BROMONT, Que. – Christina Spence Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. won the Mid-Amateur division at the 2021 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship on Thursday at Golf Château Bromont in a playoff over Vancouver’s Nonie Marler.

Proteau entered Thursday’s final round one stroke back of Marler, who held the Mid-Amateur lead for the first two rounds, and whose first-round 72 would end up being the lowest and only single-round score under par for the entire tournament.

The two B.C. golfers were tied at 5 over par after the final hole of the 54-hole tournament, forcing the division to go to a sudden-death playoff. Proteau came out victorious after a birdie on the first playoff hole.

Proteau, the first golfer to ever be inducted into the University of Victoria’s Sports Hall of Fame back in 2020, collects her sixth career Women’s Mid-Amateur title—she previously won four consecutive years from 2011-2014 and in 2009.

With a final score of 7 over par, Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C., captured both the Mid-Master and Senior division titles and finished third in the Mid-Amateur division.

By winning the Senior division, Stouffer receives an exemption into the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala., from Sept. 10-15, 2021 and the fourth U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club (South Course) in Kettering, Ohio from Aug. 25-28, 2022. Both Stouffer and Proteau receive exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont., July 19-22.

Defending champion Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., finished at 8 over par for the championship, placing her in fourth for the Mid-Amateur division and runner-up to Stouffer in both the Mid-Master and Senior divisions.

Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que., took home the Super Senior title at 8 over and finished alongside Kyrinis as a runner-up for the Senior division title. Chartrand was also the 2014 Canadian Women’s Mid-Master Champion (which was conducted concurrently with the Women’s Amateur at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock, Ont.) and the Senior Champion (held at Club de golf Milby in Milby, Que.).

The 2022 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship will be played at Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingly, Man., from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.

Click here for full results.

BROMONT, Que. – The top Canadian amateur golfers over the age of 25 will head to Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que., from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 for the 50th installment of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship.

The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship is a 54-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In the event of a tie at the end of three rounds, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following completion of 54-holes. The Mid-Amateur division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older, the Senior division for players 50 and older, and the Super Senior division for players 60 and older.

The 85-player field includes eight of the top ten over-25 women on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), including top-ranked Canadian and defending champion Judith Kyrinis. The Thornhill, Ont., product also won the event in 2016, both times claiming the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles and was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.  She became just the seventh USGA Champion from Canada when she won the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore.

Other notables in the field include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member Terrill Samuel, who won the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship in 2015, where she too claimed the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles.

The field also includes Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary-Ann Hayward, a four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion (1993, 1996, 1999, 2004), a three-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion (2010, 2011, 2013), and the 2008 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion. On the international level, Hayward was also the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion in 2005.

The course, designed by architects Howard Watson and Graham Cook, features spectacular views of Mont Bromont. The course layout for the championship will be played at a maximum length of 5,965 yards, par-73.

The winner of the Senior division will receive an exemption into the 59^th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Alabama from September 10-15, 2021 and the 4^th U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club (South Course) in Kettering, Ohio from August 25-28, 2022.

Additional information, including the full field and tee times, is available here.

NOTABLES

Judith Kyrinis

Kyrninis is a two-time Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Champion capturing the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior titles on both occasions. In 2017, she became the seventh Canadian to win a USGA championship when she won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. She was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.

Mary-Ann Hayward

Currently the sixth-highest ranked Canadian women’s amateur over the age of 25 on the WWAGR, Hayward is a four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, three-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion, and the 2008 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion. Hayward was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.

Alison Murdoch

A four-time Canadian Senior Women’s Champion and two-time Canadian Super Senior Women’s Champion, Alison Murdoch was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.

FAST FACTS

Six Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members have won the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship; Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Alison Murdoch, Marilyn O’Connor, Margaret Todd and Mary Ann Hayward.

Streit (1985, 1987-88, 1993), Borthwick (1994-1995, 1999-2000) and Murdoch (2002, 2004-05, 2007) are tied for the most Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories with four each.

Nancy Fitzgerald has the most consecutive Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories – winning three straight titles from 1996-1998.

To date, Australian Sue Wooster is the only non-North American winner of the event.

Fort McMurray, Alta. – Charles Fitzsimmons shot the lowest round of the tournament to win the 34^th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Fort McMurray Golf Club on Friday.

“It still hasn’t quite set in yet,” said Fitzsimmons. “This has definitely been a long-term goal of mine and definitely a dream, so it just feels unreal.”

The London, Ont., native previously held both the 18 and 36-hole leads before a third-round six-over 78 put him five shots back of the leader, Neil Thomas of Edmonton at one under, heading into Friday’s final round.

But Fitzsimmons bounced back on Friday with the championship low round – a bogey-free five-under 67 – to win by four strokes over Thomas who shot a 76.

Matt Williams of Calgary and Justin Wood of Saskatoon finished tied for third at five over, while David Lang of Toronto rounded out the top five at six over.

In addition to shooting the lowest round of the tournament, Fitzsimmons’ final score – a one-under 287 – was the only final score under par in the entire field.

Going into this week, Fitzsimmons was the highest ranked amateur in the field at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Fitzsimmons has been in the mix for the past three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships with his previous best finish coming in 2019, when he finished third. That year he also won the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Fitzsimmons played on the Western University Men’s Golf Team between the 2006 and the 2018 seasons, where he won the OUA Championship in 2017. Fitzsimmons now coaches sport psychology and said focusing on breathing and engaging in the moment – things he coaches his athletes on – were the keys to his success on Friday.

With the victory, Fitzsimmons earns exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, Aug. 1 to 4.

“Any chance to get to play a national championship is always an honour that way, and I’m just excited to be able to go and compete again next year,” said Fitzsimmons, who finished tied for fifth at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship earlier this month at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont where Max Sekulic rallied to victory.

The Mid-Master division – run concurrently with the Mid-Amateur division for players 40 and over – was decided in a playoff between Ben Bandura of Selkirk, Man., and Glenn Robinson of Middle Sackville, N.S., where the latter came out victorious.

Click here for full results.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – The 2021 Junior Skills Challenge National Event will take place on August 29^th at the prestigious TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

A total of 26 golfers from four age groups will compete in the 12^th edition of the National Junior Skills Challenge which brings together the top-scoring juniors from coast-to-coast.

The participating junior golfers will compete in a three-part skills challenge (putting, chipping and driving) with one overall winner per age group and gender.

Golf Canada, in partnership with Cobra and Puma Golf along with the PGA of Canada will host the 2021Junior Skills Challenge National Event on Sunday, August 29 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The event is the culmination of more than 1,500 Junior Skills Challenge participants who competed at 80 qualifying events held across Canada. 

The field is comprised of 26 golfers from across Canada, all selected from the top of the Junior Skills Challenge National Leaderboard. 

Format

Driving: Each competitor receives three drives. Points are awarded and dependent on distance and aim of the drive. The drive must come to rest within the 30-yard width to qualify for points. The number of points is dependent on the distances completed.

Chipping: Each competitor receives three shots. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the chip from the target.

Putting: Each competitor receives one putt each from each distance of 5, 10 and 20 feet. Points are awarded for holing the putt and for proximity to the hole.

The winners of the Junior Skills Challenge National Event will receive prizing courtesy of program partner, Cobra-Puma Golf. The winners of the National Event in the boys and girls 15 to 18 age groups will also receive an exemption into their local NextGen Championship in 2022. 
On August 28^th, Junior Skills Challenge National Event participants will have the opportunity to play the prestigious TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley layout in an exciting match play format, outfitted by program sponsor Cobra-Puma Golf.

For more information on the Junior Skills Challenge National Event, click here.

Participants

Girls 8-and-under

Girls 9-11

Girls 12-14

Girls 15-18

Boys 8-and-under

Boys 9-11

Boys 12-14

Boys 15-18

MARKHAM, ONT. – With continued logistical challenges and travel restrictions faced by participating National Federations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario has cancelled the 2021 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.  The championship was scheduled to take place September 27 to October 2 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

Facing the ongoing public health concerns as well as uncertainty around the rising global impact of the pandemic, cancelation was the only responsible course of action as many of the National Federation athletes, coaches and delegates scheduled to participate were facing increased restrictions and protocols in their travel to, and home from, the championship.  

The 2022 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms will be contested at Angus Glen Golf Club at a date to be determined.  

The World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation. Recognized as one of the top events on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WWAGR), the 2021 World Junior Girls Golf Championship would have marked the 7^th playing of the event.

TORONTO – Score Media and Gaming Inc. (TSX: SCR; Nasdaq: SCR) (“theScore” or “the Company”) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Score Digital Sports Ventures (Canada) Inc. (“theScore Bet”), has entered into a multiyear agreement with Golf Canada to become its Official Gaming Partner. The exclusive partnership makes theScore Bet the first ever gaming partner for Golf Canada and its prestigious National Open Golf Championships – the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open.  

The partnership, which begins in 2022, provides theScore Bet with access to activate across Golf Canada’s high-profile events and large digital footprint. As an exclusive gaming partner of the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open, theScore Bet will be able to engage fans through a variety of on-site activations, including creating members club experiences for theScore Bet users, as well as digital activations through both tournaments and Golf Canada’s channels.

Bill C-218, which legalizes single event sports betting, was proclaimed to come into force on August 27, 2021, with regulated online iGaming and sports betting offerings from private operators expected to commence in Ontario later this year. Both the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open will be held in Ontario in 2022. The RBC Canadian Open is scheduled to be held in the Greater Toronto Area in 2023 and 2024. 

“We are thrilled to welcome theScore Bet as Golf Canada’s first Official Gaming Partner,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, John Sibley. “theScore brand is already synonymous with sports coverage in Canada and we’re enthusiastic about the opportunity to team up to help build awareness for theScore Bet. Through Golf Canada’s entertainment properties and channels, theScore Bet will have direct access to engage with our large membership of devout Canadian sports fans.”

“We are proud to be Golf Canada’s first ever gaming partner and align theScore Bet with their organization and Canada’s marquee professional men’s and women’s golf events,” said Aubrey Levy, Senior Vice President of Content and Marketing, theScore. “This partnership provides us with highly engaging access points to introduce theScore Bet to a broad and endemic audience of golf fans. With the RBC Canadian Open taking place in Ontario for all three years and the CP Women’s Open in the province for at least the coming year, it provides us an amazing foothold to interact with Canada’s passionate golf community around two of the most popular golf events in the country.” 

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto with nearby Islington Golf Club hosting the championship’s practice facility. The 2022 CP Women’s Open takes place August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.  

In March 2021, theScore Bet was named Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR across the United States and Canada, pending the enactment of enabling legislation and regulation, and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. 

theScore Bet is an immersive and holistic mobile sports betting platform which includes a wide range of pre-game and in-play betting across all major sports leagues and events, and a comprehensive variety of bet types. When paired with theScore’s flagship mobile app, theScore Bet offers a deeply personalized user experience and uniquely integrated media and betting ecosystem.

Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton, the virtual Summit features dynamic speakers across sport and business including PGD Global executives the Sadekar sisters, LPGA Tour athletes Cheyenne Woods and Lydia Ko, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and more.

Canadian Pacific has triple-matched donations made during the summit in support of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – The top Canadian men’s amateur golfers over the age of 25 will head to Fort McMurray, Alta., for this year’s Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Fort McMurray Golf Club from Aug. 24 – 27.

The 122-player field includes two retired NHL players, Max Reinhart and Michael Cammalleri. Reinhart, brother of current Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, played 23 games for the Calgary Flames between 2012 and 2015. He played in the 2019 B.C. Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships at Ledgeview Golf and Country Club in Abbotsford, B.C., where he finished tied for fifth.

Cammalleri spent 17 seasons in the NHL between 2002 and 2018 where he played in 906 games, racking up 294 goals, 642 points and 425 penalty minutes. The 39-year-old most recently was in the field for the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont.

Charles Fitzsimmons of London, Ont., is the highest ranked amateur in the field at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Fitzsimmons finished third at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and has also finished in the top 5 at the previous three national championships.

Other notables in the field that finished in the top ten at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship include Mike Aizawa (Richmond, B.C.) at 5^th, David Lang (Toronto) at 6^th, and Ryan Sevigny (Ottawa, Ont.) at 9^th.

Nestled along the banks of the Athabasca river, the Fort McMurray Golf Club is ranked one of the must play golf courses in Alberta by The Edmonton Sun. The 27-hole facility features a variety of shots both over valleys and creek beds along with large greens of varying degrees of undulation.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In the event of a tie at the end of four rounds, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following completion of 72-holes. The Mid-Amateur division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older. The Mid-Amateur champion will earn an exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Previous winners of the tournament include Canada’s top-ranked men’s amateur golfer and NHL referee Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., won the event three years in a row between 2014 and 2016; Graham Cooke who won it seven times between 1987 and 2002; and Stu Hamilton who won it on four separate occasions between 1990 and 1994.

Click here for the full field and tournament information.

NOTABLES

Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.)

Fitzsimmons is currently ranked at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and once had a career high ranking of No. 301. He played on Western University’s Men’s Golf Team for 12 seasons between the 2006 and 2018 seasons. In 2019, he won the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, and finished third at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Brandon Markiw (Calgary, Alta.)

Brandon Markiw is currently ranked No. 1530 on the WAGR. In early June of this year, Markiw won the Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. His best finish at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship came in 2016 when he finished tied for 12th.

Ryan Sevigny (Ottawa, Ont.)

In 2019, Ryan Sevigny finished ninth at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and finished tied for second at the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Matt Williams (Calgary, Alta.)

Matt Williams is a former member of the Team Canada Junior Squad (2014). Williams finished tied for eight at the 2017 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and runner-up at the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship in 2016.

FAST FACTS

The Championship was first contested in 1987 and was originally known as the RCGA Pre-Seniors Championship before it was renamed to its current name in 1989.

Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. and Stu Hamilton of Brampton, Ont. captured 11 of the first 20 championships played. Cooke was the inaugural champion in 1987 and has the most event wins with seven.

Three players have won the event three times in a row: Garrett Rank, Dave Bunker and Graham Cooke – no one has won it four straight years.

The format changed from match to stroke play in 2006, with the Mid-Master category introduced for golfers over the age of 40.

In 2019, Team Ontario won the inter-provincial R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fifth straight year.

The Golf Canada Foundation has opened applications for bursaries to provide Canadian professional golfers with financial assistance for upcoming Q-school tournaments in support their journeys to the LPGA and PGA TOUR.

These bursaries are being made available this year in recognition of the increased travel expenses that many players have incurred due to the impact of COVID-19. For example, host family housing has not been available at many events, thus creating increased expenses for players. 

Canadian professional golfers who anticipate expenses attempting to qualify for the 2021-2022 season on any tour that is affiliated with the PGA TOUR, European Tour, or LPGA tour are welcomed to apply through this link.

The application will be open until Monday, September 20 at 5pm ET. Bursaries will be awarded by mid-October in amounts ranging from $2,000 to $7,000, depending on a player’s competitive results and projected expenses.

For more information, please contact Emily Phoenix (ephoenix@golfcanada.ca).

Golf Canada saw over 1.7M scores posted in the month of July 2021—marking a record for the most ever in the organization’s history.

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