Lighthouse has been selected as the firm to lead the CEO search
Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson has been appointed as interim CEO effective January 9, 2017.

With the recent announcement that CEO Scott Simmons will be leaving the organization, Golf Canada’s Board of Directors is engaged in the process to search for a new CEO.

Golf Canada wishes to take an inclusive and comprehensive approach with this CEO search. The process will involve garnering input from key stakeholders in the golf industry to design the optimal CEO profile.

Proposals were sought from executive recruitment firms that expressed interest in participating in the search for Golf Canada’s new CEO.

Following a review of eight proposals, and interviews with a short-list, Lighthouse Search was engaged.  Lighthouse Search, a Canadian boutique firm that specializes in the not-for-profit and sport sector, is familiar with Golf Canada, and has conducted searches and placements for several of Canada’s National Sport Federations.

Lighthouse will work with the Golf Canada Board of Directors to seek stakeholder input and conduct stakeholder interviews to develop the CEO Profile. The CEO profile will be posted on Golf Canada’s web-site, and Lighthouse will begin the process of screening potential candidates and developing a short list of qualified applicants to review with the Golf Canada Board of Directors.

It is expected that the announcement of Golf Canada’s new CEO will be made by April 2017, with the start date to be finalized in consultation with the successful candidate.

Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson has been appointed as interim CEO, effective January 9, 2017. CEO Scott Simmons will work with Thompson to transition leadership responsibilities through Simmons departure in February.  This will ensure continuity of leadership until the new CEO takes office later in the year.

A member of Golf Canada’s senior management team, Thompson is well versed in the core elements of the Association’s strategic plan and operations. He has served as Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer since 2005; overseeing all areas of sport development including junior, grassroots and high performance golf. In his role as Chief Sport Officer, Thompson already works closely with Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the International Golf Federation, provincial golf associations and the PGA of Canada.

For further information, please contact Golf Canada President Roland Deveau, Q.C., at rdeveau@golfcanada.ca .

Potential candidates can reach Lighthouse at connectwithus@lighthousesearch.ca .

LIGHTHOUSE SEARCH – CONNECTING EXCEPTIONAL

Lighthouse is a boutique executive search firm with national and global reach that was founded with the vision of a modern search firm; one that is agile, responsive and invested in our client’s business. Our firm works with Canadian owned and run businesses along with global fortune 500 companies operating offices in the Canadian market.  We are trusted advisors who provide premium level service to support our high touch client and candidate relationships.   We  ignite excitement in our clients agenda and bring our passion and expertise to recruit exceptional leadership talent for organizations. Connect with us at  lighthousesearch.ca .

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing close to 310,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca .

adidas Golf Canada has joined forces with the Bring Back the Game initiative, a campaign which places priority on extending a platform for all individuals to experience the true love of golf, regardless of any physical or mental challenges.

Todd Keirstead, champion of Bring Back the Game, works to provide a welcoming environment where individuals can overcome any challenges or obstacles. With the help of adidas Golf, the initiative recently covered the unique stories of four athletes who had the opportunity to play a practice round at the Manulife Classic with Canadian Golf Hall-of-Famer Lorie Kane and LPGA Tour professional Danielle Kang.

Watch their experience below in the video titled “Golf’s Power to Heal.”

Click here to learn more.

The Web.com Tour prepares to host its final stage of qualifying this week from Dec. 8-11 in Winter Garden, Fla., where 10 Canadians will compete for 2017 playing status.

The Canadian contingent will battle against 150-plus athletes in the 72-hole stroke play event, with players finishing inside the Top-45 (plus ties) earning guaranteed starts for the beginning of the 2017 campaign. The medallist of the event will earn fully-exempt status for the entirety of the season; Canada’s Adam Svensson captured that crown in 2015.

The following list of Canadians will tee-it-up at the Orange County National Golf Club’s Crooked Cat and Panther Lake courses:

• Ryan Yip (Calgary)
• Aaron Cockerill (Teulon, Man.)
• Seann Harlingten (Vancouver)
• Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.)
• Lucas Kim (Toronto, Ont.)
• Justin Shin (Pitt Meadows, B.C.)
• Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.)
• Adam Cornelson (Langley, B.C.)
• Michael Gligic (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Austin Connelly (Irving, Tex. | Clare, N.S.)

Team Canada Men’s Head Coach Derek Ingram was among the 10 award winners announced today by the PGA of Canada, earning the nod as the Ben Kern Coach of the Year recipient.

“I’m extremely honoured to be receiving this prestigious award from the PGA of Canada—an association I’m very proud to be a member of,” said Ingram, a class “A” member. “It was definitely a year to remember for a lot of different reasons and I’m very thankful to be honoured with this achievement.”

The Winnipeg native collects the award on the heels of another busy season at the helm for his 12th year with the Team Canada program. Ingram’s 2016 travels were highlighted by a trip to Rio de Janeiro, where he acted as the Canadian men’s head coach in golf’s return to the Olympics after a 112-year hiatus.

In September, Ingram led the Canadian trio of Jared du Toit, Hugo Bernard and Garrett Rank to Mexico, where they finished tied for ninth at the World Amateur Team Championships.

Ingram’s extended coaching efforts came full circle with the emergence of Young Pro Squad member Mackenzie Hughes, who collected wins on both the Web.com and PGA Tours in a span of three months. The 26-year-old Dundas, Ont., native has been a pupil of Ingram’s since joining the Team Canada program in 2008. He has since become an exemplary model of development through the Canadian system, something Ingram takes great pride in.

“Mackenzie is the perfect example of what we are trying to accomplish with the Team Canada program,” he said. “He climbed his way up through the ranks through dedication and hard work; he’s also a great champion off the golf course and I’m proud to have played a part in that.”

Alongside marquee events, Ingram upheld a schedule including training camps, contact days and competitions with the nine athletes on this year’s National Amateur and Young Pro squads. He is also heavily involved with industry-leading initiatives including Long-Term Player Development and high performance.

The award comes a year after close friend and counterpart Tristan Mullally (Team Canada Women’s Head Coach) took home the honours.

“Derek is a great leader and friend and deserves every recognition for helping better his athletes both in life and in sport,” Mullally said. “I look forward to new challenges with him and continuing to push each other to grow for seasons to come.”

The Manitoba Golf Hall-of-Famer is no stranger to receiving accolades, having won the PGA of Canada’s Teacher of the Year award twice (’03, ’07) to compliment being named the PGA of Manitoba’s Teacher of the Year a record seven times.

The following other award winners will be recognized during PGA of Canada Night on Jan. 26 at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

• Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year—Alan Palmer, Class “A” head professional, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club;
• George Knudson Teacher of the Year—Henry Brunton, Class “A” Master Professional, Henry Brunton Golf;
• Mike Weir Player of the Year—Marc-Étienne Bussieres, Candidate for Membership, Club de golf Longchamp;
• Ben Kern Coach of the Year—Derek Ingram, Class “A” head coach, Team Canada;
• Moe Norman Candidate for Membership of the Year—Garrett Malcolm, Candidate for Membership, Breezy Bend Country Club;
• Tex Noble Professional Development Award—Jason Helman, Class “A” teaching professional, Wyndance Golf Club;
• Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year—Adam Tobin, Class “A” head professional, Whistle Bear Golf;
• Stan Leonard Class “A” Professional of the Year—Ashley Zibrik, Class “A” professional, Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club;
• Jack McLaughin Junior Leader of the Year—Amanda Minchin, Class “A” head professional, Estevan Woodlawn Golf Club;
• George Cumming Distinguished Service Award—Bob Weeks, TSN.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Calgary’s Jennifer Ha is the latest Canadian to join the ranks on the LPGA Tour after finishing the qualifying tournament with a share of eighth at the Hills Course.

Ha—a former Team Canada member—closed the 90-hole stroke play event at 8-under par (70-74-69-67-72) to nab one of the Top-20 spots to earn full status in 2017. The 22-year-old finished five back of medallist Jaye Marie Green of Boca Raton, Fla.

Fellow Canadian and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James also made the 72-hole cut at Daytona Beach.

The Bath, Ont., product finished in an 11-way tie for 44^th at 3-over par (76-76-69-69-73) to earn conditional status (category 17) on tour next season.

James narrowly missed full status this year by way of the season-long Volvik Race for the Card money list, where she finished just outside the Top-10 (No.13) for a second consecutive season. She posted seven Top-10 results this past season on the Symetra Tour.

While three of the top four finishers are from the USA, a total of 13 different countries (USA, Iceland, Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Canada, England, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Philippines, Japan and Thailand) are represented amongst the players that finished in the top 20 to earn category 12 status on the LPGA Tour for 2017. Further, four teenagers finished in the top 20 (Nasa Hataoka, Maria Parra, Angel Yin and Ssu Chia Cheng).

Click here for full scoring.

It was Jessica Wallace’s best year on the Symetra Tour and it will also be her last. Wallace, a former Team Canada Amateur Squad member (2011) who has spent the past four and half years chasing her professional golfing dream, has decided to step away from the game she loves.

“It’s something that has been in the back of my mind for a couple of years,” says Wallace, the two-time B.C. Junior Girls champion from Langley. “I have always been someone who has had a backup plan in my head even through I had my primary goal. I have always been thinking what would I like to do outside of golf.”

Wallace has decided to step away despite recently completing her best year on the Symetra Tour. She finished 19th on the 2016 money list and had four top-10 finishes. She was exempt to this week’s final stage of the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school in Florida, but decided to stay home.

The former Canadian Women’s Tour champion is aiming to become a certified professional accountant. She’ll make the transition from a strong academic background, earning scholastic all-American honours while playing golf for the University of Colorado.

This was not a snap decision. She has been weighing her career options for a couple of years now. “I almost went to law school last year but I was playing well so I kept going,” she says.

“And then this year I was maybe going to take a job in March or April but I finished second in the opening event so I had to play out the year because I needed to see where I could take myself.”

The decision to give up on her professional dream was not an easy one for Wallace. She has improved in each of the four years she spent on the Symetra Tour and still believes she has the game to play on the LPGA Tour.

But she also knows that making the LPGA Tour and playing well enough to succeed long term out there are two different matters. “My game has improved every year and I feel like the level I got to this year has been the best that I have brought thus far,” she says.

“For me, I was thinking more of a long-term type thing. Do I believe I am good enough to play on the LPGA Tour? Absolutely. I believe I could get there, I believe I could be a member of that tour. But the reality for women’s golf is if you are not top 50 on the money list on the LPGA year in and year out it is not necessarily something that is a feasible long-term thing if you want to have stability, save up for your retirement and stuff like that.”

So Wallace made the same decision her older brother, Darren, did a couple of years ago when he hung up his clubs after struggling on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit. Darren, who won the 2004 Canadian Amateur Championship as a 15-year-old and enjoyed a successful collegiate career at the University of Washington, is now working in the banking industry.

The circumstances of their departures are somewhat different, however. Darren was struggling with his game and had lost his status on the Mackenzie Tour when he left the game. Jessica was playing well. She finished third in the Symetra Tour’s second to last event of the year.

“I don’t feel disappointed or feel like I am being forced out of my sport,” she says. “It’s hard when you are in a situation and you play poorly and maybe you lose your card. But because I played well I feel like this is completely my choice. I feel a lot better about doing it that way.”

Wallace acknowledges there is lots she will miss about professional golf. For starters, she made countless friends along the way as she criss-crossed the United States in her trusty 1997 Toyota.

“There are so many players, volunteers and families I have met over the years,” she says “The competition is probably the thing I would miss the most because that is what wakes you up in the morning to play. When you stop playing professionally you are not going to find that competition that you used to have.

I will always have those relationships that I have built, because you keep in touch with people, but the competitive part – the putt to win a tournament – those are the things I have never been able to replicate outside a tournament.”

The money on the Symetra Tour is not big – Wallace made about $42,000 US this year – so players do their best to travel as cheaply as possible. Wallace often stayed with host families that opened up their homes to her during tournament week.

“There are families I have stayed with four years and even if a tournament isn’t playing there anymore and I am passing through I will stop in and say hi and visit them anyway. One of the really unique things of playing on the Symetra Tour is meeting those people.”

What she won’t miss nearly so much is the grind of professional golf and being away from home for months at a time. “The lifestyle is unique and it is fun, but it can also be very draining at times. I think it is one of those things that you will but won’t miss at the same time.

I am sure I will go back and forth on missing and not missing it in terms of packing up my life and not having a home for the summer or just constantly living out of a suitcase. There are 23 to 25 events a year. I was on the road from March ’til October and I enjoy home, I enjoy being back in B.C. That was something I always missed when I was gone.”

So Wallace is home and feeling good about her decision. What is surprising is that her Toyota, with nearly 300,000 kilometers on it, also made it home. “It’s really funny because occasionally at tournaments another player or caddie would come up to me and ask me how my car has been running or something like that,” she says with a laugh.

“I got it exported out of the U.S. and imported back into Canada and it passed all the tests coming back. It’s amazing it is still a functional car.”

While Wallace is saying goodbye to professional golf, she insists the game will remain a big part of her life. She has already played a couple of rounds with her parents since being back home.

“It is something I enjoy doing and I think there is something to be said about being able to go out and play and not have it matter whether I hit a shot exactly the way I want to. I am still competitive, but it will be easier to let go of those bad shots. And if it is raining or cold, I don’t have to go to the range right now.”

Pitt Meadows, B.C., product Justin Shin finished 9^th on the PGA Tour China’s Order of Merit to become the latest Canadian to earn a spot in Web.com Tour’s third and final stage of qualifying in December.

The former Team Canada Amateur Squad member finished with a share of ninth this past weekend at PGA Tour China’s Buick Open, bringing his season earnings total to $362,118 through 13 events.

As one of the Top-10 this season on PGA Tour China, Shin will join nine fellow Canadians who will tee-it-up in the final stage from Dec. 8-11 at the Orange County National in Winter Garden, Fla. After three consecutive years at PGA National Resort and Spa, the final stage will relocate to Orange County once more, with participants playing 36 holes at both the Crooked Cat and Panther Lake courses.

Competitors will be fighting to finish inside the Top-45 (plus ties) in order to guarantee starts for the first portion of the 2017 season. The medallist will earn fully-exempt status for the 2017 campaign—Canada’s Adam Svensson took home the honours last year by a seven-stroke margin.

Canadians competing in final stage of Web.com qualifying school:

• Ryan Yip (Calgary)
• Aaron Cockerill (Teulon, Man.)
• Seann Harlingten (Vancouver)
• Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.)
• Lucas Kim (Toronto, Ont.)
• Justin Shin (Pitt Meadows, B.C.)
• Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.)
• Adam Cornelson (Langley, B.C.)
• Michael Gligic (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Austin Connelly (Irving, Tex. | Clare, N.S.)

Click here for the full field.

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the entire golf community mourns the loss of Dawn Coe-Jones who passed away on November 12, 2016 at the age of 56.

Born October 19, 1960 in Campbell River, B.C. and raised in Lake Cowichan, B.C., Coe-Jones was diagnosed with bone cancer (sarcoma) earlier this year. Following months of aggressive treatment, she passed away peacefully in hospice near her home in Tampa, FL surrounded by family and friends.

Dawn Coe-Jones is survived by her husband Jimmy, son Jimmy Jr. brothers Mark and John Coe, the extended Coe and Jones families and countless friends across the Canadian and international golf community.

Coe-Jones is one of Canada’s most accomplished golfers as an amateur as well as during a distinguished career on the LPGA Tour.

Success as an amateur included back to back victories at the BC Junior Girls Championship in 1978 and 1979. Back to back victories at the BC Women’s Amateur would follow in 1982 and 1983 and later that year, she would go on to capture the 1983 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

An NCAA All-American at Lamar University, Coe-Jones qualified for the LPGA Tour in 1984.

Over a 24-year career on the LPGA Tour (1984-2008), Coe-Jones had three official LPGA Tour wins—the 1992 Women’s Kemper Open, 1994 LPGA Palm Beach Classic and the 1995 Tournament of Champions. She would also win the 1992 Pizza-La LPGA Match Play Championship during a career in which she had 44 top-10 finishes and earned more than $3.3 million in prize money.

Coe-Jones also competed in 24 events on the LPGA Legends Tour, amassing nine top-10 finishes in 24 events played.

Internationally, she represented Canada on the 1983 Canadian Commonwealth Team and at the 2005 World Cup. She also competed in the Handa Cup (representing the world team) on eight occasions (2006-2012, 2014).

She also joined with fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Dave Barr in winning the Canadian Airlines International Mixed Team Championship in 1989 and 1990.

Coe-Jones competed in the Canadian Women’s Open 24 times and had seven top-10 finishes—T10 in 1989; T6 in 1991; 3^rd in 1993; T7 in 1994; T4 in 1998; 4^th in 1999; and T5 in 2004.  She was low Canadian (or tied) on 13 occasions and her $326,554 in earnings are most by a Canadian playing in the National Women’s Open Championship.

She received the Score Award for Outstanding Canadian Female Amateur in 1983 and was an eight-time recipient of the Score Award for Outstanding Canadian Female Professional (1987-90, 1992-95).

Coe-Jones’ distinguished career was acknowledged in 2001 with induction into the British Columbia Golf Hall Fame and in 2003 with induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Statement from Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Post:

“Dawn was a great competitor and role model for over 25 years on the LPGA Tour. Her happy and positive attitude towards life will be missed by all that knew her.”

Statement from Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons:

“On behalf of the entire golf community we are deeply saddened by the passing of Dawn Coe-Jones. Dawn was a tenacious competitor, a mentor and friend to so many of her peers and a proud ambassador for Canadian golf throughout her distinguished career. As we mourn her passing and send our most sincere condolences to family and friends, the golf and sport community come together in celebrating her outstanding legacy.”

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, November 19 in Tampa, FL.

NOTE TO MEDIA – photos of Dawn Coe-Joes are available to download here.

PLANTATION, Fla. –  Ben Silverman and Lucas Kim finished inside the Top-18 on Friday at the Plantation Reserve Golf & Country Club to join the list of Canadians to advance to Web.com Tour’s third and final stage of Qualifying School.

Silverman, a Thornhill, Ont., native, closed at 9-under par for the tournament (71-67-68-69) to grab a share of sixth place. The 28-year-old is coming off a season on the Web.com Tour in which he made five cuts, highlighted by a T16 result at News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot in August.

Toronto’s Lucas Kim was two strokes back of Silverman at 7-under (70-69-68-70) to finish the event T11. In 2016, Kim’s strongest result came at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada’s Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, where he finished T22.

Kim and Silverman joined three other Canadians who played their way into the final stage of qualifying, taking place from Dec. 8–11 at the Orange County National Golf Course in Winter Garden, Fla.

Click here for full scoring.

During the mid-November early signing period, five Team Canada Development Squad athletes signed National Letters of Intent to commit to NCAA golf programs for the 2017-18 season.

On the women’s side, three athletes made their official announcements to join NCAA Div I programs next year. Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee will join the Oklahoma Sooners, a three-time Big 12 Conference Championship winner. Lee will fall under the guidance of the Sooners’ Head Coach, Veronique Drouin-Luttrell, a Quebec native and two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year recipient.

Mississauga, Ont., product Chloe Currie will head to South Carolina to attend the College of Charleston, a Division I program in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference. The Cougars are three-time conference champions.

Delta, B.C., native Mary Parsons signed in favour of joining the Indiana Hoosiers program. Dating back to 1986, the Hoosiers have recorded seven Big 10 Championship titles.

@maryyparsons @lee_hannahh @chloe_currie27 @TheGolfCanada exciting future for these players #proud pic.twitter.com/j6xwdMf3pw

— ann carroll (@AnnAnncarroll) November 11, 2016

On the men’s side, former Team Alberta teammates Max Sekulic (Rycroft, Alta.) and Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.) both signed on the dotted line to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. The pair graduated to the development squad this season together, and will continue their journey next year as members of the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

The early signing period comes to a close on Nov. 16; uncommitted athletes will be eligible to sign agreements once again during the regular signing period from Apr. 12 – Aug. 1, 2017.