Canada's professional golfers on the upswing headed into 2025

Brooke Henderson tees off on the eighth hole during the final round of the LPGA CME Group Tour Championship golf tournament, Nov. 24, 2024, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley)

Golf continued to be on the upswing in Canada in 2024, and Brooke Henderson expects even more in the new year.

Calgary hosted the CPKC Women's Open, Hamilton welcomed the RBC Canadian Open, and Montreal held the biennial Presidents Cup, an elite PGA Tour event where the 12 best American golfers face the 12 best players from around the world excluding Europe.

Henderson said that seeing the best golfers in the world come to Canada for three different tournaments was her highlight of 2024.

"All the energy and atmosphere that surrounds the Presidents Cup and holding it in Canada, I feel like will have a great impact on future generations and people picking up the game," said Henderson. "The CPKC Women's Open is obviously very important to me and I love that event and being able to be in Calgary this year and seeing all the people there out supporting us was really awesome.

"I just hope the game continues to grow, but after everything that Canadians did this year on tour and just in golf in general, I think it's in good hands."

The 27-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., has the most career wins of any Canadian golfer with 13 victories on the LPGA Tour.

This past season was the first since 2020 that Henderson didn't add a title to her already impressive resume. She did, however, have nine top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and teamed with Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., to finish fourth at the Grant Thornton Invitational, an elite event co-hosted by the top men's and women's tours.

That put her at 13th in the LPGA Tour rankings by the end of the season and 25th on the world rankings.

Henderson also represented Canada at the Olympics for a third time, joining Conners, Hamilton's Alena Sharp and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., at the Paris Games.

"Representing Canada in the Olympics in Paris was a huge highlight, being able to wear the Maple Leaf and the red and white," said Henderson. "Just being in contention a little bit early in the season was another highlight. I think finishing third at the Chevron Championship (the first major of the year) was a big moment in the season.

"I would have always liked to be two spots a little bit better there, but finishing third in that championship and being in contention in the final group was a lot of fun."

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Sharp will re-join Henderson as full-time members of the LPGA Tour in 2025.

The Canadian men also turned in a solid season.

Taylor won on the PGA Tour for a fourth time, capturing the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11 and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was victorious at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on May 5 for his first-ever title on the most competitive men's golf circuit in the world.

"I think the Olympics was definitely a highlight," said Taylor. "Looking at a lot of people's careers, potentially, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to be able to qualify for that.

"(Wife) Andie and I, Corey and (his wife) Malory really soaked up the entire experience and just had an awesome time for the 10, 11, days that we were there. That was definitely, I think, a highlight."

Pendrith finished the season at No. 25 in the FedEx Cup rankings. Conners was 39th, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford was 47th, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 52nd, and Taylor was 58th.

Pendrith, Conners and Hughes -- former teammates at Kent State University -- played for Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., at the Presidents Cup. The International Team lost to the U.S. 18.5-11.5 at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

It was the first time that three Canadians played in the best-on-best event.

"I think seeing so many Canadian players in the men's sides play so well was also a highlight," said Taylor. "(Pendrith), ever since his win, is playing spectacular. Corey, doing pretty Corey stuff and being super consistent, Mac's been playing awesome.

"I wish I was on the Presidents Cup team, but to see Canada so well represented, was an awesome thing. I think Canadian golf keeps getting stronger and stronger, so I'm happy to be part of that."

Taylor, Pendrith, Conners and Hadwin were all in the field at The Sentry on Thursday on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii, in the first PGA Tour event of the new year.

"It's a quick start, but it's always the best start to be in Maui at the start of your season," said Taylor, referring to the Sentry's status as a signature event. "I'm eager to get started and get ready to go."

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., will round out the Canadian contingent on the PGA Tour, bringing the total up to seven golfers with full-time status in 2025.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.