RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford will be leaving the organization as he has accepted the role of Commissioner with the Ontario Hockey League.

“Bryan has played an instrumental role in the growth of the RBC Canadian Open into one of Canada’s signature sport properties and we are extremely appreciative of his contributions over the past six years as Tournament Director,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Bryan is a talented and dynamic sports executive who has made a wonderful impact on our team and our National Men’s Open Championship during his time with Golf Canada. He is well positioned for continued success in leading the Ontario Hockey League.”  

Since joining Golf Canada in 2018, Crawford has been leading force in the continued elevation and commercial growth of the RBC Canadian Open, which has become a festival experience featuring world-class golf, music and food experience. Crawford has also worked with the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Advisory Council, serving most recently as its Vice-Chair. A former member of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, Crawford has previously worked in leadership positions with Basketball Canada and Ontario University Athletics (OUA).

In one of the hardest-conditioned days in PGA of Canada Championship history, with winds at 40 KM/h, gusting up to 60 KM/h, Mitchell Fox somehow carded a bogey-free 70.  

Playing in the 8^th last group of the day, he finished at -1 for the championship. 21 players were still on the course, all beginning their day with a better score than him – including Nigel Sinnott, who began leading at -7.  

All of those players, apart from Yohann Benson, finished worse than -1.

Benson, one of the few survivors of the Rockyview winds, carded an even-par 72 – one of only four players to do so during the final round.

Benson and Fox watched on as Sang Lee had a 25-foot birdie putt on 18, needing a two-putt to win the title. Lee left his birdie try five-feet below the hole and, as many did throughout the day, fell victim to the difficult Mickelson National greens, missing two more to fall one-stroke shy of a playoff.

In the playoff, Fox left his approach short of the green and made bogey, while Benson nestled his 30-foot birdie try next to the hole, earning the 2024 PGA Championship of Canada title and $13,000 first-place cheque.

“It feels awesome because I really had no clue until I signed my scorecard that I had a chance,” said Benson, who also won the 2023 PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf. “I said, ‘see you guys in Vancouver’ when I signed my card [to the scoring staff] and they said, ‘hang on a minute, you might want to hang around’. I was very happily surprised and went to the playoff and pulled it off.”

With a tight leaderboard that saw 10 players within two strokes of the lead on the back nine, Benson made back-to-back birdies on holes 10 and 11, and held on through the rest of the day as many of the remaining hole were straight into the strong wind.

“What a golf course this is, it was quite the test all three days,” said Benson, who teaches out of Le Mirage (Club de Golf). “When you look at the names on the trophy it is really an honour to put my name next to the greats that have won the PGA Championship of Canada.”

Arriving on Sunday, the opening round was the first time Benson saw the golf course.  

“I played it blind during the first round, but the conditions were nice, so I thought it was a scorable course,” said Benson, who carded a first-round 70. “Yesterday, I didn’t complete round two, so I came back at 6:15 AM to play three holes and I didn’t finish well. I made bogey on the last two holes, and I plotted along this afternoon.”

“Thank God it is a wide golf course, so hitting the ball in play off the tee wasn’t so difficult, but hitting the right areas on the greens that were running fast was a grind. I did my best, and I generally have a good attitude. I don’t get to play competitive golf much, so I truly enjoyed it.”

All three players who finished in a tie for third, as well as runner-up Mitchell Fox, have roots in Calgary. Wes Heffernan and Chris Horton both call Calgary home, while Lee grew up in the city, learning under Randy Robb at Edge High School.

One of the activations taking place during the week was the E-Z-GO “It’s Good to Go” hole of the week. The three players who made eagle on the drivable par-4 were Ben Boudreau, Katy Rutherford and Steven Lecuyer.

All three were put into a draw for a $250 cash prize. After the random draw, Rutherford earned the bonus.

A huge thank you to local partner Flint Energy, who offered meals to players each of the first two rounds, Stony for supplying staff clothing, Golf Avenue for supporting the full championship schedule, Golf Away Tours for their support of our championship previews, National Partner Wesko Locks and local partner Harmony Developments.

Also special shoutout to Miles Motensen and the entire Mickelson National Golf Club team – what a host venue! 

Full leaderboard can be found here.

Dublin, Ohio, USA – Adam Hadwin has qualified for The 152 Open at Royal Troon through the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
 
The Memorial Tournament was the seventh event in the Open Qualifying Series and took place at Muirfield Village.
 
The Canadian was the leading player in the field not already exempt, finishing in third place at 4-under.
 
The next events in the Open Qualifying Series are the KOLON Korea Open and the KLM Open taking place from 20-23 June.

During a challenging Sunday at Muirfield Village, where only a few players managed to score below par, Hadwin quickly climbed the leaderboard with three birdies in his first seven holes. This brought him within striking distance of the 54-hole leader, Scottie Scheffler. However, Scheffler ultimately edged out Collin Morikawa by one stroke to claim his fifth win in eight starts.

In addition to punching his ticket to The Open, Hadwin’s chances of representing Team Canada at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Paris this summer improved significantly. He jumped 24 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking, from No. 59 to No. 35, positioning himself as Canada’s second available spot with one week of qualification remaining.

At the last Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes represented Canada in men’s golf. In 2016, it was David Hearn and Graham DeLaet. Becoming an Olympian is a notable achievement missing from Hadwin’s impressive resume.

Olympic golf qualification depends on the Official World Golf Ranking, which will be finalized after the U.S. Open next week. Nick Taylor is likely to secure the first spot, leaving Conners, Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith, and Hughes in contention for the second spot.

All five Canadians will compete next week at Pinehurst No. 2.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Jeri Lafleche of Winnipeg, Man. claimed the lead on Friday and kept the same momentum throughout the whole tournament, while Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. came out on top to win the 2024 NextGen Prairie Championship at Whitewater Golf Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.  

Overcast conditions rolled in for Sunday’s final round. Lafleche outlasted the field with rounds of 75-73-76, finishing at 8-over par and five shots clear of runner up Olivia Johnson of Calgary, Alta. Lafleche carded five bogeys on Sunday but was able to record 3 pars in a row on 16-18 to get the win. Lafleche was in the lead heading into the final round, and now has earned direct exemption into the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. 

 “Winning this tournament means a lot, it’s a great start to the season and then travelling all this way, it’s nice to come home with the win,” said Lafleche. 

Sunday’s win is Lafleche’s first of the season. Lafleche said it was tough to keep her focus while playing in cold and windy conditions. 

“It was pretty tough on the front nine, I’m not going to lie with the wind being even colder and then sometimes you’re in the open and sometimes you’re in the cold, it’s not a constant temperature, but ended up working through it,” said Lafleche. 

In the Junior Boys Division, Mosher finished the tournament on a high note, with a 2-over 74 on Sunday. Mosher finished three shots clear of Josiah Tong of Heritage Pointe, Alta. to claim his spot into the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Mosher grabbed the lead in the first round with a 2-under 70 and finished with two solid rounds of 74-74 to claim the championship.  

 “It felt great. I had a couple hiccups with the driver but other than that my game was just on point. My putting was spectacular so I couldn’t have asked for a better three days of putting, irons were good and was able to aim at the pins which helped a lot,” said Mosher. 

Tong finished 5-over par to finish in second and secured his spot also in the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.  

The top six players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 22-25 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver B.C. 

NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to Canadian Junior Girls Championship 

In the Junior Boys division, the top six players earn exemption into the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys championship, August 13-16, at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, Alta.  

NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to Canadian Junior Boys Championship 

About the NextGen Championships 

The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2024 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

UBC Thunderbirds’ Una Chou and Dylan MacDonald win
women’s and men’s individual championships

SUDBURY, Ont. – The UBC Thunderbirds have completed a clean sweep, winning the men’s and women’s team championships as well as both individual championships at the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO at Idylwylde Golf & Country Club in Sudbury, Ont.

The UBC Thunderbirds Men’s team have claimed their eighth national championship after shooting a collective, 7-under (274-280-291-300). The Thunderbirds were represented by Mackenzie Bickell of Richmond, B.C., John Paul Kahlert of Maple Ridge, B.C., Hudson LaFayette of North Vancouver, B.C., Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. and Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio.

UBC Thunderbirds Coach Chris Macdonald has been apart of every Canadian University/College national championship for both teams. With the double win this year, he has coached both programs to 25 national titles having been with the women’s team since 2001 and the men’s team since 2004.

“Really proud of a lot of things for our teams. They work so hard in practice, they play hard and really try to perform well for each other. There is really great sportsmanship and teamwork in our group and just really proud of them. Not just these teams, but the program itself.

“We are really happy about our program and the golf scholarship endowment we have for Canadian student athletes from the Thunderbird Golf Society and thanks to UBC Athletics for supporting golf and our home course at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club,” said Coach Macdonald.

In addition to winning the national championship, the Thunderbirds Men’s team have qualified for the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational, taking place September 15-17 at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont.

“We’re just really excited, obviously a great opportunity play against a lot of Division I teams. We’ve played against a lot of those teams over the last little while and really excited that we’re going to get to play a really beautiful golf course back in Ontario in September,” added Macdonald.

The Fraser Valley Cascades finished as runner-up at 43-over and the Montreal Carabins and Victoria Vikes tied for third at 44-over.

The men’s individual championship came down to a playoff between MacDonald (UBC Thunderbirds) and William Forgues of Quebec City, Que. (Laval Rouge et Or). MacDonald won on the first playoff hole to claim the national championship. MacDonald finished at 1-under for the tournament following rounds of 70-72-73-72. MacDonald has also earned an exemption into the 119th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Sask. from August 5-8. Anthony Jomphe of Chicoutimi, Que. (Montreal Carabins) finished third at even-par.

“Dylan did what he did all year, make a good chip, got himself to four feet to make a straight uphill four footer into the wind and made it. Just feeling really happy for him, he’s been with us for four years and works extremely hard and has got so much better every year, so good for him,” said Coach Macdonald.

The UBC Thunderbirds Women’s team have now won seven consecutive national titles and their 17th in 20 years. The Thunderbirds were led by Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. who claimed the women’s individual title. Along with Chou were teammates, Grace Bell of Calgary, Alta., Bo Brown of Mississauga, Ont. and Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C. Collectively they finished the tournament at 21-over, 42 shots clear of the UBC Okanagan Heat.

“I’m just very proud of our women’s team, the program and the consistency. They are just very experienced players and have played lots of tournaments together. NCAA Division I events and Division II events so I’m really proud of how they’ve played in some really tough tournaments this year and brought their best this week,” added Macdonald.

Chou shot a 1-over 73 on Thursday to finish the tournament at 1-under (73-67-74-73) to win by 12 strokes. Chou was in contention all week and was only one-shot back after the opening round. In Tuesday’s second round, Chou fired a 5-under 67 to set a new women’s course record at Idylwylde Golf & Country Club. The previous record was held by Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Marlene Stewart Streit who shot a 68 during the 1974 Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship at Idylwylde.

“She’s just so consistent, drives the ball so well and is one of the best putters we’ve had in the program’s history. Just that consistency and watching the putts fall for her all week, just really nice to see her get that,” said Macdonald.

In addition to winning the national championship, Chou has also earned an exemption into the 110th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO from July 30 to August 2 at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C.

Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. (UBC Okanagan Heat) finished at runner-up at 13-over and UBC Thunderbird teammates Brown and Bell tied for third at 15-over.

The third round was completed early Thursday morning after play was suspended due to lighting on Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. Play resumed at 7 a.m. on Thursday.

For the final leaderboards from the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Men’s Team Championship – Top 3

Women’s Team Championship – Top 3

Men’s Individual Championship – Top 3

Bold – Won in Playoff

Women’s Individual Championship – Top 3

CALEDON, Ont. – A half-a-decade ago Laurence Applebaum and Chris Humeniuk first met, and they began working on a vision to build the new home for Canadian golf. Come 2025, not only with the family-founded and family-owned TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley fulfill that vision, but it will also become a first-time host of the RBC Canadian Open – something Humeniuk never once dreamed about.

“It’s such an incredibly exciting time that’s allowed us to lean into. We like to say we’re ‘built for this,’” Humeniuk said.

Roman and Jerry Humeniuk, Chris’ father and uncle, respectively, purchased Osprey Valley from its original owner almost three decades ago. Jerry passed away in 2020. They had always had plans for something bigger, but never did they plan for this, said Chris.

TPC Toronto is now a completely full-service venue for people who play golf and those who are merely golf-adjacent – small businesses looking to host staff days, wedding parties, and more – with its main clubhouse boasting multiple levels of modernity (and don’t skip on the hyper-local craft beer offerings or elevated comfort-food menu) while finely curated cabins and overnight accommodations are very much on their way.

Along with the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, too.

“We’re excited by the partnership we’ve formed with Golf Canada and the PGA Tour. These two partnerships helped us to elevate our own vision of what Osprey Valley might become,” said Humeniuk. “I never would have dreamed to be hosting the RBC Canadian Open on our property – but here we are talking about it.”

Next year’s edition of the Canadian Open will be contested on the renovated North Course. Long a host of other top-tier competitions, renowned Canadian golf-course architect Ian Andrew – along with the PGA Tour design services team – turned the North Course into a championship-calibre golf course that’s capable of challenging the best players in the world.

“I got to spend a couple of days at Hamilton and the energy around (that) event within the community out on the golf course is absolute fantastic. I couldn’t help but be inspired by what I was seeing and feeling – it was also sobering to realize an event this size is now on the clock here at TPC Toronto,” Humeniuk said.

“We’ve put together a first-class team here and I know we have a wonderful partner in the town of Caledon looking forward to hosting the event here.”

Applebaum, the CEO of Golf Canada, said it was “so pleasing after so many years” to finally be at a place where they could let out the great secret that the 2025 Canadian Open was coming to TPC Toronto. Last week’s event at Hamilton, Applebaum said, had a global television audience of over 1-billion households. It was the most-attended Canadian Open of all time. 

Applebaum recalled fondly when he met with Jim Nantz – the iconic CBS broadcaster – last weekend at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, and when Nantz began to ask him about TPC Toronto, that’s when he knew it was real.

It’s extra special, Applebaum explained, because while Hamilton, St. George’s Golf and Country Club, and Oakdale Golf and Country Club are storied Canadian venues that have provided Canadian golf fans with epic finishes to the Canadian Open the last three years, they are all private golf clubs.

TPC Toronto is, of course, completely public.

“It’s exactly what we’ve talked about an excessive amount of times – the opportunity for the public to be able to play the golf course that they’re going to see the best in the world play,” Applebaum said of the importance of having the Canadian Open at a public club. “Over the course of this whole year Chris’ golf courses are going to be played and he’ll get an incredible amount of feedback – and then they’ll watch the best in the world play it.

“It’s been a long time coming for a publicly accessible golf course to host the Canadian Open.”

Golf Canada and TPC Toronto’s special relationship is just underway. In July 2022 the two entities announced a partnership to build a new Home of Canadian Golf. Golf Canada’s offices are moving there along with First Tee – Canada (including an accessible 18-hole community putting course and next generation high-performance training amenities) plus Golf Ontario and the Club Management Association of Canada.

“We’re not only going to be guests, but this will be home as well,” Applebaum said.

Teeing it up at TPC Toronto this summer not only means just golf – it’s clubhouse also features a few fun Canadian Golf Hall of Fame exhibits including the green hoodie Adam Hadwin wore when he got tackled at the 2023 Canadian Open (along with the cork from the champagne bottle!) – but a sneak peek at where some of the best in the world will also play next year.

A video was put together to help with the announcement becoming official-official. The first time Humeniuk saw it he admitted he got so emotional he had to leave his office and go for a walk.

“I don’t know if I’d ever dare dreamed that this event would be coming here. I’m not sure if it’s sunk in yet,” he said. “I don’t know if I can put it into words what it all means.”

Play suspended at 7:20 p.m. with 17 players still to finish third round; UBC Thunderbirds maintain lead in men’s and women’s team championships

SUDBURY, Ont. – The third round of the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO was suspended at 7:20 p.m. due to lightning. Play will resume at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning with 17 players yet to finish their round at the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club in Sudbury, Ont.

Conditions took a turn on Wednesday, with players facing strong winds and cooler temperatures into the afternoon before storms ended play in the evening.

The UBC Thunderbirds Men’s team shot a collective 3-over 291 and now sit at 19-under for the tournament and take a 42-shot lead into the final round as they look to add their eighth national championship in team history.

The Men’s individual championship looks destined for an exciting finish as UBC Thunderbird teammates John Paul Kahlert of Maple Ridge, B.C. and Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio are tied at 8-under, and both were able to complete their rounds. Kahlert recorded a 2-under 70 after getting off to a strong start with four birdies on his first five holes.

Behind the duo are Owen Croft of Georgetown, Ont. (Victoria Vikes) who sits in third place at 4-under following a 71 on Wednesday and Mackenzie Bickell of Richmond, B.C. (UBC Thunderbirds) is fourth at 2-under. 2023 champion Jackson Jacob of Langley, B.C. (Fraser Valley Cascades) sits at 1-under following back-to-back rounds under par and is tied with Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds) for fifth.

There are 17 players in the women’s division yet to complete their third round with only a couple holes remaining. As play was suspended, the UBC Thunderbirds held the lead at 11-over for the tournament and 31 shots ahead of UBC Okanagan Heat who also were unable to complete all their rounds.

Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. (UBC Thunderbirds) maintains her lead in the individual standings with two holes remaining in her third round. Chou currently sits at 2-under and 11 shots ahead of teammate Grace Bell of Calgary, Alta. who completed her round and is 9-over for the tournament.

Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. (UBC Okanagan Heat) is solo third at 10-over with two holes remaining. UBC Thunderbirds’ Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C., Bo Brown of Mississauga, Ont. and Cindy-Cruise Koira of Victoria, B.C. round out the top five.

In the team championship, four daily scores count towards the team total with three scores daily in the women’s division. Following completion of the third round, the field will been cut to the low nine (9) men’s teams and the low six (6) women’s teams, including any team within 15 shots of the lead. Individuals within ten (10) shots of third place, or any player within the top-10, will also make the cut.

For the leaderboards following play on Wednesday, please click here. Thursday’s final round pairings and tee times once available can be found here.

Men’s Team Championship – Top 5

Women’s Team Championship – Top 5

Men’s Individual Championship – Top 5

Women’s Individual Championship – Top 5

*Did not finish round

Checking her email regularly has paid off for Canadian golfer Maddie Szeryk.

The native of London, Ont., who resides in Texas, was going through her inbox three weeks ago when she noticed a message from the organizers of the Texas Women’s Open reminding her that there was still four days left to sign up for the tournament at Grapevine Golf Course. 

Seeing that it would be a great opportunity to tune up before she returned to the LPGA Tour, she decided to register.

“I wasn’t playing enough tournament rounds so I was like, ‘I need to do this,'” Szeryk, who lives fewer than 60 kilometres from Grapevine, Texas, said Wednesday. “It was perfect that the deadline hadn’t passed or anything, the timing worked out, I could stay at home, and my boyfriend was on the bag.

“It was just really good to see some solid golf again, and just to get comfortable out there.”

Originally schedule for three days, the Texas Women’s Open was reduced to two because of heavy storms in the area. Szeryk started the second round two shots behind leader Hailee Cooper. 

After a bogey on No. 17, she hit a wedge shot to get within 10 feet of the 18th green and drained the putt for the tournament-winning birdie.

Szeryk won US$17,000 and, perhaps more importantly, sharpened her game ahead of this week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J. It will be her first LPGA Tour start of the season, after she was unable to maintain her status from last season.

“I feel like I’m getting on a roll and scrambling better and just playing more solid and just making it come together,” she said. “You can play games and stuff when practising and playing by yourself but it’s just not the same as tournament golf and the pressure of that.

“So it’s good. I just tried to really treat (the Texas Women’s Open) as a big tournament just trying to play and get comfortable again.”

Szeryk is one of five Canadians that will be playing at Seaview Bay Course when the tournament begins Friday.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is seventh on the Race to CME Globe standings. Savannah Grewal (76th) of Mississauga, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc (129th) of Sherbrooke, Que., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (132nd) are also in the field.

“I love playing out here and getting to see all my close friends again,” said Szeryk, noting that she was especially excited to practice and possibly play alongside good friends Lauren Hartlage and Amanda Doherty. “It was so fun to be out there with them again and just to see other friends that I’m close with and just the feel of like, ‘OK, this is a big tournament this is really real. 

“I’m just so excited to finally be back this year, my first one of the year.”

Szeryk may have more LPGA Tour events in June.

She’s the first alternate for the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Mich., and will play in the Dow Championship at Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich.

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., will be the highest ranked Canadian playing at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship when it tees off on Friday. She enters the tournament as No. 98 on the Epson Tour’s points list. She’ll be joined at Battle Creek Country Club in Battle Creek, Mich., by Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., Vancouver’s Leah John and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., all of whom are unranked.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., has moved up to 30th on the FedEx Cup standings, making him the highest ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour. He’ll be back in action this week at the Memorial Tournament, one of the Tour’s signature events. Five other Canadians are in the field at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Nick Taylor (34th) of Abbotsford, B.C., Mackenzie Hughes (40th) of Dundas, Ont., Corey Conners (45th) of Listowel, Ont., Adam Hadwin (48th) of Abbotsford, and Adam Svensson (94th) of Surrey, B.C., will all tee it up.

PRESIDENTS CUP — U.S. team captain Jim Furyk announced his assistants for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in late September. Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard and Kevin Kisner will all join Furyk in Montreal

“The three of them have a tremendous history with this event, but more importantly, they will be trusted voices in the team room and on the course for our guys,” said Furyk. “I look forward to working with them closely as we build a 12-man U.S. team that is ready to compete at Royal Montreal this fall.”

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is ranked 18th on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour’s points list. He’s the top-ranked Canadian playing in the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer, S.C. He and Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., will play at Carolina Country Club, while Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., will be at Thornblade Club.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is ranked second in the Schwab Cup points list heading into Friday’s American Family Insurance Championship. He’ll be the lone Canadian playing at University Ridge Golf Club in Madison, Wisc.

Thunder Bay, Ont.  The NextGen Prairie Championship, begins this week with a field of 84 Junior golfers set to compete at the Whitewater Golf Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.  

The starting field will feature – 64 Junior Boys and 20 Junior Girls competing for spots each into their respective Canadian Junior Championships this summer. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 53 Junior Boys and top 17 Junior Girls, including ties. 

“Hosting the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship is a tremendous honour for Whitewater Golf Club and for the Thunder Bay community. This event not only showcases the talent and dedication of junior golfers from across the country but also highlights the exceptional quality of our course and the natural beauty of Northwestern Ontario,” states Director of Whitewater Golf Club, Matt Simmons. “We are excited to welcome these young athletes and provide them with a challenging and memorable experience & it’s an opportunity for our club to contribute to the growth of the game, support the next generation of golfing stars, and proudly represent our region on a national stage.” 

Practice rounds are scheduled for Thursday, June 6 before the official 54-hole tournament kicks off on Friday, June 7. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, June 9 and will determine who has qualified to compete in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.  

The Whitewater Golf Club stretches north from the banks of the Kaministiquia River and is known for its two McBroom designed courses – the Forest and River – which is one of the finest 18- hole golf courses in the province.  The golf course features a chipping, putting green and a 400-yard driving range, allowing all golfers to enjoy various aspects of the game. Off course additions are continuing to be developed with a planned community of 500 homes, a resort hotel, community amenities and new recreational activities.  

“We really look forward to hosting the 2024 NextGen Prairie Championship this week. Our team of Volunteers in place strive to run an efficient and quality NextGen Championship and we certainly can’t thank you enough for travelling to Thunder Bay,” said NextGen Prairie Tournament Host Chairman, Chris Gardner. “On a deeper level, this has been a long time coming for our community and we celebrate it with respect and gratitude. We really want to show you our Northern Touch with great hospitality and genuineness at its finest. To all the competitors, I wish you so much luck but most of all I wish you great memories to take away from this Championship. Play hard and go get it.” 

This week’s tournament marks the fourth stop on the NextGen Series schedule for the 2024 golf season. The NextGen Prairie Championship is one of Golf Canada’s six regional junior championships. Kye Fisher of Leduc, Alta. and Cala Korman of Killarney, Man. claimed their respective divisions in the 2023 NextGen Prairie Championship last season. 

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Prairie Championship, click here. 

About the NextGen Championships 

The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2024 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf 

Caledon, Ont., is preparing to welcome the world — through the RBC Canadian Open — to its rolling green hills.

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley was announced as the host for the 2025 edition of the RBC Canadian Open, the men’s national golf championship and the only PGA Tour event north of the border, two weeks ago. 

Mayor Annette Grove said the success of this year’s event at Hamilton Golf and Country Club shows what it can do for a municipality’s international profile.

“It’s an opportunity to really put Caledon on the map globally,” said Grove on Tuesday. “I understand that over one million households across the United States, people from 140 different countries, viewed the tournament over the weekend in Hamilton, so this is an exciting opportunity for Caledon.”

The CPKC Women’s Open, Canada’s national women’s championship and the only LPGA Tour event in the country, travels across the country. It was at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club last year and will be at Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club at the end of July.

The men’s championship, however, stays in southern Ontario. St. George’s Golf and Country Club and Oakdale Golf and Country Club, both in Toronto, hosted in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Along with Hamilton and Toronto TPC, the four courses — and possibly a fifth to be announced at a later date — will comprise a rotation of locations in and around Toronto, Canada’s largest city.

Golf Canada’s chief operating officer Garrett Ball outlined the two tournaments’ economic impact at a news conference on Wednesday at the Canadian Open. He said the national sport organization had an $84-million economic impact on Canada as a whole, with $66 million of that in Ontario.

Although the final ticket sales data wasn’t yet released on Tuesday, Golf Canada estimated last week that 137,000 fans attended the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club between Wednesday and Sunday. The organization also estimated that more than 60,000 of them came from more than 40 kilometres away.

Neil Lumsden, Ontario’s minister of tourism, culture and sport, announced at the same news conference that the province would contribute $1 million to Golf Canada to support the event.

“The impact won’t just be for three or four days, it will be significant and it will be long lasting,” said Lumsden. “This touches all bases on what we are trying to do across Ontario. 

“So far, when we partner up (with Golf Canada), the expectations have been met and exceeded, and this will be no different at the RBC Canadian Open.”

Groves is excited to bring that kind of economic activity to Caledon, a regional municipality northwest of Toronto, that is stretched out over 700 square kilometres. That includes the unincorporated town of Bolton, the region’s largest community, as well as seven villages and 10 hamlets.

“I believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for our local businesses right across the town,” said Groves, who pointed to the villages of Alton and Cheltenham as well as the hamlet of Terra Cotta as communities that will benefit. 

“Right across the town, businesses will certainly benefit from this economically.”

Hosting a RBC Canadian Open is not without its challenges. Staff and fans arriving account for thousands of extra cars on roads and in parking lots in the area. The township also has a limited number of accommodations for visitors.

“One of the things that we we’re working on, certainly, is shuttling people. We’ve got other areas in Caledon and Caledon is a very big place,” said Groves. “We are working with our communities right across Caledon and with our partners to make sure that we can shuttle people safely to the Osprey Valley golf course.”

Groves also said that her town would be working with the neighbouring municipalities of Brampton, Ont., and Orangeville, Ont., for infrastructure support like hotels and shuttle points.

She also pointed to Caledon’s previous success hosting the equestrian competitions at the 2015 Pan American Games, which were held at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, Ont.