LA SELLA, Spain – Canada’s Anna Huang carded a bogey-free eight-under 64 on Thursday to take the opening-round lead at the La Sella Open, a Ladies European Tour event in Denia, Spain.

The 16-year-old from Vancouver sits two shots ahead of a pair at six-under, that includes France’s Natasia Nadaud and Germany’s Leonie Harm.

Huang, who turned professional earlier this year after coming through qualifying school, is in her rookie LET season. She has already posted multiple top-20 results, but this marks the first time she has topped the leaderboard in a tour event.

“I just tried to stay patient out there and stick to my routines,” Huang said. “The putts started dropping and I was able to keep a clean card, which always feels good.”

Huang’s round featured eight birdies, with no bogeys. Her strong start continues a breakthrough year for the teenager, who also won final qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open earlier this summer.

Chasing her at eight under are a cluster of experienced competitors, while a larger group sits two shots back at six under. With three rounds still to play, the leaderboard is tightly packed.

The La Sella Open continues through Sunday.

Alice Kong leads individual standings by two after opening round 67

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – France sits atop the team leaderboard after shooting a collective 7-under to lead Colombia by three following the opening round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

Alice Kong fired an opening round 5-under 67 to not only help put France ahead but also take the lead in the individual competition as well. Teammate Giselle Zhao’s 2-under 70 also counted towards the team score on Wednesday. Louise Landgraf closed her day with a 2-over 74 for France. The two lowest scores count towards the team’s combined total for the day.

France’s Coach Marine Monnet-Melocco praised her team’s spirit as an important factor for a strong opening day but cautioned there is a long way to go.

“We appreciate the day. They respect the plan, they respect the process, they respect everything. They fight on every shot, and I am very happy, but it’s not finished, it’s only one round.”

Monnet-Melocco added that while the course is not easy, both Kong and Zhao knew when and when not to be aggressive. Monet-Melocco followed Landgraf on Wednesday and while her score did not contribute on the day, her coach was pleased with the finish, “she fought on every shot and finished minus one on the last four holes and that was really good because we are three on the team and it’s very important,” said Monnet-Melocco.

Last year, France finished in a tie for fourth, matching their best finish in championship history which was previously reached in 2015 and 2017.

Right behind the leaders is Colombia, who held the lead throughout the opening round before finishing three back at 4-under. All three members of Colombia were under par, led by Valeria Rubio who held the clubhouse lead briefly following a 3-under 69. Both Luciana Medina Ramos and Maria Errichetto shot rounds of 1-under 71.

Colombia Coach Paola Moreno said her team is very happy to be competing in St. Catharines, “it’s a high-class event so for us to have under par rounds it’s fantastic and we’re truly truly happy.

“There’s a lot of golf left, to be honest. It was a great start, we can be happy for today but be ready for tomorrow. It’s three more days and so many amazing teams here, super talented, we just have to keep our heads in the game and play well,” she added.

The Republic of Korea currently sits in third at 3-under. Seojin Park, the lone returning player from last year’s championship winning team led the way with a 3-under 69, while Yun Seon Yang’s even par 72 also counted toward the team total. The defending champions are also represented by Yeonseo Kim (2-over 74).

Past champions, Italy and Spain are tied for fourth at 2-under to round out the top five. Team Canada 1 currently sits in eighth at 1-over while Team Canada 2 is tied for ninth with Austria at 2-over.

Team Canada 1 is represented by Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. (1-under 71), Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. (2-over 74) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (3-over 75).

Team Canada 2 is comprised of Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. (even par 72), Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. (2-over 74) and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (3-over 75).

In the individual competition, Kong set the tone early in the day, opening with an eagle on the par 4 first hole and followed it up with back-to-back birdies to sit 4-under through three. While Kong cited being “stressed at the driving range” all was quickly forgotten with her eagle.

“I played so good on the first hole, my drive was great and hit my wedge, it was a good shot, and my coach was watching it, and she was like yes, it’s so good and I watched the ball rolling slowly…I was so happy, it was a good start,” said Kong.

Kong closed her front nine at 3-under as the individual leaderboard constantly changed throughout the morning and early afternoon. She recorded eight consecutive pars from Nos. 9 through 16 before two close approach shots allowed her to close with back-to-back birdies and put both herself and her team into the lead. Kong echoed her coach’s comments on the spirit of the team.

“They are the best teammates, we are such a great team, our coach is super good also and the goal is to win,” added Kong.

Kong is playing in her second consecutive World Junior Girls Golf Championship, and while she had fun with her team last year, she was dealing with jet lag and went on to finish in 20th individually.

“I love this tournament, so I am very happy to be here one more time,” she said.

Rubio and Park are trailing Kong by two-shots heading into Thursday. Rubio shook off what she described as a “difficult” start with the driver to finish strong, highlighted with an eagle on the par 4 11th.

“I had great putts, my eagle at 11 was a great drive into the green and then a great putt. I just kept going and I had a lot of fun on the course today and I think it was an amazing round.”

Rubio competed in last year’s event, finishing T57 and helped Colombia finish 15th, she was complimentary of her team’s opening round.

“Very good performance, we are a very good team and help each other and that is key about being a team is that you can support each other,” she added.

Charlotte Naughton (England), Adriana Garcia Terol (Spain) and Zhao are tied for fourth at 2-under. Liu and five others are tied for seventh at 1-under.

In total, a field of 23 teams, 69 players in total are competing for the team and individual championships. The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The top three players and ties will also earn exemptions into the 112th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club in Mississauga, Ont., July 20-24, 2026.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

For the both the team and individual leaderboard, following the opening round of the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, please click here.

Calen Sanderson fired an 8-under 64 to land the individual championship; Alexis Rouleau locks up 2026 Team Canada – NextGen spot with win at Team Canada Selection Camp.   

MACTIER, Ont. – The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish put the finishing touches on their wire-to-wire victory at the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational on Tuesday, collectively shooting 10-under par to once again leave Öviinbyrd Golf Club with a series of hardware for a second consecutive year.  

Represented by Calen Sanderson of Newton, Pa., Pavel Tsar of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Nate Stevens of Northfield, Minn., Rocco Salvitti of Canonsburg, Pa. and Jacob Modleski of Noblesville, Ind. the Fighting Irish failed to take their foot off the gas all week long to claim the championship by 10 strokes at 35-under.  

“I think the secret to a great team is depth and we got ten guys on our team right now that are just phenomenal players,” praised Notre Dame’s Head Coach and Director of Golf, John Handrigan. “They played amazing this week, and 35-under par is pretty impressive,” he added.  

The defending champions opened the second playing of the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational on Sunday with a 12-under showing to take a narrow three-stroke lead over the University of Michigan Wolverines into Monday’s second round. Led by Stevens’ 5-under 67 in round one, the momentum for the defending champions quickly shifted to the red-hot play of Sanderson, with their senior going on to blitz the final 36 holes with a team-high 15 birdies to secure both himself and his program an individual and team championship respectively.  

Sanderson led the Fighting Irish with rounds of 65 and 64 in the second and third round respectively. He wrapped up his week with scores of 68- 65- 64- 197 to edge out Lucas Politano of Brandon, Vt. at 19-under and lock up a spot in the 2026 RBC Canadian Open through his individual win.  

“Anytime you can have an individual win, and a team win is great,” said Sanderson following his round. “It’s awesome to come back and defend as team champions at this event…Especially with our coach being from right in this area so it means a lot to win it for him,” he added. Handrigan hails from Bracebridge, Ont., located about 30 minutes east of Öviinbyrd Golf Club and was emotional while putting into perspective what Tuesday’s victory meant for his senior, Sanderson. 

“It almost brings me to tears. I’m so proud of him. He’s worked so hard for four years and he hasn’t seen results, but he kept grinding and kept working every day and just never gave up,” said Handrigan. “He’s earned this, it’s just been a ton of hard work so it’s very rewarding for him to see something like this come and obviously the RBC Canadian Open exemption is amazing,” he added. “Calen earned this one.”  

Politano – who started his final round on the par-5 fourth – briefly held the outright lead on Tuesday, pouring in three-consecutive birdies on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to get to 17-under and hold a one-shot advantage over Sanderson who was four holes behind. A birdie at the first vaulted the Rutgers product into the clubhouse lead, but the score ultimately became a footnote to his 9-under 63 after Sanderson birdied the 17th to reclaim the top spot on the leaderboard and clinch his individual honours.  

Sanderson rolled in eight birdie putts to cap off a bogey-free 64, capitalizing on every par-5 except for the last, where he two-putted for par to seal the deal on his first win of 2025. On Monday, Sanderson identified his ability to take advantage of the scoreable par-5s as the leading cause to him soaring up the leaderboard and nabbing the outright lead after 36 holes. On Tuesday, he credited his ability to fight until the very end of his round as the recipe for securing both him and his team a championship.  

“I just wanted to compete hard until the last putt dropped and I was telling myself whatever you think you need, you probably need about two or three [shots] more and that was very true today,” said Sanderson. “I’m proud of the way I handle that and stayed present throughout the whole day. 

“I played really solid golf all day. Gave myself a ton of birdie chances and don’t think I missed a green all day. Every birdie was great momentum and kept building throughout the day,” he added. 

Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. led the Canadian contingent, finishing seven-strokes off the pace and in third place to open his sophomore season at Kent State University on a high. Tuesday’s result clinches Ibit a spot in next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, with the Team Canada – NextGen member being joined by Sanderson, Politano, Modleski, John Logan of Wilmington, N.C., Alex Creamean of Winnetka, Ill., R.J Arone of Las Vegas, Nev., Dean Muratore of Dix Hills, N.Y. and Gray Mitchum of Greenville, N.C. who all finished in the top five to secure their spot in Canada’s oldest amateur tournament.  

Additionally, Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Que. also secured a vital spot for his 2026 season on Tuesday, edging out Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. by a single stroke at the Team Canada Selection Camp to win the tournament and lock up a guaranteed spot on Team Canada – NextGen for next season. The event was held concurrently with this week’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational and brought together 27 junior talents from across the country to compete for a lucrative position on Team Canada’s roster. To view the final leaderboard from the Team Canada Selection Camp, please click here.  

The second playing of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational was conducted by Golf Canada and co-hosted by Kent State University and Penn State University who are both led by Canadian head coaches, Jon Mills (Kent State) and Mark Leon (Penn State). The tournament featured 10 NCAA Division I men’s golf teams with prominent Canadian ties along with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds. UBC qualified after winning the 2025 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO, earlier this summer at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. 

Both the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational and Team Canada Selection Camp were contested over 54 holes and featured a shotgun start throughout Tuesday’s final round. The team component of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational featured five members per team with the top four scores for the day counting to the overall team score. 

To view the full leaderboard of the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational, please click here.  

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship gets underway on Wednesday from St. Catharines Golf and Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

Following the tournament’s media day, Golf Canada sat down with members of the media who played the course to get their thoughts on what is in store for the field as well as who they’re picking for the week.

Golf Canada (GC) – Thanks for sitting down with us. First question is about the golf course. Taking your past experiences into account and playing on media day, what was your impression of the course? How does it shape up for the tournament?

Garry McKay, Hamilton Spectator – Designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame architect Stanley Thompson just a year or so before he died the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club is a wonderful example of his work. While the course, generally, is pretty flat there is a broad valley that runs through the property and Thompson, as he wanted to do, has highlighted the valley with holes that run over, around, into and through the valley. These holes, and the changes in elevation, will provide a challenge for all the players especially if it is windy.

Kristen Murphy, TSN – My first impression of the course it that it will be a fair test for the junior girls. No blind shots or tricked up holes means everything is in front of them. The course isn’t overly tight off the tee so players can elect to play aggressive in spots or adapt a more conservative style play. With some reachable par 5s for the longer hitters, those holes will provide the ultimate risk / reward scenario.

Jason Logan, SCOREGolf – I’d played St. Catharines once before, around 2010, and remember that I’d enjoyed the day and the par 3s had stood out. Playing it again 15 years later confirmed that impression. It’s a very good golf course with a great set of par 3s and some phenomenal holes that make good use of the dales through the property. It’ll be a good test for the girls and Niagara will be a great location for the tournament with all its amenities and attractions.

GC – What is one club in the bag, or one element of the game that you think will be important for players this week and why?

McKay – The simple answer is the driver especially this week at St. Catharines with five par 5s. Ask any player at a high level what is the key to winning a tournament and they will tell you that it is taking advantage of the par 5s, and at St. Catharines, players who can hit it long off the tee on the par fives and be in the correct area of the fairway will have distinctly better chance of making birdies.

Murphy – Although it might sound cliché, players will need to arrive at St. Catherines with all aspects of their games on point. There are five par 3s and five par 5s that will both demand and test every shot in the bag. For that reason, golfers with the most well-rounded games will be identified. Lastly, taking advantage of the par 5s will be essential to success come week’s end.

Logan – You could say this about any golf course, but I think driver will be important. For the most part, St. Catharines greens are not severe enough to cause players too much trouble. With several holes containing multiple tee boxes offering different angles to fairways, the girls will need a strong tee game to score well.

GC – Aside from Team Canada, what country/team are you keeping an eye on this week?

McKay – The Republic of Korea has produced female golf stars like Se Ri Pak, Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park, So Yeon Rui and Jin Young Ko among others that have gone on to have successful careers on the LPGA Tour. The Republic of Korea has also won this tournament three times, including last year at Credit Valley G&CC and finished runner-up on three other occasions so it will be important to watch them to see who their future stars are.

Murphy – It is impossible to ignore the history of the Korean team at this tournament. The defending champions have won the event on three occasions with three additional second place finishes to boot. Looking a little bit further down the leaderboard so to speak, I will be tracking team Sweden who boast four top three finishes at this tournament.

Logan – The Republic of Korea is an obvious one, based on the country’s ability to develop golfers and history at this tournament. The United States will be strong too.

GC – Again, aside from players on Team Canada, is there one player in the field that you’re watching this week?

McKay – It’s hard not to pick Seojin Park of the Republic of Korea who is 39th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and that’s the best in the field.

Murphy – One player who I will be watching outside of the Canadian crew is Argentina’s Clementina Castaño. Castaño is one of the three Argentinian girls who will be representing her country in this event for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing how the debut goes for her and her teammates.  

Logan – England’s Lauren Crump has a strong resumé, winning her second straight English Girls’ Championship earlier this summer.

GC – Finally, who are your picks to win the team championship and individual title?

McKay – Republic of Korea with Canada 1 as runner-up. Individual, Seojin Park of Korea with Michelle Xing of Canada in second place.

Murphy – Republic of Korea. Track record, experience and pedigree make this team the one to beat, but I do expect a strong challenge from the Canadians and Americans.

Individual, Canada’s Shauna Liu. The 16-year-old has already wracked up multiple wins this season, including a second Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month. It feels like Shauna is peaking at the right time to compete for the win and punch a ticket to the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.

Logan – Canada, of course! With Shauna Liu capturing the overall title.

GC – Thank you for your insights ahead of the tournament. Friendly reminder, the tournament will kick off on Wednesday, September 17 and admission to 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here. To follow the leaderboard during the tournament, please click here.

University of Notre Dame Senior Calen Sanderson grabs outright lead in individual competition following team-best 7-under performance on Monday.  

MacTier, Ont. – The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish moved a step closer to successfully defending their 2024 title on Monday, collectively shooting 13-under at Öviinbyrd Golf Club to carry a five-stroke lead into the final round of the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational.

On Sunday, Nate Stevens of Northfield, Minn., kicked off the tournament with a team-best 5-under 67 to help the Fighting Irish set the pace at 12-under par. On Monday, it was his teammate, Calen Sanderson of Newtown, Pa. who carried the charge for the defending champions, piecing together a bogey-free 7-under 67 to extend his side’s lead over the University of Michigan Wolverines to five strokes heading into the final round of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational.

Sanderson, who began his second round on Monday in sixth place on the Individual leaderboards after opening with a 4-under 68, rolled in seven birdie putts to not only help inch his team closer to victory, but grab the outright lead in the tournament’s individual competition as well.

Birdies on Nos. four and seven got things going for Sanderson before the senior poured on four more birdies over the next six holes to charge up the leaderboard and grab a share of the lead with Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont., at 10-under. Sanderson would go on to make par on his holes 14 through 17 before rolling in a birdie putt on the last to take a one-stroke edge over Ibit at 11-under.

“I’ve been playing the par-5s great this week, I think I’ve taken care of every single one of them with birdie so if you can do that here, you’re setting yourself up for success. I’ve done a great job of that over the last few days and am looking to keep it up tomorrow,” said Sanderson after nabbing birdies at all four of the course’s par-5s to help reel into contention on Monday.

As for Sanderson’s ambition of clinching another Canadian Collegiate Invitational, the message remains simple for the unit he feels is well-equipped with the right personnel to put the finishing touches on a wire-to-wire victory come Tuesday.

“We just got to compete hard until the last putt drops. We’re a great team and have so much talent and so much depth on this team and every one of us is capable of shooting the best score on the team tomorrow,” said Sanderson. “I fully believe in all these guys, and I know we’re going to have a great day tomorrow.”

Individually, the Notre Dame product will be rivalled by Ibit, who overcame an errant drive that resulted in a double bogey on the second hole with five birdies to claw his way to a hard-fought 70 on Monday.  

“I knew there were holes ahead that I could easily get the strokes back, so I didn’t really pay It much attention,” commented Ibit. “Just play your own game, try and shoot the best score you can and at the end of the day just see what happens,” he added. Ibit, who finished runner-up in the event’s individual competition last year, will begin the final round a stroke behind Sanderson and with a one-shot lead of his own over Lucas Politano of Brandon, Vt., the latter catching fire on Monday with a six-under performance to get into contention.

Jacob Modleski of Noblesville, Ind. and John Logan of Wilmington, N.C. both trail Politano at 8-under and are in a tie for fourth, with Logan tying the course record on Monday with an impressive 9-under 63.

The winner of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational individual competition will earn a spot in the 2026 RBC Canadian Open, while the top five finishers at the end of Tuesday’s final round will secure a place in next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.

As for the second round of the Team Canada Selection Camp taking place concurrently alongside this week’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational, Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Que. each leads Emile Lebrun of Laval, Que by three strokes at 6-under par. Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. sits a stroke back of Lebrun in third while Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. and Austin Krahn of Christina Lakes, B.C. rounds out the top five at 1-under and 2-over respectively through 36 holes. Tuesday’s winner will receive a guaranteed spot on the Team Canada squad in 2026.

To view the full leaderboard of the Team Canada Selection Camp, please click here. To view the full leaderboard, as well as find final round tee times and further information on the Canadian Collegiate Invitational, please click here.

St. Catharines Golf & Country Club set to host the tenth playing of the
world championship, featuring 23 teams and 69 competitors

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The final field is now set ahead of the tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, featuring 22 countries and 69 players competing at St. Catharines Golf & Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.

In total, 23 teams will battle for the team championship while also competing for individual honours, with the individual champion earning an exemption into the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open, taking place at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., August 17-23, 2026. The field features four players in the top 100, nine players in the top 200 and 21 in the top 500 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Golf Canada previously announced the six competitors that will represent Team Canada at the tournament and now have set the team rosters for the championship. Team Canada 1 will be represented by Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. (no. 113 WAGR), Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (no. 142 WAGR), and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. (no. 174 WAGR). Both Liu and Lin were part of Team Canada 1 last year that finished as runners-up to the Republic of Korea. Last year, Liu finished T7, and Lin was T16 in the individual standings. Xing will be making her second appearance in the world championship, having previously represented Canada in 2022. Team Canada 1 will be led by Team Canada – NextGen Girls Head Coach, Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S.

Team Canada 2 will be represented by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. (no. 177 WAGR), Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (no. 469 WAGR) and Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. (no. 528 WAGR). Park will be competing in her third straight championship, having represented Canada the past two tournaments. Last year, Park finished T34 in the individual standings and helped Team Canada 2 finish T12. Ding and Wang will both be making their first appearances at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship. Team Canada 2 will be led by Team Canada – NextGen Girls Assistant Coach, Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta.

The Republic of Korea enter as defending champions, edging out Team Canada 1 last year in Mississauga, Ont. through a tiebreaker to win their third championship. The Republic of Korea are the most successful team in tournament history. In addition to three championships, the team has also finished as runner-up three times (2016, 2017, 2023).

Along with the Republic of Korea and Canada, three past champions are also in the field including, Italy (2018), Spain (2017, 2022) and the United States (2014). In the nine-year history of the tournament, aside from the host nation, five other countries have participated in every tournament including: England, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.

This year’s tournament will mark the debut of Argentina, who will be competing for the first time. Last year, Morocco made its debut while Iceland and Poland will be making their third consecutive appearances after debuting in 2023. India was set to make their tournament debut in St. Catharines but have withdrawn from the competition.

This year’s field is highlighted by Seojin Park from the Republic of Korea (Korea) who is the lowest ranked player in the field at no. 39 on WAGR. Park will be making her third straight appearance at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, having been apart of Korea’s championship team last year and runner-up finish in 2023. Park has had two top 10 finishes individually, finishing T4 in 2024 and T8 in 2023. Joining Park are teammates, Yunseo Yang (no. 62 on WAGR) and Yeon Seo Kim (no. 128 WAGR). France will also field a strong team with Louise Landgraf (no. 75 WAGR), Alice Kong (no. 83 WAGR) and Giselle Zhao (no. 423 WAGR). Kong is the lone returnee for France and helped her team finish T4 with Denmark last year and finished 20th in the individual standings. Mia Hammond returns for the United States (no. 320 WAGR) after competing in 2023. Hammond helped the Americans to a sixth-place finish, and T17 finish individually. For the full player roster, please click here.

“We are excited to announce the full field ahead of the tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship this week in St. Catharines. Many players compete in prestigious amateur events around the world and strong finishes can change rankings quite significantly. The difference in ability is marginal at this level, which sets up this tournament to be a competitive one,” said Adam Cinel, Tournament Director, Golf Canada. “We want to thank St. Catharines for their exceptional assistance in the lead up to tournament week. In addition, the tournament organizing committee who have gone to great lengths to ensure this is a memorable week for everyone participating in this prestigious world championship.”

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 14-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark and Linn Grant of Sweden. Hye-Jin Choi from the Republic of Korea won both the 2015 team and individual championship at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship and has earned several top five finishes on the LPGA Tour.

St. Catharines Golf & Country Club (STGCC) was founded in 1899 and redesigned by legendary architect Stanley Thompson. STGCC offers a par-72 championship layout featuring mature trees, strategic elevation changes, and scenic views along Dick’s Creek. As a proven venue for major amateur and professional events, including the Ontario Men’s Amateur (2024), USGA Junior Qualifiers (2023), and the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship, STGCC promises a world-class stage for the world’s next generation of golf stars.

“On behalf of the members at the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club we are proud to bring the world to our doorstep. It will be wonderful to see how the best junior-aged women in the world play the golf course we know and love,” said Cameron Thin, Head Professional, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club. “With the depth of talent in the field, our members will also look forward to following their careers moving forward as many will likely become the future stars of the game. Given the proven history of this event, we are likely going to watch future major champions compete here at the Club.”

Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place September 15-16 with the first round of play set for Wednesday, September 17. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, September 20.

Admission to 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here. To follow the leaderboard during the tournament, please click here.

Team Canada NextGen member and Kent State University Sophomore Isaiah Ibit holds lead in Individual competition after 8-under 64 performance.

MacTier, Ont. – The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish were able to carry over the momentum from their win at last year’s event on Sunday, collectively shooting 12-under to take a three-stroke lead at the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational at Öviinbyrd Golf Club.

Nate Stevens of Northfield, Minn. led the charge for the defending champions on Sunday, rolling in six birdies to finish his opening round with a team-best 5-under 67. Stevens’ productive opening round was supported by his teammates Jacob Modleski of Noblesville, Ind. and Calen Sanderson of Newton, Pa. who both wrapped up their first rounds at three and four under par respectively.

“We played here well last year, I had some nice rounds too so a lot of confidence on this course,” said Stevens following his round. The Notre Dame product referenced his unique familiarity with the course’s winds to helping better his score on Sunday and looks to maintain that same grasp on the conditions over the final 36 holes.

“Today it was a different wind than we saw yesterday so I was prepared having a couple extra rounds. I hope we’re the most prepared team in the field with how many times we played here,” he added.

Vying for their second title in as many years, the Fighting Irish will have the luxury of doing so from a position of strength with the 18-hole lead and a slight edge over their closest chasers, the University of Michigan Wolverines. Nicolas Simon of Elk Grove Village, Ill. fired a 4-under 68 to help power the Wolverines into contention, with the group set to begin Monday’s second round three shots off the pace at 9-under.

In the Individual competition, Team Canada NextGen member Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. was able to use Sunday’s warmer afternoon conditions to steam past clubhouse leader Stevens and take a three-stroke lead into Monday.

“It’s probably one of my favourite tournaments of the year if not my favourite so its really nice to be back… just kind of a dream weekend,” commented Ibit, who claimed his opening round of 8-under to be his best performance of his collegiate career. “I felt really good on the greens and hit some good putts today,” he added.

An eagle at the par-5 ninth vaulted Ibit into a tie with the clubhouse leader after starting his round with birdies on Nos. two, six and eight to begin his accession up the leaderboard. The Kent State University sophomore was able to distance himself from the pack at the turn, mixing in a trio of birdies at the 10th, 12th and 13th to rocket to eight-under.

The low round should come as no surprise for Ibit, who claimed last year’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, by shooting a 6-under 66 in his final round to overcome a two-stroke deficit and land his first victory of the 2024 campaign. Another low round at the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, earlier this summer nearly clinched Ibit his second victory in the last year. His clutch 6-under 64 in the event’s final round secured the Ontarian in a playoff, only to be defeated on the second hole by Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia.

As for the opening round of the Team Canada Selection Camp taking place concurrently alongside this week’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational, Henry Dao of La, Prairie, Que. leads Emile Lebrun of Laval, Que. by a single stroke at 4-under. Dao enters the final 36-holes of the Camp having pocketed a win already in 2025, accomplishing the feat at the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship for his third victory at the event.

The winner of this week’s Team Canada Selection Camp will earn a secured spot on Team Canada for the 2026 campaign. Alexis Rouleau of Montreal, Que, Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Austin Krahn of Chrstina Lakes, B.C. round out the top five after 18 holes.

Both the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational and Team Canada Selection Camp will resume on Monday. Full leaderboards Canadian Collegiate Invitational can be found here, while the rest of the leaderboard for the Team Canada Selection Camp can be found here.

Jack Hall retains Super Senior title and Team Ontario wins Inter-Provincial Team Championship in New Minas

NEW MINAS, N.S. – Don Martone ended his week just as he started, shooting a 1-over 71 to win the 2025 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO on Friday at KenWo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S.

Martone of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. was the lone player in the field under par during the week. He finished with rounds of 71-63-68-71-273 to close out the national championship at 7-under, eight shots ahead of Dwight Reinhart of Ottawa, Ont.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s pretty special and you think back to all the past champions that have won this thing and it’s pretty surreal right now, really happy,” said a relieved Martone.

Martone was unsure he’d be able to play the final round after throwing out his back on the 12th hole during Thursday’s third round.

“Today was probably the toughest round of golf I’ve played in a really long time,” he said. “When I got up this morning I was in a lot of pain and wasn’t sure I could go today. I got up at five and was working on my back, trying to loosen it up and then you get to the course it’s a little different pressure.”

Martone, normally an aggressive player focused on keeping the ball in front of him and avoiding big numbers. While some hills were a bit of a challenge, he persevered on his way to the national title.

“It was a good mental grind today to fight through that so I’m pretty happy about that.”

Not only did Martone add his name to an impressive list of past champions at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, he also helped lead Team Ontario to the Inter-Provincial Team title, while setting a new tournament course record at KenWo, describing the week as one of his top weeks in golf.

“I put this up there with making the Canadian Tour and going through qualifying school and making that. This week has been incredible. The membership at KenWo welcomed us with open arms, everybody had a smiling face, couldn’t thank the volunteers enough. Anything you needed they were there for you, it was awesome.”

Martone will head home to the Soo where family and friends are eagerly awaiting his return to celebrate at both the Up & Down Lounge, a golf simulator lounge that he is a co-partner of, and his home course, Crimson Ridge Golf Club.

Bryan Hoops of Tempe, Ariz. Finished third at 3-over, while 2024 runner-up Jack Hall of Savannah, Ga. and two-time winner, Gene Elliott of Norwalk, Iowa finished tied for fourth at 4-over.

Along with another top five finish at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, Hall claimed the Super Senior Championship for a second consecutive year.

Hall finished the tournament at 4-over following rounds of 73-70-68-73-284 to win by five shots over 2023 Canadian Men’s Senior champion, Doug Hanzel of Savannah, Ga. Hall defeated Hanzel in a playoff last year at Saugeen Golf Club in Saugeen Shores, Ont. to claim the Super Senior title after Hanzel won both titles a year prior.

On Wednesday, Team Ontario claimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship, ending Team Alberta’s impressive run at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. Ontario finished the tournament with a combined score of 1-under, to win by 11 shots. Along with Martone, Ontario was represented by Mike Kray of Oakville, Ont. and Ashley Chinner of Brooklin, Ont.

With Ontario’s win, Alberta’s run of four consecutive inter-provincial team titles at the Men’s Senior Championship came to an end. The defending champs finished tied for second with Team New Brunswick at 10-over. Team Quebec (15-over) and Team Manitoba (16-over) rounded out the top five.

In addition to winning the national championship, Martone will receive exemptions into the 2026 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, 2026 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship (plus a 10-year exemption, if eligible) and the 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

The national championship was established in 1962 for golfers aged 55-and-over and includes a Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over that was introduced in 1995. The national championship consists of 72 holes of stroke-play with a cut to the low 70 plus ties and at least five Super Seniors after 36 holes. The Super Senior Championship is contested concurrently over the four rounds of the championship.

For the final leaderboard following the 2025 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

27 boys and 20 girls invited to selection camps running concurrently with Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments 

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada has announced today that it has invited 47 players (27 boys and 20 girls) to attend its Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camps that will run concurrently with the Men’s and Women’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments later this month. 

“We are excited to announce the 47 players that will be participating in our Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camps running concurrently with our Canadian Collegiate Invitational tournaments, said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “These camps are an incredible developmental opportunity for players to compete and showcase their talents in front of Golf Canada high performance staff as well as NCAA coaches.” 

Players participating in the Selection Camps will also be competing for one secured spot each (boys and girls) on the 2026 Team Canada – NextGen roster. The Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational (CCI) runs September 14-16 at Öviinbyrd in MacTier, Ont. and the Women’s CCI runs September 22-23 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont. 

On the boy’s side current NextGen team members, Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, B.C. and Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. are among those that will at the camp. Krahn has enjoyed a successful 2025, having won individual and team gold medals at the Canada Summer Games last month in St. John’s, Nfld. Krahn also won the British Columbia Amateur and Junior Championship this summer. Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. has also received an invitation. Last month, Lew won the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship and became the 12th player in tournament history to capture both the Junior and Juvenile division titles. 

On the girl’s side, six current NextGen team members will be participating in the camp including Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C., Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont., and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. Five of the six will be wrapping up play at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in St. Catharines, Ont. prior to joining the camp. Liu recently won her second consecutive Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month, coming from behind to win the Brokenshire Trophy. Liu has four additional wins this season, including The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series, the Junior Orange Bowl International, the NXXT Epson Tour Qualifier at LPGA INTL and The Nelly Invitational on the AJGA.  

Lin has one win this season, at the AJGA Thunderbird Heather Farr Classic along with a pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month. The 14-year-old Ding has two wins this season including the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series and the Women’s Orlando International Amateur Championship. Wang recently finished as runner-up at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and won three times last season. Park (Nobelle) has earned four titles on the AJGA and one provincial title this season after winning ten times in 2024. 

Also joining the current NextGen Boys team members are a number of in-season winners including: 2025 Canadian Junior Boys champion, Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. and NextGen Championship winners, Cole Stewart of Enfield, N.S. (Atlantic), Henry Dao of La Prairie, Que. (Quebec), Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta. (Prairie and Western) and Maxim McKenzie of Chilliwack, B.C. (Pacific). 

Joining the current NextGen Girls team members are U15 Championship winner Maggie Zhang of Richmond, B.C., Zhang also won the NextGen Prairie Championship in June. Alexis Card of Cambridge, Ont. who won the NextGen Quebec Championship and 2025 Canada Summer Games individual gold medal winner, Leonie Tavares of Saint-Jerome, Que. will also be at the camp. 

The full selection camp roster can be found here: 

Kent State University, Penn State University and University of Notre Dame headline talented field teeing off for 54-hole competition.

MacTier, Ont. – For the second time in as many years, the Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational heads to Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont., September 14-16.

The 54-hole tournament will feature 11 teams and 62 collegiate players from Canada and the United States competing for the top spot in each of the event’s two competitions. An individual and team competition will run concurrently over 54 holes, with the top four scores from each team counting towards their final score following each of the three rounds.

The individual champion of this year’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational will earn a coveted exemption into the 2026 RBC Canadian Open set to return to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. Additionally, the top five finishers in the individual competition will also each receive exemptions into next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.

“We are excited to kick off the second playing of the Canadian Collegiate Invitational after a successful debut last fall,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules, Golf Canada. “We’d also like to extend our appreciation to Kent State University and Penn State University for co-hosting this event that will gather a talented list of programs and players from across the NCAA at the hospitable Öviinbyrd Golf Club,” she added.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish collectively shot 17-under in last year’s team event to successfully claim the first-ever Men’s Canadian Collegiate Invitational. The leaderboard in last fall’s individual competition was headlined by Team Canada member Hunter Thomson of Calgary, Alta. who edged out current Team Canada – NextGen member Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. by a pair of strokes. Ibit will be returning to represent Kent State University this year. Also in the field is 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. McCulloch finished third last year while representing Michigan State University.

Having debuted in 2024, the Canadian Collegiate Invitational features NCAA Division I male golf programs with prominent Canadian ties from both a player and staff level. Co-hosted by Kent State University, Penn State University and their respective Canadian head coaches, Jon Mills and Mark Leon, the tournament aims to showcase the best of collegiate golf from both Canada and the United States with an emphasis on bringing competing players together for three days of exciting competition.

In addition to Kent State University and Penn State University, the Canadian Collegiate Invitational will also feature players from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Miami University (Ohio), University of Missouri, George Mason University, University of North Carolina – Wilmington, Rutgers University and the defending champions from the University of Notre Dame.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds will also tee off in this year’s event, having secured their place in the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational through their victory at the 2025 Canadian University / College Championship, presented by BDO, that took place in Kamloops, B.C. earlier this season. It will be UBC’s second trip to Öviinbyrd Golf Club in as many years.

Öviinbyrd Golf Club is one of Canada’s premier golf courses, designed by Thomas McBroom and opened in 2004 in Muskoka, Ont. The 7,118-yard layout is set amongst the forests and exposed granite of the Canadian shield in Ontario’s famous cottage country and will create a challenging and memorable experience for the players.

“On behalf of the membership and management team at Öviinbyrd, we are delighted to once again host the Canadian Collegiate Invitational,” said Jeff Paterson, Öviinbyrd. “It’s an honour to welcome back elite NCAA athletes, the reigning Canadian University/College Champion and top Canadian junior boys to our club. Building on the momentum of last year’s inaugural event, we’re proud to carry this tradition and offer a world-class experience, in the heart of Muskoka.”

In addition, the Team Canada Selection Camp will run concurrently with the Canadian Collegiate Invitational at Öviinbyrd Golf Club as Canada’s best junior boys will also be competing for one secured spot on the 2026 Team Canada – NextGen roster.

The 2025 Canadian Collegiate Invitational gets underway on Sunday, September 14. To view the full field, tee times and live leaderboards throughout the week, please click here.