What exactly does a Community Golf Coach look like—Parent? Teacher? Coach? Volunteer? Golfer?

How about all of the above.

“Community Golf Coach is really great for people who are volunteers at a golf club, teachers and folks who are really just into helping out junior golf in Canada,” said Amanda Minchin, head professional at Estevan Woodland Golf Club in Saskatchewan.

Re-launched earlier this year, Community Golf Coach is a community stream context within the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) designed strictly for junior golf volunteers. The initiative is backed by extensive research into Canada’s volunteer training curriculums for sport across the country. Industry experts implemented the program to address the gap between PGA of Canada professionals and available volunteer support from family and friends.

The end goal for Community Golf Coach is simple: strengthen support for PGA of Canada professionals in maintaining the focus towards creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere for youth—a key principle in long-term player development.

“We were very excited about involving new Community Golf Coaches into our junior camps,” said Whistler Golf Club’s head professional Duncan Savage. “The more bodies we have on site, the better I’ll feel about all the kids being in a safe environment and getting instruction that is credible.”

About 50 Community Golf Coaches from around the country have been trained since the context launched this past spring.

A high school teacher in B.C., Tim Frechette was one of the first people trained as a Community Golf Coach back in April. For nearly 20 years Frechette has been coordinating the golf program at his high school (which includes instruction by two PGA of Canada professionals) and says the skills he’s picked up as a trained Community Golf Coach will help out this program.

“Our program has kids of varying abilities from raw beginners to single digit players,” Frechette said. “Being able to create different tasks for different kids and learning how to give different feedback to those kids has helped us in our program.”

Becoming a Community Golf Coach incorporates the following: Self Reflection as a Community Golf Coach; CN Future Link Programming; Growth and Development; Teaching and Learning; Safety and Risk Management; Golf Equipment; Technical; Values; Rules and Etiquette; Ethical Coaching; Activity Design; Session Planning Activity; and Session Implementation.

South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club has been utilizing a Community Golf Coach to great success for much of the season. The club’s head golf professional Bruce Rogerson says he believes it has worked so well at his club for a number of reasons.

“I really can’t stress it enough—having a Community Golf Coach here all year has been such a positive for our program,” Rogerson said. “Our Community Golf Coach has been very active with our junior league, as a liaison between the pro staff and the members, and ultimately has freed up time for our assistant professionals to do more instruction.”

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Click here to register for Community Golf Coach workshops conducted by the PGA of Canada.

“If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.”

It’s a quote made famous by Albert Einstein which came to mind after the release of Golf Facilities in Canada 2015, the definitive report on golf facilities and development in Canada.

Released in June, Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 identifies all existing public and private facilities across Canada. The report – a collaborative effort between Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada – also includes information on facility openings and closings, as well as the number and type of facilities currently in development.

Since its release, I’ve been questioned on what value the report delivers to the golf industry. Quite simply, it provides a factual snapshot of 2,346 golf facilities—from public and private clubs to resorts, residential or nine-hole layouts in communities across Canada. The report outlines boom periods of growth during the 1960’s and again in the 90’s that delivered Canadians the third highest total supply of golf courses in the world.

The report provides a comprehensive breakdown of the golf courses and projects that form the Canadian golf landscape. The facts present a compelling argument that our sport, with the highest participation rate of any in Canada, is affordable, has tremendous accessibility and has options for players of all abilities and wants. The current supply of golf courses may be greater than what is needed to satisfy the 5.7 million Canadians who play more than 60 million rounds annually. Golf’s highs and lows have been cyclical for more than a century and like any industry, competition and market forces will eventually right size the number of golf courses and that’s probably a good thing.

Since 2010, there have been 22 documented course openings. In addition, 31 facilities – all public – are currently in planning or under construction across Canada. The study reinforces golf’s accessibility with facts to show that nearly 90 per cent of all courses are open to the public.

A finding I found most compelling was that more than 37 per cent of facilities are nine holes in addition to countless 18-hole facilities that offer nine-hole pricing. Those who theorize that golf takes too long or is too costly should consider the nine-hole round when formulating their opinion. Golf, like any recreational activity takes a certain time commitment and the facilities report confirms that Canadian golf enthusiasts can take advantage of a multitude of options.

The facts reinforce that golf facilities are the foundation for major sport participation, more than $14 billion in economic impact, tourism, charitable giving and environmental stewardship in communities across Canada.

GOLF FACILITIES IN CANADA 2015– A SNAPSHOT:

• Canada is home to 2,346 public and private golf facilities; ranking it third in the world in total supply.
• Seventy-seven per cent of the total golf supply is located in Canada’s four most populated provinces—Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Golf remains extremely accessible in Canada as more than 90 per cent of the country’s supply is open to the public.
• Of the 2,126 public facilities in Canada, half are located in Ontario and Québec, which together account for 61 per cent of the country’s total population and 73 per cent of Canada’s 220 private clubs.
• Nine-hole golf accounts for almost 37 per cent of Canada’s total supply, outnumbering 18-hole supply in Manitoba and Saskatchewan In Saskatchewan, 18-hole courses are outnumbered 3 to 1 by 9-hole courses.
• Canada features nine 12-hole facilities (six of which are in Ontario) and three 6-hole facilities.
• Resort golf, though a small segment of Canada’s overall supply, is a significant contributor to tourism in several provinces. Countrywide, 167 facilities (or approximately 7 per cent) of total supply are connected to a resort or a resort/real estate operation.
• Course construction peaked in the 1960s with the opening of more than 420 facilities and then again between 1990 and 1999, when more than 310 courses—13 per cent of total supply —opened. The growth was highlighted by the opening of 257 facilities in the four largest provinces: Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Since 2010, 29 facilities have opened in six different provinces. In recent years, Canada has seen only moderate growth, and currently has 31 18-hole equivalent facilities in various stages of development.
• Of those facilities in various stages of development, 17 have broken ground including seven in Alberta and four in Nova Scotia. Nearly 60 per cent of new projects are tied to a real estate development.
• In the past five to 10 years, 158 facilities have closed. One in five of those closures were located in Ontario, which is home to 35 per cent of the total supply of Canada’s facilities. Three of Canada’s 10 provinces have seen fewer than five facility closures during the past decade.

Download the complete report at: golfcanada.ca/GolfFacilitiesinCanada2015

The Camosun Chargers men’s team and the Humber Hawks women’s squad have been crowned champions of Canadian collegiate golf.

The Chargers and the Hawks emerged victorious following Friday’s third and final round at the PING CCAA Golf National Championships, hosted by the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades at Chilliwack Golf Club.

The Chargers overhauled the Niagara Knights in the final round to earn the men’s team championship for the first time since 2000, when they won the inaugural CCAA tourney. The Knights took a three-stroke lead into the day, but top-ranked Camosun made a charge on the back nine to win by eight.

The Chargers – comprised of Brady Stead, Jeff Riches, Mac Keats, Grant Maskiewich and Matt Matheson – totalled 860 strokes as a team over three rounds. Niagara took silver with a cumulative score of 868.

The best team score of the day was posted by the host UFV Cascades, who combined for a two-under 286 to rally for the bronze medal. They began the day in seventh place, but ended up edging the Georgian Grizzlies by a stroke, 873 to 874.

Humber earned the program’s fourth CCAA women’s title, moving into a tie for most all-time with Champlain St. Lawrence. The team of Sonia Nagindas, Michaela DiMarcantonio and Sheila McKeen amassed 473 cumulative strokes, good for an eight-stroke margin over the runner-up UBC Okanagan Heat (481). The Georgian Grizzlies (491) took bronze.

In the men’s individual event, Étienne Papineau of the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions clawed his way to the top of a crowded leaderboard on the back nine. The Team Canada development squad member came into the day two strokes back of second-round leader Stephen Brown of the Lambton Lions, and he trailed Matt Lemay of the Georgian Grizzlies by two strokes with three holes to play.

But Lemay double-bogeyed both 16 and 17, leaving the door open for Papineau, who birdied 16 to get to -10 for the tournament. Brown (-8) won silver, while Lemay (-7) took bronze.

The women’s individual race was less dramatic – Carolyn Lee of UBC Okanagan took a five-stroke lead into the final round, and she pulled away from the field on Friday to win by eight. The All-Canadian finished at +13 for the tournament. Katie Griffiths (+21) of the Red Deer Queens earned silver, while Humber’s Nagindas (+22) took bronze.

This week marked the first time UFV had hosted the PING CCAA Golf National Championships. Next year’s tournament will be held at Holland College in Charlottetown, PEI.

• Tournament website
• Photos
• Results

INCHEON, South Korea – Lydia Ko took advantage of Sung Hyun Park’s struggles to take the lead Friday in the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

The second-ranked Ko made an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead over Lexi Thompson. Park followed her course-record 62 with a 74 to drop two shots behind.

“I thought I played really solidly and made a lot of good putts,” Ko said. “When I was in trouble, I got a little fortunate, got a good lie in the rough.”

The South Korean-born New Zealander moved into position to regain the No. 1 spot in the world from South Korean star Inbee Park, one of her playing partners Friday. Ko would take the top spot with a victory and also could move up under other scenarios depending on where Inbee Park finishes. Inbee Park replaced Ko atop the list in June with the first of her two major victories this year.

“The closer we get or if there is a switch, the media is going to talk about it,” Ko said. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to try and ignore you guys. I think that’s the best way. Because when I’m out there, I’m just trying to hit a good shot and put myself in good position. If I thought about the rankings, the awards, it’s just way too much. It’s hard enough just trying to hit the ball straight out there.”

Ko had a 10-under 134 total on Sky 72’s Ocean Course. She tied for second last week in the LPGA Malaysia after winning her previous two starts in Canada and France, where she became the youngest major champion.

Inbee Park was tied for 25th at 3 under after a 72. She’s tied with Ko for the tour victory lead with four.

Thompson birdied three of the final four holes for a 67 on the course made more difficult by some tough pin positions.

“There were a few that were tucked on some ridges and that were just hard to get to,” the American said. “I think there’s going to be even harder ones tomorrow.”

Sung Hyun Park took a four-stroke lead into the round and was seven shots ahead of Ko.

“I think it would be a lie to say that I didn’t feel any pressure because of the record that I set yesterday,” Sung Hyun Park said.

Still four strokes in front after birdies on Nos. 4 and 5, she bogeyed the next three holes to drop into a tie for the lead with Ko. The 22-year-old South Korean player, making her first LPGA Tour start, missed a 3-foot putt on No. 6 for her first bogey of the week, had a 4-footer circle the cup and stay out on No. 7 and missed from 6 feet on No. 8. She birdied the 10th, but bogeyed the 12th and 18th.

“It was very difficult to read some of the putting lines,” she said. “I think I missed a couple of putts that I could have made. That’s kind of lingering on my mind at the moment.”

South Korea’s Yoon-Ji Cho also was 8 under after a 68. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the 2011 winner, and South Korea’s Mirim Lee were 7 under. Tseng shot 67, and Lee had a 69.

England’s Charley Hull, playing alongside Sung Hyun Park and U.S. Solheim Cup hero Gerina Piller in the final group, pulled within a stroke of the lead on the seventh hole, but dropped five strokes on the next six holes and finished with a 74 to drop into a tie for 19th at 4 under. Hull four-putted for a double bogey on No. 8, made a bogey on No. 10 and had another double bogey on the par-5 13th after hitting into the water.

Piller also was 4 under after a 74.

American Jessica Korda, the Malaysia winner, was 1 under along with Michelle Wie and U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inskter, the oldest player in the field at 55. They each shot 72.

Ko and Inbee Park attracted a large gallery.

“It’s great to play in front of big crowds,” Ko said. “I think they are as excited as us, even a little bit more. … Last year was the first time playing in Korea, and I’ve been noticing even more and more how much they love the LPGA and how much they love golf. I think the numbers are only going to go up. I think it’s going to be pretty crazy on the weekend.”

NAPA, Calif. – Brendan Steele had an ideal start to the new PGA Tour season at the Frys.com Open with a round that featured nine birdies, no stress and a simple explanation.

“As weird as it is to say, it was kind of a basic 63,” he said.

It gave him a one-shot lead over Jhonattan Vegas among early starters in ideal scoring conditions at Silverado, which has such subtle movement in the greens that the course doesn’t always yield low scores even when players have a short iron into the putting surface.

Of the early starters, 21 players were at 68 or better.

That included Rory McIlroy, who is between two seasons. The world’s No. 3 player had numerous birdie chances and didn’t convert nearly as many as he would have liked. What pleased McIlroy was the quality of his game from tee-to-green, far crisper than it was at the Tour Championship three weeks ago.

“Definitely a step in the right direction today,” McIlroy said.

Vegas, who won as a rookie in 2011 at the Humana Challenge, lost his card this year and failed to get it back at the Web.com Tour Finals two weeks ago. He is relying on his limited status as a past champion and sponsor exemptions, so it was important to make the most out of his exemption this week.

Harold Varner III, who joins Tiger Woods as the only players of black heritage on the PGA Tour this year, made a strong rookie debut with a 65. The group at 66 included Justin Thomas, with Justin Rose among those at 67.

Steele posted a target early with a 29 on the back nine, including five straight birdies before making the turn. At one point, he rolled in putts of 25 feet, 20 feet and 18. That prompted this observation from Steve Wheatcroft.

“Just hang in there,” he said Wheatcroft told him. “It’s a long season. You’ll make one eventually.”

Sang-moon Bae, unable to defend because of his mandatory military service in South Korea, won last year at Silverado at 15-under par. No one had better than 65 the entire tournament last year, which made Steele’s round stand out even more.

Steele wasn’t surprised.

This is the third straight year of a wraparound season that starts in October with a two-week break after the old season ended. Steele had some good results toward the end of last season, took a short break, started practicing and liked how his game felt.

“In the pro-am yesterday I was like, ‘We need to get this tournament going.’ I hate it when I’m home and I feel really good,” he said. “It’s hard to keep it. I always say that your game is either coming or going, right? So when it’s coming, you want to be in the right place.”

McIlroy is coming and going as it relates to seasons.

While this is the season opener on the PGA Tour, he leaves after this week for three tournaments in Asia to finish off his European Tour schedule with hopes of winning another Race to Dubai title. This is only his fifth tournament dating to the PGA Championship, when he returned from a two-month hiatus to heal his injured ankle.

His game looked good, but he struggled to match the speed with the line for a number of birdie chances from about 12 feet or in.

“Gave myself a lot of chances,” McIlroy said. “I converted a few, but I’ll need to hole a few more. I feel like this is a golf course that you can give yourself a lot of chances. If I can keep hitting the ball the way I am and just hole a few more, I’ll be OK.”

Varner made a flashy finish to get near the top of the leaderboard. He holed an 18-foot eagle putt on No. 16, stuffed a sand wedge into 2 feet for birdie on the 17th and had to settle for a birdie on the par-5 18th when he narrowly missed another eagle chance.

Varner earned his card through the Web.com Tour, and he already noticed one big difference. While a tournament in wine country doesn’t attract a massive crowd, it was still far more than he was used to seeing.

“It’s fun until you hit one too far left or right,” Varner said. “I get a little nervous because there are people over there. Usually there is no one over there and I just go find it. But there are so many people, you might hit them. So it’s good. Different experience. I guess you’ve just got to get used to it.”

Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet leads the Canadians in the field following a 5-under 67 performance to finish T7. Nick Taylor and David Hearn shot 71 while Adam Hadwin opened at even-par. Cory Renfrew, who claimed medalist honours at the Monday Qualifier, posted a 1-over 73.

VILAMOURA, Portugal – Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium shot a seven-under-par 64 to claim a share of the lead after the first round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura on Thursday.

The 32-year-old former Ryder Cup player shares the lead with Andy Sullivan of England, who matched Colsaerts’ score after hitting eight birdies and one bogey.

Just behind the lead pair are Belgium’s Thomas Pieters, David Drysdale of Scotland, Eduardo de la Riva of Spain and Thomas Aiken of South Africa, all on six under par 65.

Colsaerts hit two eagles and four birdies, and could have improved on his clubhouse score had he not dropped one shot.

Petro-Canada has named Team Canada’s Étienne Papineau and Robert Ratcliffe among the 2015 recipients of the Fuelling Athletes and Coaches (FACE) program. The pair is one of 50 sets of athletes and coaches to receive funding in pursuit of continued excellence in their sports.

The 2015 FACE recipients from across Canada represent both summer and winter sports, with each athlete and coach pairing receiving $10,000. Since 1988, Petro-Canada has contributed almost $9.4 million to over 2,700 athlete-coach pairings.

“We are extremely grateful to receive this generous offering from the Fuelling Athletes and Coaches program,” said Ratcliffe, Team Canada’s Lead Development Squad Coach. “This program credits the importance of athlete-coach relationships while understanding the costs associated with advanced training. This will go a long way for myself and Étienne as we continue to excel and improve.”

Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., is coming off his second season representing Canada. The 19-year-old claimed victories at the Alexander of Tunis, the Québec Men’s Amateur Championship and the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational.

Ratcliffe, a native of Comox, B.C., is entering his tenth season at the helm of the Development Squad. He is a class “A” member with the PGA of Canada.

Developed by Petro-Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), and facilitated by their National Sport partners, the FACE program provides developing, pre-carded Canadian athlete and coach pairings with funding to help fuel their dreams. Coaches are selected along with the athletes they directly coach as they often incur additional costs on the road to developing the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic stars of tomorrow.

Click here for the full list of 2015 FACE recipients.

NAPA, Calif. – The Frys.com Open is everything Rory McIlroy thought it would be.

And the tournament hasn’t even started.

He knew nothing about Silverado Resort, which is hosting the PGA Tour season opener for the second year and is expected to stay here even longer, except that it was located in the middle California’s most famous wine country.

“Expected vineyards, wine, good food,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “Got all those boxes ticked last night.”

McIlroy, who for now is No. 3 in the world ranking, represents the biggest star power at this event since Tiger Woods began what amounted to a rehab assignment in 2011, and his week ended with a fan throwing a hot dog on the green he was playing.

McIlroy was part of the “Turkey Eight” that signed off on a one-sided deal three years ago – eight PGA Tour players in an exhibition in Turkey agreed they would play the Frys.com Open at least once over the next three years. Woods was supposed to be at Silverado this year, too, until he had his second back surgery. Also in the field from Turkey are Charl Schwartzel, Justin Rose and Webb Simpson.

Hunter Mahan also is playing. He was in Turkey, but he fulfilled his commitment last year, liked it so much that he came back. It’s all about location.

Here’s how the first tournament of the new season is shaping up:

SEASONS BLUR: When the new seasons gets started Thursday morning, it will have been 18 days since the last season ended with Jordan Spieth becoming the first $22 million man in golf ($10 million of that from winning the FedEx Cup).

For all the angst over golf not having an offseason, only the starting line has changed.

The PGA Tour has 47 events that occupy 43 weeks of the year. Ten years ago, it had 48 events that occupied 44 weeks on the calendar.

And one thing hasn’t changed. The offseason is as long as a player wants it to be. Chris Kirk played three FedEx Cup playoff events, had two weeks off, went to South Korea for the Presidents Cup and is teeing it up at Silverado. Phil Mickelson played three FedEx Cup playoff events, had two weeks off, went to South Korea, and golf won’t see him again until January in California.

RORY’S SCHEDULE: See if you can follow along.

McIlroy feels as though his “new season” started in August when he returned from two months of healing his injured ankle. He is playing the Frys.com Open, which is the first event of the new PGA Tour season. And then he heads to Asia for three tournaments to end the season on the European Tour.

And then he gets two months off.

“I feel like I’m in the middle of a nice little run to the end of the year,” McIlroy said. “I guess for a lot of guys, even the guys that played a full PGA Tour schedule last season and then played the Presidents Cup and they’re coming here, it’s a lot of golf. But as I said, I haven’t played as much as those guys, so I’m happy to be playing and happy to play quite a bit until the end of the year.”

STRONG FIELD: For a time of the year when the “stars” were going to be taking time off, the Frys.com Open has six of the top 30 in the world. McIlroy and Rose are at Silverado as a part of the Turkey agreement. But that doesn’t account for Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Robert Streb and Brandt Snedeker.

This is the third straight year that the Frys.com Open has started the PGA Tour’s new wraparound season. The previous two winners, Jimmy Walker and Sang-moon Bae, both reached the Tour Championship.

AT STAKE: The winner of the Frys.com Open gets a spot in the Masters and the same number of FedEx Cup points as winning the Memorial or Arnold Palmer Invitational.

But he won’t be getting any Ryder Cup points.

The illustrious Ryder Cup Task Force decided to count PGA Tour events toward the U.S. standings at the start of 2016 (Kapalua) instead of the start of the season.

BIG DAY: McIlroy already has had a good time in Napa based on the wine and the food (and yes, he likes the golf course).

So has Justin Thomas. The second-year player played the pro-am with a couple real Warriors – Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala.

CHAMPION KIRK: A tradition that never gets old on the PGA Tour is celebrating the previous week’s winner.

Chris Kirk knows the feeling. Kirk wound up making the most significant putt in the Presidents Cup, a 15-footer down the hill on the 18th hole for a 1-up victory over Anirban Lahiri. Kirk was stopped four times on his way from the range as players congratulated him on a great week.

Kirk said his biggest weakness all week in South Korea was putting. He discovered later he was set up too close to the ball. But he made the one that mattered. Asked if he was getting as many congratulations for the Presidents Cup as he was for winning the Colonial, Kirk smiled and said, “More.”

INCHEON, South Korea – South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park shot a course-record 10-under 62 on Thursday to take a four-stroke lead in the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

The 22-year-old Park had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of the round and birdied three of the last four holes on Sky 72’s Ocean Course. She played alongside Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson, regularly driving 10 to 15 yards past the long-hitting U.S. stars.

Park broke the course record of 63 set by Suzann Pettersen in the first round of her 2012 victory. Ranked 54th in the world, Park won the Korea LPGA’s Se Ri Pak Invitational two weeks ago for her third victory of the season. She won the Korea Women’s Open in June.

“It was awesome to watch, that’s for sure,” Thompson said. “She shot 10 under, and I swear it seemed like she birdied every hole. It was amazing to watch. I’ve never seen her play before and she’s a great player. Amazing putter and great ball-striker and she hits it long.”

Thompson had a 68, and Wie shot 71.

U.S. Solheim Cup hero Gerina Piller and England’s Charley Hull were tied for second at 66.

Piller had six birdies in a bogey-free round that started on No. 10.

“I just made some putts,” Piller said. “The greens are rolling pretty quick and they are pretty pure. I missed the green on the first hole and I had about a 10-footer (for par), so I think that just kind of kick-started the whole day.”

Hull birdied five of the first seven holes in a bogey-free round.

“Just patience at the moment,” Hull said.

China’s Shanshan Feng was five strokes back at 66 along with South Koreans Chella Choi, Hyo Joo Kim, Eun-Hee Ji and Han Sol Ji. Kim and Choi won their first LPGA Tour titles this season. Kim took the Founders Cup in Phoenix, and Choi the Marathon Classic in Ohio.

“This tournament is my favorite tournament the whole year, because my hometown and my whole family came out here,” Choi said. “I’m so excited and I’m really proud of my country.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park had a 69. The South Korean star won two of the five majors this year and is tied with second-ranked Lydia Ko for the tour victory lead with four.

Ko also shot 69. She tied for second last week in the LPGA Malaysia after winning her previous two starts in Canada and France, where the 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander became the youngest major champion.

American Jessica Korda, the Malaysia winner, opened with a 71. U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inskter, the oldest player in the field at 55, also had a 71.

TRINITY, Tex. – The United States carded a final-round 131 on Wednesday to edge out Mexico by one stroke and win the Spirit International title at the Whispering Pines Golf Club.

Collectively, the Americans posted a combined 394 (-38) through 54 holes while the Mexicans came in just shy at 395 (-37).

On the men’s side, the Americans were led by Philip Barbaree of Shreveport, La., who tallied 18 birdies to enter a playoff and go on to win the gold medal and an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Crowne Plaza Invitational. His teammate, Will Zalatoris of Plano, Tex., was no slouch either. The sophomore at Wake Forest posted nine birdies and two eagles to boost the Americans to a first place finish in the men’s division.

On the women’s side, the American duo of Mariel Galdiano and Hannah O’Sullivan combined to post a 202 though three rounds—good for a tie for seventh. The Mexicans took home the women’s division, shooting 21-under for a four-stroke victory. They were led by Maria Fassi, who posted 17 birdies and one eagle to earn the gold medal and an exemption into the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout.

The Canadian foursome of Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.), Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.), Maddie Szeryk (dual-citizen) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa) turned their fortunes around on Wednesday, carding a team-best 13-under to total 411 (-21) and climb the leaderboard to tie for thirteenth.

Individually, Maddie Szeryk notched 10 birdies, St-Germain two, Eric Banks nine (plus an eagle) and Bernard with nine (also with an eagle).

Click here for full scoring.