DETROIT – Canada’s Taylor Pendrith could be on pace for his first ever PGA Tour title.

The Richmond Hill, Ont., native shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to match American Tony Finau at 21-under 195 with a round left in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

A stroke ahead entering the round, Pendrith birdied four of the last five holes for a 66.

Pendrith was the second-round leader after setting the tournament 36-hole record at 15-under 129.

The 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie missed nearly four months this year with a broken rib.

Finau, the 3M Open winner last week in Minnesota, is trying to become the first to win consecutive regular-season tournaments in three years.

Rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (65) was four strokes back. He matched the Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 on Friday.

Stephan Jaeger was five shots back after a 65.

Patrick Cantlay, No. 4 in the world ranking, was six shots behind after a 66.

The duel in Detroit seemed like match play with Pendrith and Finau taking turns pulling and falling into ties and moving ahead.

Pendrith opened with six-foot birdie putt to take a two-shot lead. Finau pulled within a stroke on the next hole, making a 20-foot chip from the greenside rough for birdie.

“Stay hot, Tony!” a fan shouted.

Pendrith, who had his share of fans back home in Ontario, looked cool as calm as he bumped fists with two young boys as he walked to the third tee.

Finau pulled into the lead with a 15-foot putt at No. 3, then Pendrith pulled his three-foot putt to miss an opportunity to stay ahead.

Pendrith’s errant tee shot to the left on the par-5 631-yard fourth hole put him in the No. 6 greenside rough, leaving him behind several towering tees in his path to the green. He hit a shot 104 yards to the hole, an approach within 16 feet and made the putt to restore his one-stroke lead.

Pendrith took a two-stroke lead at No. 6, making a seven-foot putt that curled in the right side.

Finau equaled Pendrith at 18 under at the turn after making birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 while Pendrith missed a 1-foot putt and make bogey on the ninth hole.

Pendrith ended up behind a tree again at No. 13, forcing him to chip back onto the fairway and leading to a bogey that dropped him him into a second-place tie with Young.

Finau took a two-shot cushion with an eight-foot birdie putt at 14.

Pendrith, who won twice on PGA Tour Canada, bounced back from his second bogey with three straight birdies to pull back into a tie with two holes to play.

Finau went ahead at 17 with a birdie, and Pendrith tied it again with a birdie on the 54th hole.

If Finau can outlast the competition to win Sunday, he will be the first to win two straight regular-season events since since Brendon Todd in 2019.

IRVINE, Scotland – Canada’s Maude-Aimee Leblanc started and finished with birdies for a 66 on Saturday, which lifted her to a tie for third place after Day 3 of the Women’s Scottish Open.

Leblanc, a 33-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., is tied with Germany’s Leonie Harm on 14 under, one shot off the lead.

Lydia Ko was joined by Celine Boutier at the top of the leaderboard.

France’s Boutier shot a 5-under-par 67 – five birdies on the front nine – to make up four shots on the New Zealander, who could manage only a 1-under 71.

“I really like links golf and playing in windy conditions. I feel like my ball flight is pretty low and so I never really have trouble keeping it down which is an advantage here because the ball doesn’t get affected as much,” Boutier said. “And I had some good memories of playing well in the past so that’s always helpful.”

Ko offset three bogeys with a birdie finish at Dundonald Links.

“My irons were not as sharp so I don’t think I set myself up for as many easier kind of 15 feet and birdie opportunities,” she said. ”I know it wasn’t the best golf I’ve played, but I was able to scramble around. I don’t think it was as bad as I think, and I think because I had two really low rounds it makes me compare more to the past couple days.“

Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea (70) and Lilia Vu of the United States (71) were two off the lead going into the last round.

No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko was at 1 under overall, and defending champion Ryann O’Toole at 4 under.

The 117^th installment of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, tees off this week with 252 amateur golfers taking the stage in Vancouver.

The championship, which was first held in 1895, is the oldest amateur championship in the country. The inaugural tournament, held at Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Qué., marked one of the first orders of business for the Royal Canadian Golf Association – now known commonly as Golf Canada.

One of nine national championships conducted by Golf Canada for the 2022 season, the Canadian Men’s Amateur will consist of 72 holes of stroke play taking place at two elite courses, Seymour Golf and Country Club, and Point Grey Golf and Country Club, with the latter celebrating its centennial anniversary. The field will be cut to the low 70 players (including ties) following 36 holes.

Practice rounds are scheduled for July 30^th – 31^st before the tournament officially kicks off on August 1^st.  Rounds will be played simultaneously at both properties for the first two rounds, with the final round and awards ceremony taking place at Point Grey G&CC.

“Golf Canada is proud to host this historic championship and bring together a field of top competitors from all over the globe,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules. “Point Grey Golf and Country Club and Seymour Golf and Country Club are in excellent shape and will provide for an exciting competition as our competitors vie for the Earl Grey Cup.”

International talent will once again flock to the championship after COVID-19 complications restricted travel and thus, international inclusion. Among a field of strong international competitors are Connor Fewkes (Australia), Ching-Hung Su (Chinese Taipei), Jose Islas (Mexico), Tyler Wood (New Zealand), and Jackson Lake (U.S.A.).

As for the Canadian contingent, Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad member and Coquitlam, B.C. native A.J. Ewart will be counting on the home-province advantage to go all the way after finishing just two strokes shy of 2021 champion Max Sekulic last year. Other notable National Amateur Squad members in the field include Laurent Desmarchais (Longueuil, Qué.) and Chris Vandette (Beaconsfield, Qué.). Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and Vancouver, B.C. native Doug Roxburgh will be the only champion returning to the field having claimed titles in 1972, 1974, 1982, and 1988.  

The winner of the championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, as well as the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship being contested August 15-22 in Paramus, N.J.

New to this year’s tournament is a purse payout. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will now 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.

Among the notable Canadian champions are Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured members Moe Norman (Kitchener, Ont.), Nick Weslock (Winnipeg, Man.), Gary Cowan (Kitchener, Ont.) and Doug Roxburgh (Vancouver, B.C.). PGA TOUR champions Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) have also hoisted the coveted Earl Grey Cup.

The 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup will also return this year after a two-year hiatus. Team Ontario are the reigning champions and are set to defend their 2019 title.

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

DETROIT – Taylor Pendrith grew up getting breaks from golf, putting the clubs away each winter in Canada.

That may have helped him when he had to miss nearly four months of competition due to a painful injury earlier this year.

Pendrith shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Tony Finau into the weekend in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Pendrith and Finau shared the first-round lead at 8 under and will be in the final group Saturday, pairing a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie with a 32-year-old veteran coming off his third career victory.

Pendrith is playing in his third tournament after being unable to swing a club for 12 weeks due to a broken rib, a break that reminded him of his youth.

“We have a long offseason in Canada, so I didn’t touch a club all winter basically growing up so I guess I’m kind of used to it in a way,” he said.

Pendrith said matter of factly that he can compete with the best when he’s healthy and has showed that so far at Detroit Golf Club.

No one, though, has been better than Finau lately.

The Salt Lake City native with Tongan-Samoan heritage is 32 under over his last 107 holes, including rallying from a five-shot deficit last Sunday in Minnesota to win the 3M Open by three shots.

Pendrith tried to pull away in the second round in Detroit, opening with four straight birdies and six in his first 10 holes. He had two birdies and a bogey over the final five holes to finish Friday alone in first.

Finau, meanwhile, started slow with only one birdie on the front nine before carding five birdies on the back. He has a shot be the first PGA Tour player to win two straight regular season tournaments since Brendon Todd in 2019.

“Anytime you win, you breed confidence,” Finau said. “I was just happy to carry that confidence from last week right into this week.”

Pendrith and Finau had a bit of a cushion.

Rookie Lee Hodges (66) was three shots back.

PGA Tour rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young tied a Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 for a share of fourth place – five shots back – with Russell Henley (65) and Stewart Cink (66).

Rookie Sahith Theegala (67) was another shot back in a pack that includes defending FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, who bounced back from an opening-round 70 with a 65.

Davis Love III, the 58-year-old U.S. Presidents Cup captain, was in Detroit in part to play and more importantly to get to know players better on and off the course that may represent the country in September at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.

Love missed the cut at 5-over 149, but made the most of an opportunity to have dinner with some President Cup candidates and to play two rounds with with Young and Will Zalatoris.

Young and Zalatoris, teammates at Wake Forest and close friends, may be paired together again in two months.

“If they make the team, they’re a natural,” Love said.

Zalatoris, No. 13 in the world ranking, perhaps felt pressure playing with Love because he barely made the cut. He had to birdie his 36th hole to get to 3 under, the cut line, with a pair of lackluster rounds.

If Young does not earn an automatic spot on the American team, he might be a captain’s pick.

“Cameron is trending up,” Love said. “Go back to Jordan Spieth. Nobody heard of him and next thing you know in one year he’s on the Presidents Cup team, and Cam’s headed that way, too. No one ever heard of him on the Korn Ferry and here he is, he almost won a major.”

Young had a runner-up finish at the British Open and at the PGA Championship, he missed a playoff by a shot. He has four second-place finishes, was third in two tournaments. And in Detroit, Young showed Love up close what he can do.

“I would hope that I made some kind of case,” he said.

OTTAWA, Ont. – As she marveled at the names etched into the Brokenshire Trophy, Yeji Kwon gasped in awe when she realized she was in the same company as Brooke Henderson.

Kwon, 16, fired a two-under par 70 in Friday’s final round to capture the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO.

Words came few and far between from the Port Coquitlam, B.C., native following the victory. Instead, she let her play do the talking. With a four-stroke lead entering the day, Kwon stayed level-headed throughout, never allowing the gap to narrow down to less than three shots.

“I tried to block it (nerves) out as much as possible,” said Kwon. “I wasn’t playing the best today, but I tried my best out there to keep as calm as possible.”

Kwon, a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad, says her experience at the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in late June helped her manage her emotions in the spotlight at The Marshes Golf Club.

“It’s a tournament with everyone from around the world. I learned so much, especially playing with other players and I think that really helped me stay more focused and play a lot better,” Kwon said.

After Lucy Lin cut the lead to four with a birdie on No. 11, Kwon stepped on the gas and cruised to the promise land, closing out in style with birdies on holes No. 13, 14 and 16. At that point, she knew she had done it.

“I saw the scoreboard and I was like, “Ok, let’s just try to make pars and get it done.”

Get it done, she did. Kwon tapped in on No. 18 to win by nine strokes and was showered in water by her teammates and competitors who stormed the green.

After an opening round 75, the British Columbian carded rounds of 67, 65 and 70 for a total score of 11-under par 277, en route to the national title. Kwon was also crowned champion of the Juvenile Girls division – a subdivision for girls 16 and younger.

With the hardware comes an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as an entry into the 2023 U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

Kwon 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 Kwon, top-10 finishers and ties earned a piece of the prize money.

12-year-old Lucy Lin earned the runner-up honours in both the Junior Girls and Juvenile Girls divisions. The Vancouver, B.C. native, who is only getting started on the national stage, finished the tournament at two-under par for a total score of 286.

Erin Lee of Langley, B.C., completed the all-British Columbia podium sweep with a third-place finish. Lee, who was under par in each of the first three rounds, started hot with three birdies in her first four holes, but struggled to establish any pressure thereafter. She closed out her tournament with a four-over par 76.  

In the Juvenile Girls divisions, the bronze medal was shared by three participants: Amy Seung Hyun Lee, Alissa Xu and Anna Huang. Xu’s medalist honours are her second in as many weeks. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native finished as the runner-up at last week’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club.

Team Ontario – made up of Swetha Sathish, Sarah Gallagher, and Kelly Zhao – took home the Interprovincial Team Trophy. The Ontarians edged the British Columbians by five strokes in the team event, which concluded earlier in the week.

The 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be played at the Hampton Golf Club in Hampton, N.B.. Dates are to be announced in the coming months.

Click here for full results of the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

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 Merenda, Meadow Gardens Golf Club, Hole #7

Got one on Friday at Meadow Gardens in Pitt Meadows, B.C. Hole #7 measured 190 yards. Used a 6 iron! Awesome feeling!

Alan Armstrong, Wildfire Golf Club, Hole #3

Thanks so much for the kind words.

I was playing with my brothers, John and Dave, as well as a friend, Shane Carter. Hole number 3 at Wildfire Golf Club. Approximately 100 yards to the red flag. Used my 56 wedge.

Thanks again!

Amanda Moore, Tobiano, Hole #17

I was on vacation with my fiancé. Our first time playing Tobiano. Was between clubs so clubbed up and took a 3/4 swing on hole #17 and sucked it back into the hole for my first ever hole-in-one!

Amanda Moore

Bonita Hayhow, Cultus Lake Golf Club, Hole #13

Greetings from Chilliwack, B.C.!

It was a beautiful day at the Cultus Lake Golf Course. I was golfing with my husband, and it was late afternoon. My husband wasn’t having the best round and wanted to quit after twelve, but we decided to keep going. Hole #13, a par 3, was playing 138 yards from the red tees. I used my driver and both my husband and I lost sight of the ball as it reached the shadows on the green. As we approached, we didn’t see the ball and I assumed it rolled off the back. As I was walking by the hole, I looked down to the cup and there was my ball! I was very excited indeed. The first one in nearly 40 years of golfing!

Chris Murphy, Belvedere Golf & Country Club, Hole #7

Thank you very much. I was golfing with a few other members out at Belvedere; Clayton Pilling, Jared Mouille and Mark Klinck. It was from the blues, 163 yards, and I hit a 9 iron.

Craig McLeod, Strathmore Golf Club, Hole #8

I was playing with Gregg Peterson. The yardage for the hole that day was 158 yards, and I used a 7 iron.

Thank you,

Craig

Darren Sloboda, Colonnade, Hole #7

Thank you Golf Canada team for extending your congratulations. Being my first hole-in-one, it was very surreal and gratifying since it occurred on a Red Shirt Friday event.

A bit of background. We have been playing on Friday afternoons for a number of years with a growing contingent. The Friday afternoon golf is commonly known as “Red shirt Fridays” in recognition and honor of those current and past military personnel who protect our country. Participants have a simple task of declaring their intent to play for the purpose of booking tee times, showing up on time and most important wearing a red golf shirt. Started by the late Leo Hanlon at Camden Braes G&C and currently organized at Amherstview Golf Club (AGC) by member Dave Head with support from course GM Joe Rishaur. We have anywhere from 12 – 40+ players participate on any given Friday. Last Friday, was a travel day to Colonnade where we had reduced participation of 16 players. The red shirts are now known at a number of the courses around the region.

My group and witnesses consisted of Ezel Erkan, Kenny Underhill and Georges Kattar. The hole-in-one was on #7 playing from blue tees measuring 144 yards (back yellow pin) using an 8 iron.

Sincere thanks,

Darren Sloboda  

David Marriott, Deer Valley, Hole #4

Witnesses for the day were Karen Marriott (my wife) and Karen Mario. The fourth hole at Deer Valley is short, only playing 109 yards that day. As you can see from the photo, you are either on the green or in serious trouble. I hit a gap wedge since it was unusually calm. I took no pictures that day but the attached represents the layout last week.

This is the second ace that I have managed and have commented several times in the last few years that I was overdue for a second, particularly since my wife got an ace a couple years ago and we were tied until last Sunday. I waited 32 years and 363 days for this one and am now in the lead again.

Deer Valley is a truly fabulous layout, down in a glacial valley surrounded by miles of flat prairie farm land. There is an aerial video on the website that is worth watching. Although the score card shows the course not to be particularly long and the ratings don’t truly reflect the difficulty; it can eat you up. I worked as a starter/marshal for a few years and when new players asked for advice about the course, it was; don’t be left, don’t be right and don’t be long. In the case of the fourth hole; don’t be short either. 

Have a great day.

Cheers,

Dave Marriott

Don Yoo, Dunes Country Club, Hole #16

Hello Golf Canada,

My name is Don Yoo. I got seven holes-in-one in my lifetime. Somewhat surprisingly, the last three holes-in-one I got were all in the span of a single month!On July 28, 2020, while playing golf with men’s group at my home course of the Dunes Country Club at Kamloops. I it a hole-in-one on the 16th hole (155 yards blue pin). Then on August 7th, 2020, I was playing in a foursome, hit another hole-in-one on the 4th hole (175 yards red pin) at Dunes. The third hole-in-one in August came on #16, again at Dunes golf course with Manny, Darell, Martin, Lyle and Ray. 

Doug Borgstrom, Camrose Golf Course, Hole #8

My husband, Doug Borgstrom, got a hole-in-one on hole #8 at Camrose Golf Course, Camrose, Alberta. He used a 7 iron. The date of the hole-in-one was July 23, 2022. He was golfing with Bob Coyle, Helen Coyle and Wendy Borgstrom. Fortunately, he was able to see the ball drop from where he stood on the tee box.  

Thank you,

Wendy Borgstrom, on behalf of Doug Borgstrom

Gary Atterbury, Raven Crest, Hole #3

Thank you so much for the note!

I have been a member at Raven Crest Golf and Country Club for 3 years (since I retired). I manage to play about 90 rounds there per year.

On Monday, July 18, 2022, I got the hole-in-one on hole number three, using an 8 iron from 135 yards. I was playing with my wife, Sandra Wright, and good friends Mike and Tara Walsh. We golf together every Monday at Raven Crest. All four of us are RCGA members.

FYI, two years ago, I got a hole-in-one at hole #6, 110 yards with a utility wedge. 

Love this golf course and the game.

Thank you,

Gary Atterbury 

Gord Hay, Storey Creek Golf Club, Hole #7

Playing with my usual crew and the best caddie around, my service dog from Citadel Canine Society, Boomer. Shot was 148 yards to the pin from the blue tees and I used an 8 iron.

Thanks,

Gord Hay

Gord Koyama, Whitevale Golf Club, Hole #12

Hi,

I was playing with two other members of the GTA AM Tour team, Jason Gendron and Christian De Cloet.  It was 165 yards with a 6 iron.

Gord

J.R. Hurley, Goose Hummock Golf Resort, Hole #11

I was playing with a friend, Tay. I also had my dog with me, and it was my birthday. I used a 9 iron from 149 yards (black tees-the tips at Goose Hummock). Nice draw into a tucked back left pin.

Jason Raaflaub, Sandpiper Golf Club, Hole #7

Hole #7 at Sandpiper. Was about 120 yards and used my 9 iron, Taylor Made M2. Playing partner was Chris Robinson. Thanks!

Jeane Sigurdson, Barcovan Golf and Country Club, Hole #2

Thank you for your message regarding my hole-in-one at Barcovan G&CC. The pin was at the back of the par 3, 113-yard hole #2 (about 123 yards?). I hit a 7 iron. I was playing with my husband, JT Grossmith. We both now have two.

Jeannette Toews, Arrowsmith, Hole #16

It was an awesome experience getting the hole-in-one at Arrowsmith 2022 Net. I used my favorite club, a Taylormade M2 5 hybrid, playing from white tees at hole #16 for 127 yards. The ball, which is now retired, was a Titlist 3 Trufeel. This is a ball that I had won during league play for a chip in with Cottonwood ladies logo on it. I was playing with Tracy Reynolds from Cottonwood, Kathy Miller and Kathy Boyce from Eaglecrest Golf Club. Unfortunately, I did not see it go in. One of the ladies said it had but I said that it likely went over. So, go to the green and it wasn’t there so I went to look in the hole. Wow, sure a great surprise. My heart rate did not come down for the next two holes. Thanks to all the lovely ladies from BC ladies Zone 6, who played at this tournament, for making this such a special occasion for me.  

Jeff Misener, Whistle Bear Golf Club, Hole #17

Saturday was an exciting day for sure.

Hole #17 at Whistlebear was playing 167 yards on Saturday and I used a 7 iron for my ace. I was playing in a member tournament and my partner was Chuck Meyers. The other two-person team in my foursome was Dave McKay and Mark Steenge. None of us saw the ball go in but when we arrived at the green, we noticed there were only three balls on the green. Since we knew my shot appeared to be the closest from back at the tee, the guys had me go to the green first and check the hole. Sure enough, there was my personalized Titleist #17 golf ball with “MIZE” on it at the bottom of the hole #17 cup. The celebration began. 17 was a lucky number on this day!

This was my second hole-in-one, with my previous ace coming on hole #8 at Whistle Bear in August 2019.

Thank you,

Jeff Misener

John Agnew, Port Colborne, Hole #12

I was playing with Peter Bates, Glen Ozog and Chris Eros. This is our usual men’s night group. The ace happened on hole #12 at Port Colborne which is 165 yards. I used a Taylormade Sim2 #5 hybrid and ProV1 ball.

This is my second hole-in-one on this hole.

Thanks,

John Agnew

John Andreadis, Copetown Woods Golf Club, Hole #4

Golf course:

– Copetown Woods Golf Club, #4, Par 3

– Was playing 165 yards that day

– Used my 7 iron

Playing partners and witnesses that signed my scorecard:

– Anton Marcano – Golf Canada member

– Veber DeMelo – Golf Canada member

– Adam Lucia

Backstory:

– When I took the shot, it was tracking for the flag, landed just before the flag then disappeared. My friends and I have seen this all too many times before where you think the ball is close but are often deceived by elevations, slopes on the green, the sun in your eyes and distance. So, after shooting, I moved 10 yards to the left and said, I don’t see the ball – my one friend said, “I think it’s past the flag” – I then said, “got to be honest, I am getting excited”.

It’s my first hole-in-one! I’ve had many eagles before but never on a par 3 🙂

John

John Ramsay, Peticodiac Valley, Hole #17

7 iron. 146 yards. Witnessed by Nelson Newell, member Petitcodiac Golf Club.

John Horbach, Grand Niagara Golf Club, Hole #14

Thank you! 

Distance was 173 yards. Club was a 6 iron. Guys in my group were Tom Butcher, James Armstrong and Joe Armstrong.

Thanks again,

Jon Horbach 

Kenny Foo, Blue Springs Golf Club, Hole #5

Thank you very much for your email and for acknowledging this accomplishment.

The hole-in-one happened on Canada Day, 2022 while playing with a few buddies. The weather was great. It happened on the 5th hole at Blue Springs Golf Club which is a 160-yard par 3 from the blues. A front pin location. I played it with a 6-iron and with a Taylormade ball. It had landed in the left centre of the green. I was pleasantly surprised and amazed when we saw it kick right a bit and then disappear into the hole, this was definitely an unforgettable experience. It was awesome! My playing partners were John B., Tony B. and Harry J. This will truly be a special memory for a lifetime. 

Sincerely,

Kenny Foo

Kevin Fabian, Tower Ranch, Hole #5

The hole was 98 yards. The club was a 56-degree sand wedge. I hit the ball about 15 feet past and it spun back 15 feet to drop in the hole. Played with my wife, Dorothy, and friends, Shelley and Dave Fell. The ball on the ground was Shelley’s tee shot.

Kevin Hintz, Oak Island Golf Course, Hole #5

Yardage was 149 yards, 6 iron used and golfing with my son, Jordan Hintz. 

Lisa Arsenault, Stanhope, Hole #3

I achieved the ace on July 15, 2022. The yardage on the third hole was 84.

Lisa Kerley, Black Mountain Golf Course, Hole #13

Hole-in-one on hole #13 at the Black Mountain Golf Course during the RBC scramble.

Michael Butler, The Club at North Halton, Hole #4

I used my TaylorMade 6 iron. We were playing a two man match play we were already down by two but this was for sure the turning point as we went on to win the next five holes and closed out our opponents on 16 to win the match.

Thank you for the hole-in-one graphic.

Michael

Michel Power, Memramcook, Hole #12

Playing partners were Chris Wheato, Michel Audet and Maurice Richard. Occurred on hole #12, 140 yards. Used a 9 iron.

Michel ?

Michel St-Jacques, Muirfield Lakes Golf Club, Hole #8

Made my first ever hole-in-one July 16th, 2022 from the blue tees on the 372 yard, par 4 8th hole at Muirfield Lakes Golf Club. My shot was witnesses by the four gentlemen putting on the green I rolled it into. Figured I was good to hit without risk of hitting anyone being that far back and it being straight away. I knew I hit a great drive, nice left to right high draw with a bit of wind at my back (obviously) and saw some arms go up after it landed and honestly thought they were upset that I rolled it up close to them. I didn’t know it went in at that point. It was only when I drove up to the green intending on apologizing for hitting it up to them that they told me with excitement that it was the greatest thing they’d ever seen…it rolling right in there. The one guy, Bob, said he had just finished making a 30-foot birdie putt and jokingly said I stole his thunder. Haha. My two playing partners, one of whom who works for the course, didn’t know it was in either as they teed it up from the whites. 

Gladly paid for beers after the round and got them to sign my card. 

Regards,

Mitch

Ralph Warren, Dalewood Golf Club, Hole #8

Thank you for your enquiry about my hole-in-one at Dalewood Golf Club on July 20th this year. Witnesses were Ken Burke and Albert Helgeson. Used a 9 iron. Distance was 108 yards over a pond and creek. This was my 5th hole-in-one in five years.

Robert Charlton, Morgan Creek Golf Course, Hole #8

It was a ping g410 6 iron. The 8th hole was playing 160 yards to a back left flag. It is all carry over a pond and waste area. Playing with my regular Friday group; Bill Cartwright, Doug Kester and Mike Ellam. My first ace at 74 years old.  Yes, I’m also still able to bend over and get the ball out of the cup. Doug went ahead of us (he had a cart) looked in the hole then off the green as if I’d missed just to fake me out. Great to have golf buddies, isn’t it?

Sam McPherson, Millcroft Golf Club, Hole #13

I was extremely excited to say the least. We were playing hole #13 at Millcroft in Burlington, Ontario. It is a long Par 3, 188 yards from the blues and I used my 6 iron. I hit the ball extremely well, it made a divot in the green and rolled into the cup. I was playing with Shiv Sharma, another avid golfer.

Thanks, 

Sam

Sandi Duby, Coachwood, Hole #8

Thank you so much for reaching out and acknowledging my hole-in-one.   

I was playing with two women from my Wednesday Business League. The hole in one came on the 8th hole. It was 113 yards with a slight breeze in our face. I used a Taylor Made M2 7 iron. One bounce and it went in the hole. I was as surprised as anyone. Yes, I did honour the tradition of buying beer for everyone in my league

Thanks again for reaching out.  

Sandi Duby

Steve Fraser, The Lakes Golf Club, Hole #11

In reply to your email, the pro at the Lakes Golf Course, Wes Stanford, presented me with my hole-in-one bag tag and a flag from the Lakes Golf Course at Ben Eoin. My hole-in-one was on July 20, 2022. I was playing with Bob MacDonald, Dan MacDougall and John Read. The yardage was 161 yards using a new Fwy 5 Cobra Ltdx.

On Oct 20, 2021, I got my first hole-in-one at the Lakes (142 yards with a Cobra 4 Hybrid). I was playing with Bob MacDonald, Alexander Matheson and Kirk MacRae. I am 76 years old and started playing golf 7 years ago when I started putting my scores on Golf Canada. I feel I haven’t peaked yet.

Stuart Jewison, River’s Edge Golf Club, Hole #17

Thanks for the congrats. Here’s the story:

A 132-yard par 3, elevated green. You can see the flag from the tee box, but not the hole because of the elevation of the green. I hit a 9 iron and landed my shot just short of the green. The ball one-hopped onto the green and disappeared from sight. I knew I was close so, when we got up to the green and couldn’t see my ball, I thought hmm. Looked in the hole and there it was! Amazing feeling!

Susan Hebert, Cuttens Fields, Hole #11

Hello Golf Canada,

I got my first hole-in-one on July 22nd at Cuttens Fields, Guelph, Ontario. What excitement!

It was on what members call “The Thompson Hole”.  This is usually a learning/teaching hole but since last fall our 11th hole has been under construction so “TH” is the replacement until the 11th is playable.

The Rangefinders gave us a yardage of 98.  That would normally be an 8 iron for me but the wind was helping so I decided to use my 9 iron. It was a beauty shot, great trajectory, one hop onto the green, rolled a little to the left and right up into the hole. There was a jump in the air and a few screams of joy. I’ll admit it – a few tears!

My husband and photographer, Bob, and I played with two gentlemen; Vas (retired doctor – 92 years old) and J.J. (retired professor – 83 years old).

Susan Hebert

Titia Born, Valley Ridge Golf Club, Hole #7

It was Valley Ridge Ladies Night with a shotgun start. I was the first to lead off my group on our starting hole #7, and I sunk it. About 120 yards with an 8 iron. 

Titia Born

Vincent West, Fairmont Le Château Montebello, Hole #6

Good day, 

Thank you for reaching out, the hole-in-one was quite the experience. 

I was with Miguel Laurin, Phillipe Drouin, and Gabriel Laurin. We were playing golf for my bachelor party. 

Just before the golf shot, I remember saying “somebody should film our par 3’s in case someone gets a hole-in-one” but unfortunately, we did not film the shot. 

The par 3 was hole #6 and I was playing from the white markers. The yardage was approximately 130 yards, and I used my pitching wedge. My golf ball went passed the pin and then back spined into the hole. 

Thank you,

Vincent West

DETROIT (AP) – Tony Finau sent an approach from 250 yards soaring over trees and onto the seventh green at Detroit Golf Club, going for the reward and ignoring the risk with a difficult shot.

The way he has been playing over the last week, it made a lot of sense.

Finau, coming off his third career victory on the PGA Tour, and Canadian Taylor Pendrith shared the first-round lead at 8-under 64 on Thursday in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The pivotal shot on Finau’s 16th hole, a 560-yard par 5, set up a two-putt from 43 feet for one of his eight birdies.

“I had to get all of it to get it to the hole and hit it right in the middle of the green,” he said.

The leaderboard was filled with players who took advantage of favorable scoring conditions with morning tee times. In the afternoon, the wind picked up and the scores did as well.

Former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, Michael Thompson, Cameron Champ, Lee Hodges and Matt Wallace were two shots back.

Si Woo Kim and Kurt Kitayama, both ranked among the top 70 in the world, were in the pack at 67.

Finau, who rallied from a five-shot deficit with 11 holes left to win the 3M Open by three shots Sunday in Minnesota, opened with a birdie and had five birdies on his front nine.

After cooling off with four straight pars, Finau closed with his seventh and eighth birdies in a bogey-free round. He hit all 18 greens in regulation for the first time in 728 PGA Tour stroke-play rounds.

“Do the math, I missed 10 putts,” he said. “Obviously, 64?s a very good round, but this is a golf course where a lot of guys are going to make birdies.”

On the par-4 eighth hole, he made a 41-foot putt downhill with a slight break from right to left for another birdie and a three-shot lead.

“It was nice to just get a bonus birdie on 8 after a poor wedge shot, but that’s why we call our putter the equalizer,” Finau said.

Pendrith, a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie, surged into a share of the lead with five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on his back nine.

Toward the end of his round, the relatively anonymous player in the world noticed the `h’ in his last name was missing on the leaderboard.

Alas, the 8 under next to his misspelled name was correct.

“That’s all that matters,” he said with a grin.

Pendrith, of Richmond Hill, Ont., is atop a leaderboard for the first time on the PGA Tour following an opening round. The Canadian did have the third-round lead by three shots last October at the Bermuda Championship before closing with a 76 and finishing a career-high fifth.

In March, he was 13th at the Players Championship and came away with a career-best $327,222 _ and a broken rib.

The injury prevented him from competing for nearly four months, leading to him being ranked No. 237. He has bounced back with ties for 11th and 13th at tournaments earlier this month.

“When I’m healthy, I can compete with the best,” Pendrith said.

Surrey, B.C., native Adam Svensson sits at 3 under, while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Calgary, both finished the day at 2 under.

Fellow Canadians Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes sit further down the standings at 1 under and 2 over par, respectively.

Nate Lashley, who won his first and only PGA Tour title in Detroit four years ago, shot a 68 after getting an anti-inflammatory shot in his right foot.

“I’m having surgery next week,” he said, adding he will need four to six weeks to recover.

Mark Hubbard was also four shots off the lead after a topsy-turvy round with four birdies, two bogeys and an ace on the par-3, 216-yard 11th hole.

Hubbard dropped his club and his head after hitting his tee shot.

“That’s embarrassing,” he said while the ball was in flight.

The ball landed on the front of the green and rolled toward the cup before going around it and dropping in.

“That’s probably going to end up being one of my favorite hole-in-ones,” said Hubbard, who has nine career aces.

The field includes five players in the top 20, doubling last week’s total in Minnesota, and Finau was the only one of them to fare well in the first round.

Defending FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, ranked No. 4 in the world, and 13th-ranked Will Zalatoris both 70. Cameron Young, ranked 19th, was another shot back and 20th-ranked Max Homa had a 72.

OTTAWA (July 28, 2022) – Automatic is one way to describe Yeji Kwon’s game in the third round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO. And even that might not do it justice.

The Port Coquitlam, B.C., native set the new tournament-low with a seven-under par 65 and broke free from the traffic jam atop the leaderboard. For the second day in a row, Kwon eagled the par-4 1^st, holing out from the fairway. Incredibly, her approach shot came from the exact same yardage as her attempt in Wednesday’s second round.

“I had 76 yards again. It was a little into the wind, so I held the same club as yesterday and it did the same thing, it just spun back and went in,” said Kwon.

Even her reaction was the same; I was like, “Oh my gosh!” 

With the quick start, Kwon positioned herself atop the leaderboard early in her round and didn’t let up from there. The 16-year-old hit a speedbump on hole No. 5, but was mistake-free after that, making five birdies including a tap-in on hole No. 17 to extend her lead to four strokes going into Friday’s final round.

“Tomorrow going in, I’m not going to think about it much,” said Kwon. “I feel like I’m going to think of it as a first round and play my best. It’s the last day, I just want to keep as calm as possible and focus and try to go lower tomorrow.”

If so, she better plan to save some room in her luggage for a trophy or two. Kwon also leads the Juvenile Girls division – a subdivision for girls 16 and under – by five strokes over 12-year-old, Lucy Lin.

Kwon’s 65 is the lowest round at a Canadian Junior Girls Championship since Euna Han’s opening round 64 in 2019. Han is also a native of Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Lin had back-to-back birdies on holes No. 4 & 5, then drained consecutive birdies again on holes No. 16 & 17 but made three bogeys in between. The Vancouver, B.C., native finished her round at one-under par and four-under for the tournament. She is alone in third place.

Erin Lee maintained her steady play at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont., this week, with another round in the red numbers. The Langley B.C., local rolled in six birdies in round three, en route to a one-under par 71. The Long Beach State University commit holds sole possession of second place and will play in the final pairing on Friday, alongside Kwon and Lin.

Alissa Xu and Lindsay McGrath rounded out the top-5, at three-under par for the tournament and still very much in contention for the national championship. Xu fired a three-under par 69 on moving day, while McGrath followed up yesterday’s 66 with a one-over par 73.

Final round tee times are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m., with the leaders teeing off at 9:50 a.m. An awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of play. Team Ontario will be awarded the Interprovincial Team Trophy and a national champion will be crowned for the individual competition.

The winner of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, as well as the 2023 U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

For full results click here.

OTTAWA, Ont. – Team British Columbia had their sights set on second consecutive interprovincial team championship, but the squad from Ontario had other plans at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO.

As so often is the case in golf, the tables turned on the leaders – and in this one, they turned quickly. With the trophy at the fingertips of Team B.C., one team got cold and the other heated up. Trailing by three strokes, Swetha Sathish piloted a miraculous comeback, making birdie on three of her final six holes to lift her province to victory in the interprovincial competition.

Sarah Gallagher contributed to the team efforts with back-to-back rounds of even-par 72. Along with Sathish’s two-under par 70 in the second round and Kelly Zhao’s three-over par 75 in Tuesday’s opening round, the team combined for a total score of 289 and a five-stroke triumph over the runner-up British Columbians.

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

Of the five players who shared the lead after Tuesday’s opening round, only Erin Lee remained atop the standings in the individual competition. Joining the Langley, B.C., native at the front of pack is Lindsay McGrath and Krystal (ZhuoTong) Li. The trio own a share of the lead at four-under par.

After starting her round with a bogey, Lee answered the bell, rallying off five birdies to get to six-under par on the tournament. The 16-year-old dropped a pair of shots in the latter stages of her round and pointed to lackluster putting to explain the blemishes.

“Today, all my shots were pretty good [but] I struggled a bit with putting. If my putter worked, I honestly think I could have gone way lower,” admitted Lee. She says she’ll look to continue hitting the shots she’s been hitting but needs to see a few more putts drop.

McGrath, 15, carded the low round of the tournament, a six-under par 66 to climb into a share of the lead. A troubling round one with the flat stick lead the Oakville, Ont., native to the putting green this morning. Safe to say the practice was worthwhile. The Team Ontario recorded birdies on holes No. 1 and No. 18 and made five others in between en route to the top of the board.

“Yesterday I was missing a lot of putts, so I put the work in this morning and was able to make a lot of short putts for birdie and save a lot for par, so I think that really helped me today,” said McGrath. “My mental [game] was really good today; I was able to dial in on those putts and not feel any pressure.”

Team Canada’s Yeji Kwon also made some noise on Wednesday at The Marshes Golf Club, posting a five-under par 67 to leap into sole possession of sixth place, just two strokes back of the leaders.

“Yesterday my irons weren’t so good, so I made a couple of changes after the round and today my irons were a lot better. I was able to get them on the green and make a couple of birdie putts,” said Kwon.

After a bogey-free, three-under par 33 on the front nine (started on hole No. 10), the Port Coquitlam eagled the par-4 1^st, holing out on a 76-yard wedge shot from the fairway.

“It was a good shot. It hit the slope, then it spun back, and it went in, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh,” said Kwon, in disbelief.

Bo Brown also fired a five-under par 67, a result of eight birdies, including a stretch of three in a row from holes No. 11-13.  The University of British Columbia Thunderbird improved on her first-round performance by 16 strokes. She sits T25 going into Thursday’s third round.

Krystal (ZhuoTong) Li, Peyton Costabile and Ling Yu (Katherine) Hao managed scores of three-under par 69. Elsa Wu aced the 146-yard, par-3 17^th hole. The 12-year-old says she saw the ball hit the pin but didn’t see it drop into the hole and if her “memory is correct,” it is the first of her very young career.

70 players made the cut at 14-over par. Third round tee times are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, with the leaders teeing off at 9:50 a.m.

For full results click here.

OTTAWA, Ont. – The leaderboard flip flopped all throughout the first round of the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, but when the dust settled, there were five tied atop the leaderboard.

Madelin Boyd, Amy Seung Hyun Lee, Erin Lee, Lucy Lin, and Myranda Quinton all fired rounds of two-under par 70 to pace the 136-player field. 

27 other players are within five shots of the leaders at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Boyd, a native of Oshawa, Ont., recorded three birdies on the day and suffered only one bogey. The 18-year-old birdied the par-5 2^nd hole, before falling back to even par two holes later. From there, it was nothing but birdies and pars for the junior who earned the clubhouse lead early in the day.

Quinton, 17, also made a trio of birdies on the day. After a bogey-free front nine, the Burlington, Ont. native dropped a shot on the par-5 2^nd hole but bounced back with a pair of birdies down the stretch to secure a piece of the pie.

Lee and Hyun Lee, both of Langley. B.C. matched each other with five birdies aside and had merely similar scorecards. Both started their tournaments with a pair of birdies in their opening holes, and added two more early in their back nines, before capping off their rounds with a final birdie on No. 18.

Lin, one of the youngest competitors in the field, had the most birdies on the day with six. After falling to one-over par after 10 holes, the 12-year-old rallied off three birdies coming in – including a pair on her final two holes – to grab a share of the lead after the opening round.

Recent history doesn’t bode well for the quintet. In four of the last five Canadian Junior Girls Championships, only once did the leader or co-leader after the first round go on to win the tournament, but ask them and they’ll tell you trends are meant to be broken.

Four more players sit one stroke back of the leaders in the red numbers at one-under par: Payton Lovisa, Krystal (ZhuoTong) Li, Anna Huang and Alissa Xu.

Xu, 16, carried on her momentum from the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship last week, with another strong showing in round one. The Richmond Hill, Ont. native, who finished in second place at Westmount Golf & Country Club, rolled in five birdies, to go along with four bogeys on the way to a one-under par 71.

Hyun Lee and Lin are tied for the lead in Juvenile division – a subdivision for girls 16 and under.

In the interprovincial team competition, the Team British Columbia contingent of Hyun Lee and Tina Jiang carded an even-par 144 for a three-stroke advantage over Team Ontario. The team championship will wrap up tomorrow at the conclusion of the second round.

Full results can be found here.