Hearn, DeLaet Kick Off 2012 Season

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., kick off their 2012 PGA Tour seasons later this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Both are at the same points in their careers after Hearn enjoyed a solid return to the tour in 2011, a season in which DeLaet was forced to sit out due to surgery to deal with a bulging disc in his back following his solid rookie year in 2010. Read more

Will The Canadian Tour Become A Good PGA Tour Investment?

The PGA Tour will provide the Canadian Tour with an operating loan and lend assistance in tournament development and sponsorship in 2012.

Whether the tour will continue that assistance beyond this year is anybody’s guess and the situation will be evaluated over the 2012 season. Read more

PGA Tour Means Business With Canadian Tour Deal

The mere mention of the PGA Tour tends to trigger fluttering hearts and swooning, but any talk of it taking over the Canadian Tour or setting it up as a feeder system for the Nationwide Tour is premature to say the least and really not worth discussing right now.

As you can see in this News Now story, the PGA Tour has agreed to float the Canadian Tour a loan to deal with a financial crunch that, according to the scuttlebutt, has the tour in debt anywhere from half a million to $750,000.

As usual, nobody will admit how much the tour is in debt, nor how much the PGA Tour is sending its way, but you can bet it isn’t coming into this deal with any decision made beyond next year.

Part of this deal is that the PGA Tour gets involved with tournament development and sponsorship and while the party line is that Canadian Tour will benefit from working with such a well-recognized brand in golf, this is a fact-finding mission for the PGA Tour. Read more

Deal With PGA Tour Might Just Be A Short-Term Reprieve

The PGA Tour will provide the Canadian Tour with an operating loan and will lend assistance in the areas of tournament development and sponsorship in 2012, but any involvement beyond next year will depend on an evaluation between both groups over the course of next season.

“Our goal is to help lend stability to the Canadian Tour, which we believe plays an important role in professional golf and has proven to be a valuable system for developing players over the years,” stated Ed Moorhouse, co-chief operating officer of the PGA Tour.

Although no financial details were disclosed, it’s no secret that the Canadian Tour was struggling financially, with some speculating that it may not make it to the 2012 season without financial help. Whether this will be anything more than a short-term reprieve remains to be seen.

Commissioner Rick Janes admitted the onus was on the Canadian Tour to make the new agreement more than a short term deal.

“Whether this leads to more direct involvement by the PGA Tour beyond 2012 will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to strengthen and grow the Canadian Tour across Canada from coast to coast,” said Janes.

“In the meantime, it is a great opportunity to work with the preeminent brand in golf and we can only benefit from that experience,” he added.

Final Results — 2011 PGA Tour Q-School

Calgary’s Ryan Yip knew going into the final round that he needed a big day to obtain his PGA Tour card at Q-school and made a good run with a three-under 69 on Monday to finish just one shot away from his objective of making the top 25 and ties.

Yip’s seven-under total for tournament left him tied for 30th, the highest placing among Canadians at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., also had a 69 on Monday, but finished Q-school at six under to tie for 38th.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -17

T30  Ryan Yip, Calgary -7

T38  Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. -6

T54  Stuart Anderson, Victoria -4

T100  Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. +1

T111 James Love, Calgary +4

T111 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. +4

146  Richard Lee, Vancouver +12

T152 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +17

Fifth Round — 2011 PGA Tour Q-School

The term “moving day” is usually reserved for the second-last round of a tournament, but Canadians are hoping that it applies, in their cases, the the final day of PGA Tour qualifying school.

Going into the final day at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., Ryan Yip of Calgary is the highest Canadian on the leaderboard in a tie for 42nd, with Victoria’s Stuart Anderson and Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., close behind in a tie for 53rd.

The top 25 and ties earn exempt status for next year.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -17

T42  Ryan Yip, Calgary -4

T53  Stuart Anderson, Victoria -3

T53  Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. -3

T92  Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. E

T119 James Love, Calgary +4

T132 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. +6

T150 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +12

T157  Richard Lee, Vancouver +16

Round 4 — 2011 PGA Tour Q-School

Calgary’s Ryan Yip made a big leap up the leaderboard at PGA Tour qualifying school on Saturday, shooting a five-under 67 to move from a tie for 107th into a tie for 21st at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

In other news, Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., withdrew from the competition, which concludes on Monday.

The top 25 and ties earn exempt status for next year.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -15

T21   Ryan Yip, Calgary -5

T28   Stuart Anderson, Victoria -4

T41   Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. -3

T40   Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. -2

T125 James Love, Calgary +5

T142 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. +9

152    Richard Lee, Vancouver +11

T153 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +12

Matt McQuillan, Kingston, Ont. WD

Round 3 — 2011 PGA Tour Q-School

Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., is five shots off the lead heading into Saturday’s fourth round at PGA Tour qualifying school at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Fritsch shot a three-under 69 on Friday and is tied for eighth at eight under for the tournament, one better than Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., who was two-under on Friday and tied for 19th.

The top 25 and ties earn exempt status for next year.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -13

T9     Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. -8

T19   Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. -7

T33   Stuart Anderson, Victoria -5

T107 James Love, Calgary E

T107 Ryan Yip, Calgary E

T142 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. +4

T157 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +7

T160 Richard Lee, Vancouver +8

168 Matt McQuillan, Kingston, Ont. +11

Round 2 — PGA Tour Q-School

Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., shot a five-under 67 in the second round of PGA Tour quaifying schook at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., and is tied for the lead with Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, Ont., among Canadians going into Friday’s third round.

Hadwin shot a 69 and both he and Fritsch are at tied for 15th at five under after two rounds. The top 25 and ties earn exempt status for next year.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -10

T15 Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. -5

T15 Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. -5

T21 Stuart Anderson, Victoria -4

T47 James Love, Calgary -2

T47 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. -2

T108 Ryan Yip, Calgary +2

T133 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +4

T166 Richard Lee, Vancouver +10

170 Matt McQuillan, Kingston, Ont. +11

DeLaet Recalls Highs/Lows Of Q-School

Qualifying school, which got underway Wednesday for both the PGA and LPGA Tours, is more likely an extended learning process over several years than the instant step into success that the naive might expect, although that is a possibility.

It took Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., four shots before getting it right in 2009.

“I came out of college. I had quite a bit of confidence. I really thought that I was going to get through,” said DeLaet of his first try back in 2006.

“To be honest, the first time is probably the easiest. You don’t really know what to expect. You don’t know what the failure of it is like, so you just kind of go in free-wheeling and it’s probably the easiest, at least mentally, of all that I went into,” he said. Read more

Round 1 — PGA Tour Q-School

A pair of Calgarians lead the Canadian contingent after the first round of PGA Tour qualifying school at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

Both James Love and Ryan Yip shot four-under 68s and are tied for 26th heading into Friday’s second round. The top 25 and ties earn exempt status for next year.

Below is your GNN Canadian leaderboard. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leaders at -8

T26 James Love, Calgary -4

T26 Ryan Yip, Calgary -4

T61 Stuart Anderson, Victoria -2

T61 Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. -2

T87 Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont. -1

T107 Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. E

T146 Matt McQuillan, Kingston, Ont. +2

T153 Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C. +3

T163 Richard Lee, Vancouver +4

Hadwin Studied For His Next Test At School

Adam Hadwin says he isn’t playing his best golf of late, but believe it or not, that’s a good thing heading into PGA Tour qualifying school, which begins Wednesday at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.

“I’d feel like I’d peaked too early if I was (on top of his game). I’d like to have a couple of things to work on leading up to it. By the time Wednesday starts, I’ll be ready to go,” said the Abbotsford, B.C,, native, who tied for ninth at the Canadian Tour’s Desert Dunes Classic earlier this month.

He tied for 22nd at the Pebble Beach Invitational a couple of weeks ago, hardly cause for alarm that he has somehow slipped from the form that earned him a direct ticket into the final stage of Q-school. As a matter of fact, he never did get into any specifics of any aspect of his game going south.

What we do know is that Hadwin tied for 39th at the U.S. Open, tied for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open and tied for seventh at the Frys.com Open and was in the running for the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list before settling for 145th, had he been an official tour member. Read more

Your Canadian Lineup — 2011 PGA Tour Q-School

Nine Canadians will be taking their shots at playing on the PGA Tour next year as Q-School gets underway Wednesday at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. The following are the Canadian contenders:

(Top 25 and ties earn exempt PGA Tour status for 2012)

Stuart Anderson, Victoria

Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont.

Mitch Gillis, Williams Lake, B.C.

Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C.

Richard Lee, Vancouver

James Love, Calgary

Matt McQuillan, Kingston, Ont.

Richard Scott, Kingsville, Ont.

Ryan Yip, Calgary

A.J.’s Career Goes In New Direction

Former LPGA Tour player A.J. Eathorne of Penticton, B.C., has begun a new chapter in her career.

The former Canadian women’s amateur champ caddied on the PGA Tour for Kris Blanks before going on the bag of eventual CN Canadian Women’s Open champ Brittany Lincicome on the LPGA Tour in 2011.

“Brittany really rocked it out there and I thank her for doing so while I was on the bag,” said Eathorne in an e-mail. “With all the travels though, I have found that I have the desire to slow down a bit and try my hand at staying put.

“I have enjoyed the adventures, but find myself wanting more of a long term plan, or rather, something to work hard at for more than a year at a time,” she continued.

Eathorne will stay in the Phoenix area, where she owns a house, until next March and teach mostly short game clinics at courses in the Scottsdale area. She has joined a teaching business called Expert Golf AZ. For more information, click here.

She will then head to Predator Ridge near Kelowna, B.C., where she will be an instructor at the academy there, developing women’s and junior programs with a focus on clinics, group lessons and outings.

“It is a new area of focus for me and one that I am very excited about. It will test my skills of helping others enjoy the great game of golf, while being able to be back in B.C. and closer to family,” she wrote.

Eathorne plans to keep her house in Phoenix and return there next October.

Scott Won’t Be Holding Back At Q-School

Things have been going according to plan for three-time Canadian Amateur champion Richard Scott, who is in La Quinta, Calif., for the final stage of PGA Q-school which gets underway on Wednesday.

While finishing in the top 25 would earn him his long-awaited PGA Tour card, he’s going into it with the mindset that he wants more.

“Instead of just trying to get through each stage, try to win each stage like a normal golf tournament rather than `Oh, all I need to do is finish in the top 20 or whatever at first or second stage,’” said Scott, whose performance in the first two stages illustrated that attitude.

Scott, 28, finished on top of his first stage event at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and tied for fourth in the second stage at Humble, Tx., to make it to the final stage for the first time this week.

Likewise, Scott plans to attack it as if it’s a normal tournament instead of doing just enough to get his card.

“Sometimes, that doesn’t work out. You either finish around 20th and you barely got through or you just miss by a couple,” he said, drawing on personal experience.

“At second stage, a couple of times, I missed by two or three my first time and then missed by one the next year at second stage. They’re all learning experiences. I just took a better attitude into it this year,” he said.

“Anytime you set your standards higher, you think you can win at any stage. I think it’s a better attitude going into it than just trying to finish in the top 20,” he said.

That goal does not mean he isn’t realistic, adding that it’s difficult to imagine how deep the talent pool is until you turn professional.

“Sometimes, you don’t realize playing amateur golf how many good players are out here, how many veteran guys are still out here grinding. There’s just a deeper talent pool these days in golf,” he said.

With that deeper talent pool, it makes the once-a-year shot at Q-school that much more difficult, according to Scott, who thought he might be out on tour, or close, before now.

“I haven’t had many bad seasons since I’ve been playing pro golf. I’ve been playing solid and winning some tournaments and getting into some Nationwide and PGA Tour events,” said Scott, adding that, on the flip side, somebody can have a bad season before getting hot at Q-school.

“That’s part of the deal,” he said. “I’m happy to see all these (nine) Canadians out here. It’s great to see everybody on the range where all of us should be,” said Scott, adding that one thing he will have to adjust to is playing six rounds at one time.

“I think, with the six rounds, you’ve got to kind of take it easy, maybe not hit as many golf balls or stay out on the golf course as long as sometimes, you might want to (in practice rounds),” he said.

“Your endurance level and your mental attitude has to be pretty sharp all week for two rounds more than you’re used to playing,” he said.

“I’m still relatively young in the grand scheme of things. I always had that attitude that, as long as my game keeps getting better, everything else will take care of itself,” said Scott.

DeLaet Still Plans To Start At Sony Open

It will be exactly a year since surgery was needed to deal with a bulging disc in his back, but Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., is expecting a full season in 2012, beginning with the Sony Open in early January.

“I’m feeling really good. I’m playing without any kind of pain or discomfort,” said DeLaet, who began to feel the effects of his back problem as he wound down his rookie year in 2010, when he earned $954,011 to finish 100th on the PGA Tour money list.

The surgery kept him out of competitive golf until June when he made his first start at the Nationwide Tour’s Melwood Prince George’s County Open, where he tied for 36th.

A week after that, he tried the PGA Tour at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he tied for 73rd, but he missed the cut at the Travelers Championship two weeks later.

“I just came back a little bit too early. I think, mentally, I thought I was better than I actually was physically. I think I just wanted to be playing so bad that I kind of locked a lot of the pain out subconsciously,” said DeLaet.

“The first couple of weeks wasn’t too bad, but just being on the road constantly and then, sleeping in different beds, it just kind of slowly started to deteriorate physically. I just wasn’t where I needed to be,” he said.

“I just felt like I couldn’t compete. It’s hard enough when I’m 100 per cent, but I just didn’t feel like I was in good enough shape to compete and it just seemed like I was wasting starts and I didn’t want to jeopardize things in the future,” he added.

So, he brought the curtain down on the 2011 season, with the exception of one Nationwide start at the Albertsons Boise Open in September, when he missed the cut.

He’s been receiving physical therapy and personal training at Athletes’ Performance in the Phoenix area and, with a season full of medical exemptions ahead, he will start the 2012 season in a positive frame of mind.

“I’m feeling a million times better than I was back then and I thought I was feeling good then,” he said.

“I can put in the time on the range and the putting green that I wasn’t really able to do before. I was able to play, but I couldn’t really practice to the extent that I feel that I need  to in order to be out there,” he said.

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