Tag: Canadian Tour

Oregon’s first foray into Canada is a successful one

The Oregon men’s basketball team began a five-game Canadian tour with a 102-48 win over McGill University.

The Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team ventured up north into Canada for the start of a five-game exhibition tour and the Ducks managed to get the trip off to a nice start.

In the first contest, Oregon overcame a slow start but eventually found its footing in a 102-48 win over McGill University in Quebec.

Center Nate Bittle led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds and freshman forward Kel-El Ware made his unofficial debut with 17 points.

Keeshawn Barthelemy, a transfer from Colorado and a native of Montreal, added 14 points. Quincy Guerrier, who is back for a fifth season, poured in 11 points and brought down nine rebounds. Gabe Reichle also managed to score in double figures with 10 points.

Everyone on the Oregon roster played except for N’Faly Dante.

Haris Elezovic led the way for McGill with 15 points.

This is a quick tour as the Ducks will play all five games in a week, which is probably why Will Richardson just played just a few minutes and Dante rested.

Tours such as these give the coaching staff an idea of what to expect out of the upcoming season, how much improvement certain individuals make, and which on-the-floor combinations work best.

Oregon will play next on Monday when they face the University of Ottawa.

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A major winner on the bag? Sophia Popov goes to work for boyfriend Max Mehles at Canadian Q-School

Sophia Popov and boyfriend Max Mehles have switched roles as Popov picked up Mehles’ bag at the PGA Tour Canada Qualifying Tournament.

Sophia Popov and boyfriend Max Mehles have switched roles for the week as the major champion has picked up the bag for Mehles at the PGA Tour Canada Qualifying Tournament.

Mehles opened with a 1-under 71 on Tuesday to take a share of 12th after the first round. The couple met through the German national team and after Mehles graduated from Kentucky last May, COVID-19 put a halt to his professional plans.

He stepped in to caddie for Popov last summer at Royal Troon, and it turned out to be a magical week for the couple as Popov put together the story of the year in golf, winning the AIG Women’s British Open as the 304th-ranked player in the world with no LPGA status.

Mehles stayed on the bag for the remainder of 2020 but now looks to get status of his own this week on the Mackenzie Tour. Keenan Huskey leads the field after an opening 5-under 67.

Popov told Golfweek that she has caddied for Mehles before in smaller one-day events and that she’s not overly involved in his process.

“I help out with reads and club selections here and there,” Popov wrote in a text, “but for the most part just keeping him in good spirits!”

The 72-hole no-cut event takes place on the Tournament at RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Alabama, and there are 99 players in the field.

The medalist will earn exempt membership for the 2021 season. Those who finish second through sixth will be exempt through the reshuffle, which will occur approximately halfway through the season. Those who finish seventh through 25th (plus ties) earn conditional membership.

Popov actually looped for good friend Anne van Dam last summer when the LPGA season restarted at the Drive On at Inverness. She said her time on the bag helped her with course management going into the next several weeks, where she qualified for the AIG by finishing tied for ninth at the Marathon Classic, then finished in a share of second on the Symetra Tour in the Arizona desert and then won a major.

Perhaps this latest stint on the bag will lead to a similar result. The first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration, is only three weeks away and the popular Popov will make her debut at Dinah’s place.

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Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada 2020 season canceled

With the PGA Tour set to return in June, and the Euro Tour and LPGA ready to get back at it in July, things were looking up for pro golf.

With the PGA Tour set to return June 11, and the European Tour and LPGA ready to get back at it in July, things were looking up for pro golf.

But on Friday, it was announced that the 2020 Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada has been canceled.

The PGA Tour runs the tour north of the border but announced that several issues were going to make holding the season impossible.

“Due to border restrictions, mandatory quarantines for those entering Canada and gathering restrictions in all provinces because of COVID-19, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced Friday that it is canceling its 2020 season,” the Tour said in a story online.

Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard added: “With the safety of the communities we play in mind, as well as the well-being of our players, sponsors, tournament-organizing committees, volunteers and golf course staff, we came to the realization that this is the best decision for everyone involved.

“We also wanted to be considerate of our players and their desires to play golf. Understanding the complexities that this pandemic has caused, we knew it wasn’t fair to leave our members in positions that might prevent them from pursuing other playing opportunities elsewhere while waiting to see what transpired in Canada.”

The 2020 schedule had 13 tournaments, the most in Mackenzie Tour history.

Looking ahead to 2021, status for prior members will be based on Order of Merit results from the 2019 season, with the top-60 players exempt.

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