First Tee and Youth on Course work collaboratively to provide a welcoming and accessible junior golf pathway.

Golf participation in Canada is currently at multiyear highs and as the national sport organization, Golf Canada is focused on the long-term future and overall health of our sport. For example, as golf participation thrives today, what long-term investment must be made to ensure the sport will be similarly healthy a generation from now?

Long-term trends indicate that the Canadian population will become increasingly multicultural and multidimensionally diverse than today. To sustain and grow Canadian golf participation going forward, a larger share of golfers will reflect racialized and socioeconomic backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in our sport.

Many golf courses operate highly successful and impactful junior programs across Canada. As a complement to these fundamentally important locally driven efforts, Golf Canada, along with corporate and philanthropic supporters, are making long-term investments that specifically seek to provide affordable and welcoming golf access to Canadian youth from a diversity of backgrounds.

The first primary investment is in First Tee – an internationally renowned program with over 25 years of operation in the United States. First Tee offers junior golf and youth development experiences in three settings: golf facilities, community centres, and schools. The First Tee program provides equipment, turnkey lesson plans, and in-depth instructor training. First Tee is primarily suited for publicly accessible facilities and municipal golf courses – or private courses who welcome non-member juniors for First Tee programming that takes place on driving ranges and putting greens. First Tee has an extensive track record in the United States of welcoming equity-deserving youth into our sport.

First Tee is funded by generous individuals and corporate donors. First Tee programming is offered for free at all schools and community centres. Most participating golf courses are able to offer programming for free, and need-based financial assistance is available to all participants so that cost is never a barrier.

Golf Canada initially partnered with First Tee in 2020 and the program will be operational in every province by the end of 2023, charting a course for community-by-community growth that will be executed over several years.

The second important investment into the sport is Youth on Course – a program that allows junior golfers to play golf on a participating course for a green fee of $5 or less. Junior golfers who are introduced to the sport through First Tee can thus transition onto the golf course at an affordable price.

Youth on Course started in the United States and there are nearly 2,000 participating golf courses across North America. From a Canadian perspective, the program began in Alberta and Ontario in 2019 and expanded to British Columbia and Atlantic Canada this year. Partner courses are provided with a modest subsidy in addition to the $5 green fee collected from the junior golfer. Youth on Course is funded by individual and corporate donors who believe in increasing golf course access for juniors. Host courses also make an important contribution by prioritizing access for juniors, even while incurring an opportunity cost.

What do we believe is the blueprint for supporting an accessible junior golf pathway for Canadian youth from all backgrounds? Engage youth from equity deserving communities at their local schools and community centres through First Tee, transition participants to nearby First Tee golf courses to further their development in golf and finally, provide a low-cost on-course entry point through Youth on Course.

Beyond large-scale exposure to the sport, a segment of these participants will advance on to engage in competitive golf through the Junior Skills Challenge or the multitude of local, provincial, and national junior tournaments.

The impact of junior golf programs always occurs locally, and is often supported by the local club, provincial golf associations, and the efforts of PGA of Canada professionals. Whether at the grassroots level or competitively, junior golf is driven by the energy and professionalism of local coaches and volunteers. Through First Tee and Youth on Course, Golf Canada seeks to complement existing successful junior programs and provide local leaders with additional programming that is designed for the long-term future of Canadian golf.

The long-term result will be a sport that continues to be the most played of any sport in the country, and one more closely aligned with the diversity strengths of multi-cultural Canada.

HALIFAX, N.S. – Sunny weather conditions made for an exceptional start at Ashburn Golf Club (New Course) as the opening round of the 109th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO kicked off Tuesday morning. The leaderboard fluctuated throughout the day, but Team Canada’s Brooke Rivers shot a 7-under 65 during the opening round to break the Ashburn Women’s competitive course record, to place herself atop the leaderboard.

The 18-year-old from Brampton, Ont., carded a total of seven birdies, four on the front and three on the back. On the front she birded the par-5 second hole, par-4 fourth hole, and back-to-back on the par-4 sixth hole and the par-4 seventh hole. On the back, she again went back-to-back with birdies on the par-4 eleventh hole and par-5 twelfth hole and added another on the par-4 fifteenth hole to finish her impressive round.

“I think the most important thing for today was my game plan. Making sure that I knew where to leave the ball in order to have the appropriate putt and giving myself the easiest chance to make birdie,” said Rivers. “It’s a four-day event, there’s lots of golf to play but the first day just shows that I had the right plan going into the round and that I can continue that plan with hitting my targets and shots.”

Team Canada’s Lauren Kim carded a total of five birdies firing a 5-under 67 to sit in second place after the opening round.

“I just came back from the U.S girls’ championship and played pretty well, so I wasn’t coming into today with many expectations. It’s a new course and tournament so its good to come into it with an empty mind and no expectations,” said Kim. “Coming into today I was hoping to shoot even par since I know this is a pretty difficult course, the greens are pretty tricky so during the round I wasn’t thinking about much. “I think I need to go into tomorrow with the same mindset, no expectations.”

Maisie Filler of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., shot 4-under 68 carding a total of four birdies to sit in third place heading into round two of the 109^th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Five other Canadians ended round one inside the top-10, including defending champion and Team Canada member Monet Chun who is currently in a three-way tie for fourth after shooting 2-under 70 during the first round. Chun finished round one with a total of two birdies, both on the back nine.

The highlight of the day – and quite possibly the tournament – belonged to Chloe Wills from Kyle, Sask., and Team Canada member, Angela Arora from Surrey, B.C. Wills shot a six iron into the 161-yard par-3 fourteenth hole and Arora fired a hybrid into the 198-yard par-3 eighth hole to watch their balls drop for a hole-in-one.

Team Ontario, consisting of Jasmine Ly of Windsor, Ont., Joline Truong of Mississauga, Ont., and Sydney Naro of Toronto, Ont., lead the Inter-Provincial team competition at 4-over. Team British Columbia, looking to defend their title are four strokes back of Ontario, and sit 8-over after the first round.

The 2023 champion of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open and the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

For the full leaderboard click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, CPKC, Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Celine Boutier carded a final round of 3-under 68 to win the Amundi Evian Championship by six shots for her first major title Sunday.

Brooke Henderson of Canada, finished 8 under after a final-round 70, finishing second.

The 25-year-old Henderson of Smiths Fall, Ont., was the defending champion after going 17 under for the tournament in 2022.

Henderson made three birdies and had two bogeys Sunday en route to her runner-up finish, which was the best result by a defending Amundi Evian champion since it became a major.

“It feels great to be back in contention on the final groups in the weekend on a major championship,” Henderson said. “That’s all you can really ask for.”

“I feel like things are really coming together. It’s been a little bit of up-and-down year so it’s really nice to finish strong this week.”

Henderson also tied the lowest nine-hole score in women’s major history during the third round. She carded six birdies through the opening nine holes on route to a score of 29.

The 29-year-old Boutier finished at 14-under 270 overall. She is the first Frenchwoman to win the tournament, which became a major in 2013.

“It has been my biggest dream since I started watching golf,” Boutier said. “This tournament has always been very special to me, even just watching as a teenager and just to be able to hold this trophy is pretty unbelievable.”

Boutier took a four-shot lead into the final round and eased any worries she may have had with two birdies to start and another on the fifth hole.

“That was pretty unexpected,” Boutier said. “I definitely felt like I handled the first few holes really well. I had a good opportunity on one and the putt on two was definitely a bonus.”

Boutier had a total of four birdies in the final round and a bogey on the par-4 13th.

Five players – Norway’s Celine Borge (68), Mexican Gaby Lopez (68), South Korea’s Kim A-lim (69) and Japan’s Yuka Saso (70) and Nasa Hataoka (72) – were joint third at 7 under.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Adam Webb, Woodlands Links Ltd., Hole #15

I hit a 9 iron, 150 yards and hit it three feet beyond the pin and spun it back into the hole. My brother and I erupted once we saw the ball disappear. The whole course heard us.

We proceeded to celebrate the last few holes of our round and I opened a tab at the course to give a few drinks to other patrons. 

Allan Druskin, Three Hills Golf Course, Hole #2

I am 75 years old with an 18 handicap and have been playing golf on and off for 50 years. My friend, Barry (Hoppy) Hopkins and myself were golfing on the afternoon of July 21, 2023, at our home course near Three Hills. Using a 6 iron, I shot the ball over a creek about 160 yards to the green, thought it landed on the green, but lost sight of it in the sun. Upon reaching the green, I couldn’t find it. After searching for it for a couple of minutes my friend suggested I look in the cup. Sure enough, there it was!

Betty Millen, Newlands Golf Club, Hole #10

I was playing with the three members that I play with a few times a week. The hole was 98 yards uphill, and I used my little 9 wood that I have had for 20 years. This is my third on that hole, my second one this year. Unfortunately, I didn’t record the others on the Golf Canada site. I’m pretty proud of myself for a 79-year-old!

Betty Oliver, Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club, Hole #7

I was playing with my sister. Kathy Palombi and two good friends, Barb Bumbacco and Anita Litalien. The yardage was 116 and I used my Cleveland Launcher UHX 8 iron and a yellow Srixon soft feel ball. It was so exciting for all of us to watch it disappear into the hole as it rolled across the green. Hopefully, I’ll experience that moment again with either myself or a golfing buddy.

Bill Raponi, Cranberry Golf Course, Hole #13

What a great day!

Brett Skakun, Lac La Biche Golf and Country Club, Hole #8

I was out for an early morning round with my good friend and fellow Golf Canada member Greg Zevola. It was a 148 yard 9 iron that was on line the entire time it was in the air. Both of us said, “be good” while the ball was up and then silence waiting for it to spin. It spun and went in! We both took a few seconds staring in disbelief making sure it was gone. Then we erupted! I turned and jumped on him while cheering and celebrating! The groups behind us heard, the group ahead came back from the ninth tee to see what was happening and everyone at the clubhouse heard. My wallet’s a little lighter after it but it was the perfect experience celebrating the rest of the day with family and friends. A little fun fact, hole #8 is sponsored by my dad and uncle’s fountain tire shop in Lac La Biche. So, a little bit of family luck there!

Cathy Bildfell, The Okanagan Golf Club, Hole #4

I was playing Senior Ladies night with Vicki Dallon, Kate Dusik and Jan Hecht. My 9 iron was used to hit it 115 yards. My seventh ever ace!

Chris Moote, Oliver’s Nest Golf Club, Hole #3

The hole-in-one was 117 yards and I hit a pitching wedge. I was playing with Steve, Ron and Bill who are good buddies that I do a Myrtle Beach trip with every spring. Memorable for sure but four holes later I hit a 52 degree from 90 yards that also went in for my second eagle of the day!

Chris Patrick, Sirocco Golf Club, Hole #12

I got the hole-in-one using a TaylorMade 6 iron with a Titleist ProV1 and the yardage was 175 yards. It happened to be on the second day of our Club Championships. My playing partners were Ken Hall and Randy Sevienson.

Chris Webster, Wintergreen Golf and Country Club, Hole #7

It was men’s night at Wintergreen Golf and Country Club in Bragg Creek. Nestled in the foothills of Alberta, the par 3 hole #7 from the gold/blue combo plays 163 yards. With an altitude of 4,300 feet an 8 iron was the club of choice. I hit my shot, watched the trajectory, and as it hit the green, turned to my playing partners to boast ‘that line is good’. I entirely missed seeing the ball actually roll in!

Elna de Klerk, Meadow Gardens Golf, Hole #7

I was playing with two friends, Joan Arnold and Susan Balenzano. The yardage was 127 and I used my 7 iron.

Erwin Tapnio, Riveredge Golf Course, Hole #9

Didn’t actually realize it went in until I got to the hole. I was looking all over the surrounding areas and decided to look in the hole and found my ball! Best experience of my life!

Gordon Gilman, Algonquin Golf Course, Hole #14

It was a great moment on a great course.

Harlen Van Wynsberghe, Century Pines Golf Club, Hole #13

I was playing 18 holes with an ex-billet brother from junior hockey and our friend on a perfect morning at Century Pines. As we watched it fall in the hole, I’ve never been more excited! They all tackled me before it even registered what happened. A round and a morning I will never forget.

John Thomas, Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, Hole #15

My wife and I started playing golf about four years ago, when we moved from North Vancouver to Parksville. We got hooked on golf, so we decided to join Pheasant Glen about a year and a half ago after we looked at other courses. On July 19^th I was playing men’s day with Dan McGuire, Bob Steele and Cary Connell. On hole #15 I was 147 yards out wind blowing towards the tee, and I picked up my 7 iron and hit the ball towards the flag. The ball dropped about four feet from the front of hole and rolled in for a hole-in-one. What a great day.

Jon Bulmer, Madawaska Golf – Twisted Pines, Hole #8

Thanks to my witness Nick, who had taken an extended lunch break to swing the sticks! I used a pitching wedge.

Jon Ginsburg, Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club, Hole #13

It took me 30 years of wondering whether it would ever happen! I used my TaylorMade Stealth driver to hit the ball approximately 125 yards playing from the white/green tee box. I was playing with my regular group who could not believe what they saw, forcing me to buy a round of drinks for them! Thank heavens there were only two of them!

Judy Cross, Princeton Golf Club, Hole #15

This was such a special day. We were playing in the two-day club championship. I was playing with members Barb Jones and Gloria Gagnon. The hole was about 135 yards over a gulley. I was using a 5 wood. Best celebration ever.

Karen Merrylees, Riverbend Golf Community, Hole #12

My husband Bill and I were playing in a couples’ match at our home course at Riverbend Golf Community in London, Ontario. We were all square going into hole #12. It was 104 yards, and I used my 9 iron. I usually go to the left on this hole and when I made my shot, it was going straight to the green, which I was very excited about. My husband was watching and after the shot hit the front of the green, he said, “watch this.” The four us all watched as the ball rolled on the green, turned to the right towards the hole, and we all saw it fall into the hole! It was a magical moment, and one I will never forget as I am sure all golfers that get a hole-in-one will say.

Ken Baker, Surrey Golf Course, Hole #12

Finally, after playing golf for over 50 years, I did it. It happened at the Surrey Golf Course playing with three others from a group of eight that play every Wednesday and Friday. I was not playing up to my handicap level until I reached hole #12, a par 5, which is 500 yards. The next hole was playing 129 yards to a red flag. It has a large pond in front and a sand trap to the left of the front of the green. There was a wind coming in our faces, so I choked up on an 8 iron. The ball hit a mound just right of the trap bounced once hit the pole straight down. Last time I checked, they all count. Honored to join the club.

Kevin Boland, Bally Haly Country Club, Hole #2

My second since I started golfing 16 years ago. The hole was #2 at Bally Haly Country Club South and the yardage was 151. I used a 6 iron. The players with me were my usual group of Don Coady, Andrew Hynes and Damien Dubourdieu.

Larry Taylor, Sirocco Golf Club, Hole #17

I was playing at Sirocco Golf Club on hole #7.  It has an elevated tee box and is 115 yards. I used my gap wedge, hit it high, banked it off the left side hill, it rolled across the green and in. I was playing with my wife, Ellen, and fellow members Louise and Barry. I now have a hole-in-one at each of the three courses where we have been members.

Lin Chen, Angus Glen Golf Club, Hole #17

Thank you for your congratulations! I played with my friend Ivan and my yardage was 110. I used a 6 hybrid. It was July 17th at Angus Glen South Course, on hole #17. When I hit the ball, I couldn’t see my ball from where we were. I couldn’t believe my ball went in and kept asking Ivan where my ball was. As we approached the green, it was in the hole! Immediately I contacted Susan who had invited my family and I to the Chris Li Golf Classic. I said to Susan, “I used the lucky rain check and hit a hole-in-one!” I received congratulations from Mr. Chris Li and friends.

Lincoln Garraway, Caledon Woods Golf Club, Hole #13

Great day!

Lori Graves, Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course, Hole #2

The yardage was 105 and I used a 7 iron. I played with my Saturday group of Judy and Cindy plus a gentleman joined us named Matt.

Marc Donnelly, Champêtre (Club de Golf), Hole #4

I played with Olivier Frenette, Mark Mirza and Paul Poliquin. We arrived at the fourth hole, and I was the last to tee off. The hole location was in the back of the green on the left side, behind the bunker. It was playing at 148 yards. I moved over to the right side of the tee box and was deciding between a 9 iron or an 8. I went with the 8 iron. I hit the shot with a slight draw. We all saw it heading towards the hole. It carried the bunker and landed three feet in front of the hole.

My playing partners all said that that was going to be very close. No one could see the result because the hole was hidden by the bunker.

We all walked up to the green and we saw the ball mark, but no ball. We looked in the hole, and there it was, my Titleist 4 resting at the bottom of the cup.

Mike Mills, Northumberland Golf Club, Hole #8

I was playing with Rick and Ken from Toronto, and Mario from Hamilton. I had not played with any of them before. I used a 4 hybrid. The yardage was around 138 in a light wind.

Niels van Oyen, The Paintbrush, Hole #4

I was lucky enough to get my first hole-in-one on Friday, July 21st at The Paintbrush in Caledon, Ontario. For those of you who know the course, it is quite a challenging track and I had never seriously considered the possibility of recording an ace on any of its challenging par threes. I play to a 15 handicap and play 30-40 rounds a year, so my chances for an ace in my lifetime didn’t seem great.

The big moment happened on #4, playing 152 yards and into the wind. I pulled a 7 iron and my ball landed about 15 feet short of the hole. You can’t see much of the putting surface, so when we got to the green and didn’t see my ball, one of my playing partners started to get excited and ran up to the hole. When he threw his hat on the ground, I knew something big must have happened. The rest, as they say, is history.

We celebrated the feat with some single malt scotch (we were on a links course, after all) and lots of laughs for the remaining 14 holes.

Nikki Otterbein, Legacy Ridge Golf Club, Hole #8

It was certainly great fun for me. We were playing the fusion tees which is the white tees on hole #8 and the pin was at the back. The yardage was 121 and I hit my 5 hybrid. I knew I had hit it well and was afraid it would go over the back of the green but luckily the hole got in the way! I was playing with my daughter Karen and her friend Michelle. For no good reason I was wearing mainly pink on Saturday and Karen was calling me Barbie (the movie opened on Saturday) but after the 8th hole she began to call me Brooke (Henderson) instead! She did remember to take a photo of me taking my pink ball out of the hole. 

Paul Jeppesen, Flambourough Hills Golf Club, Hole #11

The hole-in-one occurred at the Flamborough Hills Golf Club in the late afternoon of July 19th, 2023. Flamborough Hills has 27 holes and on this day the 11th hole was the second of the Lakes nine. It is a 127-yard hole on the card but played a bit longer with the hole on the back shelf of a two-tiered green with a bit of a back stop. I played a pitching wedge which landed about three feet short and right of the pin. It bounced behind the pin and came back into the hole from behind. The moment was shared with Howard Hollingham, James Davidson and Nico Bopp. This happens to be my fourth hole-in-one. People have asked me how I do it and I always tell them that it’s hereditary. My mother had seven, my father had two and my uncle has four. I am on a mission to catch my mother’s total and the odds are improving!

Peggy Blacklock, Olds Golf Club, Hole #7

I was golfing with my friends in the Olds Ladies Golf tournament. It was 110 yards to the hole, and I used my Callaway 11 wood. Another woman got an ace that day too! Ironically, I had just met her that morning through a mutual friend. We laughed that we were wearing the same shirt. By the of the day, we had both gotten a hole-in-one. 

Ron Worden, Black Mountain Golf Club, Hole #4

It was great!

Ryan Mckean, Oak Island Golf Course, Hole #12

I was playing in the 2023 Golf Manitoba Men’s Amateur Provincial Championship. My other two competitors were Ben Bandura and Jackson Delaurier.

For the tournament, the organizers swapped the front nine and back nine so on the tournament scorecard it says hole #3, but it was hole #12 at Oak Island. The tees were moved up to 135 yards for the final round and I used a pitching wedge.

Sandy Rathgeber, Chilliwack Golf Course, Hole #4

As I have only been playing golf for five years, I had never anticipated getting a hole-in-one. Surprisingly this was my second one this month! The first was on a local par 3 course so it wasn’t entered into my Golf Canada app. The one I got on July 23^rd was at Chilliwack Golf Club where I was playing with my husband, Wade and two nice fellows from Kamloops, Glen and Koji. It was the fourth hole which was a 118-yard par 3. I hit a solid 7 iron straight at the pin, the ball landed at the front of the green and rolled to the back pin location. We could all see that it had a chance to go in and luckily it did. It was hard to believe it had happened again so quickly after my first one but there it was sitting patiently at the bottom of the hole waiting for me to bring it back out into the sunlight.

Sean Bolley, The Legends Golf Club, Hole #14

My hole-in-one was on hole #14 at The Legends golf course in Warman. I was playing from the blues that day and the yardage was 128 so I used my 9 iron. I was playing with my girlfriend Allison, and we got paired up with another couple, JR and Michelle.

Shari Molchan, Mount Breton Golf Course, Hole #3

I’ve been golfing for 22 years! It was on hole #3 at Mount Breton Golf Course in Chemainus B.C. My Garmin watch said 114 yards to the pin. I knew the hole played a little uphill, so I used my 7 iron and a nice easy swing.

I was last on the tee box and so the others were standing to the right so they couldn’t see the ball finish because of the bunker. But then it disappeared, and I thought it went off the back. We looked for my ball behind the green and it was not there then one of the gals looked in the cup and there it was!

My home course is Cottonwood Golf Course, and we were doing our ‘away’ game at Mount Breton. I was golfing with my teammate (Cottonwood member) Cheri Holder.

Sharlene Coates, Rideau Lakes Golf and Country Club, Hole #17

On July 18th, 2023, I was blessed with a hole-in-one on hole #17 at Rideau Lakes Golf and Country Club. This hole is a steep drop down to the Upper Rideau Lake. I used my 5 wood to drop it left of the green as it runs quickly to the right and was awe struck to watch it roll slowly into the hole. This took place during our regular Tuesday Ladies League, so I had a large group of witnesses waiting to play the hole.

Sharon Creelman, Cabot Cliffs, Hole #6

It was hole #6 at Cabot Cliffs. The hole was 130 yards. I used a 9 iron. I was playing with Elizabeth Czenczek and Judy McCrae. My first and hopefully not last hole-in-one and such a memorable course! The course celebrated me very well. With a flag, signed by the golf pro at the course and a hole-in-one hat.

Sharon Gu, Gull Lake View Golf Club, Hole #15

What a great moment!

Stephanie Simpson, The Hamptons Golf Club, Hole #9

It was 110 yards and I used a 9 iron.

Yuhao Shen, Bethesda Grange/Rolling Hills, Hole #5

I am nearly 11 years old. I started golf during the pandemic and have been playing for three years. I love golf because it puts up a challenge and I like challenges. Also, because golf courses are good places to make new friends. I just made a hole-in-one, which makes me love golf even more. Rolling Hills is my home course. I’d like to play as many courses as possible. But other courses are very expensive. When I grow up, I hope to be a professional golfer.

Halifax, N.S. – The 109th installment of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, gets underway next week at Ashburn Golf Club (New) in Halifax, N.S.

The championship, which was first contested in 1901, is one of the longest standing amateur golf events in the world. The inaugural tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que., featured only three players and over a century later, 156 players will look to etch their name onto the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup in 2023.

“Golf Canada is extremely excited to bring the storied Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship to Halifax and welcome a premiere field of Canadian and International talent,” said Golf Canada tournament director Mary Beth McKenna. “The 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship will be a memorable event for all players, officials, club staff and volunteers involved, and we are grateful to our hosts, Ashburn Golf Club, for all their efforts. We know the players will enjoy this incredible course and the club’s Atlantic hospitality.”  

Practice rounds are scheduled for Monday July 31, before the official 72-hole stroke play competition begins on August 1. Play is scheduled to wrap up on August 4, followed by an awards ceremony and champions reception. The field will be cut to the low 70 players (including ties) after 36 holes.

The tournament will welcome the return of 40 international players 21 from the United States, nine from Australia, three from Chinese Taipei, and representation from England, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are slated to tee up at Ashburn Golf Club this week.

Also being reintroduced this year is the Inter-Provincial team competition. The Inter-Provincial Championship will be played in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the competition with three-player teams vying for the team title. Team British Columbia – composed of Yan Jun (Victoria) Liu, Leah John, and Ha Young Chang are the reigning champions from 2022.

The 156 player field features 10 members of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad led by defending champion Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) along with teammates Angela Arora (Surrey, B.C.), Brook Rivers (Brampton, Ont.), Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-De-l’île-Perrot, Que.), Katie Cranston (Oakville, Ont.), Lauren Kim (Surry, B.C.), Lauren Zaretsky (Thornhill, Ont.), Leah John (Vancouver, B.C.), Michelle Liu (Vancouver, B.C.), and Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.).

The NextGen Squad will also be well-represented with 10 members of the junior team slated to compete: Alissa Xu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Anna Huang (Coto De Caza, Calif.), Carlee Meilleur (Lansdowne, Ont.), Lindsay McGrath (Oakville, Ont.), Luna Lu (Burnaby, B.C.), Martina Yu (Coquitlam, B.C.), Michelle Xing (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Vanessa Borovilos (Etobicoke, Ont.), Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) and Yeji Kwon (Port Coquitlam, B.C.).

West Vancouver’s Jenny Guo is the youngest player in the field at the age of 11 and there are five members of Ashburn Golf Club teeing it up this week: Abbey Baker, Annika Parkash, Haley Baker, Lori Diturbide and Brittany Anderson.

The purse payout that was introduced in 2022 will continue at this year’s championship. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Amateur Women’s Championship will compete for a purse of $8,000 CAD. Amateur golfers may accept prize money up to a maximum of $1,200 CAD, and payouts will be awarded to the top-10 finishers and ties.

Ashburn Golf Club is one of the most esteemed clubs in Canada and has played a significant role in Halifax for almost a century. Designed by legendary architect Stanley Thompson, the development of the new course at Ashburn commenced in 1965. Land near Kinsac Lake in Windsor Junction was identified and acquired, spanning an impressive 600 acres. To lead the project, the club turned to the expertise of Geoffrey Cornish, a distinguished member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and renowned golf designer who had previously worked alongside Thompson. New Ashburn rapidly became recognized as one of the finest courses in Eastern Canada.

“New Ashburn has a long history of hosting world-class events, and our team is excited and ready to showcase our golf course and facilities to some of the best female golfers in the world,” said Gordie Smith, General Manager at Ashburn Golf Club. “With over 100 volunteers in place, our membership has fully committed to ensuring that the event is spectacular. The whole club has stepped up in preparation and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to the East Coast to get this incredible championship started.”

The Championship was first contested in 1901 and operated by the former Canadian Ladies Association (CLGA) until the amalgamation of CLGA and Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) in 2005.

The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship was last played in 2022 at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont. Team Canada National Squad member Monet Chun was crowned champion after firing 5-under to win the national championship by two shots over Alissa Xu.

With Lauren Zaretsky’s win in 2021 and Chun’s win in 2022, the competitors became the first Canadian duo to win back-to-back since Brooke Henderson and Augusta James captured the national title in 2013 and 2014.

Along with the championship’s storied history comes a coveted roster of competitors including Marlene Stewart Streit, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, who sits atop the class with 11 victories and five runner-up finishes at the national event. The tournament has proven to be a launch pad for some of golf’s brightest young stars—Ariya Jutanugarn (2012), Brooke Henderson (2013), Hye-Jin Choi (2016), Jennifer Kupcho (2017) and Yealimi Noh (2018) are previous winners who now compete on the LPGA Tour.

The 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, 2023 U.S Women’s Amateur Championship and the 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

More information about the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship can be found here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

This week on Road to the Tour, presented by Hilton, we take you inside the Glencoe Invitational, located in Calgary. Originally established in 1992, the Glencoe Invitational has grown into a staple event for Golf Canada athletes.

Rest and Relax like a Pro, start planning your next stay with Hilton today.

Creemore, Ont. – Judith Kyrinis took the lead on Tuesday and never looked back on her way to winning the 2023 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO on Thursday at The Mad River Golf Club.

Kyrinis finished the tournament at 6-over with rounds of 69, 73 and 80 for a three-day total of 222, ten shots clear in the Mid-Amateur division. The win gives Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. her third Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships, having previously won both in 2019 and 2016.

“It’s awesome. To have it as a stand-alone, the inaugural, it’s very special…to win any national championship three times it’s humbling. I am very proud of that,” said Kyrinis after signing her scorecard following play on Thursday.

As difficult as it is to win any tournament, leading from start to finish is a special feat. For Kyrinis the golf course would not allow her to let up all week, “you just can’t take a shot off right, so it was my motivation right there and try to do the best I can every shot. Little bit of a struggle out there today but probably was for everybody, tough conditions.”

The players were thrown a little bit of everything weather wise this week at Mad River. Pleasant conditions for the opening round were forgotten with heat playing a factor during play on Wednesday. Thursday began with light showers before the skies turned blue but brought a challenging wind for players to contend with.

“Absolutely, all those conditions factored for sure. The heat when you’re going up the back, that’s hard, luckily, I walk a lot so I’m good with that, but the wind’s today, it was really hard pulling clubs and trusting them, and I just got off to a bit of a nervous start. Even with that lead, it’s still nervous,” Kyrinis said with a laugh.

Kyrinis sits second all-time in tournament history with three championships trailing only Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. who has won the Mid-Amateur title six times. In addition, Kyrinis will receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, taking place from September 9-14 at Stonewall (North Course) in Elverson, Pa. and an exemption into the 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

In both the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions, Dawn Woodard of Greer, S.C. received silver medalist honours, finishing the tournament at 16-over. There was a four-way tie for third place with Augusta James (Marysville, Ont.), defending champion Shelly Stouffer (Nanoose Bay, B.C.), Julie Streng (Greensboro, N.C.) and Samantha Perrotta (Bordentown, N.J.) all finishing at 18-over in the Mid-Amateur division. Stouffer and Streng also finished tied for bronze medalist honours in the Mid-Master division.

On Wednesday the Margaret Todd Trophy was awarded to Team Quebec, who won the Mid-Amateur Inter-Provincial Team Championship. Quebec finished the team competition at 25-over to hold off the defending champions, Team British Columbia by three strokes with Team Ontario finishing third. Team Quebec consists of Natacha Brossard and Suzanne Ricard from Montreal and Marie-Thérèse Torti of Candiac, Que.

For the full results of the 2023 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Hampton, N.B. – Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., played an amazing and dominant final round to win the 68th playing of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship presented by BDO at Hampton Golf and Country Club in Hampton, N.B.

After heading into the third round tied for first with Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C., Park carded a final round of 4-under 67 on Thursday, to finish ahead of Team Canada member and Lu who finished second with a 4-over 288 overall for the tournament.

After an opening round 74, the 14-year-old, carded rounds of 74, 71, 69 and 67 for a total score of 3-under 281, en route to the national title.

Coming into the final round Park carded three birdies overall during round three, two birdies back-to-back on the front, one on the par-5 first hole and the other on the par-4 second hole. Park also birdied the par-4 14th hole, for a total score of 2-under 69.

During the final round, Park carded five birdies with three on the front nine, one on the par-5 first hole, on the par-5 sixth hole and the other on the par-4 eighth hole. Park also recorded two birdies on the back nine, the par-4 eleventh hole, par-4 fourteenth hole, for a total score of 4-under, 67.

“This win means a lot to me,” Park said with tears. “This tournament has showed me how much hard work I’ve put in and the results are very nice. I was very nervous on the first tee shot but after my birdie on number one I was able to keep my round going pretty well and kept it simple.”

Park also won the Juvenile division, which ran concurrently for girls aged 16 and under, ahead of Lu at two-over who placed second. The bronze medal was shared by three participants, Lindsay McGrath of Oakville Ont., and Swetha Sathish of Oakville, Ont. who both finished at seven-over.

In the Junior division the bronze medal was shared by three participants, Michelle P. Ding, McGrath and Sathish at seven-over.

Along with the hardware, for Park’s win comes with an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, as well as an entry into the 2024 U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

“This win is definitely going to motivate me for the future because its my biggest win so far,” Park added. “Going forward I will have more confidence for bigger tournaments.”

Park will also be awarded a cheque of $1,200. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, competed for a purse of $8,000 CAD. Along with Park, top-10 finishers and ties earned prize money.

Park joins a list of notable Canadian golfers to have won the Canadian Junior Girls Championship including LPGA Tour players and Olympians Brooke Henderson (2012) and Alena Sharp (1999), as well as Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Sandra Post (1964-66).

Team Ontario – made up of Shauna Liu, Joline Truong and Aryn Matthews – took home the Interprovincial Team Trophy. The Ontarians edged the British Columbians by four strokes in the team event, which concluded earlier in the week.

Full results can be found here.

For more information on the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Shelly Stouffer has prioritized her fitness to stay atop North America’s amateur golf world.

Stouffer, from Nanoose Bay, B.C., won five amateur golf championships in 2022, including the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and the Canadian Women’s Mid-Master Championship.

She hopes to defend her crown at all five and add some more laurels, too. To do that, she’s worked hard at the gym in the off-season.

“I worked out a lot, like did a lot of golf exercises, and I worked hard to exercise, fitness wise,” said Stouffer, who also won the Inter-Provincial Team Championship with Team BC and was named the Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s 2022 Women’s Player of the Year. “I hit practice too, but mostly it was working more on my body.

“I wanted to have the endurance and the ability to swing.”

Stouffer shot a 5-over 77 on Tuesday in the first round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ont., to sit in a tie for fifth at the event. Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., was the leader at 3-under 69, five shots ahead of the pack.

Although that eight-shot difference is large, Stouffer believes she can close the distance.

“If I can get somewhere around par the next couple of days and maybe go under one of the days, we’ll see what happens,” said Stouffer before going back out to practice. “You never know. Anything can happen out here on this course.

“It can sneak up you and you can get some big numbers here.”

Successfully defending her Canadian Mid-Am crown is just one of her many goals this year. On top of that, she wants to get into the match play of the U.S. Women’s Amateur, reach the Round of 64 at U.S. Mid-Am, and repeat as champion at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur.

That frenetic schedule is partly why fitness was her focus in the off-season, especially with the U.S. and Canadian senior events on opposite sides of the continent.

“We’re going to go from Portland, Oregon to Prince Edward Island, so it’s going to be a tough transition,” said Stouffer, who is a kinesiologist that does the Titleist Performance Institute golf fitness program. “I’m playing a lot of golf. It might be too much, but you only live once.

“I just want to do as well as I can in all my events and see where it goes. Hopefully I don’t get too tired and burnt out.”

Hampton, N.B. – Round three got off to a late start due to a weather delay, but once play got started the sun came out to shine for the third day of the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, making for another great day.

If there’s one word to describe round three, its competitive. The leaderboard fluctuated throughout the day, where the top players battled to take the lead. But at the end of the day Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. and Luna Lu of Burnaby B.C., sit atop the leaderboard heading into tomorrow’s final round at Hampton Golf Club, in Hampton, N.B.

Park carded three birdies overall during round three, with two birdies back-to-back on the front, one on the par-5 first hole and the other on the par-4 second hole. Park also birdied the par-4 14th, for a total score of 2-under, 69.

“Today I made sure to take more time on each shot. I am going to try and not get nervous for tomorrow, take my time for every shot and make it easy,” said Park.

Lu played an impressive bogey free round and carded two birdies on the front, one on the par-5 first hole and the other on the par-4 eighth hole.

“I’ve really tried to stay patient and calm this week, try not to force too many birdies, hit the fairways and the greens,” said Lu.

The group of Park, Lu and Shauna Liu all played an excellent third round. Both Park and Lu who were tied for second place after yesterday’s round, have made major come backs to sit atop the leaderboard. Liu who was tied for third remains in a four-way tie after shooting a 2-over 73 during the second round.

“I think playing with a group who’s playing really well helps, because I know that if I play really well like them it motivates my performance.” Park added.

“Having a good group out there definitely helps, pace of play today was pretty good, and it overall helped me play better,” said Lu

Going into the final round there is a four-way tie for third place, all five-shots back of the leaders sitting at 6-over. Ha Young Chang (Surrey, B.C.), Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.), Liu (Maple, Ont.) and Chelsea Truong (Victoria, B.C.).

The 2023 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, if age applicable.

Full results can be found here.

For more information on the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.