SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Intermittent rain dotted the day at the Links at Penn Hills as the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship completed its third round. Mary Parsons crafted a 2-under 70 showing to join Naomi Ko atop the leaderboard.

Parsons started slow, recording a double-bogey on the 6th hole and a bogey on No. 8. A third on the par-4 10th hole moved the Delta, B.C., native to 2-over with eight holes remaining.

“I felt that I did get off to a little shaky start on the front nine,” said Parsons. “Definitely when the weather started clearing up, I felt like I could play to my advantage, and on the back nine, I started sinking more putts and swinging easier.”

The 2016 CN Future Links Pacific champion rebounded with a birdie on the par-4 12th hole, before stringing another three together on holes 14 to 16 to sit alongside second-round leader Naomi Ko at 5-under 211. The 17-year-old is hoping to improve upon a T14 result from the 2015 national championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., but knows victory will not come easily in such a skilled field.

“Naomi played steady the whole day, and Chloe [Currie] played great, too. I think tomorrow, I’m just going to keep playing to my advantage, playing steady like I always do and hitting more greens.”

Ko, a member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, collected two birdies on the day, but finished with a 73.

“My ball striking wasn’t as great as yesterday, but with golf every day, it’s different, so I tried to hang in there,” said the native of Victoria. “I think it’s actually kind of nice to share the lead going into the last round. It gives me something to fight for tomorrow. It’ll be a good competition.”

Development Squad member Chloe Currie carded four birdies across a bogey-free round to take hold of third in the overall competition. The Mississauga, Ont., native’s round of 68 extended her advantage atop the 16-and-under Juvenile division. She sits four strokes ahead of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., resident Céleste Dao.

Dao finished with a seven-birdie, 5-under performance for the day’s low round. The 15-year-old moved into second-place in the Juvenile division and took hold of fourth in the Junior standings.

The British Columbian trio consisting of Parsons and Development Squad members Tiffany Kong of Vancouver and Hannah Lee from Surrey finished 2-over 290 to claim victory in the inter-provincial team competition which was played over the first 36 holes.

The 2016 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont., from July 25 to 28.

The final round of competition will see the first group tee off from No. 1 at 7:30 a.m. ADT.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Any memories of inclement weather during the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship were all but forgotten thanks to clear skies and brilliant sunshine during the final round at Clovelly. Sam Meek took advantage of the conditions to earn a come-from-behind victory and claim the national junior title.

With the victory, Meek becomes the prestigious championship’s 78^th winner. The history of the competition and the significance of the victory were not lost upon the champion.

“This win means the world,” said the native of Peterborough, Ont. “This is what I’ve strived to accomplish my entire junior golf career. To have my name on the same trophy as some of those winners is incredible. This is the top of junior golf in Canada, so just to be a part of that is an amazing feeling.”

The 17-year-old entered the final round with a share of third, trailing dual-citizen Thomas Critch of Cedar Park, Texas, by three shots. Meek tallied two birdies on the day for a 1-under 71 showing.

“I’ve been hitting it really well all week, so I had a lot of trust in myself there,” he explained when asked about the keys to the win. “Basically just staying patient. I started the day pretty far back. I was three shots behind Thomas. He struggled a bit off the bat, so I was able to get something going there. I believe I made the turn two shots over him, so just staying steady on the back nine was the key from there.”

“Coming in, I feel like I have a lot of experience,” added the champion. “This is my third Canadian Junior now, so I was able to kind of build off what I’ve learned from people who have won this in the past and see what they did to be successful. It just kind of came down to thinking back to all the hard work I’ve put into it and just trying to stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of myself.”

In addition to claiming the Silver Cup as Canadian Junior Boys champion, Meek has earned an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be contested at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club from August 8-11.

“I feel like I have a lot of confidence in my game,” said the Southern Illinois University commit, when asked about the challenge ahead. “The Canadian Amateur is a big tournament, so it’ll be a lot of fun to play against those guys. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to play against them, so I’m just testing my game against the best amateurs in the country, it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Thomas Critch, whose familial ties to the host city garnered him a strong following throughout the competition, finished 1-under 287 to capture runner-up honours in the Junior division. The 16-year-old’s performance earned him the title of 2016 Canadian Juvenile Boys champion. The winner of the 16-and-under Juvenile division held the 54-hole lead before shooting a final-round 76.

A pair of 16-year-olds finished 1-over 289 to claim third in the overall competition and second in the Juvenile division. Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont., registered a 68 on the day to climb the leaderboard. He adds the result to a season which has included the Ontario Junior Boys’ title and a victory at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. Duncan, B.C., native and reigning CN Future Links Quebec champion Callum Davison collected two birdies en route to a 76.

Alberta claimed the inter-provincial team title which was played concurrently over the championship’s first 36 holes. Calgary’s Brendan MacDougall, Chandler McDowell of Springbrook and Matt Bean from Canmore finished 2-under 286 for a nine-stroke victory.

The 2017 edition of the competition will be contested at Cataraqui Golf & Country in Kingston, Ont., from July 31 to August 3.

Additional information on the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship can be found here.

GATINEAU, Que. – History abounds at the 112^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. A number of significant milestones surround this year’s edition of the world’s third oldest amateur golf competition to be co-hosted by The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que., and Eagle Creek Golf Club in Dunrobin, Ont., from August 8-11.

The championship returns to The Royal Ottawa Golf Club – the inaugural tournament’s host venue – in celebration of the club’s 125^th year. Eagle Creek will co-host this historic competition as part of its festivities surrounding its 25^th anniversary. The 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will also mark the first time the event has been staged in two provinces.

“This year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is going to be special,” noted Tournament Director Adam Helmer. “The beginnings of Canadian golf have their roots at The Royal Ottawa – both this prestigious tournament and Golf Canada itself. Every year, this competition offers players the opportunity to add their names to the story of golf in Canada.”

In 2015, Billy Kennerly shot a final-round 2-under 70 to claim a six-stroke victory at Weston Golf & Country Club. The Alpharetta, Ga., native added the victory to an already impressive amateur career before turning professional earlier this year.

A full field of competitors from seven countries will compete for the Earl Grey Trophy and the title of Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, including Travis Smyth of Shellharbour, Australia. The 21-year-old, who is No. 62 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, claimed a runner-up result at the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship and a T4 at the 2016 Players Amateur. Also in the field is No. 76 Kristoffer Ventura of Rygge, Norway, who is coming off a 5^th-place finish at the 2016 European Men’s Team Championship.

Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., native Hugo Bernard and Elmira, Ont., product Garrett Rank earned shares of second last year and translated that result into success in 2016. Bernard was named to Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, then claimed medallist honours at the 2016 NCAA Division II Championship before capturing this year’s Alexander of Tunis. Rank went on to defend his Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title before competing in the 2016 RBC Canadian Open and then securing medallist honours to earn entry into this year’s U.S. Amateur.

Joining Bernard will be teammate Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., who is hoping to build upon a season which has included a T9 at the RBC Canadian Open to earn the Gary Cowan Medal as low amateur and a T4 at the Porter Cup. Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald and Blair Hamilton from Burlington, Ont., will complete the Amateur Squad contingent.

The five members of the National Team Development Squad will also be in contention. Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., captured the CN Future Links Pacific title in his final year of eligibility on the junior circuit. He will be joined by teammates Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson of Aurora, Ont., Québec City’s Charles-Éric Bélanger, A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., and Calgarian Alexander Smith.

An inter-provincial team championship will be played in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the competition with three-member teams vying for the Willingdon Cup. Team British Columbia comprised of National Team members Macdonald and du Toit, alongside Kevin Kwon of Maple Ridge, B.C., claimed a three-stroke victory in 2015.

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Qualifier will be played at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club on August 5. A minimum of five spots into the tournament will be awarded. Additional information can be found here.

Two days of practice rounds are slated for August 6 and 7 before competitors take to both courses on August 8 and 9 for the championship’s opening 36 holes. The field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the two final rounds to be contested at The Royal Ottawa.

In addition to claiming the title of 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Admission to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is free during tournament week. Additional details regarding the championship are available here.

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – The second round of the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship saw hard greens soften under a dewy morning at the Links at Penn Hills. Victoria’s Naomi Ko carded a 5-under 67 en route to extending a three-stroke advantage.

The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member carded a bogey-free second round to extend her streak of holes without a blemish to 31. She took quick possession of the lead following back-to-back birdies on holes 3 and 4 before adding another on the par-3 No. 8. A 2-under 34 across the back nine moved Ko to 6-under through 36 holes.

“The weather was nice and the greens were holding up better today, everything was pretty solid,” said Ko. “My ball-striking was pretty good and I hit a lot of greens which helps. There were a couple of putts that slipped a bit, but I’ll take a 5-under any day.”

Ko is competing in her fifth and final national 18-and-under championship before she loses eligibility in six days. The North Carolina State University sophomore posted a fourth-place finish at this competition in 2014 when it was hosted at Thornhill Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ont., and a second-runner-up result last year at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

“I’m excited and kind of sad at the same time that it’s my last Canadian Juniors, but I’m just going to try to do my best and hopefully the results will show. I kind of have to get my head out of the scores and focus on my game. Experience helps a lot and being with Team Canada really helps to support me in this kind of environment.”

A six-birdie day propelled Delta, B.C., native Mary Parsons into second-place at 3-under. The 2016 CN Future Links Pacific champion matched Ko’s 67 after draining three consecutive birdies across holes 2 to 4 and then equaling the feat on holes 16 to 18.

Team Canada Development Squad member Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., shot 1-under on the day to finish in a tie for third with Maple Ridge, B.C., resident and fellow 16-year-old Cecile Kwon. Currie carded three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th hole en route to her 71. The pair lead the 16-and-under Juvenile division at even-par, while first-round leader Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C., carded a 75 and is one stroke back.

Parsons, Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong and Hannah Lee of Surrey combined to deliver British Columbia its second inter-provincial team title in as many years. The trio finished the day 3-under to emerge victorious with a team total of 2-over 290 – seven strokes clear of their first-round co-leaders from Team Ontario.

The 2016 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont., from July 25 to 28.

A total of 70 players finished 172-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The third round will see the first group tee off from No. 1 at 7:30 a.m. ADT.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

JOHN’S, N.L. – Early morning clouds separated and beams of sunshine broke through in much the same way that third-round action unfolded at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Thomas Critch, who began the day with a share of 7^th, carded a 5-under 67 to sit atop the leaderboard at Clovelly.

Critch – a dual citizen who resides in Cedar Park, Texas – collected seven birdies on the day, including five across a bogey-free back nine, highlighted by a 45-foot putt on No. 14. He would go on to birdie his final two holes to claim sole possession of the lead at 5-under 211.

“I had it going at the beginning,” recounted the 16-year-old. “I was 2-under through four and then I had a couple of slip-ups on six and eight. I made a really good par putt on hole nine that got me going. I just had it going on the back nine. I was putting really well.”

The University of Arkansas commit garnered a strong following throughout the day that was more than eager to lend their support to a hometown boy.

“My grandpa used to be a member here [at Clovelly]. I used to come here every summer and play a couple of rounds. So playing in this and knowing that my whole family is going to be out here watching is really special to me.”

“When I found out the tournament was going to be in St. John’s, I really wanted to play in it very badly,” Critch added. “Just to be in the hunt to win is really cool and if I can win, that’d be great. I bet my family would be really proud of me.”

Heading into the final round, Critch stressed the need for focus and self-confidence.

“I just have to take it one shot at a time and not get too carried away if I’m ahead by a lot or behind by a lot. You can make a lot of birdies, so you’ve just got to stay patient. I just have to know that I can make a lot of birdies like I did today.”

Trailing Critch in both the Junior and Juvenile divisions is Duncan, B.C., native Callum Davison. The 2016 CN Future Links Quebec champion carded a 72 with a trio of birdies on the day to sit two strokes off the lead. 18-hole leader Sam Meek of Peterborough, Ont., and 36-hole leader Brendan MacDougall from Calgary hold shares of third at 2-under. Fellow Calgarian Max Murchison is two shots back of Davison in the 16-and-under Juvenile division.

Alberta claimed the inter-provincial team title which was played concurrently over the championship’s first two rounds. The trio of Calgary’s Brendan MacDougall, Chandler McDowell of Springbrook and Matt Bean from Canmore finished 2-under 286 for a nine-stroke victory.

In addition to the title of Canadian Junior Boys champion, the winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be co-hosted by The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club from August 8 to 11.

The third day of competition will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. NST. Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

JOHN’S, N.L. – Brisk temperatures and grey skies set the stage for Team Alberta emerging victorious in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship’s inter-provincial team competition. Brendan MacDougall was even-par on the day in leading the prairie province to victory.

“It’s kind of cool,” reflected the 18-year-old when asked about the provincial win. “You don’t see many team events in junior golf. For us to come together as a team and play well is pretty interesting. The two guys on the team are great. Chandler and Matt are great guys, fun to have around and fun to hang out with and they’re good golfers, too.”

Joining MacDougall were Chandler McDowell of Springbrook and Matt Bean of Canmore. The team earned a 2-under 286 result for a nine-stroke victory. Team British Columbia consisting of Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, Adam Veenstra from Smithers and Team Canada Development Squad member A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam claimed runner-up honours in the 36-hole team competition.

MacDougall began the day in third, but with today’s 72, climbed into a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at 3-under. The Calgarian notched four birdies on the day, but a penalty on the par-5 17^th hole prevented him from claiming sole possession of the lead.

“The round today was pretty good. I was playing well. I started off a little rough, but I found a way to get back. I made a mistake on 17 which cost me two shots, but I’ll get over it,” said the resilient MacDougall.

When looking ahead to the final two days of competition, the High Point University commit remains focused on the process of competing rather than achieving results alone.

“My goal this year was just to come in and a Top-10 would have been awesome. A Top-5 would have been unreal. So that goal still stands right now. It’s pretty good to keep improving every year and see that I’m doing better each year that I’m playing.”

Knotted alongside MacDougall are fellow Albertan Max Sekulic of Rycroft who was 1-over on the day and Callum Davison who carded a 67 for the day’s low round. A native of Duncan, B.C., Davison also leads the Juvenile competition. Thomas Critch of Cedar Park, Texas finished with a 74 and is three strokes off the lead in the 16-and-under division.

In addition to the title of Canadian Junior Boys champion, the winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be co-hosted by The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club from August 8 to 11.

A total of 74 players finished 154-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The third day of competition will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. NST.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Dry heat and harsh winds made for unpredictable conditions at the Links at Penn Hills as the opening round of the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship got underway. Alisha Lau persevered through a blustery back nine and sits alone atop the leaderboard at 2-under 70.

The Richmond, B.C., native tallied four birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 3-under. The 16-year-old added another birdie on the par-4 10th hole, but bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 cut into her advantage.

“I felt pretty good. I got off to a hot start, so that helped boost my confidence,” said Lau. “The front nine was pretty calm because the trees shielded it from the wind, and then on the back nine it really started picking up. I’m playing pretty conservatively and trying to find my happy medium. I don’t hit it too long either, so I can use the bounce from the fairway to really help me.”

Lau’s best finish at this competition was a T20 in 2014 at Thornhill Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. In the second round of last year’s championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., she was forced to withdraw due to a bout of food poisoning.

“I took a lot of time off in the winter, so this year I’m just trying to play my game. I haven’t been putting too many expectations on myself. My score today is giving me a little bit of confidence for the next three days, but they’re going to be a long three days still. It’s going to be a grind.”

Victoria’s Naomi Ko leads all Team Canada members in the field at 1-under 71. The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member carded four birdies on the day to join Lau as the only players to finish below-par.

Fellow Victoria native Akari Hayashi recovered from a 4-over front nine with a five-birdie performance through her final seven holes to finish the day in third at even-par. The 13-year-old holds a three-stroke lead over Development Squad member Tiffany Kong in the Juvenile division.

Team Ontario and Team British Columbia lead the inter-provincial team competition at 149 – five strokes clear of second-place. Development Squad member Chloe Currie of Mississauga carded a 73 to lead the Team Ontario contingent consisting of Isabella Portokalis of London and Alexandra Naumovski from Hornby. Team Canada members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Hannah Lee (Surrey) round out Team British Columbia alongside Mary Parsons (Delta).

The 2016 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted by Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont., from July 25 to 28.

The second round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship will see the first group of girls tee off from the first hole at 7:30 a.m. ADT.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

Kimberley, B.C., product Jared du Toit ignited the nation during the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club where he finished T9 amongst some of the best golfers in the world. Here’s what clubs he used during his run at the Open to help him win the Gary Cowan Award for low amateur:

JOHN’S, N.L. – The unpredictable weather conditions characteristic of the Newfoundland golf experience welcomed competitors to the first round of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Sam Meek opened with a 6-under 66 showing at Clovelly to sit atop the leaderboard.

The native of Peterborough, Ont., began his round by birdieing No. 10. He would go on to collect nine more birdies on the day, including four back-to-back pairs to claim the early lead.

“It was really good,” said Meek when asked about his round. “I struck the ball really well. I was able to make 10 birdies today, so that always helps your cause. Just closing out the round was probably my main focus once I got to the back nine. I had a few hiccups on the back, but I was able to keep it intact for a good round.”

Beaming sunshine and clear skies gave way to chilly gusts and cloud cover as the day progressed. “Early on in the round, the conditions were very score-able,” explained Meek. “For our front nine, there was no wind, it was sunny, then all of a sudden, we were standing on the eighth tee and we all said to each other, ‘it just got really cold’ and the wind picked up tremendously. So you definitely had to change your game plan accordingly.”

Meek, who finished T35 in 2015 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., stressed the need to remain focused in the coming days.

“A four-day tournament is long, it’s not a sprint. You’ve got to stay patient with it. When you get the opportunity to make your birdies, you have to make them and just hold on when the weather gets tough.”

Max Sekulic carded a 68 and is two shots back of the lead. The Rycroft, Alta., native began the day on the back nine and collected a string of three birdies on holes 12 to 14, before registering a bogey-free 2-under 34 across the second half of his round. Fellow Albertan Brendan MacDougall of Calgary sits third following a 3-under 69 performance.

Team Alberta holds a seven-stroke advantage in the inter-provincial team competition. MacDougall’s 69 and Springbrook, Alta., native Chandler McDowell’s 71 gives the team a total of 4-under 140. Matt Bean of Canmore completes the contingent from the prairie province.

Team Canada Development Squad member Charles-Éric Bélanger of Québec City, Marc-Antoine Hotte of Mascouche and Longueil’s Laurent Desmarchais form the team representing Québec, which sits second at 3-over 147.

Sitting atop the Juvenile division is Thomas Critch of Cedar Park, Texas. The 16-year-old notched five birdies and sits T4 in the overall competition at 2-under. One stroke off the lead in the 16-and-under division is Chandler McDowell.

In addition to the title of Canadian Junior Boys champion, the winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The competition will be co-hosted by The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club from August 8 to 11.

The second round of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. NST. The afternoon wave of competitors will begin their rounds at 12:30 p.m. NST.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

LEWISTON, NY – The good times continued on Saturday for newfound Canadian fan-favourite Jared du Toit, who rallied with a final-round 67 (-3) to crack the Top-5 at the Porter Cup.

A member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, du Toit carded four birdies alongside just one bogey to continue his strong rebound after an opening-round 73 (+3) set him back on Wednesday. His effort on Saturday solidified another strong result following his captivating performance at the RBC Canadian Open last week, in which the 21-year-old finished inside the Top-10 to earn the Gary Cowan award (low amateur) amongst the world’s best athletes.

The Kimberley, B.C., native finished at 4-under par (73-67-69-67) for the tournament, sharing fourth place with fellow Canadian Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont. The pair of Canucks finished 10 strokes back of champion Harrison Endycott of Australia, who closed at 14-under (69-64-67-66) to earn the one-stroke victory over runner-up Gavin Hall of Pittsford, N.Y.

du Toit, entering his senior year at Arizona State, now sits at No.25 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), which will likely improve further following his finish at the “A” ranked Porter Cup event. Team Canada teammates Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.) and Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.) came in at even-par to finish T18, while Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.) was 4-over to finish T35.

Team Canada’s Josée Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. claimed the victory in the women’s event back in June.

Click here for full scoring.