Image courtesy Jim Epler/Flickr

Courtesy Golf Canada (Written by John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press)

As far as Mike Weir is concerned, 50 is the new 20.

The Canadian golfing legend will reach his half-century mark on Tuesday and qualify to join the PGA Tour Champions, the senior circuit for professional men’s golf. Although the date of the next tournament is still up in the air thanks to restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weir is ready for a new beginning in his career.

“The interesting thing about professional golf is that you look forward to your 50th birthday instead of dreading it,” said Weir. “I’ve been looking forward to this for quite a while.”

- IGF Announces 2020 World Amateur Team Championships Cancelled Due To Continued Uncertainty Of COVID-19 Pandemic

- DCM PGA Women’s Championship Of Canada Cancelled Due To COVID-19

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (May 6, 2020) – The International Golf Federation announced today that the 2020 World Amateur Team Championships scheduled for October have been cancelled due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision follows the IGF’s announcement in February that the biennial event for men and women, originally to be held in Hong Kong, was moving to Singapore due to ongoing social unrest in Hong Kong.

*This article was last updated on May 4, 2020.

Courtesy Golf Canada

Our partners at the Provincial Golf Associations are working incredibly hard to understand the impact of COVID-19 on golf in each province.

They will continue to seek clarity from municipal and provincial government and health authorities to help our member clubs and golfers navigate through this crisis.

Below are summaries and links for each respective provincial golf association.

During this time of uncertainty and disruption to our regular routines both at home and in the community, we'd like to make this space available for readers to access the many golf tips on line that can be done away from the golf course or driving range, so either at home or in the back yard. 

We'll search for informative and hopefully entertaining articles and share the links with you in this section. Check back regularly to see what's been newly posted to help get you ready for when we head back out to the golf course.

Image - Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

MEDIA RELEASE

 – Golf Canada and RBC will now pivot all efforts towards planning for a celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open in 2021 – 

TORONTO – With continued public health concerns as well as international travel and government restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the PGA TOUR, in consultation with Golf Canada and RBC, has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 RBC Canadian Open.

The event was scheduled for June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. The cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open also includes the RBCxMusic Concert Series which was scheduled to take place June 12-13 at Richview Collegiate Institute, featuring headline performances by The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban.

“The RBC Canadian Open has always been a rallying point for Canadian golf and while we share in the crushing disappointment with our fans, players, volunteers and many event partners, our primary responsibility is the safety of our people and our communities,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

“It is now our full intention to push forward together with RBC, the PGA TOUR, the City of Toronto and our host clubs with the goal to bring the 2021 RBC Canadian Open to St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Korn Ferry Tour aims to restart in mid-June;

Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada postpones first six events of its season

April 16, 2020 – With additional time needed to ensure PGA TOUR tournaments are staged in the most safe and responsible manner possible given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the PGA TOUR is announcing further schedule modifications for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, as well as plans for the opening portion of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Regular Season, the restart of the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season and updates regarding the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule.

The PGA TOUR had previously targeted the week of the Charles Schwab Challenge (May 18-24) as the restart of the TOUR season, which has been suspended since THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled on Thursday, March 12. For health and safety reasons due to COVID-19, today’s announcement delays that timeline three weeks – to June 8, starting with the Charles Schwab Challenge – with additional tournaments being repositioned between then and the season’s conclusion, which is the TOUR Championship, ending on Labor Day (September 7).

At this time, the TOUR plans to resume play with the first four events closed to the general public but will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. As such, the TOUR will continually review available COVID-19-related protocols that could be implemented at PGA TOUR events to ensure the health and well-being for all involved.

Via Golf Canada

TOKYO – The Tokyo Olympics will open next year in the same time slot scheduled for this year’s games. Tokyo organizers said Monday the opening ceremony will take place on July 23, 2021 – almost exactly one year after the games were due to start this year.

“The schedule for the games is key to preparing for the games,” Tokyo organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said. “This will only accelerate our progress.”

Last week, the IOC and Japanese organizers postponed the Olympics until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s games were scheduled to open on July 24 and close on Aug. 9. But the near exact one-year delay will see the rescheduled closing ceremony on Aug. 8.

Courtesy Golf Canada

With heightened uncertainty and global concern related to COVID-19, Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business to operate and make informed and responsible decisions within the best interests of our athletes, staff, volunteers, host clubs, partners and other stakeholders health and well-being.

Today (March 30, 2020), Golf Canada is announcing its decision to cancel or postpone the events listed below.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO/OTTAWA (March 22, 2020) – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020.  

The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring. While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.

Courtesy GOLF.com editors

There are lots of questions about the state of the world these days. While we can’t provide answers to some of the more important questions, we can answer some questions about how golf can exist in our current reality.

Here are a few common questions and our best answers on how recreational golf will be affected in the coming weeks and months.

Should I feel safe playing golf right now?

With the information we have available at the moment, yes. But there should be some extra precautions taken when out on the links.

According to one expert, “Being in a wide-open, outdoor space is the least at-risk scenario.” But there are still certain cautious measures to take when on the course.

March 17, 2020 – 5:30 p.m. ET

The health and safety of everyone associated with the PGA TOUR and the global community is and will continue to be our No. 1 priority as we navigate the ongoing health crisis related to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

On March 12, the PGA TOUR made the announcement to cancel or postpone four weeks of events on all six Tours through the week of the Valero Texas Open (March 30-April 5). Augusta National Golf Club also announced the postponement of the Masters Tournament (April 6-12).

With the most recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the Office of the President of the United States, the PGA TOUR will now cancel four additional events: RBC Heritage (April 13-19); Zurich Classic of New Orleans (April 20-26); Wells Fargo Championship (April 27-May 3); and AT&T Byron Nelson (May 4-10).

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.

It is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of THE PLAYERS Championship.

We have also decided to cancel all PGA TOUR events – across all of our Tours – in the coming weeks, through the Valero Texas Open.

We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process. We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.

We will be prepared to answer additional questions on Friday at 8 a.m.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan Has Made A Statement Regarding Play On The PGA TOUR And The Coronavirus Issue Going Forward - Image By Screen Capture

Let me preface my remarks by reinforcing that the health and safety of our players, employees, partners, volunteers, fans and everybody associated with the PGA TOUR is our top priority.

I’ve spoken to President Trump this morning, and I spoke to Governor Ron DeSantis a few hours ago as well.

Our team is in constant communication with local health authorities in each market in which our tournaments are played, and we are tracking and monitoring the health information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization in addition to the travel advisories provided by the U.S. State Department.

Both the White House and the Governor’s office have been and are supportive of the precautionary measures we have taken to this point.

Flanking Evans Scholar Coordinator Berne Neufeld Are Victoria Caddies, Lachlan Stewart (L) And Laszlo Torok (R), Who Have Been Awarded Full-Ride Scholarships To The University Of Washington-Seattle For Fall 2020 - (photo credit: Alisa Kerr)

(Victoria, March 9, 2020) – Lachlan Stewart and Laszlo Torok have been awarded the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship by the Western Golf Association Scholarship Committee to attend the University of Washington-Seattle beginning in Fall 2020.

These are full, four-year, tuition and housing scholarships each valued at US$200,000. Lachlan and Laszlo are caddies number seven and eight from Victoria Golf Club to receive this generous scholarship. The Club is truly proud of their achievement.

Charlie Beaulieu (Golf Canada Image)

Mississauga, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Meeting culminated on Saturday, February 29 with the re-election of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve a second term as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Beaulieu will continue to lead Golf Canada’s Board of Directors with Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., remaining in the position of 1st Vice-President and Dale Jackson of Victoria continuing in the role of 2nd Vice-President.

The PGA TOUR has been closely monitoring all available information related to the continued spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19.

We conduct more than 175 tournaments across our six Tours, and the health and safety of our players, employees, fans, partners, volunteers and everyone associated with the PGA TOUR continues to be our No. 1 priority.

After reviewing the relevant positions from the Centers of Disease Control and the World Health Organization, there are no planned schedule changes beyond what has already been decided with PGA TOUR Series-China (a delay to the start of the season).

However, we are establishing additional protocols to promote the health and safety of all participants and fans at our tournaments, and we will regularly review our schedule in light of revised CDC and WHO reports and make any updates as necessary.

Image courtesy PGA of Canada

Written by PGA of Canada/Courtesy Golf Canada

Titleist & FootJoy have become the newest supporting partners of the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company.

In addition to this partnership, Titleist & FootJoy will continue as presenting sponsors of PGA of Canada’s Training Academy.

“Titleist & FootJoy’s commitment to the betterment of golf is first-rate,” said PGA of Canada President Mark Patterson. “We are proud to have their support as national partners and look forward to seeing them elevate an already exceptional experience for golfers across the country.”

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) –A pair of long-time contributors to the sport of golf – volunteer Richard Smith of Regina, Sask. and golf journalist Ian Hutchinson of Newmarket, Ont. – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2020 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

The presentation of the 2020 Distinguished Service Awards to Smith and Hutchinson will take place during a dinner on Friday, February 28 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting (February 28-29) at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel in Mississauga, Ont.