Uxbridge, Ontario – The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) Board of Directors have appointed Mike Kelly as its next Executive Director, following a four month interim role.

“I am very pleased to announce Mike Kelly’s appointment as Executive Director of the GAO. Mike has been an integral part of the GAO for the last decade and has demonstrated a clear ability to lead this organization towards a prosperous future. His enthusiasm, work ethic, knowledge and creativity will enable the GAO to pursue our strategic plan that will serve golf in Ontario. I am very excited at the prospect of continuing to work with Michael,” stated GAO President Christian Osborne.

“It is a true honor and privilege to continue to serve the GAO as its next Executive Director, an opportunity which is very exciting for myself and my family,” said Kelly.

Kelly joined the GAO in 2006 after nine years with ClubLink Corporation and has served in a variety of roles, most recently as the Managing Director of Sport. During his tenure, he helped pioneer many initiatives across the province, including Golf in Schools, Team Ontario, National Junior Golf Development Centres and the World Junior Girls Golf Championship.

After receiving a golf scholarship to Union College in Kentucky, Kelly graduated from the Professional Golf Management program at Georgian College, where he received the Board of Governors Distinguished Alumni Award. A Class ‘A’ member of the PGA of Canada, Kelly is a two-time Zone and National Award winner.

“I’m very lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team at the GAO and look forward to meeting our many opportunities and challenges head on as we collectively work to build golf in every corner of the Province,” added Kelly.

For more information on the Golf Association of Ontario, visit www.gao.ca.

Before the recent federal election, I bet most of you thought we of the “Millennial Generation” could care less about politics. You would have been wrong.

“Advance polling stations on some campuses attracted 70,000 students to cast a ballot, and one student representative believes that even though the student and youth vote has been traditionally low, they are plugged in to politics,” according to CBC News.

“The huge number of early student voters dispels this myth that we are apathetic or uninterested in politics,” said Rajean Hoilett, chairman of the Canadian Federation of Students in Ontario.

Why the upswing?

Someone actually made an effort to attract those of us belonging to Generation Y (born anywhere from the 1980s to the early 2000s). And, for the first time, a political party reached out via social media to engage us. Not surprisingly, that party now forms our new majority government.

I apologize for the lengthy political preamble, but there is a valuable lesson here for golf and for those who are entrusted with its future well-being. That is, those who think my generation could care less about golf. Again, you would be wrong.

The U.S. National Golf Foundation recently released a survey report called Golf and the Millennial Generation. It concluded that “Millennials have a much closer connection to golf than many people think. We also confirmed that the sport has significant, and realistic, potential to grow participation among this vital demographic. However, the research behind the report also tells us that golf requires a modernization of its brand to effectively, and materially, broaden its appeal among 18- to 34-year-olds.”

The NGF could have saved itself a lot of money had it just spoken to my friends and me.

Overall, we get the feeling that there is no place for us in golf in Canada. Many of those in charge of the game don’t seem to genuinely want to grow the game, even though they say they do.

We don’t want gimmicks like Foot Golf or 15-inch holes. We don’t want to wear our caps backwards or surf around on GolfBoards.

What we do want is for the golf industry to take us seriously. We don’t have a lot of money right now. What we do have is a love of the game. The money will come later but not building a relationship with us now will cost them big time in the years to come. If golf doesn’t welcome us now, and cater to our wants and needs, we will find other opportunities to spend our money and never come back to golf.

We don’t understand why the golf “industry” seems so resistant to change and to technology. Just about everyone these days, and my generation in particular, is online—a lot. We communicate digitally. We use apps for everything. We research online and then we purchase online. And, whenever possible, we make our golf decisions online.

The NGF report concurs. “Consider the project journey, from booking a tee time all the way through to the 19^th hole, from a Millennial’s perspective, and how that experience should be marketed.”

Simply put, to attract us, every physical aspect of a golf facility should be available virtually. Get online and develop useful apps so we can use our ever-present devices to book our times, post our scores, track our statistics, determine our yardage, order food on the course, find playing partners and leagues, and so much more.

The NGF report said Millennials comprise a quarter of current golfers and make up more than half of golf’s latent demand. Although that is a U.S. finding, we can assume it roughly applies to Canada.

It would be nice if golf made us feel welcome.

And it would be good for the game, too.

To learn more about the NGF’s report, Golf and the Millennial Generation, click here.

Editor’s Note: William Gordon is the son of veteran golf writer John Gordon. He is 28, belongs to a golf club in the Greater Toronto Area and works in the technology industry. You can follow him on Twitter @itsWillGordon.

LAS VEGAS – Canada’s David Hearn birdied his final three holes in perfect morning conditions for a 7-under 64 and a share of the lead Thursday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Michael Thompson, Mark Hubbard and Tyler Aldridge also topped the leaderboard at TPC Summerlin. Aldridge had two holes left when first-round play was suspended because of darkness.

Hearn, of Brantford, Ont., had eight birdies and a bogey.

“The course was playing pretty much perfect as it’s going to get,” Hearn said. “The greens were great this morning. I think that there’s a reason there’s a lot of good scores on that board. It’s because the course is in such good shape.”

Patrick Rodgers, Patton Kizzire, Chad Campbell, Ryan Palmer, Ricky Barnes, D.H. Lee, Ryo Ishikawa, Greg Owen, Shane Bertsch and Brendon Todd shot 65, and Henrik Norlander also was 6 under with two holes left.

Lee birdied six of his first seven holes, then bogeyed the next two.

Kizzire is making his first start as a PGA Tour member after winning twice last year on the Web.com Tour and topping the regular-season and finals-combined money lists. He was married Saturday.

Jimmy Walker opened with a 66, and U.S. Presidents Cup teammate Rickie Fowler had a 72. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 66 while fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin had a 70. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot 72.

Thompson and Hubbard eagled the par-5 16th, with Hubbard holing 30-foot putt and Thompson a 25-footer in their morning rounds. Thompson also had seven birdies and a double bogey.

“It definitely helps when there’s no wind and real calm and sunny,” Thompson said. “The only thing that we really have to consider is the cold in the morning. … It helps when the greens are a little bit receptive and they’re rolling perfect.”

Hubbard had the eagle, six birdies and a bogey. He played a three-hole stretch in 4 under with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and the eagle on 16, but bogeyed the 17th and closed with a par.

“I’ve kind of just taken a little bit of a chill pill recently, and I’m playing a lot better golf,” Hubbard said.

He got into the field as an alternate when Matt Every withdrew.

“It’s a nice opportunity to have,” Hubbard said.

Walker closed with a bogey on the par-5 ninth.

“It stings a little bit, bogeying nine, but just didn’t hit a very good tee ball,” Walker said. “I played real solid all day, made a lot of great putts. A lot of good par putts. It was a nice, solid day. Just kind of kept the ball out in front of me. I also felt like they had some pretty tough pins today, actually. It wasn’t like you were just throwing darts.”

Fowler had a double bogey after hitting into the water on the par-3 17th.

“It wasn’t playing very tough by any means,” Fowler said. “You just had to hit a 7-iron out right of the hole. You can’t hit it left. I hit it left. … I just made a bad swing. I didn’t hit my irons and wedges very well today.”

Defending champion Ben Martin shot a 70.

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, a playoff winner Sunday in the season-opening Frys.com Open in Napa, California, had a 74.

U.S. Walker Cup teammates Denny McCarthy and Hunter Stewart made their pro debuts. Stewart had a 72, and McCarthy was 3 over with one hole left. McCarthy played at Virginia, and Stewart at Vanderbilt.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the athletes who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2016 National Amateur Squad and Development Squad.

In all, ten athletes comprise Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad including five players on the men’s team and five on the women’s. The National Development Squad, primarily a U19 program, will also feature 10 players (five men and five women).

Returning to the men’s Amateur Squad is 2015 Gary Cowan Award (low amateur at the RBC Canadian Open) winner Blair Hamilton, 22, of Burlington, Ont. Hamilton enters his senior year at the University of Houston on the heels of a strong junior year that included two collegiate victories and six other top-20 finishes. He finished T17 at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur and currently boasts Canada’s top-amateur ranking at No. 104 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). This will be his second year on the Amateur Squad and his third in total with Team Canada (Development Squad in 2012).

Joining the team for his first official season is reining B.C. Amateur champion Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C. The 20-year-old currently sits as the team’s second-ranked amateur at No. 122 in the WAGR. He played his first two seasons at the University of Idaho before transferring to Arizona State this year for his junior season. During his time at Idaho, du Toit recorded eight top-10 finishes including a win at the Wyoming University Southern to go along with winning Freshman of the Year honours for the Western Athletic Conference.

After a two-year hiatus, Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., makes his return to Team Canada following a summer that featured top-25 finishes at the Northeast Amateur, Canadian Amateur and Monroe Invitational. Banks is also a former Nova Scotia Men’s Amateur champion (2011) and two-time Nova Scotia Junior Boys champion. He enters his fourth year with Team Canada after graduating from the University of Florida where he won the David Toms award—given to the collegiate golfer who most overcomes adversity. Banks, 22, recovered from successful open-heart surgery in June of 2012 that repaired a hole in his heart.

Also returning to Team Canada after a hiatus is Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., native Hugo Bernard. The 20-year-old was runner-up at the 2015 Canadian Amateur and also earned top-five finishes provincially at the Alexander of Tunis, Duke of Kent and the Quebec Men’s Amateur. He captured the Quebec Men’s Amateur title in 2013 as well as the 2012 Quebec Junior Boys championship.

Rounding out the men’s team is Purdue University senior and Vancouver native Stuart Macdonald. The 20-year-old finished runner-up at the 2015 B.C. Amateur, tallied two top-10 finishes in his junior season and finished tied for 13^th at the 2015 Canadian Amateur.

On the women’s side, the Amateur Squad is headlined by returning member and dual-citizen Maddie Szeryk who’s 2015 season includes a victory at the Ontario Women’s Amateur and T6 finish at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. In her freshman season at Texas A&M, Szeryk was named to the All-South Eastern Conference team in addition to winning Freshman of the Year honours for the conference thanks to nine top-10 finishes in 12 tournaments played. The 19-year old currently sits as Canada’s top-ranked female on the WAGR at No. 38.

Joining Team Canada is rookie Josée Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. Doyon is coming off a remarkable season that featured a win at the Quebec Women’s Amateur in addition to three collegiate victories for the Kent State Golden Flashes. The 22-year-old’s junior season earned her Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Year honours. Now in her senior year, Doyon currently sits at No. 61 on the WAGR.

Rounding out the women’s team are a trio of graduates from last season’s Development Squad including 18-year-old Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., who enters her fourth year with Team Canada and first as a member of the N.C. State Wolfpack. In 2015 she finished fifth at the B.C. Women’s Amateur, tied for second at the Ontario Women’s Amateur, third at the Canadian Junior Girls and tied for 24^th at the Canadian Women’s Amateur.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, 18, heads into her third year with Team Canada and her freshman season at Ohio State. The 18-year old finished tied for seventh at the B.C. Women’s Amateur, third at the Alberta Ladies Amateur and 16^th at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. In 2014, Lee captured both the Alberta Ladies Amateur and Junior Girls titles.

Michelle Kim, an 18-year-old Surrey, B.C., native, moves up to the Amateur Squad after one season the Development Squad. Currently in her freshman year with University of Idaho, Kim won both the 2015 B.C. Women’s Amateur and Junior Girls, while adding a victory at the Canadian Junior Girls and a tie for 38^th at the Canadian Women’s Amateur.

“This is always an exciting time of year as we welcome the next group of young men and women selected as members of Team Canada,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Supporting, developing and nurturing Canada’s future stars remains to be at the core of our primary objectives. We are committed to investing in high performance talent through elite coaching, training, sport science and preparation.”

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2016 Amateur Squad:

WOMEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

• Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Texas (19)
• Josée Doyon, St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. (22)
• Michelle Kim, Surrey, B.C. (18)
• Naomi Ko, Victoria, B.C. (18)
• Jaclyn Lee, Calgary, Alta. (18)

MEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

• Blair Hamilton, Burlington, Ont. (22)
• Jared du Toit, Kimberley, B.C. (20)
• Eric Banks, Truro, N.S. (22)
• Stuart Macdonald, Vancouver, B.C. (20)
• Hugo Bernard, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. (20)

Complete National Amateur Squad bios can be found here.

As part of the National Amateur Team Program, Golf Canada also named the 19-and-under Development Squad that includes five female and five male athletes. The Development Squad is designed to help facilitate the continued development of Canada’s top young talents.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2016 Development Squad:

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

• Grace St-Germain, Ottawa, Ont. (17)
• Hannah Lee, Surrey, B.C. (15)
• Tiffany Kong, Vancouver, B.C. (14)
• Kathrine Chan, Richmond, B.C. (15)
• Chloe Currie, Mississauga, Ont. (15)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

• Tony Gil, Vaughan, Ont. (17)
• A.J. Ewart, Coquitlam, B.C. (16)
• Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson, Aurora, Ont. (17)
• Alexander Smith, Calgary, Alta. (17)
• Charles-Éric Bélanger, Québec, Que. (16)

Complete Development Squad player bios can be found here.

Golf Canada also announced the 2016 Team Canada coaching staff with Derek Ingram returning as Men’s Squad Head Coach, supported by Robert Ratcliffe who will also head up the Development Squad. On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally returns as Women’s Squad Head Coach and will receive support from Ann Carroll, who will oversee the Women’s Development Squad specifically. All coaches are all class “A” professionals with the PGA of Canada.

The athletes named to the 2016 National Amateur and Development Squads are a product of a circle of support that includes personal coaches, parents and high performance activities conducted by the respective provincial golf associations.

The 2016 Young Pro Squad team selection is expected mid-November.

Jocelyne’s contributions and commitment to golf have gone well beyond her outstanding athletic career to have been one of golf’s exemplary builders. Bourassa championed the development of women’s golf

Jocelyne is a role model and mentor to women golfers across Canada and has served as a senior consultant with Golf Quebec helping to champion Golf Canada’s Golf in Schools program. Golf Canada also created the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the the Year Award, in recognition of her tremendous contribution to the game of golf, that is given annually to the Canadian Women’s Tour player who is the top finisher on the Tour’s Order of Merit. Jocelyne became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1973.

If you’re reading this, you’re a golfer. If you’re a golfer, you have a story. More than just one, no doubt.

Sharing those stories with friends and family is one thing. But why not share your story with the world? Thanks to a new web site, www.GolfCanadaGolf.ca, you can do just that.

“Among golfers, there’s always a story—memorable shots, a round with family, playing your favourite course, a golf trip with friends, witnessing first-hand the incredible skills of PGA TOUR or LPGA Tour players, or using the game to overcome personal adversity,” says Golf Canada Golf spokesman Gavin Roth. “The Golf Canada Golf campaign invites Canadians to share their own experiences as well as read or watch other compelling stories to remind us what makes the game great.”

Many of your fellow golfers have taken advantage of the opportunity, including some well-known names like former National Hockey League star Wendel Clark. In his video on the site, Clark reminisces about how his grandfather in Kelvington, Sask., got him into the game. Despite the lack of left-handed clubs at the time (he started out with a two-way putter!), Clark fell in love with golf. After retiring from professional hockey, he devoted more time to the game, even headlining a major charity pro-am. Now, he has passed on his passion to his son.

Prior to her breakthrough LPGA victory, Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old phenom from Smiths Falls, Ont., shared her story on GolfCanadaGolf.ca, as have fellow Canadian pros Alena Sharp and Andrew Jensen.

Roth, who is Golf Canada’s chief commercial officer, recounts a poignant personal moment. In “A Dream Pursued is a Dream Fulfilled,” Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons pays tribute to his best friend, the late Rick Sovereign.

But GolfCanadaGolf.ca is not just a celebrity showcase. Not by a long shot.

As a matter of fact, once you visit the site, you become engrossed in how deeply golf affects those who play it, on and off the course. The titles of the video and written vignettes draw you in. “Golf Really Did Save My Life,” for example. How about the youngster who talks about picking up his first club in Grade 3 or the viral video of a two-year-old’s impressive swing? “Granny’s Got a Game” recounts how a grandmother made good on her promise to take up golf and beat her grandchildren!

Bad shots. Holes in one. Hijinks. All part of the fabric of golf written by people who love the game. GolfCanadaGolf.ca is golf’s equivalent of a family heirloom patchwork quilt, preserving memories.

Some stories are humourous, some are inspirational. Some are essays, some are tidbits. All are heartfelt and well worth sharing.

Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.”

The stories shared on GolfCanadaGolf.ca prove beyond the shadow of a doubt the truth of that statement.

Why not share your story now?

(GolfCanadaGolf.ca also features a social media hub that curates stories using the hashtag #golfcanadagolf as well as resources for golfers looking to find a course, connect with a PGA of Canada professional or learn more about junior golf programs in their community.)

To read John Gordon’s story, The Man Who Started It All, click here.

New Taipei City, Taiwan – Eun-Hee Ji shot 6-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over China’s Xi Yu Lin at the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship.

The 29-year from South Korea birdied four of her last five holes in windy conditions and holds the lead after
18 holes for the first time since the 2013 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. Ji, a former U.S. Women’s Open champ, said she used the wind to her advantage.

“Actually, I didn’t fight with the wind,” said Ji. “I just using the wind a lot. My ball flight wasn’t too lower today. I just see my ball line and I just look at my shot, my image was really good.”

Ji has two career LPGA Tour victories and will try to break back into the winner’s circle for the first time since her major breakthrough in 2009. Her season-best finish and only top-10 of the year came at the Evian Championship where she tied for eighth. Ji had two chip ins and only 23 putts in her round today.

“It’s getting better from the beginning of the season to the last of the season,” said Ji. “I just working on my short game last week and the week before, because my chipping wasn’t feeling good. So I was working a lot this week and I just chipped in twice today and I think I worked on a lot of right things.”

A group of four players sit two shots back and in a tie for third including Morgan Pressel, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull and Sun Young Yoo. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Lydia Ko (T7) is three shots back and tied with seven others at 3-under par.

Five-time major champion Yani Tseng and TLPGA member Meng Chu Chen were the top Taiwanese performers on day one and sit six shots back after rounds of even-par 72.

Canada’s Alena Sharp shot a 4-over 76 and tied for 67th.

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Tim Burke won the World Long Drive Championship for the second time in three years Wednesday night, beating Jeremy Easterly in the final with a 394-yard drive.

The 6-foot-6 Burke, a former University of Miami pitcher from Orlando, Florida, earned $150,000 in the event at WinStar World Casino.

Easterly, from Ponte Vedra, Florida, had a 386-yard drive in the final.

Burke beat Justin Young of Mount Airy, North Carolina, 401-386 in the quarterfinals, and topped Will Hogue of Collierville, Tennessee, 403-390 in the semifinals.

Easterly beat two-time champion Jamie Sadlowski of St. Paul, Alberta, in the semifinals with a 380-yard drive. Sadlowski failed to get a drive in the grid in the match after winning his quarterfinal at 402.

Vancouver – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s season-opening event will return to Vancouver in 2016 and will continue through 2020 with a new name and under new management. The Freedom 55 Financial Open will take place at Point Grey Golf & Country Club from May 23 to 29, 2016.

The announcement sees Freedom 55 Financial – which is also the title sponsor of the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship as well as Canadian Player of the Year and Canadian Player of the Week awards – expand its support of the Mackenzie Tour and Canadian golf with agreements through 2020.

Linx Marketing, which operates the ATB Financial Classic and Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, will serve as the host organization for the event. David Lee-Fay, a partner at Linx Marketing, will serve as tournament director.

“We’re thrilled to be working on another venture with Freedom 55 Financial, which has been an outstanding partner since the launch of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship in 2013,” said Jeff Monday, Mackenzie Tour President.

“We’re excited to be kicking off the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in Vancouver as we continue to support young Canadian athletes as they pursue their aspirations,” said Mike Cunneen, Senior Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial. “It’s also a nice complement to our season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship in London, Ontario,” added Cunneen.

“We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, and to helping create a summer of exciting golf with Linx Marketing.”

The Vancouver area is home to PGA TOUR players and Mackenzie Tour graduates Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, along with current Mackenzie Tour players Adam Svensson, Kevin Spooner, Brad Clapp, Ryan Williams, Seann Harlingten, Thomas Hay, Adam Cornelson, James Allenby and Eugene Wong.

The 2016 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced at a later date.

HONG KONG – Andrea Pavan of Italy made four birdies on his last six holes to take a share of the lead after the first round of the Hong Kong Open with a 6-under 64.

Pavan was tied with Lu Wei-chih of Taiwan, a stroke ahead of a trio that included Justin Rose of England. Rose made four birdies on the back nine in a bogey-free round at the Fanling Course and was tied with Taiwanese player Pan Cheng-tseung and Jeev Milka Singh of India.

Graeme McDowell was in a group of six players another shot back at the joint European Tour and Asian Tour event.