From Moe Norman to Mike Weir and Sandra Post to Brooke Henderson, Canada has a rich golf history.

But there’s also a little-known golf hotbed in Lunenburg, N.S.

Located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, with a population of 2,396 according to the 2021 census, the port town is home to HB Studios, creator of the new “PGA Tour 2K23” video game.

Founded in 2000 by transplanted Englishman Jeremy Wellard, HB Studios collaborated with various publishers including Electronic Arts on an array of sports games. The studio recruited locally and all over the globe to get expertise in everything from cricket and rugby to soccer, football and golf.

“When I started here, I was definitely one of the local people,” said HB Studios creative director Josh Muise, who has more than 15 years experience with the company. “I was born on the East Coast and grew up out here. I remember walking through the studio the first day and the number of different accents that I came across was certainly delightful and kind of interesting to find in a small sleepy fishing village in Nova Scotia.”

The studio now also has an office in Halifax, with combined staff of about 100 and growing.

“This has become a really major project and it’s become a very big game,” Muise said of the golf title. “We’re very lucky to be able to continue attracting world-class talent and growing the franchise.”

Muise, 40, was born on Cape Breton Island and spent a lot of his school years in New Brunswick. While he admits to some reservations back in the day about moving to “a 1,200- to 1,500-person seasonal fishing village, as beautiful as it was in the postcards,” he is now an unabashed fan of Lunenburg.

“It’s been a wonderful transformation. The town has radically shifted in the last five, 10 years in particular, where you’re seeing a lot of new businesses and you’re seeing a lot of new people coming in. And it’s really become a hotbed.”

The trend toward working remotely has helped bring an influx of young high-tech workers looking to leave the city. The fact that Halifax is only an hour or so away adds to Lunenburg’s attraction.

HB Studios mirrors that growth, as shown by the fact that its newest title features Tiger Woods on its cover.

“The thing that we’re proudest of with that is that we feel like we earned the opportunity,” said Muise, whose name is pronounced muse. “We went from an independent golf game, not all those many years ago, to building up to earning ourself the spot to having the PGA Tour licence come into play and being part of our partnership, ultimately bringing in 2K (Games) and everything that they offer, and then leading up to bringing in Tiger Woods as well.

“The team worked very very hard to put a great game out there. We worked with the community. We were receptive to the feedback. And we kind of grew together. So for it all to culminate with the best, I would say, single-sport athlete of all time on the cover of the box, nothing could feel better.”

That first independent golf game was “The Golf Club,” released in 2014, which eventually became “The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour.”

In 2020, the studio released “PGA Tour 2K21” for 2K Games. A year later, 2K Games bought HB Studios and signed a deal with Woods.

Today the PGA Tour 2K franchise is the studio’s main focus with 2K Games’ expertise from its NBA franchise helping the studio with the complexities of golf licensing and partners.

Woods and Canadian Brooke Henderson are among the 16 playable pros available at launch in “PGA Tour 2K23,” which was released Oct. 14 for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One and PC via Steam. Basketball icons Michael Jordan and Steph Curry also appear in the game.

“Being a Canadian studio, it was important for us to try and bring in a great Canadian icon like Brooke,” said Muise.

“She’s a great ambassador for the sport. She’s an all time Canadian legend.” he added. “And (we’re) absolutely thrilled to have her as part of our roster.”

Gamers can also play St. George’s Golf and Country Club, set up in tournament condition as it was for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open in June.

The 2K franchise will have competition next spring, with Electronic Arts getting back into the game with “EA Sports PGA Tour,” boasting video game access to all four majors including the Masters.

“We know that there may be a new product coming into the space but ultimately we feel very confident and very comfortable that golf is where we want to be,” said Muise. “And golf is where we intend on staying. And we’re going to keep building on our current success and pushing it.”

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.

Brad Bushey, Belleview Golf Club, Hole #11

My hole-in-one was at Belleview Golf South in Woodslee, Ontario. It was on hole #11. Yardage was 191 and I used a M2 TaylorMade 5 wood. My good friends, Merrick McCall and Bruce Cascadden, were my witnesses that day. I did not see it go in the hole. I thought it was long of the green. Merrick watched it all the way and witnessed it go in the hole. I didn’t believe him at first; you know how friends are they like to kid around, so until I saw it in the hole, I didn’t believe him. Then we had a few drinks to celebrate.

Brad Bushey

Cory Gilmore, Scarboro Golf & Country Club, Hole #2

Hi there. Thanks for your note. I am still quite excited about my Sunday hole-in-one! It was on hole #2 at Scarboro. I was playing the red tees. It was about a 140-yard shot to a back blue pin. I used my 7 wood which landed on the green and left of the pin. The ball started rolling right (as it always does on that hole given the slope) right into the hole! Since it was a late season shotgun, many members heard us hollering and celebrated with us after.

I was with my daughter, Laura Gilmore, and our friend, Lori Barrett. What a great day! So special to share it with my daughter. She and I have had so much fun golfing as mother and daughter here and all over Canada. 

Cory Gilmore

Dave Holowaty, Doon Valley Golf Course, Hole 2

Thanks. I was playing with my usual Sunday group: my brother, Paul, and my friends, Frank Dingethal and Paula Renon. The hole was playing to 132 yards, and I used a 9 iron. It hit the green about 15 feet from the pin and trickled in perfectly. It was my fourth career hole-in-one but the first at Doon; the other three were at Rockway golf course.

David Josephson, Victoria Golf Club, Hole #14

Hi, 

Thank you for your email. My hole-in-one on Thanksgiving Monday was pretty cool! Funny enough my sister gave birth to her first child on the same day. I spoke to my mom, who loves golf, and she said, “I don’t know what’s more exciting the baby or your hole-in-one!” She was joking of course. 

I was playing with my friends, Steven and Michael. Michael was going to pull out at hole #10 but stuck it out with us a few more since it was so beautiful out. Hole #14 has an elevated tee box, and the pin was placed center left of the green and it was marked as 186 yards. There was a bit of cross wind, and I played a 5 iron which turned out to be the right club. We all knew it was a really nice shot but lost it as it landed on the green due to shadows. When I walked up to the green, I couldn’t see the ball so I thought it may have skipped off the back or into the bunker that surrounds the left side of the hole. Being there was no ball in sight I walked up to the hole and found my ball sitting in the cup. ?  There was a divot six feet from the pin, so I think it landed and one hopped in. What an amazing feeling that was walking up and seeing my ball in the hole and to drain it on hole #14 which is not an easy hole makes the story and accomplishment that much better.

Thanks again for reaching out.

Regards,

David Josephson 

Donna Martens, Woodside Golf Course, Hole #12

Hi,

Woodside is our home course of which we are members. I am 68 years old and was playing from the silver tees. I used a pitching wedge to an elevated green that was 73 yards and was happy to see it going straight to the hole. It dropped and rolled in much to my amazement! I was playing with my husband, Tony, and two other men that we were paired with. It was one of the other men who yelled that it was in! It was definitely my golf highlight!

Thank you.

Donna

Jake Arsenault, Eagles Glenn Golf Course, Hole #4

Hey there,

Thanks!

I was playing with Greg Ellis, Ashley Praught and Jeff Carragher. It was a front pin with a distance of 145 yards along with a strong head wind. Hit a 9 iron.  

Cheers,

Jake

Jay Laird, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Hole #4

It was one lucky shot with my pitching wedge. The hole was #4 on the North Course at TPC at Osprey Valley. The yardage was 86! Still in disbelief!  

Ken Marks, Black Bear Ridge, Hole #13

36 members of the Bogey Club Group that have two team tournaments a year and have been playing since 1954 were at Black Bear Ridge in Belleville.

Organizer of the tournament and a member at Midland Golf Club, Ken Marks, hit an 8 iron from 137 yards on a damp and windy day to log his first ever hole-in-one on hole #13. The group almost had a second ace on hole #15 when one of his playing partners, Terry Dolson, left it on the edge of the hole.

Kim Scoles, Pitt Meadows Golf Club, Hole #16

Hi,

Thanks for the recognition. Yes, it was an exciting moment. 

The hole was playing 150 yards. I used my 7 iron. The ball hit just in front of the pin and hopped in. My playing partners (Rob Ross, Steve Russell and Stan Reid) and myself weren’t sure if it had gone in but, not seeing the ball anywhere on the green, we knew it went in. This was my third hole-in-one. My last one was about 30 years ago. Thank goodness our club has hole-in-one insurance as this happened during our regular Wednesday men’s day. 

 Cheers.

Michael Spear, Riverbend Golf Community, Hole #5

Hi,

This was my first hole-in-one ever at age 69, so an item on my bucket list is now accomplished!

The distance from the white tees was 123 yards that day in May. My teammates were Bob Israel and Bob Perry. They took my picture and witnessed the event with much glee. I used a 7 iron and aimed directly at the flag. The ball landed just left and trickled in! 

With best regards,

Mike 

Paul Attard, Trafalgar Golf & Country Club, Hole #17

Hello, 

Thank you for reaching out. 

This round of golf was special in that our foursome consisting of my brother, David Attard, and friends, Trevor Wall and Mike Tomkin, was playing one of our final rounds at Trafalgar, as the course is closing its doors forever on October 30th. 

The ace came on the 17th hole in which I was third to play. Mike and I were two down in the match and Trevor hit a good shot 10 feet short of the pin. My brother hit a self-proclaimed beauty that scared the pin and landed about eight feet past the pin. I was next to play. The hole was playing 165 yards and I hit a 5 iron. It landed a couple feet short and went in the hole. It was a little surreal! But we did go on to lose the mach.

I have played the game for 40 years, and until 11 days prior, I never had a hole-in-one. 11 days prior, I aced the 17th hole at Cranberry Golf Course in a four-man scramble. 

So very surreal. Who knows, this may be the last ever ace at Trafalgar Golf Club? So, the foursome of my brother David, Trevor & Mike used this to celebrate! 

What a day!

Thanks for letting me share my story!

Paul Attard

Philip Griffiths, The Toronto Hunt, Hole #3

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I was surprised to say the least. I played with Dr. Sandy Lowden and Mr. Ian Hey. I used a 4-hybrid club, and the pin was at the front/middle right of the green. The yardage was probably about 130, so it was as easy as it could get.

Thank you very much!

Philip Griffith

Scott Redpath, Aberdeen Glen Golf Club, Hole #8

It was 146 yards to the pin, 140 to the front bunker and for me this was a 7 iron. The ball landed at 145 yards and just left but with my natural fade it spun slightly right and forward. This was my first season back playing in 25 years and the final round before the course closes for the long winter.

Steve Anderson, The Nairn Golf Club, Hole #11

Thanks for reaching out. I’d be happy to share the story.

I was on a golf trip with seven others, mostly others from my home club at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club. Narin was our last game of aseven7 game tour of Scotland. As you can see in the photo, it was a rainy day. Our only really rainy of the tour fortunately. The 11th at Nairn was playing 150 yards and I used a 9 iron. The hole was behind a bunker, so we didn’t see it go in. Our group had a fore caddie. When we reached the green, he and I assumed I had gone long into some tall grass and began looking for my ball there. After a couple of minutes, the fore caddie checked the hole. When I looked back at him, he was staring at me with a smile. He said in all his years as a caddie, he’d never had a client make a hole-in-one before. I think he was more excited than me. My playing partners that day were Steve Easton, Craig Gronsdahl and Keith Recsky. The flag was a gift from the Nairn Golf Club as a memento of the occasion. 

Just as an aside, that was the third hole-in-one I had in the previous six months. I had one in Indian Ridge in Palm Desert in December and then another in February at Tatum Ranch in Cave Creek, Arizona. The Nairn ace was my sixth in total. 

Regards. 

Wendy Fretz, West Haven Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

Greetings to you,

You are absolutely correct that this is a story to share for the rest of my life. It would have been awesome to have some drone footage from above, but the picture will be fixed in my mind forever.

The irony of it is that I can’t really say that I was aiming at the pin (the back of green up a slope on a 100-yard hole but away from the large bunker on the left/front side of the green). It has caught my ball an inordinate number of times this past season!

I used my usual club on the hole (unless a very front pin placement), an 8 iron. I was playing with my friend, Harla. The weather was so miserable, cool and windy with rain predicted that we went out to the course last minute with the thought process that we might get a few holes in but were not optimistic. That’s why we weren’t armed with our usual equipment like a phone or even snacks. The course was very quiet, so we actually were able to make good time. Oh, and by the way I was using an old found ball from who knows when because in the fall I don’t play with any of my treasured balls. All I can say is it helped to keep my expectations low. I can’t say that I won’t be expecting a miracle again whenever I step up to that tee box in the future. As a matter of fact, the next time I played that hole, you guessed it, I went into that left/front bunker!

Thank you for the graphic.

Wendy Fretz

The short game for First Tee programming may be rooted in golf, but the long game is much more than that. The main objective of First Tee – Canada youth development programming is for participants to use the life skills learned through golf to navigate their journeys through life and opportunities thought previously inaccessible.

Golf Canada launched its partnership with First Tee in 2020, and First Tee – Canada began in 2021 under the operation of its provincial chapters, delivering programming at golf facilities, schools, and community centres.

With summer programs wrapped up, First Tee – Ontario fall programming is underway at 20 locations across the province with curriculums developed for each environment and modified to different ages and abilities.

The activities use golf as a vehicle to reinforce life skills, focused on the program’s five key commitments: pursuing goals, growing through challenge, collaborating with others, building positive self-identity, and using good judgement. First Tee – Ontario provides instructors with interactive training, equipment, and turnkey lesson plans to deliver safe and inclusive programming.

Golf Canada’s commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusivity in golf is a driving force behind the growth of First Tee – Canada and its provincial chapters. The aim is to break down existing barriers to sport participation, particularly in traditionally marginalized communities, and ultimately diversify golf’s participant pool to more closely reflect the strength of Canada’s multiculturalism.

First Tee – Ontario Program Manager Amaya Athill is responsible for overseeing the implementation of programming across the province and having a hand in providing youth with empowering and life-changing experiences. At this year’s RBC Canadian Open, her team provided an extended experience for First Tee – Ontario community program participants from local Boys and Girls Clubs to show them what life on and off the tee box can look like.

“The messaging that children often see is that a successful career pathway in sports is to rise to the level of a professional competitor. There is so much that goes into running a professional golf tournament and event of that size, so the idea was to expose as many children as possible to a wider world of opportunities and careers within golf and the sports industry. This included behind-the-scenes tours of the agronomy, media, and volunteer services teams,” said Athill. “Access to these experiences and exposure to future opportunities in the sport is a gap we hope to bridge through First Tee.”

As both an accomplished human rights lawyer and golfer since the age of five, Athill’s professional background and personal relationship with the game intersect seamlessly with the First Tee program, as they all value accessibility and opportunity.

With Ontario’s chapter experiencing rapid short-term growth, Ian Gragtmans – First Tee – Ontario’s Founding Chapter Donor and Trustee – expressed excitement about recent strides and confidence that the Gragtmans Family Foundation’s decision to support this cause was the correct one.

His decision to support the launch of the program was less influenced by the game of golf, but rather by a desire to help support the long-term development journeys of First Tee program participants.

With the help of generous donors like the Gragtmans Family Foundation, Golf Canada has fast-tracked access to these spaces where youth can learn self-sustaining life skills in a program that has over 25 years of international experience.

Gragtmans shared his personal experience engaging people who were direct participants of First Tee in the U.S. 

“I have been fortunate enough to spend time in the U.S. – meeting and speaking with some of the participants that have gone through the program, and it’s nothing shy of remarkable to see what the potential is for those that may not otherwise, if not for First Tee, had that opportunity, or exposure,” said Gragtmans.  

The Golf Canada Foundation is continuously pursuing gifts, which allow First Tee – Ontario to expand its locations across the province and further impact the lives of Canadian youth. To get involved, please visit www.firstteeontario.ca.

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Teams from Canada, USA, Australia, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa, and Sweden are set to head to Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico from October 24-29 for the second PGA Women’s Cup, where Canada will look to build on their runner-up finish from the 2019 event in Texas. 
 
Two new players, Caroline Ciot and Katy Rutherford, will join second-time competitors Emma de Groot, Casey Ward and Christine Wong at Twin Warriors Golf Club. Wong was the top player on the Canadian squad in 2019, firing the team’s low score two out of three days in the form of a 70 and 71. 
 
“I am so excited to head to New Mexico with this talented team of Canadian women to represent the PGA of Canada as playing captain,” said Emma de Groot. “The inaugural event in 2019 was such an amazing experience, and after a COVID hiatus we are excited to head to New Mexico and proud to represent the PGA of Canada. This event showcases women in the industry and provides an opportunity for collaboration, networking and competition against likeminded women with a desire to grow the game.”
 
Each of the five players will play their own ball each day, with the low three scores on each team counting for that round. The low aggregate score following the third round will determine the champion. 

The players:

Emma de Groot  
Playing Captain  
Age: 34-years old  
(Modern Golf Teaching Professional)  
 
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Holds the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s golf school records for tournament wins (6) and lowest career scoring average (74.5). She has notched 20-career top-5 finishes at the NCAA level. Since turning professional, the Modern Golf Director of Women’s Development has placed in the top-25 at the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship six times.
 
Katy Rutherford  
Age: 23-years old  
Silver Springs Golf and Country Club Apprentice Professional  
 
Received an exemption into the 2021 ATB Financial Classic on the PGA TOUR Canada. Finished as the runner-up at the Glencoe Invitational in 2021, won the Calgary Ladies Amateur and finished 42^nd in the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur in her final summer as an amateur. Was the runner-up to Christine Wong at the 2021 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada. Most recently, won the PGA of Alberta Women’s Championship by nine strokes last month.  
 
Casey Ward  
Age: 32-years old 
(Credit Valley Golf and Country Club Professional) 
 
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Prior to turning professional, won the 2015 Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur, firing 3-under par over the three-day event. Was named the 2021 PGA of Ontario Teacher of the Year as the Head Teaching Professional at Credit Valley Golf Club and was also nominated for Canadian Teacher of the Year.  
 
Caroline Ciot 
Age: 31-years old  
(Golf Chateau Bromont Apprentice Professional)  
 
Held status on the Symetra Tour in 2019, playing in two events. Finished as the low PGA of Canada professional at the 2022 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship in Bromont, Quebec and finished fourth at the event in 2021. Also won the professional division of the 2022 Glencoe Invitational earlier this summer in Calgary, Alberta.  
 
Christine Wong 
Age: 30-years old  
(University Golf Club Apprentice Professional)  
 
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Alumnae of the Golf Canada National Women’s Amateur Squad (2011-2013) and National Junior Squad (2010), and represented San Diego State University from 2009-2013, winning four individual titles. In addition, Wong is a two-time BC Women’s Amateur Champion and was the second-lowest amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open held at Oakmont Country Club in 2010. Most recently, Wong claimed the PGA of B.C.’s Women’s Championship in 2020 and claimed the 2021 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.  
 
The first round is set to begin on October 27. More information and scoring can be found here.

Canada 1 and Canada 2 finish sixth and eighth respectively in the team competition

Spain’s Cayetana Fernández finishes 6-under to win the individual title

MARKHAM, Ont. – Undeterred by cold and blustery conditions, Spaniard Cayetana Fernández saved her best for last at Angus Glen Club as the 17-year-old shot a final-round 2-under 70 to lead Spain to victory at the 2022 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

Competitors faced challenging conditions Saturday that included a 46-minute weather delay with heavy morning winds in the Markham area. When play resumed, Fernández would emerge as one of only two players to score under par, leading Spain to victory and claiming the tournament’s individual title.

Fernández paired with teammate Andrea Revuelta to deliver Spain (140-143-146-146—575) a cumulative team score of 2-over on the day and 1-under for the tournament. The Spanish duo along with teammate Paula Martin, who shot a non-counting final-round 76, began the tournament as early favourites with all three players ranked inside the top-100 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

With the victory, the Spanish trio helped claim the country’s second-ever team title (2022 & 2017), joining the Republic of Korea (2019 & 2015) for most team titles at the annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

“We are very proud to be world champions,” said Spanish team coach Alvaro Salto. “The golf course was tough test, it played really different conditions and the weather changed a lot, so patience was the key. With these three girls, we have a really special generation now in Spain, and with a few more that could have come to the team this year, we are in good position for the next two, three years.”

Team Sweden (147-138 -142-153—580), who entered final-round action with a two-shot lead over Spain, shot a cumulative score of 4-over to finish alone in second, five shots back. The runner-up placing was the Nordic country’s best result since finishing third in 2017.

Chinese Taipei (144-150-141-147—582) finished alone in third at 6-over followed by Colombia (145-146-147-151—589) in fourth at 13-over and Germany (147-150-146-152—595) at 19-over rounding out the top-five.

The Canada 1 squad of Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76-72-79—299), Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80-75-80—303), and Michelle Liu of Vancouver (72-77-74-83—306) finished alone in sixth at 22-over.

The Canada 2 squad of Anna Huang from Vancouver (72-77-76-76—301), Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75-75-81—304) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (74-83-82-80—319) finished solo eighth (+28).

The following are final team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Spain                           -1     (140-143-146-146—575)

2          Sweden                       +4     (147-138-142-153—580)

3          Chinese Taipei            +6     (144-150-141-147—582)         

4          Colombia                     +13   (145-146-147-151—589)

5          Germany                     +19   (147-150-146-152—595)

6          Canada 1                    +22   (140-153-146-159—598)

7          France                         +24   (156-146-148-150—600)

8          Canada 2                    +28   (145-152-151-156—604)

9          England                       +31   (150-151-152-154—607)

10        Belgium                       +33   (144-157-152-156—609)         

11        Mexico                        +35   (146-152-155-158—611)

12        Denmark                     +40   (150-150-158-158—616)

T13      Italy                             +46   (154-156-154-158—622)

T13      Wales                          +46   (152-159-157-154—622)

15        Ireland                        +50   (150-158-155-163—626)                     

16        Switzerland                 +52   (156-158-154-160—628)

17        Finland                        +54   (154-161-153-162—630)         

18        Austria                         +58   (156-158-155-165—634)

Click here for a link to the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Spaniard Cayetana Fernández, who was T2 through 54 holes, hoisted double titles, shooting 2-under 70 in difficult conditions to finish at 6-under for the tournament (70-70-72-70—282).

“We feel great, super proud of ourselves,” said Fernández, whose older sister Bianca helped lead Spain to victory in 2017. “We knew today was going to be tough, and when we stopped with the weather, we knew we had to fight for it, give it our best and stay fighting. The whole team, we are very happy, we don’t have words!”

Fernández becomes the fourth player to win the individual title and lead their country to victory joining Yuka Saso of the Philippines (2016), Hye-jin Choi of Korea (2015) and Mika Kelly of the United States of America (2014) as the only players to accomplish the feat. Fernández’s finish is also the best individual result for a Spanish athlete since her older sister Bianca Fernández along with Dimana Viudes finished third and fourth respectively in 2017.

Runner-up María José Marin of Colombia (72-71-71-70—284) joined Fernández as the only players to score under par Saturday, finishing 2-under 70 on the day and 4-under for the tournament, two shots back.

Sweden’s Meja Őrtengren (71-68-70-76—285),  who entered final round action with a 3-shot lead, struggled with a final-round 76 to finish solo third at 3-under. Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei (70-73-69-75—287) finished at 1-under in fourth with Sweden’s Nora Sundberg (76-70-72-77—295) and Belgium’s Savannah De Bock (69-76-74-76—295) at 7-over rounding out the top-five.

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76-72-79—299) finished as the low Canadian at 11-over (T9), the lone Canuck to finish inside the top-10.

The following are Top-10 final results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Cayetana Fernández, Spain                          70-70-72-72—282  (-6)

2          María José Marin, Colombia                          72-71-71-70—284 (-4)

3          Meja Őrtengren, Sweden                               71-68-70-76—285 (-3)

4          Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei               70-73-69-75—287  (-1)

T5        Nora Sundberg, Sweden                                76-70-72-77—295  (+7)

T5        Savanah De Bock, Belgium                           69-76-74-76—295  (+7)

7          Andrea Revuelta, Spain                                 70-76-74-76—296  (+8)

8          Larissa Carrillo, Mexico                                  71-75-76-76—298  (+10)       

T9        Lauren Kim, Canada 1                                   72-76-72-79—299  (+11)

T9        Constance Fouillet, France                            80-71-74-74—299 (+11)                    

Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.

The 2023 World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms will return to Angus Glen next year with the date still to be determined.

In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—competed Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marked the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.

This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.

Angus Glen Golf Club, which hosted the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.

Additional information regarding the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.

Canada 1 and Canada 2 sit fifth and seventh respectively in the team competition; Sweden’s Meja Őrtengren continues to lead in the individual stroke play competition

MARKHAM, Ont. – Individual leader Meja Őrtengren followed up yesterday’s sizzling 68 with a third-round 2-under 70 to push Team Sweden atop the leaderboard heading into Saturday’s final round of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

Sweden (147-138-142—427) began the day two shots back of Spain, but paired Őrtengren’s 70 with teammate Nora Sundberg’s even-par 72 for a third-round team score of 2-under 142 to sit at 5-under through 54 holes, two shots clear of Spain. Teammate Matilda Bjőrkman shot a non-counting 77 for the Swedish team looking to claim their first-even team title at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

The second-round leaders from Spain (140-143-146—429) counted rounds of even-par 72 from Cayetana Fernández and 2-over 74 by teammate Andrea Revuelta to sit alone in second at 3-under, setting up a Saturday showdown.

Chinese Taipei (144-150-141—435)  sits alone in third at 3-over and Colombia (145-146-147—438) is fourth at 6-over.

The Canada 1 squad of Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76-72—220), Michelle Liu of Vancouver (72-77-74—223), and Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80-75—223) sits alone at 7-over to round out the top-five.

The Canada 2 squad of Anna Huang from Vancouver (72-77-76—225), Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75-75—223) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (74-83-82—239) are seventh (+14), five shots back of sixth-place Germany (+11).  

The following are third-round team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Sweden                       -5     (147-138-142—427)

2          Spain                           -3     (140-143-146—429)

3          Chinese Taipei            +3    (144-150-141—435)      

4          Colombia                     +6    (145-146-147—438)

5          Canada 1                    +7    (140-153-146—439)

6          Germany                     +11  (147-150-146—443)

7          Canada 2                    +14  (145-152-151—448)

8          France                         +17  (156-146-148—450)

T9        Belgium                       +21  (144-157-152—453)      

T9        England                       +21  (150-151-152—453)

T9        Mexico                        +21  (146-152-155—453)

12        Denmark                     +26  (150-150-158—458)

13        Ireland                        +31  (150-158-155—463)                  

14        Italy                             +32  (154-156-154—464)

T15      Finland                        +36  (154-161-153—468)      

T15      Switzerland                 +36  (156-158-154—468)

T15      Wales                          +36  (152-159-157—468)

18        Austria                         +37  (156-158-155—469)

Click here for a link to the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Meja Őrtengren of Sweden shot 2-under 70 Friday to sit at 7-under for the tournament (71-68-70—209), good for a 3-shot lead. Spain’s Cayetana Fernández (70-70-72—212) sits T2 at 4-under with Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei (70-73-69—212) while María José Marin of Colombia (72-71-71—214) at 2-under and Nora Sundberg (76-70-72—218) at 2-over round out the top-five.

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76-72—220) is the low Canadian at 4-over (T7) with a trio of Canucks –  Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75-75—223), Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80-75—223), and Michelle Liu of Vancouver (72-77-74—223) – sitting inside the top-10 at 7-over.

The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Meja Őrtengren, Sweden                               71-68-70—209  (-7)

T2        Cayetana Fernández, Spain                          70-70-72—212  (-4)

T2        Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei               70-73-69—212  (-4)

4          María José Marin, Colombia                          72-71-71—214  (-2)

5          Nora Sundberg, Sweden                                76-70-72—218  (+2)

6          Savanah De Bock, Belgium                           69-76-74—219  (+3)

T7        Andrea Revuelta, Spain                                 70-76-74—220  (+4)

T7        Lauren Kim, Canada 1                                   72-76-72—220  (+4)

9          Larissa Carrillo, Mexico                                  71-75-76—222  (+6)  

T10      Yeji Kwon, Canada 2                                      73-75-75—223  (+7)

T10      Angela Arora, Canada 1                                 68-80-75—223  (+7)

T10      Hsin Chun Liao, Chinese Taipei                     74-77-72—223  (+7)

T10      Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany                     72-73-78—223  (+7)

T10      Michelle Liu, Canada 1                                  72-77-74—223) (+7)

T10      Sophia Fullbrook, England                             76-74-73—223) (+7)

Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.

In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.

The final round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Saturday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.

This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.

With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.

A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014. 

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.

Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.

Additional information regarding the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.

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.

Anisur Salim, Dentonia Park Golf Course, Hole #1

I recorded my seventh hole-in-one on October 6^th at Dentonia Park Golf Course. Occurred on the 102-yard first hole. I used my 56-degree wedge.

Thanks,

Anisur

Brian Morice, The Golf Club at Lora Bay, Hole #7

Playing with Kim MacDonald, Diane Finkle and Laurie Blair. I used a 5 iron on this hole which was playing 157 yards that day.

Brian Morice 

Darryl Palmer, The Falls Golf Club, Hole #10

Thank you. I was playing with Ken Scott, Daryl Quigg and Dennis Dejong. The yardage that day was roughly 114. The club I used was my 50-degree wedge. It was also a beautiful day to be golfing!

Donald Cohn, Fairwinds Golf Course, Hole #10

The score was witnessed by Bruce Wylie from Fairwinds Golf Course in Nanoose Bay, B.C. I used a soft 6 iron from the Spirit (white) tees at 106 yards. 

Gail Stirling, Glendale Golf Club, Hole #4

Hello,

Details below:

– Hole #4

– 5 hybrid 

– 132 yards

– Playing with Lori Gabriele and Jill Weldon

Thank you.

Gail Stirling 

George Keen, Copper Point Golf Club, Hole #15

It was 140 yards. I used a 9 iron. I was with Dave Braund and Kent Gunter. It was my fifth hole-in-one, so not as exciting as my first.

Glen Barnden, Irish Hills, Hole #2

Thanks so much, much appreciated!

Red #2 at Irish Hills is a 190 elevated green par 3. In the past, I’ve had some difficulty with this hole and tend to hit my ball predominantly to the right side of the green. It’s a safe landing spot and I have managed to chip and putt for pars or bogeys from there. 

I had been out with our Director of Golf, Ryan Hale, the day before and discussions were had about getting an ace.

So, on this occasion I thought I’d try for the green and use my driver with a slight adjustment to shoot left. I struck the ball well and watched it land just on the front fringe of the green and then start to roll. The green slopes towards the back so from where I was standing at the tees it rolled out of sight. 

The backstory here is that my wife and I had been golfing with Jan Sola on the front nine when our motorized cart broke down. He was walking so we had told him to continue ahead of us while we got a new cart. We caught up to him on the Red Course when we were teeing off on hole #2 and he was about to tee off on Red hole #3 which is right adjacent to hole #2. He waved and waited for us to finish the hole. From his vantage point he could see what was happening on our green.

When I got to the green, I couldn’t find my ball. I figured it must have rolled off and was buried in the fringe somewhere, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Jan meantime, walks over on our green and while standing by the pin says, “why don’t you look in here?” Cool as a cucumber, he had seen my ball land on the fringe of the green and start rolling towards the pin. He said he thought it looked like it was going to be a good shot. He watched it roll and then it disappeared. He knew I had a hole-in-one but didn’t say a thing until I had gone through all my ranting about losing my ball after such a good hit. We laughed about that!

Needless to say, my game fell apart for the next several holes as all concentration was lost. The hole-in-one was witnessed by Jan, the groundskeeper, Brian, and my wife Mary.

Can’t wait to do it again on a hole where I can see it all unfold for myself!

Cheers,

Glen Barnden

P.S. It was great that Ryan was working that same day and the head groundskeeper Peter came out to congratulate me! Certainly makes one feel special!

Graham Bartsch, The Dunes, Hole #6

Good day,

Just reporting that after 30 plus years of playing, and over 1,200 rounds, I recorded my first ever hole-in-one on Sunday, October 11, 2022!

It happened on hole #6 at The Dunes in Kamloops, B.C.

Playing conditions were windy, so I swung an easy pitching wedge from 127 yards to a front pin location. After I struck the ball, I thought “great line, but I think it will be a bit long” and bent down to pick up my tee. Just then, my playing partner yelled “get in the hole” and I looked to the pin just in time to see white turn to green! The ball traveled slightly past the pin and screwed back into the cup for my first ever!

Needless to say, it was pretty exciting!

Have a great day.

Graham Bartsch

Henry Mah, Victoria Golf Club, Hole #8

Hi, 

Thanks for the note. Yes, it was exciting getting my first hole-in-one after 30 years of playing golf. I was playing with another Victoria Golf Club member, Henry S. The hole-in-one was on the 8th hole playing 106 yards and I used a pitching wedge.  

Regards,

Henry Mah

Jim Zhu, Mayfair Lakes Golf Course, Hole #8

Hello!

I was playing in a tournament that I won with Michael Li, Vincent Guo and Oscar Yu. It was on hole #8 in Mayfair Lakes located in Richmond, B.C. from 150 yards. I hit a 9 iron and it turned out to be my first hole-in-one. The hole-in-one on the second day got me to -7 and also gave me a six-shot lead!

Thank you,

Jim Zhu

John Raeburn, Wildwinds Golf Links, Hole #9

Thank you for this.

It was my first hole-in-one, and thankfully it wasn’t a flukes shot. I was playing with Terry Blakely and Stephen Casey.

It was 180 yards with a 5 wood on hole 9. It was a beautiful high fade, and just tracked straight to the hole. As a side note – on the front nine, I “hit for the cycle”: eagle, birdie, par, bogey and double bogey, to end up with a 1 over 36 on the front, and overall, six over 76 – my best round or the year!

John

Kelly Dearborn, The Golf House Club – Elie, Hole #7

I was playing with Tom Volk, Dave Neville and James Holder (all Golf Canada members). We were on a Scotland golf trip that was three years in the making…twice delayed due to the pandemic. Eleven rounds in total. Played the Old Course today!

It was the par 4 7th hole called Peggy, 241 yards from our tees. It was a very windy day in Elie, Scotland. I hit a driver, low, over the mount in the fairway. The others hit similar shots. When we got over the mount, we saw three balls just short of the green. We checked the bunkers to the right of the green and didn’t see anything. Then we thought to look in the hole and there it was, my ball. First hole-in-one and it was an albatross. 

Cheers.

Kelly

Mike Mason, Speargrass Golf Course, Hole #14

Thanks!

I think the yardage was about 154, playing 144 downhill. I used an A wedge. I was playing with my friend, Scott Carr.

Nancy Forbes, The Glencoe Golf & Country Club, Hole #5

After struggling at the early part of the 2022 season, I took some lessons from Glencoe’s Judy Forshner and Canadian tour pro, Wes Heffernan. With just a few swing thoughts, they got me back on track. I was playing the Forest course at the Glencoe Golf and Country Club with my best friend, Lynn Grafton, on Thursday, October 6, the day before my birthday! Hole #5 has an elevated tee box, with water on the right and sand all along the left of the green. It was windy and a blue flag, so I took a couple of wedges up to the tee box. The flag was 116 yards. I decided to hit my gap wedge, because it is an accurate club for me. The shot was on line to the pin. It hit the green, bounced once or twice and rolled in. It was my fourth hole-in-one but the best one because I was playing with my bestie, on the day before my birthday and just before Thanksgiving. Doesn’t get any better than that as they say. I just wish I had worn a nicer outfit! 

The PGA of Canada announced it has renewed its partnership with Titleist & FootJoy, who will continue on as presenting sponsor of the PGA Training Academy.

The exclusive sponsorship will help the PGA of Canada continue to innovate within the PGA Training Academy – the association’s dynamic world-class education system designed to increase the value, integrity and employability of PGA of Canada professionals

“We are thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Titleist and FootJoy as they remain presenting sponsor of the PGA Training Academy,” PGA of Canada CEO, Kevin Thistle. “PGA of Canada members have raved about the innovation and usability of the PGA Training Academy ever since its launch, and it could not have been accomplished without the help of our partners at Titleist & Footjoy, who have played an integral role in the support of the PGA of Canada and its members for decades.” 

As part of the partnership, PGA of Canada Zone education seminars will have the opportunity to secure keynote speakers and sponsored content that will be funded out of the national sponsorship on a rotational basis. The PGA of Canada will also provide marketing support for Titleist University and FootJoy University.

“PGA of Canada professionals play an important role in the leadership of the game in Canada, and we are beyond excited to continue supporting their education and professional growth. It has been incredible to see how many professionals have taken advantage of the PGA Training Academy in their development and we are committed to continue supporting the 3,700 PGA of Canada members from coast-to-coast for years to come,” said Acushnet Canada President Ted Manning. 

Titleist & FootJoy are also the founding partner of the PGA of Canada Retirement Advantage Program, which gives members an opportunity to increase their RRSP contributions through various offers. 

To view the PGA of Canada Training Academy presented by Titleist & FootJoy, click here.

Canada 1 and Canada 2 sit fourth and T6 respectively in the team competition; Sweden’s Meja Őrtengren leads by one in the individual stroke play competition

MARKHAM, Ont. – Cold and wet conditions at Angus Glen Golf Club couldn’t cool down Team Spain Thursday as the early tournament favourite jumped out to a two-shot lead in the team competition through 36 holes at the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

Spain, which came into second-round action tied for the team lead with Canada 1, rode a 2-under 70 by Cayetana Fernández as well as a 1-over 73 by teammate Paula Martin to count a team score of 143 on the day (140-143—283) to sit at 5-under for the tournament.

The pair were joined by teammate Andrea Revuelta who shot a (non-counting) 76 for Spain, winners of the 2017 World Junior Girls Championship who came into this year’s event as the only country with all three players ranked inside the Top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Spain heads into Friday’s third round with a two-shot lead over Sweden (147-138—285) who vaulted from T8 into solo second at 3-under for followed by Colombia (145-146-291) in solo third at 3-over.

The Canada 1 squad of opening-round individual leader Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80—148) along with Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76—148) and Michelle Liu of Vancouver (72-77—149), who came into Thursday’s second round with a share of the opening-round lead with Spain, fell back into fourth position at 5-over (140-153—293).

The Canada 2 squad of Anna Huang from Vancouver (72-77—149), Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75—148) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (74-83—157) sit T6 with Germany at 9-over through 36 holes.

The following are second round team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Spain                           -5     (140-143—283)

2          Sweden                       -3     (147-138—285)

3          Colombia                     +3    (145-146—291)

4          Canada 1                    +5    (140-153—293)

5          Chinese Taipei            +6    (144-150—294) 

T6        Canada 2                    +9    (145-152—297)

T6        Germany                     +9    (147-150—297)

8          Mexico                        +10  (146-152—298)

9          Denmark                     +12  (150-150—300)

T10      Belgium                       +13  (144-157—301)

T10      England                       +13  (150-151—301)

12        France                         +14  (156-146—302)

13        Ireland                        +20  (150-158—308)             

14        Italy                             +22  (154-156—310)

15        Wales                          +23  (152-159—311)

T16      Austria                         +26  (156-158—314)

T16      Switzerland                 +26  (156-158—314)

18        Finland                        +27  (154-161—315)

Click here for a link to the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Meja Őrtengren of Sweden shot the low round of the day (4-under 68) to sit at 5-under for the tournament (71-68—139), good for a 1-shot lead. Spain’s Cayetana Fernández (70-70—140 sits at 4-under followed by a pair of players – María José Marin of Colombia (72-71—143) and Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei (70-73—143) – tied for third at 1-under. Rounding out the top-five are a pair of players 1-over through 36 holes – Savannah De Bock of Belgium (69-76—145) and Marie-Agnes Fischer of Germany (72-73—145).  

A trio of Canadians sit T10 at 4-over through 36 holes including reigning Canadian Junior champion Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75—148), opening-round leader Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80—148), and Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76—148).   

The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Meja Őrtengren, Sweden                               71-68—139 (-5)

2          Cayetana Fernández, Spain                          70-70—140 (-4)

T3        María José Marin, Colombia                          72-71—143 (-1)

T3        Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei               70-73—143 (-1)

T5        Savanah De Bock, Belgium                           69-76—145 (+1)

T5        Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany                     72-73—145 (+1)

T7        Andrea Revuelta, Spain                                 70-76—146 (+2)

T7        Larissa Carrillo, Mexico                                  71-75—146 (+2)        

T7        Nora Sundberg, Sweden                                76-70—146 (+2)

T10      Yeji Kwon, Canada 2                                      73-75—148 (+4)

T10      Angela Arora, Canada 1                                 68-80—148 (+4)

T10      Lauren Kim, Canada 1                                   72-76—148 (+4)

Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.

In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.

The third round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Friday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.

This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.

With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.

A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014. 

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.

Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.

Angela Arora shoots 4-under 68 to lead Canada 1 in the prestigious global golf championship; Surrey, B.C. native leads individual competition by one shot through 18 holes

MARKHAM, Ont. – Team Canada entered the opening-round of play at Angus Glen Golf Club looking for a fast start and got just that—riding a sizzling opening-round 4-under 68 by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. to take a share of the opening-round lead with Team Spain at the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.

The Canada 1 squad of Arora (4-under 68), along with 17-year-old Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(E 72), and 15-year-old Michelle Liu of Vancouver (E 72) shot a team-total 4-under 140 with the top two of three individual scores counting towards the overall team total.

The opening-round co-leaders from Spain were led by matching scores of 2-under 70 by Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández under cool conditions at the Markham, Ont. layout. The pair were joined by teammate Paula Martin who shot a (non-counting) 4-over 76 for the Spanish favourites who came into the championship as the only country with all three players ranked inside the Top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).

Spain is looking for their second team title, having previously won the championship in 2017.

Canada 1 and Spain head into Thursday’s second round with a four-shot lead over Belgium and Chinese Taipei who sit T3 at even par 144 through 18 holes.

As the host nation, Canada is fielding two teams in the international championship and while the Canada 1 squad holds a share of the opening-round lead, it was the younger Canada 2 squad comprised of 13-year-old Anna Huang from Vancouver (E 72), 16-year-old Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (1-over 73), and 14-year-old Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (2-over 74) that was equally as impressive, firing a team-total 1-over 145 to sit T5 with Colombia after the opening round of the championship.

With 54 holes still to be played on the South Course at Angus Glen, Canada is looking for their best-ever result in the team competition, having previously finished third in 2014 and fourth in 2018. 

The following are round-one team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Canada 1                    -4  (140)

1          Spain                           -4  (140)

T3        Belgium                       E  (144)         

T3        Chinese Taipei             E  (144)         

T5        Canada 2                    +1  (145)

T5        Colombia                     +1  (145)

7          Mexico                        +2  (146)

T8        Germany                     +3  (147)

T8        Sweden                       +3  (147)

T10      Denmark                     +6  (150)

T10      England                       +6  (150)

T10      Ireland                        +6  (150)                    

13        Wales                          +8  (152)

T14      Finland                        +10 (154)       

T14      Italy                             +10 (154)

T16      Austria                         +12 (156)

T16      France                         +12 (156)

T16      Switzerland                 +12 (156)

Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Arora’s 4-under 68 leads by a single shot, followed closely by Savannah De Bock of Belgium at 3-under 69. A trio of players – Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei, along with Spanish teammates Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández – sit T3 to round out the top-five at 2-under 70 through 18 holes of play.

The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

1          Angela Arora, Canada                                    68 (-4)

2          Savanah De Bock, Belgium                           69 (-3)

T3        Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei               70 (-2)

T3        Andrea Revuelta, Spain                                 70 (-2)

T3        Cayetana Fernández, Spain                            70 (-2)

T6        Larissa Carrillo, Mexico                                  71 (-1)

T6        Meja Őrtengren, Sweden                                 71 (-1)

T8        Emilia Väistö, Finland                                      72 (E)

T8        María José Marin, Colombia                            72 (E)

T8        Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany                       72 (E)

T8        Anna Huang, Canada 2                                 72 (E) 

T8        Lauren Kim, Canada 1                                   72 (E)

T8        Michelle Liu, Canada 1                                   72 (E)

Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.

In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.

The second round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Thursday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.

This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.

With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Republic of Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.

A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014. 

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior Girls competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.

Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.

Additional information regarding the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.