Brooke Henderson has won on the LPGA Tour 14 times but winning the CPKC Women’s Open a second time is on another level for her.

Henderson shot a 4-under 67 to pull ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee by a stroke in Sunday’s final round to win the Canadian national women’s golf championship. The win ended a drought that spanned more than two years, adding extra lustre to the title for Henderson.

“This one I think might be the longest in between victories, so for that reason it makes it super special,” said Henderson. “To be able to win the Canadian Open, the CPKC Women’s Open, for the second time is so special.”

Henderson also won the Women’s Open in 2018 at Wascana Country Club in Regina. That made her the first Canadian in 45 years — since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1973 — to win the national championship.

She’s now accomplished the feat twice in seven years.

It also added another win to her career tally, already the most by a Canadian professional golfer.

“This week was beyond special. To be able to finish it off and hoist the trophy again is extremely cool. It feels super surreal still,” said Henderson. “When I won in 2018, I woke up Monday morning thinking I still had to play the final round, so I’m wondering if that nightmare will happen again tomorrow.”

Henderson and Lee finished Saturday’s third round tied for first at 11 under, three strokes ahead of the field. 

Between Henderson’s popularity in Canada and Lee’s star quality — she has 11 LPGA Tour wins in her career, including this year’s Women’s PGA Championship — the tournament’s final pairing had massive crowds following them around the river-valley course.

“Today was really tough actually because there was just so many people,” said Lee, who had a 3-under 68 round to move up to second in the LPGA Tour’s points list. “I was very mentally strong today and I just tried to focus on, obviously, myself and the things that I could do to get the score lower.

“That’s pretty much what I did and what I tried to focus on. I think overall I did a fairly good job.”

Henderson’s last win was the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. She said that although she always put a positive spin on her victory drought, she still had her doubts.

“There were some dark times, for sure. I feel like my family was so supportive and just said to keep going, just keep working hard, it’ll come around,” said Henderson, whose sister Brittany Sepanik is her caddie and her father Dave Henderson is her coach. “I’ve been telling everybody for like a long time, it’s close, it’s close, it’s close. 

“To finally break through again is just so exciting.”

Those struggles saw Henderson sink to 53rd on the Race to CME Globe points list and 58th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She’s projected to move up to 26th on the LPGA Tour’s points list, putting her in a position to join the World Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in late October and play in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in late November.

“I’m excited for the rest of the season. I’m excited for what’s coming next,” said Henderson. “I’m super pumped about International Crown, and with this win I think I’ll guarantee my spot into the CME, which was a little bit in jeopardy before this.”

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, who had four LPGA Tour wins in her Canadian Golf Hall of Fame career, was at both of Henderson’s Women’s Open wins. She said that she hoped Canadians would give the 27-year-old Henderson more recognition for what she’s accomplished.

“I thought back automatically to 2018, when we’d been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for years, and that was surreal,” said Kane, standing greenside as Henderson submitted her scorecard. “This is now 14 wins. The first 13, we haven’t given this kid enough credit for.

“I certainly hope that this is something that keeps people talking about how good she is, rather than what’s wrong.”

Fifteen-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary had a 2-over 73 round to finish in a tie for 20th as the tournament’s low amateur.

Aphrodite Deng almost stole the show at her first-ever CPKC Women’s Open.

The 15-year-old from Calgary shot a 2-over 73 in the fourth round to finish 4-under overall as the low amateur at the Canadian national women’s championship. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., won the title on Sunday, but Deng was in contention to start the day in a four-way tie for seventh.

At one point in the third round, Henderson and Deng were first and second on the leaderboard.

“That was really amazing,” said Deng of keeping pace with the best women’s golfers in the world. “I wasn’t really expecting anything coming into this week.

“I was just trying to make the cut, for it to end up like this is really cool.”

It’s the latest accolade in an eventful summer for the high school student, who became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship on July 19. That victory helped earn her an exemption into the Women’s Open at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Deng will continue to play in junior tournaments to close out the competitive golf season and, of course, return to school.

She said the highlight of the Women’s Open was all the cheers she heard from Canadian fans during the week, especially as she walked up the fairway to the 18th green in Sunday’s final round.

“It’s so nice to know that I have so many people supporting me,” said Deng. “It was really cool.”

Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said he was impressed with her composure throughout the week, especially when she bounced back from tough stretches on the course.

“She showed that on this big of a stage, she’s got the game to be right there,” said MacDonald by the 18th green after Deng finished her round. “I think that’s going to give her a lot of momentum going forward, just being in the last few groups on a Sunday.

“It’s just great experience.”

Matt Sim, a seven-time club champion at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and former collegiate player at the University of Waterloo, was Deng’s caddie for the tournament.

“It was unbelievable what she can do and how she gets the ball around this golf course,” said Sim, who only met Deng on Monday. “Her game is absolutely unbelievable, and it’s going to take her to the next level.

“No question what she’s done this year and what she did this week is just a statement of what junior golfers can do.”

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 3-under 68 to move 17 spots up the leaderboard to tie with Deng and six others at 20th. The solid performance will move Leblanc up the Race to the CME Globe points list to 141st.

Epson Tour rookie Monet Chun (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 36th at 2-under overall.

Amateur Katie Cranston (74) of Oakville, Ont., finished in a tie for 71st in her fourth Women’s Open appearance and the first time she made the cut at the national championship. She’ll return to Auburn University’s Tigers this week to start her senior year.

A last minute call and the chance to bet on herself is paying off for Monet Chun.

Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is in the midst of her rookie season on the second-tier Epson Tour and had planned to play in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan., this week. But a phone call on Sunday inviting her to play in the CPKC Women’s Open, the Canadian women’s golf championship, near her hometown at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club was an opportunity she just couldn’t miss.

“I was pretty committed to Kansas because I wasn’t going to make my flight for the Monday qualifier, but I just really enjoy the CPKC a lot,” said Chun, who had family and friends following her around the course wearing “Team Monet” shirts.

“I wanted to come home, especially for being on the road for so long, so little parts of everything.”

The 24-year-old Chun has been a model of consistency on the Epson Tour this season. She’s made the cut 13 times at the 16 events she’s played in, with a tie for 11th at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship on July 10 her best showing.

Chun is ranked 64th on the circuit’s points list, earning a total of US$21,000 this season. Playing for a share of the purse at the Women’s Open, a minimum winnings of $4,953, could be lucrative for her.

“I’ve been making a lot of cuts on Epson, but I would say the financial part is hard out there,” said Chun, who like all professional golfers is responsible for her own travel and accommodation when on the road. “Being out here and having a good week will definitely help.”

Chun had a 1-over 72 on Saturday to sit at even par after three rounds in a tie for 46th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., fired a 6-under 65 to share the lead with Australia’s Minjee Lee. They were at 11 under, three shots clear of the field.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary shot a 3-under 68 to crack the top 10, sitting in four-way tie for seventh at 6 under.

“It’s been incredible with all the people out here supporting me and it’s been really fun,” she said after submitting her score.

Henderson and Deng were briefly Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the leaderboard. Deng said it would have been really cool to have an all-Canadian final pairing at the national championship.

She said that she had a simple plan for the fourth round of her first professional tournament.

“Play my own game and play to my standards,” said Deng.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc (70) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied for 37th at 1 under and amateur Katie Cranston (75) of Oakville, Ont., was tied for 69th at 4 over.

Akie Iwai took a three-stroke lead into the weekend in the CPKC Women’s Open in her bid to win for the second straight week.

Iwai followed her opening 7-under 64 with a 69 on Friday to get to 9-under 133 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

The 23-year-old Japanese player won the Portland Classic on Sunday to join twin sister Chisato as a rookie LPGA Tour champion. She’s trying to keep it simple and not get ahead of herself.

“No change mind. No change swing. Just focus my golf,” she said.

Jeeno Thitikul, the Thai star making her first start since taking the No. 1 spot in the world from Nelly Korda, had a 70 for a share of second place with Minjee Lee (67) and Leona Maguire (70).

Slumping Canadian star Brooke Henderson rebounded from an opening 71 with a 66 to get to 5 under. The 2018 champion won the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles in January 2023.

“I’m right there,” Henderson said. “Just got to keep going, put two more solid rounds together.”

She played alongside Thitikul and Lottie Woad, the Women’s Scottish Open winner who shot 75-69 to miss the cut by a stroke. Defending champion Lauren Coughlin also dropped out, shooting 74-70. She won last year in Calgary.

Akie Iwai, a six-time winner on the JLPGA Tour, is playing in Canada for the first time. On Friday on the tree-lined course, she played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. She birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 17th on the second nine.

“Today, also I gave many birdie chances, but I just didn’t get,” she said. “I left putts short.”

Chisato Iwai, the winner at Mayakoba in May in Mexico, also missed the cut by a stroke with rounds of 75 and 69.

Korda was 4 under after her second 69. She had a double bogey on the par-3 third.

Aphrodite Deng, the 15-year-old Canadian amateur who was tied for

A cluster of friends and family started cheering for Katie Cranston as she walked out of the scorers’ room in the clubhouse of the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club and up to the spectators’ area.

The 21-year-old from Oakville, Ont., had done it: she made the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open.

Cranston, who begins her senior year at Auburn University next week, shot back-to-back even-par 71s in the first two rounds of the Canadian national women’s golf championship to become one of five Canadians to see the weekend. Making the cut on Friday ended years of frustration for Cranston.

“I’m very happy because it’s my fourth time playing, and last year I definitely was closer, so I’m just really excited to get the chance to just go play free on the weekend,” said Cranston, who missed the cut by two shots at last year’s Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary. “Being so close to home and having so many people come out, it’s so much fun.”

Cranston birdied on No. 12 to get to even par on Friday, but then bogeyed on the par-4 16th hole to move up to 1 over. Around the same time, the projected cut line moved from 1 over to even par, putting her in danger of missing the cut. 

She recovered with a birdie on the par-4 17th hole and parred No. 18 to finish her day.

“I had no idea. I kind of thought in my head it would be 1 over,” said Cranston, covering her mouth in surprise at how close she had been to not playing the third round. “Once I made that birdie, I felt pretty good. I definitely left myself a bit of a tester on 18, too.”

As the afternoon wave went out on the course the projected line again moved to 1 over, giving Cranston a bit of a buffer. Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s women’s head coach, said that Cranston had grown as a player.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve seen out of Katie this year, in general, is a lot of maturity,” said Mussani, who was in the group of friends and family waiting for Cranston outside the clubhouse. “You could see in the last two days that she’s in control of what’s going on here. Nothing really got away from her. She managed her emotions. 

“She bogeyed 16 today, followed it up with the birdie on 17. She went from plus 1 back to even, and then hit a great shot into 18 and gave herself an opportunity.”

There were 16 Canadians in the field, 10 of whom were amateurs and six of those players were juniors. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian after shooting a 5-under 66 on Friday to rocket 33 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for fifth at 5-under overall, four shots back of leader Akie Iwai of Japan.

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng, from Calgary, shot a 2-over 73 to drop into a tie for 15th at 3-under overall. Monet Chun (68) of Richmond Hill, Ont., was tied for 29th at 1 under. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (68) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied with Cranston for 49th at even par.

Mussani said having five Canadians make the cut was a sign that women’s golf in the country is in a very healthy spot.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls coming up the pipeline, which is obviously exciting for me, because they’ll eventually get to our program,” said Mussani. “Whether it’s (the growth of recreational golf during the COVID-19 pandemic), or it’s Brooke Henderson, or just participation in women’s sports in general, it’s exciting for us.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Vancouver’s Anna Huang and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., didn’t make the third round.

Amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., Calgary’s Tillie Claggett, Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos, Ruihan Wang of Markham, Ont., Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill and Joline Truong of Mississauga also missed the cut.

Brooke Henderson knew she had something when she stepped into a greenside bunker on the 17th hole of Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Henderson lined up her shot and made the perfect out, softly bouncing it a few feet away from the hole and then watching it roll into the cup for eagle, another clip for her highlight reel, and the lead at the CPKC Women’s Open.

“Before I got into the bunker I was thinking, ‘I can make this. It’s very makable,'” said Henderson after her round. “I was really happy with where the tee shot ended up and had a really good line in the bunker.

“I knew I had to hit it soft because it was really fast. It was nice to land it right where I wanted to and see it go in.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., and Australia’s Minjee Lee finished Saturday’s third round as the new co-leaders at the Women’s Open, the Canadian women’s golf championship. Henderson fired a 6-under 65 and Lee caught up to her with a 5-under 66 for them to sit at 11-under overall, three shots clear of the field.

That creates a top-tier final pairing on Sunday, with a total of 24 LPGA Tour titles between Henderson and Lee.

“I love playing with Minjee,” said Henderson. “She has an amazing presence on course, she is like very calm and relaxed and I feel like it’s a great pairing for the final round.”

Lee said she was prepared for the experience of playing alongside Henderson in Canada, as the winningest pro golfer in Canadian history has thousands of fans trail her around the course.

“Oh, my God, countless times. I’ve played with her a lot. I know what to expect,” laughed Lee.

Japan’s Akie Iwai led the only LPGA Tour event in Canada for two rounds but stumbled to a 1-over 72 on Saturday to drop into a tie for third with world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand. Thitikul had a 2-under 69 day to sit at 8-under overall.

Henderson has 13 wins on the LPGA Tour, including the 2018 Women’s Open, where she emerged victorious at the Wascana Country Club in Regina. That made her the first Canadian in 45 years — since Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1973 — to win the national championship.

“Winning in 2018 was a huge career highlight. It meant so much to me, it was so special,” said Henderson. “To be in a position to possibly have that opportunity again is really, really cool.

“I’m still a really long way from that. There are so many top players near the top of the leaderboard and still 18 holes to play.”

Fifteen-year-old amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary moved up to the top 10, shooting a 3-under 68 to sit in a group tied for seventh at 6-under overall.

“Today was pretty solid,” said Deng. “Just like whenever I hit it out of position I tried to get it back into position. My putting was pretty good.”

The CPKC Women’s Open — a women’s golf major until 2001 — regularly draws some of the largest crowds on the LPGA Tour. Although Henderson always has the largest gallery in Canada, the fans also respect and support some of the bigger names in the field like Lee.

“It’s really nice to see the lovely crowds,” said Lee, noting she drew loud cheers when she made a difficult par on No. 18. “I think we always get really great support from the Canadian people, and they just love the LPGA and love to support Brooke and the women’s game.”

Henderson, however, hopes to draw energy from the spectators as she makes the final push for her 14th title.

“The crowds have been so phenomenal all week, and today starting out on the first tee because I was near the final groups, it was really exciting and a lot of energy,” said Henderson, who has not won since the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January 2023. “I feel like I was playing pretty well today, so the crowd continued to grow and grow.

“It was fun to give them some things to cheer about. That’s always one of the goals.”

Even Brooke Henderson, the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history, can still learn on the job.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., climbed 33 spots up the leaderboard on Friday at the CPKC Women’s Open, shooting a 5-under 66 to sit in a tie for fifth at 5 under after two rounds.

It’s not the first time Henderson has put together a solid second round at the Canadian national women’s golf championship and she’s beginning to see a pattern.

“Getting used to the crowd and the fans and the energy and learning the golf course a little bit more, just getting a little bit more comfortable with myself,” said Henderson on what was working for her at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. “I also think I had to go low today to get away from the cut line, so that was a big goal of mine was to shoot minus-5 and I was able to do that, which is cool.

“I just wanted to get away from the cut line as fast as I could and I’m in a good spot.”

Japan’s Akie Iwai was the second-round leader, building a three-stroke lead over the pack after she had a solid 2-under 69 round to improve to 9 under.

Despite her sizable lead, Iwai felt she let some scoring chances slip between her fingers.

“I had many birdie chances, but I just didn’t get any,” said Iwai. “I left many short putts, no distance, short. That’s why tomorrow I need more.”

Australia’s Minjee Lee (66), Ireland’s Leona Maguire (70) and world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul (70) shared second at 6-under overall.

Henderson and her group at 5-under was next on the leaderboard.

“Any time you can see your name near the top of the leaderboard it’s always a great feeling,” said Henderson. “I’m so excited to be playing the weekend in front of these amazing fans, and just hopefully I can give them some more to cheer about tomorrow.”

Lee said that having to chase a player like Iwai — who won her first-ever LPGA Tour title on Sunday at the Standard Portland Classic — changes her mindset.

“When you have the lead, I’m sure you’ll be in like a really good condition and you’ll be hitting it well. But I do think you feel like you need to keep the lead more than when you’re chasing,” said Lee, an 11-time LPGA Tour champion. “You can kind of be a little more aggressive and you’re trying to chase and make as many birdies as possible.”

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, a 15-year-old amateur, was the low Canadian after Thursday’s first round. She shot a 2-over 73 on Friday to drop into a tie for 15th at 3 under.

“She’s been playing amazing. I don’t know if she needs any advice from me,” said Henderson, who won her first LPGA Tour event when she was 17. “It’s cool she’s playing so well and just to see her name up there yesterday it was like, ‘oh, I need to get playing better here.’

“I am looking forward to seeing what she does the next couple days.”

Austin Krahn and Leonie Tavares each claimed the top spot of the podium in the two concurrent individual competitions; Team Quebec and Team Ontario nab silver and bronze medals in St. John’s. 

ST. JOHN’S, Nfld. – Team British Columbia (B.C.) returned to their familiar place atop the Canada Summer Games podium on Friday through the low round of Austin Krahn of Christina Lakes, B.C., securing the province their fourth team gold medal in five attempts and capping off a memorable week at Bally Haly Country Club in St. John’s, Nfld.  

Krahn, a member of the Team Canada – NextGen program and fresh off a three-win stretch in July, powered B.C. across the finish line on Friday with a 7-under 65 to add to his list of accomplishments in 2025. His eagle on the opening hole on Friday helped separate the 54-hole leader, with birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 6 vaulting Krahn into a sizeable lead atop the Individual Male leaderboard and on course to claim a second gold medal at the Canada Summer Games. 

“It means so much more because I’m not playing for myself, I’m playing for my team as well. I’m winning for British Columbia as a team and I’m bringing up the medal count for all of British Columbia,” said Krahn, who finished just three strokes shy of tying the course record after rolling birdies in on five of his closing seven holes. It is the lowest single-round score ever recorded by a male at the Canada Summer Games.  

He pulled into the lead by the end of third round after 36-hole leader Alex Zhang of Richmond, B.C. was disqualified from competing in the Individual Male competition for signing an incorrect scorecard on Thursday. Zhang held a one-stroke edge over his Team B.C. teammate prior to the disqualification after rounds of 69 and 73.  

Leonie Tavares of Saint-Jerome, Que. claimed the top spot on the podium in the Individual Female competition with rounds of 74-76-72-77-299 to become the first female from Quebec to medal in the competition since former Team Canada member Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. accomplished the feat at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.  

Following her final round, Tavares expressed her elation for being part of a successful list of female golfers hailing from La Belle Province to win the tournament.  

“I’m really shocked, really excited because I’ve worked so hard… seeing Celeste Dao win this tournament and myself winning today, it feels amazing and I’m really proud of myself,” praised Tavares. “It took a lot of dedication; I had to wake up early and I’m not used to that so I’m really proud of myself just being there, just being myself and playing my game,” she added.  

Tavares played the back nine of her round on Friday 4-over and was able to capitalize on her even-par 72 on Thursday to pace the Female Individual competition and win by eight strokes. Evelyn Ma of Markham, Ont. and Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. rounded out the podium in the Individual Female competition, with Ma claiming her honours in a playoff over Kwon following regulation.  

Golf debuted at the Canada Summer Games in 2009 and has featured in every summer program since, fostering a growing list of alumni over the years that currently boasts the likes of five-time RBC Canadian Open participant Eugene Wong and current Team Canada members Myles Creighton, Étienne Papineau, Brigitte Thibault and Monet Chun.  

This week, the tournament descended on Bally Haly Country Club in St. John’s, Nfld., and featured 44 players from all ten provinces and one territory competing over 72 holes of competition.  

Numerous stories emerged throughout the week including a pair of girls becoming the first female participants to represent Yukon at a Canada Summer Games golf event. Alayna May Mortimer and Sloane Tarapaski of Whitehorse, Y.K., were the two members that made history for the territory this week, with Mortimer commending the accomplishment of herself and her teammate following play on Tuesday.  

“It’s very empowering and really happy to feel like wow, I’m the first person to do this from where I live. It’s just an awesome experience,” said Mortimer. “There’s a lot of people that haven’t been to Canada Games from our territory, so it’s cool to send this many people out and have this many people doing different sports,” added Tarapaski. The two play golf together at Mountain View Golf Course in Whitehorse, Yukon, and spend most of their cooler months using a golf simulator in Tarapaski’s garage.  

History was also made in the Individual Male division as well, with Kooper MacKay of Wolfville, N.S. firing a 1-under 71 on Friday to nab a runner-up finish and become the first male from Nova Scotia to ever medal in golf at the Canada Summer Games.  

“It means a lot,” commented MacKay. “My whole goal coming here was to get a medal whether it was individual or team, so it really feels nice to actually get my goal done. I’ve seen a lot of history made from other Nova Scotians, so to be able to set my own history in that category feels really nice.” 

Birdies on Nos. 12, 15 and 16 catapulted MacKay towards the second step of the podium and helped whisk away a pair of bogeys on his front nine. MacKay finished with scores of 75-76-77-71- 299.  

“I’ve proved that I can compete with the best players in the nation, so it really feels nice to actually be able to shoot scores on tough conditions, tough courses and beat some of the better players in Canada,” he added.  

Ethan Hunter of Casa Rio, Sask. also pieced together a memorable Friday, shooting a 2-over 74 to place third and become the first-ever player from Saskatchewan to medal at the Canada Summer Games golf event.  

“It means a lot to me to be the first ever is huge,” said Hunter. “It’s a big thing for my career and moving forward, it’s just a little bit of a confidence booster.”  

Bothteam and individual competitions took place this past week at the Canada Summer Games, the former grouping a pair of male and female players from the same province together to battle for medals in a mixed-gender team competition. The lowest score from a player of each gender represented the team’s total score following the conclusion of each round.   

To view the full leaderboard from the 2025 Canada Summer Games at Bally Haly Country Club, please click here.  

Fitzsimmons becomes fourth three-time winner of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur; Derek Dalziel wins Mid-Master division while Team Ontario retaining Inter-Provincial Team title

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. – Charles Fitzsimmons is a national champion for a third time after holding on to win the 2025 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship by one shot at Seymour Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver, B.C.

Fitzsimmons of King, Ont. shot a 3-over 74 to finish the tournament at 1-over to edge Dustin Franko of Delta, B.C. by one shot. Fitzsimmons posted rounds of 71-72-68-74-285 to become the fourth three-time winner of the national championship.

“Still processing the win, it feels great,” said Fitzsimmons following his win on Friday. “Today was a real challenge, Dustin played solid and he and I were going back and forth, it was just pressure filled for every moment and a really good challenge. My games been close all summer and to be able to get the win here is really special.”

Fitzsimmons got into some early trouble opening with three bogeys from his first four holes but rebounded to grab two birdies on holes 7 and 9 to finish his front nine on a positive stretch. Fitzsimmons opened his back nine with six consecutive pars before a pair of bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 tightened the leaderboard.

“Ultimately, I’m always trying to come back and hit a golf shot that is what is the most important thing to focusing on the shot you’re trying to hit and letting everything else slide aside. I had lots of thoughts of what could happen, lots of nerves and all kinds of different emotions popping up but really just trying to use my abilities and my skills to re-focus on trying to hit a good golf shot,” he said.

Fitzsimmons grabbed a par on 18 to hold off Franko and win the title. The win marks three Men’s Mid-Am titles for Fitzsimmons tying him with Dave Bunker (2008, 2009, 2010), Garrett Rank (2014, 2015, 2016) and Joseph Deraney (2018, 2019, 2023). The four trail only seven-time winner, Graham Cooke and four-time winner Stu Hamilton on the all-time winners list.

“It’s pretty special to be named amongst that group of players that have won this tournament three times. I probably would have never dreamt I could have done that as a kid so to be here now still kind of feels like a dream. It’s really cool to be part of Golf Canada history that way,” added Fitzsimmons.

Taylor Durham of North Vancouver, B.C. finished third at 3-over while Kyle Gordon of Whitby, Ont. and Wyatt Brook of Heffley Creek, B.C. finished tied for fourth at 4-over.

Derek Dalziel of London, Ont. won the Mid-Master title after finishing 7-over to win by one shot over Mike Landry of Hanwell, N.B. and Mike Aizawa of Richmond, B.C.

Team Ontario was represented by Derek Dalziel, Kyle Gordon of Whitby, Ont. and Stephen Brown of Corunna, Ont. On Wednesday, Dalziel led the team with a 1-under 70 that included a hole-in-one on the par-3 fifth hole, while Gordon’s 1-over 72, highlighted by a hole out for eagle on the par-4 17th, counted towards the team’s total. Each of Ontario’s past three wins have come with new team members each season. Team Nova Scotia finished as runner-up at 5-over while Team Alberta was third at 6-over. Team Quebec (10-over) and Team New Brunswick (12-over) rounded out the top 5.

The 155-player field, comprised of players aged 25 and over, was cut to the low 70 players and ties at 10-over or better following Wednesday’s second round. Players aged 40 and older also competed in the Mid-Master division as well as the Mid-Amateur division as both divisions ran concurrently over 72-holes.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, Fitzsimmons will receive direct exemptions into the 2025 U.S Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. from September 13 -18, the 2026 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship along with a 10-year exemption into the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

For the final leaderboards following the 2025 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Derek Dalziel leads Mid-Master division heading into Friday

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. – There is a familiar name atop the leaderboard at the 2025 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. Charles Fitzsimmons, who won the 2021 and 2022 tournaments, has grabbed the lead heading into the final round at Seymour Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver, B.C.

Fitzsimmons of King, Ont. tied for the low round of the day with a 3-under 68 to jump into the lead by two. Fitzsimmons quickly answered two front nine blips to stay even on his round through nine. The two-time champion opened the back nine with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 and closed strong on with another on No. 18 to put himself in the lead.

Second round co-leader, Dustin Franko of Delta, B.C. is currently solo second following a 2-over 73 to drop to even par for the tournament. Derek Dalziel of London, Ont. and Taylor Durham of North Vancouver, B.C. are tied for third at 2-over, while Wyatt Brook of Heffley Creek, B.C. and Mike Aizawa of Richmond, B.C. at tied for fifth at 3-over. In the Mid-Master division, Dalziel holds a one-shot lead over Aizawa.

The 155-player field, comprised of players aged 25 and over, was cut to the low 70 players and ties at 10-over or better following Wednesday’s second round. In addition to competing for the Mid-Amateur title, players aged 40 and older also will compete for the Mid-Master title as both divisions are running concurrently over 72-holes. In addition to the individual titles, the Inter-Provincial Team Championship is taking place over the first two rounds of play. The lowest two scores out of three team members, over 36-holes will determine the winner of the Inter-Provincial Team Championship. The Mid-Amateur division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the champion will receive direct exemptions into the 2025 U.S Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. from September 13 -18, the 2026 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship along with a 10-year exemption into the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

For the leaderboards following the second round of the 2025 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.