Latest news with #LaurieCanter
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Canter's Masters debut a 'pinch me moment'
Masters 2025Venue: Augusta National Golf Club Dates: 10-13 AprilCoverage: Live radio commentary and live text commentary, with in-play clips across all four days. Click here for full details. Bath's Laurie Canter has brought his whole family to Augusta to witness his Masters debut this 35-year-old wants to share the moment with the people closest to him after sustaining the best golf of his life to make the world's top 50 in time for the first major of the year."It is one of those pinch yourself moments," Canter told BBC Sport as he sat on the outside terrace of his rental home. Inside were his parents, his wife Anna and their two young children."It is such a tough tournament to get in," he said. "Getting in the top 50 in the world is difficult, especially if you're not playing full time out in America. So I'm really proud that I've managed to do that." Canter played the 2022 and 2023 seasons on the LIV tour, but missed a putt in the breakaway circuit's qualifying event for the 2024 season. From there the Englishman needed to rebuild his career on the DP World his exemption options appeared limited, but he played well enough to keep getting starts before landing his first victory at the European Open in June last won again in Bahrain in February and was then runner-up at the South African Open. Suddenly he was a top-50 player and became the first golfer who had played LIV to compete on the PGA Tour in the Players Championship at Sawgrass last he is trying to get to grips with the game's most glamorous tournament here in Georgia. "I got to see the course on Sunday," Canter said."Which, with Monday being a washout, was great to get that experience because it does feel like it's a golf course you can't play enough."You have to take it all in as quickly as you can. Learn the golf course and then just try and apply it and go out and treat it like any other week, even though we know it's not…it's anything but."This is why Canter has brought his family out for what is arguably the biggest week of his career to date."I remember the first time I made The Open," he recalled. "I was an amateur in 2010 and it was at St Andrews. I went in with that mentality of treating it like any other tournament, and thinking, I've played a lot of links golf."And I had a really tough week. It went really quickly and I missed the cut on Friday and I remember thinking I didn't even enjoy that."Since then, anytime I've had the opportunity to play big tournaments I just try to reflect on what will be a success for me at the end of the week."And as corny as it sounds, you reflect on the reason we are playing is to try and get in tournaments like this, and on the people who have who helped me get there."All the people I'm doing it for now, I want them here, to try and enjoy it and see me do it and hopefully play well."Canter is looking forward to playing Wednesday's Par 3 Contest with his family in tow. Then it will be the serious stuff when he tees off at 15.59 BST alongside 2009 champion Angel Cabrera and Adam is here for the first time since 2019 having served a 30-month prison sentence after being convicted of domestic violence. "He was was one of my favourite golfers, I used to absolutely love watching him play," Canter said."Obviously he's coming back from being in jail. I guess from the tournament's a perspective, he's back and he wants to play and represent Argentina and he's in good form."I'll shake his hand on the first day in and probably enjoy watching him play."The sun shone for Canter's Tuesday practice round, which was in the company of Ryder Cup stars Tyrrell Hatton and Shane debutant said he could hear both players bemoaning shots falling into areas that they knew should be avoided at Augusta National. Canter is fully aware of the importance of precision iron play this week."It will be the first time I've ever played for that pin or that shot," he said. "As much as possible I've got to embrace that."I've seen the ball behave for the most part this year, so I'll just try to expand on that and give myself the best chance to hopefully put some scores together."
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Laurie Canter's journey from LIV Golf to The Players Championship
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Laurie Canter is a soft-spoken 36-year-old father of two from Bath, England, who is quick to shrug off even the slightest suggestion of pretense. On a bright morning at The Players Championship — the PGA Tour's crown jewel which is played in the shadow of the circuit's new global home — Canter was asked if he felt like a 'trailblazer?' Advertisement 'No, no, I don't feel like a trailblazer, no,' he insisted. 'I feel lucky that I wasn't a member of the PGA Tour. If I had been, I couldn't be here. So, it's the fact I didn't have my PGA Tour card and it's the position I was in. So, I'm not — no, definitely not.' Canter's journey from LIV Golf to the Tour's flagship event is worth exploring, but first the administrative minutiae. In 2022, he joined the start-up LIV Golf league as a member of the Cleeks GC. At the time, the move was a career imperative, not a political statement. 'The financial opportunity to go and, I mean, from where I lived [in England], the first event was like 25 miles north, so I didn't really think much more than just playing an event with some players for a lot of money,' he said. 'To be honest, that was it.' Canter played the '23 LIV season as a reserve and last year he began with the same status but played only the first two events. That's relevant because had he added a few more starts on the Saudi-backed league he wouldn't have been able to play this week's Players Championship. Advertisement As a non-member, Canter was subject to a one-year suspension from Tour events for playing what the Tour deems an 'unauthorized tournament,' which means he was eligible to play on Tour after the Genesis Invitational in February. For former Tour members who joined LIV, the Tour has not clarified any possible suspensions or fines for violating the circuit's media-release policy. Canter earned his spot at TPC Sawgrass via his position inside the top 50 in the world ranking, jumping from 53rd to 42nd following his runner-up finish in the South African Open earlier this month. He is the first former LIV player to participate in a full-field Tour event that isn't either a major or a co-sanctioned tournament, like the Scottish Open. The pathway back for LIV players on the DP World Tour has been clearer with players needing only to pay fines, which has resulted in a healthy amount of crossover between the two circuits. 'I feel like on the DP World Tour, where I'm a member, it's enhanced some events. I think a couple of those guys come and play,' Canter said. 'If that was something that the PGA Tour looked at — if they, for example, looked at Dubai or potentially Spanish Open, that kind of thing, and see the effect it has, that might be something [the PGA Tour] would think about. Advertisement 'But I can't speak for the PGA Tour because, yeah, I'm not even a [Tour] member. I feel, like I said, grateful to have the opportunity I have.' Canter wants to be a Tour member and missed that opportunity last year, finishing 24th on the year-ending Race to Dubai rankings with the top 10 earning PGA Tour cards. He's now first on that list following his runner-up showing in South Africa and a victory at the Bahrain Championship in January. 'I think anyone who plays golf would [want to be a PGA Tour member],' he said. 'You look at this week, the event last week I watched, to play those signature events, where they're going. If you could engineer [a schedule], play well enough to get your world ranking, then you've got those signature events and majors, what a year that is as a golfer to play those venues with those players for that amount of money, it's incredible to me.' Canter admitted his first year on LIV, when the professional game was fractured and divided, he felt like a 'naughty school boy,' which makes his journey to his first Players Championship that much more rewarding, if not overshadowed by the elephant in the room. Advertisement 'I have had like the odd bit of needle ... someone was talking about how good the players' lounge, this week is incredible, and they were just saying, 'You wouldn't get any of this on LIV,'' Canter laughed. 'It's been a bit more tongue in cheek.' His reluctance to embrace the role of trailblazer aside, Canter acknowledged his unique position at TPC Sawgrass, particularly after being approached by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan early Wednesday with a gift for participating in his first Players Championship. 'Probably like not exactly like this, but, yeah, I mean, it's how it's evolved,' he said when asked if he could have envisioned meeting Monahan during those contentious early days on LIV. 'He just gave me a sort of Tiffany box here, so that's very nice. So, yeah, it's great to have the chance to do that and play on this Tour.'
USA Today
13-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Laurie Canter odds to win the 2025 THE PLAYERS Championship
Laurie Canter is heading to TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course) in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL this week, as he'll be one of the many golfers taking part in THE PLAYERS Championship from March 13-16.
NBC Sports
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
Laurie Canter's journey from LIV to The Players
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Laurie Canter is a soft-spoken 36-year-old father of two from Bath, England, who is quick to shrug off even the slightest suggestion of pretense. On a bright morning at The Players Championship – the PGA Tour's crown jewel which is played in the shadow of the circuit's new global home – Canter was asked if he felt like a 'trailblazer?' 'No, no, I don't feel like a trail blazer, no,' he insisted. 'I feel lucky that I wasn't a member of the PGA Tour. If I had been, I couldn't be here. So, it's the fact I didn't have my PGA Tour card and it's the position I was in. So, I'm not – no, definitely not.' Canter's journey from LIV Golf to the Tour's flagship event is worth exploring, but first the administrative minutiae. In 2022 he joined the start-up LIV Golf league as a member of the Cleeks GC. At the time the move was a career imperative, not a political statement. 'The financial opportunity to go and, I mean, from where I lived [in England], the first event was like 25 miles north, so I didn't really think much more than just playing an event with some players for a lot of money,' he said. 'To be honest that was it.' Canter played the '23 LIV season as a reserve and last year he began with the same status but played only the first two events. That's relevant because had he added a few more starts on the Saudi-backed league he wouldn't have been able to play this week's Players Championship. As a non-member, Canter was subject to a one-year suspension from any Tour events for playing what the Tour deems an 'unauthorized tournament,' which means he was eligible to play on Tour after the Genesis Invitational in February. For former Tour members who joined LIV the Tour has not clarified any possible suspensions or fines for violating the circuit's media-release policy. Canter earned his spot at TPC Sawgrass via his position inside the top 50 in the world ranking, jumping from 53rd to 42nd following his runner-up finish in the South African Open earlier this month. He is the first former LIV player to participate in a Tour event that isn't either a major or a co-sanctioned tournament, like the Scottish Open. The pathway back for LIV players on the DP World Tour has been clearer with players needing only to pay fines that has resulted in a healthy amount of crossover between the two circuits. 'I feel like on the DP World Tour where I'm a member it's enhanced some events. I think a couple of those guys come and play,' Canter said. 'If that was something that the PGA Tour looked at, if they, for example, looked at Dubai or potentially Spanish Open, that kind of thing, and see the effect it has, that might be something [the PGA Tour] would think about. 'But I can't speak for the PGA Tour because yeah, I'm not even a [Tour] member. I feel, like I said, grateful to have the opportunity I have.' Canter wants to be a Tour member and narrowly missed that opportunity last year, finishing 24th on the year-ending Race to Dubai rankings with the top 10 earning PGA Tour cards. He's now first on that list following his runner-up showing in South Africa and a victory at the Bahrain Championship in January. 'I think anyone who plays golf would [want to be a PGA Tour member],' he said. 'You look at this week, the event last week I watched, to play those signature events, where they're going. If you could engineer, play well enough to get your world ranking, then you've got those signature events and majors, what a year that is as a golfer to play those venues with those players for that amount of money, it's incredible to me.' Canter admitted his first year on LIV when the professional game was fractured and divided he felt like a 'naughty school boy,' which makes his journey to his first Players Championship that much more rewarding, if not overshadowed by the elephant in the room. 'I have had like the odd bit of needle about someone was talking about how good the players' lounge, this week is incredible, and they were just saying, 'You wouldn't get any of this on LIV,'' Canter laughed. 'It's been a bit more tongue in cheek.' His reluctance to embrace the role of trailblazer aside, Canter acknowledged his unique position at TPC Sawgrass, particularly after being approached by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan early Wednesday with a gift for participating in his first Players Championship. 'Probably like not exactly like this, but, yeah, I mean, it's how it's evolved,' he said when asked if he could have envisioned meeting Monahan during those contentious early days on LIV. 'He just gave me a sort of Tiffany box here, so that's very nice. So, yeah, it's great to have the chance to do that and play on this Tour.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Players Championship brings biggest purse in golf. LIV wraps up Asia swing in Singapore
PGA Tour THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP Site: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Course: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium). Yardage: 7,352. Par: 72. Prize money: $25 million. Winner's share: $4.5 million. Television: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (NBC). Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler. FedEx Cup leader: Sepp Straka. Last week: Russell Henley won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Notes: Scottie Scheffler last year became the first back-to-back winner at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. The only player to win The Players three times was Jack Nicklaus on three courses. ... TPC Sawgrass first hosted The Players in 1982. ... Tiger Woods chose not to enter. This is the last year of his five-year exemption from winning the Masters in 2019. ... The purse is the largest for a tournament anywhere in the world. ... The Players once had the strongest and deepest field in golf, before Saudi-backed LIV Golf began and those players were banned from competing on the PGA Tour. ... The field includes 24 players competing in The Players for the first time. Craig Perks in 2002 is the only player to win in his debut. ... Laurie Canter earned a spot through being in the top 50 in the world ranking. He played LIV Golf in 2022 and 2023, and one PGA tournament in 2024. He is the first former LIV player at The Players. Next week: Valspar Championship. Online: ___ LIV Golf League LIV GOLF SINGAPORE Site: Singapore. Course: Sentosa GC (Serapong). Yardage: 7,406. Par: 71. Prize money: $20 million. Winner's share: $4 million. Television: Thursday, 9 p.m. to midnight (FS app), 12-2 a.m. (FS1); Friday, 9-11 p.m. (FS2), 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1); Saturday, 9-10:30 p.m. (FS2), 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. (FS1). Defending champion: Brooks Koepka. Points leader: Sergio Garcia. Last week: Sergio Garcia won LIV Golf Hong Kong. Notes: This is the third straight year for LIV Golf in Singapore. ... The league began in 2022 and tried to avoid going against big weeks on the PGA Tour. That formula has changed this year. One week after LIV Golf Hong Kong was held opposite Bay Hill, the Singapore event goes against The Players Championship. ... LIV Golf is the middle of a big stretch for golf in Singapore. The HSBC Women's World Championship also was at Sentosa two weeks ago. Next week is the Porsche Singapore Classic on the European tour, that one at Laguna National. ... Dustin Johnson now has gone nine consecutive LIV events without recording a top 10. Next tournament: LIV Golf Doral on April 3-6. Online: ___ LPGA Tour Last week: Rio Takeda won the Blue Bay LPGA. Next tournament: Ford Championship on March 27-30. Race to CME Globe leader: A Lim Kim. Online: ___ European tour Last week: Calum Hill won the Joburg Open. Next week: Porsche Singapore Classic. Race to Dubai leader: Laurie Canter. Online: ___ PGA Tour Champions Last week: Steven Alker won the Cologuard Classic. Next week: Hoag Classic. Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els. Online: ___ Korn Ferry Tour Last week: Logan McAllister won the Astara Chile Classic. Next tournament: Club Car Championship on April 3-6. Points leader: Hank Lebioda. Online: ___ Other tours Epson Tour: IOA Golf Classic, Alaqua CC, Longwood, Florida. Previous winner: Jessica Peng. Online: Challenge Tour: Kolkata Challenge, Royal Calcutta GC, Kolkata, India. Previous winner: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Online: Ladies European Tour: Australian Women's Classic, Coffs Harbour GC, Coffs Harbour, Australia. Defending champion: New event. Television: Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. (NBC Sports app). Online: ___ AP golf:
