12 Canadians set to compete at U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
VERO BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 1, 2018) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 57th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, Saturday (Oct. 6) and Sunday (Oct.7), at 5,817-yard, par-72 Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club, in Vero Beach, Fla.
The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Oct. 6 and 7, after which the field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will be six rounds of match play, starting Oct. 8. The quarterfinals and semifinals are slated for Wednesday, Oct. 10. The championship is scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Oct. 11, starting at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
The 132-player field feature 12 Canadians, including defending champion Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. Joining her is 2017 runner-up Terrill Samuel of Toronto and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mary Ann Hayward.
Below is the full list of Canadians competing in the 57th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur:
- Judith Kyrinis
- Terrill Samuel
- Mary Ann Hayward
- Helene Chartrand
- Gail Pimm
- Cheryl Newman
- Audrey Akins
- Alison Murdoch
- Marie-Therese Torti
- Barbara Flaman
- Jackie Little
- Rhonda Orr
Judith Kyrinis, 54, of Canada, won the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by defeating Terrill Samuel, 4 and 3, in the final at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore. Kyrinis is a registered nurse at Toronto General Hospital and primarily preps cancer patients for surgery. She has competed in 14 USGA championships, including four Senior Women’s Amateurs. Her brother, Dan Allan, qualified for the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. In September, she reached the Round of 32 in the 2018 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis.
Audrey Akins, 51, of Canada, won the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in 1980 at age 13, making her the youngest winner in championship history. She was a member of the Canadian team that won a gold medal in the 1986 Commonwealth Games, an Olympic-style competition for countries that were traditionally associated with the former British Empire. Akins, a 1980 graduate of the University of Oklahoma who works as an English teacher, won the 2016 Michigan Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Helene Chartrand, 62, of Canada, won the 2014 Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and finished runner-up in 2016. She is also the 2013 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur champion.
Mary Ann Hayward, 58, of Canada, is the manager of sports performance for the Golf Association of Ontario. The four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur champion has been inducted into the Canada, Ontario and Quebec Golf Halls of Fame. In 2005, she won the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur as Mary Ann Lapointe. An eight-time member of the Canadian team in the World Amateur Team Championship, she also served as the team’s captain in 2008. Hayward advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s Senior Women’s Amateur.
Terrill Samuel, 57, of Canada, was the runner-up in last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, losing to fellow Canadian Judith Kyrinis, 4 and 3. It was the first time in USGA history that two Canadian players met in a final match. Samuel’s 80-year-old mother, Cam, served as her caddie for the 2017 Senior Women’s Amateur. Samuel, who is competing in her seventh Senior Women’s Amateur, played in the Inaugural Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club earlier this year. She was the 2010 Ontario Mid-Amateur Champion and the 2011 Ontario Senior Champion. Samuel is a two-time Canadian Senior Champion, winning in 2012 and 2015. Samuel is a teacher and a high school volleyball coach in the Toronto School District.
Gail Pimm, 58, of Canada, was a professional squash player for 10 years and competed in three world championships as a member of the Canadian team. Pimm was a teacher for 20 years and started playing golf in 2003.
Jackie Little, 60, of Canada, was a quarterfinalist in last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, losing to Patricia Schremmer, 2 and 1. Little, who is competing in her fourth Senior Women’s Amateur, is a five-time winner of the British Columbia Women’s Amateur and British Columbia Senior Women’s Amateur, and a three-time British Columbia Women’s Mid-Amateur champion. In 2008 and 2009, Little won both the Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur and Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) Senior Women’s Amateur, earning Senior Women’s Amateur player-of-the-year honors from both associations. She is a member of the Golf Hall of Fame of British Columbia (2009), Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame (2012) and the PNGA Hall of Fame (2017). She and her husband, Pat, formerly owned the Hollies Executive Golf Course in Canada.
Click here for more information on the championship.
Ilirian Zalli and Jennifer Gu victorious at Future Links Fall Series in British Columbia
ROBERTS CREEK, B.C. – Jennifer Gu emerged as leader in the Girls Division and Ilirian Zalli captured the Boys Division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series Championship at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club on Sunday.
Gu, who started the third and final round tied with the lead, carded a 1-over 73 to distance herself from the pack en route to a six-stroke victory. The West Vancouver, B.C., native finished at 7 over par in the 54-hole event.
“I knew that I had to bring my best this week to be medalist against a strong field here this week at Sunshine Coast,” said Gu. “Once I started getting a little bit of a lead I started hitting to the fat part of the greens; I was really focused on my lag putting to play safely which helped me.”
Angela Arora (Surrey, B.C.) and Emma Yang (Langley, B.C.) finished tied for 2nd at 13 over par and will advance to the Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29 – Aug. 2, at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.
In the Boys Division, Zalli of Burnaby, B.C., completed the wire-to-wire victory with a convincing 16-stroke win. The 2018 B.C. Junior Boys Champion closed at 14 under par (68-66-68) as the only player in the red.
“As this was the first fall series event in the west, it was more than just about winning,” said Zalli. “It was about setting the bar for years to come.”
Vancouver’s Dylan Bercan also finished with a 4-under-par 68, lifting him into a tie for runner-up with Zach Ryujin (North Vancouver) at 2 over par.
All three golfers will advance to the the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 11-15, at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.
Results for previous 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec, Prairie, Atlantic, Fall Series Quebec.
Click here for scoring, pairings and additional information.
Europe finishes off dominant week to win back Ryder Cup
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Payback belongs to Europe, and so does the Ryder Cup.
Two years after the Americans thought they had their Ryder Cup problems figured out, Europe reminded them Sunday why it practically has owned this shiny gold trophy for the last quarter-century.
British Open champion Francesco Molinari was just as good on his own as he was with Tommy Fleetwood. The best year of the Italian’s golfing life got even better at Le Golf National when he became the first European – and only second player since the current format began in 1979 – to win all five of his matches.
The last one set off a wild, champagne-soaked celebration.
Europe already was assured the 14 1/2 points it needed because they were guaranteed halves in two matches. Molinari made it official. He was 2 up and safely on the green at the par-3 16th green when Phil Mickelson hit into the water, removed his cap and conceded the match.
The finish was most appropriate.
The celebration and singing had already begun. The Europeans were treated like rock stars before more than 50,000 fans. All that remained was Alex Noren in the anchor match. He was 1 up on the 18th hole when DeChambeau stuffed his approach to 2 feet for a conceded birdie. Noren hit the final shot in this Ryder Cup, a 40-foot birdie putt to win the match, and the stoic Swede hurled his cap.
Europe won, 17 1/2-10 1/2, the most lopsided victory since consecutive 18 1/2-9 1/2 victories by Europe more than a decade ago when the Americans looked utterly lost. They formed a Ryder Cup Task Force, spearheaded by Mickelson, after the 2014 loss. The idea was to build continuity and momentum, and it seemed to work when they won at Hazeltine in 2016.
Now, maybe it’s back to the drawing board.
Mickelson was desperate to make this team because the 48-year-old saw it as his last chance to win a Ryder Cup on European soil. He wound up losing both his matches. He started the week by setting a record with his 12th Ryder Cup appearance. He ended it by setting a more dubious Ryder Cup record with 22 losses.
He wasn’t alone. Tiger Woods went 0-4, the first time in his eight Ryder Cups that he failed to contribute a single point.
But this was more about the Europeans as a team, and they were tougher than ever on a course they know well.
“This team has been incredible from the start,” Molinari said. “We were determined to do the job. Nothing was going to stop us. And you saw it on the course.”
Trailing 10-6 going into the final day of singles, the Americans needed to put red points on the board early to build momentum. It never happened. Justin Thomas won the leadoff match over Rory McIlroy, but not until the 18th hole.
Webb Simpson and Tony Finau, the lone bright spot among the wild-card picks for U.S. captain Jim Furyk, won easily. Behind them, Woods was hanging tough against Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson started to pull ahead of Ian Poulter.
“There’s always a moment where it looks like a spark of light,” Furyk said. “When it was there for us, Europe played really well.”
It wasn’t there long.
Rahm won two straight holes with pars to seize control. Johnson went from 1 up to 2 down in a four-hole stretch that ended his chances.
Rahm dropped his putter after making a 5-foot birdie on the 17th hole as Woods stood to the side of the green, arms crossed. One week ago, he overcame four back surgeries to win for the 80th time on the Tour Championship, a signal that he was all the way back.
And then at the Ryder Cup, it was another result with which he is far too familiar. Woods has played on only one winning team in 1999.
“It’s disappointing because I went 0-4, and that’s four points to the European team,” he said. “And I’m one of the contributing factors to why we lost the cup, and it’s not a lot of fun. It’s frustrating because I thought we were all playing pretty well, and I just didn’t perform at the level that I had been playing, and just got behind early in the matches and never got back.”
Thorbjorn Olesen, who had played only one match the previous two days, went 5 up at the turn over Jordan Spieth and won in 14 holes. Spieth is now 0-6 in singles matches in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
Sergio Garcia was in tears.
He played so poorly this year that he failed to qualify for the PGA Tour’s post-season. Thomas Bjorn picked him anyway, saying he was like the captain of a football team. Garcia showed why by going 3-1. That final victory over Rickie Fowler made Garcia the biggest contributor in Ryder Cup history with 25 1/2 points.
But this was more about team, and about redemption, even for a team that now has won nine of the last 12 times.
“We took a really tough loss at Hazeltine a couple of years ago and that stung,” McIlroy said. “That was my first experience of what it feels like to be on the other side, so coming in here, obviously none of us want to feel like Sunday afternoon.”
Mickelson gets another day off at Ryder Cup in Europe
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Phil Mickelson is used to being a spectator when the Ryder Cup comes to Europe.
In a repeat of four years ago, Mickelson didn’t play at all Saturday at Le Golf National, reduced to a role of cheerleader and occasional coach while the rest of the team got on the course for at least one session.
Mickelson wasn’t happy with his omission in Gleneagles, ripping into captain Tom Watson after the Sunday singles finished off Europe’s 16 1/2-11 1/2 triumph.
The leader of this team, Jim Furyk, said Mickelson was more understanding about getting left on the sideline. He was out cheering during the afternoon foursomes, even allowing his teammates to rub his belly for good luck.
“Phil is a really good friend,” Furyk said. “We talked earlier this week about his play and how he was playing and his opportunities for play this week. He fully understood the role that he had today. Gave me a pat on the back and put his arm around me … (and) we had a great conversation. He said he would be ready tomorrow.”
Mickelson lost his only match Friday, dropping his career Ryder Cup record to 18-21-7. He has the most losses than any player in U.S. history, though Tiger Woods is now only one behind after three straight defeats in France.
Mickelson went out to practice Saturday morning, hopeful of getting another shot at playing the afternoon. But Furyk texted him about the time the pairings were submitted, letting him know he would be sitting out again.
Furyk conceded that he expected Mickelson to play more at the beginning of the week. But he’s struggled with his driving, and a poor showing Friday led the captain to go a different way.
But Furyk said Mickelson is still an asset to the team, even when he’s not playing.
“You’ve got him in your team room,” Furyk said. “He’s funny, he’s sarcastic, witty, likes to poke fun at people, and he’s a great guy to have in the team room. I think the younger players had fun having a go at him as well this week, which was fun to see. He provides a lot more than just play.
“I know Phil. He wants to be out there just like everyone else. That’s part of being a team and part of this event. We have 12 amazing players, and they can’t all play every match, and you accept what you get.”
Lefty will be back on the course one more time for singles matches Sunday, facing one of the hottest European players, Francesco Molinari. The British Open champion teamed with Tommy Fleetwood to win all four of their matches, propelling Europe to a 10-6 edge heading to the final day.
Furyk is counting on the 48-year-old Mickelson to give the Americans a boost at the back end of the singles draw. He’ll be playing in the ninth of 12 matches.
“I hope that our guys get off to a fast start and put him in that position,” the captain said.
FINAL MESSAGE
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas won both their matches Saturday, both at the expense of Ian Poulter, who has built his reputation at these matches. Poulter’s signature move is to pound the Ryder Cup crest on his chest with his fist.
Spieth had the final word.
When he made birdie on the 15th hole to close out Poulter and Rory McIlroy in fourballs, he pounded his chest four times.
“He pounded his chest earlier on us today, so I was waiting for the right moment, and I think to win the match this afternoon felt like the right time,” Spieth said. “Clearly, we’re down four points, so in the scheme of things, we shouldn’t necessarily be celebrating. But for us two to get that point and the way that we played today and the battle that we had with those guys both matches, it was emotional.”
Spieth has one TV memory of Poulter, from the 2012 matches at Medinah. Poulter is most famous for making birdie on the last five holes to win the last team match Saturday evening. He pounded his chest because of the raw emotion, and Europe rode the momentum to rally from a 10-6 deficit the next day.
RORY’S OUTBURST
A taunt from a spectator beside the third green prompted an aggressive response from Rory McIlroy.
After rolling in an 8-foot putt for birdie to halve the hole with Ian Poulter against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the foursomes, McIlroy reacted by turning to the crowd and seemingly picking out one spectator in particular.
“Who can’t putt?” McIlroy shouted, before tapping his chest. “I can putt. I can putt.”
As he spun to pick the ball out of the cup, McIlroy uttered some more words.
European captain Thomas Bjorn said he was unaware of the incident.
“If it was a big problem for Rory,” Bjorn said, “he would have mentioned it to me.”
CAPTAINS’ PICKS
European captain Thomas Bjorn apparently picked the right four players for his team, even though three of them have not won a tournament this year.
Sergio Garcia, already a boost in the team room, teamed with rookie Alex Noren to split their two foursomes matches and with Rory McIlroy to win in fourballs. Henrik Stenson delivered the key putts in a foursomes victory with Justin Rose. Ian Poulter won a fourballs match Friday and gave a boost to McIlroy.
Add them up and his picks have contributed a combined six points.
As for Jim Furyk?
Tiger Woods is 0-3. Phil Mickelson lost his only match – he didn’t even play on Saturday. Bryson DeChambeau has lost foursomes matches while paired with Mickelson on Friday and Woods on Saturday. The only point came from Tony Finau – his final pick – in the opening match of the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy and Poulter, a one two punch for Europe at Ryder Cup
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – He’d had a rough morning, the only player to start Day 1 of the Ryder Cup without making birdie.
The afternoon for Rory McIlroy at Le Golf National wasn’t proving that much better. He found a bunker on No. 2, missed a sinkable putt on No. 3, then another on No. 11. Had it not been for the steadying dependability of partner Ian Poulter, it seemed McIlroy might melt down altogether.
So when, on No. 13, McIlroy decided to go for what seemed like an impossibly optimistic approach shot, alarms rang. Really, Rory? Is this wise?
–The ball was nastily placed, stuck on a steep grass bank and below his feet. McIlroy had to squat to reach it. Slip and he’d slide into the lake directly in front of him. Another lake lurked up ahead, ready to swallow the ball if McIlroy failed to get under it.
That McIlroy delivered the ball onto the green with an assured plop, as though the outcome had never been in doubt, said as much about his mental strength as it did about his golfing skills. It was quite possibly the shot of Day 1 . McIlroy’s grin was ear to ear.
“I had full faith in Rors to get it somewhere on the green,” Poulter said. “I said 60 foot would be nice, but what a clutch shot to get it to 25, 30 feet.”
From there, Poulter did the rest, ignoring the stiff breeze that scratched at the ancient oaks which surround the hole. When the ball dropped, Poulter thumped his chest and shoulder-barged McIlroy, who tipped his head back and roared at the sky in joy.
“A little bit of a wind assist to hold its line as it was rolling towards the hole,” Poulter said. “It was nice to see it drop in.”
The one-two blow from McIlroy and then Poulter on that hole knocked the last fight out of the U.S. pairing of Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson. The birdie putt moved the European pairing to 3-up. They wrapped up victory three holes later, winning 4 and 2 to do their bit in an historic Friday afternoon for Europe. All four European pairings won, the first time that has happened in foursomes.
Although McIlroy and Poulter played fourballs together at the Ryder Cups of 2014 and 2012, this was their first pairing in foursomes. They started poorly: Poulter hit into water off the first tee. They were 2-down after three holes.
McIlroy kick-started the recovery with a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 6. Staring intently at a group of U.S. fans in the crowd, he raised a finger to his lips. The message was clear: Zip it.
The European pair won the next three holes, too, for a shift in momentum that McIlroy’s magical shot on No. 13 then helped set in concrete.
Having lost his morning match in a fourballs pairing with Thorbjorn Olesen, the win was a welcome fillip for McIlroy, given that there’s plenty more golf to play.
“You have to persist,” he said. “Persist, persist, persist, until it turns around for you.”
Tony Finau catches a big break, wins Ryder Cup debut
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Tony Finau took the scenic route around Le Golf National.
Down to the edge of the water at the first hole.
Up and over a fence at the seventh.
Right into the water at the 15th.
Then, with three holes to go Friday and the Americans desperately needing a break in the opening match of the Ryder Cup, Finau went to his bank shot.
That would seem a better option in basketball, a sport he once played so well he was offered a college scholarship.
Well, Finau made it work at the golf course.
“Sometimes the ball rolls your way,” he said with a shrug, “and sometimes it doesn’t.”
At the par-3 16th, where the water spreads out in front of the green, promising to swallow up any errant shot, Finau launched one toward the flag 177 yards away.
As soon as he struck the ball, he knew it was close.
So did his caddie. So did his fourballs teammate, Brooks Koepka. So did everyone who watched it get caught by the stiffening breeze.
“I knew it needed to get up,” Finau said. “I was kind of wishing for that while it was in the air. I got lucky.”
Lucky, indeed.
His shot caught one of the wooden planks that divide the water from dry land, deflected onto the green and stopped about 3 feet from the cup.
A few minutes later, with the European fans actually booing his good fortune, Finau tapped in the birdie to even the match. At the 18th hole, Justin Rose dumped one in the water, Jon Rahm missed a putt and the Americans somehow escaped with a 1-up victory.
It was the first time they had led all day.
Afterward, all the talk was about No. 16.
“That was a huge turning point in our match,” Finau said. “I was able to brush that one in and get our match all-square. Honestly, the momentum was on our side because they were 2-up and looking to close us out, and we were able to stretch that match out, and then we played incredible golf on 18 to win the match.”
Not bad for a Ryder Cup rookie.
Finau, who is Tongan and Samoan descent and grew up in Utah to working-class parents who scraped together every spare dollar so he’d have a chance to play, earned his spot on the U.S. team with a strong season that included Top 10s at three of majors and a spot in the finals of the FedEx Cup playoff.
Still, it was a bit of a surprise when he was picked to play the opening fourballs match with Koepka – and then got the honour of hitting the very first shot of the weekend.
Clearly pumped as he stood before a massive grandstand holding nearly 7,000 fans, Finau nearly knocked his ball into the water – some 300 yards away – with a 3-iron that was merely intended as a lay-up.
“The first tee shot was not like anything I’ve been involved in before,” Finau said. “It was like a feeling of a football game back in the States, an NFL football game, and I’m in the middle of the field and I have to hit a tee shot. I have to make a golf swing with all that adrenaline. It was incredible.”
So began an adventurous day that included a tee shot slicing out of bounds, a shot that did get wet, not to mention a chip-in for eagle at No. 6.
Koepka had his struggles, too, notably when a woeful tee shot caught a fan in the eye, leaving her bleeding and in need of medical care. It wasn’t immediately known how seriously she was injured.
Through it all, Finau and Koepka never got flustered.
“In these type of matches, you can’t show your weakness. You can’t show that you have any kind of emotional weakness or you’ll get eaten alive,” Finau said. “It’s frustrating not to hit the shot you want to hit, but you’ve got to control your emotions. We were able to do that and that’s why we were able to pull this match off.”
That, and a big break at No. 16.
Four Canadians punch tickets to Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Winged Foot qualifier
MAMARONECK, N.Y. – A quartet of Canadian junior golfers became one step closer winning it all at the esteemed Winged Foot Golf Club, one of 10 regional qualifiers for the 2019 Drive Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National.
Leading the group that advanced was Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, who returns for a record-tying fourth championship. The 12-year-old captured last year’s 10-11 division to become the second Canadian to win a title (Savannah Grewal won the Girls 14-15 division in 2017).
“Brooke Henderson and Tiger Woods are her idols and she wants to follow in their footsteps,” said her dad, Dino, noting that Vanessa is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Kids World Championship.
Joining Borovilos are three first-time participants: Carter Lavigne (Moncton, N.B. | Boys 7-9), Andy Mac (Candiac, Que. | Boys 10-11) and Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont. | Girls 14-15).
“I heard that going to the Masters is a religious experience and this is pretty close,” said Darsey Lavigne, whose son Carter, from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, advanced by winning the Boys 7-9 age group.
Earlier in September, Canadian Anna Jiaxin Huang of Vancouver advanced to the final in the Chambers Bay qualifier at Chambers Bay, Wash.
There are two more regional qualifiers to be conducted to fill the final field of 60 juniors.
All five juniors will look to be crowned champion at the Drive, Chip & Putt final on April 7, 2019.
Click here for scoring.
The Canadian equivalent—Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event— will be contested on Saturday, June 1 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. Borovilos finished 2nd in the 2017 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Meet Golf Canada’s director of Rules & competitions
Adam Helmer – Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status – has been at the heart of Canadian golf championships for over 10 years.
The Ottawa native oversees the administration of over 30 championships conducted annually by Golf Canada. Among his responsibilities are refereeing the premier Canadian professional events: the RBC Canadian Open (PGA TOUR) and CP Women’s Open (LPGA Tour). In addition to the competitions, Helmer plays an integral role in the Rules of golf modernization project that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.
As the lead on Rules and competitions, high on Helmer’s list of challenges is addressing pace of play.
The International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) has more on Helmer here.
Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club set for Future Links fall series regional championship
ROBERTS CREEK, B.C. – Golf Canada’s eighth and final regional junior golf championship of 2018 is set to take begin on Friday as the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series continues at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club.
The tournament marks the second instalment of the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series — a two-championship extension taking place for the first time in the fall of 2018. With the addition, the Future Links championship series now features eight tournaments through the course of the season, each hosted in conjunction with the respective provincial association.
The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on Sept. 27 before the tournament gets underway with round one on Sept. 28.
Originally designed by Ernie Brown, with later additions from Les Furber, the Sunshine Coast course has boasted stunning mountain and ocean views since opening in 1969. The lush fairways and winding forest holes will challenge up-and-coming junior golfers in Golf Canada’s final championship of the 2018 season.
“British Columbia Golf is excited to host our first Fall Series event with Golf Canada at one of our province’s many beautiful facilities,” said Greg Moody, tournament director with British Columbia Golf. “Hosting another Future Links regional championship provides additional opportunity for Canada’s top junior golfers to showcase their skills and continue their development.”
The field will consist of 62 junior golfers with the top six earning exemptions into their respective Canadian Junior National Championship.
Forty-five boys will vie for one of three spots into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 11-15, at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.
The Junior Girls Division will see 17 girls battle to earn an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29 – Aug. 2, at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.
A tie for the third position in the Junior Boys division will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.
Results for previous 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec, Prairie, Atlantic, Fall series (Quebec).
Click here for scoring, pairings and additional information.
Canada’s golf team announced for 2018 Youth Olympic Games
Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are proud to name the two athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in golf at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Ares, Argentina from October 6-18, 2018.
Celeste Dao, 17, of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. will represent Canada in the girls’ golf competition while William Duquette, 17, of Laval, Que. will compete in the boys’ event.
The two golf athletes earned their spots on the Canadian Youth Olympic Team based on a collection of 2018 championship results as well as their standing on the Canadian Golf Order of Merit as of August 9th, 2018.
“We are very pleased to announce that Celeste Dao and William Duquette have been selected as the athletes to represent Canadian golf at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Both of these talented competitors are eager to succeed in representing Canada on the international stage and have shown tremendous progress in their development.”
The Golf competition at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be held at the Hurlingham Club, from October 9-15. The boys’ and girls’ 54-hole individual competition runs October 9-11 with a 54-hole mixed-gender competition running October 13-15.
A total of 64 golfers are eligible to take part in the golf competition including 32 male and 32 female athletes.
Celeste Dao
Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. is in her first year as a member of Golf Canada’s National Development Squad. She won the recent 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship as well as the 2018 Mexican Junior Girls Championship. In May, she played her way into the 2018 US Women’s Open by earning medalist honours at a Regional Qualifier. In August, she earned an exemption to compete in her first-ever CP Women’s Open at The Wascana Country Club in Regina. She was also named to one of Canada’s two entries in the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Ottawa where she finished fifth in the individual competition and helped Canada One finish fourth among 19 countries.
William Duquette
A native of Laval, Que., William Duquette’s season includes a fourth place finish at the Quebec Junior Boys Championship, T29 at the Quebec Men’s Amateur, T22 at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship and T48 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Last season, he won the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship and had top-five finishes at both the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational and Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Quebec duo will be accompanied by Matt Wilson, Golf Canada’s Director, Next Generation and Women’s Development Team Coach.
The 2018 Games will mark the second time that the sport of golf is included in the Youth Olympic Games after making its inaugural including in the 2014 Games in Nanjing, China.