TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford and the Ontario government announced today that the province will be under a stay-at-home order effective 12:01am Thursday, April 8th. Included in this announcement is confirmation that outdoor golf courses and driving ranges can remain open.

Provincial golf bodies have been actively engaged with the Ontario government conveying the message that golf is safe and that now, more than ever, safe outdoor recreational options will be critical to ensure the physical and mental well-being of Ontarians.

The golf industry continues to be a leader in providing one of the few safe recreational outlets that are vital during these challenging times.

 All Ontario golfers and facilities are required to adhere to the following mandates:

• If two riders from different households are on a cart, they must wear a mask while in the cart.
• All staff and players must stay at least 6 feet apart.
• Courses are required to have clear and consistent screening protocols.
• Pre or post game gatherings at not permitted. 
• Limiting the majority of non-essential retailers to only operate for curbside pick-up and delivery, via appointment, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., with delivery of goods to patrons permitted between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and other restrictions.
• During the current Stay-At-Home Order, indoor or outdoor (patio) food service is not permitted. Facilities are allowed to proceed with pick up, take out and delivery service (including halfway hut and beverage cart service). All seating must be removed.

AUGUSTA, Ga – Canadian girls continued their success at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship once again on Sunday with a victory from Cambridge, Ont., native Alexis Card.

Card, 8, won the girls 7-9 division with a total of 23 points for a two-point victory over fellow Canadian Anna Wu of Victoria, B.C. Card impressed getting full points in both the driving and putting categories (10) while rounding it out with three points at the chipping station.

It was Wu stole the show at the chipping station, chipping one in and giving off a memorable reaction which caught the attention of star Phil Mickelson.

With the win, Card becomes the fourth Canadian (all females) to win a Drive, Chip and Putt title in as many years. Savannah Grewal (Mississauga, Ont.) won in 2017, followed by Vanessa Borovilos (Toronto) in 2018 and Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.) in 2019.

Cole Roberts of Oshawa, Ont., was the lone male to play in the event, finishing in 7th place in the boys 7-9 division.

Click here to view final scoring.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. _ Patty Tavatanakit survived Lydia Ko’s final-round charge Sunday to win the ANA Inspiration for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Five strokes ahead entering the day and six in front after a chip-in eagle on the par-5 second, Tavatanakit shot a 4-under 68 in 100-degree heat to beat Ko by two strokes in the first major championship of the year.

Ko matched Lorena Ochoa’s tournament record with a 62, shooting 7-under 29 on the front nine for the best nine-hole score in event’s 50-year history. The New Zealander began the day tied for seventh at 6 under, eight strokes behind Tavatanakit in the tournament played without spectators for the second time in seven months.

Winless since April 2018, the 23-year-old Ko played the first 11 holes in 9 under and added a birdie on the par-4 15th. On the par-5 18th, she drove into rough near the water that lines the left side, laid up and hit a wedge 30 feet long and right. Her birdie try missed to the left, stopping inches away.

Tavatanakit had a series of late par saves to keep her two-stroke lead. Her 8-footer on the par-4 15th circled the cup and dropped in, she lagged a 45-footer to 2 feet on the par-4 16th, and chipped to inches on the par-3 17th after missing the green left.

The 21-year-old Thai player finished the wire-to-wire victory with a short par putt on 18. A day after matching the tournament 54-hole record of 14 under set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory, Tavatanakit finished a stroke off Dottie Pepper’s 72-hole mark of 19 under set in 1999.

Ranked 103rd in the world, the former UCLA star became the sixth straight international winner. She’s the first rookie to win the event since Juli Inkster in 1984 and the fourth straight first-time major winner.

Tavatanakit won seven times in two seasons at UCLA and had three Symetra Tour victories in 2019.

Ko has 15 LPGA Tour victories, winning at Mission Hills in 2016 for her second major victory.

Nelly Korda (66), Sei Young Kim (66) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (66) and Shanshan Feng (69) tied for third at 11 under.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a two-under 70 on Sunday and finished the tournament in a six-way tie for 19th at six under.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Three Canadians will tee it up in the first men’s golf major of the year today.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont.; Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont.; and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., are in the field for the Masters at Augusta National.

Weir gets in by virtue of winning the 2003 edition of the tournament.

Hughes is in after qualifying for last year’s Tour Championship, while Conners gets his berth for tying for 10th at last year’s Masters.

The event is back on its traditional April date after being moved to November last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conners is 43rd in the world men’s golf rankings, Hughes is 51st and Weir is 808th.

TORONTO – Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC have confirmed that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto have strongly supported the hosting of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, with nearby Islington Golf Club serving as the official practice facility for the tournament.

St. George’s and Islington re-committing their involvement for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open follows two years of cancellations due to international travel and government restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 RBC Canadian Open was scheduled to be held June 7-13.

“I am so pleased that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club as well as Islington Golf Club will join us in hosting the 2022 RBC Canadian Open,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “We are already looking forward to the return of the PGA TOUR  to Canada and so grateful that both clubs including their respective membership and our host volunteer committee continue to work towards the celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open.”

“RBC is proud to be title sponsor of Canada’s National Open Championship, one of the oldest events on the PGA TOUR schedule with a strong history of celebrating the importance of golf to Canadians,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We are looking forward to welcoming back defending champion Rory McIlroy, our Team RBC golfers, and inspiring the next generation of golf talent at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.”

St. George’s Golf and Country Club has previously hosted the RBC Canadian Open on five occasions, dating as far back as 1933 and most recently in 2010.

“We are proud to continue along the path that we dedicated the club and our membership to for 2020,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Chair Mark Teskey. “With more than 200 volunteer members having devoted countless hours and many others lending their support in a meaningful way, we are excited to continue with those efforts to make the 111^th RBC Canadian Open a great success.” 

“Islington Golf Club is very happy to be partnering with Golf Canada and St. George’s to deliver a fantastic experience for players, volunteers and Canadian golf fans at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Tournament Co-Chair Chris Tortorice. “We are very excited to welcome the PGA TOUR back to Toronto in 2022.” 

Part of the FedExCup Regular Season and conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also creating a positive impact in the event’s host community. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Audi, Acushnet, Steam Whistle, Hilton, Levelwear, Sargent Farms, Coca-Cola and the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support the Golf Canada Foundation as the event’s official charity partner.

Canada’s top two professional golfers are returning to tournaments this week where they were atop the leaderboard the last time they played in the event.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., won the Valero Texas Open in 2019 and, because the event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered the reigning champion. As a result, every room key at the players’ hotel for the PGA Tour event this week has his picture on it.

Conners said that although his photo is everywhere at the event in San Antonio, he still enjoyed some anonymity when checking in with a hotel clerk thanks to the mask he was wearing upon arrival.

“She had no idea who I was, but I made a funny comment about it being embarrassing for the guy who’s got to look at himself on the room key every day for the whole week,” Conners said this week.

“I obviously had my mask on and a hat and I think a sweatshirt, so she probably didn’t put two and two together.”

Conners won in 2019 after entering the field as a Monday qualifier. He’s ranked 41st in the world this week after a hot start to the season.

He believes he’ll be a different player when he tees off on Thursday compared to the man who won the Texas Open in 2019.

“I think my game’s gotten a little more polished over the last few years, a little more consistent,” said Conners.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tees off on Thursday at the ANA Inspiration, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. It was last held in September 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Henderson was tied for first with American Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Mirim Lee at 15-under after four rounds at last year’s ANA Inspiration. Lee won the tournament with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

The 23-year-old Henderson, who has the most professional tournament wins in Canadian golf history, said she has learned from that playoff defeat.

“I think it’s really important to take away the positives from that week because I played really well and there’s a lot of good things that happened,” said Henderson. “Unfortunately I didn’t lift the trophy but I was tied for the lead when we finished 72 holes. So that’s a lot of confidence and that’s a great feeling.”

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., as well as Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., are the other Canadians in the field at the Texas Open.

The winner, if not already qualified, gets a spot in the Masters, the first major of the men’s season, next week in Augusta, Ga.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the only other Canadian in the field at the ANA Inspiration.

Canada is coming off a big week on the PGA and LPGA feeder circuits.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., won the Korn Ferry Tour event last week, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for second at the Symetra Tour tournament.

Joey Savoie has long been one of the top amateur golfers in Canada and the 26-year-old is now eager to translate that success onto the professional ranks.  

Golf Canada recently announced that the native of La Prairie, Que., will be returning for his second year with the Young Pro Program. In total, Savoie will be entering his fourth year with the National Team Program – having spent 2018 and 2019 as part of the Amateur Squad.

The talented young golfer still remembers first learning that he made the National Team back in 2018.

“It was my final year of college and I got a call from Derek (Ingram) and he told me that I made the team. I was graduating in accounting from Middle Tennessee State University and getting that call changed the plan a little bit,” he recalled.

“My first year was super exciting and just being part the program and getting to compete in tournaments around the world and representing Canada has been amazing in general.”

The Middle Tennessee State University grad was named the Canadian Men’s Amateur Golfer of the Year in 2018. That season would see him win the Franklin American Mortgage Tennessee Open and the Grant Clements Memorial Tournament. During Savoie’s time with the National Amateur Squad, he rose to number 24 on the world amateur rankings.

According to Ingram, Savoie’s time with the program has been well spent.

“Every area of Joey’s game has gotten a little better.  He has excellent habits and routines and is a very good iron player and putter,” said the Canadian Men’s National Team head coach.

“His set up and grip have improved and Joey is now starting to see the benefits of his hard work with both myself and his home coach, Dan (Langevin). Joey’s bunker player has also really improved and he has more shots around the green. He has really matured in every area of the game.”

Savoie is quick to point out that membership in the National Team Program has it’s privileges.

“It’s great to work with Derek and learn from him and it’s also been great to take part in all the training camps. I don’t where I would be if I didn’t receive that support from Golf Canada,” he pointed out.

“Travelling the world and playing in big competitions was out of my budget so being part of the program gave me an opportunity that I’m really grateful for.”

Currently in his second year with the Young Pro Program, Savoie’s focus is to translate that amateur success onto the professional ranks.

As he is prepares for the upcoming season, Savoie took time to reflect on his humble beginnings in the sport which began in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – a suburb approximately half an hour southeast of Montreal.

The 26-year-old recalls that his father, Pierre Savoie, and his mother, Helene Savoie, were both very supportive of his interest in golf.

“We were living on a par three course on the seventh hole as I remember.  It’s public golf course in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and I got started when I was around six years old,” Savoie reminisced.

“Everyone from my mom’s side of the family was passionate about golf – especially my uncle, who played professionally,” he continued.

Savoie adds that his uncle, Jean-Louis Lamarre, was actually their neighbour.

“When I went over to his house I would see all his trophies and all his golf clubs and everything so I was intrigued at a young age.  Given that everyone on my mom’s side of the family played golf and combine that with the fact that my uncle was a professional golfer, it made we want to try the game.”

And as the story goes young Joey would quickly find his passion on the golf course.

“I remember just wanting to hit the golf ball.  That feeling of hitting the ball was just so fun. I was lucky to be living with the nicest play ground ever with a golf course in my backyard and I would often grab my entire bag in my free time and just try to drive the green,” he recalled.

“My granddad was also an avid golfer so since he was retired, he would sometimes pick me up after school to play 9 holes.”

While he got his start at the age of six, it wasn’t until several years later that Savoie competed in his first tournament.

“I play my first competition when I was just 10 or 11 years old. I was playing in a one round tournament to determine the provincial champion for that age category; and as I can remember I won by two shots,” Savoie revealed.

“It was kind of shock to be honest.  It was my first tournament so didn’t really know what to expect. I was competitive and wanted to win, but it was my first event and I didn’t put any expectation on winning. I remember thinking ‘Oh, I beat all those guys?’ So it was just a pleasant surprise.”

After that Savoie says his parents put him into more tournaments and he started taking the sport more seriously.

“When I was 13, I think I won every tournament I played in that year, including the provincials and I was really into golf at that age and I dreamed of one day playing on the PGA Tour,” said Savoie. 

“But then I grew a foot over the next year and it affected my results and it took some time to adjust to that big change,” he added.

Growing up as a student of the game, the six foot one inch Savoie says he idolized Mike Weir and Tiger Woods.

“Mike Weir is someone I really looked up to.  Mike winning the Masters is a special accomplishment and something Canadian golf fans will always remember. And growing up, Tiger was such a big superstar and had so much success and he made the sport very vibrant and cool to watch,” Savoie noted.

The talented young Canadian is eager to achieve his own version of greatness on the golf course one day but he knows it can only come one step at a time.  Savoie believes having a place on the Young Pro Squad sets him up for success in the pursuit of his goals.

With a hectic schedule over the past few years, Savoie says the pandemic has actually given him a chance to slow things down and reflect on his journey; and that has allowed him to achieve greater clarity on his goals.

As he looks ahead, Savoie’s goal is to enjoy success on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada this year. And within the next five years, the Young Pro Squad member has visions of making his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour, and ultimately, onto the PGA Tour.  

Ingram believes with continued improvements, Savoie has what it takes to achieve his dreams.

“The top priority would be to continue to improve his ball striking as it can be a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it’s excellent, while other times there’s a few too many mistakes off the tee. But Joey is making progress,” he said.

“It’s super early in his development as a new pro as his first year was a pandemic year so he has to continue on his path of learning to be a pro, travelling and competing,” Ingram continued.

“Joey could also get a little longer but I believe he has the ability and habits to be a PGA Tour player.”

Savoie is inspired by the meaningful words coming from such a highly respected coach who has worked with other talented young Canadians to achieve their dreams in the sport. The second year Young Pro Squad member is also inspired by the success of others who have been through the program, such as Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin – to name just a few.

“It really does inspire me.  And it’s good to have other players as mentors and friends to speak to also because we are all going through the same journey.  It’s fun to see those guys do well because we are all on the same team,” said Savoie.  

“The players on the Young Pro Squad now might be at different stages in our career but we all have potential and a ton of work ethic to try to reach our goals,” he added.

“Ever since I was I kid, my dream was to play on the PGA Tour so I’m grateful to be in the position I’m in right now; and I’m prepared to make the most out of this opportunity.”

(Acton, ON) – The PGA of Canada is pleased to announce that some of Canada’s top venues have been secured as host sites for the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble Regional Finals. 

The excitement of the RBC PGA Scramble is growing with the addition of these great facilities from coast-to-coast:

As the premier amateur team golf tournament in the country for teams of family, friends and colleagues, the 2021 edition of the RBC PGA Scramble expects to once again see more than 10,000 golfers participate in local and regional qualifying. 

In 2020, the RBC PGA Scramble saw a 73% year-over-year increase in female participation, a number the program hopes to further improve this season. There will be a spot in each regional final reserved for an all-female team. 

COVID-19 protocols will be in place at each qualifier in accordance with provincial health authority guidelines. There were no reported cases from any of the 140 RBC PGA Scramble qualifiers in 2020. 

The program is also pleased to announce the following updates and highlights for 2021:

• Open Local Qualifiers will run as 8-somes where permissible by local health authorities. Select open events will have volunteer scorers, instead.
• A Handicap and Scoring Committee is being formed to examine handicap and scoring inaccuracies.
• Through our partners at Titleist and FootJoy, prizes for the top teams at Local Qualifiers will have more options for male and female competitors.
• Teams that have qualified for Regional Finals three out of the past five years are required to split up by 50% to expand the program and allow more opportunities for all teams to enjoy the experience that the RBC PGA Scramble provides. 
• There will continue to be a female wild card team offered in any region where an all-female team does not qualify, ensuring representation in every Regional Final.
• Like in 2020, in any region where less than 18 teams qualify, alternate teams will be invited based on their performance in Local Qualifiers.
• New partners that will be announced shortly will offer exciting perks for competitors. 

• Additional staff have been hired in response to the additional demand as the program continues to grow. 
• Local qualifying events with 16 or less teams will qualify one team, 17 or more teams will qualify two teams.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble, visit:

 www.rbcpgascramble.com

Titleist has been an iconic brand in golf for decades now but with its 2021 line-up it’s showing no signs of slowing down.  

The brand – whose national fitting headquarters is located at Eagles Nest Golf Club, just north of Toronto – is the official equipment sponsor of not only the national team program, but also of the National Amateur Championships and the NextGen programs. 

“Trust is earned over time and really, at the heart of it, is performance. Our mission is to help golfers perform better,” says Brett Porath, the director of Club Fitting for Titleist. “That’s all through the design process, the fitting process… just trying to see how we can help a golfer hit it longer, hit it straighter, and score lower. 

Titleist’s line-up of gear – from drivers through to golf balls – have all been engineered and tested to get the best out of the people who decide to put them in play. New for 2021 is a rock-solid line of gear that, from tee to green, gives golfers an opportunity to feel better with their games. 

Not only that, but there are some special additions to Titleist’s off-course luggage line that, when we’re able to travel again, will make a welcome inclusion to anyone’s closet. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Titleist’s gear for 2021 ?

THE NO.1 BALL IN GOLF

You really can’t start talking about Titleist without mentioning it’s golf-ball line first – it’s been the top ball in golf for a number of years for a reason, specifically the Pro V1 and Pro V1x. 

The changes made to the 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x, per Frederick Waddell, the senior manager of golf ball management for Titleist, are worth being excited about. There is a new dimple pattern, softer cover technology, new casing-layer material, and a re-formulated core. 

“All of these things are working in concert to deliver longer distance, more short-game spin and control and softer feel for every golfer,” says Waddell. “Long distance off the tee, everyone wants that. And (the balls) deliver that. But with control into and around the green, too.”

While Titleist as a handful of other balls in their line suited for players of all levels – and conscious of all budgets – and even in some fun colours there is a “specific reason” for each to exist, Waddell says. 

“We know for some golfers… we know they’re not going to spend a certain amount of money or they are looking for something very specific for an attributes standpoint, so we have other models,” says Waddell.

No matter the ball a golfer selects, getting fit for the right one is something that’s not often thought about – but definitely worth taking the time to do according to Michael Rich, the senior manager of golf ball fitting.  

Rich suggests that no matter where a golfer lands with their fitting, once they’ve found a golf ball that works for them then playing it consistently is key. A golf ball is the only thing that every single golfer is going to use for every single shot of every single shot and having that dialed in is going to help you play better. 

“By eliminating that variable from your game it’s going to help you be more confident and shoot lower scores,” says Rich. “No one wants to put a good swing on the ball and not get the result they think they deserve.

TAKE IT LONG WITH TSI

Although golfers mostly associate Titleist with golf balls, its line of clubs has not-so-quietly become some of the most played on major Tours around the world – and trusted by more weekend golfers, too. 

Josh Talge, the vice president of marketing for Titleist golf clubs, admits that his team as a lot to live up to when it comes to reputation thanks to the golf-ball team, but it’s a great challenge for him. 

The team has been built over the last decade and now boasts over 70 people – many of them with PhD’s or advanced degrees in mathematics. Titleist leans into that next-level knowledge to make the best clubs it can. 

For 2021, the big story for Titleist is with its line of woods, the TSi. TS, the previous line, was a huge step forward for the brand a few years ago and the team was even more inspired than ever to drop something even better. 

“It’s faster through the air, longer off the tee, and straighter down the fairway,” says Talge. “It’s kind of those three things that any golfer would be looking for.” 

From weekend warriors to Tour players, the first thing they’ve all done is take the drive and put it down on the ground. Their first thought, Talge says, is, ‘man, this looks good’ and then they start hitting it, Talge says, and all they can say is, ‘wow.’ 

The new TSi line of drivers boasts ATI 425 Aerospace Titanium – a material the team found coming off the de-classified list in the U.S. It was coming out of projects that NASA and the U.S. military were working on, including on the Mars Rover. That special material allows for the new driver (which no other company is using) to be more stable and has allowed Titleist to max out speed and distance. 

As far as options go, there are four in the TSi line – all appropriately numbered as such. There’s a different shape for each and a little bit different performance benefits, Talge says, but the key is to get fit and see which driver is right for you.  

“We believe so deeply in fitting,” says Talge, “and that’s how you’re going to maximize your performance.” 

GET FIT, GET BETTER

Whether it’s getting fit for one of those new TSi drivers or a golf ball, Titleist believes that golfers can get even better when they’ve got the right equipment dialed into their needs. 

The brand is coming up on 100 years, nearly, in the golf space and even though they are using some space-age materials in their clubs, they do go back to the basics when it comes to kicking off a fitting session. 

Porath, who has been one of the leads in the club-fitting department at Titleist for a number of years, says it’s a common misconception that golfers aren’t good enough to have a fitting. 

He says that is “absolutely not true.” 

“If you’re starting out the fitting is not going to be as detailed – we won’t try to dial in spin to 100 RPMs – but that’s not the point,” says Porath. “It’s about getting clubs that increase the likelihood of hitting great shots more often and ingraining good habits in your game.” 

There are a good number of options for golfers when they start to lean into Titleist’s line of clubs (and golf balls) but there is a reason for that, Porath explains. The focus is laser-like on performance, and sometimes that means giving golfers a wide selection of tools to maximize success. 

“If we were trying to come out with the simplest, easiest-to-sell line it probably wouldn’t be as broad as it is. But take wedges, if you want to help people score better then you’re going to have different bounces, different grinds, and different options,” says Porath. “There’s an example of our focus on performance. It manifests itself in the products we come out with.”    

GEAR UP 

With your new golf clubs and balls, you’ve got to carry them somewhere, right? 

Luckily Titleist also has a fresh line of golf bags for this year – the new model is called the Players 4 Plus – with four key enhancements.

And don’t think they’re skimping on the details. 

Sean Slater, the senior product manager for Titleist golf gear says they’ve spent a good chunk of time making sure the zippers (yes, the zippers) and pockets are performing their best. 

“You think about a pocket in its simplest form: it’s a zipper and a pouch that closes. But we get into the weeds on the length of the zipper, the curve of the zipper, the location of the zipper, and where it starts and stops,” says Slater. “There is a ton that goes into it.” 

Just like golfers trusting Titleist for the performance of its clubs and balls, the same can be true for its bags. Slater says durability is not something they’ve ever been willing to compromise – even when Titleist entered the ultra-lightweight space in 2020 with the Titleist Ultra Light stand bag. 

And when travel is OK again, don’t ignore Titleist’s new line of professional travel gear – it’s a high-end luggage assort geared to the dedicated golfer is keen to show they are a Titleist brand loyalist off the course. 

With everything Titleist has on offer from clubs, balls, and gear, it’s easy to see why so many Canadians are trusting Titleist to help them look and play their best. 

Golf Canada will tee it up in 2021 to conduct national amateur championships and is working with public health authorities in host communities to finalize operational protocols so that the competitions may proceed safely. 

Following a 2020 season that saw the cancellation of all Golf Canada competitions due to the pandemic, the 2021 schedule will feature nine National Amateur Championships, eight NextGen Championships for junior-aged golfers, and several USGA qualifiers which will be hosted at member clubs across Canada. 

“We are taking a measured but optimistic approach to conducting our 2021 championship season and we are excited to welcome the athletes back to our competitions,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue. “Golf Canada will continue to prioritize the safety of players, volunteers, host club and tournament staff, and host communities and will work with regional health authorities and our host clubs to get our national amateur competitions back on the tee. We also want to thank our roster of host clubs and volunteer committees for giving back to the game and joining us in this journey.” 

CLICK HERE TO SEE GOLF CANADA’S 2021 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Operational protocols for each competition will align with local and provincial health and safety guidelines that have allowed golf courses to open for regular play. Should public health guidelines or interprovincial travel restrictions warrant, Golf Canada will make modifications to the competition schedule including a change to the size and composition of tournament fields or an outright event cancellation should circumstances dictate.

National Amateur Championship registration will open on Wednesday, April 7 at 12:00pm EDT while registration for all NextGen Championships will open on Monday, March 29 at 12:00pm EDT.

Applications will be open to any Golf Canada members who meet the eligibility criteria.  Given the current federal travel restrictions in place, Golf Canada will not be accepting registration from foreign residents for our championships at this time.  More information on the application procedure will be available on each championship information page.

Please visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions-calendar/ to register for Golf Canada competitions.  

Golf Canada will also resume calculation of the NextGen National Junior Order of Merit to identify and give recognition to top-performing junior girls and boys across Canada who have achieved success during the 2021 season. The 2021 NextGen National Junior Order of Merit schedule can be viewed here and consists of Canadian events from the period January 1 to August 15, 2021 with a maximum of five (5) counting events for a player’s ranking.

With continued COVID-19 limitations and international travel restrictions, Golf Canada will not track a National Amateur Order of Merit in 2021. Golf Canada is carefully following the impact of the pandemic on international travel and competition and how those factors might impact the Team Canada Selection criteria for 2021/22, which are currently under review and can be accessed here once published.