The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) Virtual Summit presented by RBC on the State of the Industry took place November 21, 2022, as part of an ongoing GJAC series intended to help membership stay connected, as well as to generate discussion and opportunities around important issues in the game.

GJAC Virtual Summits presented by RBC are approximately one hour in length and are recorded for public viewing. You can watch this one below. The format consists of a moderated question and answer period, followed by a brief opportunity for questions from attendees. 

Panelists for this Summit include:

Panelists:

Garrett Ball, COO, Golf Canada
Scott Pritchard, President, PGA TOUR Canada
Kathryn Wood, COO, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association 
 
Moderated by GJAC President Rick Young 

Click below to watch…

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Adam Svensson handled the cold air and the heat of contention as if he had been there before, closing with a 6-under 64 to win the RSM Classic on Sunday at Sea Island for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Svensson, a 28-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was locked in a four-way tie for the lead on the closing stretch of the Seaside course when he poured in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then hit a tee shot to 10 feet on the par-3 17th for a birdie that gave him a cushion.

Brian Harman (65) and Sahith Theegala (66) were in the group ahead of him and missed birdie chances from about 25 feet on the closing hole.

Callum Tarren of England (64) was the first to post at 17-under par and was hopeful of a playoff. Svensson capped off his bogey-free final round with a par for a two-shot win.

He finished at 19-under 263 and played the tougher Seaside course in 20 under the final three rounds. His tournament began with a 73 on the Plantation, which put him in a tie for 108th. His first job was to make the cut. He wound up winning the trophy.

Taylor Pendrith (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 15th at 13 under.

Svensson is starting his third full year on the PGA Tour and gets a two-year exemption, along with a trip to the Masters and the PGA Championship. He has never played a major.

“To be honest, it’s not even real right now,” Svensson said when he finished. “I’m so happy. I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour means everything to be me. … I just kept believing in myself, and here I am.”

Theegala recovered from a double bogey on the par-5 seventh hole when he was in trouble left off the tee and then hit a chip that came back to him from behind the green. He made five birdies over the last 11 holes.

Harman got in the game late, hitting a fairway metal on the par-5 15th hole that was inches away from rolling in, setting up a short eagle. He birdied the 16th to share the lead, but had to settle for pars on the final two holes.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin, who shared the 54-hole lead, couldn’t keep up. Rodgers didn’t make his first birdie until the 13th hole and closed with a 70 to tie for 10th, while Martin shot a 72.

Cole Hammer, who graduated from Texas in May was playing on a sponsor exemption, shot a 65 to tie for fifth, which gets him into the Sony Open.

The PGA Tour now takes a six-week break in the final wraparound season before resuming with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua the first week of January.

By winning, Svensson was the last man to qualify for that field, the first elevated event that will have a $15 million purse.

Svensson won $1,458,000, more than he won in either of his two previous seasons on the PGA Tour. He is the second Canadian to win this season, joining Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who won in Mississippi.

NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has been named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA.

Tournament organizers from Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific were presented with a prestigious Gold Driver Award during a ceremony held in conjunction with this week’s LPGA Tour season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement, as well as Best Sponsor Activation.

The Tournament Partners of the LPGA (formally Tournament Owners Association) have a long-standing tradition of recognizing best-in-class tournaments with Gold Driver Awards as part of the season-ending event.

“This award is a true reflection of the hard work and collaboration from all groups and stakeholders involved with the CP Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Thanks to tremendous support from fans, players, volunteers, corporate partners and our host club, the 2022 CP Women’s Open was a resounding success and it is rewarding to be recognized with these significant awards.” 

The Best Community and Charity Engagement Award was earned for the CP Has Heart community investment program, which raised $2.5 million in support of the CHEO Foundation and $510,000 for Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation – the largest charitable campaign in the history of the CP Women’s Open.

Since CP assumed title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open in 2014, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This is the third time in the last four years the awards were handed out that the CP Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver for Best Community and Charity Engagement.

The CP Women’s Open earned Best Sponsor Activation for its Hilton on the Green experience – a first-of-its-kind opportunity for Canadian golf fans to stay in a unique, 1-bedroom pop-up hotel room on the 8^th hole at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Hilton on the Green included a personal concierge, golf cart, gourmet meals including breakfast in bed, exclusive view of the action, as well as world-class service and hospitality from Hilton.

At the 2022 CP Women’s Open in August, South African Paula Reto set the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club course record (62) en route to besting the LPGA Tour’s best players to capture her first career win on Tour. By doing so, she took home US$352,500 of the US$2.35 million purse.

The 2022 CP Women’s Open in Ottawa was the most attended tournament in event history.

The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to Vancouver as next year’s CP Women’s Open will be contested at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club August 21-27, 2023.

The championship will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

For more Information on the CP Women’s Open visit www.cpwomensopen.com.

TORONTO (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, are pleased to announce select tickets are now available for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open taking place June 5-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country – a Stanley Thompson classic in the heart of Toronto.

CLICK HERE to secure your tickets before they sell out.

Oakdale will challenge the stars of the PGA TOUR as a 7,460-yard composite championship routing that integrates elements from each of the course’s three nines (Thompson, Homenuik, Knudson).

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the RBC Canadian Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf.

Three ticketing options include:

• Any Day Ticket: Access to the RBC Canadian Open on any one day, Monday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last).
• Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Monday through Sunday.
• 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

Volunteer, sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, visit us online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

NAPLES, Fla. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is planning to tough it out for the final event of the LPGA Tour season.

Henderson offered no explanation when she withdrew from the Pelican Women’s Championship on Saturday.

But the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., said on Tuesday that it was an upper-back injury.

She issued a statement explaining the withdrawal and saying she planned to rest as much as possible but still compete in the CME Group Tour Championship.

The CME Group Tour Championship starts Thursday at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Henderson is fourth among money earners on the LPGA Tour and sixth on the world rankings.

The 25-year-old Henderson won twice this season, winning at the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 12 and then her second career major victory at the Evian Championship on July 24.

Her 12 professional victories are the most by any Canadian golfer.

Twenty-five years ago, on November 13, 1997, then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem was joined in New York City’s Central Park by representatives from the leading golf organizations – the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA – public officials, including President George H. W. Bush, and golf dignitaries to announce the launch of First Tee. 

Since that time, First Tee has grown into a preeminent youth development organization boasting a network of nearly 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers in all 50 states and in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Morocco. In 2021, First Tee impacted more than 2.2 million kids and teens. Additionally, more than 10,000 adults are involved each year in support of First Tee’s mission, many of whom have participated in First Tee’s signature positive youth development training. 

LEARN ABOUT FIRST TEE – CANADA

Under the leadership of Finchem, First Tee was launched as an industrywide initiative to make golf affordable and accessible for all kids. As the first programs were being developed, First Tee began an intentional effort to seamlessly integrate the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, creating a program that empowers youth to build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that they can carry to everything they do. 

Congrats to our partners at @TheFirstTee on 25 amazing years. We’re proud to be working #BuildingGameChangers across ??. pic.twitter.com/FpLFj5LhGl

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 15, 2022

First Tee has been undergoing a modernization effort to stay relevant and connected to kids and teens now and in the future. It refreshed its brand for the first time in 2020 and recently released a robust age-based curriculum update to better position the organization to reach teens and keep kids engaged in the program longer. Technology efforts are also underway to centralize and better support program registration, adult training and onboarding, and tools for coaches. In 

2023, the first participant-facing app will launch, providing supplemental digital experiences and gamification for young people in the program. In recent years, the organization also reinvested in its College Scholarship Program, and it touches hundreds of kids each year through national participant events, spanning from the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach to a five-day DEI-focused academy in Philadelphia. 

“Since day one, First Tee has been intentional about reaching young people from diverse backgrounds, and that commitment continues today,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “Most years, between 40 and 50 percent of participants at chapters are non-Caucasian, and approximately 38% are female. Our network of chapter leaders, coaches, volunteers, board members and donors remain committed to breaking down barriers. And they continue to inspire me as we prepare for the future.” 

Throughout this anniversary year, First Tee has highlighted its alumni who’ve gone on to careers in the golf industry and beyond. First Tee’s final alumni feature showcases Ariana Saenz, a former participant at First Tee – Greater Houston, who went on to play collegiate golf at the University of Houston and Texas A&M. Saenz is set to graduate with a master’s degree in human resources later this year and hopes to pursue a career in the golf industry. 

“From age seven to 18, I was exposed to a set of morals and life skills at First Tee that poured the foundation for the woman I am today,” said Saenz. “Along the way, I earned a college golf scholarship and went from being a participant to a volunteer who learned the value of giving back to the community and serving others.” 

Nov. 16-18, representatives from First Tee’s network of 150 chapters will convene in Dallas for its Network Summit – the first in five years – to celebrate the anniversary and continue building momentum for the future with robust workshops, training and peer-to-peer networking. The Summit is presented by Century Golf Partners and made possible by other corporate partners who stand behind First Tee’s mission. 

Team Canada’s Brooke Rivers is ready to take the next step in her golf career by following in Arnold Palmer’s footsteps.

Rivers has declared her intention to play for Wake Forest University in the new school year, Palmer’s alma mater. The decision isn’t just based on Palmer’s legacy, but the contemporary reality that the Demon Deacons are the No. 2 ranked women’s golf program in the NCAA.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TEAM CANADA’S BROOKE RIVERS

“I’m very excited to be going to such a top golf school, I will be around girls that are very competitive, and I’ll be able to learn from them and grow my golf game by learning from them,” said Rivers. “I will also be able to play in really high rank tournaments, which again, will expose me to play against really good competition, to better myself.”

Rivers, who was born in Brampton, Ont., and raised in Turks and Caicos, signed on at Wake Forest on Friday along with American Macy Pate. The Canadian said the legacy of Palmer, one of the greatest golfers of all time, was just one of the reasons why she wanted to play for Wake Forest.

“Having very good alumni that come out of school, just shows how great the golf program is,” said Rivers, referring to Palmer who arrived at Wake Forest in 1948 and was the school’s first individual NCAA champion in 1949.

But Rivers’s interest in the college in Winston-Salem, N.C., goes beyond its NCAA ranking or history of producing strong professional golfers. She was attracted to its facilities and the strength of its academic curriculum.

“I’m very excited to use the (Arnold Palmer Golf Complex) practice facilities and all of the technology and different resources that they have available there, as well as the amazing (Old Town Club) golf course,” said Rivers, who intends to study business.

“Everything is very close to the dorms so I will be able to spend my time practising and balance my time management.”

Kim Lewellen, the head coach of Wake Forest’s women’s golf team, said she has kept close tabs on Rivers throughout her junior and amateur career.

“She has a nice athletic stature, hits the ball a long way, and has a good golf IQ,” said Lewellen, who noted that Rivers’s parents Tammy Glugosh and Gregg Rivers are also impressive golfers. “I think she also probably got that from her parents, so this was a total package.”

Although Rivers said she chose Wake Forest to learn from some of the best collegiate golfers in the world, she’s no slouch herself. She impressed Lewellen when she tied for 10th representing Canada at the World Amateur Women’s Team Championship on Aug. 27.

Rivers also won the 2021 North and South Junior Championship and tied for eighth at the Scott Robertson Memorial that same year. In 2020, she won the AJGA Visit Tallahassee Junior Championship and tied for second at the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship.

She also won the Coca-Cola Junior Championship in 2019 and the Future Links Quebec Championship the same year, and was runner-up at the Ontario Women’s Match Play.

“Golf is a tough game, you can have your good rounds, but you can have your bad rounds and golf can hurt your feelings. You have to have a little bit of thick skin,” said Lewellen. “I think Brooke shows the confidence that you need to have for those days that aren’t great.

“She’s not going to feel sorry for herself.”

Click here to apply

Together with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada is excited to announce the continuation of the Women in Coaching program and formally open applications for the 2023 cohort. 

The Women in Coaching program is an initiative that launched in 2021 with nine inaugural participants, that strives to deliver a stronger gender balance among high-performance coaches. Each participant receives in-depth career development support focused on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, and hands-on training experiences with coaches and top players.

The Golf Canada Foundation continues to be a key financial contributor to the program, including through the new Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship.

“The Women in Coaching program gives women in our industry an opportunity to network with likeminded, talented, and strong leaders to help increase the female representation in the sport.” said Jennifer Ha, 2022 program participant and assistant coach of Team Canada – NextGen. “This program is led by women who are driven to make coaching in this country more equal and equitable.”

The 2023 Women in Coaching cohort will kick off with an in-person session at a national team training camp in Phoenix, Ariz., where participants will shadow national team coaches and engage in activities including technical skill development and women in sport leadership.  

“The Women in Coaching program presents an opportunity for some of Canada’s most-accomplished female leaders as well as up and coming coaching talents to further their career developments together,” said Jennifer Greggain, associate coach of Team Canada – Women. “The strong collection of PGA of Canada members will continue to drive the initiative through knowledge and experience sharing on the way to building a foundation for the future.” 

Now in its third year, the Women in Coaching program is led by Greggain, Emily Phoenix (Manager, High Performance Sport, Golf Canada) and new for 2023, Beth Barz joins the team. Barz brings over 20 years of coaching experience from rugby, is a coach developer and advisor with COACH+, and is currently pursuing her PhD at Queens University.

PGA of Canada professionals interested in the National Women in Coaching program can click here to apply and are encouraged to reach out to Emily Phoenix (ephoenix@golfcanada.ca) with any questions. 

Applications close on Monday, Dec. 5 at 11:00pm EST.

It appears modern technology is about to threaten another time-honoured golf tradition.

Yes, the days of taking wicked pleasure from hitting the screen-enshrouded ball picker at the driving range may be numbered. (This pleasure intensified exponentially if you knew the person driving said picker.)

This latest innovation is the Korechi Pik’r, an automated robot that hooks up to any existing golf ball picking unit.

Korechi Innovations Inc., based in Oshawa, Ont., for several years has been producing agricultural robots for seeding, weeding, cultivating and other routine farming tasks. In 2019, they demonstrated a unit at a golf course, thinking it would work as an autonomous mower.

Such mowers are already marketed by other, more prominent companies so the course superintendent wondered whether the robot could be harnessed to a gang-style range ball picker instead. The engineers at Korechi took that insight, rigged up a universal hitch and returned to the course.

“There were about 20 of us standing there watching this thing go back and forth across the range like a Zamboni, just scooping up every ball,” recalls Jim Clark, Korechi’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “But, we asked ourselves, is there a market for this? Or is this the solution to a problem nobody has?”

During the subsequent two (pandemic) years, there was extensive testing at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club until, this fall, the Pik’r was revealed in what Clark calls a “soft release” on social media and LinkedIn. The reaction was stunning.

“Now I know how it feels when something goes viral,” says Clark. “Calls and emails came flooding in from clubs in Canada and the U.S. and they are still coming every day.”

Since the high-capacity Pik’r can retrieve up to 4,000 balls in an hour and run 10 hours on a single charge of its lithium batteries, Clark was somewhat flummoxed by the number of high-end clubs with relatively small memberships that expressed interest.

While high-volume ranges (15,000 balls and up daily) are the target market, Clark says it is Pik’r’s cool technology and uniqueness that intrigues these clubs. “It’s sleek, almost stealth-like. There really is a ‘wow factor’ when you see it.” (He’s right. Watching the video on the Korechi website is almost mesmerizing for a golfer.)

The Pik'r™ golf ball picking robot automates all major golf ball picking machines in the market. Learn more at: https://t.co/IOnpQwDJIC

In order of appearance: @PickerEasy, @WittekGolf, Hollrock & @RangeServant#GolfRobot #BallPickingRobot #Pikr #GolfAutomation @cognashene pic.twitter.com/RlCQjcWDko

— Korechi Innovations Inc. (@KorechiInnov) October 12, 2022

Perhaps the element most impactful to Pik’r’s potential success is the labour crisis across every industry, including golf. In fact, the cover story on an upcoming PGA of America magazine is about staffing challenges—that’s how much it is affecting the industry.

Pik’r will be in the Innovation Spotlight section at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida in January which is attended by about 40,000 industry professionals (pre-pandemic). The fact the robot shows up for work every day, rain or shine, may be its most attractive feature for courses and ranges plagued by staffing issues. Pik’r is available for rental only, which means a facility pays only for the months it is needed.

“Lots of courses and ranges have to close earlier than they want at the end of the season because their staff have gone back to school or whatever,” Clark says. “That won’t happen with a Pik’r.” The company also claims the unit reduces by up to 90 percent the labour and material input required.

Other advantages include the fact that it is battery-powered (no fossil fuel), lighter than most conventional pickers (less soil compaction) and can be remote-controlled through an app (no direct human supervision).

For more information, visit www.korechi.golf.

(Jim Clark, a longtime Golf Canada volunteer, is a Golf Canada Honorary Life Governor and recipient of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada’s Dick Grimm Award for significant lifetime contributions to Canadian golf.)

Scholarship fund in honour of the Canadian golf legendary competitor and administrator will celebrate Bourassa’s deep legacy as a long-time supporter of the game

Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program launched during the Golf Canada Foundation’s annual Trustee Cup as part of Foundation’s $70 million DRIVE Campaign

————————————

One of Canadian golf’s most accomplished and admired ambassadors will be celebrated with a new legacy scholarship fund in honour of the late great, Jocelyne Bourassa.

The Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program will provide impactful education opportunities for women in Canadian golf who are developing their careers as professional coaches or professional players. The goal of the scholarship fund is to advance more Canadian women into positions of prominence as leaders and role models for golf in Canada.

The launch of the Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program was recently announced by the Golf Canada Foundation at Hamilton Golf & Country Club during its annual Trustee Cup, a Foundation event that honours donors for contributions towards First Tee and Team Canada.

The Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program was established through a committee – led by former Golf Canada President Diane Dunlop-Hébert, PGA of Canada Professional Emeritus Debbie Savoy Morel, former LPGA and PGA of Canada Professional Christine Greatrex, and trusted colleague Libby Skinner – who were inspired to give back as a tribute to their friend and mentor. To date the fund has raised over $300,000, with a goal to reach a $750,000 endowment.

“With her LPGA win in 1973, Jocelyne not only inspired an entire nation of golfers but inspired Canadian athletes in their quest to represent Canada in international championships in all sports. Jocelyne went on to make the du Maurier Classic the best recognized and most attended event on the LPGA Tour,” said Diane Dunlop-Hébert, who served as President of Golf Canada in 2012. “She was a beloved and outstanding mentor to golfers and golf administrators everywhere.”

The Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program will provide support to women in two primary ways. The first is funding the educational needs of professional high-performance coaches by enhancing the Golf Canada and PGA of Canada’s Women in Coaching program. The second will provide university scholarship support to Canadian women who wish to continue their post-secondary educations while also competing in professional golf.

To learn more or to donate, click here

Bourassa, who passed away Aug. 4, 2021, is revered as one of the premier athletes and ambassadors for Canadian golf over a distinguished 60-year career. After a successful amateur career that included three Quebec Juniors, four Quebec Amateurs, Bourassa turned professional in 1972 and was named both LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year and Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Bourassa won the inaugural La Canadienne in 1973 (now the CP Women’s Open) in her second season on the LPGA Tour, a signature moment in Canadian golf. She would later become executive director of the former du Maurier Classic (now CP Women’s Open), served on the LPGA Board of Sponsors, and also provided support and mentorship to countless Canadian athletes through her leadership of the Canadian Women’s Tour and the Jocelyne Bourassa Series. Bourassa’s career as a player and administrator was honoured with the Order of Canada as well induction into the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, and Canada Sports Hall of Fame.

“For the young women who had the privilege of getting to know Jocelyne very well, she was not only an inspiration and a model for all of us, but she was also a mentor who taught us so much about how to be a professional in golf or any field or path we choose in life,” said friend and PGA of Canada professional Anne Chouinard. “She taught us compassion, generosity as well as perseverance and determination. She made the world a better place. We will never forget Jocelyne.”

The launch of the Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship fund aligns with the Foundation’s new $70 million DRIVE Campaign, a major fundraising campaign launched earlier this year in support of First Tee – Canada as well the Team Canada high performance program. To date, more than 54% (approx. $38 million) of the $70 million DRIVE Campaign fundraising goal has been raised.

“The roll-out of the Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship Program as an extension of the DRIVE campaign will help develop a pathway for more women to become world-class high-performance coaches and also support the competitive pathway of Canadian athletes pursuing their LPGA Tour dream without having to make educational sacrifices,” said Golf Canada Foundation CEO, Martin Barnard. “Jocelyne has been such an icon in our sport and is now an extremely deserving namesake for this meaningful program.”

For more information or to donate, click here