Buenos Aires, Argentina — While it may not have been an ideal start for Oshawa’s Derek Gillespie at the Personal Classic, the Canadian has showed heart and climbed the leaderboard with solid play in Argentina.

The two-time PGA Tour Canada winner carded a 5-under 67 Friday and a 2-under 70 on Moving Day.

Gillespie fumbled early Sunday, beginning his third round with consecutive bogeys before regaining his composure and making five birdies in the next 10 holes.

He currently sits at -6 in a tie for 34^th spot.

Calgary’s Chris Baryla continued to slip in Rd. 3 after carding an opening round 65.  He followed up his 73 from Rd. 2 with a 3-over 75 on Saturday to drop into a tie for 47^th.

Robbie Greenwell of Georgetown, Ont. shot a third round 79 and sits at +5 for the week.

The event was reduced to 54 holes because of inclement weather.

For full leaderboard results, click here.

SYDNEY — American Jordan Spieth was one of few players to master a wind-swept course at the Australian Open on Saturday, shooting a 2-under 69 to move into a three-way share of the lead.

Adam Scott stayed close while defending champion Rory McIlroy dropped five shots in two holes and shot 76.

Spieth, second-round leader Greg Chalmers (71) and fellow Australian Brett Rumford (69) had three-round totals of 5-under 208 on a tough Australian Golf Club course and its swirling, unpredictable winds.

Only eight players were under par.

“They’re baked (the greens), they’re very shiny, they’ve firmed up significantly and then with this wind, there were putts that were lightning fast,” Spieth said. “I almost prefer it, wind and a very difficult golf course, I feel like plays into my hands.”

Scott shot 69 and was tied for fourth, a stroke behind the leading trio, along with Australian veteran Rod Pampling (69).

McIlroy, who had a triple bogey on the ninth hole and a double-bogey on 10, was six strokes from the lead, tied for 14th.

He was tied for the lead at 4-under and even on the day when he hit his tee shot on the par-4 ninth into waist-high rough. After failing to advance it and burying it in matting used to control weeds, he took a penalty drop, sliced that and finally got on the green in 5, where he two-putted for 7.

The Northern Irishman and world No. 1 then hit his approach on 10 into woodchips, failed to advance it back to the grass on his next shot, and two-putted for a six.

“I hit a wayward tee shot into what I thought was a decent-enough lie that I could advance the ball,” McIlroy said. “But I didn’t realize what I was standing on is not like dirt or earth. It was more like carpet. So the ball went underneath the carpet. Had it been a normal surface it would have been all right, but down there it was impossible.”

“I need a fast start tomorrow to have a chance,” he said. “I still feel like I can shoot a good one.”

Scott said the wind was affecting the players’ setup and shots.

“It really came up around the turn and blew hard on the back nine,” Scott said. “It’s really tough with the way it’s blowing, you are trying to stay as stable as you can. It’s certainly presented a pretty tough challenge this week.”

Rumford said the course was on the “razor’s edge” of toughness but said that is to be expected for a national championship.

“You feel as though you’re pedaling a million miles an hour going nowhere, seemingly,” said Rumford.

The round of the day was a 67 by Australian Daniel Nisbet, who teed off in the first group Saturday morning before the wind picked up.

The inaugural Canadian Pacific Women’s Open received accolades at the annual Gold Driver Awards at the recently held LPGA Tournament Owners Association (TOA) Annual Meeting in Naples, Fla.

The 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open held at London Hunt and Country Club received top honours (Gold Award) for its television commercials and took home silver medals in the Player Engagement as well as Posters/Billboards/Outdoor & Mobile Ads categories.

“It’s an honour for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be recognized with such prestigious awards by the LPGA Tournament Owners Association,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific are exceptionally proud of the marketing efforts that went into our first-ever Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, and we look forward to creating an even more compelling campaign in 2015.”

Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were presented in thirteen categories: Programs, Magazine Advertisements, Pairings Sheets, Newspaper Advertisements, Radio Spots, Billboards/Posters/Outdoor and Mobile Ads, Charity Promotions, Website, Marketing and Sales Materials, Sponsorship Activation, Social Media Campaign, TV Advertisements and Overall Tournament Experience.

Judges for the annual competition were John Mark Adkison, Associate Director of Athletics for Embry Riddle University; Eric Albrecht, Vice President for Events Development & Sports Marketing for the National Kidney Foundation; and Torrey Gane, Senior Director of Business Affairs for the PGA Tour.

TV Spot (Gold Award Winner):

Posters/Billboards/Outdoor & Mobile Ads  (Silver Award Winner):

 The full list of winners:

2014 Gold Driver Award: Evian Championship

The Provincial Government is cutting the red tape around liquor licensing for golf courses and ski areas.  This will make it easier for courses to hold special events outside of their licensed areas.  Previously, courses had to apply for special permits for each use and pay a $330 fee for each application.

The process has now been streamlined so that ski areas and golf courses need only apply once per year, with one fee, and hold up to 26 events per year.  These events (like weddings) are typically held outdoors, away from the licensed areas of the club.  Clubs can now plan in advance what events they wish to hold and book these events secure in the knowledge that they will be able  use their license.

The change will come into effect December 9, 2014 and courses will be able to apply for their annual permits at that time.  Courses must still obtain local government approval.

Kris Jonasson, Executive Director of British Columbia Golf attended the announcement.

“Its great to see the government working hard to cut red tape for small business and tourism operations in the province,” said Jonasson. “Golf courses throughout BC extend their licensed areas quite often for our customers, to host weddings and for large gatherings.  This change will be a great relief for many.”

CALGARY — The Shaw Charity Classic has rewritten the history books for the second straight year with another record-setting charitable contribution for a Champions Tour event.

Tournament officials announced the 2014 event raised $2,406,610 for distribution amongst 21 youth-based charities in southern Alberta including: Calgary Police Foundation funded program YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre; Hull Services; Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta; KidSport Calgary; Children’s Wish Foundation (Alberta and N.W.T.); Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta; United Way All-In for Youth; and Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre. The contribution tops last year’s donation of $2,276,251, which was the single largest charitable donation in Champions Tour history at its time.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has always been focused on providing Calgarians with the opportunity to witness elite golf, but more importantly to raise significant money to support children’s charities in the province,” said Clay Riddell, tournament chairman, Shaw Charity Classic. “All of Calgary contributed to this incredible achievement – from the more than 1,400 volunteers, generous support from our corporate partners, unprecedented media coverage and the thousands of golf fans that lined the fairways to watch one of the best fields on Tour. Thank you to the entire community for helping us achieve our goals!”

In June, Shaw Communications Inc. reinforced the importance of children’s charities behind the award-winning tournament in the Stampede City by stepping up to commit $1.275 million to the Calgary Police Foundation funded program YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre and Hull Services – the title sponsor’s two official charitable partners for the second annual Champions Tour event in Calgary.

“On behalf of Shaw and our over 14,000 employees across Canada, we would like to thank everyone helped make this year’s tournament an outstanding event, and we can’t wait for next year,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications Inc. “We are privileged to work alongside YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre, Hull Services and the other charities to improve the lives of children and families and give back to our community.”

New Date Set for 2015, Volunteer Registration Open for 2015 

Tournament officials are already focused on staging an even better event in its third year, thanks to a new date announced for the Calgary stop on the 2015 Champions Tour calendar. The legends of the game will return to Calgary earlier next summer to tee it up, August 5-9, 2015, at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club.

“Holding the event earlier in the summer provides a greater chance for better weather, but more importantly even more opportunities to work with our corporate partners, and for attracting even more golf fans to the tournament,” said Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director, Shaw Charity Classic, who added volunteer registration for the 2015 event also opened on Friday. “We have already witnessed some of the largest crowds on the Champions Tour in our first two years, but Calgarians traditionally are enjoying the final long weekend of summer out of town, so we believe this schedule change by the Champions Tour will help us take the tournament to an even higher level.”

Tickets and corporate packages for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. Youth 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario will welcome four new members into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony taking place on May 6, 2015 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

Bob Breen, Doug Carrick, Edith Creed and Bill Kerr will become the 69th, 70th, 71st and 72nd members of the Hall.  In addition, Garry McKay will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario Media for “major contributions to golf.”

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in the year 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

2015 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

Bob Breen

Robert Breen was born in Guelph, Ont. in 1939, before moving to Brampton. Breen quickly excelled in the sport, capturing the Ontario PGA Hunt Trophy as a junior, a feat he would go on to do again three times as a senior.

He turned pro in 1960 and went on to have tremendous success. He captured 15 victories on the Ontario PGA Tour and another three on the Canadian Tour. Breen also participated in the Canadian Open on 10 occasions, played on the American Tour, where he won the Bahamas International, the Florida tour, where he was a four-time winner, the South American Tour and events on the PGA Tour.

Success followed Breen when he began competing on senior tours. He captured 17 Ontario Senior PGA Tour wins and won the Canadian Super Senior Championship three times (2001, 2005 and 2007). In 2010, he was the Canadian Diamond Division Canadian Champion. Breen also had the opportunity to play in a pair of USGA Senior U.S. Opens.

In addition to his individual success, Breen also represented Ontario, 23 times in the Ontario/Quebec Titleist Cup Matches. He was also a 10-time member of the Bobby Orr Nabisco Team.

Breen’s contributions to the game of golf go beyond his playing career. He began working in the industry in 1961 as an Assistant Professional at Kleinburg Golf Club and Pine Valley Golf Club (now The National). He moved on to become the Head Professional at Malton Golf Club (now Castlemore) a position he would also hold at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Erin Heights Golf Club and Derrydale Golf Club. Breen passed away in August of 2014. At the time, he was serving as ambassador and teaching Professional at Brampton Golf Club and Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Doug Carrick

Don Mills resident, Doug Carrick, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category. A renowned course designer, Carrick has designed 25 courses in Canada and another four internationally. In addition, he has been involved in the renovations of 45 courses.

His work has earned him numerous awards including: Best New Course in Canada (six times), Best New Course in Ontario (three times), Best Golf Development (2005, Humber Valley River Course) and Best International Golf Resort (2007, Humber Valley River Course).

Carrick’s courses have hosted multiple professional events including two Canadian Opens (2002, Angus Glen South Course and 2007, Angus Glen North Course), two Canadian Women’s Opens (2000, Angus Glen South Course and 2004, Legends on the Niagara Battlefield Course) a European Tour event and European LPGA event.

A past president of the Summit Golf Club, Carrick has also served in a variety of roles with the American Society of Golf Course Architects, including president in 2009-10.

In 1985, Carrick established his own golf course design firm Carrick Design Inc.

Edith Creed

Edith Creed was born in Toronto in 1928 and now resides in Schomberg, Ont. A member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, Creed had tremendous success as an amateur golfer.

Her list of accomplishments is long and includes being a 37-time Club Champion at Oakdale. Creed also won the York District Championship in 1982.

It was as a senior competitor though where Creed made her mark on the game. She captured the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship three times (1979, 1981 and 1982). Her victories were also seen at the provincial level as she won the Ontario Senior Women’s Championship five times (1978, 1981-83 and 1986). Creed also added two York Senior Women’s District Championships (1978 and 1985).

Creed represented Ontario in 1966 as a member of the provincial team and then 10 times as a member of the senior provincial team.

She has given back to the game by helping to organize national competitions at Oakdale, along with being a supporter of their junior program.

Bill Kerr

Born in Lisburn, Ireland in 1911, Bill Kerr immigrated to Ontario soon after his birth. He had numerous affiliations to Ontario courses between 1928 and 1946, before becoming the head professional at Beaconsfield Golf and Country Club in Quebec.

While a resident of Ontario, Kerr captured the 1945 CPGA Championship, a feat he would go on to replicate in 1960. He also won two Miller Trophy Match Play Championships in 1944 and 1945, another feat he would duplicate while in Quebec in 1947 and 1950.

Throughout his career, Kerr played in six Canadian Opens and the 1961 Masters Championship. He was a five-time winner on the Quebec PGA Tour, the 1956 Bermuda Goodwill Champion, and the 1963 and 1964 CPGA Senior Champion.

In addition to his contributions to the game as a head and touring professional, Kerr also served as a two-time President of Golf Quebec and President of the CPGA from 1955-1958.

Kerr passed away in 1997, but his legacy lives on through his family who have continued his work with contributions to the golf industry in Ontario and Quebec in various capacities.

Garry McKay- Lorne Rubenstein Award

Sports journalist, Garry McKay, has been covering golf for more than 40 years. The Hamilton, Ont. resident has written for the Hamilton Spectator along with all of the major Canadian golf magazines as well as periodicals in the U.S. and Germany. In 2009, he also moved into radio hosting the Canadian PGA Golf Radio Show.

He’s a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the past-president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. McKay is a voting member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. He also sits on the SCOREGolf Top 100 and the Ontario Golf Magazine Best New Course and Top 50 Course panels.

One hundred and ten years ago, the Olympics awarded gold, silver and bronze medals in golf for the first, and as it turned out, the last time to date. Canada’s George Seymour Lyon won gold – a surprise, perhaps, only to those who did not know him.

This gifted athlete could seemingly do anything. At 18, Lyon set a Canadian pole vault record and then put a promising athletic career on hold while he joined the Queen’s Own Rifles as a sergeant, rushing west to help quell the Northwest Rebellion in 1885. On his return to Toronto, he was the captain and second baseman of the city championship baseball team, as well as being an excellent tennis player. His great hand-eye coordination led him to cricket where, predictably, he became an outstanding player, batting a long-standing record of 238 not out. Golf, however, was not among Lyon’s hobbies until the ripe old age of 38.

In October 1896, Lyon was playing cricket at the Rosedale Cricket grounds. Only a fence separated it from the golf course. His friend, John Dick, was golfing. He spotted Lyon with his cricket bat, and made a teasing remark about needing a wide bat to hit a ball. Dick dared Lyon to try to hit a golf ball using a golf club. The rest, as they say, is Olympic history.

Lyon looked and acted like anything but a golfer; he was portly, loved to joke, was boisterously enthusiastic, and liable to break out in a verse of “My Wild Irish Rose” or suddenly begin to walk on his hands. Staid onlookers could only shake their head in awe and disbelief when they witnessed his apparently ruthless, haphazard swipe at the ball to send it far down the fairway. Nevertheless, within a year he was the Rosedale club champion, defeating the City of Toronto’s best golfer in the process. Just before his 40th birth- day, he won the Canadian Men’s Amateur title by twelve-up, one of eight times he would win that event.

In 1904, Lyon was one of 84 golfers from Europe and North America who entered the Olympic golf competition at St. Louis. The qualifying round at the Glen Echo Club on September 18 pared the
84 entrants down to 32. The American favourite Chandler Egan was in the lead, Lyon in ninth place. Lyon’s second round match play caused a bit of a stir when he defeated his opponent – a hometown favourite – by 11 holes with nine to play.

Predictably, Lyon’s form was criticized by the St. Louis papers: Yes, he drove the ball huge distances, but that hardly made it golf, they said. Regardless, he was among the elite final eight players: three from St. Louis, three from Chicago, one from Seattle and the unlikely (according to the media) and maligned Canadian. Lyon ignored his detractors and defeated his third round opponent by four strokes.

His semi-final competitor was Francis Newton, the Pacific Coast champion. Some called it the best match of the tournament with the eighth and ninth holes described as “being negotiated by the cleverest golf ever seen in North America.” The match highlight was a monster drive of 327 yards by Lyon.

The Canadian underdog had played his way to the gold medal final, but few had any hope Lyon could win against the recently crowned American champion, 23-year-old Egan. However, Lyon showed up for the two final 18-hole rounds as enthusiastic as ever and stepped up to the first tee amid polite applause. He drove to within eight yards of the 276–yard pin placement, took two putts and was one up. Egan matched him hole for hole afterwards throughout the first 18 holes, and Lyon maintained his one-up lead.

The two broke for lunch and resumed play at 3:00 in the afternoon for the
final 18. The great match was the talk of the clubhouse. Word spread; the gallery increased as Lyon’s steady game paid dividends. His lead had increased to four by the 24th hole of the day, when Egan mounted a comeback and won the next two holes. At the 30th, it appeared that Lyon’s lead would shrink to one but he made a clutch putt to retain his valuable two-hole lead. Egan won the 31st, cutting the lead to one.

The gallery seemed to be waiting for Lyon to crack but he was unfazed. His drive on the 33rd was straight down the middle of the fairway; Egan ended up in the lake. Lyon was two up again. Lyon won the final hole to take the match three up with two to play, ending what some were calling “the greatest golf tournament ever held in America.”

Onlookers cleared a path for Lyon
to the clubhouse where his trophy and medal were waiting for him. With his characteristic boundless energy, Lyon walked there on his hands. Before the night was out, he had all singing his favourite song: “My Wild Irish Rose.”

At the 1908 London Olympics, golf was once again on the schedule. Lyon went to defend his gold medal, however a dispute between U.K. golfers and Games officials resulted in the British golfers boycotting the Games. The Americans were unwilling to journey to London amidst all the uncertainty, leaving Lyon as the only official entrant for golf. Though officials told him he would be awarded the gold medal, Lyon refused to accept a prize that he did not win in a competition.

It’s been 110 years since Canada celebrated Lyon’s Olympic gold, but fans will only have to wait two more for a chance to see if a Canadian golfer can repeat the feat at the 2016 Rio Games.

SYDNEY — Two-time former champion Greg Chalmers took a one-stroke lead Friday at the Australian Open after a 5-under 66, while marquee attractions Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott weren’t far behind on a tough day for scoring.

Chalmers had seven birdies in his second round to move to 5-under 137 after 36 holes.

Defending champion McIlroy played in difficult afternoon conditions at The Australian Golf Club and he persevered for an up-and-down 69 to be in a group tied for second.

Scott and American Jordan Spieth played together in calmer morning conditions and Spieth (72) was in a group tied for sixth, two behind. Scott, who moved from potential cut to contention with a 66, was three strokes behind.

After two rounds, there were only 16 players under par.

The group of four tied with McIlroy included American Conrad Shindler, who shot 68. Last year, Schindler donated all his $15,000 prize money from his first win as a pro on a U.S. developmental circuit to a relief fund for victims of tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Chalmers, who the Australian Open in 1998 and 2011, said the swirling winds Friday made club selection difficult.

“It seemed to move around a little bit and change direction,” Chalmers said. “Sometimes you think you should be downwind and because you’ve turned in a certain direction you’re actually into the wind. I think I changed clubs two or three times on shots.”

McIlroy only had only one par on the back nine – the 10th. The others, from the 11th, went birdie, bogey, bogey, eagle, birdie, bogey, birdie, birdie. He also birdied the ninth with about a 70-foot putt, but also plunked balls in the water on two holes for bogeys.

“I felt like I had an opportunity today to maybe shoot a good one and put a little bit of space between myself and the rest of the field, but it didn’t really pan out that way,” McIlroy said.

Spieth had to call for a rules official on the par-3 fourth hole when a marshal stood on his ball, but neglected to tell him when he got to the green.

Members of the gallery informed Spieth, and after he took a drop, the American fluffed his chip and missed his putt for par. On the way to the next hole, he angrily flung his ball into a creek.

His round ended well with birdies on his last two holes, but that wasn’t enough to make it feel like a good day for Spieth.

“It was a struggle, big-time struggle,” Spieth said. “I wasn’t hitting it well. If I wasn’t putting well I may have shot 45 on the back nine.”

Scott, starting on the 10th tee Friday, made quick amends for his opening-round 74 which left him in 82nd place and in danger of missing the cut. He eagled the par-5 14th and had two birdies to make the turn in 32, then birdied the par-4 sixth coming home.

“Yesterday I got off to a bad start, and I didn’t scramble well when I had to and it started to get away from me,” Scott said. “Today a couple of good shots coming up 14 and I made an eagle and momentum is on your side.”

Scott said the reason scoring has been difficult is the mostly contoured greens at The Australian.

“I think the greens were certainly testing us, getting to understand the slopes on the greens and especially around the edges,” Scott said. “So getting it very close to the hole is not that easy. I think the greens have to be the defense because there is no rough.”

Players on Friday wore black ribbons on their hats or shirts in memory of cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died Thursday two days after being hit in the head by a ball during a match at the nearby Sydney Cricket Ground.

Buenos Aires, Argentina — Chris Baryla got off to a great start with a 7-under 65 at the Personal Classic, the PGA Tour Latinoamérica’s last calendar event of 2014.

The Calgary native made seven birdies in his bogey-free opening round at Las Praderas Club Campos de Golf, finishing the day in a four-way tie for second.

Baryla’s lone professional victory came at the 2009 Chattanooga Classic, where he won by one stroke over Troy Kelly.

Robbie Greenwell of Georgetown, Ont. also started strong on Thursday, making birdies on three of the first five holes. However, he would bogey 7 and double bogey 14 en route to finishing with a 70 which left him tied for 43rd.

Oshawa’s Derek Gillespie had polarizing nines in the opening-round, making nine consecutive pars on the front before carding three birdies, two bogeys and a double on the back. He finished with a 1-over 73 and is in 90^th place heading into Friday’s action.

For full leaderboard results, click here.

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada has announced the names of the athletes who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2015 National Amateur Squad and Development Squad program.

In all, eight athletes comprise Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, including four players on the women’s team and four players on the men’s team while the National Development Squad will include 11 athletes (five women and six men).

Returning to lead the men’s squad is 2014 US Amateur runner-up Corey Conners, 22, of Listowel, Ont. (No. 17 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). Conners, who recently made it to the match play semi-finals at the Argentina Amateur and helped Canada win the Tailhade Cup, earned 2015 exemptions to play in The Masters and U.S. Open by way of his runner-up finish at the 2014 U.S. Men’s Amateur. He was also part of Canada’s runner-up team at the 2014 Men’s World Amateur Team Championship.

Surrey, B.C., native Adam Svensson, 20, ranked No. 37 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and winner of the 2014 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award also returns to the Men’s National Amateur Squad. In 2014 as a sophomore at Barry University, Svensson’s seven victories set the school record for NCAA Division II victories en route to the team repeating as NCAA Division II champions. He alsofinished as the low Canadian in 7^th position at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship where he helped Canada finished runner-up.

Joining Conners and Svensson will be Burlington, Ont. native Blair Hamilton, 21, a sophomore at the University of Houston who is a year removed from the National Program when he was a member of the Development Squad in 2013. Rounding out the squad is 18-year old rising star Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas, a dual citizen who is currently ranked No. 18 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Connelly recently paired with Conners to win the Tailhade Cup and was also a finalist in the Argentine Amateur.

On the women’s side, Team Canada Amateur Squad returning members include Brittany Marchand, 22, of Orangeville, Ont., (No. 67 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking) and Jennifer Ha, 20, of Calgary (No. 90 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). A senior at N.C. State, Marchand helped Canada to a runner-up finish at the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship while Ha, a junior at Kent State, finished second at the 2014 Porter Cup.

A pair of rookies will join Team Canada’s Women’s Amateur Squad including dual citizen Maddie Szeryk, 18, of Allen, Texas, (No. 63 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking) who represented Canada at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and Elizabeth Tong, 21, of Thornhill, Ont. (No. 210 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). Szeryk, a freshman at Texas A&M, has had a solid start to her college career, finishing 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th and 2^nd in her first four starts while Tong competed in both the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in 2014 and advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“We are very excited about the group of young men and women selected as members of Team Canada for 2015,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “It is at the very core of what we do; supporting, developing and nurturing Canada’s future stars of the sport. Investing in future heroes for our sport has a ripple affect across all areas of what we do. We have no doubt that the athletes selected will represent Canada to the best of their abilities and we look forward to assisting them in achieving their goals.”

The following athletes have been selected to Golf Canada’s 2015 Team Canada:

WOMEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD
Brittany Marchand, Orangeville, Ont. (22)
Jennifer Ha, Calgary, Alta. (20)
Elizabeth Tong, Thornhill, Ont. (21)
Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Texas (18)

MEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD
Corey Conners, Listowel, Ont. (22)
Adam Svensson, Surrey, B.C. (20)
Blair Hamilton, Burlington, Ont. (21)
Austin Connelly, Irving, Texas (18)

Complete National Amateur Squad bios can be found here.

As part of the National Amateur Team Program, Golf Canada also named the 22-and-under Development Squad that includes five female and six male athletes. The Development Squad is designed to help facilitate the continued development of Canada’s top young talents.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2015 Development Squad Program:

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
Naomi Ko, Victoria, B.C. (17)
Jaclyn Lee, Calgary, Alta. (17)
Grace St-Germain, Ottawa, Ont. (16)
Michelle Kim, Surrey, B.C. (17)
Alisha Lau, Richmond, B.C. (15)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Tony Gil, Vaughan, Ont. (16)
Tyler Saunders, Sturgeon County, Alta. (19)
Patrick Murphy, Crossfield, Alta. (17)
Trevor Ranton, Waterloo, Ont. (17)
AJ Armstrong, St. Albert, Alta. (17)
Étienne Papineau, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. (18)

Complete Development Squad player bios can be found here.

Golf Canada also announced the 2015 Team Canada coaching staff with Derek Ingram returning as Men’s Squad Head Coach and Tristan Mullally returning as Women’s Squad Head Coach. Robert Ratcliffe returns as Lead Development Squad Coach and will be supported by Women’s Development Team Coach Ann Carroll. Ingram, Mullally, Ratcliffe and Carroll are all Class “A” members with the PGA of Canada.