Following a successful seeding and validation period on the PGA Tour, the new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow golf balls will be available in golf shops this week – beginning Friday, March 15.

The introduction of a high-visibility yellow colour option to the Pro V1 family – the most played golf balls at every level of competitive golf and the best-selling models in the game – answers the growing demand from members of Team Titleist and golfers around the world.

“I’m loving the new Pro V1x Yellow. When the R&D guys sent me the first batch of them for testing, I couldn’t wait to get them in play,” said Watson, who currently leads the PGA Tour’s average driving distance category at 316.6 yards.

“I played some really good golf with the [prior generation] Pro V1x, but it’s clear the 2019 ball is even better. It’s faster, I can work the ball exactly how I want, and the short game performance is as good as ever. The ball feels great, plus there’s just something about that bright yellow finish where I feel like I can see it better. For me it was a no brainer.”

On Sunday, Kirk Triplett, playing Pro V1x Yellow, eagled the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Hoag Classic, marking the first victory for a Pro V1 or Pro V1x Yellow golf ball on the worldwide professional tours.

The new ProV1 and ProV1x in High Optic Yellow are available in ?? on March 15 ?? @TitleistCA

https://t.co/ECk4rRFM36 pic.twitter.com/m821VPon2W

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 13, 2019

Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow models have also been played on the PGA Tour by Kyle Jones (Pro V1x) and Rory Sabbatini (Pro V1x), on the Web.Com Tour by Scott Gutschewski (Pro V1) and Zac Blair (Pro V1x), and on PGA Tour Champions by Mark Calcavecchia (Pro V1x) and Ken Tanigawa (Pro V1).

2019 PRO V1 PERFORMANCE

Faster from core to cover, new Pro V1 and Pro V1x Yellow have been precisely engineered to deliver the same performance improvements as their 2019 counterparts – delivering more ball speed and lower long game spin for more distance, while retaining the consistent flight, Drop-and-Stop short game control, soft feel and long-lasting durability that golfers depend on. Click here for complete details.

Pro V1 provides optimal flight and spin for most golfers, flying lower than Pro V1x with a penetrating trajectory, with very soft feel. Pro V1x flies higher, spins more on iron shots and has a slightly firmer feel.

GOLF BALL SELECTION TOOL

Playing a properly fit golf ball will help golfers shoot lower scores. The Titleist golf ball selection tool starts the fitting process by suggesting a recommended and alternative ball for golfers to test on the golf course.

AVAILABILITY

New 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are available now in golf shops worldwide, with yellow models available beginning March 15. $64.99 CAD MAP.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 10 athletes—six female and four male—who have been selected to the 2019 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Golf fans in Alberta will have 3 players of their own on the squad to watch and cheer for on various professional tours this year. Jared du Toit returns as a Young Pro Squad member along with Jennifer Ha. Glencoe Club dynamo Jaclyn Lee makes her first appearance on the talented team. Lee, 21, makes the transition from the Amateur Squad after turning professional in December and will tee it up on the LPGA Tour this season starting early February in Australia.

http://albertagolf.org/article/calgarian-jaclyn-lee-earns-lpga-tour-status-for-2019

Comprising the 2019 Women’s Young Pro Squad is Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.) , Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.) Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary) and Jaclyn Lee (Calgary).

The Men’s Young Pro Squad will be represented by Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver).

The Team Canada Young Pro Squad—now in its sixth year—helps bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 35 wins across various professional golf tours including LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR wins by Young Pro graduates Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners, respectively.

“The quality of talented athletes is a strong representation of the future of Canadian golf competing on the world’s major tours in the years to come,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “Golf Canada continues to support athletes who are demonstrating the capacity to compete at the highest levels of golf in an effort to cultivate heroes for our sport. We are proud to extend the world-class services of the Team Canada program which include coaching support, sport science and financial assistance as this group strives for success in the professional ranks.”

Men’s and Women’s National Squad coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally—both PGA of Canada members and Ben Kern Coach of the Year past recipients—will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. In addition to funding and coaching support, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood along with Physiotherapist and Strength Coach Greg Redman.

Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort—the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.

“The Young Pro program has achieved tremendous success with Canada’s up-and-coming stars and their ascension through the pro ranks,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “Fundraising for Canada’s top athletes will remain a priority for the Foundation as we continue to mold and support the future of Canadian golf.”

Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.

Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.

KAPALUA, Hawaii – The PGA Tour might be taking another step toward connecting players with television viewers.

Several years ago, it asked players in contention on the weekend to allow for TV interviews before their rounds, usually as they were arriving or leaving the practice range. Now they are looking for volunteers willing to do interviews on the course during their rounds.

It’s in the experimental stage at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the willingness to take part depends on the player.

Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA Tour player of the year, nixed the idea last year in Shanghai but said he might be okay with it now.

“Don’t they do that on the Champions Tour?” he asked.

Justin Thomas? Not so much.

Thomas talks plenty during his round, usually to himself or with caddie Jimmy Johnson. The idea of stopping for a quick interview was not appealing to him.

“I’ve just been asked about it,” he said. “I said, ‘No.’ It’s not me. I do a lot of self-talking. That’s mine and Jimmy’s time, whether we’re talking about whatever, or even the next shot. For me, there’s no benefit. It’s only going to make me look worse.”

Such interviews are not likely to occur in the final round and PGA Tour officials are sensitive to the timing of the interviews. A quick spot with Dustin Johnson after his 432-yard drive came within 6 inches of the cup last year at Kapalua might be ideal. Right after a three-putt bogey from 10 feet might not be.

Marc Leishman has experience doing on-course interviews when he plays in Australia and he didn’t mind the concept.

“If they do end up having them, my advice would be to have someone who has played on Tour to do it to be a little sensitive of the questions and the timing of the interview,” Leishman said. “But anything where you can be more accessible to the viewers is a good thing. We want to bring more people to the game. It might be a way to give more insight to what we’re thinking at the time.”

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, isn’t likely to be among the candidates. He said he has not been approached by the PGA Tour about his willingness to do short interviews in the middle of his round. But he made it clear where he stood.

“I’ve been approached in Europe because they’ve done it for a couple of years,” McIlroy said. “And I’ve said, ‘No,’ every single time.”

Jaclyn Lee has turned professional. Lee, 21, has opted to forego her final semester of eligibility at the Ohio State University and begin a professional career in the LPGA, the Canadian golfer announced in an Instagram post Friday night.

View this post on Instagram

 

I’ve got some news for y’all ?? peep it!! • • • I’ve turned professional and made my decision to forego my last semester of eligibility at school in order to start my career on the LPGA. I will still be finishing up school at Ohio State in the spring, but I will not be playing on the team. This is not a decision I made lightly – which is why it took so long for me to come to a conclusion. I’m extremely touched by all the support I have received so far from all the parties involved in my decision. I’m lucky to have each and every one of you in my life. While my time at Ohio State is eventually going to come to an end, it’s bittersweet to be leaving the team a little early. I’m going to miss my Buckeye Family but I’m also really excited to start my new chapter. I feel very blessed for everyone who has been a part of my journey so far. It’s been a great 3.5 years being a part of the Lady Buckeye Golf Team and I wish them nothing but the best in the future. Enjoy some of these low quality photos with some high quality people that I’m going to miss seeing every day #alwaysabuckeye

A post shared by Jaclyn Lee (@jaclyn_lee) on Dec 7, 2018 at 3:17pm PST

The Calgarian wrote she will be wrapping up her degree at the American university in the spring, but will not be playing for its golf team.

“This is not a decision I made lightly – which is why it took so long for me to come to a conclusion. I’m extremely touched by all the support I have received so far from all the parties involved in my decision,” said Lee.

“I’m lucky to have each and every one of you in my life. While my time at Ohio State was eventually going to come to an end, it’s bittersweet to be leaving the team a little early. I’m going to miss my Buckeye family, but I’m also really excited to start my new chapter. I feel very blessed for everyone who has been a part of my journey so far.”

Lee picked up her LPGA Tour card for 2019 in November after finishing sixth in the Q-Series LPGA tournament

She is a 6-year veteran of the Team Canada program (Amateur Squad in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 | Development Squad in 2015, 2014).

She also earned second-team All-American honours from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association in July.

In a year that saw 10 Rolex First-Time Winners added to the roster of LPGA victors, the 2018 LPGA Tour season produced 26 winners from 10 countries across 32 official tournaments. Powered by determination, athleticism and a drive for greatness, the 2019 season promises to continue the upward growth of the world’s best female golfers.

The 2019 LPGA Tour schedule will include 33 official events, plus the biennial Solheim Cup, which pits the 12 best players from the United States against their European counterparts. The Tour will visit 15 states and 12 countries (including the United States), with a record $70.55 million in official prize money.

“We are in one of the most exciting periods of time in LPGA history,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “One look at our 2018 season shows the breadth of global talent on our Tour, and I have no doubt that 2019 will continue this upward trend. We are not only proud of our Tour growth, but also the growth of our LPGA Teachers, LPGA Amateurs and LPGA-USGA Girls-Golf efforts.”

CONTINUED GROWTH IN PRIZE MONEY

In a sign of the continued strength of the women’s game, the 2019 season will see $70.55 million in prize money, up from $65.35 million in 2018. The season’s largest purses come at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, conducted by the USGA, and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, both with $5 million at stake. While the USGA will not confirm their 2019 purse until April 2019, they have confirmed the purse will be $5 million at a minimum. The CME purse will double from $2.5 million to $5 million, with the winner earning $1.5 million, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf.

“LPGA purses have steadily increased over the last decade, a sign of the growing support from our corporate partners and sponsors for the game of women’s golf,” said Whan. “Across the board, our title sponsors understand the value that working with LPGA players brings to their businesses and we look forward to continuing to develop larger purses for the generations of players to come.”

Other purses to increase include three of the Tour’s five majors in the ANA Inspiration ($3 million, up $200,000 from 2018), the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship ($3.85 million, up $200,000 from 2018) and The Evian Championship ($4.1 million, up $250,000 from 2018). The AIG Women’s British Open purse is still being finalized but will be at least $3.25 million. The purse at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship will increase to $1.8 million, up $300,000 from its inaugural year in 2018, while the purse at the Marathon Classic presented by Dana will increase to $1,750,000, up $150,000 from 2018.

NEW TOURNAMENTS KICK OFF LPGA SEASON

The 2019 season features four new tournaments, including consecutive inaugural stops to begin the year’s travel around the world. The Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America, to be held Jan. 17-20 at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., promises to be a week of world-class competition and entertainment. LPGA Tour winners from the last two seasons will play alongside celebrities from the sports and entertainment worlds.

From there, the Tour heads Down Under, joining the European Tour at the Vic Open on Feb. 7-10 at 13th Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads, Australia. The event marks the only professional golf tournament where men and women compete concurrently on the same course and for the same prize money. The Vic Open makes the ideal partner to the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, which the following week returns to the Grange Golf Club in a three-year rotation of Adelaide’s golf courses.

As announced earlier in 2018, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational and the BMW Ladies Championship are also new to the 2019 LPGA schedule. The Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, which will be held at Michigan’s Midland Country Club in July, marks the first official team competition in Tour history. The LPGA’s newest stop in the Republic of Korea, the BMW Ladies Championship, takes the Tour to Busan and LPGA International Busan, the LPGA’s first golf facility outside the United States. It is the second stop on the LPGA’s annual Fall Asian Swing, which also takes the Tour through the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Taipei and Japan.

“I’m truly excited that three of our new tournaments for 2019 will feature formats that are new to the LPGA,” said Whan. “We’ve long wanted to get a Tournament of Champions back on the LPGA schedule, and this partnership with Diamond Resorts will definitely make the Four Seasons Orlando the place to be in January. Plus, our friends at Dow, long known for their scientific innovation, have brought that trait to the LPGA by bringing together this great team event. I can’t wait to see how the players will partner up over the coming months. Additionally, the Vic Open will showcase a joint men’s and women’s event that is interesting to players and fans, not to mention timely in the world of equal opportunity and pay.”

Three season-long races will also build anticipation and excitement for players and fans alike. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a new competition on both the PGA and LPGA Tours, will feature the world’s best golfers as they navigate risk across the season’s most strategically challenging holes. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will each receive $1 million.

The Race to the CME Globe is evolving in 2019, with the top 60 players following the Blue Bay LPGA heading to the CME Group Tour Championship with the opportunity to win the $1.5 million winner’s check. In its second year, the LEADERS Top-10s competition will award $100,000 to the player with the most top-10 finishes, with Ariya Jutanugarn taking the inaugural title in 2018.

The LPGA Tour will see 450 hours of domestic broadcast coverage on Golf Channel and network TV in 2019, with more than 475 hours available in 175 countries around the world.

One stop on the 2019 schedule is still to be announced, as the contractual agreement for that event is not yet completed. That is expected to be finalized early in 2019, so players and fans should reserve one more week for an additional exciting Tour stop.

MAJOR GLORY ON THE LINE

Five players from five countries took home major championships in 2018, and 2019 will surely add even more history to the LPGA record books.

In its traditional spot on the calendar, the ANA Inspiration kicks off the major season for professional golf. From April 4-7, the Dinah Shore Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., will play host to major drama for the 37th consecutive year. The Country Club of Charleston, where World Golf Hall of Fame member and LPGA legend Beth Daniel learned the game of golf, will host the 74th U.S. Women’s Open Championship, conducted by the USGA, from May 30 to June 2.

The fifth year of partnership between the LPGA and the PGA of America takes the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to Hazeltine National Golf Club, to be held June 20-23. Hazeltine National has hosted some of the game’s most major moments, including U.S. Women’s Open wins for Sandra Spuzich (1966) and Hollis Stacy (1977), and in 2016, the USA’s largest come-from-behind victory in Ryder Cup history.

The season’s final two majors take the LPGA Tour to Europe for consecutive weeks. The Evian Championship will move to July 25-28, reclaiming its place in the beautiful French summer. Along the shores of Lake Geneva and at the base of the Alps, the week in Evian-les-Bains, France, promises to be one of world-class glamour and competition.

The LPGA’s major season will culminate Aug. 1-4 at the newly named AIG Women’s British Open, held at Woburn Golf Club, 50 miles northwest of London. AIG recently signed a long-term deal to be the title sponsor of the Women’s British Open, which has been a major on the LPGA Tour schedule since 2001.

With major drama comes major competition. The season’s five majors build to the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which will be awarded at the Rolex LPGA Awards during the week of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Named for 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam, the honor is bestowed on the player who, during the current LPGA season, has the most outstanding major championship record. Ariya Jutanugarn captured the 2018 award, joining Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Lydia Ko (2016) and So Yeon Ryu (2017) as award recipients.

SOLHEIM CUP RETURNS TO SCOTLAND

The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles will host the 16th Solheim Cup, marking the Cup’s return to Scotland for the first time since 2000. Gleneagles was the site of the 2014 Ryder Cup, which saw the European Team earn a 16½-11½ victory over the United States. The European Solheim Cup Team, captained by Scotland’s own Catriona Matthew, hopes to take inspiration from that victory as they face off against the Americans, with three-time Captain Juli Inkster at the helm, who took their own 16½-11½ victory at the 2017 Solheim Cup. The Americans will head to Gleneagles as the two-time defending champions, having mounted a furious Singles comeback in Germany in 2015 to take a one-point win.

FROM TOMORROW’S STARS TO FAN-FAVORITE PIONEERS

While the 2019 Symetra Tour schedule is still being finalized, the LPGA Tour’s official qualifying tour will have at least 20 events for the next generation of LPGA talent. The season will kick off in North Port, Fla., with the inaugural SKYiGOLF Championship hosted by Charlotte Harbor National Golf Club at Bobcat Trail from March 7-10. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $3 million awarded over the course of 21 tournaments in 2018.

2019 will see the North Carolina return of LPGA Q-Series presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, the two-week qualifying tournament that debuted in 2018 as a replacement for Stage 3 of Q School. Forty-eight players earned their 2019 LPGA Tour cards, led by KLPGA star Jeongeun Lee6, who claimed medalist honors and earned $15,000.

North Carolina will also again host the LPGA T&CP National Championship, with the nation’s top teaching and club professionals returning to Pinehurst No. 8 on Aug. 26-28. Stephanie Eiswerth, University of North Florida women’s golf assistant coach and a Class A LPGA teaching professional, captured the 2017 title in her championship debut.

In October, the third Senior LPGA Championship presented by Old National Bank will return to the Pete Dye Course at scenic French Lick (Ind.) Resort. Some of the greatest names in the history of the game hope to join Trish Johnson (2017) and Dame Laura Davies (2018) as Senior LPGA winners.

2019 LPGA Schedule (bold = majors; italics = new event)

CALGARY—Standing high atop the city’s skyline at the Calgary Tower, the Shaw Charity Classic announced it has shattered its own fundraising record for a sixth straight year on the PGA TOUR Champions with a $12,357,863 donation that will be shared amongst 182 youth-based charities in Alberta.

Smashing its target of hitting the $10 million mark for 2018, the sizeable donation now brings the award-winning tournament’s fundraising totals to more than $34 million since its inception on the senior professional golf circuit in 2013.

“This donation is nothing short of remarkable. Year-after-year our tournament has broken records for charitable giving on the PGA TOUR Champions, and we have done it again in 2018,” said Jim Riddell, who will continue to build on his father, Clay’s legacy, ensuring the Shaw Charity Classic continues to have a positive impact on Alberta youth.

“Achieving these substantial fundraising goals is simply not possible without the shared passion we have with our incredible corporate partners for watching the greatest names in golf come to Calgary, and a commitment to helping the children in our province. I know we will continue to have a tremendous impact on the lives of Alberta youth through the continued support of this program.”

To support the growth of the Shaw Charity Classic’s fundraising efforts, the tournament’s title sponsor, Shaw Communications, also signed on this year as the title sponsor for the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program. Shaw kicked off this year’s fundraising by donating $1 million to the charitable giving program, which will benefit over 180 charities across Alberta.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has given us a meaningful opportunity to connect to the city we love and support the people and organizations who work to make our communities a better place, every day,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “Through the support and dedication of the partners, fans and volunteers who help to ensure the success of the tournament, this year’s event will have a significant impact on the lives of hundreds-of-thousands of kids and youth from across our province.”

With the tournament’s charitable spirit rooted in the generous leadership of Shaw Communications and AltaLink, the record donation in 2018 will have a positive impact on more than 500,000 youth representing over 180 charities in the areas of sports, arts, health, development and counselling. The program welcomed donations from more than 3,127 Canadians in all corners of the country.

“Every year I am amazed at how the Birdies for Kids participating charities come together with donors across our country to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids, and this year is no different,” said Scott Thon, President and CEO of AltaLink. “Being the presenting sponsor of the Birdies for Kids program is incredibly rewarding, and the good the program does in our community made it easy for us to sign on for another three years earlier this year.”

After partnering with children representing nine of the tournament’s official charities to unveil the 2018 donation, the Shaw Charity Classic announced Jim Riddell as its new tournament chairman. Riddell will build on his father, Clay Riddell’s, vision for bringing the PGA TOUR Champions to his home club at Calgary’s Canyon Meadows. Clay, the driving force behind making the Shaw Charity Classic a reality, passed away in September at the age of 81.

“My father’s vision for bringing professional golf to Calgary was clear – to help the children in our community live a healthier and happier life,” said Jim Riddell. “Working with the patron group, the event team, our corporate partners, and the PGA TOUR, we will continue to expand the unparalleled legacy he has established with this tournament by helping as many kids as we can throughout Alberta.

“I know he would be smiling tonight in celebration of what we achieved together this year. Tomorrow, he would be challenging us to raise the bar and do even better in 2019. Giving back to Alberta through a premier sporting event that benefits the next generation of Albertans is as important to me as it was to my father.”

The 2019 Shaw Charity Classic returns to Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, Aug. 28 – Sept. 1.

St Andrews, Scotland – The road to Royal Portrush will include a stop in Hamilton, Ont.

The R&A announced today that next years RBC Canadian Open will be one of 16 events in 11 countries that will make up The Open Qualifying Series for 2019.

The Emirates Australian Open, which is being played from 15-18 November at The Lakes in Sydney, will be the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal Portrush next year. The leading three players, who finish in the top ten and ties and who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open.

A total of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

“The race to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush has well and truly begun and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting series of events as golfers around the world aim to book their place at the Championship,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A. “We know that there is real excitement at the prospect of The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 70 years and it will undoubtedly act as an extra incentive for those players who are hopeful of teeing it up at the famous Dunluce links in July.”

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open will take place June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country CLub, offering up three qualifying places into The 148th Open.

Regional Qualifying and Final Qualifying events will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

The Open Qualifying Series (TOQS) will offer the following qualification places in The 148th Open:

NB: Any player who has qualified through The Open Qualifying Series is deemed an exempt player. In the event that that player subsequently fulfils other exemption categories those places in the starting field will be subject to Section F of The Open Entry Form.