The Golf Association of Ontario will honor Canadian golf legend Richard (Dick) H. Grimm who passed away late May by distributing a commemorative pin with Grimm’s initials (RHG) on it to competitors and volunteers at provincial championships throughout the season.

“The Canadian golf industry truly lost one of the cherished ambassadors of our game and a treasured member of our collective family,” said GAO Executive Director Steve Carroll. “We are humbled to honor one of the game’s greatest by wearing his initials on our shirts, hats or golf bags during the 2014 season.”

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Grimm immigrated to Canada in 1948, earned the nickname “Mr. Canadian Open” thanks to his involvement in the event from 1965 to 1993. He used his skills as a salesman, promoter, official and fan to make the event what it is today. He was a key mogul in the development of Canadian golf and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1993.

The entire Canadian golf community is mourning the loss of Richard (Dick) Grimm who passed away on May 26, 2014 at the age of 91.

In a recent segment on Golf Channel’s Playing Lessons with the Pros, host Holly Sonders hesitated when her guest and matchplay opponent, PGA Tour star Matt Kuchar, asked her if his one-foot putt was good. She eventually nodded and he picked up his ball. “Ah, ladies’ matchplay rules…” snickered the noted jokester and trash talker.

But his slightly snide comment contained a kernel of relevance. The key to inviting more women to play golf is not to intimidate them with rules and regulations (although there is a definite need for a basic understanding of rules and etiquette, of course), and sometimes the more experienced women at a club or in a league do just that.

“When I started, some of the older ladies weren’t very welcoming,” recalls a friend of mine who now is a diehard golfer. “So I moved to another club where the atmosphere was totally different, like the difference between rep hockey and rec hockey,” said my friend, who has played both. “All I wanted was to exercise and socialize.”

Not coincidentally, at the club where my friend now plays, both the general manager and the director of golf are female. Keenly attuned to the priorities that make their ladies’ league so successful, they emphasize team events, where the focus is on enjoyment, not serious competition. They mix up the foursomes and provide a different themed dinner each week. “Exercise and socialize,” indeed.

Those grumpy Rule book-thumping ladies are not the sole reason more women don’t play the game, but they are a contributing factor, along with many others.

The deficiencies of design of many courses is a major offender. The forward tees are often an afterthought, poorly positioned to address the realities of shorter hitters who can’t navigate forced carries. These tee positions generally do not consider the distance women drive the ball or what club they hit on their approach. (I often wonder how many men would give up the game if they had to hit a fairway wood into every par-4 and counted themselves lucky if they hit a par-5 green in four shots, not three, as many women do.)

Many years ago, I was fortunate to interview Alice Dye who is married to famous course designer Pete Dye. Like her husband, Alice is an accomplished player and a renowned designer and was, in fact, the first woman president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.  Today, she has not changed her mantra from what she told me back then.  Golf courses should have two sets of tees for women; one at about 4,600 yards for average players and another about 5,600 for above-average. You can read the details here.

It’s not that women don’t want to play golf, or more golf. It’s that they don’t feel welcome, sometimes by their peers, or men, or even course design. And that is regrettable, because those of us fortunate to play and enjoy the game realize the object of the exercise is to have fun.

Combining that fun with a great cause is what is behind the Subaru Golf Fore the Cure. Golf Fore the Cure was created by Golf Canada to drive women’s participation in the game of golf with the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. (Please go to www.golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure to find out how you can get involved in this inspiring program.)

Ideally, the best way to get more women into golf is to introduce them to the game at an early age. Junior camps and clinics are great, but an impressive initiative has been started in Brampton, Ont., where Jeff Overholt and Jon Roy of Golf Performance Coaches have partnered with the Brampton Golf Club to launch the first and only Junior Golf Development Centre in Canada designed specifically for girls.

“The objective is to create an opportunity to encourage young girls to participate in golf while developing confidence and respect in a safe and supportive environment,” says the release announcing the program.  “It will also provide a coaching pathway for girls who are interested in playing competitive golf.”

The program, a joint effort between Golf Performance Coaches and Brampton Golf Club, is in conjunction with the governing bodies for golf in Canada. It is supported by Golf Canada, and run by PGA of Canada members.

For those not-so-young beginning female golfers, we may want to take a page (or pages, literally) from our neighbours to the south.

The National Women’s Golf Alliance is encouraging courses to become “NWGA certified” under its “Rolling Out The Green Carpet” program which uses as its major resource a PGA of America publication called the Connecting With Her Playbook, which explains why golf clubs should appeal more to women and offers advice on how to do it. (You can view the Playbook here.)

Obviously, there is no lack of resources to welcome more women of all ages into golf.

The question is: Do we—women, men and the industry in general—have the will?

Golf Canada goes one-on-one with Dave Scinocca, PGA of Canada Head Professional at Shilo Country Club in Westman, Manitoba. 

GC:       What prompted Shilo Country Club to host the CN Future Links Prairie
Championship?

DS:      We are a proud supporter of junior golf in Manitoba and regularly accommodate a number of regional qualifiers and tournaments. When we were presented with the opportunity to host the prestigious 2014 CN Future Links Prairie Championship, we jumped on board right away. This is very exciting for our facility, our staff, and our members at the Shilo CC. It’s an honor and a great chance to get involved with Golf Canada – we can’t wait for it to start.

GC:      What preparations have went into hosting this championship?

DS:      The staff and volunteers have worked very hard on the entire facility to showcase our course during this championship. Kudos to Karen Gero for undertaking the huge responsibility as Tournament Chair – she has made sure no small details have been overlooked or left out. We are poised and ready to host this championship and promise to leave a lasting impression on our guests and patrons. The golf course is in fantastic shape considering the late start we’ve had this season. The ground’s crews have worked very diligently on all areas of the course in preparation for this championship and we think it will certainly impress the golfers and the spectators this week.

GC:      What can players expect when they arrive at your club?

DS:      A friendly atmosphere and a warm welcoming. We pride ourselves on customer service and make it our goal to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience at the Shilo Country Club. On the course you may encounter some wildlife, see some military guns, spot some fighter jets overhead, and may even hear the distant sound of canons going off. Being located on a military base is a very unique feature and certainly presents a different feel when you first arrive at the Shilo Country Club.

GC:      What do you think will challenge competitors the most?

DS:      The trade winds at the Shilo CC are certainly a major factor. We have a short, tricky layout that demands precise tee shots on several holes. Our greens present a separate challenge as they are typically very quick and undulated. The key to scoring at the Shilo CC is primarily ball placement and controlling your short game around the greens. You don’t have to be a long ball hitter to play well here.

GC:      Are there any significant holes or sections of the golf course that should provide excitement for the tournament?  

DS:      Holes 6 through 12 tagged “The Gauntlet” will certainly challenge the competitors. It’s the tightest and most narrow stretch of holes that demands extra focus and precise shot making. Our layout also finishes with back to back Par 5’s that can make it possible for a late charge.

GC:      What does hosting an event like this do for your local community?

DS:      The support from the local community has been fantastic. We have had several of our members and even some non-members volunteer to help during the championship. A local branch of the Cargill Company has donated some tee gifts for all of the juniors as well. It has been a team effort and we can’t thank our sponsors and volunteers enough.

GC:      What sets your club apart from others in the area, in terms of both the
course and/or its membership?

DS:      The Shilo Country Club is located on the C.F.B. Military Base, which certainly makes it unique and intriguing. We are a semi-private facility that has a membership made up of both military and civilian people, and our golf course is often recognized as the best manicured, while boasting the fastest greens in our area by far. The atmosphere is always fun and friendly at Shilo CC and we have a fantastic restaurant, RICK’s, in the clubhouse. RICK’s restaurant offers up pizza and pasta meals that are second to none.

GC:      What does your club do to encourage and engage your junior membership each season?

DS:      We are a very family oriented facility. We encourage junior golfers of all ages and often allow parents to bring their young ones along for a few shots or holes to help introduce them to the game. We have very reasonable junior membership rates and offer junior programs that help to attract some of the area’s best young golfers. Our team of Golf Professionals love working with juniors of all ages and skill. Our facility promotes junior CN Future Links programs and we really strive to “Grow the Game” in our area.

GC:     Why is hosting this championship important to the club?

DS:      It’s an honor to host this championship. It certainly brings our facility to the forefront in our area and we take pride in hosting large events like the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. To be selected as the host venue and to have the chance to watch the future stars of the game tee it up at your home club is very exciting and rewarding. We can’t wait to see how the competitors will manage our course and battle the prevailing winds.

GC:      What is your club looking forward to the most in hosting this
championship?

DS:      Meeting and greeting the young protégés and their families will be the highlight. Hosting an event like the CN Future Links Prairie Championship takes time, effort, and dedication from all of our staff and volunteers. We have all put a lot of hard work into this event and are looking forward to the week ahead. Seeing everyone come together and watch the championship unfold will be very fulfilling for our facility and our membership. We can’t wait to see the juniors challenge our course and enjoy the atmosphere at our club; it will be a memorable week for us for sure.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday as he recovers from back surgery that has kept him out of golf for nearly three months.

It will be the second U.S. Open, and sixth major, he has missed because of injury over the last six years.

The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Pinehurst No. 2, where Woods tied for third in 1999 and was runner-up in 2005. The announcement on his website was not surprising. A week ago at a promotional event for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional, Woods said he still had not taken a full swing with a golf club and did not know when he could.

He had microdiscetomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve on March 31.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be there because I’m not yet physically able to play competitive golf,” Woods said. “I’d like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won’t be at Pinehurst. The U.S. Open is very important to me, and I know it’s going to be a great week.”

Woods last played on March 9 at Doral, where he closed with a 78 while suffering what he called back spasms. He withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with back pain a week earlier.

Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion, one short of the record shared by Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson. His most recent U.S. Open victory was in 2008 at Torrey Pines, where he won in a playoff over Rocco Mediate a week before he had season-ending knee surgery.

That was his 14th victory in 46 majors, a winning rate of 30 percent as a pro. He has not won a major since Torrey Pines, leaving him four short of Nicklaus’ record.

Woods missed the British Open and PGA Championship after knee surgery in 2008. He missed the U.S. Open and British Open while allowing leg injuries to heal in 2011. He missed the Masters for the first time in April because of back surgery.

Nicklaus said earlier Wednesday that Woods’ health would be the biggest obstacle in breaking his record in the majors. Woods called Nicklaus earlier Wednesday to express regrets about missing the Memorial, and Nicklaus said that Woods indicated he was making progress.

“If he’s healthy, I think Tiger has got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf,” Nicklaus said. “And I’ve said many times, he’s got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships; he’s only got to win five to pass my record. As good a player as he is, I don’t think that should be a big deal. But then again, he’s got to do it. Plus, he’s also got to be healthy to be able to do it.”

Woods has not indicated when he might be able to return to competition, saying that would be up to his doctors and how he recovers from the surgery.

“Despite missing the first two majors, and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future,” he said.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Adam Scott celebrated his rise to No. 1 in the world by rallying to win at Colonial. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Rory McIlroy capped off a busy week in the news by winning for the first time this year at the European Tour’s biggest event in England.

In a golf world that has been without Tiger Woods for the last few months, it gave the sport some life at just the right time.

Scott and McIlroy headline a strong field at the Memorial that includes nine of the top 12 players in the world, most of whom have never had a chance to share a winner’s handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus behind the 18th green at Muirfield Village.

The Memorial typically has one of the best fields among PGA Tour events, and it signals the start of a big summer in golf – the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in two weeks, a month ahead of the British Open and the PGA Championship right behind it.

Woods, a five-time winner of the Memorial, last played March 9 at Doral. He is recovering from back surgery and has not indicated when he will be able to return, though it’s virtually certain he won’t be at the U.S. Open.

Nicklaus said Woods called him Wednesday morning to wish him well and offer his regrets for not playing, which Nicklaus said was a “very, very nice call.”

“He was saying that he felt bad about not being able to be here,” Nicklaus said. “He said he’s doing well, progressing well, and he’s looking forward to getting back into the game. He misses it. I just pass that on.”

Golf had been missing some excitement in his absence. It has been a peculiar year in which hardly any of the top players have won – until last week.

In 28 events on the PGA Tour this season, Scott was only the third winner who was among the top 10 in the world. The others were Zach Johnson (No. 9 at Kapalua) and Matt Kuchar (No. 6 when he won at Hilton Head).

Scott nearly missed the cut at Colonial, and then closed strong on the weekend. Not since Vijay Singh in 2004 at the Canadian Open had a player won the week after he became No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career.

“It’s satisfying, absolutely,” Scott said. “But I think all the things I did leading up certainly helped put me in the right mindset to play well last week, and it took a couple of days for it to show up really on the weekend. But that’s when it counts. … Getting to No. 1 was such a journey and so much work went into it. I wasn’t going to settle for just staying there for a week.”

With his win, Scott is assured of staying No. 1 when he gets to the U.S. Open.

McIlroy was equally intriguing. He started his week at Wentworth by announcing that he had broken off his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, right after the wedding invitations had gone out in the mail. McIlroy then birdied his last two holes and won the BMW PGA Championship.

It was an important win for the former No. 1 and two-time major champion. He had not beaten a field that deep and strong since Dubai at the end of 2012, the sensational year that took him to No. 1 and made it look as though he would stay there.

Since then, he has gone through an equipment change and a management change. And right when it looked as though his game was trending in the right direction, he went through a public breakup of what had been a very public relationship.

McIlroy declined to answer one question about newspaper reports that he split up with Wozniacki over the phone saying that he was only talking about his golf. And with that win at Wentworth, golf became a fun topic of conversation again.

He had squandered good chances in Abu Dhabi and the Honda Classic, all while posting a string of top 10s. For him to win at Wentworth with that much scrutiny on his personal life gave him a life.

“I think I showed quite a lot of mental strength or focus or whatever you want to call it last week during the whole tournament,” he said. “I think mentally, it gave me a lot of confidence knowing that when I did get myself into contention, I could close it out, which I wasn’t able to do at Honda.

“And yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence going to the second half of the season.”

DOUG LAWRIE 

PGA of Canada Director of Instruction
Focus Golf Group, Burlington, ON
WEBSITE: focusgolfgroup.com
FACEBOOK:/FocusGolfGroup or /DougLHP
TWITTER: @FocusGolfGroup
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “If they continue to fail and make mistakes they will learn this game faster than trying to be perfect every time,” Lawrie says. “There is only one way to fail…forward.”

The very first thing Lawrie, the 2012 PGA of Canada Junior Leader of the Year, does with new junior students is to literally get down to their level – many times on his knees – so they do not feel intimidated or scared. This is a key point with every child that enters his golf program. “They need to know that you have their best interest in mind and that they can relax and ask questions in a positive environment where they learn and have fun,” says Lawrie, who also received recognition earlier this year as one of the Top 50 junior golf instructors in the world from U.S. Kids. This past winter students attending the 46-year-old’s indoor academy at Burlington Fitness and Racquet Club played indoor tennis, trained with hula hoops and swung baseball bats, among other activities, to engage their bodies and minds. “If they aren’t having fun then I’m not doing my very best,” he says.

MATT PALSENBARG

PGA of Canada Director of Instruction
Northview G&CC, Surrey, BC
WEBSITE: tourperformancelab.com
FACEBOOK: /matthew.palsenbarg
TWITTER: @mattgolfLAB
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “If at first you don’t succeed, listen to what your coach said the first time.”

When you join The Tour Performance LAB at Northview G&CC you are joining a team. It’s a different approach to learning about golf, but it’s working for Matt Palsenbarg as his players support each other at tournaments and LAB events. When a member of the team wins, everyone wins. As one of the core values for the lab, students spend a lot of time in the gym with fitness guru (and Golf Canada columnist) Jason Glass. “We see muscles popping out, fat disappears, they run and they start to get in shape. They feel like athletes and that’s a big thing because it gives them confidence,” says the 32-year-old Palsenbarg, who spent five years teaching the golf swing before transitioning into comprehensive coaching five years ago. Thirty-eight students are enrolled in the team-oriented, year-long coaching program that starts each September and another 60 students – with the goal of getting to 100 – take part in shorter programs throughout the year.

MITCH WALZ

PGA of Canada Assistant Professional
Canyon Meadows G&CC, Calgary, AB
WEBSITE: mwjuniorgolf.com
FACEBOOK: /mitch.walz
TWITTER: @walzygolf
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: A self-described “Star Wars nerd,” Mitch often pulls quotes from these epic movies for his students. One of his favorites is from Yoda: “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” 

Walz, who began his golf career as a long drive competitor, believes that the best junior golf development programs must provide the framework for personal growth. His coaching programs ensure that all juniors, regardless of skill level and age, build foundational life skills such as honesty, integrity, accountability, responsibility and teamwork. Walz’s programs embrace healthy competition and physical and mental development. The 30-year-old works hard at being a strong mentor, but most of all he focuses on having fun! “We create an atmosphere where the kids have a blast and want to come back again and again,” he says. Off course activities have included paintball and a girls’ yoga night. Fifteen of his students organized a 72-hole golf challenge and raised.

BARI GOURLEY

Technical Director

Golf New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
WEBSITE: golfnb.ca
FACEBOOK: /nbgolfers
TWITTER: @golfprobari
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: Choosing words from Ben Hogan, Bari tells her junior golfers, “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”

As a golf professional in New Brunswick for 25 years, Gourley has introduced tens of thousands of youngsters to the game she fell in love with as a six-year-old playing with her parents. “The greatest memories I have of my parents are playing golf with them and I hope children that I teach will look back on their youth and have those memories too,” says Gourley, named Junior Leader of the Year for 2013 for the PGA of Canada Atlantic Division. “My goal is to start them out and introduce them to a healthy active lifestyle that they will be able to play as parents and grandparents. They’re probably not going to get to the pro tours, but they certainly can enjoy golf with their friends and family.” In 2013, the 49-year-old drove the CN Future Links mobile van to clinics across New Brunswick, introduced the Golf in Schools program to teachers and students, and coached Team New Brunswick at the Canada Summer Games and Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Westman, Man. – Shilo Country Club in Westman, Man., will play host to the third CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Prairie Championship – which will be held May 29 – June 1, with a practice round being staged on Thursday, May 29.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division, respectively.

“We are excited to see the results from this year’s CN Future Links Prairie Championship,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Justine Decock, “It’s always exciting to watch someone defend their title; however, with so many fresh faces in the field this year, anything could happen.” 

Team Canada’s sole representative in the tournament will be Development Squad member Jaclyn Lee, 18, of Calgary, who is back to defend her CN Future Links Prairie title after winning the championship by three strokes in 2013. Lee has been an active competitor in the 2014 season thus far, playing in both the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and the Canadian Women’s Tour in British Columbia earlier this month. Also competing in the Junior Girls division will be 14-year old Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C. Lau finished in fourth in 2014’s CN Future Links Pacific Championship. 

The Junior Boys division will feature a strong contingent of players from across the country. Returning competitors to the CN Future Links Prairie include: Corey Bailey, 16, of Shaunavon, Sask., Andrew Brown, 17, of Calgary, Alta., Ryan Ahrens, 16, of Peterborough, Ont., Jaesung Choi, 18, of Surrey, B.C., and Travis Fredborg, 18, of Selkirk, Man., all of who placed in the top-20 at last year’s competition. 

Shilo Country Club, otherwise known as “Westman’s Best 18”, previously played host to Golf Manitoba’s Regional Team Championship in 2013. Earlier this year, the club also hosted the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, which is run by PGA of Canada professionals and offers junior golfers the opportunity to gain exposure to college golf programs. 

“We are very excited and honored to host the CN Future Links Prairie Championship this year,” said PGA of Canada Head Professional at Shilo Country Club, Dave Scinocca, “The course will be a great test of prairie golf for all of the competitors and we can’t wait for the championship to begin.  Good luck to everyone and we hope you enjoy your time with us at CFB Shilo, Manitoba.”

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.  In addition, the champion receives an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Event.  

The CN Future Links Junior Golf Championships are part of CN’s ongoing partnership with Golf Canada and their commitment to junior golf. Focused on supporting safe and fun activities that have a positive impact on children’s health and well being, CN’s investment into CN Future Links is helping to increase grassroots junior golf participation in communities across Canada.

The CN Future Links tournament schedule also includes the CN Future Links Western Championship (July 1-4 at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C.), the CN Future Links Québec Championship (July 7-10 at Club de golf Continental (St-Laurent) in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué.), and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (July 13-16 at Humber Valley Resort (River Course) in Little Rapids, N.L.).

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Prairie Championship, click here.

In June 2013, the Golf Canada Calgary Centre was severely impacted by the mass flooding of the Bow River and the disaster that resulted from one of the worst floods in Alberta’s history. Among the many golf clubs and area business affected by the flooding, the Golf Canada Calgary Centre experienced an estimated $2.3 million in damages including a submerged 9 hole par 3 golf course, driving range and a completely destroyed 18 hole natural grass putting course.

On Friday, May 30th the Golf Canada Calgary Centre will show its appreciation for the many volunteers who worked incredibly hard last summer and over the past year to assist in the flood recovery. Without the efforts of these dedicated volunteers, the Golf Centre would not have been able to rebuild and recover so quickly.

“We are thrilled to be where we are today and we recognize we wouldn’t be here without the generous support from our community of volunteers” said Chad Rusnak, Director of Golf Operations at the Calgary Centre. “We cannot put into words how thrilled we are to see all our loyal patrons returning to the facility and its fully restored golf course. Our programs are in full swing and the sun has brought the traffic flow we have long awaited for through the challenging months”.

In addition to representatives from the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, Alberta Golf and the Alberta PGA, a pair of 2014 Sochi Winter Olympians will be on hand to celebrate the grand opening:

Alex Gough:
oTwo-time Winter Olympian in Luge
o2011 & 2013 World Championship bronze medalist (women’s singles)
o2013 World Championship silver medalist (team relay)
o2012 World Championship bronze medalist (team relay)

Mark Arendz:
oTwo-time Winter Olympian in Biathlon & Para-Nordic skiing
o2014 silver medalist (Men’s Biathlon 7.5 km) at 2014 Sochi Paralympics
o2014 bronze medalist (Men’s 12.5 km) at 2014 Sochi Paralympics
oFormer World Cup Paralympic Biathlon champion
o2013 World Champion in 7.5 km biathlon sprint

The celebration will run from 4-7pm and will feature a catered barbeque, free access to PGA of Canada professionals, as well as complimentary gifts from the team.

To read more on the Golf Canada Calgary centre, visit the website

BRAMPTON, Ont. – PGA of Canada professionals Jon Roy and Jeff Overholt have teamed up with Brampton Golf Club to officially launch the first ‘girls only’ National Junior Golf Development Centre (NJGDC).

NJGDCs are a joint initiative between Golf Canada and PGA of Canada professionals to offer juniors a permanent home to develop their skills and golfing interests. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, each centre accommodates those pursuing the competitive stream as well as those practicing for a more recreational approach to the sport.

In this case, Overholt & Roy are focused on providing young females the opportunity to focus on golf in a girls only setting. The welcoming atmosphere should help address any concern of a barrier for girls to enter the sport.

“We found there was an opportunity to create a structure to take girls’ golf games to the next level,” explained Overholt. “There’s a gap between the number of girls, especially at the competitive level, and we thought this program will help fix a disconnect we’ve seen. Other programs are already in place for different sports like hockey or baseball, but this is the first for golf.”

Brampton Golf Club will host an information night on June 2^nd between 6:30-8:30pm for all interested parents and juniors. Brittany Marchand, member of the National Women’s Amateur team, will be in attendance to endorse the program. Marchand is also a member at Brampton GC and is fresh off of competing at the NCAA Championship to close out her collegiate career at N.C. State.

—

If you are a parent looking for a golf program in your area, consider using the look-up tool on the Golf Canada Juniors website. All NJGDCs, CN Future Links Facilities, and corresponding programs are listed based on proximity to the user’s postal code.

FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association today announced that 25 additional golfers, including 2000 U.S. Open runner-up Miguel Angel Jimenez, have earned full exemptions into the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 12-15 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. These exemptions bring the number of fully exempt players to 75.

All 25 exemptions were awarded to players who earned a place in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 26. Jimenez, who tied for second with Ernie Els, 15 strokes behind Tiger Woods in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, is ranked No. 27. He has played in 12 previous U.S. Opens and has two top 10s, including a tie for sixth in the 2008 U.S. Open, also won by Woods, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

The other players who earned full exemptions through the current Official World Golf Ranking are: Thomas Bjorn, Jonas Blixt, Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson, Harris English, Matthew Every, Stephen Gallacher, Russell Henley, Thongchai Jaidee, Matt Jones, Chris Kirk, Pablo Larrazabal, Joost Luiten, Francesco Molinari, Ryan Moore, Ryan Palmer, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, John Senden, Kevin Stadler, Richard Sterne, Brendon Todd, Jimmy Walker and Lee Westwood.

Todd moved up six positions in the Official World Golf Ranking to No. 57 by tying for fifth in the PGA Tour’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, which ended May 25. Larrazabal climbed seven spots to No. 59 in the OWGR after tying for seventh in the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship last weekend. The number of fully exempt golfers may increase with the inclusion of the top 60 players from the OWGR as of Monday, June 9.

The first two sectional qualifiers for the 2014 U.S. Open were held May 26, in Japan, where six spots in the 156-player field were determined, and in Surrey, England, where 14 players qualified. Those 20 players are in addition to the 75 fully exempt players listed below.

Sectional qualifying in the United States, at 36 holes, will take place at 10 sites on Monday, June 2. The sites are: Lake Merced Golf Club & The Olympic Club (Ocean Course), Daly City, Calif.; Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla.; Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.; Woodmont Country Club (North & South Courses), Rockville, Md.; Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.; Brookside Golf & Country Club & Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio; Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio; Emerald Valley Golf Club, Creswell, Ore.; Colonial Country Club (North & South Courses), Memphis, Tenn., and Lakeside Country Club, Houston, Texas.

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 is hosting the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in back-to-back weeks in June, the first time the championships will be held in consecutive weeks on the same course. The U.S. Open was previously held at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999 (won by Payne Stewart) and 2005 (won by Michael Campbell).

A list of the 75 golfers fully exempt into the 2014 U.S. Open as of May 26 (not including the 20 international sectional qualifiers) is below. It can also be found here.