Amateur

UFV wins double gold at the PING CCAA golf national championships

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OSHAWA, Ont. – For just the fourth time in 17 years, the same school won both the men’s and women’s team titles at the PING Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) Golf National Championships as the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades won double gold at Royal Ashburn Golf Club on Friday afternoon.

The 2013 Cascades were the last team to accomplish this feat to join the ranks of the Humber Hawks in 2007 and 2003.

The Cascades also took home the men’s individual title as CCAA All-Canadian Daniel Campbell led wire-to-wire, beating out silver medalist James Casorso of University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBC-O) by eight strokes.

“It’s pretty exciting (having the team win gold alongside him),” said Campbell. “It’s a good group of guys. They’re fun to play with on and off the golf course. They keep it light and it’s always fun playing with them.”

Charles-Eric Bélanger of Champlain St. Lawrence rounded out the podium ending up one stroke behind Casorso. Bélanger edged out Thomas Code of Fanshawe and Zach Olson of UFV who were named championship all-stars.

For the first time in CCAA history, the women’s individual title came down to a playoff as Sarah-Eve Rheaume of the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions and Madison Kapchinsky of UFV were tied at 23-over after four rounds. On the playoff hole, Rheaume’s downhill putt from about 30 yards out would set her up for a short putt for par to win the title as Kapchinsky would record a bogey after having her drive go into the sand.

Addison Wallwin of the Georgian Grizzlies, the defending CCAA individual champion, won the bronze medal finishing 14 strokes back of the leaders and three strokes ahead of Shaye Leidenius of Red Deer.

For both UFV teams, it was their second team title in program history with the other two coming in 2013.

The women’s team ran away with the title finishing at 59-over, 21 strokes better than Georgian and Champlain St. Lawrence who ended up in a tie. Champlain St. Lawrence would end up winning silver after the tie-breaker with Georgian claiming bronze. Humber would place fourth, 11 strokes back of a podium finish.

On the men’s side, UFV had the low round of the day at seven-over to win gold by 16 strokes. UBC-O would win silver, their first team medal on the men’s side in program history. Humber edged out Champlain St. Lawrence by three strokes to earn bronze, picking up their first medal on the men’s side since 2013.

Winning the team gold and an individual silver medal, Kapchinsky will overjoyed with her championship experience.

“Our team performance was everything we could ever ask for,” said Kapchinsky. “It’s my first national championship. I think we all played great and am proud of all three of us.”

The host Durham Lords moved up one spot and finished in sixth place overall in the team standings. Josh Taylor would crack the top 20, shooting four-over on Friday and ending up at 23-over for the tournament.

As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament.

Through the championship the field recorded 450 birdies, or 450 pounds of food that will be donated to the Salvation Army.

Champions Tour

Langer birdies 18th for share of lead in playoff opener

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Bernhard Langer (Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

RICHMOND, Va. – Bernhard Langer birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 67 and a share of the first-round lead Friday in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, the first event in the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.

Seeking an unprecedented fifth Schwab Cup and fourth in a row, the 60-year-old Langer leads the season standings and has a tour-high five victories this season.

“Played really good,” Langer said after his bogey-free round. “I hit every fairway, hit 17 greens in regulation. That means I had 17 chances for birdie, and the one I missed I made par out of the bunker. So that was about as bad as I could have scored, basically. Didn’t make many putts.”

Rocco Mediate, David Toms and Joe Durant matched Langer atop the leaderboard at The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course. Jay Don Blake, Olin Browne and Glen Day were a stroke back.

Mediate had four birdies on the back nine in a bogey-free round.

“It’s a nice start for me, period,” Mediate said. “I haven’t been around much. It was a solid, solid day. Putted nice, drove nice. You have to do it around here, it’s a good golf course.

Toms and Durant also were bogey-free.

“I like the golf course,” Toms said. “I played solid yesterday in the pro-am. Went out there early in the round, I hit a couple wayward drives and got in the rough. It’s tough to play out of the rough. But I recovered well and then started to find the swing with the driver and I set myself up to have a lot of birdie opportunities the rest of the round.”

The event is the first of three in the playoffs. The playoff field will be cut to 54 for the PowerShares QQQ Championship next week in Thousand Oaks, California, and the top 36 will advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.

“Hoping to continue my good play and my good form and give myself opportunities,” Langer said. “Hopefully, get up in front and win the championship. But it’s a long ways to go. We’re only one-third of the way there.”

Defending champion Scott McCarron, playing alongside Langer, opened with a 72. He bogeyed the 18th after being penalized a stroke for accidentally moving his ball before he played his third shot.

McCarron has four victories this year and is second in the season standings.

John Daly withdrew after nine holes because of a right knee injury. He’s 22nd in the Schwab Cup standings.

CPKC Women's Open

Sung Hyun Park clinches 2017 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year award

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., – The LPGA Tour today announced that 24-year-old Sung Hyun Park, of the Republic of Korea, has mathematically clinched the 2017 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award with five events remaining on the season’s schedule.

Park, who won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open Championship for her first LPGA and major victory, has a 798-point lead over Angel Yin which would mark the third-largest margin of victory in the history of the award, passing 2016 winner In Gee Chun (778 points) and trailing only Karrie Webb over Mayumi Hirase in 1996 (1030 points) and Se Ri Pak over Janice Moodie in 1999 (929 points).

“I am honored to receive this award which was one of my goals from the beginning of the season,” Park said. “This is really special because you only get one chance in a lifetime. Taking this opportunity, I want to be a better player.”

In July, Park rallied from three strokes behind after three rounds to pull off a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner and capturing her first major title. The following month, Park earned her second career win with a four-stroke rally at the CP Women’s Open. She has six additional top-10 finishes in 2017, with no showing worse than 43rd, and finished in the top 20 at four of the season’s five major championships.

Through October 15, Park leads the LPGA in Official Money with $2,092,623, making her the fastest player in LPGA history to reach $2 million in career earnings at 7 months, 13 days (19 starts; 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship). She was also the fastest to reach $1 million in career earnings following her U.S. Women’s Open victory at 4 months, 14 days (14 events).

Park also sits in the top 10 in Scoring Average (first), Race to the CME Globe (second), Rolex Player of the Year (third), Birdies (sixth), Driving Distance Average (ninth) and Greens in Regulation (sixth). She is currently No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, less than one point behind No. 1 So Yeon Ryu.

Park is currently on leave from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where she is majoring in International Sports and Leisure. After taking up the game in the second grade at her mother’s suggestion, Park joined the KLPGA Tour in 2012 at the age of 19. She earned her first win on the KLPGA in 2015, and captured 10 total victories before joining the LPGA Tour in 2017.

Park will receive the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award at the 2017 Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony, to be held Thursday, Nov. 16, in conjunction with the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

About the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award

The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, named for the late Louise Suggs, an LPGA Founder and LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member, was established in 1962. Suggs passed away at the age of 91 in August 2015 but leaves an unsurpassed legacy behind as the namesake for the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award.

This is the 56th year the LPGA Tour will recognize a rookie for their performance in official tournaments. Since its inception, ten Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners have become members of the LPGA or World Golf Hall of Fame: Joanne Carner (1970), Amy Alcott (1975), Nancy Lopez (1978), Beth Daniel (1979), Patty Sheehan (1981), Juli Inkster (1984), Annika Sorenstam (1994), Karrie Webb (1996), Se Ri Pak (1998), and Lorena Ochoa (2003).

The rookie of the year award was established in 1962. Until 1992, the rookie of the year award went to the first-year LPGA player who finished with the highest ranking on the LPGA money list through the close of the official domestic LPGA season.

In 1992, a point system was instituted. LPGA Tour rookies are awarded points at each official LPGA tournament based on top 40 finishes and positions 41 through each player making the cut receive 5 points each. All points are doubled at LPGA major championships.

Past Winners

Year Player
1962 Mary Mills
1963 Clifford Ann Creed
1964 Susie Berning
1965 Margie Masters
1966 Jan Ferraris
1967 Sharron Moran
1968 Sandra Post
1969 Jane Blalock
1970 JoAnne Carner
1971 Sally Little
1972 Jocelyne Bourassa
1973 Laura Baugh
1974 Jan Stephenson
1975 Amy Alcott
1976 Bonnie Lauer
1977 Debbie Massey
1978 Nancy Lopez
1979 Beth Daniel
1980 Myra van Hoose (Black welder)
1981 Patty Sheehan
1982 Patti Rizzo
1983 Stephanie Farwig
1984 Juli Inkster
1985 Penny Hammel
1986 Jody Rosenthal
1987 Tammie Green
1988 Liselotte Neumann
1989 Pamela Wright
1990 Hiromi Kobayashi
1991 Brandie Burton
1992 Helen Alfredsson
1993 Suzanne Strudwick
1994 Annika Sorenstam
1995 Pat Hurst
1996 Karrie Webb
1997 Lisa Hackney (Hall)
1998 Se Ri Pak
1999 Mi Hyun Kim
2000 Dorothy Delasin
2001 Hee-Won Han
2002 Beth Bauer
2003 Lorena Ochoa
2004 Shi Hyun Ahn
2005 Paula Creamer
2006 Seon Hwa Lee
2007 Angela Park
2008 Yani Tseng
2009 Jiyai Shin
2010 Azahara Munoz
2011 Hee Kyung Seo
2012 So Yeon Ryu
2013 Moriya Jutanugarn
2014 Lydia Ko
2015 Sei Young Kim
2016 In Gee Chun
PGA TOUR Americas

Silverman and Diaz announced as team captains for Aruba Cup

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Ben Silverman (Michael Cohen/Getty Images)

TORONTO – Newly minted PGA TOUR members Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ontario) and Roberto Diaz (Veracruz, Mexico) will captain the teams from the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the 2017 Aruba Cup, taking place December 11-16 at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf, it was announced Tuesday

Silverman and Diaz, both PGA TOUR rookies who earned a spot in “The 25” on the 2017 Web.com Tour, will lead teams of 10 players in the Presidents Cup-style match-play event at Tierra del Sol.

“It’s an honour to be selected by the Mackenzie Tour to lead our team at the Aruba Cup this December,” said Silverman, who made his debut as a PGA TOUR member with a T43 finish at the Safeway Open. “It feels like it’s happened pretty fast, but it’s fun to look back and remember where I came from and go help out some guys who are coming from there right now.”

“I owe a lot to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and it’s an honour for me to come to the Aruba Cup and try to represent my past with the Tour,” said Diaz. “I think we’re going to have great chemistry, and hopefully I can help them with everything they need and defend the title.”

Silverman, 29, played on the Mackenzie Tour in 2014 and 2015 before going on to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he produced a breakthrough year, with five top-10s and a win at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. He finished 10th on the money list to secure his first trip to the PGA TOUR, in 2017-18.

Diaz, 30, played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica from 2012-15 before earning Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he recorded two top-10 finishes including a playoff loss at the Club Colombia Championship by Servientrega. He was 25th on the money list allowing him to join the 2017-18 PGA TOUR.

The roster for the Mackenzie Tour, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit, will be announced in the coming weeks, while the Latinoamérica team, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit with a minimum of two Latin American players selected, will be announced following the conclusion of the 2017 season, at the Shell Championship in Miami in early December.

The inaugural Aruba Cup took place in 2016, with the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamerica defeating the Mackenzie Tour team, 13-7. The 2017 Aruba Cup consists of three competition days, featuring four-ball, foursomes and singles matches from December 14-16.

From the Archives

VIDEO: Who is Bob Vokey?

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Bob Vokey (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)

Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Bob Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and trusted short game advisor to many of the modern game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey wedges a trusted brand among golfers of every age and skill level. Over his illustrious career, Vokey has designed wedges for many of golf’s notable players.

Earlier this year, as part of the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, the legendary club maker officially entered the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame as an honoured member.

Watch the video teaser below for a glimpse into the life of Vokey and click here to watch the video in full.

CPKC Women's Open

Play alongside the LPGA’s best at the CP Women’s Open

Brooke Henderson

Canadian Brooke Henderson leads NZ Open as rain halts final round

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Brooke Henderson (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Canadian Brooke Henderson took a big step towards her fifth LPGA Tour title in only six holes on Sunday, but will have to resume on Monday after rain, lightning and dangerous winds disrupted the final round of the New Zealand Women’s Open.

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., leads the tournament by four shots at 17-under par from overnight leader Belen Mozo of Spain and American Brittany Lincicome.

Play was repeatedly suspended Sunday because of adverse weather conditions and finally called for the day at 5:30 p.m. local time when a violent squall brought heavy rain and winds which sent advertising boards flying across greens.

Tour officials ruled the tournament would remain 72 holes and players will return to the Windross Farm course Monday to complete their final rounds.

Henderson was 3-under Sunday after her six holes. She birdied the second, fourth and fifth holes to move past the faltering Mozo, who was 2-over after six holes when a trying day finally ended.

Lincicome was 2-under after six holes, with birdies at the second and fifth, and loomed as Henderson’s most likely challenger Monday.

Mozo, who led the tournament by five shots after the second round and by one entering the final round, struggled on the greens Sunday and had bogeys on her first and sixth holes to concede the lead to Henderson.

Norway’s Nicole Broch Larsen and China’s Jing Yan are tied for fourth place at 12-under after nine and seven holes respectively. Australia’s Su Oh was next at 11-under through nine holes while Hee Young Park of South Korea and Thidapa Swannapura of Thailand share seventh place at 10-under.

Hometown favourite Lydia Ko was 1-under after nine holes and tied for ninth place at 9-under, eight shots off Henderson’s lead.

Tournament organizers and LPGA officials were aware of the threatening forecast for Sunday and made provision by bringing forward tee times, hoping to avoid the worst of the weather, which was expected to hit late afternoon.

The first players were off at 7:40 a.m. and the leaders had just teed off at 10 a.m. when rain and standing water forced play to be suspended for the first time.

Players returned to the course at 12:28 p.m. and almost two hours of play were possible before play was suspended again because of the threat of lightning.

Play resumed at 4:55 p.m. but had only continued about 20 minutes before the final, fierce squall spread across the course bringing lashing rain, gale force winds and bitterly cold conditions.

LPGA Tour rules official Bo Ream said organizers considered all possibilities before deciding to continue as a 72-hole event.

“We’ve talked with our partners and looked at various options,” Ream said. “We’ve decided we’re going to go 72 holes.”

Amateur

CGSA names 2017 Superintendent of the Year

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Mississauga, Ont. – The CGSA and Bayer have announced Greg Holden from the Clear Lake Golf Course in Onanole, Man., as the CGSA/Bayer Superintendent of the Year for 2017.

The CGSA/Bayer Superintendent of the Year award recognizes a member of the CGSA who has held the position of golf course superintendent for a minimum of five years and who has distinguished her or himself through dedication to the profession, performance as a golf course superintendent and contributions to their profession and their community.

“Greg Holden is probably known as the most adventurous Golf Course Superintendent and truly one of the most vigilant of the environment,” said Jim Flett, AGS, CGSA president. “I had the privilege of calling Greg to inform him of winning this award and with this being Greg’s final season as Superintendent at Clear Lake Golf Course before retiring, what better way to add to his already astounding career.”

Greg has been a CGSA member since 1999 and was the President of the CGSA in 2010. He is one of the most innovative superintendents and the only Superintendent in Manitoba that collects up to 10,000 + litres of used cooking oils from shops and resorts around town to make Bio-Diesel to run 7 pieces of equipment.

Holden has experienced many adventures throughout his life thus far.  Everything from being a cameraman on a six-month journey crossing the Pacific Ocean on a rafting expedition from Ecuador to Australia, co-owning and operating the Mooswa Resort with his wife Linda in Riding Mountain National Park for 15 years, to operating a small organic farm on his property prior to stepping into his current position as Superintendent at the Clear Lake Golf Course.

His distinguished career began back in 1993 when he got the opportunity to work for the Clear Lake Golf Foundation. At that time, they were in the process of submitting a bid to Parks Canada to run the golf course in Riding Mountain National Park. Mr. Holden was instrumental in the writing of the environmental section of that bid that ultimately won them the contract to operate the course for Parks Canada over a 25-year period.

Holden has won him and his course many awards including the Eco Network Environmental Stewardship Award; was a finalist for the 2009 Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award and was the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association (MGSA) Superintendent of the Year Award winner in 2012 for his outstanding contributions to the industry.

Mr. Holden will receive the CGSA/Bayer Superintendent of the Year award at the 2018 CGSA Awards Ceremony in Quebec City as part of The Canadian Golf Course Management Conference.

The award is funded by Bayer – a ssponsor of the CGSA.

The CGSA represents golf course superintendents, assistant superintendents, equipment technicians, and others involved in golf course management across Canada. CGSA was founded in 1966 and has over 1,000 members. Its mission is to promote excellence in golf course management and environmental responsibility through the continuing professional development of its members. For more information please visit www.golfsupers.com.

Amateur

Canada claims five medals at inaugural Invictus Games golf competition

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(Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

TORONTO – The inaugural adaptive golf competition of the Invictus Games took place Tues, Sept. 26, at St. George’s Golf and Country Club, where Canadians claimed five medals.

The competition was contested over 18 holes using modified Stableford scoring using Handicap Factors/Index.

Claiming gold in the men’s competition with a 38-point total was David Scott of the United Kingdom. Canada’s Étienne Aubé claimed silver with 37 points.  Canadians Dan Graham and Jay Nickol earned bronze with 35 points, as did American Josh Lindstrom.

In the women’s competition, Cornelia Oosthuizen of the United Kingdom captured gold with a score of 32. Canada’s Karyne Gelinas earned silver with 27 points and Sandy Bate earned 24 points ton win bronze.

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Karyne Gelinas of Canada, Cornelia Oosthuizen of the United Kingdom  and Sandy Bate of Canada (Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

His Royal Highness Prince Harry was on hand at St. George’s to cheer on competitors.

The Invictus Games are an international sporting event for wounded, ill and injured servicemen and women, both currently serving and veterans. The Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of and respect for those who serve their country.

The word Invictus is Latin for unconquered. It embodies the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and ill service personnel and what these tenacious men and women can achieve, post-injury.

For full scores, click here.

For more information on the 2017 Invictus Games, visit www.invictusgames2017.com.

Live stream the Invictus Games

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