Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame are deeply saddened by the passing of honoured member Judy Darling Evans, one of the most accomplished and influential amateur golfers in Canadian history.
Judy passed away in the afternoon of Sunday, June 14, following a long battle with pneumonia. She was at peace, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. Judy is survived by her four daughters; Katherine Porges, Cindy McCoy, Tracey Salvadore and Daphne Evans.
A link to the family’s personal obituary for Judy Darling Evans is here.
For nearly a decade, Judy Darling Evans was synonymous with amateur golfing success in Canada. Born on October 6, 1937, in Montreal, she was introduced to golf at Whitlock Golf Club, where her grandfather, A.J. Darling, a Quebec Amateur champion, served as the club’s first president. From these early beginnings, she built a remarkable career that placed her among Canada’s elite amateurs.
Darling Evans dominated provincial and national competition throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Her record includes three Quebec Junior Girls’ titles (1953, 1956, 1957), six Quebec Women’s Amateur championships (1957–1961, 1972), and the 1988 Quebec Women’s Senior title. Nationally, she won the 1957 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and back-to-back Canadian Women’s Amateur titles in 1960 and 1961.
Her 1960 national title was historic, as she and her mother, Dora Darling (herself the 1936 champion), became the only mother-daughter duo to both win the event. Together, they also share the distinction of winning both the Quebec Women’s Amateur and Canadian Women’s Amateur championships, an extraordinary family legacy.
Judy represented Canada internationally at the 1959 Commonwealth Games in St. Andrews, helping Canada to a second-place finish, and again in 1963 in Australia. Her success earned national recognition, including consecutive top three finishes for Canadian Female Athlete of the Year in 1960 and 1961.
A proud member of a deeply accomplished golfing family, the Darling name became synonymous with Whitlock Golf Club. Mentored by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Pat Fletcher at Royal Montreal, Judy developed into a formidable competitor. At 19, she made history as the first player to win both the Quebec Junior Girls and Quebec Women’s Amateur titles in the same year.
After her competitive peak, she stepped away from elite golf to focus on family, raising four daughters with her husband, Douglas Evans. She returned to competition in 1972, capturing her sixth Quebec Women’s Amateur title after nearly a decade away. Later achievements included winning the 1988 Quebec Senior Women’s Championship.
Her outstanding career was recognized with induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame in 1988.
Judy Darling Evans will be remembered not only for her achievements, but for her lasting impact on women’s amateur golf in Canada. Her legacy endures in the generations she inspired and the standard she set.
“Golf Canada and the Canadian golf community extend our deepest condolences to Judy’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Judy was one of the finest amateurs our country has ever known, and her remarkable accomplishments are matched only by the grace, sportsmanship, and class with which she carried herself throughout her life. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that helped shape the women’s game in Canada and inspired future generations of players. Judy will be remembered not only as a champion, but as a true ambassador for the game.”
The family will celebrate Judy’s life and legacy privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to the Golf Canada Foundation Marlene Stewart Streit Scholarship Fund with a future goal of establishing an annual award in Judy’s name to honour her legacy within the game she loved.
