The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) Virtual Summit presented by RBC on the State of Canadian Golf took place November 11, 2021, which was part of an ongoing GJAC series intended to help membership stay connected, as well as to generate discussion and opportunities around important issues in the game.

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

Panelists for this Summit include:

*Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada
* Kris Jonasson, BC Golf
*Kevin Thistle, PGA of Canada
*Jason Logan, SCOREGolf Magazine – Moderator

Click below to watch…

MAZATLAN, Mexico – Twenty months ago, the last time PGA TOUR Latinoamérica held a Qualifying Tournament in Mexico, Jared du Toit walked away with medalist honors. Back at Estrella del Mar Golf & Beach Resort seeking to earn back his Tour card, the Canadian picked up right where he left off. A bogey-free 8-under par 63 in the opening round Tuesday morning
secured him a two-shot lead over American Jacob Loya, Mexico’s Emilio González and Sweden’s Tim Widing.

“I have played here too many times. Honestly, more than I’d like to admit, for sure,” said du Toit, who played his 19th tournament round at this venue. “I’ve always kind of felt good out here, and the course suits my eye. I didn’t grow up on greens like this, but I always seem to putt pretty well out here. Hopefully I can continue what I did today and lock up some status this
year,” said the 26-year old who has made 15 career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts.

Opening the day birdie-birdie in the fifth of 31 groups starting off No. 1, du Toit added birdies on Nos. 7, 8, 9, 12, 14 and 18 to secure the top of the leaderboard early. “Just real solid; never really in trouble, made a couple of putts, hit a couple close, just a good combo for a good opener,” du Toit added.

The winner of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s ATB Financial Classic in September in his hometown of Calgary, du Toit is coming off a busy year that also saw him play on the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour, the Forme Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

“I played a ton, honestly, including a lot of Monday qualifiers,” he said of his hectic schedule. “Before today I was just tired, even today and in prep, I felt tired and didn’t go out there with any expectations and played really solid. I’m going to try to keep the expectations down the next couple of days, because it seemed to work today.”

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Golf Canada and PUMA Golf have announced an expansion of their partnership, naming PUMA as the Official Apparel and Headwear Partner of Golf Canada’s National Team Program.

As part of the three-year agreement, Team Canada players, coaches, and support staff with the National Amateur and Junior Squads will exclusively wear PUMA’s premium golf apparel and headwear when representing Team Canada. In addition, athletes and coaches named to Team Canada for the 2024 Olympic Golf Competition in Paris will also wear PUMA Golf’s apparel and headwear as part of the field-of-play uniform kit.  

“PUMA Golf has become an incredibly strong and integrated supporter across a number of Golf Canada programs and properties, and we are extremely proud to extend that partnership across high performance and our National Team Program,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer John Sibley. “This a very exciting period in Canadian high-performance golf and we are excited to begin outfitting Team Canada athletes, coaches and support staff in PUMA’s extensive collection of advanced performance apparel and headwear.”

That collection includes numerous innovative technologies, including the company’s breakthrough CLOUDSPUN and MATTR material in its apparel. The extension of Puma Canada’s support into Golf Canada’s National Team Program represents a deeper, stronger, and more integrated partnership with the National Sport Federation that dates back many years. In 2014, COBRA PUMA GOLF became the official headwear, apparel, footwear and equipment partner for Golf Canada’s Junior Skills Challenge, an interactive program focused on developing the key golf skills of putting, chipping, and driving among youth. 

“We are very excited to support all the talented athletes and staff within the Team Canada High Performance Program and strengthen our partnership with Golf Canada,” said Dwayne Boecker, Head of Golf at COBRA PUMA GOLF – Canada. “This opportunity to connect with the next generation of great players in this country will broaden our brand appeal and presence in golf. The iconic PUMA Cat owns a rich history in international competition, and we look forward to seeing Canada’s best amateur golfers continue that success in our gear.”

Team Canada athletes, coaches and support staff will wear official PUMA Golf apparel and headwear when representing Canada beginning November 1, 2021, through to the end of 2024. The full roster of 2022 Team Canada athletes and coaches named to the National Amateur and Junior Squads will be announced next week.

Canada’s lone PGA TOUR Champions event has raised more than $76 million since 2013

CALGARY, Alta. – The Shaw Charity Classic returned in record fashion in 2021 with Canadians chipping in to raise $14,797,827 for 233 children’s charities across Alberta.

After receiving the green light to safely bring the stars of the PGA TOUR Champions back to Calgary this summer, tournament officials and their generous partners vowed the event would play a key role in building our community back stronger from the pandemic.

Thanks to the generosity of Canadians from across the country, the Shaw Charity Classic has now raised more than $76 million for youth-based charities in Alberta since 2013 through its Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink charitable program.

“When the tournament started, we knew we had something special, but never could we have dreamed it would have grown into so much more than just a golf tournament. It is now a massive community support event that exceeds our expectations each year, and is something I am so proud to be a part of,” said Jim Riddell, Chair, Shaw Charity Classic.

Even in 2020, when golf’s greats weren’t able to play due to the pandemic, the community came together to raise more than $12 million to support the charities that need support now more than ever.

“With charitable giving being the heartbeat of the Shaw Charity Classic, the tournament simply has the power to rally the community like no other event I have seen. I truly believe that community support in Alberta is the reason this event continuously breaks charitable giving records each year,” added Riddell.

Shaw Communications donated $1.15 million to continue supporting charities participating in the Shaw Birdies For Kids program while the Shaw Family Foundation announced its donation of $1.5 million over three years.

“The ultimate goal of the Shaw Charity Classic has been, and always will be to better support as many youth and families in Alberta as possible,” said Brad Shaw, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications. “The growth and impact of the Shaw Charity Classic is undeniable – both in the amount of money raised and in the number of charities supported. None of this would have been possible without the enthusiastic and unwavering support of the Alberta community that gets behind the event year after year.”

Ultimately, it’s hundreds of thousands of Alberta children and their families who are once again the true winners.

Funds raised are helping deliver a positive impact for children in the areas of health, food support, family support, development and counselling, sports, arts, and youth programming.

The life-changing impacts of the tournament on Alberta’s youth this year include helping to provide: 

• More than 12,000 lunches for kids in need through Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
• 8,900 kids in Edmonton with sports equipment through Sport Central Association
• 36,000 kids with literacy programming through the Educational Partnership Foundation
• 60,000 books to kids participating in Calgary Reads, and
• 7,000 backpacks to the Stephen’s Backpacks School program.

The ninth edition of the Shaw Charity Classic kicked off with amateur golfers from across Canada taking divots on the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club layout over three days – first, during Blakes Women’s Day and then the sold-out RBC Championship Pro-Am. When three days of tournament play got underway, Canadians Stephen Ames and Mike Weir charged to the top of the leaderboard, but at the end it was a jubilant Doug Barron who donned the white Smithbilt cowboy hat as the 2021 champion.

Bringing world-class golf to Calgary to create a significant platform for charitable giving has always been core to the Shaw Charity Classic.

The introduction of the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program ramped up the tournament’s charitable giving arm when it was created in 2015. The program was designed to be integrated into charities’ existing fundraising efforts to help generate new funds in communities across the country. Each of the participating charities connected to the Shaw Charity Classic receive 100 per cent of all donations collected on their behalf, plus up to 50 per cent in matched funding provided by the Shaw Charity Classic.

The 10th anniversary of the Shaw Charity Classic is scheduled to take place, August 1-7, at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

Click here for more information on the event.

TRINITY, Texas – A pair of Canadians made their mark south of the border in Saturday’s final round of the Spirit International at Whispering Pines Golf Club.

Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., led the way for the Canadians in the men’s division. The 20-year-old held the lead for the opening two rounds and closed with a solo third finish at 3 under par (67-71-75). Teammate Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished the stroke play event at 2 over par — good for a ninth place tie. 

Collectively, the Canadian men finished alone in third place with a combined score of 431 (137-143-151). Pacing the group were the Swedes, who finished two strokes ahead at 3 under par, followed by the Americans at 2 under.

In the women’s division, former Drive, Chip & Putt champion Savannah Grewal impressed with a third place finish. The Mississauga, Ont., native played a consistent tournament with rounds of 71-69-71 to close at 5 under par. Fellow countrywoman Noémie Paré of Victoriaville, Que., finished in a tie for 27th at 15 over par.

Together the women finished in sole possession of sixth place at 10 over par collectively. The United States took home the title, followed by Switzerland in second and France in third.

In the combined event, Canada finished in second place behind the United States with a score of 7 under. The 54-hole competition combined each country’s top-three scores from each round of play, with the high score being discarded.

Coach Salimah Mussani accompanied the teams in Texas and was more than pleased with the results.   

“We’re very proud of what this group accomplished this week in such a prestigious event on the calendar,” said Mussani, a PGA of Canada Class ‘A’ member. “There are many positives to build on and we can’t wait to get back to work to keep striving for strong results across the board.”

The Spirit alumni have gone on to win over 650 professional titles, 25 major championships and 17 Olympic appearances. They include 16 PGA Tour winners, 25 European Tour winners, 23 LPGA Tour winners and 21 Ladies European Tour winners.

The event featured world-class amateurs from over 20 countries across six continents. Conducted at the Whispering Pines Golf Club since its inception in 2001, the Spirit is a biennial event alternating years with the World Amateur Team Championship. The Spirit is hosted by the World Health & Golf Association, a charitable organization dedicated to promoting amateur golf for the benefit of health related reasons.

Click here for full scoring.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Taylor Pendrith has plenty to be proud of after competing in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship this past weekend. The Richmond Hill, Ont. recorded his best finish on the PGA TOUR at T5 and broke a tournament record earlier in the week.

A rookie for the 2020-2021 season, Pendrith graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour last year. Prior to this tournament his best finish was at the Barbasol Championship where he placed T11.

Support for Pendrith flooded in from every corner of the country this weekend with supporters taking to social media to wish the rookie good luck. One of those supporters was fellow Team Canada member Corey Conners who recently attended Pendrith’s wedding.

Pendrith is keen to learn from the experience as he heads to Mexico for the Mayakoba World Wide Technology Championship next week.

“Lots of positives. Obviously it’s my best finish out here,” said Pendrith. “It was a tough Sunday, which I guess I’ll learn a lot from that, but to have a good week was great. I really hadn’t played much golf in the last two weeks, I think maybe twice, and I didn’t see the golf course until Thursday, so pretty pleased overall.”

Other Canadians in the field included Adam Svensson (-7), David Hearn (-4), Adam Hadwin (-3), Matt Hill (+3) and Nick Taylor (+5).

The full leaderboard can be found here.

If you ask a golfer about their most haunting moments on the golf course, you might hear about an unfortunate double hit or a bad case of the yips. While a poorly played round is certainly reason to keep a golfer up at night, there are perhaps more chilling tales circulating from the back nine or within the forgotten histories of aging clubhouses that concern the otherworldly.

With Canada’s rich history and vast geography, it’s no surprise that the country also boasts its fair share of spooky tales. There’s an old sanitorium in Kamloops that would look right at home in a Stephen King novel, a haunted lighthouse in P.E.I., and a ghost that goes by the name of ‘Dorothy’ at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

If that isn’t enough, Canada Post created a collection of ‘Haunted Canada’ stamps from 2014-2016 that reveal a whole cast of the country’s ghostly characters such as Gastown’s Headless Brakeman, the Grey Lady of the Halifax Citadel, and the Phantom Bell Ringers of the Kirk of St. James. 

While it might be hard to imagine these eerie spirits lurking on well-manicured and sunny greens, that doesn’t mean that golf courses aren’t devoid of spooky tales of their own. Below you’ll find five courses across the country that are rumored to house extraordinary spirits.

Haunted Lakes Golf Club

Haunted Lakes Golf course in Alix, Alta. is certainly high on the list of Canadian courses with the spookiest names.

As the legend goes, seven Native American hunters camped around the eastern shore of the lake and awoke one morning to discover a magnificent deer trapped in ice.

As the men began to chip away at the ice around the antlers, the still-alive beast crashed through its icy cage and carved a path towards the refuge of the shore. The deer made it to safety and disappeared into the woods, but the men would never set foot in the forest again. All seven plunged into the frigid depths, drowned, and were claimed by the lake. They were never seen or heard from again – alive that is.  

To this day, the spirits of the unfortunate seven are rumoured to haunt the area, giving the lake its name. Locals also claim that every winter when the lake is frozen over, a huge fissure appears tracing the exact path of the deer’s escape – right along the third fairway where Haunted Lake hugs the front right of the green.

Glen Abbey Golf Course

They say the best ghost stories are the ones that hit close to home. Located on the picturesque Sixteen Mile Creek in Oakville, Ont., Glen Abbey Golf Course has played host to the Canadian Open 30 times and also serves as home-base for Golf Canada. While the later have taken up residence at the property since the 1970s, there is – if you believe in such things – a much older tenant who reportedly still roams the corridors.

Originally built by mining magnate Andre Dorfman in 1937, the sprawling country estate was sold in 1953 to be used as a retreat and monastery by the Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada. The property was again sold in 1963 by a group of businessmen with a vision to build a golf club. The men named their new course ‘Glen Abbey’ as a nod to the previous occupants, but as the story goes, one of those occupants never left.

Since then, there have been reports of cupboards inexplicably slamming, heavy footsteps in the hallway and the mysterious feeling of being watched. One eyewitness claims to have seen the specter glide through solid wall, and all accounts seem to agree that the spirit takes the shape of a Jesuit Priest.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club

Charming little Niagara-on-the-Lake in Southern Ontario is often referred to as Canada’s most haunted town. It therefore comes as no surprise that Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, with its 140-year history, would be just as populated with ghost stories as the town is with visitors.

Located toward the back of the scenic course you’ll find Fort Mississauga – a defensive structure built after the War of 1812 to defend against the nearby American Fort Niagara. While the Fort was garrisoned until 1826, rearmed after the Rebellion of 1837, and manned during tense periods of the American Civil War, it never saw battle. However, the structure was erected using salvaged pieces from an old lighthouse and bricks from the crumbling Fort George which could perhaps account paranormal activity surrounding the historic site.

It is said that sounds of violence can be heard issuing from the Fort and multiple accounts have reported a man yelling in pain from within the structure. A young soldier even confided to his journal in 1871 that he and another officer saw a tall, gliding figure in a black robe while on watch one evening.

Fort Mississauga is now a National Historic Site and serves as a striking reminder to golfers that the land they putt on is steeped in history.  

Jasper Park Golf Course

At Jasper Park Golf Course in Jasper, Alta. you’re more likely to come across a wandering elk than a wayward spirit. Still, a medley of ghostly characters have scared their way into the lore surrounding this jewel in the Canadian Rockies.

Construction for the resort property began in 1921 with renowned course architect Stanley Thompson joining the project in 1924. It took 50 teams of horses and 200 men before Thompson’s design became a reality and opened to the public in 1925.

As far as ghost stories go, past staff suggest that the clubhouse – particularly the kitchen – is frequented by spirits moving objects or banging pots. Multiple witnesses claim to have encountered an elderly woman who mysteriously vanishes when spoken to, and there’s even said to be a photo of her hanging outside the restaurant.

Another spooky story involves Point Cabin where a young maid took a tumble down the stairs and broke her neck. To this day her spirit is said to slam doors, turn lights off and appear to unsuspecting guests.

Victoria Golf Club

Over on the West Coast, Victoria Golf Club boasts an impressive history and a dramatic tale that has become a local legend.

The story surrounds Doris Thompson who immigrated to Canada in 1906 and married local sports reported Victor Gravlin. Victor, however, was not a good husband to Doris and spent countless hours at Uplands Golf Club where is brother was head pro. When her husband lost his job and began drinking heavily, Doris left him and found work as a private live-in nurse.

Not long after, Victor sent a letter to Doris which historians believe was a plea to meet and reconcile. On the ill-fated night of Sept. 22, 1936, Doris and Victor left their respective residences and were seen together on Runnymede Avenue. What happened next remains a mystery as neither were seen alive again.

The couple was reported as missing and a search ensued. Days later a caddy searching for a lost ball at Victoria Golf Club discovered Doris’ corpse near the 7^th green. The 30 year old had been strangled with her hat, belt and shoes missing.

The local gossips believed that Victor, the number one suspect, had escaped. However, they were wrong. One month later a fisherman found Victor’s body floating in the kelp beds off the 9th fairway with a rope in his pocket and in possession of Doris’ missing attire. The police concluded he had strangled his wife and then committed suicide by walking into the water.

It’s no surprise that the traumatic tale has given rise to haunting stories at the property. To this day, visitors to the area report floating orbs, disembodied screaming, strange unexplained pockets of mist, and even full-bodied apparitions of a sad-looking woman believed to be Doris.

The spooky tales arising from these properties add to the character that makes each course unique. Whether you’re a believer in ghosts or a skeptic of the spirit world, the next time a strange wind results in a bogey you have someone – or something – to blame.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Taylor Pendrith’s big game is working just fine on the PGA Tour’s shortest course, giving the Canadian a three-shot lead going into the final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Pendrith ran off four straight birdies around the turn at Port Royal, and then picked up two more birdies late in his round Saturday for a 6-under 65. He is going after his first PGA Tour title just four starts into his rookie season, and two weeks after he got married.

“I knew I was going to get on a run at some point during the round,” Pendrith said. “Was able to get four in a row and kind of really jump start the round.”

Pendrith was at 17-under 194.

Danny Lee holed a tough 6-foot par putt on the 18th cap off a 65 and stay in range, just three shots behind. Lee is the only player among the top five on the leaderboard who has won on the PGA Tour, though that was six years and 173 tournaments ago at the Greenbrier Classic.

Lucas Herbert of Australia, a two-time winner on the European Tour, had his second straight round of 65 and was four shots behind.

The first two years of the Bermuda Championship on the 6,828-yard Port Royal course were won by Brian Gay and Brendon Todd, two of the shorter hitters in today’s power era.

Pendrith is anything but that, and it was an example that length never hurts on any course.

Pendrith, who won twice on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada in 2019 as he made his way up the ranks to the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start until he began his run of four straight birdies starting on No. 7 and finishing at No. 10, where a big drive left him only a flip wedge.

The most impressive play was his tee shot on the 235-yard 16th hole, among the toughest at Port Royal. He found the right side of the green and then holed a 45-foot birdie putt to extend his lead to two shots.

He then took on the water with ease at the par-5 17th, leaving a two-putt birdie from 15 feet to widen his lead even more.

“It was nice to pick up a couple coming in, late” Pendrith said. “To see that 40-plus-footer go in was a bonus.”

He nearly picked up another birdie at the end. With the wind at his back, he smashed driver well over the bunker and off a cement cart path with the ball landing near a corporate tent not far from the green. He pitched beautifully up the slope, but missed an 8-foot birdie.

Trying to win for the first time in any conditions is never easy, and the forecast could only add to the drama for Pendrith. With wind and rain in the forecast, the PGA Tour has moved up the starting times as early as possible with hopes of finishing and avoiding a Monday finish.

The tour goes from the middle of the Atlantic Coach to the Gulf Coast of Mexico next week.

The Bermuda Championship began Thursday in gusts approaching 40 mph and spells of rain that forced play to be halted briefly. Pendrith was in the middle of that and shot 70, which felt almost as good as his 61 the following day in calm weather.

“I don’t think I’d ever want those conditions on Thursday again,” he said. “It’s nice to be a couple shots ahead. It’s going to probably be a crazy day. I’ll grind it out and see what happens.”

At stake is a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the Masters.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Southampton, BER. – Friday was a good day for PGA TOUR rookie Taylor Pendrith. After competing in the 2nd round of the Butterfield Bermuda Chapionship, the Richmond Hill, Ont. native sits in the top spot on the leaderboard.

Pendrith fired 10 under par 61 with five consecutive birdies and an eagle on the 17th hole. The performance broke the course record.

“It was great. Felt a lot easier out there than yesterday obviously, so it
was nice to make some birdies. Got off to a great start and then made the turn. Made eagle on 17 and had a good look on 18. And I got five in a row I guess on the front nine, gave me some momentum and the putter was hot, saw some putts go in. Seemed like everything had a chance to go in”.

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship marks the 13th career start for Pendrith who earned his way onto the the PGA TOUR this season after competing in the Korn Ferry Finals. His previous best performance was at the 2021 Barbasol Championship where he finished 11th on the leaderboard.

Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson also held a spot in the top 10 with a score of 6 under. Adam Hadwin moved up the leaderboard 28 spots to finish 1 under, and David Hearn made the cut at minus 1.

Round 3 is set to commence Saturday morning. View the full leaderboard here.