A joint initiative between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the Provincial Golf Associations, National Junior Golf Development Centres (NJGDC) are recognized as facilities that deliver premium, engaging environments for junior golfers aged 6–18.

To receive the shield, along with the added benefits and promotional perks, facilities are required to meet a set list of minimum standards.

New in 2016, each facility must staff at least one PGA of Canada coach that is certified within the Coach of New Competitor or Developing Competitor context of the National Coaching Certification Plan (NCCP).  For Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, the decision comes at an important time for the initiative and for junior golf altogether.

“NJGDCs were created to showcase facilities that demonstrate the drive to deliver Long-Term Player Development compliant programming through expert PGA of Canada coaching,” he said. “We started with requiring a trained coach but as the initiative evolved, we enhanced the standards to include certified coaches leading the programming”.

Thompson went on to elaborate that the emphasis of the initiative lies primarily with programming and coaching over all else.

“This initiative is aimed at highlighting those committed to providing playground to podium programming that can accommodate juniors of all abilities and desires.  From those picking up a club for the first time through to those who are more serious about pursuing competitive golf—NJGDCs are structured to support a player’s full development.”

All NJGDCs are leaders in delivering Long-Term Player Development compliant programming, including CN Future Links, Learn to Compete and ongoing relationships with Golf in Schools sites.

Looking to find a NJGDC in your area? Visit the Golf Canada Juniors website.

Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa won’t be taking part in golf’s return to the Olympics this year, the third major champion to withdraw in the last week as the deadline nears to confirm participation.

Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews is No. 12 in the world, said Thursday he was pulling out because of family and scheduling issues.

“I have always represented South Africa with pride, so didn’t make my decision without a great deal of thought,” Oosthuizen said.

Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion and No. 7 in the world, cited the busy schedule around the Olympics when the Australian said Tuesday he was withdrawing.

Vijay Singh, a three-time major from Fiji, said last week he was not going to play. The 53-year-old Singh has not won on the PGA Tour for nearly eight years. By not playing, Fiji will not have a representative in Rio because no other male professional has any ranking points.

The International Golf Federation said in a statement, “We’re disappointed with the decision, but we respect the scheduling and personal reasons they cite.”

Potential golfers must submit on May 6 to Olympic drug testing, which is more stringent than the random testing on the PGA Tour. Candidates for the Rio Games are subject to testing at any time and must inform officials of their whereabouts.

Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, a 72-hole stroke-play event for 60 men and 60 women. Qualifying is based on the world ranking, with no country allowed more than two players if they are outside the top 15. Countries, such as the United States in men’s golf and South Korea in women’s golf, are allowed a maximum of four players if they are in the top 15.

Scott’s withdrawal means Marc Leishman (No. 34) would be the top candidate to replace him. The other eligible Australian is Jason Day, who is No. 1. Former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa is No. 20 and would be the best bet to replace Oosthuizen. Branden Grace at No. 11 is the highest-ranked South African.

There is no team competition in Rio.

Jack Nicklaus, at a charity event for the Memorial, told Golf Digest on Wednesday that Scott not playing was “sad for the Olympics and for the game of golf.”

“I don’t know Adam’s circumstances, so I couldn’t comment on what he’s dealing with,” Nicklaus said. “Obviously, he felt like he couldn’t play, and if he felt that way, I understand. But it’s unfortunate. What I’m concerned about is that golf has a little bit of momentum going right now. If the guys don’t want to participate, then we might not be in the Olympics after this. They vote next year.

“And if they vote to keep golf in, then that’s great, but if not then we lose that momentum with growing the game.”

The men’s competition is Aug. 11-14, and it caps a hectic summer schedule. From the U.S. Open (June 16-19) through the PGA Championship (July 28-31), there are three major championships and a World Golf Championship at Firestone.

The British Open ends on July 17 at Royal Troon in Scotland. The RBC Canadian Open runs July 18-24 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The PGA Championship goes the following week at Baltusrol in New Jersey.

Nearly half of the men’s current field for the Olympics would then have one week off before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin in New York on Aug. 25. Three straight weeks of playoff events would be followed by one week off, the Tour Championship and then straight to Minnesota and the Ryder Cup for U.S. and European players.

Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy have all indicated they are looking forward to the Olympics.

Tennis faced similar issues when it went back on the Olympic program in 1988 at Seoul. Boris Becker and Mats Wilander withdrew with injury, while John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova declined to play.

With a schedule that will see him on the road for 180 days this year, there is little time to look in the rear view mirror for Tristan Mullally, Ontario and Canadian Coach of the Year for 2015, unless he’s sitting on an airplane.

One look at the travel itinerary for the Head Coach of Golf Canada’s Women’s National Amateur and Development Teams over the next couple of months will leave you breathless – and that’s just the lead-up to the four majors in five weeks in August and September that Mullally is preparing his girls for, as well as members of the Young Pro Program that he oversees.

This past weekend, Mullally made the trip to Ohio State University to see Canadians in action at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational where Team Canada Amateur squad member Josée Doyon finished T2. From there he will make stops in the coming weeks at the LPGA Tour stops at Volunteers of America Texas Shootout and the Marathon Classic in Ohio, a couple of Symetra Tour events in Albany NY and Michigan, NCAA Regionals and NCAA National Finals, the CN Future Links Pacific Championship in Kamloops, a National Team training camp in Toronto, the Women’s Western National Amateur Championship, the Porter Cup, the Women’s North & South Amateur Championship, several provincial championships, the Canadian Junior Girls’ and Women’s Amateur championships, the US Women’s Amateur and that is just a warm up to the most important stretch of golf for this year.

Canada’s top professional and amateur female golfers will be on the world stage at the Olympic Games in Rio from August 15^th to 21^st, the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from August 22^nd to 28^th in Calgary, AB, the Manulife LPGA Classic from August 31^st to September 4^th in Cambridge, ON, the World Amateur Team Championships from September 14^th to 17th in Mexico and Mullally will be with them every step of the way.

“We have four majors in five weeks. It’s going to be a busy run. It’s make or break. I want these players to have success. They work very hard to try to have success and I want to help them achieve it. I think we have had lots of success from players across the board this year. The last four, five years, Brooke Henderson has stolen the limelight, but if you were to really dig down and look deeper you’ll also see some strong players just below her who I think will start to shine over the next couple of years,” says Mullally who was named 2015 PGA of Ontario and PGA of Canada Coach of the Year earlier this year.

Mullally initially turned heads when he moved his family from Ireland to Oakville, ON, in 2011 to take over as the women’s national coach, but since then the girls he has been coaching have been turning heads. “During my first year, one of my many program targets was to place one player in the top-100 of the world rankings, based on the team’s previous best performance, and last year every player in the program was within the top-100 with six inside the top-50,” Mullally says, noting that players he has coached have won on every female professional tour in North America in 2015 including; the Cactus Tour, the Suncoast Tour, the Canadian Women’s Tour, the Symetra Tour, and the LPGA Tour.

Many of the up-and-coming female Canadian players Mullally has coached over the last five years are showing great potential including; Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Sue Kim, Augusta James, Rebecca Lee Bentham, Brittany Marchand, Jenifer Ha, Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Maude-Aimee Leblanc are now among the professional ranks.

Now there’s a new crew that’s starting to move through the national team program including; Hannah Lee, Kathrine Chan, Chloe Currie, Tiffany Kong and Grace St-Germain on the Development Team and Josée Doyon, Michelle Kim, Jaclyn Lee, Maddie Szeryk and Naomi Ko on the National Amateur Team.

“This is a transition year for the national team and I’m looking forward to seeing the next wave start to come through the system,” says Mullally, who grew up playing Gaelic football, hurling and golf in Ireland. The average player age is 18, but with girls developing at an earlier age than boys, Mullally keeps a close eye on those who are 15-years-old, or a year on either side of that. “When players come to our program a lot of time the bigger weaknesses are about how to actually play, they are not about how to hit shots. It’s actually getting out there and bringing a level of play to competition that we focus on. Success as a professional is not getting your card, it’s actually making money and having a good life on tour, not just playing a year or two, but making a career of it.”

When it comes to the overall approach to coaching, Mullally’s objective is to create pathways to success for as many players as possible. To do this, the 36-year-old, has created a team dynamic for his players to develop not only as individuals, but as a group of players who learn to support each other and may become friends. He has improved and increased consistency for player contact and personal coaching, introduced yoga and meditation to daily practice rituals, included the use of phone Apps to challenge the mental game, added pressure situations to training, streamlined the player support program, increased the use and analysis of stats and much more.

“I now visit players at their home, at their schools and at provincial tournaments rather than just Team Canada events, because it’s important to see them in a variety of settings. It makes for a busy schedule, but it also allows us to have a better picture of the athlete so we can help them get to the next level,” says Mullally, who enjoys spending time with his wife Yelena and their five-month old son when he’s not on the road.

The R&A is demonstrating its support for nine hole golf as an ideal way to play golf in less time whilst still doing so competitively and for handicap purposes by introducing a new championship at Royal Troon this summer.

The inaugural event for amateurs will be played Saturday, July 9th at Royal Troon, giving players the opportunity to play nine holes at the historic Ayrshire links on the eve of The 145TH Open.

In 2017, the event will be expanded to cover golf clubs in Great Britain and Ireland with players being given the opportunity to qualify at nine hole events held by The R&A’s affiliated national associations in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Padraig Harrington, two-time Champion Golfer of the Year and R&A Working for Golf Ambassador, welcomed the initiative.

“People who want to play golf are increasingly struggling to find the time to play and so positioning nine hole golf as a legitimate alternative makes a lot of sense,” he said. “I’m really pleased to see The R&A taking the lead in this area.

“For regular amateur golfers to be able to play The Open venue in championship condition immediately before the best players in the world is a fantastic initiative and I’m sure this new competitive format will encourage more people to get out on the golf course and play nine hole golf.”

The R&A’s extensive survey on pace of play and the subsequent Time for Golf conference in St Andrews last November highlighted the challenges many people face in finding time to play 18 holes, with 60% of the golfers surveyed expressing the view that they would enjoy golf more if it took less time.

The survey also revealed that among 25-44 year-olds who are unhappy with the pace of play, 21% would like to see the playing time reduced by as much as one-and-a-half hours, while 19% said they would welcome the opportunity to play nine holes more often as an alternative format.

“One of the messages that came through clearly from the survey and the Time for Golf conference is that people would play more golf if they could do so in significantly less time,” said Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A. “Nine hole golf is not new but we feel it is often overlooked as a perfectly valid way to play the sport either with your family and friends or competitively.

“We are delighted to introduce a nine hole championship and will be promoting this format as a way of playing golf in less time which can have wider appeal among people who lead increasingly busy lives today. We are very much looking forward to working with the national associations to promote nine hole golf and we hope to see more events being played throughout Great Britain and Ireland to cater for this important audience.”

This year’s event will see 30 golfers playing a nine hole championship at Royal Troon. Two players will qualify from events held at each of the 13 Regional Qualifying venues for The Open throughout Great Britain and Ireland with host venues Royal Troon Golf Club and The Ladies’ Golf Club, Troon each providing two players. The handicap event will be open to men, women, boys and girls who are members of the clubs taking part.

Introduced in 2016, the Learn to Compete program incorporates in-depth industry research into a three-stage development program for juniors aged 11–18. Launched in conjunction with the PGA of Canada, Learn to Compete bridges the gap between CN Future Links Learn to Play initiatives and pursuing competitive golf opportunities.

The seven core modules are carefully integrated into the benchmarks of all three stages: New Competitor (11–14), Developing Competitor (14–16) and Advanced Competitor (16–18). The stages are structured to be delivered year-round, where it may take the athlete 18–36 months to complete depending on development and ability.

Brooke Henderson, Canada’s top-ranked LPGA athlete (No.7), tees up the program’s seven core modules and how they contribute to success both on and off the golf course.

Learn to Compete is delivered by PGA of Canada teaching professionals trained under the Coach of New Competitor or Coach of Developing Competitor context.

Looking to register for Learn to Compete? Click here.

For more information on the program or to register off-line, please contact Dave Stockton at dstockton@golfcanada.ca or 1.800.263.0009 x333.

NINETY-SIX, S.C. – Austin James’ sterling junior season was missing one thing. A win. Tuesday, the Bath, Ont., native put the finishing touch on an impressive season, taking medalist honors at the 2016 Big South Men’s Golf Championship presented by Musco Lighting.

The Charleston Southern junior ran away from the field with a 3-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round to win by five strokes. His 11-under par was one stroke shy of the Big South Championship record, held by Dustin Johnson. James had four birdies on the front nine and was a consistent 1-under on the back with a birdie and eight pars.

Austin James – the younger brother of Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James – trailed by one after the opening round and led by three heading into Tuesday. CSU Head Coach Mike Wilson was glad to see James get the win he deserves after eight Top 10 finishes this season.

“Austin was just solid from the first tee on,” Wilson said. “To have three rounds in the 60’s is pretty impressive here. He hadn’t had a win. He had been really close. To come in today with a three-shot lead and never really get threatened is quite an accomplishment.”

James had a stretch of four birdies in five holes on the front nine to all but put the tournament out of reach, becoming the second Buc in as many years to earn medalist honors. Then-freshman R.J. Keur won the tournament last season.

The Buccaneers (+4) finished third overall, behind champion Liberty and Campbell (+1). The Flames finished at 11-under par to win by 12 strokes. Wilson was disappointed with the team finish, but thought the Bucs let one get away just after the turn.

The Bucs now await their NCAA fate. CSU expects to be into the tournament field for a second straight season. The selection show is May 5. CSU entered the week ranked No. 55 nationally and will likely remain in the Top 60, which has been a good spot historically to receive a bid.

NCAA Regionals are May 15-18 at various sites. The selection show is May 5 at 11 a.m. on the Golf Channel.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The stage has been set for the world’s best female junior golfers to put their skills on display at the third annual World Junior Girls Championship.  Mississaugua Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., will play host to the tournament from September 25-30 as the world’s premier 18-and-under players gather to compete in both team and individual competition.

“We are thrilled to announce Mississaugua Golf & Country Club as the host of this year’s World Junior Girls Championship. The tournament is a great opportunity for Golf Canada to showcase another of the nation’s tremendous courses and to further the development and skill of this talented group of young women,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna.

Mississaugua Golf & Country Club boasts more than a century of rich history, having played host to a number of the country’s most prestigious championships. The course exemplifies the challenge and craftsmanship of renowned architect Stanley Thompson, who was instrumental in designing Mississaugua’s last round of major modifications in 1928. Stretching out over the Credit River, the 240-acre course has welcomed the RBC Canadian Open on six occasions – most recently in 1974.

Conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the International Golf Federation and the R&A, the 2016 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will bring together 48 of the top 18-and-under female golfers from around the globe with 15 different countries slated to participate. As hosts of the event, Canada will feature two three-member teams in the competition.

“We could not be more excited to once again bring the World Junior Girls Championship to Ontario,” said Mike Kelly, Executive Director of Golf Ontario. “Mississaugua Golf & Country Club is an exceptional venue that will serve as a fantastic backdrop for this competition. We greatly appreciate the support of our generous sponsors and partners without whom this championship would not be possible. We look forward to seeing the Mississauga golfing community rally around this wonderful event.”

The inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 saw teams from across the globe take on Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., captured individual honours in leading Team USA to victory. Playing in her final event as an amateur, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished fourth as Canada One claimed bronze.

The second edition of the tournament was staged at Ottawa’s The Marshes Golf Club. The team representing the Republic of Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Hye-jin Choi, a native of Paju-si, South Korea, registered a seven-stroke victory with a 12-under performance.

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a specific focus on the development and promotion of junior girls golf. In the days leading up to tournament play, Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic.

“This world-class competition provides us with the opportunity to foster the continued growth and collaboration between the world’s governing bodies in the sport,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “We are proud to once again conduct this championship in support of these fine athletes and to aid in raising the profile of junior girls golf.”

The competition’s first round will begin on Tuesday, September 27. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, September 30.

OTTAWA – Growing Canadian golf brand, TheTurn Tee, has partnered with another Canadian on the rise, Augusta James.

James, a former Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion and winner of the Symetra Tour’s 2015 Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial finishing T4 this past week, has signed a multi-year agreement with the Ottawa, Ontario-based brand.

The 23 year-old from Bath, Ontario is currently in 11th place on the 2016 Symetra Tour money list and already has two wins to her credit this season on the National Women’s Golf Association Tour. Her recent addition of the TheTurn Tee to her game has had an immediate impact.

“I am very excited about my new partnership with TheTurn Tee, “ says Augusta. “My favourite club in the bag is my driver so to have the perfect tee to go with it is huge. I love the consistency it gives me with the height of the ball. The first week I put it in play I won so I am excited to keep that momentum going this year!”

Introduced to the market just over two years ago, TheTurn Tee has continued to grow in reputation. The durable 3” poly-carbonate tee was developed and is made in Canada. It is fully adjustable, allowing golfers to set the tee height perfectly each time. Augusta James is using it in the #5 setting.
She joins Web.com Tour member Brad Fritsch who has been using TheTurn since 2014 as a member of TheTurn Tee team; Fritsch went on to win in a playoff at the Web.com Tour’s most recent event, the Servientrega Championship.

Aligning with athletes that have a similar focus is important to TheTurn Tee owner, Jeff Garber.

“This is a journey shared by a Canadian start up business and an athlete on a mission,” Garber shared in regards to the decision to partner with Augusta James. “Working with a quality individual with such a strong reputation within the Canadian Golf community speaks volumes as to what this translates into when it comes to establishing, growing, and building a quality brand.”

He added, “Having a high calibre golfer that is doing what it takes to earn her LPGA card is exciting. In order to get where she wants to be she needs resources and support. TheTurn Tee is in a position to provide this for her.”

In 2015 James narrowly missed advancing to the LPGA Tour after finishing 12th on the Symetra Tour Race For The Card. With her play of late, and the support of TheTurn Tee, the goal is to take that next step

Garber explains, “Expectations are high that Augusta will be an outstanding representative and brand ambassador for TheTurn each and every time that she tees it up. We welcome Augusta on board as part of our team and wish her tremendous success in pursuit of her LPGA card!”

Golfers from coast to coast now have improved access to Augusta’s tee of choice, TheTurn, as the product is now available in Golf Town stores across Canada.

TheTurn is available in five distinct packages, each includes eight tees; Traditional White, Olympic Medals, White/Neon, White/Purple, and White/Blue.

NAPLES, Fla. – Team Canada’s Tony Gil added another trophy to the shelf on Sunday, rallying to win the Terra Cotta Invitational hosted at the Naples National Golf Club.

The University of Houston commit began the day two strokes off the pace set by leaders Andy Zhang of Reunion, Fla. and Andrew McCain of Jacksonville, Fla. Gil found himself still two strokes back on the 16^th hole, until both Zhang and McCain bogeyed two of their final three holes to leave the door open. Gil jumped on the opportunity, birdying the par-5 18^th to seal the come-from-behind victory. He closed the tournament at 2-under par (72-71-71), with Zhang finishing alone in second at 1-under (71-70-74).

Former Team Canada member Matt Williams of Calgary also made his mark in Naples, cracking the Top-10 with a T9 finish at 7-over par. Alistair Tidcombe of Wolfville, N.S., came in at T33 and Team Canada’s Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., struggled to end at T62.

The Terra Cotta Invitational is a “B” ranked event on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), featuring many of the world’s top amateurs and boasting past champions such as Bud Cauley and Matt Kuchar.

Click here for full scoring.

Tony Gil with the birdie on 18 to take the lead at @terra totaling pic.twitter.com/rlO6CyK0wJ

— Greg Hardwig (@NDN_GHardwig) April 17, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Josée Doyon carded a final-round 76 on Sunday to share runner-up honours at the Lady Buckeye Invitational.

Doyon, the reigning Quebec Women’s Amateur champion, closed the tournament at 2-under par (70-68-76) to collect her third Top-5 collegiate result this season. The St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., product held the lead through 36 holes but a 4-over par effort on Sunday at the Scarlet Course spoiled her bid to repeat as medalist. Champion Camille Chevalier (Indiana University) of France was the one who stole the show, shooting up the leaderboard with a closing 68 (-4) for the one-stroke victory.

The Kent State senior, led the Golden Flashes to a five-stroke cushion for the repeat team victory. The win marks the fifth title this season for the women’s squad, who will lay it all on the line next week at the Mid-American Conference Championship from Apr. 22–25.

Click here for full scoring.