Weir in Shaw Charity Classic field in Calgary for first time
Mike Weir will make his Shaw Charity Classic debut at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club in Calgary on Friday.
The 51-year-old from Sarnia, Ont., is in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR Champions and has already notched one win and four runner-up finishes in 20 starts over the course of the 2020-21 season.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Weir said on the season so far. “When you’ve been down and struggling for a long time and you’ve kind of clawed your way out of it, it’s very satisfying. Now my game’s in a really good place and I’m excited.”
Weir’s win at the Insperity Invitational in May was the former Masters winner’s first win since 2007 when he won the Fry’s Electronics Open on the PGA TOUR.
This will be the first time the PGA TOUR Champions is in Canada since the 2019 Shaw Charity Classic.
“It’s always great to get back up here,” said Weir on playing in Canada. “I had a chance to check out the golf course, first time around. It’s very good, really good condition.”
Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club has hosted the event since its inaugural year in 2013 and is a par 70, 7,086-yard course.
Weir will be playing in a field alongside fellow Canadians Stephen Ames, David Morland IV, and Dennis Hendershott.
This will be Ames’ seventh appearance at the tournament, his best finish being a tie for fifth in 2015. Ames also has a win on the PGA TOUR Champions this season at the Principal Charity Classic in June where he narrowly beat out Weir by one stroke for the win.
Weir, who’s currently ranked No. 8 on the Charles Schwab Cup, said he feels great being back in Canada.
“Whenever we play the Canadian Open or here and then back in the day at the Air Canada Championship, it was just the support that we got,” Weir said. “I think the fans have always been just so wonderful to me and rallied behind me and supported me, and the Presidents Cup in Montreal, they’re phenomenal memories.”
The event will allow 2,000 spectators each tournament day.
American Wes Short Jr. is the defending champion of the event. He won with a birdie on the final hole to win by one stroke over Scott McCarron, who won the event back-to-back in 2017 and 2018.
Weir will tee off at 10:58 a.m. in Calgary.
Jean-Philippe Parr hangs on to win 2021 Canadian Junior Boys Championship
SAINTE-JULIE, Qué. – Jean-Philippe Parr of St. Celestin, Que., shot a final-round 2-over-74 en route to winning the Canadian Junior Boys Championship title by one stroke on Thursday at Vallée du Richelieu – Le Club in Sainte-Julie, Que.
“It feels great,” said Parr, who held the opening-round lead after shooting a 7-under-65, the low score for the championship. “It’s for sure a tournament I always wanted to win, and it feels great to get it done.”
The 17-year-old Team Canada National Junior Squad member jumped into the lead by one stroke after Wednesday’s third round following a bogey-free 66 that included an eagle on the second hole.
The final pairing saw Parr chased by duo Cooper Humphreys (Vernon, B.C.) and fellow Junior Squad member Owen Mullen (Shortts Lake, N.S.), both who started the day one back. It came down to the wire with Mullen’s par attempt falling just short on the final hole—avoiding the need for a playoff.
Parr said the key to his final-round success was staying patient and bouncing back from bad shots.
“I really tried to stay patient and make sure I didn’t get too down on myself,” said Parr. “It’s important after a bad shot to move on and focus on what’s next.”
Humphreys, 16, won the Juvenile Boys division (ages 16 and under) by a convincing 13-strokes—the largest margin of victory since 2011 (Kevin Kwon).
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, GOLF CANADA Ste-Julie, Québec: Canadian Championship Junior Boys Championnat Canadien Junior garçons Final Round Club de golf Vallée du Richelieu Cooper Humphreys Harvest Golf Club, Vernon, BC -Thursday, August 12th, 2021
“I just wanted to shoot as low as I could, stay patient, hit the middle of the greens, make some putts and try my best,” said Humphreys, who plays out of Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C.
With the victory, Parr receives exemptions into both the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver (Aug. 1-4) and the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon (July 25-30).
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, GOLF CANADA Ste-Julie, Québec: Canadian Championship Junior Boys Championnat Canadien Junior garçons Final Round Club de golf Vallée du Richelieu Jean-Philippe Parr KI-8-EB (Club de golf), St. Celestin, QC -Thursday, August 12th, 2021
Parr adds his name to a list of notable previous Canadian Junior Boys Champions including PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor (2006) and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member George Knudson (1955).
Parr’s resume includes victories at the Quebec Junior and Juvenile Boys Championship in 2020 and both the AJGA Junior at Southpointe and the Future Links Fall Series East in 2019.
Ben MacLean of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Jeevan Sihota of Victoria, B.C., rounded out the top five in a tie for fourth place at 1 under.
The 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be held at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.
Click here for full results.
American Korda wins gold at women’s Olympic golf competition
American Nelly Korda won the women’s Olympic golf competition by one stroke over Japan’s Mone Inami and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.
Korda had held the tournament lead since the second round when she carded a 9-under 62, and was able to stay ahead with consecutive rounds of 69 to finish the tournament at 17 under.
“It feels amazing,” said Korda. “After today Lydia was playing really well, so was Mone, they both played super well, so we were all bunched up there. It was very stressful, but I kept it together, I fought pretty hard.”
Inami and Ko both finished the tournament at 16 under, forcing the silver and bronze medals to be decided by a playoff.
Inami defeated Ko on the first hole of the playoff, the par 4 18th hole.
Ko also won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Canadian Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished tied for 29th at 4 under after putting in a final round 67, her lowest round of the tournament. Alena Sharp of Hamilton finished 49th at 5 over.
“Yeah, I’m really excited to be a two-time Olympian and to be able to compete here this week,” said Henderson. “I feel like playing in the Olympics for golf is huge, just such a big stage and feels like it reaches a lot more people which is really exciting and hopefully the future is bright for Canadian golf and all around the world.”
The 2021 Canadian Junior Boys Championship heads to Vallée du Richelieu
SAINTE-JULIE, Qué. – The Canadian Junior Boys Championship is set for Aug. 9-12 at Vallée du Richelieu – Le Club in Sainte-Julie, Que.
The 156-player field includes five of seven Team Canada National Junior Squad members; Félix Bouchard (Otterburn Park, Qué.), Jean-Philippe Parr (St-Célestin, Qué.), Malik Dao (Notre-Dame-Ile-Perrot, Qué.), Owen Mullen (Shortts Lake, N.S.), and Willy Bishop (Victoria, B.C.).
“We are delighted to have the Canadian Junior Boys Championship running again,” said tournament director Adam Lloyd. “The team at Vallée du Richelieu has worked incredibly hard in preparation for this week and it shows with the excellent course conditions.”
The winner of the championship will receive an exemption into both the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver (Aug. 1-4) and the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon (July 25-30).
Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que. became the first back-to-back champion of the event since 2009, with his victory at the 2019 championship.
The championship will be contested on the par 72, 7,056 yard Rouville Course at Vallée du Richelieu. The club has played host to a number of PGA, LPGA, and PGA TOUR Champions Tour events.
“We are excited to be able to offer our young members the opportunity to experience a national tournament either as a spectator, volunteer or participant,” said Patrice Forcier, the club’s general manager.
The Canadian Junior Boys 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 72-hole tournament returns for the first time since 2019, after the pandemic caused the cancellation of Golf Canada’s 2020 competitive season. The practice round will be conducted on Sunday, August 8th.
Previous winners of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship include PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor (2006), and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member George Knudson (1955).
Click here for the full field and tournament information.
NOTABLES
Félix Bouchard
The 17-year-old from Otterburn Park, Que., is in his first year as a member of Team Canada. In 2020 he was a quarterfinalist at the Québec Junior Match Play and in 2019 he finished second at the Future Links Fall Series (East). In 2017, he won the Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Final in the boys 12-14 division.
Jean-Philippe Parr
The 17-year-old from St-Célestin, Qué., is in his second year as a member of Team Canada. In 2020, he won the Quebec Junior and Juvenile Boys Championship, and finished in a tie for 12th at the AJGA Junior All-Star Invitational. In 2019, he won both the AJGA Junior at Southpointe and the Future Links Fall Series East.
Malik Dao
The 17-year-old from Notre-Dame-Ile-Perrot, Qué., is in his second year as a member of Team Canada. In 2020, he won the Québec Men’s Amateur Championship and in 2019 he won the Future Links Atlantic and the Québec Junior Boys Match Play. He also finished second at the 2019 Future Links Fall Series East.
Owen Mullen
The 17-year-old from Shortts Lake, N.S. is in his first year as a member of Team Canada. In 2020, he won the Nova Scotia Junior Boys Championship and finished fourth at the Nova Scotia Men’s Amateur. In 2018, he won the Future Links Atlantic Championship.
Willy Bishop
The 17-year-old from Victoria, B.C., is in his first year as a member of Team Canada. In 2020, he won the B.C. Junior and Juvenile Championship and finished seventh at the B.C. Men’s Amateur Championship. In 2019, he finished sixth at the Future Links Fall Series (West).
Ben MacLean
The Team Ontario member from Niagara Falls, Ont., finished second at the Alberta Golf 2020 Junior Boys Championship, and fifth at the Golf Ontario 2020 Juvenile Boys Championship. In 2019, MacLean finished tied for second at the Golf Ontario Juvenile Boys Championship and tied for thid at the Golf Canada Future Links Ontario.
Jeevan Sihota
In 2020, Sihota, of Victoria, B.C., finished sixth at the Billy Horschel Junior Championship and tied for fourth at the Vista Valley Junior, both AJGA events. In 2019, Sihota finished tied for third at the Future Links Pacific Championship, second at the AJGA’s Kyle Stanley Championship and tied for ninth at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. In 2017, Sihota won the Future Links Pacific Championship.
FAST FACTS
The first championship was held in 1938, which was won by James Hogan.
The junior champion earns an exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur and U.S Junior Amateur Championships.
Canadian Golf Hall of Famers who have won the championship include Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowan and Doug Roxburgh.
In 1970, the 16-and-under Juvenile Championship was added to the event. It runs concurrently with the competition and the winner receives the Jack Bailey Trophy.
In 2018, Christopher Vandette won the Juvenile and Junior titles, thanks to a final round 6-under-par 65.
Ten golfers have won both the Juvenile and Junior titles: Jim Rutledge, Jeff Makahon, Rob McMillan, Jesse Collinson, Dustin Risdon, Gord Scutt, Rafael Lee, Mitch Sutton, Charles-Éric Bélanger and Vandette.
Current PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor captured the title in 2006.
The lowest single-round score in the tournament’s history is a 62, achieved in the third round in 2017 by Calvin Ross, a Fredericton, N.B. product. Ross went on to win the championship.
Christopher Vandette was the last competitor to win back-to-back titles, doing so in 2018 and 2019.
Korda has 3 shot lead, Sharp shoots 69 at Olympics
Nelly Korda is still in command of women’s golf. The 23-year-old American has a three-shot lead over India’s Aditi Ashok going into the final round. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ontario, is tied for 40th while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is 44th.
Next in line are four players at 10-under: 2016 silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand (66), Japan hopeful Mone Inami (68), Hannah Green of Australia (67) and Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark (70).
“Well, I think I just want to be better every day and have the best round that I can tomorrow. Like my best round of the tournament,” said Sharp. “I mean, I think it’s like what happened yesterday, Nelly close to 59, like shoot for something like that, why not, right? I just want to have, personally for my personally best day on the last round now because I’ve had over par, even, under, so now a little bit more under tomorrow would be a really good way to finish the tournament.”
Statistically speaking, it doesn’t seem like a fair fight between the two leaders. While world No. 1 Korda is bombing drives and hitting short irons throughout the East Course, Ashok is dinking drives and relying on hybrids to reach a number of holes, with at least five par-4s typically measuring over 400 yards. Korda is averaging a full 44 yards further than Ashok, who is second-to-last in the field with a 233-yard average.
And yet, she makes it work with a keen understanding of her limitations and strengths. She still hit 17 of 18 greens, four more than Korda in round three. And then there’s her putting, the very thing she practiced endlessly when first introduced to the game.
Max Sekulic rallies to win 116th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship
WINDSOR, Ont. – Max Sekulic of Rycroft, Alta., shot a final-round 5-under-66 to win the 116th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont., at 17 under.
Sekulic, who went birdie-birdie on the final two holes to secure the win, finished two strokes ahead of A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., who was at the top of the leaderboard throughout the opening two rounds. National team members Henry Lee (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Brendan MacDougall (Calgary) finished tied for third at 14 under.
“It means the world to me,” said Sekulic, who started the day three strokes back of the lead. “You get your name on a trophy with a bunch of good players and your name’s permanent on that thing. It means a lot for all the people back in Rycroft and The Glencoe Golf & Country Club, where I spend my time in Canada.”
With the win, Sekulic receives an exemption into both the 2022 RBC Canadian Open from June 6-12 at St George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont., and the 2021 U.S. Amateur from Aug. 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club & Longue Vue Club in Oakmont & Verona, Pa.
“It’s honestly a little bit career changing. I get to have a PGA TOUR start,” said Sekulic, who also noted that it will be a great learning experience.
The 22-year-old also adds his name to a list of notable Canadian Men’s Amateur Champions to hoist the Earl Grey Cup. He joins PGA TOUR winner and Olympian Mackenzie Hughes (2011-12), PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor (2007), and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Moe Norman (1955-56).
Third-round leader Noah Steele of Kingston, Ont., finished tied for fifth alongside 2018-2019 Canadian Junior Boys Champion Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que. Top-ranked men’s amateur and NHL referee Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., finished alone in 13th at 9 under.
The 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup was deferred this year. Team Ontario is the reigning champion after collecting the title in 2019.
The 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be held at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C.
Click here for full results.
Henderson moves up leaderboard, Korda shoots 62 at Olympics
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 3-under 68, while Alena Sharp of Hamilton shot an even-par 71 in the second round of the women’s golf competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“It felt good to make some birdies out there. It’s more like my old self which feels good,” Henderson said. “Yeah, hopefully just kind of continue the momentum into tomorrow and Saturday and hopefully make a lot more birdies and climb up as much as possible.”
Nelly Korda of the U.S., shot a 9-under 62 at Kasumigaseki Country Club to give herself a comfortable four shot lead over Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Emily Kristine Pedersen, and India’s Aditi Ashok, who are all tied at 9-under.
Korda made nine birdies in the second round, and an eagle on the par 4 sixth hole. A late double bogey on the 18th closed out her round.
Henderson made five birdies in the second round, after only making one birdie in the first and currently sits tied for 34th.
Her teammate, Sharp, made one bogey on the front nine, and one birdie on the back nine that put her in a tie for 46th at 3-over.
“I got to be a little bit more aggressive and take advantage of those holes that are up and roll some putts in,” Sharp said. “I’m not going to really change too much what I normally do. Like I mean I would love to go out and shoot a really low round, but we’ll see. Those putts got to drop.”
Canadians 8 shots back of leader at Olympics
Both Canadians struggled in the first round of women’s golf.
Alena Sharp and teammate Brooke Henderson shot opening rounds of 3-over 74. Henderson was near the top of the leaderboard for the first nine holes. But four bogeys on the back nine saw her slide down the standings.
“I hit it really well today for the most part. A couple loose swings cost me,” Henderson said. “But otherwise the ball striking was in pretty good shape, it was just kind of around the greens, disappointing to not see more putts fall but that’s golf, I guess, right? So hopefully tomorrow clean it up a little bit, make some more birdies and climb up.”
Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden leads after carding a 5-under 66, with Nelly Korda of the U.S. and Aditi Ashok of India behind her at 4-under
While the summer heat was something of a forgotten concern ahead of the Tokyo Olympics due to the pandemic, it definitely was noticeable last week during the men’s golf competition and became a real-life factor Wednesday as the women’s tournament got underway at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Leader Sagstrom certainly didn’t experience the 41C/105.8F afternoon heat index in her home country of Sweden, but she did attend Louisiana State University, now lives in Orlando, Florida, and has played in even worse furnace-like conditions in Thailand and Singapore.
Lauren Zaretsky wins 107th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
SPRUCE GROVE, Alta. – Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., shot a final-round 70 on Friday to win the 107th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club in Spruce Grove, Alta., as the only player in red numbers.
She finished two strokes ahead of recent Canadian Junior Girls Champion Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont., in second at even par.
“It feels amazing,” said Zaretsky. “I’ve been dreaming to win a Golf Canada event my whole entire life. So, it means the world to me just to be able to do it here in 2021.”
Zaretsky, who plays out of the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto & Maple Downs Golf & Country Club, credited a combination of her putting and driving for her final-round 70 and said her plan going into the round was to stay focused and commit to every shot.
With the win, Zaretsky receives an exemption into the 2021 U.S. Women’s Amateur held Aug. 2-8 at Westchester Country Club and the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
“I’m really excited for the CP Women’s Open,” said Zaretsky. “That’s something that I’ve been watching since I started golf five years ago.”
Zaretsky also adds her name to a notable list of Canadian Women’s Amateur Champions including LPGA Tour players Jennifer Kupcho (2017), Brooke Henderson (2013), and Ariya Jutanugarn (2012).
Fifty-four-hole leader Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., and Team Canada National Junior Squad member Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., finished tied for third at 2 over.
Team Canada National Amateur Squad members had a strong showing with Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., finishing in 10th at 5 over, Noémie Paré of Victoriaville, Que., tied for 8th at 4 over and Sara-Eve Rhéaume of Quebec City tied for 5th at 3 over.
The National Junior Squad members in the field found success as well, as Gal finished runner-up and Arora behind her in the tie for third while Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver, B.C., finished right behind them in the tie for fifth at 3-over.
Full results can be found here.
Ambassador Golf Club set to host the 116th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship
WINDSOR, Ont. – The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is set for Aug. 2-5 at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont., for the 116th installment of the event.
The 72-hole tournament returns for the first time since 2019, after the pandemic caused the cancellation of Golf Canada’s 2020 competitive season.
The 156-player field include all eight of the Team Canada National Amateur Squad members; Brendan MacDougall (Calgary, Alta.), Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ont.), Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué.), Henry Lee (Coquitlam, B.C.), Johnny Travale (Hamilton, Ont.), Laurent Desmarchais (Longueuil, Qué.), Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), and Noah Steele (Kingston, Ont.).
Forty-one of the top 50 Canadians on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) are in the field including the highest ranked Canadian amateur, Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., who is currently ranked 36th. Rank became the first Canadian to win the Western Amateur since 1977 when he won it in 2019. The field also includes Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., who won the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship and became the first back-to-back champion since 2009.
“The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is one of Canada’s longest running amateur championships and we couldn’t be happier to have it back in 2021,” said tournament director Adam Cinel. “The golf course is in great condition and will serve as an excellent test for Canada’s top players.”
The winner will receive an exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open from June 6-12 at St George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont. and the 2021 U.S. Amateur from August 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club & Longue Vue Club in Oakmont & Verona, Pa.
The 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion was William Buhl from Norway.
Ambassador Golf Club was designed by architect Thomas McBroom. It is a par-71 public golf course that has hosted many previous provincial, national, and professional championships including the Windsor Championship on the PGA TOUR Canada – Mackenzie Tour in 2018 and 2019, the Golf Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship in 2017, the Golf Ontario Ladies Amateur Championship in 2016, and the OUA Golf Championships in 2016.
The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut for 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 practice round will be conducted on Sunday, Aug 1.
Previous winners of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship include PGA TOUR winner and Olympian Mackenzie Hughes (2011-12), PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor (2007), and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Moe Norman (1955-56).
Click here for the full field and tournament information.
NOTABLES
Garrett Rank
The 33-year-old from Elmira, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian men’s golfer on the World Amateur Golf Rankings at 36th. In addition to winning the Western Amateur in 2019, he finished runner-up at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, tied for fifth at the Men’s Porter Cup, and seventh at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship. He won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship three years in a row between 2014-2016.
Brendan MacDougall
The 23-year-old from Calgary is in his third year as a part of the National Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won The Challenge at The Concession and finished tied for fifth at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, both NCAA events. He finished tied for 10th at the 2020 Alberta Amateur Championship and finished tied for 16th at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Cougar Collins
The 22-year-old from Caledon, Ont., is in his second year as a part of the National Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship and finished tied for ninth at the Colleton River Collegiate (NCAA). In 2019, he finished tied for 10th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Étienne Papineau
The 24-year-old from St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué., is in his fourth year as a part of Team Canada. He was a member of the Junior Squad in 2014 and 2015, and previously a member of the Amateur Squad in 2020. In 2019, he finished tied for 10th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and finished 6th and 7th at the Old Town Club Collegiate and Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational, both NCAA events, respectively.
Henry Lee
The 23-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C. is in his first year as a member of the Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Arizona Intercollegiate, an NCAA event, and finished fifth at the Bandon Dunes Championship, also an NCAA event. In 2019, he won the Georgetown Intercollegiate, also an NCAA event, and in 2018 he finished ninth at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Johnny Travale
The 20-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., is in his second year as a member of Team Canada. Previously, he was a member of the Junior Squad in 2018. In 2019, he won the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational and finished tied for fourth at the Hartford Hawk Invitational, both NCAA events. In 2018, he finished tied for 14th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Laurent Desmarchais
The 20-year-old from Longueuil, Qué., is in his third year as a part of Team Canada. He previously spent two years as a part of the Junior Squad in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, Desmarchais won the Canada Life Series Championship at TPC Toronto, and in 2019 won the Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship. In 2018, he won four events, including the Future Links Ontario Championship and the Québec Junior Boys Championship. In 2019, he finished tied for fourth at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Matthew Anderson
The 21-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is in his first year as a part of the Amateur Squad. In 2019, he won the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, and finished second at the Oregon State Invitational (NCAA). Also in 2019, he finished in a tie for fourth at the Carpet Capital Collegiate, and tied for sixth at the Orange Co. Collegiate Classic, both NCAA events.
Noah Steele
The 23-year-old from Kingston, Ont., is in his second year as a part of the Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Border Olympics (NCAA) and finished third at the 2020 The All American (NCAA). In 2019, he won both the Southland Conference Championship and The Sam Hall Intercollegiate, both NCAA events. He also finished fourth at the 2019 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship.
FAST FACTS
Currently ranked 36th on the WAGR, Garret Rank of Elmira, Ont., is also an NHL referee.
T.M. Harley of Kingston Golf Club won the inaugural Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 1895.
George S. Lyon won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship eight times and was runner-up twice. Lyon won the Gold Medal for Canada in the 1904 Olympic Games.
Sandy Somerville was a match play finalist 10 times and won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship six times.