Canada’s Garrett Rank T4 after two rounds at the Monroe Invitational
Garrett Rank, from Elmira, Ont., carded even-par 69 in Thursday’s second round at the Monroe Invitational in Pittsford, N.Y to hold a share of fourth at 3 under par after 36 holes.
Rank started the day at the Monroe Golf Club with a share of second after an opening-round 66 (-3).
After back-to-back birdies on holes No. 11 and 12 the three-time defending Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion was 2 under par for the round before bogeys on 14 and 17 put him back to even par.
He is one stroke behind leaders Justin Tereshko (Jamestown, N.C.), Tyler Strafaci (Davie, Fla.), and San Jose, Calif., native Shintaro Ban—who’s second round 63 (-6) was the lowest of the day.
The 28-year-old is coming off a semi-final appearance with partner Patrick Christovich at the U.S. Amateur Four Ball in Pinehurst, N.C. at the renowned Pinehurst No. 2 from May 27-31.
Fellow Canadians Joey Savoie, (Montreal, Que.), Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.), Maxwell Sear (Unionville, Ont.), and Blair Bursey (Gander, N.L.) are all T15 at 1 over par.
Team Canada Development Squad golfer A.J Ewart from Coquitlam, B.C., is T29 at 3 over par after a second-round 70 (+1).
Ewart’s Development Squad teammate Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.) carded a 1-over-par 70 in the second round to sit T41, one stroke ahead of Amateur Squad golfer Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.), who posted a second-round 71 (+1) to sit T46 at 7 over par.
Bath, Ont., product Austin James — the second member of the Team Canada Amateur Squad in the field this week — shot a 3-over par 72 on Thursday to sit T57 (+8).
Click here for full scores.
PGA Championship of Canada boasts stellar field
The PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf takes place next week at the superb Deer Ridge GC in Kitchener, Ont.
Sixty-nine of the of the PGA of Canada’s best players tee it up June 12-15 all vying for the association’s most prestigious championship and the historic P.D. Ross trophy.
“It’s quite the understatement, but the field for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada sponsored byMr.Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is unbelievably deep,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “With the entire top 10 and 42 of the top 50 teeing it up at Deer Ridge, we’re bound to see a compelling championship.”
- Dave Levesque, Golf Chateau Bromont
- Bill Walsh, Fairtree Golf Centre
- Oliver Tubb, University GC
- Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Club de Golf Longchamp
- Bryn Parry, Point Grey G&CC
- Danny King, The Performance Academy at Magna
- Brian McCann, Brampton G&CC
- Lee Curry, Ottawa Athletic Club Golf School
- Mike Belbin, Royal Mayfair GC
- Brad Kerfoot, Maple Downs GC
Additionally, 16 players in the field at Deer Ridge have won at least one PGA of Canada national title. This impressive list includes Levesque, Bussieres, Parry, King and Eric Laporte, all of whom are past winners of PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
For the full field and first round tee times, click here..
Designed by Canada’s Thomas McBroom, a designer known for his indelible golfing concepts that have resonated with players the world over, Deer Ridge is unlike any other creation in the architect’s canon. Opened in 1990, Deer Ridge was ranked the 69th best golf course in Canada by SCOREGolf in its 2016 rankings.
“The board of directors and management team at Deer Ridge are thrilled and honoured to host one of Canada’s most storied championships, the PGA Championship of Canada,” said Deer Ridge Golf Club’s head PGA professional Rich Morel. “This is a great opportunity to showcase our fantastic facility to many who are unfamiliar with it both locally and nationally.”
Deer Ridge is also home to a piece of Canadian golfing lore. Brian Hadley of Thames Valley GC shot 59 at Deer Ridge in the first round of the 2013 PGA of Ontario Championship. Hadley is in the field for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada.
Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event thru 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the P.D. Ross trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 64 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.
This year’s championship at Deer Ridge will follow the same format.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Knudson won in 1976 and 1977. In 2016 at the Victoria GC, the 29-year-old from Club de Golf Longchamp bested Billy Walsh 3 and 1 on the 1893 A.V. Macan-designed seaside links gem in the championship’s final match.
It’s an honour and a privilege to have your name on a trophy that’s as historic as the P.D. Ross,” Bussieres said. “To be beside names like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and George Knudson is really something.”
In addition to Bussieres, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, King, Levesque, Laporte, Parry, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer. For the full list click here.
The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24-30.
Attendance to the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.
To follow the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf online throughout tournament week, visit pgaofcanada.com, or follow the PGA of Canada on twitter, instagram and facebook.
Naomi Ko T2 after round one of the Porter Cup
Team Canada Amateur Squad member Naomi Ko is in a tie for second after a 1-under-par 71 in the first round of the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, NY.
The Victoria, B.C., product is one stroke behind leader Madison Luitwieler from Katy, Tex.
After a 1-over-par 37 on the front nine Ko hit her stride after making the turn, dropping two birdies and carding a 2-under-par 34 on her second nine.
Ko recently wrapped up her sophomore year at North Carolina State where she competed in all 10 regular season rounds for the Wolfpack posting a season stroke average of 74.53.
In a field with 19 Canadians, Team Canada Development Squad golfer Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) is the next highest Canadian sitting T12 at 2 over par along with Alexandra Naumovski from Halton Hills, Ont.
Markham, Ont., native Hailey McLaughlin is T19 at 3 over par.
One stroke back of McLaughlin sitting T24 are Canadians Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.), Katherine Gravel-Coursol (Mirabel, QC.), Madeline Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ont.), Michelle Kim (Surrey B.C) and Development Squad golfer Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C).
The third Development Squad member in the field this week Chloe Currie, of Mississauga, Ont., is T45 (+8).
For the full Porter Cup leaderboard click here.
Canadian Garrett Rank T2 after first round of Monroe Invitational
Elmira, Ont., product Garrett Rank fired a 3-under-par 66 to hold a share of second place after the first round of the Monroe Invitational at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, N.Y.
Rank, the three-time defending Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion, recorded four birdies and one bogey on Wednesday to sit one stroke behind leader Tyler Strafaci of Davie, Fla.
The 28-year-old is coming off a strong semi-final appearance at the U.S. Amateur Four Ball from May 27-31 at the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course in Pinehurst, N.C. He’s slated to tee off his second round at 8:15 a.m.
The 72-hole Monroe Invitational has a large Canadian contingent with four golfers from the Team Canada Amateur and Development Squads in attendance, as well as other top Canadian amateurs.
Development Squad’s A.J Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C) is T21 at 2 over par after 18 holes.
Five other Canadians join Ewart at 2 over par: Joey Savoie, (Montreal, Que.), Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.), Maxwell Sear (Unionville, Ont.), Kevin Fawcett (Newmarket, Ont.), and Luke Moser (Waterloo, Ont.).
Team Canada Amateur Squad members Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.) and Austin James (Bath, Ont.) are T57 at 5 over par alongside Development Squad golfer Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.).
To view the full Monroe Invitational leaderboard click here.
Jennifer Kirby: Aiming to get back on track
It is often said that the journey to success is not a sprint, but rather it’s a marathon—and that seems to resonate with fourth year pro, Jennifer Kirby.
After leading the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to a national title in 2012, the Paris, Ont. golfer secured her LPGA Tour card on her first attempt the following year in December of 2013.
“I started out pretty fast. I never really expected to get my LPGA Tour card right out of college,” she said recently in an interview during a media event promoting the upcoming Manulife LPGA Classic—which runs from June 7-11 at the Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont.
“It was great to be able to make it that first year and I learned so much playing on Tour,” added the former amateur standout and Team Canada graduate.
However, thus far in her first four years as a professional, the former Canadian National Amateur Squad member has struggled to find the consistency that she was known for during her stellar amateur career.
Currently, Kirby is competing in her second year on the Symetra Tour; and remains firmly committed to the goal of returning to the LPGA Tour.
While her game is not where she would like it to be at this point, the 26-year-old says she’s been working overtime to change that.
“I practiced really hard this off-season and I’m really committed to improving my game,” said Kirby who adds that she’s recently been working on fine tuning her swing.
“I haven’t seen the results that I would like to thus far but it’s a long season. There are 23 events in the season; and in some ways it’s like a marathon out there, and it’s still early. But I’m happy that I’m seeing a lot of positives in my game,” noted the Crimson Tide alum.
While she’s pacing herself for the long haul, Kirby—a Manulife brand ambassador who will receive a sponsor exception to the upcoming Manulife LPGA Classic—says she will have a nice adrenaline rush from competing at home.
“I’m very excited about being able to play at home in front of the Canadian fans. I grew up in Paris, Ontario which is really close to here, so it’ll be great to have a lot of friends and family members out here supporting me,” she said.
While the tournament is still searching for a new title sponsor for next year, Kirby is quick to point out the benefits brought on from the Manulife LPGA Classic over the past five years.
“Just having the tournament and having the world’s best compete here has brought a lot of excitement and a lot of attention to the game in the area and beyond. It’s great to see the little kids coming and getting that exposure to the game from such a young age,” she said.
“The tournament has done a lot of grow the game; and obviously I’m hoping that it continues on for a long time.”
In addition, Kirby acknowledges the success of Canadians competing on the LPGA Tour has also done a lot to bring attention to the sport and help it grow.
“Obviously, the success of Brooke (Henderson) and some of the other Canadians on the LPGA has inspired many young girls in the country to pick up the sport—which is great,” Kirby noted.
Motivated by the success of her peers and her home coming of sorts in a couple of weeks, the 2009 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion believes there’s no better time to step up her game.
“I really believe I’m capable of competing against these girls and having the opportunity to play at home in front of a supportive crowd is definitely going to provide me with that extra motivation,” she said with a smile.
While she’s looking to put in a strong performance at the upcoming Manulife LPGA Classic, the second year Symetra Tour golfer is also focused on putting up consistent results the remainder of the season in order to regain her status on the LPGA Tour.
Kirby is confident that her hard work is about to pay off; and says her best golf is just around the corner.
“I’m aiming for a bunch of top ten finishes for the rest of the season; but the goal is to win out there and winning multiple times would be better…If you win once on the Symetra Tour, then you are pretty much guaranteed a top-10 finish on the money list and status on the LPGA next year,” said the former amateur standout.
“I’ve been working really hard but I just haven’t had that really hot round yet—but I feel that I’m really close to getting back on track.”
Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada publish Golf Facilities in Canada 2017 report
Golf Canada, in partnership with the PGA of Canada, has released Golf Facilities in Canada 2017—the definitive report on golf facilities and development in Canada.
Golf Facilities in Canada 2017 is a collaborative effort between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the National Golf Foundation (NGF), a golf industry knowledge research firm which delivers independent and objective market intelligence, insights and trends.
The report, which is a follow up to the 2015 Golf Facilities in Canada Report, identifies all existing public and private facilities in the country; and defines supply by province, type and number of holes. The report also includes information on facility openings and closings, as well as the number and type of facilities currently in development.
“The 2017 edition of the Golf Facilities in Canada report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the Canadian golf landscape and the abundance of golf experiences in communities from coast to coast,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson. “We are proud to partner with the NGF and the PGA of Canada in presenting the second iteration of this in-depth summary of national and provincial golf facility data.”
“The PGA of Canada in partnership with Golf Canada is excited to present this captivating study of golf facilities in Canada compiled by one of the world’s leading research firms, the National Golf Foundation,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “As the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world, the PGA of Canada and its 3,700 members are proud to be a driving force at golf facilities from coast-to-coast.”
A snapshot of data captured in Golf Facilities in Canada 2017:
- Canada is home to 2,298 public and private golf facilities; ranking it second in the world in total supply.
- Seventy-seven per cent of the total golf supply is located in Canada’s four most populated provinces—Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Golf remains extremely accessible in Canada with nearly 90 per cent of the country’s supply open to the public.
- Of the 2,068 daily fee or public facilities in Canada, 48 per cent are located in Ontario and Québec, which together account for 61 per cent of the country’s total population. The two provinces are also home to 73 per cent of Canada’s 230 private clubs.
- Nine-hole golf (838 facilities) accounts for more than 36 per cent of Canada’s total supply. In Saskatchewan, 18-hole courses are outnumbered almost three to one (51 vs. 149) by 9-hole courses.
- Canada features nine 12-hole facilities (six of which are in Ontario) and a single 6-hole facility which is located in Manitoba.
- Resort golf, though a small segment of Canada’s overall supply, is a significant contributor to tourism in several provinces. Countrywide, 169 facilities (or approximately seven percent of total supply) are connected to a resort or a resort/real estate operation.
- Since 2010, 26 facilities have opened in seven different provinces including Alberta, which leads the way with eight openings during that period. In recent years, Canada has seen only moderate growth, and currently has 22 18-hole equivalent facilities in various stages of development.
- Since 2015, 51 facilities have been reported as closed, including 19 in Ontario. Canada’s largest province accounts for 37 per cent of total Canadian closures as well as 35 perc ent of Canada’s total supply.
The complete Golf Facilities in Canada 2017 report including national and provincial data is available for download here.
Globally, Canada’s 2,298 facilities represent seven percent of the world’s total supply of golf facilities (33,161). Canada ranks second in total supply behind the United States (15,014) and is ahead of Japan (2,290), England (1,991), Australia (1,591) and Germany (747) among the countries with the next highest total supply. For more on the world report, visit randa.org.
Corey Conners qualifies for 2017 U.S. Open
Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners won medallist honours on Monday at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier in Springfield, Ohio to book his ticket to the 2017 U.S. Open from June 12-18 at Erin Hills.
In a marathon day where golfers played 36 holes, the Listowel, Ont., product recorded a total of 12 birdies at Springfield Country Club to finish at 12 under par, three shots clear of runner-up Brian Stuard (Jackson, Mich.).
Conners went bogey free in the opening round, recording seven birdies alongside an eagle from 100 yards out on the par-4 14th en route to carding a course record 61 (-9).
During his second round of the day, Conners cooled down on the front nine going out at 1-under par. On the back nine, he birdied three of his last eight holes to card a 3-under-par 67.
The six-year Team Canada veteran is currently playing on the Web.com Tour where he is 32nd on the Order of Merit.
Conners’ best result of 2017 came at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, where he finished T5. He’s currently ranked 10th in scoring average on the Web.com Tour at 70.52.
Hugo Bernard – a member of the Team Canada Amateur Squad – missed out on one of 13 spots at the Columbus, Ohio, Qualifier by three strokes in a strong field that included major champions Stuart Cink, Keegan Bradley, and former world No. 1, Luke Donald.
Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) finished four strokes back of earning a spot at the Rockville, Md., Qualifier.
For the full Springfield Sectional leaderboard click here.
Road trip paying dividends for Blair Bursey
He’s won the Bandon Dunes Championship and now Blair Bursey can add the Hamilton Golf & Country Club Men’s Invitational to his list of amateur victories.
While it was 3 degrees Celsius and spitting rain at home on the rock in Gander, Newfoundland on Monday, the 20-year-old Junior at Utah Valley University played near perfect golf over the famed Harry Colt layout in Ancaster, for a one-stroke victory over travelling partner, Garrett Rank of Elmira and Gajan Sivabalasingham of Stouffville.
“Every one of the 27 holes out there are awesome,” says Bursey, who carded a double-bogey on his second hole of the day, but quickly rebound for birdies on three of the next four holes on Hamilton’s East Course to get himself back in red numbers.
Bursey finished the 27-hole marathon at even par carding nines of 35-36-34 for a total of 105 strokes. He tallied one double-bogey, three bogeys, five birdies and 17 pars as a field of 84 top amateur and senior amateur players teed it up at one of Canada’s finest invitationals. Fourth place went to Simon McInnis of Toronto at 107 followed by Eric Ross of Burlington in fifth.
“I never thought much of winning today. I was just trying to put together some solid shots and I was fortunate to keep the ball in play most of the day,” says Bursey, who took the lead into the final round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship last summer, but settled for fifth place in what he calls “a very good learning experience.”
“This is a phenomenal golf course, I can’t say enough about the layout, the views, it’s amazingly manicured. The whole place is first class,” added Bursey, who flew to Toronto last week to practice and travel with Rank.
They played Craigowan GC in Woodstock and The National Golf Club of Canada, as well as a practice round at Hamilton G&CC the day before the invitational. Their next stop is the Monroe Invitational Championship in Pittsford, NY, followed by The Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, AB and the Northeast Amateur Invitational in Rumford, Rhode Island.
“This is a wonderful place with its history and the golf course is fantastic,” says Rank, who was also playing it for the first time. “The shot values are outstanding and the changes in elevation keep you guessing. You really need to work the ball around to get into a good place to score and they have Big Boy par-3s.”
In the Senior Division, Lars Melander of Hidden Lake GC in Burlington outlasted Robert Gibson of Cedar Brae GC in Toronto in a four-hole playoff. Both players finished regulation play at 6 over par for a score of 111.
“Winning is not always easy. This is the first significant senior event I have won,” says Melander, who lost in a playoff just last month at the Burlington G&CC Invitational. “This is one of the top amateur events in Ontario, so to win here is very satisfying. It spurs me on to work harder at my game, so I can keep up with the younger guys,” added the 65-year-old.
Graham Delaet jumps up The Presidents Cup standings
Graham DeLaet was the big mover among Canadians vying for spots on the 2017 Presidents Cup International team. DeLaet, a member of the 2013 International Presidents Cup team, tied for 10th at the PGA TOUR’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, last week.
It was the three-time Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada winner’s fifth top-10 of the 2016-17 season but his first since tying for sixth at the RBC Heritage in April.
Adam Hadwin remains the top Canadian in The Presidents Cup standings. Hadwin is 11th, remaining where he was last week after missing the cut at the Memorial.
The top-10 players from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of September 4 will make Captain Nick Price’s team. Mackenzie Hughes, at No. 30, is the next-highest Canadian in the standings. From those not qualifying, Price will then have two at-large selections.
The 2017 Presidents Cup will be held September 28-October 1 at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. The U.S. defeated the International team by one point at the 2015 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
In history, DeLaet and Mike Weir are the only Canadians who have played in The Presidents Cup. Weir is a five-time participant, with a 13-9-2 record in his 24 matches. In 2007, Royal Montreal Golf Club hosted the biennial event, with the U.S. winning 19.5-14.5.
Canadian Standings through June 4
| Position | Player | Last week |
| 11 (–) | Adam Hadwin, Abbotsford, B.C. | 11 |
| 28 (↑) | Graham Delaet, Weyburn, Sask. | 36 |
| 30 (–) | Mackenzie Hughes, Dundas, Ont. | 30 |
Mack Duke wins medallist honours at RBC Canadian Open Qualifier at Vallee du Richelieu
Mack Duke of Camden, Maine, carded a 2-under par 70 to earn medallist honours at the final RBC Canadian Open Regional qualifier of 2017 at Club de Golf la Vallee du Richelieu – Vercheres Course.
Duke’s first place finish earns him a spot in the Final Qualifier taking place at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., July 24th.
A minimum of four golfers will advance through final Monday qualifying to the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, in Oakville, Ont., from July 24-30.
“Qualifiers are tough because one bad shot can kick you right out of it,” said Duke following his round. “You have to be consistent and try to play smart. You can’t get too aggressive and you have to make putts when they are offered up.”
After going out in a bogey free 2-under par 34 on the front nine, Duke dropped two more birdies on the back nine to combat two bogeys. He felt confident with his putter all day.
“The greens were really good speed for making putts,” he added. “They weren’t crazy fast, and weren’t too slow, so you could hit all your putts pretty firm and aggressive. I just stuck to that and made a few putts today.”
Sixty-seven golfers competed in the Quebec qualifier. In addition to Duke, 15 players are also moving on to the Final Qualifier at Heron Point.
Seventeen-year-old amateur Griffin Jones from Manotick, Ont., finished second one stroke behind Duke at 1 under par. Quebec City’s Louis-Alexandre Pitre was solo third at even par.
Amateurs Cullen Chung (Westmount, Que.) and Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) finished in a tie for fourth with professional Francis Berthiaume (Valleyfield, Que.) at 1 over par.
The Quebec Regional Qualifier was the third and final Regional Qualifying event. Provided 100 or more players were in the field at a Regional Qualifier, the low qualifier received direct exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.
Otherwise, the top 15 percent of finisher at each qualifier are eligible to compete at the Final Qualifying event.
Additional information and the full leaderboard from Monday’s RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier at Vallee du Richelieu can be found here.
The Following Golfers Advanced Final Qualifer
1. Mack Duke, Camden, ME (34-36–70 -2)
2. Griffin Jones (a), Manotick, ON (36-35–71 -1)
3. Louis-Alexandre Pitre, Quebec, QC (38-34–72 E)
T4. Cullen Chung (a), Westmount, QC (36-37–73 +1
T4. Étienne Papineau (a), St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC (36-37–73 +1)
T4. Francis Berthiaume, Valleyfield, QC (38-35–73 +1)
T7. Marc Bourgeois, Dieppe, NB (36-38–74 +2)
T7. Benoit Boudreau, Longueuil, QC (37-37–74 +2)
T7. Gabriel Gingras (a), University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (36-38–74 +2)
T10. Vincent Blanchette, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Cole Nead (a), Toronto, ON (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Marc Casullo (a), Aurora, ON (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Joseph D’Alfonso, Caledon, Ontario (38-37–75 +3)
T10. Yanik Laforest, Mirabel, QC (36-39–75 +3)
T10. David Iaderosa (a), Ottawa, ON (38-37–75 +3)
Full results