It’s never easy to keep track of the many Canadian players on tours around the world. So you’re forgiven if you need a refresh on what your fellow Canadians have been up to on the professional tours. From young guys who are just making their mark, to veteran pros who’ve already left theirs, here’s a rundown on who’s doing what where.
The Up and Comers
They’re not on the big stage just yet, but these young players are showing signs of promise on their respective tours.
*OWGR (Official World Golf Ranking)
Taylor Pendrith OWGR: 134
The big bomber from Richmond Hill, Ontario just completed his most successful professional season. The Korn Ferry Tour member notched four second-place finishes along with 11 top-25s to finish the year second on the money list. Typically, the top 25 money earners on the Korn Ferry Tour receive PGA Tour cards for the following season, but the pandemic has disallowed that from happening. Instead, the Korn Ferry Tour will extend the money list through to next year as a result of cancelled events. Essentially, two seasons will now become one. The good news for Pendrith is that he’s almost certainly a lock to gain his PGA Tour card once the mega-season finishes, thanks to his career-best season. 2020 also saw him make his major debut at the U.S. Open, where he finished an impressive T23. Definitely take note of this player, he’s a proven winner and it won’t be long before he’s making full-time PGA Tour starts.
Roger Sloan OWGR: 342
Sloan first earned PGA Tour status in 2015 after a successful Korn Ferry season that got him promoted to the big stage. Prior to that he spent time on the Mackenzie Tour working his way through the ranks. For the past six seasons he’s bounced back and forth between the Korn Ferry and PGA tours, once getting inside the top 125 in the FedExCup in 2019. He’s playing on a conditional status for the 2020-2021 season after making just seven of 20 cuts in 2020 and finishing the year at 169th on the points list. However, the Calgarian is faring better in the new wrap-around season, recording two top 25 finishes in just six events.
Aaron Cockerill OWGR: 373
28-year-old Aaron Cockerill is currently overseas earning his keep on the European Tour, gaining full status last year through qualifying school. The undisputed best golfer from the hamlet of Teulon, Manitoba, Cockerill is finding his footing in Europe, finishing a career-best T4 at the Joburg Open. He’s currently ranked 118th in the Race to Dubai standings, the European Tour equivalent of the FedExCup. Prior to hopping overseas, Cockerill was on the Mackenzie Tour for a few seasons before playing a year on the Challenge Tour, eventually earning full European Tour status. Besides the fact he’s Canadian, Cockerill is especially easy to root for—I mean, who doesn’t want to cheer for a guy whose fiancée doubles as his caddy?
Michael Gligic OWGR: 456
Having earned a spot on the PGA Tour in 2020 after a successful 2019 season on the Korn Ferry Tour, in which he won the Panama Championship, Gligic is starting his season with conditional status after failing to stay inside the FedExCup’s top 125. In the 2019-2020 season, he played in 18 events, making eight cuts and recording just two top-25 finishes. However, the Burlington-native is off to a fast start to the new year, with four made cuts in six events and two top-25 finishes, including a T-11 at the Bermuda Championship. As a result of his conditional status, it will be important for him to make the most of his PGA Tour starts to retain membership for this season.
Perennial Pros
Seasoned professionals with PGA Tour victories, these top Canadians continue to prove themselves on the game’s ultimate tour.
Mackenzie Hughes OWGR: 50
Mackenzie Hughes, a former Mackenzie Tour standout, (and no, not so much they named it after him), is coming off his most successful year on Tour, finishing 26th in the FedExCup standings and being the sole Canadian to advance to the Tour Championship. His 2020 season was maintained early after a solo second finish at the Honda Classic in March—the last tournament completed before the pandemic suspended the schedule. Hughes’ solid play continued after the three-month break, docking three top-10 finishes to round out his season. As a benefit of making it to the Tour Championships, Hughes will play in all four majors in 2021, the WGC-Mexico Championship, as well as numerous invitational events—a career-advancing bonus that should set him up for continued success.
Corey Conners OWGR: 59
Corey Conners has played three full seasons on the PGA Tour continues to show a ton of promise and is proving how good he really is. He made history at the Masters in 2020 shooting a 7-under-par 65 in his second round, the lowest score ever recorded by a Canadian at Augusta National. Conners finished in a tie for 10th, the best finish he’s ever had in any major. Following his impressive showing at the Masters, he closed out 2020 finishing 10th at the RSM Classic, then tied for 17th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. 2021 could be a big year for Conners as he builds off this impressive stretch of results.
Adam Hadwin OWGR: 80
The most seasoned Canadian on Tour, Hadwin enters his seventh season after a strong 2020 showing. The pride of Moose Jaw, although residing in Abbotsford B.C., Hadwin made an impressive 15 of 17 cuts last season, including three-top 10s and a second-place finish at the Safeway Open, his first event of 2020. The 33-year-old notched his sole victory at the Valspar Championship in 2017, the same year he entered the 59 Club with a blistering -13 under par performance. With two Presidents Cup teams on his resumé, most recently in 2019, Hadwin continues to be a frequent, yet unassuming presence on leaderboards.
Nick Taylor OWGR: 126
Taylor gave an impressive wire-to-wire performance at the AT&T invitational in January 2020 to become the most recent Canadian to win a tournament. In doing so, Taylor solidifying himself as a two-time PGA Tour winner, becoming the sixth Canadian to do so. The win was a breakthrough for the Abbotsford, British Columbia resident, earning him a spot in The Masters for the first time, where he finished a respectable T29. Now in his seventh season on tour and aged 32, Taylor is arguably entering the prime of his career, hoping to capitalize on his two-year exemption he’s received after his early win.
Steady Vets
Names you know, but maybe haven’t seen on the telecast as of late, Weir and Hearn continue to hone their games as they enter the next chapters of their careers.
Mike Weir OWGR: 835
The 2003 Masters champ and eight-time PGA Tour winner is experiencing somewhat of a career renaissance. Weir turned 50 in 2020, making him sufficiently ripened to tee it up on the Champions Tour, where he’s recaptured some of his vintage form. He made ten of out ten cuts and finished with three top 10s, capped off with a solo-second at the Dominion Energy Classic to finish the year at 26th on the Champions Tour money list. The lefty from Brights Grove, Ontario also played solidly at the Masters, making the cut for the first time since 2014. The last several years of Weir’s career have been plagued by injury, but it appears he is healthy and ready to re-establish himself as a week-in, week-out presence. Needless to say, it’s just downright good to have Mike Weir playing golf again on a regular basis.
David Hearn OWGR: 463
Once a mainstay on tour who seemed primed to capture his first victory, Hearn’s game has tapered the last couple years. After finishing top-25 in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in 2019 to gain PGA Tour exemption status for the following year, Hearn made eight of 19 cuts and finished 160th in the FedExCup Playoffs. However, his play has been steadier as of late. With the 2020-2021 season freshly underway, Hearn’s made two top-25s this season. He will need to continue to play solidly to stay inside the top 125 in FedExCup points, which may prove difficult with limited starts. If unable, Hearn will once again need to play the Korn Ferry finals to regain his exempt status. At 41-years-old, the seasoned vet will look to build on what has already been a highly impressive professional career.