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Four-way tie for lead in European tour event in Denmark – TSN.ca

Four-way tie for lead in European tour event in Denmark - TSN.ca

FARSO, Denmark (AP) — Ross McGowan slipped into a four-way tie for the lead of the European tour’s Made in HimmerLand after the third round on Saturday.

McGowan led the first two rounds on his own, but four birdies and two bogeys gave him a 2-under-par 69 and 17 under total.

Fellow Englishman Oliver Wilson was at 19 under after 16 holes until consecutive bogeys dropped him into a share of the lead.

A 65 was also posted by another Englishman, Matthew Southgate, who eagled his first hole and birdied the last to join the leaders.

Francesco Laporta of Italy was there with them when he closed with three birdies in his last five holes for a 68.

One shot behind the leaders was Matthew Jordan after carding 62.

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Stenson wins LIV Golf event, gets $4 million in debut – TSN.ca

Stenson wins LIV Golf event, gets $4 million in debut - TSN.ca

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — Henrik Stenson’s decision that cost him the European Ryder Cup captaincy paid large and immediate dividends Sunday when he won the LIV Golf Invitational at Bedminster and picked up more than $4 million for three days’ work.

Staked to a three-shot lead going into the third and final round at Trump National, Stenson opened with a 20-foot birdie putt and never led anyone closer than two shots the rest of the way.

He closed with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Matthew Wolf (64) and Dustin Johnson, who birdied the last hole for a 68.

Stenson, five years removed from beating a field of more than 20 players, picked up $4 million for winning and an additional $375,000 for his team finishing second.

The big payoff — not including a signing bonus reported to be about $50 million — comes less than two weeks after he 46-year-old Swede decided to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.

Stenson had pledged full support to the European tour when he became Ryder Cup captain and March, and the tour stripped him of the job four months later when he changed his mind.

“I guess we can agree I played like a captain,” Stenson said on the LIV Golf telecast.

He finished at 11-under 202.

Asked by the LIV-paid broadcaster if he felt validated by the win, Stenson chose not to engage and replied, “It’s been a good first week.”

“It’s been a busy 10 days. I’m extremely proud I managed to focus as well as I did,” he said.

Stenson won the Hero World Challenge in December 2019 in the Bahamas, the holiday event hosted by Tiger Woods with a 20-man field. Before that, he won the Wyndham Championship in 2017. And while he felt pressure in the final hour, it didn’t always look like it.

Stenson poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the 14th that gave him a three-shot lead with four holes remaining, two of them par 5s. But he took four to get down from left of the green on the par-5 15th. Two holes later, Stenson made a 10-foot putt for par to take a two-shot lead down the par 5 closing hole.

“The putt on 17 was massive to keep the cushion coming up the last,” Stenson said.

Johnson now has finished eight, fourth and tied or second in the three LIV Golf Invitationals. His team, “4 Aces,” has won the last two times, paying $750,000 to each player. In three events since Johnson reportedly received a $150 million signing fee, the two-time major champion has made over $5.2 million on the course.

Carlos Ortiz of Mexico (68) finished fourth, while Patrick Reed (69) was fifth.

Phil Mickelson shot an even-par 71, only the second time in nine rounds of LIV Golf that Mickelson has shot par or better. He finished 35th.

The LIV Golf Invitational is off for a month during the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour, returning over Labor Day weekend about an hour west of Boston, and then two weeks later plays in the Chicago suburbs.

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More AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Report says 15 top-100 golfers look to play first LIV event – TSN.ca

Report says 15 top-100 golfers look to play first LIV event - TSN.ca
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No names have been confirmed but a report suggests that as many as 15 of the world’s top-100 ranked golfers have asked for a release from the PGA Tour to play in the first tournament of the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

The news was first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated.

The tournament is set for June 9-11 at the Centurion Golf Club near London, England. It will conflict with the RBC Canadian Open, which is being held after two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PGA Tour members must obtain a release to play in a tournament that conflicts with a stop on the PGA Tour schedule. For this first event, requests must be made no later than April 25. They will be given an answer 30 days prior to the start of the tournament.

So far, the only golfer confirmed to have done that is Robert Garrigus, who is ranked 1,053rd in the world.

Organizers have said the tournament will have a full field of 48 golfers who will vie for a purse of $25 million, with 70 having already applied to play. It’s the first of eight scheduled events on the LIV Golf series calendar.

It was earlier believed that many top players might switch allegiances and play in the league backed by Saudi money, but one by one, they came out in support of the PGA Tour.

Most of that occurred following some harsh remarks by Phil Mickelson, an apparent supporter of the LIV league, who has since left the spotlight, not appearing at the Masters and not playing since February. He was vilified for his statements by many, and it’s not known if he will be among the players at the first tournament.

It was at that same time as Mickelson’s comments that LIV Golf changed course, going from a full-on tour into a series of individual tournaments. That will make it more difficult for the PGA Tour to turn down requests for its members to play in an event outside of the United States.

The LIV Golf schedule has four events set for U.S. locations with one in Thailand and another in Saudi Arabia. The final stop, which will be a team championship, is believed to be going to the Trump Doral Golf Course in Miami, Fla.

Organizers of the RBC Canadian Open have stated they aren’t worried about the conflicting dates with the first LIV event. Its field is strong with defending champion Rory McIlroy, Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, past champion Dustin Johnson and a Canadian contingent that includes Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Hadwin set to tee it up. The tournament will be held at St. George’s G&CC in Toronto starting the week of June 6. 

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Wright headlines CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game as event returns after pandemic hiatus – TSN.ca

Wright headlines CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game as event returns after pandemic hiatus - TSN.ca

KITCHENER, Ont. — Shane Wright faced the same uncertainty every junior hockey player experienced the last two years.

The shutdowns, restarts, postponements and cancellations brought on by COVID-19 – that pit-in-your-stomach feeling of not knowing what’s around the next corner when there are plenty of questions and very few answers.

And unlike everyone else in his draft class, Wright had to do it under an intense spotlight.

“I’ve just adapted,” said the 18-year-old centre. “It’s on me … no one else is living through it.”

After being forced to sit out all of last season when the Ontario Hockey League was unable to get off the ground because of the pandemic, Wright is back to a level of normalcy.

Following an admittedly slow start to the 2021-22 campaign, he has 25 goals and 77 points in 52 games with the Kingston Frontenacs to cement himself atop the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s midterm list as the top-ranked North American skater heading into July’s draft.

“He’s still the No. 1 pick,” said Dan Marr, the director of NHL Central Scouting. “Right now, he’s at the top of his game. He’s in a good zone.”

Wright, who made Canada’s world junior team in December before the tournament was scrapped by COVID-19, and 39 other draft-eligible players in the Canadian Hockey League will put their skills on display Wednesday in the 2022 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game as the showcase returns after being axed last season.

“This event is a big one,” said Matthew Savoie, the No. 3-ranked North American skater of the Western Hockey League’s Winnipeg Ice.

“I’m just grateful and thankful to be a part of it.”

Marr said the teenagers in the 2022 draft class have basically crammed 18 months of development into half a year.

“A lot of credit to these kids for their resilience and their dedication,” he said. “They’ve had to handle a lot of adversity and figure out how to show up to the rink, get their workouts in. They’ve had to find ways to get things done. It hasn’t just been a laid out, well-planned path.

“In some ways, they’ll benefit from this down the road.”

Winnipeg centre Conor Geekie, who’s ranked just behind Savoie at No. 4 in North America, said he took a family motto to heart during the pandemic.

“You can’t really control COVID,” he said. “I know a lot of people may have tried, but I think for the most part you’ve just got to be yourself and go through whatever it’s taking you through.

“Obviously, I don’t want to be shut down. Yes, it’s a little annoying, a little stressful. But you’ve got to go with the flow.”

Tyler Brennan of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars took a similar approach, but added the mental side of things were difficult at times.

“It was definitely tough not knowing what was going on,” said the top-ranked North American goaltender. “You had to have an open mind.”

While the OHL was dormant, the WHL and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League were able to stage some games in 2020-21, but it was far from a normal season for players still growing and developing.

All three leagues are back this term, although there were a number of postponements earlier in the schedule because of coronavirus outbreaks.

“I try to see the good side of it where we could train more,” said Gatineau Olympiques defenceman Tristan Luneau. “My physical strength is something I got to improve. I really worked on that last year.

“And then this year … fans, no fans, been a little bit of up and down. But we play games and that’s all we want. We’ve been trying to make the most out of it.”

That pivot to focusing on getting better in the gym and using the time off as a positive was a common theme among players aching to see live action.

“A lot of people take for granted the break that COVID gave,” said Geekie, who stands six foot three, weighs 193 pounds, and doesn’t turn 18 until May. “Being a big guy growing up, it was always hard to catch up to my body and gain strength.

“I got that chance to work out and get bigger and get stronger.”

And because of what amounted to a lost season for many – much like the 2021 draft class – there have been fewer eyeballs on these prospects compared to anything that came before.

“We’ve had quite a few unfortunate times in the last couple years where stuff’s been shut down,” said Denton Mateychuk, a blue-liner with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and the ninth-ranked North American skater. “To have this game for scouting and show what you can do against other top players, it’s very important.”

“We all want to show what we got,” Luneau added. “The good mindset is being true to ourselves and not trying to overdo things.”

Nationally televised and featuring celebrity coaches, Wednesday’s game represents another step back to normal life for players who, like many people in society, have dealt with a lot over the last two years.

“Super thankful to have this opportunity,” Wright said. “Definitely something you have circled on your calendar.

“Something you look forward to.”

And probably one of the things these teenagers thought about on those lonely, quiet days and nights when the rinks sat dormant.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2022.

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Setterstrom takes Q-School lead in home-state event – TSN.ca

Setterstrom takes Q-School lead in home-state event - TSN.ca

DOTHAN, Alabama—Among the players who finished their first rounds at the PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament East No. 3, Steven Setterstrom was the star of the day, firing a 6-under 66 in something of a home game at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Highland Oaks. The former Alabama golfer grew up and continues to live in Mobile, Alabama, 200 miles from where he put together his bogey-free afternoon. Setterstrom holds a one-shot lead over amateur Mark Goetz and Chandler Eaton, with a trio of players two strokes behind.

Play ended for the day at 5:46 due to darkness. Twenty-seven players were unable to complete their first rounds. First-round play will resume Wednesday morning at 6:30.

“It was probably the best ball-striking round I’ve had in a long time. I only had a couple of putts outside 15 feet,” said Setterstrom with a smile. “It could have been lower. I burned the edge a lot, but I’ll take 6-under because my history here has not been very good.

“It was a simple day, really. Very easy,” he continued. 

Setterstrom made his birdies on Nos. 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 and 16. He spread his birdies out, with two on par-3s (6 and 13), two on par-4s (14 and 16) and two on par-5s (7 and 11). 

A week ago, Goetz, who is winding up his college career, set a West Virginia scoring record with his 54-hole total of 15-under as the Mountaineer senior won the individual title and helped WVU to the team title at the Lake Las Vegas Intercollegiate in Nevada.

Tuesday, Goetz kept the low scores coming, shooting his 5-under 67.

“It’s a really solid golf course. The greens really held up throughout the day. It softened up a little bit, but I was lucky to get the good draw and not have to play in the rain,” said Goetz, currently 26th in the PGA TOUR University Rankings.

“My distance control through the bag has been really solid pretty much in Vegas last week and again today,” Goetz noted. “From 150 yards has been really good.”

One of the highlights of his round was his birdie at the par-3 17th when he hit his tee shot to four feet.

The weather delay came at an inopportune time for Fanonnel. After making par on his opening hole, No. 10, he rattled off three consecutive birdies before he had to stop for the heavy downpour that fell on the course while he was on the 14th fairway.

“It stopped my birdie streak, but I kept on playing pretty well after that. I made a few mistakes but made some good up and downs. I had a lack of commitment on my shots on the back nine,” said the Lyon, France, native who played collegiately at Louisiana-Monroe.

Ian Martin and Nolan Ray both finished their rounds right before officials blew the horn, leaving them tied with Fanonnel. 

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Canadian women score 13 in win over Cayman Islands at CONCACAF U-20 event – TSN.ca

Canadian women score 13 in win over Cayman Islands at CONCACAF U-20 event - TSN.ca

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Olivia Smith scored four goals as Canada thumped the Cayman Islands 13-0 on Friday in round-of-16 play at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship.

Kaila Novak and Miya Grant-Clavijo added two goals apiece with singles coming from Zoe Burns, Brooklyn Courtnall, Mia Pante, Keera Melenhorst and Florianne Jourde at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez.

“I’m really proud of this team,” the 17-year-old Smith said after the match. “We had an amazing performance and I think (if) we just keep that going the rest of the tournament, we’ll be good.”

Smith, then 15 years and 94 days, made history in November 2019 when she became the youngest international in Canadian soccer history — coming in off the bench against Brazil in a tournament in China. It was the first of two senior caps for the teenage forward from Whitby, Ont., who has committed to Florida State University.

The Canadian women will face the winner of Saturday’s match between Panama (1-1-1) and Jamaica (1-1-1) in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.

Canada won all three group-stage matches, dispatching St. Kitts and Nevis 7-0, El Salvador 4-0 and Trinidad and Tobago 5-0.

The tournament, which runs through March 12, will send three teams to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in August. The CONCACAF champion, runner-up and third-place finisher will join host Costa Rica as representatives of North and Central America and the Caribbean at the U-20 World Cup.

The tournament started with a 16-team group stage split into four groups of four, with the top three teams in each pool advancing to the knockout stage.

The 12 teams moving on joined Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Curacao and Suriname, which advanced directly to the knockout round from a qualifying event that took place in September.

It marks the first CONCACAF youth tournament since the global pandemic began in March 2020.

Canada will also compete in the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship from April 23 to May 8 as well as the CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship this summer.

Canada has qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, finishing runner-up in 2002 when a Canadian team featuring a young Christine Sinclair lost to the U.S. in sudden-death extra time before 47,784 at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.

That inaugural event was competed at the U-19 level with the event since switching to U-20. The Canadian women failed to qualify for the 2018 U-20 World Cup in France and did not get out of the group stage in 2016 in Papua New Guinea.

Canada hosted the event in 2014, losing to Germany in the quarterfinals.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2022

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IIHF could make decision at Monday meeting affecting Russian participation – TSN.ca

IIHF could make decision at Monday meeting affecting Russian participation - TSN.ca

Russian participation in international hockey events could be in question going forward.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the International Ice Hockey Federation will make significant decisions at its council meeting on Monday that will likely impact Russian participation in international events.

This could begin with the men’s World Hockey Championship set to begin in mid-May in Finland.

TSN Hockey’s Gord Miller tweets there is wide support for an immediate removal of Russian teams for the rest of 2022, including the men’s Worlds and the World Junior Championships.

Miller adds there is also support for moving the 2023 World Junior Championship out of Russia.

The 2023 WJC is scheduled to be played in Novosibirsk and Omsk in December and January. There is also a possibility that the Men’s World Championship scheduled for St. Petersburg in the spring of 2023 could be moved, but that decision may not come on Monday, Miller adds.

This comes after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in the early hours Thursday morning local time.