Canada's Pendrith finds groove in late summer, just in time for PGA Tour playoffs

Taylor Pendrith has always been able to find his groove as summer winds down. This year, it's made him the top Canadian in the PGA Tour's playoffs.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for fifth at the Barracuda Championship on July 21, was solo fifth at the 3M Open on July 28, and most importantly tied for 22nd at last week's FedEx St. Jude's Championship, the first round of the top men's tour's playoffs. That moved him up to 27th in the FedEx Cup standings and on to this week's BMW Championship, the playoffs' second round. 

"I don't know if the warmer weather allows my body to move better in the past couple years or what," said Pendrith. "I seem to play well in the summertime. Last week (at TPC Southwind in Memphis) was super hot and I don't necessarily love those conditions, but I have strung together a bunch of good weeks in a row."

The St. Jude's Championship had a 70-player field and the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings after that event advanced to this week's tournament at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colo. 

That included Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., who tied for 50th at 1 under at the St. Jude's Championship. Conners is now 33rd in the FedEx Cup rankings and Hadwin is 42nd.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford did not move on.

The top 30 players after the BMW Championship will then move on to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta next week.

"I think this is probably the best putting year that I've had in my career," said Pendrith, who won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on May 5 for his first-ever PGA Tour victory. "I feel really comfortable over every putt and I've made quite a lot of crucial putts this season. 

"My iron play has also been really good. Last week my iron play was really strong and so everything's kind of coming together."

Pendrith will be paired with Tom Hoge of the United States at Castle Pines on Thursday, Hadwin will be with Australia's Adam Scott, and Conners will play alongside American J.T. Poston.

The BMW Championship is also the last event where players can earn official world golf ranking points to play in this year's Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club on Sept. 24-29. Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir is the captain of the International Team and Pendrith hopes to play in the biannual event for the second time in a row.

"I don't think it necessarily adds more pressure, but it's been on my mind for the last couple months," said Pendrith, who made his International Team debut with Conners at Quail Hollow in Charlotte in 2022. "I've played great leading up to here and I'm hoping to have a really solid week again this week and earn my way on to that team."

The top six players in the International Team rankings are automatically selected, with Weir filling out the rest of his 12-player roster. Conners is currently seventh on the rankings, Taylor is 11th, Hadwin is 12th, Pendrith is 13th and Hughes is 15th.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN — Ryan Paul of Ancaster, Ont., was named the new tournament director of the RBC Canadian Open, the men's national championship, last Thursday. He was the tournament director of the CPKC Women's Open, the women's national championship, for the past seven years. He replaces Bryan Crawford, who left Golf Canada in June to become the Ontario Hockey League's new commissioner. Paul's father Bill was the Canadian Open director for a total of 23 years.

"The RBC Canadian Open has always been a big part of my life having grown up with it and is one I am very passionate about," said Ryan Paul. "For Golf Canada and RBC to have the confidence in me to play a lead role in our national men’s open championship is truly an honour."

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian entered in this week's Danish Golf Championship. He's No. 45 on the European-based DP World Tour's Race to Dubai Rankings heading into play at Lübker Golf Resort in Aarhus, Denmark.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., leads the Canadian contingent into this week's Albertsons Boise Open. He's 36th on the second-tier tour's points list. Edmonton's Wil Bateman (48th), Etienne Papineau (65th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (93rd) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (142nd) of Kimberley, B.C., will join Creighton at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, Idaho.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dylan Samberg is in the field at this week's CentrePoint Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open. It has become a tradition for a Jets player to compete at the local event on the third-tier circuit every year. Matthew Anderson of Mississauga remains atop the Fortinet Cup standings heading into play at Southwood Golf & Country Club this week.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary's Stephen Ames is second on the Schwab Cup points list heading into The Ally Challenge. No. 23 Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will also tee off on Friday at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the only Canadian playing at the AIG Women's Open, the fifth and final major of the women's golf season. She is eighth on the Race to CME Globe standings. The Old Course at St Andrews, widely considered the oldest golf course in the world, is hosting the event for the third time.