Amateur Team Canada

Team Canada’s Josée Doyon claims victory at Women’s Porter Cup

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Josée Doyon (Herb Fung/ Golf Canada)

LEWISTON, N.Y. – National Team member Josée Doyon carded a final-round 66 to win the 4th annual Women’s Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club. The 23-year-old finished 3-under 210 to earn a five-stroke victory over 19-year-old Princess Superal of Dasmariñas City in the Philippines.

“It feels great,” commented Doyon, when asked about the title of Women’s Porter Cup champion. “After finishing third last year and now coming off a really good week of practice with Team Canada. It feels awesome.”

Doyon finished third in the 2015 edition of the event behind fellow Canadian Christina Foster of Concord, Ont., and the winner Ana Paula Valdes of Merelia, Mexico. The resilient native of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., would not be denied this year, shooting a 66 – the tournament’s low round – to secure the victory.

“What really helped me today was my ball-striking,” she added. “I really hit my driver well. I just kept my game plan and I was not too aggressive. I stayed patient out there and I just made every birdie that I could when I had the opportunity. I didn’t make many long putts, except at the end on 18. It was great to finish with a birdie right in front of everybody.”

Doyon entered the final round T2 alongside fellow National Team member Jaclyn Lee of Calgary; the pair trailed Superal by two strokes. Lee would go on to finish in a tie for third with Haylee Harford of Leavittsburg, Ohio.

The Women’s National Team spent the past week training at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont., with Head Coach Tristan Mullally – an experience which Doyon says helped prepare her for the competition. “I feel like there were two or three things that I worked on with Tristan this week that really made a huge difference. I feel like because I worked really hard, I just felt ready for the Porter Cup and I could just trust everything I’ve been learning.”

The first-year National Team member reflected positively on the experience of representing Canada. “It felt great at the end,” she said of her teammates. “They hugged me and said congratulations. It’s just so nice – that feeling that we are Team Canada. Canada was really well-represented at this tournament and I feel like it just makes us all stronger to have that support of players from our home country.”

Team Canada Development Squad member Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., and the National Team’s Naomi Ko of Victoria were T7 at 7-over 220. Former Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay from St-Hyancinthe, Que., finished T10.

Full results from the 2016 Women’s Porter Cup are available here.

Champions Tour

Jobe leads Senior Players, Langer stroke back

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Brandt Jobe (Jeff Curry/ Getty Images)

FLOURTOWN, Pa. – Two-time defending champion Bernhard Langer pulled within a stroke of leader Brandt Jobe on Friday in the Constellation Senior Players Championship.

Langer shot a 2-under 68 at windy Philadelphia Cricket Club in the third of the PGA Tour Champions’ five major championships. Jobe topped the leaderboard at 2 under after his second straight 69.

Scott Dunlap had a 69 to match Langer at 1 under.

First-round leader Jay Don Blake (72) was even par with Wes Short Jr. (69) and Bart Bryant (71). Tom Byrum had a 67, the best score of the week, to join Woody Austin (70) at 1 over.

Vijay Singh followed his opening 69 with a 74 to drop to 3 over.

John Daly had his second straight 76. He’s playing his fifth event since turning 50 in late April.

Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont., carded a 77 and sits T79.

Amateur

Sam Diamond and Shirin Anjarwalla take early leads as CN Future Links Prairie Championship opens

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Shirin Anjarwalla (Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)

NEEPAWA, Man. – The 2016 CN Future Links Prairie Championship opened at Neepawa Golf & Country Club amidst gusting winds reaching 50km/h. Sam Diamond and Shirin Anjarwalla claimed the 18-hole leads to top the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Divisions, respectively.

Diamond began the day with a bogey-free front nine which included two birdies and ended with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. The Winnipeg product would go on to card a 2-under 70 to seize the early lead. Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont., sits one shot back of the leader. The 16-year-old collected a trio of birdies on the day.

Six players concluded the opening round tied for third at 1-over. Keith Ng of Richmond, B.C., Victoria’s Keaton Gudz (Victoria) and Yorkton, Sask., native Kade Johnson each collected three birdies for their shares of third. The trio are tied alongside Ryan McMillan (Winnipeg) and a pair of Calgarians in Owen Murray and Max Murchison, who led all competitors with five birdies on the day.

Shirin Anjarwalla carded a 6-over 78 to claim a two-stroke lead in the Junior Girls Division. The Nanaimo, B.C., native opened with a steady 1-over 37 on the front nine. Tied for second at 8-over are Camryn Roadley ofWinnipeg and Julie (Younsoo) Ju of West Vancouver, B.C.

Surrey, B.C., native Kate (Dahye) Choi currently sits fourth at 9-over 81, while Winnipeg’s Rebecca Kuik completes the Top-5 at 11-over.

The top six players in the Junior Boys Division will earn entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4. Exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff in the case of ties. All competitors within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls Division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The tournament will be conducted from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls Division tee-off at 7:30 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:20 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.

PGA TOUR Americas

Cory Renfrew sits T2; Caleb Sturgeon takes first round lead in Kelowna

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Cory Renfrew (Chuck Russell/ PGA TOUR)

KELOWNA, B.C. – Laurens, South Carolina’s Caleb Sturgeon shot a 7 under 64 on Thursday at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club to take the first round lead at the inaugural GolfBC Championship, the third event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 23-year old University of South Carolina graduate holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to reach 7-under, one shot ahead of Victoria, B.C.’s Cory Renfrew, French Polynesia’s Vaita Guillaume and Cosa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp.

“It was a good feeling,” said Sturgeon of the long birdie putt at the final hole. “I hadn’t made too many long putts today. Just to see that one go in to close out the day gave me some good momentum going into tomorrow.”

Sturgeon’s other notable highlight from the day came on the par-4 2nd hole, where he holed out from 121 yards. Beyond a few fireworks, however, the second-year pro said it was mostly consistency that led him to his solid opening round.

“I felt good over the golf ball. I just did everything solid. I did hole out, but other than that I felt like I had a good attitude, and kept it moving forward,” said Sturgeon.

Renfrew, a fifth-year Mackenzie Tour member, shot his first sub-70 round of the season to hold solo second place and credited a different approach than his first two events of the season (T50-CUT) for his round.

“I worked hard over the weekend and came into this week with a different attitude, trying to go get it instead of letting it come to me. I think I was just relaxed from the get-go, even though I started with a bogey on my second hole. I just stayed patient and had fun out there,” said Renfrew.

Guillaume, meanwhile, leveraged a stellar short game for his round 65, including a hole out for eagle from about 60 yards on the 18th (his ninth hole of the day) and a difficult up-and-down for birdie on the ninth.

“When you know that your short game can save you from bad situations, it takes a little bit of pressure off. Fortunately, I found a little swing though this morning that seems to have helped,” said Guillaume.

Knapp, who Monday qualified for the event, said he was appreciative of the opportunity to compete this week and took advantage with a solid opening round.

“I felt like this was all I really needed, to get through those Mondays,” said Knapp. “Those are really the hard part for me, and if I played well enough in those, I knew I had the game to play well in the actual tournament.”

Champions Tour

Jay Don Blake leads Senior Players Championship

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Jay Don Blake (Kevin C. Cox/ Getty Images)

FLOURTOWN, Pa.  Jay Don Blake birdied three of the last five holes Thursday at windy Philadelphia Cricket Club for a 2-under 70 and the first-round lead in the Constellation Senior Players Championship.

The 57-year-old Blake had five birdies and three bogeys on the A.W. Tillinghast-designed Wissahickon Course. He won the last of his three senior titles in 2012, and won at Torrey Pines in 1991 for his lone PGA Tour victory.

“Tough golf course out there and I’m just happy to get done with a couple under par,” Blake said. “Hit it pretty decent all day. … Hit it well, played well and just kind of executed some good shots out there today.”

Blake birdied the first two holes, then bogeyed the par-4 sixth, par-3 eighth and par-4 11th. He rebounded with birdies on par-3 14th, par-5 15th and par-4 17th in third of the PGA Tour Champions’ five majors.

“It was chilly early, still had some wind,” Blake said. “Luckily, the first couple holes were downwind so that was kind of a little help off to start. The first two holes, made birdie, so got off to a good start. Then we started about three, four holes right in a row just dead into the wind and it was cold, ball was going nowhere. It was just kind of survival.”

Vijay Singh bogeyed the par-4 18th to fall a stroke back along with Jeff Sluman, Brandt Jobe and Bart Bryant.

“It’s a tough day,” said the 53-year-old Singh, winless in seven career starts on the 50-and-over tour. “Regardless of what club you’ve got in the hand, wedge or 9-iron or 3-wood, it’s still long, gusty crosswinds. I played pretty good. I kept the ball in play most of the day, and unfortunately, had two three-putts, but that was pretty easy to do out here.”

The 34-time PGA Tour winner has made 15 starts this year on the regular tour.

“I think the last three or four events when I came over here, I kind of put too much pressure on myself that I have to win,” Singh said. “I just came this week just to have a good time and enjoy it and play good golf.”

Colin Montgomerie topped the group at 70.

“You get out of position off the tee and then you’re struggling,” Montgomerie said. “But I think it’s terrific, I really do. I think this is marvelous. This is a real major. This has a major feel to it. You could put these greens on any course worldwide and everyone would be thrilled with them.”

Two-time defending champion Bernhard Langer bogeyed three of his last four holes for a 71.

“It was really windy. That was tough,” Langer said. “Gusty winds, so it’s difficult to control. And the greens are lightning fast. On 18, I was in the right bunker and it was downwind, down grain, downhill, hard to stop the ball, it just keeps rolling and rolling and ended up making bogey. You’ve got to be aware of trying to keep the ball below the hole, which is tough to do when it’s windy like this.”

The German star won in 2014 at Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh and last year at Belmont in Massachusetts.

“It’s a great venue,” Langer said. “It’s any bit as good as the ones we played the last couple years. They always pick great golf courses and this is no exception.”

Sluman bogeyed 16 and 18 after reaching 3 under with a birdie on 15. Jobe also bogeyed the 18th.

“Overall, pretty happy with the day,” Sluman said. “Played solid golf in very trying conditions and this golf course is very challenging. It’s a great test of golf.”

Billy Andrade, Scott Dunlap and Doug Garwood matched Montgomerie at 70.

Tom Watson, at age 66, was in the group at 71.

“It’s a Tillinghast golf course. I’ve played a lot of Tillinghast golf courses and they are difficult,” Watson said. “You really have to hit a lot of quality shots. The greens are very quick and, with this northwest wind, it played very tough today. … This golf course is all you want.”

John Daly and Rod Spittle of St. Catharines, Ont., are T53 after matching 76s. Playing his fifth event on the tour since turning 50 in late April, Daly had a double bogey on the par-5 fifth, five bogeys and one birdie.

PGA TOUR

Shawn Stefani, Tom Hoge, Seung-Yul Noh share Memphis lead

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Shawn Stefani (Andy Lyons/ Getty Images)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Shawn Stefani, Tom Hoge and Seung-yul Noh shared the FedEx St. Jude Classic lead at 5-under 65 on Thursday.

Little wind and perfect though fast greens created near perfect scoring conditions at the TPC Southwind. Some extra rough requiring tight shots also provided a good test for players preparing for the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.

Hoge had a bogey-free round with five birdies in the morning group. This is only the second time Hoge has played the event, but he has qualified for the U.S. Open twice in Memphis and tied for 12th at Southwind last year.

“I don’t know if it’s the food or the water or what it is, but Memphis has been good to me,” Hoge said. “Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

Stefani was the lone player teeing off in the afternoon to work his way into a tie for the lead and stay there. The Texan was 5 under between Nos. 7 and 10 with an eagle at No. 9 where Stefani was just trying to avoid the water with the hole tucked left.

“It was nice to see one go in for a change,” said Stefani, who has made only eight of 20 cuts this season. “Most of them have been hitting and spinning back going in the water this year. It is nice to kind of see some balls going my way and shots going my way for the day.”

Dustin Johnson, the 2012 champ here, was in the group at 66 with Steve Stricker, Jamie Donaldson, Colt Knost, Brian Gay and Miguel Angel Carballo. Retief Goosen, Scott Stallings and Justin Leonard – a two-time champ here – all shot 67s. Henrik Norlander of Sweden had a share of the lead with two holes to play among the final players on the course. But he three-putted from 4 feet on the par-3 eighth and finished with a 67.

Phil Mickelson matched defending champion Fabian Gomez of Argentina at 70.

Johnson had a share of the lead too with three holes left after going 6 under between Nos. 16 and No. 2 with an eagle and four birdies. He might have had the top of the leaderboard to himself if not for what happened during the rest of a roller-coaster round that also featured a double bogey, three bogeys and three other birdies.

He said he feels as if he’s playing well with the exception a few lapses in concentration. The last came on his final hole at the par-4 ninth when he came up well short of the hole, resulting in his third bogey and dropping him a shot back of the leaders.

“Obviously, I hit a lot of great shots and, you know, just a little disappointed I made a bogey on the last hole being in the middle of the fairway,” Johnson said. “I pulled my wedge shot a little bit, but it’s right there. I mean, 15 feet from the hole you got to get that up and down. Have to hit a great chip shot. All in all, it’s a good day. 4-under out here is not a bad score but I feel like I’m playing a lot better than that.”

That Johnson is. He finished third at Memorial last week for his seventh top 10 this season, and a tie for 28th at The Players Championship in May is his worst week since tying for 41st at Pebble Beach in February.

But Johnson has a streak of winning at least once a year the past eight years, and he also is prepping for the U.S. Open after his agonizing three-putt on the final hole of that major a year ago to miss out on a playoff.

“I’m very excited. The game is in good shape all around,” Johnson said. “Everything is working pretty well. Just a few poor swings today but other than that, I made most of the putts.”

Goosen is playing after a three-week break to prepare for Oakmont, and he needs to work on his putting to finish off more birdie chances. Hitting the fairways is a must this week.

“Generally there’s not much rough, and this year we have rough,” Goosen said. “Hitting fairways this year is a premium, and in the past you could miss a few fairways and get away with it. But you get punished this time.”

Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn shot 71 for a share of 68th.

Olympic revival: Defending the gold medal

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Olympic Golf Trophy (Graig Abel)

There is great excitement surrounding golf’s return to the Olympics—and rightfully so. With the Olympic dream now a reality, it is important to remember a Canadian legend—the story of defending Olympic gold medalist George Seymour Lyon.

Canada has held the title of Olympic golf champion for 112 years since the trophy was last hoisted at the St. Louis Games in 1904. Lyon, 46 at the time of his victory, defeated American H. Chandler Egan 3&2 in the 36-hole match-play final. You can make a case that had his accomplishments happened against today’s sport and media landscape, we would be talking about one of Canada’s iconic athletes.

At the time, golf enthusiasts could not have predicted that 1904 would be the last time the Olympic golf competition would be contested for more than a century. As time went on and pro golf tours like the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour made their way to the forefront, golf slowly faded from the Olympic landscape.

Fast forward to 2009, where the International Golf Federation (IGF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) collectively agreed to reintroduce golf to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as a 72-hole stroke-play event.

How will Canada fare at the Games in Rio? Our team is well-positioned to defend its title—thanks in part to Mr. Lyon paving the way for golf in Canada.

Golf Canada is extremely excited to have a very talented group of professionals in line to fill the four spots (two male, two female) that we expect to receive based on the qualification process. On the women’s side, Brooke Henderson (currently ranked No. 4 on the Olympic rankings) and Alena Sharp (No. 37) hold Canada’s best female rankings and both have very good chances of being on the women’s squad come the July 11th cut-off date.

At just 18 years of age, Brooke has vaulted herself amongst the world’s elite through her amazing talent and work ethic. I have had the pleasure of watching her develop as a member of Team Canada for five years—witnessing first hand her abilities, confidence and commitment to excellence. She has shown poise beyond her years and is eager to represent Canada on the global stage.

Her counterpart, Alena, had her best season in 2015 with five Top-25 LPGA finishes and continues to impress as the Games get closer. With ten years of professional experience, she will be a strong addition to Team Canada in Rio this August.

On the men’s side, PGA TOUR stars David Hearn and Graham DeLaet are currently positioned to fly the flag for Canada. Hearn (No. 38 on the Olympic rankings), wowed Canadians this past summer in his bid to win the RBC Canadian Open—eventually finishing third.

Rounding out the squad if selection were today would be DeLaet, (No. 41), who not only is a premier competitor but also someone who has given back to the game as an ambassador for the Golf in Schools program. A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad, he has been a leading Canadian figure on Tour and is primed for a strong return following last year’s injury-plagued season.

The selection of the men’s team could come down to the wire as a pair of rising stars—Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor—could very well make a run at one of the top-two rankings. Hadwin currently sits 32 world ranking spots out of the second Olympic spot.

Supporting the players as they head into Rio, I am proud to serve in the capacity of Team Leader and will be leaning on the coaching expertise of Team Canada coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally. Proud members of the PGA of Canada, Ingram and Mullally will lead the men’s and women’s squads respectively in Rio and will provide support to the players leading up to and during the event.

Preparation for the Olympics began long ago. I have had the pleasure of making two trips down to the site of the Games with the Canadian Olympic Committee—familiarizing with the organizing committee and the local environment. Ingram and Mullally will both have made a site visit to the golf course in advance of the Games to gain some insight into how they can best support the players.

To say I’m excited about golf’s return to the Games is an understatement—the global exposure will be huge for our sport and for Golf Canada’s high performance program. Will we see Canada defend George S. Lyon’s gold medal in Rio? I know our athletes and our coaches are determined to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait for the 2016 Games to get here as it will be two of the most exciting weeks in golf’s storied history.

Gordon on Golf

Hugo Bernard – A name to remember

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Hugo Bernard (Graig Abel)

If someone mentions Hugo Bernard and you ask, “Who-go Who?, you haven’t been paying attention to the future of Canadian golf.

Full disclosure: That was me a couple of weeks ago.

Now I know better, and so should you.

Some close to him say he may turn out to be the best golfer ever to come out of Quebec. And that is saying a lot, considering the rich tradition of the game in that province.

Bernard, 21, has “flown under the radar for the most part,” says Derek Ingram, Golf Canada’s National Men’s Team Coach.

That’s a little surprising, seeing the 21-year-old lefty from Mont-St-Hilaire was the medallist at this year’s NCAA Division II Championship. That capped off an impressive freshman year at Florida’s Saint Leo University where he also won the NCAA’s Argonaut Invitational and posted a couple of other top four finishes in eight events. He won the Division II Golf Coaches Association of America Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year award and was a first-team all-American.

We should have seen this coming.

In 2015, he tied for second in both the Canadian Amateur and Quebec Amateur, a title he won in 2013 as a junior. Those were just highlights from a stellar junior career.

Unlike us, Bernard did see this coming.

“I have always thought I had a good enough game to play at the highest level. My goal in my first year at college was to win at least once, and I won twice, including the big one. As well, I kept putting myself in position and if I keep doing that, I will win more.”

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Bernard has the size, strength and talent to contend in the modern pro game.

But, says Ingram, “the mini-tours are jammed with big guys with lots of talent. It’s not all about that to make it to the top. It’s about putting in the effort.”

The 15th club in Bernard’s bag, says his coach, is that almost uncoachable attribute: Hard work.

“Hugo is long and accurate off the tee. He’s got a great iron game and he continually is working on his short game. But what makes him special is his dedication to working, improving.  He’s super eager to learn and he learns fast.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I know what the best players look like, whether it’s the pros or the top amateurs. I’ve always told Hugo that he has the ability to be among the top amateurs in the world. Now he is starting to believe that.”

And so should we.

(Hugo Bernard and several other Canadians will be competing this week at the historic Monroe Invitational at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y. www.monroeinvitational.com )

PGA TOUR RBC Canadian Open

Seven advance to 2016 RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifying from Quebec Regional event

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Gianfranco Guida (Golf Canada)

SAINTE-JULIE, Que. – A field of 29 fought against 60km/h winds at Club de Golf La Vallée du Richelieu, with Gianfranco Guida, Jean-Philip Cornellier, Tim Alarie, and Marc-Étienne Bussières earning exemptions into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier on July 18.

Guida of Maple, Ont., stayed bogey-free through 15 holes with a birdie on 13 and an eagle on 14 to claim a share of the top spot.

“It was playing really tough because of the wind, but the greens were very pure,” he said. “Playing golf in Australia really taught me how to play into the wind. You just have to hit a lot of knockdowns and you have to know what clubs to hit.”

The 27-year-old is hoping that the final qualifier will lead to a spot in the RBC Canadian Open field. “My career is at the tipping point of whether I’m going to continue doing it. I’m glad in the sense that hopefully if I get through it will be big validation, and I can continue playing and find it easier to find funding.”

Co-leader Jean-Philip Cornellier of St-Césaire, Que., tallied four birdies on the day, two of which came back-to-back on holes 14 and 15. Tim Alarie of St-Jérôme, Que., and Sherbrooke, Que., native Marc-Étienne Bussières also finished with matching 72s.

At T5, former Team Canada Development Squad member Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.), Chad Merzbacher (Eden Prairie, Minn.), and Pierre-Alexandre Bédard (Chibougamau, Que.) will join Guida, Cornellier, Alarie, and Bussières at the Final Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., on July 18.

In total, there are three regional qualifying events, each consisting of 18 holes of stroke play. Provided that there are 100 or more players in the field, the low qualifier receives an exemption directly into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. Otherwise, the top 15 per cent of finishers at each qualifier become eligible to compete at the final qualifying event.

A minimum of four players from the 18-hole stroke play final qualifier will gain entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.

There is one RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier left to be played:

  • June 20 – King’s Forest Golf Club, Hamilton, Ont.

Additional information regarding the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier in Quebec can be found here.

Amateur

Monet Chun and Callum Davison claim 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship titles

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Callum Davison and Monet Chun (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

BEAUCEVILLE, Que. – A cloudy drizzle hung over Club de golf Beauceville, but the competitors played through the damp conditions as the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship drew to a close. Monet Chun and Callum Davison held the opposition at bay and emerged victorious at Golf Canada’s third CN Future Links event of the season.

The Junior Girls’ lead teetered between Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Noémie Paré (Victoriaville, Que.) throughout the day, but the resilient Chun made par on her final eight holes to secure top spot. The first-time CN Future Links champion held the lead through all three rounds of play and closed the weekend at 5-over 221.

“My round wasn’t great today, but I’m glad I finished well on the back nine,” she said. “It’s my first CN win and I’m really happy about it because it’s one of the biggest tournaments I’ve won.”

The 15-year-old collected two birdies on the day to finish one-stroke ahead of Paré, who carded a 76.

When asked about her preparations for the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Chun said today’s event was a good start. “This win is a definite confidence-booster, and it exposed me to all the good players that are in Quebec. It’s definitely going to help me prepare more for the Nationals.”

Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., remained among the Top-5 throughout the weekend, tallying a tournament total 8-over 224 to claim third place.

Competitors in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division gained entry into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., August 2-5. Chun, Paré, and Dao will be joined by Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.), Meghan McLean (Port Williams, N.S.), and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.).

Four birdies in a final-round 73 made the difference as Callum Davison registered a two-stroke win. The Duncan B.C., resident finished the competition at 3-under 210.

“As the round got going I made a couple good up-and-downs to save par, and then from there I started to play better and get more confident,” he said.

The 15-year-old says the key to his success was staying calm, despite the crowded leaderboard. “I had a little bit of pressure after nine holes, and then gave myself a little bit of a cushion. It feels good to finish well.”

A tournament total of 212 gave first-round leader Sam Meek (Peterborough, Ont.) a runner-up result, while Minwoo Park (Toronto) and Marc-Antoine Hotte (Mascouche, Que.) rounded out the Top-3 with matching 214s.

Team Canada Development Squad member Charles-Éric Bélanger finished tied for 15th. The Québec City native posted a 75 in his final round.

CN Future Links Ontario champion Brandon Lacasse (Châteauguay, Que.) joins Davison, Meek, Park, and Hotte in the Top-5 of the Junior Boys division. All have earned exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s N.L., from August 1-4. William Duquette of Laval, Que., defeated Fredericton, N.B., native Calvin Ross in a one-hole playoff to earn the final qualifying spot available in this competition.

Three more CN Future Links Championships will be played this season:

  • June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
  • July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
  • July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship can be found here.