Some work news: Thrilled to announce I'm now (officially) the golf reporter at
@Sportsnet
.
I can't wait to keep telling the stories - both from home and on site at the game's biggest events - that matter to Canadian golf fans.
Dreams come true. Let’s go!
@SportsnetPR
While golf courses remained closed in Ontario, here is a video from
#ActiveTO
this weekend (via
@chrisdickenson4
). Easy to see why the golf industry, and golfers in the province, continue to be upset.
Three guys from Ontario who grew up playing golf together, who went to the same university, who have all won on the
@PGATOUR
, who were all in each other's wedding party, are playing a Presidents Cup on home soil with their childhood idol as the captain.
Pretty amazing.
BREAKING: Brooke Henderson has won for the 11th time on the
@LPGA
Tour.
She takes the ShopRite LPGA Classic in a playoff.
Brooke's back in the winner's circle!
Talk about emergency nine.
Photo shared with me last night from
@WBGolfClub
, which stayed open until midnight, prior to the new stay-at-home order getting installed in Ontario, which banned golf.
Canadian Corey Conners wins the Valero Texas Open and in the process, punches his ticket to Augusta National to play in the Masters next week as the last guy in the field.
On top of that? A two-year exemption on the
@PGATOUR
and a $1.3-million payday.
“Screw you, but thanks”
@ahadwingolf
with a very interesting rules chat (because he’s mic’d up!). Tough result - two-shot penalty - but a very Canadian finish
TEAM CANADA 🇨🇦
Corey Conners and Nick Taylor have touched down in Paris with Malory and Andie as they prepare for next week’s golf competition - and the opening ceremonies.
BROOKE HENDERSON A WINNER AGAIN!
The Canadian wins the
@HiltonGrandVac
Tournament of Champions for her 13th
@LPGA
title and third wire-to-wire victory.
What a performance!
Mackenzie Hughes gives
@BrookeHenderson
a shout-out in his Canadian media availability after his win. Says he sees her winning and winning majors every year, and he wanted to win more.
Not that I expected anything different, but I'm so glad
@BrookeHenderson
used 'toque' to describe what she wore Monday at the U.S. Women's Open and not ski-cap or beanie - get outta here with that.
June is World Infertility Awareness Month.
I was lucky to speak with
@jessicahadwin
about the work she and
@ahadwingolf
are doing for other couples on their pregnancy journeys via their foundation and Maddy's Miracle Grant
Corey Conners fires a tidy 8-under 62 to close out the
@RBCCanadianOpen
and will win the Rivermead Cup as the Low Canadian for the first time.
Just a fabulous effort from Corey over the weekend.
Wild: Cody Blick got his clubs stolen last night at
@WebDotComTour
Q-School. Today he shot 9-under in the final round to finish T25 and earn a spot in the first eight Web Tour events of 2019.
NEW: Golf courses will, in fact, stay open (or be allowed to be open), I'm now told.
My reporting below was the most up-to-date as I had it, and, well, things change. Sorry for the confusion and happy golfing.
Sorry, Ontario golfers: As of right now golf courses will not be open during the impending stay-at-home order. Last-ditch lobbying is underway, I'm told, but courses being open are inconsistent with the order/a state of emergency.
Will update in this thread if things change.
Hearing there will be a big push from Ontario golf stakeholders today - with language wrapped in the game's safety and its health benefits (both physical and mental).
Government conversations continue in multiple/formal capacities, but look for facilities to drum up support.
The
@LPGA
has announced a new brand identity, and Canadian
@BrookeHenderson
plays a starring role in the launch video, "This is For Every Girl"
#DriveOn
BREAKING: Brooke Henderson has won her second major title!
She captures the
@EvianChamp
with a birdie on the 72nd hole.
Her 12th title on the
@LPGA
and second this season.
Adam Hadwin was there until the end at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
And although he fell short in a playoff, it was another very solid week for Canadians on the
@PGATOUR
NEW: World No. 9 Sam Burns has been added to the field of next week's
@RBCCanadianOpen
. It will be Burns' first Canadian Open.
That now makes five of the world's top-10 golfers coming to St. George's (Scottie Scheffler, Cam Smith, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Burns)
Nine holes for the Canadian trio at the Masters on Monday.
And a moment for
@MacHughesGolf
and
@coreconn
that won’t be getting old any time soon.
(📸:
@mweirsy
/IG)
“Fourth caddie? That’s a fucking record now!” - Shane Lowry, with a beauty.
Al Riddell is local, great guy. Nine holes to go. Was watching on TV and came right over.
Just off the phone with Garrett Rank. After doing 73 games as a ref in the
@NHL
this year he tells me: "Was next to the best players in the world on the ice... next week I get to play with the best golfers in the world. It's a pretty cool life I'm living right now"
Corey Conners has officially punched his ticket to
@playofffinale
and with that, the Canadian - after starting the year with 🤷🏼♂️ status - has earned a spot in all four majors for 2020, the WGCs, and more.
GOLF IS SAFE⛳️
And it is incredibly important for the mental and physical well-being of so many. It is time to reopen safe outdoor activities.
#LetUsPlay
#mentalhealth
#GolfIsSafe
BREAKING: The
@cpwomensopen
has been named ‘Tournament of the Year’ at the LPGA’s season-ending partner awards!
Also won two others: Best Sponsor Activation and Best Community & Charity Engagement.
Canadian
@ntaylorgolf59
has won the
@WMPhoenixOpen
in a playoff!
It's his fourth
@PGATOUR
title, tying him with Stephen Ames for the second-most all time by a Canadian.
LET'S GO! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
BREAKING: Canadian Adam Svensson has won on the
@PGATOUR
, capturing The RSM Classic by two shots!
Svensson becomes the second Canadian in eight weeks (Mackenzie Hughes, Sanderson Farms Championship) to win on TOUR and punches a ticket to the Masters for the first time.
HUGE: Love that Corey Conners not only clutched up to earn a spot in the
@playofffinale
(third time in four years!) but also locked up a spot on the Presidents Cup team for the first time, too. Awesome. Can't wait to see him in the team format.
Sunday was probably the busiest day of my career, but also the most fun.
1:1 interviews with Brooke Henderson, Corey Conners, and Rory McIlroy - and just a thrilling day in Canadian golf.
Thanks for all the support this week 🙌
Nick had a FaceTime call with his wife, Andie, and son Charlie and newborn daughter Harper.
It was a short call but there were some tears, and Charlie said his dad, "Made a big shot" and that's all that matters.
Brooke Henderson on Ontario's golf-course closures:
"I think (golf) can be done very safely. I think the LPGA Tour has been proof of that [...] It’s a great way for people to get outdoors and socialize. Hopefully courses will open up in the near future."
Can we talk about Canadian golf right now?
Michael Gligic (T3, one shot back
@PGATOUR
)
Stu MacDonald (T2, one shot back
@KornFerryTour
)
Maude-Aimee Leblanc (T2, out of retirement and one shot back
@ROAD2LPGA
)
Drew Nesbitt (solo 2
@PGATOURLA
)
Brooke Henderson (T8
@LPGA
)
City of Ottawa’s highest honour, the Key to the City, goes to
@BrookeHenderson
.
“People from Ottawa and around the world marvel at Brooke’s accomplishments”
Pretty darn cool.
Always a treat to catch-up with one of Canada's best athletes.
@BrookeHenderson
is getting prepped for a big stretch of
@LPGA
golf - excited, motivated, and ready for 2021. More to come soon!
"It's a pleasure to come up here and play every year and I'm going to keep doing that until they tell me I can't come over the border."
On Rory McIlroy and his love for the
@RBCCanadianOpen
(with a Toronto Maple Leafs shoutout, too)
Looks like Mike Weir is going to make the cut at the
@RBCCanadianOpen
for the first time since 2014.
Nice grind from the second-oldest golfer in the field 💪
From
@BrookeHenderson
:
"Amazing victory by Nick!! Winning at home is the best! All of Canada is proud today! Congratulations to Nick on the impressive win!"
@RBCCanadianOpen
BREAKING: Nice get from the
@RBCCanadianOpen
, as new world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has committed to this year’s event at St. George’s.
More field announcements to come soon.
Mike Weir heads into the final round
@ChampionsTour
with a two-shot lead. Seven birdies on his back nine today en route to a 6-under 67.
Weir is looking for his first win at a
@PGATOUR
-sanctioned event since 2007.
(LFG, Mike)
Love this: Taylor Pendrith tells
@BobWeeksTSN
and I that Mackenzie Hughes had all the Canadian fellas over for a dinner last night and had cake + champagne as Pendrith joined 'the winner's club.'
"It was neat for them to all be there and and kind of celebrate me for a night."
"Golf is not the problem. It has to be part of the solution"
Ontario the only spot in North America where golf is banned (h/t
@DamoSpin
). From me for
@TorontoStar
: On the confusion and sadness from those in the industry, plus a pair of epidemiologists.
Just off the phone with Corey Conners, who told me after his round finished Sunday he went out to watch Tiger Woods play 18, as a fan.
"We were standing right beside the tee and saw him lace one down the fairway, and then have that stone-cold walk. It was ~awesome~"
Followed the Canadian crew at the Par-3 Contest at
#theMasters
and it was one of the coolest/most fun things I've been able to see since covering these guys.
What a moment (and, nice work
@jessicahadwin
!)
The Conners-as-Monday-Qualifier narrative is all well and good, but the guy is in his second year on the PGA Tour, has finished in the top-3 twice this year, and has played in the final group on Sunday twice before. Not like he came out of nowhere.
How do you put history into words?
Here - and with help from Adam Hadwin, Josh Taylor, Laurence Applebaum, Dave Markle, and Brooke Henderson - I tried my best.
What a day!
Today's the vote for Canada's Athlete of the Year.
After arguably her best season as a pro, it should be
@BrookeHenderson
.
Two 🏆's (w/major). Week-in, week-out top draw against the best in world. *Nearly* PoY on
@LPGA
. Plenty of unmeasurable successes, too.
It's her time.
Great to be on hand for Brooke Henderson’s season to be celebrated - along with the
@cpwomensopen
as Tournament of the Year - at the
@ROLEX
LPGA Awards!
"To the Ontario Government: I am also asking you to heed the clear evidence... Golf is safe."
Executive Director of
@TheGolfOntario
Mike Kelly with a passionate note on behalf of golf in Ontario |
@mkellygolf
Full video: