Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Graham Robertson, Cobble Beach Golf Links, Hole #14

My first hole-in-one! A five-iron, on the 172 yard, 14th hole at Cobble Beach. I knew it was a good shot but never saw it go in as it’s a blind shot, up hill over a bunker. As I got up to the green, there was a ball three feet from the flag. I assumed it was mine. I even joked about it being a gimme, but as I got closer to the ball, I saw it was a different ball, not mine. I then assumed I must have hit long so I started to look in the rough behind the hole. One of the guys said, “did you check the hole?” I looked in the hole and there was my beautiful golf ball at the bottom of the cup. After playing golf since 1977, this is my first ever! A surreal feeling, more stunned silent than celebrating like crazy. Wow.

Alana MacLeod, Digby Pines, Hole #2

I made the mistake of not taking the ball out of play and lost it in the woods on the fourth hole. When I played the next day, I found the sacred ball. It’s ready for a display case now. What a joyful exciting experience. I have golfed for 25 years and this is my first hole-in-one.

Janet Laus, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club, Hole #7

Was playing with Shane Davis and Ford Lake. The yardage was 110 and I used a Callaway 7 club. 

Ron Kimmel, Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club, Hole #14

The most amazing thing is that my wife, Elaine, had a hole-in-one on the same hole earlier in the season in May. What are the odds, a husband and wife both having a hole in one on the same hole in the same season!

Peter MacLachlan, Willows Golf & Country Club, Hole #15

Bridges course, hole #6, 175 yards, 7 iron straight into the cup. Player partners, left to right in the picture were Kevin Eggum, Kevin Carswell, myself and Dean Proski.

Connor Raedeke, McKenzie Meadows Golf Club, Hole #15

I was playing with my buddies Bobby, Justen and Kyle at McKenzie Meadows. A course I’ve played many times. Nice little twilight round. The hole was playing 194 yards, a tad down wind. Hit a 7 iron that I thought was going to be just at the front of the green to a middle pin. I didn’t think it had a chance to get all the way to the pin but it was straight at it. I was last to walk up to the green thinking where is my ball. Bobby went and checked the cup and we all went wild. A few beverages followed after the round. 

Lyndsey Teschke, RiverEdge Golf Club, Hole #4

It was quite a shocker when the ball disappeared. I didn’t believe it until I saw the ball in the cup. I was playing with my friends Sharon Owen and Caren Maurer (we play in the ladies league at RiverEdge). It was 110 yards and I hit my 7 iron. It was a tougher pin placement and the ball landed on the green on top of the hill and rolled towards the pin and disappeared! I actually had a shadow box made with the ball and scorecard too.

Owen Turner, Green Gables Golf Club, Hole #8

I went out after work with a few buddies, Mike and Sahib. It was a beautiful evening round with no wind. I decided to play from the white tees with them and on hole #8 I chose my trusty Gap wedge from about 130 yards to a front middle pin. I saw it tracking towards the hole and I knew it was close. As we drove up towards the green, I saw the ball pinned between the pin and the cup for my first career ace! The adrenaline was rushing throughout my body and I laid down on the green for a brief moment to take it all in. It was a phenomenal day as it was my first ever hole-in-one. 

Kevin Meagher, Orchard Beach Golf & Country Club, Hole #4

The distance from the white tee to pin on that day was about 162 yards and I hit a 7 iron. My group consisted of Mike Morris, Wally Beck and Rick Hyle.

Kerry Quail, Victoria Park East Golf Club, Hole #15

My fifth lifetime hole-in-one. 6 iron from 167 yards and played with Craig Walker, Derek Brown and Douglas Blair. 

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim missed a birdie putt on No. 18 to lose to Keegan Bradley as the United States clinched an 18 1/2 to 12 1/2 win over the International team at the Presidents Cup.

Bradley’s victory gave the Americans the 15 1/2 points required to win the tournament with five matches still on the course Sunday at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

It’s the U.S.’s 10th consecutive win at the elite biennial tournament.

The Presidents Cup sees 12 Americans play 12 golfers from around the world, excluding Europe. 

All 24 golfers played in individual matches in the final round, with the Internationals entering the day trailing by four points.

Each match is worth a point and a score of 15 1/2 is needed to win the tournament. The Americans held an 11-7 lead heading into the final round, meaning the Internationals needed to take at least eight matches and earn one tie out of the 12 pairings to win.

The largest final-round comeback in Presidents Cup history was when the Americans rallied from a two-point deficit at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2019.

Medinah Country Club outside Chicago will host the next Presidents Cup in 2026.

Xander Schauffele got the first match of the day done quickly, beating Australia’s Jason Day 4&3.

South Korea’s Tom Kim, easily the most outspoken member of the International team, backed up his words with a birdie on No. 15 to earn a draw with Sam Burns.

World No. 7 Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, the highest-ranked member of the Internationals, eked out a 1-Up win over world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. 

At almost the same time, Russell Henley completed a 3&2 victory over South Korea’s Sungjae Im.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., breathed life into the Internationals’ cause with a 5&3 win over Tony Finau in the Canadian’s best performance of the week.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., conceded to Patrick Cantlay on the 16th green for a 3&1 loss to move the Americans to within a point of winning the tournament.

Si Woo Kim could have tied his match against Bradley if he’d sunk his birdie putt on No. 18, but he missed for the 1-Up loss.

After the Americans clinched their victory, play continued. 

Australia’s Min Woo Lee birdied the par-4 No. 18 to earn a tie with Wyndham Clark. Sanith Theegala missed his birdie putt on the 18th green to tie South Korea’s Byeong Hun An.

Collin Morikawa then earned a 2&1 victory over Australia’s Adam Scott before South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout topped Brian Harman 2&1.

Max Homa beat Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 2&1 in the tournament’s final match. It was the first time that three Canadians played in the event.

The line between showmanship and bad sportsmanship was blurred a little more on the third day of the Presidents Cup.

Si Woo Kim ran on to the 16th green after he drained a chip in from the deep rough, cradling his head on folded hands, emulating the go-to-sleep celebration of Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry, as he celebrated he and fellow South Korean Tom Kim tying their match with Americans Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.

Two holes later, Cantlay drained a birdie putt to help the United States build an 11-7 lead over the International team in a long day at the Presidents Cup. Tom Kim — no stranger to exuberant celebrations — said a line was crossed by his American opponents during the match.

“Towards the end, it got a little feisty out there,” said Tom Kim. “I could hear some players cursing at us. I don’t think there was good sportsmanship there.

“But it’s all part of the fun. I understand it.”

Cantlay’s nearly 17-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole at Royal Montreal Golf Club gave the U.S. back-to-back 3-1 rounds on Saturday and a four-point lead on the overall scoreboard.

The elite biennial tournament sees 12 Americans face 12 golfers from around the world, excluding Europe. The final round will have all 24 golfers playing individual matches.

Each match is worth a point and a score of 15 1/2 is needed to win the tournament. The Internationals have lost nine Presidents Cups in a row.

Whipping the fans at Royal Montreal into a frenzy has been one of the strategies employed by the Internationals as they try to end their losing skid and overcome a stacked American roster that features five of the top 10 players in the world.

Tom Kim has been the International team’s conductor on the course, playing to the fans the most of any of the tournament’s golfers. Still, he maintained a line was crossed Saturday.

“I do it, too. You see me out there throwing fist pumps and jumping on the green. It’s all part of it, I get it,” he said. “I just don’t think there’s a need to look at someone and curse at them. I just don’t think there’s a need for it.”

Schauffele and Cantlay said they didn’t swear at their opponents and didn’t hear any of their American teammates — trailing behind the group in golf carts — curse either.

“I felt like Pat and I, we treated the Kims with the utmost respect,” said Schauffele, adding that he and Cantaly both tried to quiet the crowd whenever they or their opponents were about to swing.

“I have no clue if anyone was doing any of that. I don’t believe any of our guys would do something like that. So I’m not sure what he was hearing.”

A fog delay that lasted nearly 100 minutes early in the morning session backed up the entire day’s proceedings. Players were on the course for more than 12 hours.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Australia’s Adam Scott were starting their second match of the day with Max Homa and Brian Harman as Cantlay and Sam Burns were on No. 17, finishing a 2&1 victory over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korea’s Sungjae Im from the first wave.

The other afternoon matches were delayed 30 minutes to allow the golfers time to refresh after playing all morning.

Pendrith and Scott traded holes with Harman and Homa to emerge with a 2-Up win for the Internationals’ only point of the afternoon’s fourth round.

“It was a quick turnaround, but we all knew that we were potentially going to play 36 today,” said Pendrith. “It was a long day out there. I’m pretty tired, yeah.

“I was happy to put a point on the board this afternoon for the International Team, but it’s been a long day.”

Collin Morikawa and Burns eked out a 1-Up win over the all-Canadian duo of Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., in the afternoon. That match was tied after 17 holes, with Conners and Hughes combining for a bogey on the final hole.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley won their final three holes for a 3&2 victory over Matsuyama and Im.

The score was tied 5-5 at the start of play Saturday and the U.S. recaptured the lead after a 3-1 third round of four-ball play in the morning.

Scheffler and Morikawa earned a 2&1 win over Scott and Pendrith, then Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim picked up the lone point for the Internationals in the morning session with a 4&3 victory over Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark.

Tony Finau and Schauffele then dispatched Conners and Hughes 3&2. Cantlay and Burns earned the Americans’ third point of the day with their win over Matsuyama and Im.

South Korea’s Tom Kim and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith called on International team fans to be louder at Royal Montreal Golf Club after a disappointing first round at the Presidents Cup.

The spectators answered that call on Friday.

A boisterous gallery chanted “I-N-T,” sang “O Canada!”, and generally made their presence known at virtually every hole as the Internationals stormed back with a 5-0 second-round shutout to tie the United States 5-5 in the overall score at the elite biennial men’s golf tournament.

Resounding wins by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korea’s Sungjae Im, Australia’s Adam Scott and Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and the all-Canadian pairing of Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

“The fans really brought it. We felt that from the get-go,” said Hughes, who did not play in Thursday’s first round. “Corey mentioned that the first tee felt a lot different today than it did yesterday. Just electric all day.

“I joked to Corey on No. 2 tee, I said ‘how many times will we hear ‘O Canada’ today? What was the over-under?'”

Whatever line Hughes and Conners settled on, the galleries at Royal Montreal almost certainly were over. Kim and Pendrith had both said on Thursday that fans needed to make as much noise as possible to boost the International squad against a U.S. lineup that features five of the top 10 players in the world.

A day later, Kim said the fans were “unbelievable.” 

“I think the reason why we were able to play so good today, other than these guys going out and performing, was our fans backed us up,” said Kim, who did not play on Friday. “I think that gives you momentum, that gives you energy. 

“They played a huge factor in our win today.”

The elite biennial tournament sees 12 Americans face 12 golfers from around the world, excluding Europe. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., selected four-ball as the first-round format and alternate ball foursomes for Friday. Saturday will have two rounds, four-ball and foursomes.

Each match is worth a point and the first team to 15 1/2 wins the tournament, which made the U.S. 5-0 first-round lead seem insurmountable before the comeback.

“No doubt yesterday was a tough day for us,” said Scott. “The scoreboard, which is the only thing that matters, looked terrible.

“It was closer than the scoreboard showed. Our spirits were high going back on the bus last night, some time together in the team room last night, kept the energy going, the spirits high.”

Hughes agreed.

“We’re just having fun. This is like the most fun group to be a part of. We sang. We laughed the whole way home last night,” said Hughes, grinning. “We were on the bus this morning, and the vibe was great. We just knew we had a lot of golf in front of us.”

Unlike the Americans’ 5-0 four-ball sweep in Thursday’s first round, the Internationals’ victories were not close.

Matsuyama and Im set the tone early with a 7&6 win over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele in the day’s opening match.

Pendrith and Scott kept things rolling with a 6&5 victory over Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.

Although the fourth match of the day, the all-Canadian team of Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., won next with a 6&5 triumph over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.

“It obviously helped that a few guys went out early and got some leads,” said Hughes. “It just felt like the momentum was really infectious. You hear the cheers around the golf course, and you knew which cheers were for which team, which was really cool today.

“It felt like the crowd really pulled us through those matches. We need more of that the rest of the week.”

Nearly an hour later, Australia’s Jason Day made a 55-foot chip shot to get partner Christiaan Bezuidenhout to within 17 inches of the 18th hole. The South African made the putt to preserve their 1-Up win over Max Homa and Brian Harman.

“I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to be able to hit a shot like that under those conditions because what we’re doing right now, playing in this team format, is going to help us in the future playing down the stretch in other tournaments,” said Day. “So this is great experience for me.”

A 15-foot putt by South Korea’s Si Woo Kim sealed the fifth match of the day. He and fellow Korean Byeong Hun An beat world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley 1 Up.

By John Chidley-Hill

The United States has jumped out to a 5-0 over the International team at the Presidents Cup.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and partner Russell Henley earned a 3&2 victory over the South Korean pairing of Sungjae Im and Tom Kim in 16 holes in a match that featured lots of gamesmanship.

After Kim loudly celebrated a birdie putt, Scheffler made a point of pumping his fist and yelling in a similar way, glaring at the South Korean. On the next hole, Kim and Im walked off the green and went to the next tee before the Americans had finished their putts.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and South African partner Christiaan Bezuidenhout were the closest International team to earning a tie but ultimately lost to Americans Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley 3&2.

The Presidents Cup is a biennial best-on-best tournament that sees 12 American golfers face 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Three Canadians are playing in it for the first time ever.

Conditions were soft and wet to start the day at Royal Montreal Golf Club but the course quickly dried as the sun came out during the noontime tees.

There were five four-ball matches in the first round. Each match is worth one point and the first team to get up to 15 1/2 points in total wins the tournament.

World No. 2 Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau gave the U.S. an early lead with an 1 Up victory over Australia’s Jason Day and Byeong Hun An in the opening match. 

Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala added to the American lead with a 1 Up win over the all-Australian pairing of Adam Scott and Min-Woo Lee.

Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns finished off Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in 17 holes for a 2&1 win.

Seattle, Wash. – Shelly Stouffer finished as the runner-up after falling in the final 3 and 2 to Nadene Gole at the 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, Wash. on Thursday.

Stouffer, of Nanoose Bay, B.C. finished atop the leaderboard in a field of 132 players at 4-over following rounds of 71 and 73 to grab the top seed heading into the knockout round and earned stroke-play medalist honours.

Stouffer defeated Shelly Haywood of Laguna Woods, Calif. 6 and 5 in the Round of 64. On Tuesday, Stouffer won both rounds, defeating Corey Weworski of Carlsbad, Calif. 5 and 4 in the Round of 32 and then Stephanie Kiefer of Germany, 3 and 2 in the Round of 16.

On Wednesday, Stouffer continued her run defeating Kathy Hartwiger of Pinehurst, N.C. 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals and Ellen Port of St. Louis, Mo. 2 and 1 in the semifinals.

In the final, third ranked Gole of Australia took the lead following the second hole. Stouffer squared the match with a par on the very next hole, before Gole regained her lead on no. 4. She went on to increase the lead to two following a par on no. 7. Stouffer battled back to tie the match through 10 holes after back-to-back birdies on nos. 9 and 10. Gole regained the lead with a birdie on no. 12 and increased it with a par on no. 14 and birdie on no. 15 to go three up. Both Stouffer and Gole recorded par on no. 16, ending the match in favour of Gole.

As a finalist, Stouffer has earned exemptions into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur, August 4-10, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon Dunes) in Bandon, Ore., the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, August 21-24, at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif., and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at September 13-18, at Troon Country Club and Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Stouffer has enjoyed a successful season, winning the 2024 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Inter-Provincial Team titles in July at Crowne Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C. She also won the B.C. Women’s Mid-Master Championship and the B.C. Women’s Senior Championship and added a bronze medal from the 2024 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. Stouffer won the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

Fellow Canadians Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. and 2024 Canadian Women’s Senior Champion, Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont. finished the stroke-play portion of the tournament inside the top 10, with Kyrinis finishing T4 at 7-over and Samuel in 6th at 8-over. Samuel was eliminated by Dawn Woodward of Greenville, S.C. 3 and 2 in the Round of 16. Kyrinis was eliminated by Ellen Port by one stroke in the Round of 32.

The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday at Royal Montreal Golf Club. The best-on-best match-play tournament sees 12 American golfers take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the elite men’s golf event:

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME — Despite the high quality of the golfers in the tournament, the Presidents Cup is unique on the PGA Tour because there is no prize money. Mackenzie Hughes, one of three Canadians on the International team and a member of the PGA Tour’s player advisory council, said he is OK with that arrangement.

“I love these competitions. I love the game,” said Hughes, who is playing in the Presidents Cup for the first time. “If you said, ‘hey, you have to pay to play in this,’ I would love to pay to play in this. 

“There would be guys, I’m sure, on the other side that have won multiple majors and maybe feel like they deserve to be paid to be here. I never feel that way. I feel like it’s an honour that doesn’t need to come with any monetary value.”

POUTINE IS UNREAL — The International team is made up of golfers from five countries: Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and South Africa. To overcome the cultural and linguistic differences, captain Mike Weir has introduced the golfers to Canadian culture, like hockey and poutine. Australia’s Min Woo Lee tweeted that Quebec’s signature dish was “unreal” and elaborated at a news conference on Wednesday.

“It looked amazing, and I tried it, and it was even better than it looked,” said Lee. “I thought it was a bit more complicated, but it was just fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It was unbelievable.”

DARK CLOUDS — A thunderstorm is forecast for the Montreal area on Thursday, with heavy rain expected through the daylight hours at Royal Montreal on L’Ile Bizard, Que. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 21 Celsius, despite the rain. The weather is expected to clear on Friday, but the temperatures will remain relatively cool.

SCOTT IS DUE — Australia’s Adam Scott had been a mainstay on the International team, participating in 11 Presidents Cups. However, the Internationals are winless in that span, last winning in 1998.

“I absolutely do not feel bad for Adam Scott,” said American Xander Schauffele. “I like Adam Scott a lot, but I do not feel bad for him at all. 

“I’m stubborn, and the more I get knocked down, the harder I push back up. If I had lost 10 times in a row, I’d come back champing at the bit even harder than ever. I’m sure that’s what they’re doing.”

PRIME MINISTER’S CUP — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was named the honorary chair of the Presidents Cup on Sept. 9. It’s expected that he’ll be at Royal Montreal on Sunday to hand the trophy to the winning team as part of the tournament’s championship ceremony.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.

Rahontsá:waks Albany’s father had already planned to take his son to watch Thursday’s opening matches of the Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Little did he know, the 12-year-old would end up being part of the day’s festivities, one of four First Tee participants selected to carry the flags of the United States, Canada, Quebec and the International Team at the event’s Opening Ceremonies.

“It was just like, what are the odds of having this opportunity?” Rahontsá:waks’ mother, Lacey Paul, says.

Rahontsá:waks, Nashtyn Mayo and Aronhiakèn:ra Martin were chosen from the Kahnawá:ke Mohawk Territory First Nations reserve and First Tee – Quebec’s partner, Club 24 Athletics. Club 24 seeks to build future leaders in the indigenous community through educational support and sports participation.

The fourth flag bearer, Jarred Pompey, is from nearby Montreal and a member of First Tee – Quebec, too. Earlier this year, he caddied at a charity shootout in conjunction with the Presidents Cup media day where First Tee – Canada received a $250,000 donation from the biennial match-play competition.

The other charitable beneficiaries of the Presidents Cup are McGill University Health Centre Foundation, One Drop Foundation and Montreal Children’s Hospital.

On a recent Zoom call, it was hard to tell who was more excited – Rahontsá:waks, whose name in Kanien’kéha, which is the Mohawk language, means “He shakes the Earth” – or his mother.

Paul, who works for the Kahnawá:ke Tourism office, was about to go into a strategic planning meeting when she was notified that her son had been chosen. She remembers bursting with pride and telling anyone who would listen.

“To see our little guy represent Kahnawá:ke on the international stage, it truly is an honor, to have and see indigenous representation at the Presidents Cup,” Paul says.

Kahnawá:ke, which comes from the Mohawk word meaning “place of the rapids,” is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, about an hour from Royal Montreal.

Paul is fiercely proud of her son and other indigenous athletes like Notah Begay III, a Native American and five-time winner on the PGA TOUR. Performers like Lily Gladstone, an actress raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana who was nominated for an Academy Award last year, have also raised awareness of the indigenous community.

“We have so many children who excel in sports that we’re going places,” Paul says. “The world is opening up, and seeing all the indigenous – the actors, the soccer players, the lacrosse players, the hockey players, even Brandon Montour who played for Florida Panthers. He’s from Six Nations.

“So, I think right there, it’s opening up a world like this international stage.”

Rahontsá:waks expects to be nervous on Thursday at Royal Montreal. But he is hoping for a chance to see his favorite player, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and pick up any pointers he can during his visit to the prestigious competition that began in 1994. He’s been a member of the Club 24 program since it started three years ago and recently started competing in nine-hole events.

Club 24 Athletics seeks to build future leaders in the indigenous community through educational support and sports participation. (Courtesy Lacey Paul)

“It’s really nerve-wracking,” says Rahontsá:waks, flashing an engaging smile. “I never really played competitive golf, but I liked it. I made new friendships with other kids, and I want to go back to playing them next year, too, or even the 18-hole tournaments.”

Rahontsá:waks, who also plays lacrosse and hockey, started going to the golf course with his older brother, Tehorahkwaneken, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Tehorahkwaneken, who was recently invited to play in an amateur tournament in Dubai, attended the Hernan Rey Golf Academy in Orlando for the last two years.

Paul has seen her younger son grow beyond simply mastering the rules and fundamentals of the game. At 12, he’s become more self-confident and mature than he once was.

“But you’re still a kid,” she says. “(He’s learned) to play the game of golf and to have patience. … And that also golf is a mental game. And just for the love of golf to keep pursuing the game.”

According to Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation, the return of the Presidents Cup to Royal Montreal was the catalyst for the launch of First Tee – Canada. In a partnership announced in 2020, the PGA TOUR committed $250,000 to the effort, and the first chapters were created in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic a year later. There are now six chapters serving all 10 Canadian provinces.

“It is really a three-way partnership between Golf Canada, PGA TOUR and the Golf Canada Foundation, and that announcement really spurred all of this tremendous growth that’s happened since 2020,” Barnard said. “When we launched, we had to sort of set about saying, ‘Okay, we need the support of the philanthropic community. We needed the support of some of the corporate partners that we had as well.’ …

“And last year we were thrilled to announce that we’ve reached more than 100,000 kids through the program in Canada and more than 19 million raised since that time.”

Barnard says First Tee, which uses the game of golf to develop character and life skills, works with its local chapters to make sure they bring kids from a variety of backgrounds into the program to “better represent the fabric of Canada.” The partnership with the Presidents Cup will only add to that legacy.

“It’ll be hundreds of thousands of kids, to be honest, that’s affected by this announcement and by this tournament coming to Canada,” he says. “As you know, International Team Captain Mike Weir is an advocate for this. He’s been amazing. He’s given a ton of his time and energy into promoting First Tee. And so really at the end of the day, because the TOUR and the Presidents Cup got behind us, we were able to raise a lot of money.”

And many more kids like Rahontsá:waks will benefit.

Team Canada 1 set to defend the title against the largest field in tournament history featuring 23 countries and 72 competitors

Mississauga, Ont. – Canada will once again play host to the world’s best junior golfers at the 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship. The annual global showcase will be contested September 30 – October 5 at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

The ninth edition of the world championship will feature the largest field in tournament history, with 23 countries and 72 competitors in Mississauga. In total, 24 teams will compete for the championship while also competing for individual honours. The individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open being held at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., August 18-24, 2025.

“We are very excited to get the ninth playing of this prestigious championship underway next week at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club as we welcome the world’s best junior golfers to Canada,” said Adam Cinel, Tournament Director, Golf Canada. “This championship has grown each year and has become a showcase event on our schedule, featuring talented young athletes competing for team and individual glory. We want to thank the staff and membership of Credit Valley Golf and Country Club and the City of Mississauga for being incredible partners and welcoming hosts.”

Team Canada 1 will be defending the championship after a thrilling final round in 2023 that saw them push ahead of the Republic of Korea to win the title for the first time in tournament history. Canada will be represented with two teams again this year.

Team Canada 1 is represented by 15-year-old Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., 14-year-old Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. and 14-year-old Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. Liu, a Team Canada NextGen member secured her spot on the team after winning the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship in July at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, B.C. Liu also won the Team Canada NextGen Selection Camp tournament last month at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. to secure her place on the 2025 Team Canada NextGen squad. She added her third title of the year after winning the CDW Girls Junior All-Star Championship in Riverwoods, Ill. last month as part of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Lin earned her spot through the Team Canada NextGen Selection Camp qualifying tournament and has won twice on the AJGA, including The AJGA Panama Junior, presented by St. Georges Bank in March and The Spin Junior Championship in August. Lin was also runner-up at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Deng qualified as the low eligible Canadian on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) as of August 7. Deng was ranked no. 175 and has since improved to no. 160 and is Canada’s lowest ranked player. She has won twice as part of the AJGA this season including The Nelly Invitational in Bradenton, Fla. in May and the New Jersey Junior Girls Championship in West Windsor Township, N.J. in June.

Team Canada 2 is represented by 15-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., 17-year-old Lindsay McGrath and 14-year-old Nobelle Park, both of Oakville, Ont. The trio all earned their places through qualification at the Team Canada NextGen Selection Camp. McGrath finished second followed by Nobelle Park and Eileen Park. McGrath has been part of the Team Canada NextGen squad for two seasons and won the Visit Goldsboro NC Junior Championship in Goldsboro, N.C. in April as part of the AJGA. Nobelle Park won the inaugural Canadian U15 Championship last month at Elmira Golf Club in Elmira, Ont. along with three Ontario Provincial Championships this season. Eileen Park is the lone returning player for Canada this year’s tournament, having played for Team Canada 2 last year in Brampton, Ont. This season, she won the NextGen Pacific Championship at the Summerland Golf and Country Club in Summerland, B.C. in May and the AJGA Junior All-Star at College Station in College Station, Texas in March.

Jeff MacDonald returns as the coach of Team Canada 1. MacDonald of Chester, N.S. coached Team Canada 1 to the championship last season and is currently coaching the Team Canada NextGen program. MacDonald has over 20 years of coaching experience, is a three-time PGA of Atlantic Canada Coach of the Year recipient and a past provincial coach of the Nova Scotia Golf Association.

Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta. will be the coach of Team Canada 2. Ha returns after coaching Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Girls Championship. She spent eight years as part of Golf Canada’s National Team Program as a player and earned five NCAA wins as a member of the Kent State Golden Flashes. Ha played four years professionally including one year on the LPGA Tour. She is currently the assistant coach of the Team Canada – NextGen girls’ program.  

Joining Canada are past champions, Italy (2018), Republic of Korea (2015, 2019), Spain (2017, 2022) and the United States (2014). In the eight-year history of the tournament, aside from the host nation, six other countries have participated in every tournament including: Denmark, England, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.

The Republic of Korea (Korea) are the most successful team in tournament history. In addition to two championships, the team has also finished in second on three occasions (2016, 2017, 2023).

Sweden have finished on the podium on four occasions including two runner-up finishes (2014, 2022) and two third place finishes (2015, 2017). The United States have also earned a second-place finish (2018) and third-place finish (2016) along with being the inaugural champions. In addition to tournament wins, Team Canada 1 and Italy have also earned a third-place finish in 2014 and 2019 respectively.

This year’s tournament will mark the debut of Hong Kong, China and Morocco who will both be competing for the first time. Last year’s tournament saw the first appearances from Iceland, Peru and Poland. All three countries are returning this year.

This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship features nine players in the top 200 of the WAGR. Soomin Oh from the Korea is the lowest ranked player in the field currently at no. 14. Oh, was part of Korea’s runner-up finish last year in Brampton, Ont. and finished third in the individual competition. Teammate Seojin Park also returns this year and is currently ranked no. 80. The United States feature two players inside the top 200 including Nikki Oh (no. 112) and Scarlett Schremmer (no. 184). France and Hong Kong, China both feature two players inside the top 200. France will be represented by Sara Brentcheneff (no. 97) and Alice Kong (no. 128). Arianna Lau (no. 67) and Sophie Han (no. 98) will represent Hong Kong, China.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to great success on the LPGA Tour. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA Tour winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship in 2014.

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

Credit Valley Golf and Country Club will play host for the world championship and boasts a challenging 18-hole Robbie Robinson designed parkland course. Nestled alongside the winding Credit River and the natural setting of the valley, it offers members a hidden golf and country club oasis within the bustling cityscape of Mississauga.

The following is a list of competing countries in the ninth annual World Junior Girls Championship:

Belgium

Canada (Team Canada 1 and Team Canada 2)

Chinese Taipei

Colombia

Czechia

Denmark

England

Finland

France

Germany

Hong Kong, China

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Mexico

Morocco

Peru

Poland

Republic of Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United States of America

Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place September 30 and October 1 with the first round of play set for Wednesday, October 2. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, October 5.

Admission to 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here.

St Andrews, Scotland & Oakville, Ont. – The R&A announced new participation figures that show an increase of more than three million adult golfers playing the sport.  

According to new research undertaken for the governing body, there are now 42.7 million on-course golfers (9 and 18-hole) in R&A affiliated markets (outside the USA and Mexico).

The research figures for 2023 indicate a growth of 3.1 million on-course golfers since 2022. The growth trend began before the onset of Covid-19 and is now accelerating faster than the 2020-2022 pandemic period when there was an average of 2.5 million new on-course golfers per annum. The sport continues to increase in popularity, now up 44% from 29.6 million on-course players in 2016.

The new data is provided by national federations in The R&A’s affiliated markets in Asia, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania.

The research also shows that 62.3 million adults (outside the USA and Mexico) consume the sport in some format, an increase of 1.1 million since 2022. It is just the second time an estimate has been made beyond on-course activity to include alternative-only formats, such as pitch & putt, indoor simulator golf and driving range use.

“Golf’s popularity continues to grow with a significant increase in the number of people playing the sport both on and off the course,” said Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A. “There are now 13 million more golfers playing on the course since 2016 in R&A affiliated markets, while there are also millions of others enjoying alternative formats of golf, such as driving ranges, adventure golf and simulator golf, which are vital to the growth of the sport.

“New golfer participation programmes with appealing propositions, promotion and imagery are important for encouraging more people into the sport and retaining them in greater numbers. This is why we continue to work collaboratively with our affiliated national federations and stakeholders to build on this momentum and ensure golf continues to thrive.”

The top five on-course adult golfer markets overall reported are in:

• Japan (11.4 million)
• Republic of Korea (8.7 million)
• Canada (6.3 million)
• England (4.2 million)
• Germany (2.4 million)

Asia is the leading region for people engaging with golf among R&A affiliated regions, with total adult engagement in golf of 26.2 million. Europe is next highest with 19.7 million adults having some form of golf engagement.

The number of adult registered golfers (those members of a golf club within their national association or affiliated through a direct subscription) increased from 8 million in 2022 to 8.2 million in 2023, with an overall growth of 10% since 2020. Registered women golfers have grown from 1.5 million in 2020 to 1.6 million in 2023.

There was a decrease in those adults who only played formats other than 9 or 18-hole golf  – 21.6 million in 2022 to 19.6 million in 2023 – but this is likely to positively reflect on those moving instead to full-length on-course golf. The percentage of golfers only using alternative formats that are women did grow from 47% in 2022 to 52% in 2023, specifically in key golfing markets.