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.

Robert Boffa, Equinelle, Hole #3

This year is my second year playing golf and this was my first hole-in-one. When I struck the ball, it felt like I hit it well and the ball was going right for the pin. The hole was 175 yards and I used a 3 iron. The two people who were golfing with me were Jim Parsons and Steve Eardley. Both got really excited and told me that the ball was in the hole. I did not believe them at first, as I thought it had hit the stick and continued off the back of the green. As we walked up to the hole I did not see my ball anywhere in view, I looked in the hole and there it was. I was thrilled that I got a hole-in-one and happy that my two good friends witnessed it.

John Taylor, The Hamptons Golf Club, Hole #5

I was playing with Mark Brown, Paul Toye and Rajeev Shinde. These are three friends I have played with almost every weekend for the past decade. My shot was at the Hamptons Golf Club on hole #5. It was 141 yards with a six iron.

Exactly two years and three months earlier I had to give up golf for a knee replacement. The very first game I missed after this surgery had Rajeev hitting his first hole-in-one at the Hamptons Golf Club on hole #12. I recall how disappointed I was in missing that shot. I had never seen a hole-in-one before.

I can tell you that watching a hole-in-one shot get drained is fun. Even more fun with great friends and an absolute blast when its actually your own ball that goes in.

Peter Enright, The Okanagan Golf Club, Hole #4

I got my first hole-in-one on hole #4 on the Quail course at the Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C. It was 156 yards to the pin and I used a 7 iron!

Sienna Harder, Riverway Public Golf Course, Hole #11

I was playing with SFU, HPU and WWU. The yardage was 145 and I used a 7 iron. Thank you so much for recognizing this, I really appreciate it!

Grant Mckay, Mitchell Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

Played with Jeff Otten and Kerry Hahn. The hole was 140 yards and I used a Ping i525 9 iron.

Jeff Dicer, Vulcan Golf & Country Club, Hole #16

Finally after trying for fifty years I finally aced a hole. Vulcan Golf & Country Club in Alberta on hole #16. 160 yard par 3 and I hit a smooth 8 iron. My last game this year, couldn’t think of a better way to finish 2024.

Alexandra Medeiros, Cherry Hill Club, Hole #16

Very exciting stuff! I was playing with Franco Pace and Alex Dumais. Yardage was 92 and the club was a three-quarter 9 iron.

Graham Hill, Sand Valley Golf Resort, Hole #17

Sand Valley Golf Resort, hole #17 from 225 yards with a 5 iron. I was with playing with Heath McCormick, Tyler Yates and Eric Pattenaude. We have an annual golf trip of eight and we move it around to different spots in Canada and the United States. The names of the guys in the group from left to right in the photo is Brad Giancarlo, Chris Wert, Aaron Pedlar, Eric Pattenaude, Graham Hill, Tyler Casselman, Heath McCormick and Tyler Yates.

Kadra Ben, Fox Creek Golf Club, Hole #2

I am a member of Fox Creek Golf in Dieppe, N.B. and I made a hole-in-one on a Friday at hole #2.

Doug Stoddart, Harvest Golf Course, Hole #11

My final swing of the season at Harvest Golf Course in Kelowna resulted in a hole-in-one! My final putt of the season resulted in a 40 foot birdie putt. Three under on my final two holes!

I played in Harvest’s year-end Ironman game. The course closed for the year after the Ironman game. It was a shotgun start. My group started on hole #12. Therefore we ended the round on hole #11, a par 3 where I scored a hole-in-one. The previous hole #10 I sunk a 40 foot putt for a birdie. On the #11 tee box, the group enjoyed a shot of birdie juice just before my hole-in-one.

Caroline Abbenbroek, The Toronto Hunt, Hole #12

The hole-in-one was certainly an epic day for me. I’m a hack golfer at best, I’ve only been recording scores for a few years in an effort to develop a handicap. The ace was a complete surprise for me, and a memorable day for sure. I was playing with Margot and Heather Ritchie, members of the Toronto Hunt that I had not met previously, so it was very exciting to have them with me to witness it. It was the Toronto Hunt’s hole #3, a par 3, the range finder showed 132 yards (slightly uphill), middle pin placement, so I used a 3 wood. I saw that it was going left of the pin, but bounced to the right and rolled ever so nicely into the hole. I was completely shocked to see it actually go in!

Canada’s Savannah Grewal has re-earned her LPGA Tour card for 2025 and will take plenty of lessons into her second season as a pro.

Grewal, of Mississauga, Ont., finished tied for 48th on Sunday at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican — the final full-field event of the LPGA Tour season — and ended the year at No. 97 in the Race to CME Globe standings. The top 100 earn LPGA Tour cards for next year.

“I hit the ball, for the most part, pretty good — just made some mental mistakes the first two rounds. I learned from that, especially Saturday,” Grewal said from Bellair, Fla. “Just happy to have made the cut and hopefully keep my Tour card.”

Grewal was just three shots back of the lead through two rounds last week at the Lotte Championship but struggled over the weekend, shooting 74-76, to drop into a tie for 54th. She needed to make the cut this week at the penultimate event of the season and did it on the number.

Grewal rallied to shoot a 4-under 66 on Saturday but gave it all back Sunday after a 4-under 74. It was still enough to solidify a second year in a row on the LPGA Tour.

“I just tried to stay really calm, especially in the first two rounds, just knowing I had to make the cut. I just tried to stay really present,” Grewal said. “I made triple bogey on my 18th hole in the first round because I did not stay present. Other than that, I felt like I did a pretty good job of staying calm.”

Grewal’s best result came in her second event of the year, the Blue Bay LPGA, where she finished tied for fourth. She struggled to put two good rounds together after that, however, missing nine straight cuts at one point. But she found the weekend in her last five tournaments in a row, which proved to be the difference.

Grewal, a pre-med graduate from Clemson University, earned LPGA Tour status for this season via a tie for 10th at the LPGA’s Q-Series finale last December.

She admitted she “wasn’t in a great spot” mentally this year but is eager to improve upon that for 2025.

“As long as I can stay present and confident, I can be just fine next year,” Grewal said. “That’s been my biggest takeaway.”

Nelly Korda captured The Annika on Sunday for her incredible seventh victory on the LPGA Tour in 2024. Grewal finished 15 shots back of Korda’s winning total.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp also made the cut at The Annika. She finished tied for 43rd and ended up No. 123 on the Race to CME Globe.

Four Canadians — Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. — will aim to follow in Grewal’s footsteps and earn LPGA Tour status via the finale of LPGA Q-Series Dec. 5-9.

The LPGA Tour wraps up its 2024 campaign at the CME Globe Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., next week.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. will be the lone Canadian in the field that features only the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe standings. Henderson, thanks to eight top-10s this year, is No. 14.

Korda — who has already locked up Player of the Year honours — will enter the season finale No. 1 in the standings. Up for grabs is the biggest first-place prize in women’s golf, US$4 million.

Rory McIlroy finished the 2024 DP World Tour season in style by winning his sixth Race to Dubai crown following victory at the DP World Tour Championship.

After a third placed finish at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, only South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence could deny McIlroy from claiming his sixth Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex of his career.

Lawrence needed to win and for the World Number Three to finish in 12th or worse for him to overturn McIlroy’s huge advantage, but his challenge never materialised as he carded a one-under-par total at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Northern Irishman shared the lead after the first and third rounds, and looked in total control when he burst three shots clear thanks to a run of four straight birdies from the second.

Rasmus Højgaard remained in touch and capitalised on bogeys at the ninth and 13th from McIlroy to sit alongside him at the summit at 13 under.

However, birdies at the 16th and 18th paid dividends for McIlroy as he secured his third triumph on the Earth course by two shots to complete a season-finale double.

Antoine Rozner, who shared the third-round lead with McIlroy and Højgaard, birdied the opening hole to take the outright lead at 13 under, which turned into a two-shot advantage after the final group bogeyed the same hole.

The Frenchman slid a putt by at the second which would have improved his score and McIlroy and Højgaard responded by birdieing the same hole to return to 12 under.

McIlroy gained momentum and put his approach inside four feet at the third, which he rolled in to rejoin Rozner at the summit.

The birdie trail continued for the World Number Three at the fourth to become the first player to reach 14 under and when he followed suit at the fifth, he was two clear.

Before McIlroy teed off at the sixth, Rozner bogeyed the same hole to inflate the Northern Irishman’s advantage to three.

Rory McIlroy joins Seve Ballesteros with six Race to Dubai titles:

Rozner and Højgaard replied with a birdie at the next, however, McIlroy continued to keep his nose out in front despite a bogey to close his front nine.

It became a two-way tussle with Højgaard following his birdie at the seventh, while Rozner slipped back after a double bogey at the ninth.

McIlroy narrowly missed chances to extend his lead at the start of his back nine and when he bogeyed the 13th, there were two at the top.

The 35-year-old showed his quality at the 16th by landing his approach inside a foot for his first birdie in 11 holes, which Højgaard could not match.

Trinity, Texas – Team Canada won the bronze medal in the combined men and women’s team competition along with another bronze in the women’s team competition at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship (The Spirit) at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas on Saturday.

Team Canada was represented by Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. and coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach, Salimah Mussani of Vancouver, B.C.

In the combined team championship, Canada finished T4 at 36-under (196 women’s and 200 men’s) with Denmark. England won the combined competition firing a 44-under to take the gold medal. The Republic of Korea (Korea) and Spain finished tied for second at 39-under. Due to the ties, Korea and Spain shared the silver medal, while Canada and Denmark shared bronze.

Borovilos and Kim combined to shoot 20-under (66-63-67-196) to earn the bronze medal in the women’s team competition. Denmark finished at 23-under to win with Spain taking the silver medal at 21-under. On Friday, Canada was led by Borovilos carding six birdies and an eagle. Kim was equally as strong in Thursday’s opening round with five birdies.

In the women’s individual competition, Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain finished first with 21 points, 2024 World Junior Girls team and individual champion, Soomin Oh of Korea finished second with 20 points and Marie Madsen of Denmark finished third with 17 points. Borovilos finished T5 with 14 points and Kim finished T11 with 12 points.

McCulloch and Matthews combined to shoot 16-under (66-66-68-200) to finish 10th in the men’s team competition. Mexico and England finished tied for first at 28-under with Australia finishing third at 25-under.

Individually, Josiah Gilbert of Australia won the men’s gold medal finishing with 21 points. Omar Morales of Mexico finished second with 19 points and Gerardo Gomez (Mexico) and Dominic Clemons (England) finished tied for third with 18 points. Both McCulloch and Matthews finished T18 with 11 points.

The 11th playing of The Spirit was contested over 54-holes of stroke-play competition that brought together 20 countries. In addition to the combined team component, competitors battled in individual championships as well as men’s and women’s team competitions. In the individual competition, players were awarded points based solely on birdies and eagles during their round with one point for a birdie and two for an eagle.

For the final leaderboards from The Spirit, please click here.

There are four rounds left in the LPGA Tour’s regular season, and rookie Savannah Grewal is determined to be mentally present for all 72 holes.

Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp are the only Canadians at this week’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge. The 23-year-old Grewal is right on the cusp of earning a card for the 2025 LPGA Tour season, but she needs to at least make the cut at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., to clinch it.

“Honestly just one shot at a time,” said Grewal on her approach. “I think you come in at every tournament and your goal is to go out there and compete and to be in contention, so that’s obviously still the goal of this event. 

Watch Savannah live at the CPKC Women’s Open

“But I think that as long as I’m not looking at the leaderboard too much and I’m just really focusing on where I am in that moment, I think that’s probably what’s going to help me the most.”

Grewal is 96th in the Race to CME Globe Standings, the LPGA Tour’s points list. The top 100 players on the elite women’s professional golf tour will receive a card for next year.

“If I don’t play well there’s a chance I might not keep my card for next year, but I feel pretty confident with where I’m at and I think as long as I stay present and I don’t get too far ahead of myself, things will be just fine,” said Grewal.

Sharp is 126th in the rankings and will likely need to finish in the top six at the ANNIKA, depending on how the golfers ahead of her in the standings do, to make it back on tour in 2025 without qualifying through another means.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is not playing this week. At No. 13 on the standings, she is already guaranteed a spot on next year’s tour and will also play in the CME Group Tour Championship next week.

No. 146 Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and No. 192 Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., are not in this week’s field. As a result, they will both need to requalify to return to the LPGA Tour next season.

Grewal earned some critical points at least week’s LOTTE Championship, ultimately tying for 54th at even par. She started strong with a first-round 68 and maintained her solid position with a second-round 70. However, a third-round 74 and fourth-round 76 put her in this week’s high-stakes position.

“I think as long as I focus on my breathing and just go out there and I enjoy being out there, just have fun with it, I think that’s probably going to be the best thing for me,” said Grewal. 

“I think that last week I did a really good job of that the first two rounds and I think the, after the cut, I kind of started to get ahead of myself and look at that leaderboard.”

“I think as long as I stay present and I don’t get too far ahead of myself, things will be just fine.”

Crunch-time from @SavannahGrewal‘s maiden @LPGA Tour season, with next year’s status on the line:

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 13, 2024

AROUND THE TOURS

PGA TOUR — The fall ball season continues with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., isn’t just the highest ranked Canadian in the event, at No. 51 he’s the highest ranked golfer in the field, period. No. 57 Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and No. 176 Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will also tee it up.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Danny King of Aurora, Ont., was tied for fourth at 4-under overall on Wednesday after two rounds at the 2025 PGA Tour Champions Qualifying first stage at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club in Valrico, Fla. Martin Plante (74) of St-Sauveur, Que., and Dennis Hendershott (73) of Brantford, Ont., was tied for 36th at 5 over. Craig Watkins of Georgetown, Ont. was disqualified. Mike Woodcock (79) of Chatham, Ont., was tied for 43rd at 16 over in the qualifying stage at Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier, Miss. Calgary’s Stuart Patterson withdrew after one round.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., will be in the second pairing to tee off at the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday. It was his goal all season to reach the European tour’s finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course, Dubai, UAE. He was 49th in the Race to Dubai rankings after last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, with the top 50 golfers on the DP World Tour reaching its championship tournament.

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Caitlin Clark has one goal when she plays in an LPGA pro-am.

“I’ve tried to practice as much as I can,” Clark said Tuesday. “I’m just the average golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some bad. … Just going to try not to hit anyone standing outside of the ropes. But it’ll be fun.”

The WNBA rookie of the year star was invited to take part in Wednesday’s pro-am at Pelican Golf Club ahead of The Annika. The presenting sponsor is Gainbridge, which has an endorsement deal with Clark.

She took part in an LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit with Sorenstam, the tournament host, and former model and business leader Kathy Ireland.

Clark will be playing the front nine with Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the women’s ranking who has clinched the LPGA’s player of the year award. She plays the back nine with Sorenstam, who retired in 2008 and now dabbles in senior golf.

Clark had said after the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs that she planned to play golf until it became too cold in Indiana, adding with a smile, “Become a professional golfer.”

Yes, she was kidding.

“I’ve tried to take as much time as I can to practice, but there is only so much hope. You just cross your fingers, pray,” she said Tuesday. “No, I’ve practiced a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.

“It’s challenging and getting to come here and be around the best and have a good time is what I’m looking forward to.”

This will be her second pro-am, which often attracts athletes and entertainers. Clark played in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic in July 2023 when she was still at Iowa.

Which female Canadian athlete would you most like to see at the @cpkcwomensopen Pro-Am?

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 13, 2024

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.

Steve Butler, Brampton Golf Club Limited, Hole #13

Used a 7 iron and the hole was 162 yards from the tips! Went one up in our friendly two vs. two match.

Derren Lench, Gorge Vale Golf Club, Hole #14

I was golfing with three other members who were Jay Kang, his wife ,Yong Kang and Gerry Webster. It was hole #14 and I was playing the whites with the flag on the front of the green. It was 130 yards to the flag and typically the hole plays a bit longer as it’s uphill and into the wind slightly. I played a 8 iron and I hit it perfectly. It was going right at the flag, it hit once and dropped in. I was quite shocked as I’ve never had a hole-in-one and the 14th hole typically causes me some grief. I was also dealing with jet lag as just returned on the Monday of that week from two and a half weeks in Greece so I was tired. My handicap is 13 although I played well this day and with the hole-in-one and shot 79.

Another member made a hole-in-one the same day on the second hole. So there definitely was some free drinks flowing in the clubhouse.

I have been golfing off and on for 50 years and started as a teenager in Sidney. I would ride my bike pulling my clubs and cart from Sidney to the Ardmore Golf Course. I’ve been a member at Gorge Vale for almost two years.

Joan Murray, RattleSnake Point Golf Club, Hole #2

Hole #2 on the Sidewinder course. 111 yards across a gully with a #6 rescue club.

Logan Cameron, Green Gables Golf Club, Hole #16

I went out Sunday morning with my grandfather Dave and my friend Brandon. For some reason we decided to play the tips. It was beautiful day. The par 3, hole #16 over the water was playing 215 yards. I used my hybrid and watched my ball roll back off a ridge right into the hole for my first hole-in-one.

Jennifer Cheung, Uplands Golf Club, Hole #17

It was an amazing feeling, I thought never in this lifetime that I would ever have an hole-in-one.

It was a Sunday, shotgun start playing with my Sunday group of ladies, Judy Cryderman, Maureen Yip and Nancy Greer. Hole #17 was about 110 yards and I used my 11 wood. My only thought was, please do not go into the bunker.

Unfortunately, I did not see the ball drop, I only knew that it was not in the bunker, perhaps at the back of the green, at best. After looking for awhile, Judy said, “look in the hole,” she saw it go in, but didn’t tell me. As it was my first one, she wanted me to experience it and wanted to watch my reaction. I think the whole course heard me.

Grateful for being able to share drinks with friends and members at the club.

You play a terrible game and then something like this happens, then it’s not so bad. I’m happy playing bogey golf, throw in a few pars and I’m good. Anything else is a bonus.

Jason Mitchell, Whitevale Golf Club, Hole #9

Pin was at the back, playing 195 yards downwind. I used a 5-iron and played with my wife, Lucy Wetherall.

My wife and I had just returned from a trip to Iceland on Friday afternoon. We were both still feeling a little jet lagged on Sunday and thought it would be a good idea to play golf to get some exercise and fresh air to power through it.

The pin on the ninth hole was located at the very back of the green playing 195 yards downwind from the blue tees. I hit a 5-iron and landed it about five feet in front of the pin. My wife and I thought we saw it roll into the hole, but because the pin was located so close to the back of the green, we thought it could have rolled past the pin and disappeared into the rough as well. I couldn’t celebrate it until I was sure. So, I quickly walked up the green to have a look and sure enough it was in the hole! Let the celebrations begin!

This was my first hole-in-one. As a result, I’m temporarily the proud owner of the Whitevale “hole-in-one” parking spot!

Curtis Joly, Cottonwood Golf & Country Club, Hole #6

It was quite exciting and unlike my previous hole-in-one a few years back when I really didn’t see it go in (I knew I was close but it was dusk).

This time however, it was a beautiful day on hole #6. Wind was left to right. Pin was 185 yards and we were on the upper box from the our tees. I hit a 7 iron with a slight draw (lefty) and with my group just behind me, we knew it was a good shot but when it started tracking after it landed towards the pin, it was going to either roll off the green or go in. When it went in, our group freaked out and started cheering and high-fiving. It was chaos and excitement. A really surreal moment and feeling being able to share it with my group who consisted of Cody Therrien, Tyson Eckel and Jamie King.

Lorraine Lang, Grand Pines Golf Course, Hole #7

I got lucky, that’s for sure. I was playing with husband Garry Lang and good friends Lori and Gary Kazun. I used a 5 wood and we figured it was about 150 yards. Fun moment that’s for sure.

Henry Cranshaw, Picton Golf & Country Club, Hole #2

114 yards from the red tees and I used a 5 iron. My fourth hole-in-one. Playing partners were Mike Doria, Eugene Dayton and Myrna Kidnew.

Vivian Benedetti, Balfour Golf Course, Hole #7

It was on hole #7 at Balfour Golf Course, with Roma Crispin and Cathy Leugner when I got my hole-in-one. It was 95 yards and I used my pitching wedge. My ball bounced once in front of the green then rolled the slightly uphill distance of approximately four yards and dropped straight into the hole.

Evan Smith, Mountain Woods Golf Club, Hole #9

A perfect Fall day for a round of golf, a warm sunny day with a light breeze. I was playing with my longtime friend, Mike Whittaker. We’ve been playing golf together for over 50 years, since we were kids. We were paired up with two other club members, Ken and Simone.

The ninth hole at Mountain Woods is a 121 yard, par three. It has an elevated tee with a great view of the green. I would normally use a pitching wedge but decided at the last minute to try a gap wedge for the first time. The shot looked pretty good off the tee, high and straight at the pin, but I lost sight of it looking into the sun. Once down at the green, not seeing the ball anywhere, I thought it must have come up short. I looked everywhere, including in the creek that runs in front of the green. “I guess it must have gone long,” I thought, getting a bit frustrated at not being able to find the ball. It was only when I went past the hole and looked down that I realized it had gone in, from frustration to elation in an instant.

Golf is a wonderful game – good exercise and fresh air, great companionship, and the occasional shot that makes us think we have real talent.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Team Canada earned a second place finish at the 52nd Copa Juan Carlos Tailhade (Copa Tailhade) at Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.

Canada shot a combined score of 575 over four rounds, finishing four shots behind Colombia (571). Host nation Argentina finished third with a total score of 576.

Canada was represented by Team Canada NextGen members Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. and Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man. Jasmin finished T5 at 3-over in the individual standings following rounds of 71-73-70-73-287. Kuntz finished T8 at 4-over with rounds of 73-68-72-75-288. Juan Martin Loureiro of Argentina won individual honours, finishing the tournament at 5-under.

Canada has won the Copa Tailhade four times in tournament history, winning titles in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2023. Austin Connelly (Clare, N.S.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) won in 2014, Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.) and Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) in 2015, Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) in 2017 and Brady McKinlay (Lacombe, Alta.) and Felix Bouchard (Montréal, Que.) in 2023. Since 1996, Australia has won five titles (1998, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2012), in addition to Canada, England and Argentina have also won the tournament four times.

Aaron Cockerill stole the early moments of first round action from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The Canadian had turned in a 33, but was in danger of letting a strong start slip when he made a double-bogey at the tenth and dropped another shot on the 12th.

But an ace on the 159-yard next saw him return to three under for the day as his nine-iron from the tee landed slightly right of the pin before feeding down to the cup.

Cockerill’s ace meant he had a scorecard containing every number from one to six in his first 13 holes.

Coming into the week lying 47th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in, with the top 50 progressing to next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, the 32-year-old finished with five consecutive pars to complete an opening 69 in the opening event of the DP World Tour postseason.

Cockerill is the 31st different player to have made a hole-in-one on the DP World Tour on the 2024 Race to Dubai.

Multi-year gift will provide youth across the prairies and First Tee – Canada network with affordable and inclusive access to the game of golf

Oakville, ON (November 7, 2024) – Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation are excited to announce that the Heather Ryan & L. David Dubé Foundation Inc. has pledged a major gift of $1M USD over four years to First Tee – Canada that will directly benefit First Tee – Prairies.

The Heather Ryan & L. David Dubé Foundation is a private Canadian foundation that was founded in 2005. Since it’s inception the Foundation has made meaningful and lasting contributions to nature conservancy, humanitarian aide (Canadian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, hospitals), youth sports and to other areas in the Saskatoon community.

L. David Dubé is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Concorde Group Corporation and has served on numerous boards across Canada and the United States over the past 30 years. Dubé was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2020 and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in June 2022.

“On behalf of my wife Heather and I and our Foundation, we are extremely proud to support First Tee – Canada and invest in youth and the positive impact and life-long lessons sports can have on their lives,” said L. David Dubé, president, Heather Ryan & L. David Dubé Foundation. “We have been long-time supporters of youth sports and this opportunity with First Tee – Canada was a perfect fit for our Foundation to continue our commitment to sports and youth development. Access to sports can be difficult and we want to ensure whether it’s 1,000 children or just one child that we can help, where help is needed. Golf helps to teach life-long lessons and tests character, and we are happy to invest in meaningful youth development here in the prairies and across our country.”

Heather Ryan added, “Both David and I have led sporting lives. From grade school through Varsity sports, we have both believed in the power of sports to shape the lives of youth and access to sports is essential to delivering those benefits. First Tee – Canada is a perfect fit for us ensure others benefit from sport as we did.”

Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation partnered with First Tee in 2020 to launch First Tee – Canada to provide youth with affordable and inclusive access to the game along with life-enhancing experiences through the game. First Tee – Prairies launched in January 2023 and today, six lead chapters are operating First Tee – Canada programming in every province across the country.

First Tee – Canada programming is delivered in three settings, at golf courses, schools and community centres with unique curriculums and training for each location. This year, First Tee – Prairies delivered programming to over 22,400 participants at seven program locations across Saskatchewan and Manitoba with a team of 10 certified First Tee coaches. Close to 40 per cent of participants identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) and 40 per cent identified as female. In addition, 76 per cent of schools and community centre programming serviced low-income and diverse populations in the provinces. Through the generous support of donors, 100 per cent of the programming was provided at no cost to the participants.

“We are very appreciative of the generous gift from the Heather Ryan & L. David Dubé Foundation that will directly have a positive impact on youth not only in the prairies but also across all First Tee chapters in Canada,” said First Tee – Canada Executive Director, Adam Hunter. “Financial support from generous donors allows us to expand program locations and provide them with the proper equipment, train and staff coaches and provide more youth with the opportunity to experience affordable golf programming in their communities.”

The Golf Canada Foundation is a critical partner in the continued growth of First Tee – Canada chapters across the country through the generous support of its donors and fundraising and philanthropic efforts.

“We are incredibly grateful that Heather and David have come forward in such an impactful way to support kids in the Prairies through golf,” said Golf Canada Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Martin Barnard. “They understand how sport can change lives and have been leaders in giving back both locally and nationally for many years. Their support will help us grow donations both in the province and across the country for many years to come.”

The Heather Ryan & L. David Dubé Foundation Inc. joins a strong network of donors across Canada that have generously impacted First Tee – Canada in a meaningful way since First Tee – Canada’s inception in 2020. To learn how to support First Tee – Canada, please email Executive Director Adam Hunter. To find a chapter near you, visit firstteecanada.ca. To learn more about First Tee – Prairies, please visit firstteeprairies.ca.