Image Courtesy Golf Canada

For Immediate Publication

(5 March 2018, St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA) - The R&A and the USGA have completed the annual review of driving distance in golf, producing a research report that documents and evaluates important findings from the 2017 season.

Introduced in 2015, the annual report examines driving distance data from seven of the major worldwide professional golf tours, based on nearly 300,000 drives per year. The data from studies of male and female amateur golfers is also included.

image courtesy pixabay

(19 April 2017), Far Hills, USA and St Andrews, Scotland: The USGA and The R&A are working with golf’s handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System for the sport.

More than 15 million golfers in over 80 countries presently have a handicap, a numerical index long used as a reference to gauge a golfer’s potential skill level. Handicaps are currently delivered through six different systems around the world. The aim of the proposed handicap system is to adopt a universal set of principles and procedures that will apply all over the world.

via Golf Canada with files from the R&A

St. Andrews, Scotland – The R&A is conducting an industry forum in St. Andrews this week to examine the issues surrounding pace of play and the time it takes to play golf.

The Time for Golf conference, which is taking place today and tomorrow (Nov. 24-25) will bring together representatives of national affiliated bodies with figures from some of the key organizations involved in administering the sport to discuss factors such as the golf course, management and player behaviour.

Dale Jackson, chair of Golf Canada’s Rules Committee, is there representing Canada.

Sky Golf Presenter And Businesswoman, Sarah Stirk - Image courtesy www.randa.org

For Immediate Publication

(August 1st, 2017) - St Andrews, Scotland: The R&A will host a women’s leadership summit, this week, ahead of the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns, near St Andrews.

A group of 21 women from the worlds of business, finance, sport, education and the media will meet in the clubhouse of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The summit, conceived and organized by Sky Golf presenter and businesswoman, Sarah Stirk, is designed as a pathfinder for a larger event next year.

Speakers Chyloe Kurdas (Golf Australia), Hazel Irvine (BBC), Sarah Stirk (Sky Sports), Nick Pink (England Golf), Liz Dimmock (Moving Ahead) and Martin Slumbers (The R&A) At The Launch Of The Women In Golf Charter Staged At The View From The Shard, London - Image Courtesy R&A/Twitter

The R&A today unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter as part of the organization’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

The Women in Golf Charter aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf around the world and to enable more women and girls to flourish and maximise their potential at all levels of the sport.

The World Scientific Congress Of Golf Will Is On Now In Abbotsford At The University Of The Fraser Valley This - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By John Gordon/Golf Canada

If you’re writing off the World Scientific Congress of Golf (WSCG) as a biennial conclave of pointy-headed boffins, don’t be too hasty. While the “trickle-down theory” may be controversial in economics, it is incontrovertible when it comes to the impact of high-level research on all aspects of the sport as we now know it.

“Much of what we do as golfers, from how we swing to the equipment we use to the training and practice habits we employ and so on, has been born from great research,” says Glenn Cundari.

Via Press Release

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Feb. 17, 2021) – The USGA announced today that Mike Whan will join the organization this summer as CEO, and will become the eighth top executive in USGA history.

Last month, Whan announced his intention to step down as LPGA Commissioner in 2021, after his organization completes a search for the next Commissioner. His transition follows an impressive 11 years at the helm of the LPGA, during which the organization experienced historic growth in virtually every aspect of the business.

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. AND ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND (Sept. 18, 2018) - A global online questionnaire and data-gathering exercise on distance in golf has been launched by the USGA and The R&A today as part of the Distance Insights project.

The detailed questionnaire is open to all interested participants in golf until Oct. 31, 2018 and is available in 10 languages. Administered independently by Sports Marketing Surveys Inc., it can be accessed at both usga.org/distanceinsights and at randa.org/distanceinsights.

Courtesy Golf Canada

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST ANDREWS, Scotland – The USGA and The R&A have released the 2018 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world. This is the fourth annual distance report issued by the game’s governing bodies, completed in an effort to monitor current trends in driving distance.

The 2018 data show that driving distances on these seven tours increased by an average of 1.7 yards, beyond the previous year’s gain of more than 3 yards.

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Feb. 14, 2019) – The USGA and The R&A have issued a periodic update of progress made to date on the Distance Insights project.

The update can be viewed or downloaded via this link here.

The project was initiated last May to provide the most comprehensive understanding of the past, present and future impact of distance on the game of golf.

A complete report is expected to be delivered in late 2019.

For more information on the Distance Insights project, please visit www.USGA.org/distanceinsights or www.RandA.org.

The World Handicap System (WHS) will bring major changes to the fabric of our handicap system. This new World Handicap System aims to bring the game of golf under a single set of handicapping rules and provide a more consistent measure of players’ ability between different regions of the world.

Brigitte Thibault Was Canada's Only Representative At The Inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur - Image Courtesy Fresno State/ Matt Burkholder / Director of Communications

By Kris Jonasson/British Columbia Golf

Tristan Mullally is the Golf Canada National Team Coach for Women. He reports directly to Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer for Golf Canada. Derek Ingram coaches the men’s team while Robert Ratcliffe coaches the boys and Matt Wilson coaches the girls’ junior squad.

These individuals are not widely known by Canadian golfers but they, along with excellent support staff, are the reason Golf Canada is gaining significant notice for the quality of our national development program.

BY: JOSH BERHOW / golf.com

Sure, your golf game is good. But chances are it’s even better — or maybe worse — than you actually thought. We’ll let you be the judge.

The USGA updated its handicap index statistics — compiling the millions of official handicaps registered with the governing body — to create a treasure trove of golfy nuggets and facts. You can dig into all of it here, but we decided to highlight what we thought was the top water-cooler fodder — the most common handicap index in golf.

Click HERE to see full article...

Surrey's Adam Svensson Is Just Two Back In The Web.com Tour's Winco Foods Portland Open After An Opening Round 64

For Immediate Release

North Plains, Ore. – Rookie Curtis Thompson fired a course-record, 9-under 62 Thursday and grabbed the first-round lead at the WinCo Foods Portland Open, the final event on the Web.com Tour’s regular season schedule.

Thompson, older brother to LPGA star Lexi, chalked up nine birdies in a flawless trip around the Witch Hollow course at Pumpkin Ridge in suburban Portland to take a two-shot lead over Canada’s Adam Svensson, who's bogey-free round included 7 birdies.

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Is One Of Three British Columbians To Receive An Exemption Into The CP Canadian Women's Open Next Week - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

via press release

Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) are pleased to announce the names of 14 players who have received exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, August 17 – 23, 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club.

Headlining the list of exemptions is previously confirmed 17-year old Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ontario who earned her exemption by way of winning the 2015 PGA of Canada Women’s Championship, the third event on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Commissioner Michael Whan likes to refer to the LPGA Tour as family, one that has grown with the addition of three British Columbia chapters to the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

Whan was part of a recent conference call welcoming British Columbia to the association, an organization that aims to connect women who play the game. “Whether you play the game professionally, whether you teach it, whether you are helping young girls learn it, or whether you just play with your friends on a nine and dine, we all want to be engaged in this together,” Whan said.

Merritt, BC's Roger Sloan, Seen Here Getting Set To Tee Off At Bear Mountain GC In Victoria, Finished 4th In The Web.com Tour's Panama Championship - Image Credit Alfie Lau/British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Golf Canada

PANAMA CITY, Panama – The Canadian trio of Roger Sloan, Ryan Yip and Adam Svensson all finished inside the top 10 on Sunday at Web.com Tour’s Panama Championship.

Sloan, from Merritt B.C., paced the Canadians with a final-round 66 to climb into sole possession of 4th place at 4-under par for the tournament. The finish marks his first top-10 finish early into the 2018 season (he collected four in 2017).

From L-R: BCer's Mary Parsons, Naomi Ko And Kathrine Chan Are In The Field For The 117th U.S. Women's Amateur Next Week In San Diego - British Columbia Golf Photo

FAR HILLS, N.J. (Aug. 2, 2017) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 117th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, Monday, Aug. 7 and Tuesday, Aug. 8 at the 6,423-yard, par-72 San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur consists of 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 7 and 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 8, after which the field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will then be six rounds of match play, starting Wednesday, Aug. 9. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, Aug. 13.

From L-R: Seann Harlingten Of West Vancouver, Adam Cornelson Of Langley & Justin Shin From Maple Ridge, Will Tee It Up In The Final Stage Of Web.com Q-School This Week - BC Golf Image

Golf Canada

The Web.com Tour prepares to host its final stage of qualifying this week from Dec. 8-11 in Winter Garden, Fla., where 10 Canadians including three from British Columbia will compete for 2017 playing status.

The Canadian contingent will battle against 150-plus athletes in the 72-hole stroke play event, with players finishing inside the Top-45 (plus ties) earning guaranteed starts for the beginning of the 2017 campaign.

DuPont, Wash. – The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. is set to host the most talented male amateur golfers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond on July 9-14 at the 117th Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship, conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).

This is the second time The Home Course has hosted this championship, having previously been the venue in 2009. The championship begins with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying held on July 9-10, followed by a cut to the low 64 players who will advance to single-elimination match play.