How about the Canadians? Thursday results from all tours

PGA:

Tournament: Arnold Palmer Invitational

T48: Nick Taylor E (72)

T86: Mackenzie Hughes +2 (74)

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LPGA:

Tournament: Bank of Hope Founders Cup:

T9: Maude- Aimee Leblanc -3 (69)

T61: Brooke Henderson E (72)

T61: Anne-Catherine Tanguay E (72)

T117: Alena Sharp +3 (75)

PGA Latinoamerica Tour:

Tournament: Stella Artois Open (Round 1 Suspend Due to Lighting):

T21: Russell Budd -2 Thru 15

T21: Jared Du Toit -2 Thru 9

T44: Derek Gillespie -1 (71)

T44: Ally Tidcombe -1 (71)

T44: Blair Hamilton -1 (71)

T69: Drew Nesbitt E Thru 9

Starting Tomorrow: Symetra Tour check out this preview for more:  https://birdeh.ca/2018/03/13/six-canadians-set-to-compete-in-symetra-tour-opener/

 

 

LPGA Bank of Hope Founders Cup Canadian preview

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The Course: Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa

Canadians in the Field: 

Brooke Henderson: Finished T13 in last years tournament with four rounds in the 60’s. Henderson has made the cut in three out of the four events she has played this season and has not finished outside 10th in any events thus far. Henderson looks to be a strong contender in this weeks field.

Thursday Tee Time: 12:45

Alena Sharp: A resident of Phoenix, this hometown advantage should give Sharp a bit of an edge this week.  Since a T18 in the first event of the season in the Bahamas, Sharp has struggled not finishing higher than T56  in any of the last three events. Sharp missed the cut in last seasons tournament.

Thursday Tee Time: 7:22

Maude-Aimee Leblanc: Enters this event having only competed in one other LPGA Tour event this season, finishing with a T66. Leblanc missed the cut in last seasons tournament, though she will look to build off her second round 64 from last year.

Thursday Tee Time: 8:28

Anne-Catherine Tanguay: Finished eighth on the Symetra Tour money list last season to earn her LPGA Tour membership. Has yet to make a cut in the two events she has played this season.

Thursday Tee Time: 8:28

Five Canadians in Latinoamerica season opener

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The PGA Latinoamerica season kicks off this week with the Guatemala Stella Artois Open. Last years tournament turned into an unofficial 18 hole event, as strong winds made it impossible for the tournament to finish more than the first round.

Canadians in the field: 

Russell Budd: Made five cuts with one top 10 on the Latinoamerica Tour last season.His best finish last season was a T9 last April.  The 26-year-old turned professional in 2015.

Jared du Toit: After his captivating run at the 2016 Canadian Open, du Toit made the cut in all 11 events he played on the Mackenzie Tour last season, finishing 23rd on the money list. Look for him to be a strong contender in this weeks field.

Derek Gillespie: The former Big Break champion has played this event three times prior,  with his best finish being a T29. The 39-year-old finished 53rd on last seasons money list with two top 10 finishes.

Blair Hamilton: Competed on the Mackenzie Tour last season making four cuts, placing him 85th on the money list. The Burlington native turned pro in 2016 after playing his collegiate golf at the University of Houston.

Ally Tidcombe: Shot a 66 in the unofficial event last season. He finished with six made cuts on the tour last season, finishing 92nd on the money list.  The Wolfville Nova Scotia resident turned pro in 2016

The Tour: This tour was established in 2012 by the PGA and feeds into the Web.com Tour. The top five players on the money list each year receive membership on the Web.com tour, with the winner receiving full status on the Web.com tour.

How Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor qualified for the Arnold Palmer Invitational field

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Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes are both apart of the 120 man field in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week.

Hughes has qualified for the field for being apart of the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings, last season. Hughes was apart of the field in last seasons tournament but failed to make the cut

Taylor, on the other hand, gains his entry to the invitational by being just outside the top 70 on the current FedEx Cup standings, gaining his entrance as other players get in the top 70 got in through other exemptions.

Thornhill native Ben Silverman is currently listed as an alternate for the tournament.

Australian Marc Leishman won last years tournament, finishing at -11.

Six Canadians set to compete in Symetra Tour Opener

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The Symetra Tour kicks off this Friday in Winter Haven, Florida. Six Canadians will be competing in the Florida Natural Charity Classic.

Canadians Competing: 

  • Jennifer Ha: Back on the Symetra Tour after having full status on the LPGA Tour last year. Played 11 Symetra Tour events in 2016 making five cuts.
  • Augusta James: Finished 44th on the Symetra Tour money list in 2017,  while making 11 cuts.
  • Lorie Kane: 2018 will be the veterans 25th-year pro.  She has four career LPGA Tour wins. Expect her to play Legends Tour events this year as well.
  • Brittany Marchand: Came 25th on the Symetra Tour Money List last season. Won the PHC Classic on the Symetra Tour last August.
  • Samantha Richdale: Made 10 cuts on the tour last season. Her best finish came at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge where she finished seventh.
  • Elizabeth Tong: One of her best finishes came at last years Florida Natural Charity Classic where she finished tied for 18th. Tong finished 80th on last seasons money list.

What is the Symetra Tour: 

The Symetra Tour is the developmental tour of the LPGA Tour, with the top ten on the money list each year earning their LPGA Tour cards.

Note:

Last season Canadian Anne-Catherine Tanguay finished eighth on the money list and advanced to the LPGA Tour.

Corey Conners: A look back and a look forward

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Valspar: 

Corey Conners proved a lot this week. He not only proved he can compete on the PGA Tour but that he can compete against many of the biggest names in golf, with a huge spotlight cast on him, thanks to Tiger.

Considering he got into the tournament as an alternate, Conners wasted no time gaining a lead which he held through the third round.

Though a 77 on Sunday took Conners out of contention, he has now become a household name for many Canadians (and maybe some Americans) due to his solid play and smooth swing in one of the most watched tournaments in a long time.

Moving Forward: 

Conners has already been impressive this season. He has missed only one cut in 11 starts and has solid stats as well.

Conners is not in the field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but should be in the field for the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship, a new alternate field event during the matchplay week.

This new tournament is formerly a Web.Com event, which Conners played last year finishing T53. This experience combined with his solid play promises another exciting tournament for Conners.

 

 

Canadian Web.Com Tour Weekly Recap

The Web.Com Tour was in Leon, Mexico this week for the El Bosque Mexico Championship. American Martin Trainer won by two shots finishing at -14.

Canadian Leaderboard:

T29: Ryan Yip -5, (73,69, 71, 70)

T39: Adam Svensson -2, (73, 71,71,71)

T39: Stuart MacDonald -2, (72,72,68,74)

T56: Seann Harlingten E, (72,69,76,71)

Cut: Albin Choi (69,76)

Cut: Roger Sloan (70,75)

Updated Money List Rankings:

2: Adam Svensson

21: Ryan Yip

23: Roger Sloan

73: Albin Choi

121: Stuart MacDonald

136: Seann Harlingten

News of the Week:

Stuart MacDonald was boarding an early flight home before realizing he made the cut.  The surprise may have worked as he fired his best number of the week on moving day.

 

Here We Go

While trying to keep up with the demands of school and life this weekend, I realized the void for a golf blog centered around Canadian professional golf.  That is why I have created BirdEh. My goal is to make BirdEh a one-stop shop for all news related to Canadian professional golf. I’m going to do this by providing constant updates on Canadian professionals all around the world on many different professional tours.

I look forward to following Canadian professional golfers closely and I believe this blog will become an extremely rewarding experience.

Koby (Bio in the about section)

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