Mike Weir (70 69), both at -1.

The leader's at -12, 128 are Matt Kuchar (65 63) and Scott Brown (65 63) both from the USA. Kuchar who is having a great season has posted 128 after 36 holes three times this season. Only 6 others have done that on the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy leads the vaunted marquee players T13 after his 67 66 leaves him at -7. Justin Thomas is 70 75 -5, Brooks Koepka 70 66, and Dustin Johnson 71 65 are at -4.

Despite thick juicy rough brought on by an unprecedented wet spring, the benign sunny conditions and soft greens left the Hamilton GC defenseless (cut fell at -2) with more of the same forecast over the weekend.

Bryan Angus

RBC Canadian Open 2019 tee times

PGA Tour RBC Canadian Open Thursday/Friday tee times. https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/rbc-canadian-open/leaderboard.html

Here are the Thursday// Friday pairings for this years RBC Canadian Open.

After all qualifiers there are 26 Canadians, pro and amateur.

Bryan Angus

Starry field all set for the RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton

Final field for 2019 RBC Canadian Open https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/rbc-canadian-open/field.html

While the cleanup crews get to work today at Jack's Muirfield Village in Dublin Ohio after Patrick Cantlay out sprinted the field to the finish line with an -8 64 for his 2nd PGA Tour win, they have already completed their setup a few hundred miles to the north at the venerable Hamilton GC in the leafy suburbs of Ancaster for the re scheduled RBC Canadian Open.

A combination of this new date, a week before the US Open, the traditional old style Ancaster course and the money that the RBC has splashed out in sponsorship to its stable of stars has resulted in their strongest field since the glory days when Jack, Arnie and Lee showed up setting the standard for Curtis, Vijay, the "Shark" Greg Norman and eventually Tiger in 2000 to follow.

There will be plenty of star gazing for the sold out galleries with #1 Brooks Koepka joining Rory McIlroy, and Dustin Johnson headlining a very strong field including Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas and Henrik Stenson and a record 20 Canadians at last count under forecasted sunny skies for the weekend.

I've banked with RBC most of my life and if you haven't I can tell you they are spending their enoormous profits well when it comes to customer service with new open plan facilities and friendly available staff who for too many years were locked in offices working on everything but the lineups outside their windows.

That is just a small example. On the bigger stage, their decision to become a major sponsor of pro golf spearheaded by the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head and of course this $7.6US million dollar Canadian Open is part of their investment plan to become a truly international bank. Pictures of their RBC logo on the most famous players bags, etal will be flashed by all forms of media around the world including hopefully in the winners circle as it was with Dustin Johnson last year.

As the old addage goes " Success breeds success"..

I'll have all the tee times and pairings to follow as they are made available.

Bryan Angus

Kaymer returns from nowhere to lead at the Memorial

PGA Tour Memorial Tournament final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

It's been a long time since "King" Kaymer  was #1. 2011 to be exact and 2014 since he won the US Open, his last PGA Tour win.

After a third round -6 66 he leads Jack's Memorial Tournament by 2 shots at -15, going into today's final round from a group of familiar names he used to beat on a regular basis before he lost his game.

He was world #1 eight years ago and last won at the US Open in 2014. Another guy who left his patented fade to search for better in his prime to no avail, much like Lydia Ko who was the world's best by far before changing her coach, equipment, swing, diet, etal, only to lose everything that made her great.

Kaymer leads another lost soul Adam Scott who has never been the same #1 since they banned the anchored putting stroke in 2016, at -13. It's nice to see this good guy Aussie back in form.

Japanese star Hidekey Matsuyama shot -8 64 to join a re-juvenated Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay at -11.

Both Corey Connors and Adam Hadwin made the cut but are well back.

Tiger is T25 at -4.


Bryan Angus