With the practice rounds underway on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Magna Golf Club, the inspirational CP Women’s Leadership Summit is also taking place.

The Summit’s mission is geared towards empowering women in the workplace, providing a platform for networking, and giving back to the community, a task of which title sponsor CP is going above and beyond with this year.

Hosted by Sportsnet Anchor Evanka Osmak, the day has been a mixture of networking and speeches from successful women figures in business and sports, including RBC CAO Jennifer Tory, and Assistant VP of Investor Relations for tournament sponsor Canada Pacific, Maeghan Albiston. On the sports side, Team Canada Olympians Karina Leblanc (soccer), and Natalie Spooner (hockey) both spoke to their journeys, and what has made them successful both in sports and in life.

The afternoon capped off with a keynote address from Roberta Bowman, the Chief Brand and Communications Officer for the LPGA TOUR, and creator of their #DriveOn campaign. The LPGA product is a fantastic one, the fan experience, the player engagement, and the quality of golf and golf courses is second to none, but it is Bowmans’s job to engage that product with fans, and grow that fanbase while at the same time, inspiring young female golfers to play and compete. The overall goal of this “Series of Summits” is to inspire women to succeed in their chosen field; sport, business and beyond.

“84% of people are interested in women’s sports worldwide,” opens Bowman, “but only 5% of corporate global investment in sports worldwide goes to women’s leagues and teams, something doesn’t make sense there.”

The LPGA’s mission is to change this paradigm for the benefit of all women and women sports, and they hold summits like this one at more than half of LPGA event sites to generate that change. “Sports are an incubator for character and leadership,” says Bowman, “96% of women CEO’s played competitive sports. Where better than in sports than to watch women lead?”

This mission inspired Bowman to the task of rebranding the entire LPGA marketing strategy, which she did with an all-female creative team. The #DriveOn campaign that emerged is truly bigger than golf. “It’s for all the drivers out there, drivers of change, progress, opportunities and optimism. At the LPGA we drive on with passion, courage, and we do it in our very own way.”

“The centrepiece of the campaign,” says Bowman, “is our 45-second video I’m sure you’ve all seen by now.” (But here’s the link if you haven’t.

When the subject matter changed to focus on the best holes on the course, Wayne has to be diplomatic of course, but his personal favourites as a player, Superintendent and course architecture fan are sixteen and nine, for the challenge they present to the player and the uniqueness of their aesthetic.

Besides that, he thinks that five and fifteen are the best fan viewing experience, as they are both short par-4’s where players can bomb drivers or play positional iron shots, and as a fan from the rope line, you can see all four shots from the same place, and see the way different players and different playing styles dissect the challenge before them. It’s “a real decision-making hole,” says Rath, “it will be interesting to see how the girls choose to play it.”

One more notable spot is the par-5 14th hole, an uphill par which Rath says “is by far the prettiest, up on that hill the view is just gorgeous.”

The course is ready, the fans are excited, and the players are getting dialled in, its championship week from Magna Golf Club and the CP Women’s Open.

Thank you to all the grounds crew and their fearless leader, Wayne Rath, for setting the stage to what will surely be a shining moment in Canadian Golf.

TSN’s Bob Weeks and Lindsay Hamilton set the stage for the 2019 CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club from Aug. 19-25 in Aurora, Ont.

Click here for tickets.

Team Canada members and Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada pros Jared du Toit and Taylor Pendrith share in the excitement heading into this week’s All-Star Pro-Am at the CP Women’s Open at in Aurora, Ont., at Magna Golf Club.

AURORA, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the eight champions of Sunday’s Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

The National Event, running for the 11th consecutive year, crowned female and male champions from four age groups (8 under, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18). Among the 31 participants from across the country, the following eight individuals emerged as champions:

– Liam McLaren, Pheasant Run Golf Club, Georgina, ON | Boys 8 and under
– Ari Tur, Seymour Golf & Country Club, North Vancouver, B.C. | Girls 8 and under
– Noah Turner, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, ON | Boys 9-11
– Claira Frizzell, The Links at Montague, Halifax, NS | Girls 9-11
– Gabe Bugden, Blomidon Golf Club, Corner Brook, NL | Boys 12-14
– Alissa Xu, Station Creek Golf Club, Richmond Hill, ON | Girls 12-14
– Émile Journault, Cap-Rouge Golf Club, Québec City, QC | Boys 15-18
– Keighan Decoff, Glen Lovat Golf Club, Fraser’s Mountain, NS | Girls 15-18

The winners of each age group received a champion’s package from Titleist Footjoy. In addition, Émile Journault and Keighan Decoff – winners of the 15-18 age groups – have earned exemptions into their local 2020 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship.

In Sunday’s National Event, juniors competed in a three-part skills challenge which tested putting, chipping, and driving.

Sunday’s participants had the highest scores on the National Leaderboard after participating in a Skills Challenge qualifying event at their local club. Throughout the year, over 140 clubs hosted a Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge with over 3000 junior golfers participating.

“The Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills experience is a celebration of skill development facilitated by coaches at over 140 facilities across Canada,” said Adam Hunter, senior manager of junior programs at Golf Canada. “We are extremely happy with another excellent National Event and want to thank our sponsors for helping make this dream a reality.”

On Saturday, the National Event participants received an apparel prize pack from Cobra Golf handed out in the Magna locker room and played the back nine as part of the Golf Canada Junior Open.

Participants are provided weekly grounds passes and have an opportunity to be involved in Monday’s Canada Day All-Star Pro-Am and Wednesday’s Walk with a Pro event.

For more information on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills National Event click here.