Rob Couture wins Men’s Mid-Master division; Team Manitoba won Inter-Provincial Team Championship on Wednesday

BRANTFORD, Ont. – Garrett Rank came from behind to win his fifth national championship at the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO by one shot at Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ont. on Friday.

Rank of Waterloo, Ont. entered the final round two shots behind Evan Nachtigall of Brandon, Man. Rank birdied hole no. 1 to get within one shot of Nachtigall, on the third hole Nachtigall bogeyed to sit tied with Rank. From there Rank and Nachtigall exchanged the lead back and forth throughout the round.

“I was just trying to get off to a good start, I hit two good shots on hole one and made birdie, I was able to kind of close the gap there through first four holes and it kind of flip flopped a little there in the middle,” said Rank.

Rank and Nachtigall were tied at 18-under heading into the final hole.  Rank’s par coupled with a bogey from Nachtigall, secured Rank’s fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

“He hit in in the left bunker on 18, so I figured birdie was probably going to win, I hit it down the right side and didn’t have a great lie in the rough, but I was able to advance it near the green,” said Rank. “I was trying not to fool around with the bunker short so I was trying to hit it a little closer than I did but as soon as I saw my ball was on the back of the green, I knew it was a good time for lag putt to try and two putt, and luckily enough I was able to make the six footer at the end to win,” added Rank.

Rank finished the final round with a 3-under 69 to finish the tournament at 18-under. With the win, Rank earned his fifth national championship closing with rounds of 64-68-69-69-270, carding two eagles and 22 birdies through four rounds. Nachtigall shot an even par 72 to finish at 17-under with rounds of 64-67-68-72-271.

“I think just staying patient, I was trying to hit solid approach shots and give myself a look on the greens, I hit good drives on the par 5’s and wasn’t able to capitalize with birdies but I kind of just stuck with it, it wasn’t pretty golf all day but it was fairly efficient.

“It probably didn’t feel as good as the round yesterday or the day before but it was the same score so that is the secret sometimes, just being able to put a good score on the board when you don’t have your best stuff,” added Rank on what the key to success was throughout the final round.

Rank’s previous Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship wins came three years in a row from 2014-2016.

“It’s a huge honour, winning a golf tournament is never easy, to do it four times is pretty special, I think it’s been 10 years since I last did it so to do it close to home in a place like Brantford is something that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he added.

Along with four Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships, Rank also won the 2012 Canadian College / University Individual Championship. Throughout Rank’s golf career he has acquired a lot of experience through many high-performance events.

“I’ve played in some big events before, I played a couple PGA TOUR events, I played in the U.S. Open and have won the national championship before so I definitely think that was an advantage in knowing that I have the pedigree to kind of lean on those experiences, it definitely helped in the end.”

Along with winning the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship trophy, Rank also receives an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. from September 26 – October 1, as well as a spot in the field for the 2027 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2027 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both presented by BDO.

Rob Couture of Celina, Texas won the Mid-Master title after finishing 10-under through four rounds to win by one shot over Alex Large of Dead Mans Flats, Alta. This is Couture’s second Mid-Master division title, after winning in 2016, He also won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion in 2011.

On Wednesday, Team Manitoba won their first Inter-Provincial Team Championship since 2005, beating Team Alberta by four strokes. Team Manitoba was represented by Nachtigall (Brandon, Man.), Jordy Lutz (Winnipeg, Man.), and David Spurr (Oakbank, Man.).

Team Manitoba finished with a score of 15-under through two rounds, while Team Alberta finished second at 11-under, and Team Quebec finished third at 7-under.

To view the final leaderboard from the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

EDMONTON – Anna Huang did more than make the cut at the CPKC Women’s Open for the first time in her career.

The 17-year-old from Vancouver was the top Canadian heading into Saturday’s third round of the LPGA tournament in Edmonton.

Huang posted a second-round 68 on Friday to get to 7-under par and into a tie for seventh.

“Going into this week, making the cut was my biggest goal,” Huang said. “So now that I’ve got that down, I’m just going to try to chase up the leaderboard this weekend.”

Japanese leader Miyu Yamashita followed up her course-record 62 opener with Friday’s 64 to top the leaderboard at 14 under.

“I’m really happy about this result, and with two rounds to go (I) just want to focus on my game and keep playing like this,” Yamashita said.

She held a five-stroke lead on Kiara Romero of the United States, South Korea’s Soo Bin Joo and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida, who were all at 9 under.

Meanwhile, defending champion Brooke Henderson had a lot of work to do, and limited runway to do it.

The 28-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., seeking a third career win in Canada’s LPGA tournament, also shot 68 on Friday to sit nine strokes off the lead at 5 under.

“We’ll see what the damage is after today, but it’s only half over at this point, so I just have to go low myself,” Henderson said.

Romero was contending in her LPGA debut as a pro.

“I feel like this course really fits my eye, so when I’m out there I’m playing pretty aggressively with my iron shots and just trying to make as many birdies as possible,” the 20-year-old said.

Joo, 22, and Yoshida, 26, both sought their first LPGA Tour wins.

“I was a little bit nervous before starting this tournament because I couldn’t make the cut six tournaments in a row, first time in my career,” Yoshida said. “I’m happy to play on this weekend.”

Huang, who became the youngest player to win four European Tour tournaments after claiming the London Championship in early August, missed the cut in Canada in 2024 and 2025.

Huang was working on a bogey-free round Friday until the 18th when she put her tee shot behind a tree and three-putted for the double.

“Everyone makes mistakes and I think just the last hole is just a bad hole and a bad drive,” Huang said. “I’m just going to move on from that and try to work on my putting today and see how things go.”

Starting on No. 10, Henderson was 7 under before a pair of back-nine bogeys. Her second-last tee shot drifted left and struck a spectator.

Henderson apologized to the woman and gave her a signed golf ball.

“Through about 14 holes, I was feeling really nice,” Henderson said. “I was unfortunate to drop a couple shots coming in, but happy to save par on nine. I feel like that was really clutch to kind of save some momentum going into tomorrow.”

“I feel like my game is in a pretty good spot. Maybe try to be a bit more aggressive and see if we can climb.”

Sun and an afternoon breeze Friday hardened the 6,452-yard, par-70 Royal Mayfair Golf Club for later starters. The mosquitoes remained out in full force.

“I like this golf course. I love Canada. It’s so pretty. All the trees are so pretty and I’m enjoying it, except for the mosquitoes. Gosh, it’s so bad,” Joo said.

Henderson proved earlier this summer she’s capable of a late surge.

She within a shot of her third major win with five eagles, including an ace, over her final two rounds at the Amundi Evian Championship in France. 

Henderson started the final round there seven shots off the lead.

“That was really fun a few weeks ago in France,” Henderson said. “It gives me some confidence to know that I can come back from behind.”

Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng, who was the Canadian tournament’s low amateur last year in Mississauga, Ont., shot 67 to get to 3 under. 

The 16-year-old undid the damage of a triple bogey on her 14th hole by finishing with back-to-back birdies.

“I knew that I was playing good the whole day, and it was just that one hole, so it’s not really like skill. It was just course management,” Deng said. “It was too bad it happened, but I’m able to make the birdies coming in.”

The top 65 players and ties made the cut at the US$2.75-million event. 

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and amateurs Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C., made the cut.

Xing was 2 under, Grewal and Leblanc both 1 under and Lin was even par heading into Saturday.

EDMONTON — Miyu Yamashita opened a five-stroke lead Friday in the CPKC Women’s Open on the tree-lined course tucked in a bend in the North Saskatchewan River.

A stroke ahead Thursday after an opening 8-under 62, the 4-foot-11 Yamashita shot 64 in the afternoon to get to 14 under at Royal Mayfair.

“I’m really happy,” Yamashita said through a translator. “With two rounds to go, I just want to focus on my game and keep playing like this.”

The 25-year-old Japanese player won the Meijer LPGA Classic in June after taking the Women’s British Open and Maybank Championship last year.

“Rather than focus on the score, I’m thinking about how I can make birdies,” the 2025 LPGA rookie of the year said.

American Kiara Romero was tied for second in her first event as an LPGA Tour member. She followed an opening 64 with a 67.

The 20-year-old Romero is the second player to earn LPGA Tour membership through the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway, following Lottie Woad last year.

“Honestly, I’m just really grateful to be out here,” Romero said. “I just came out here with the mindset to just go out and have fun and just enjoy it and just remember that it’s just golf at the end of the day.”

Soo Bin Joo (63) and Yuri Yoshida (66) joined Romero at 9 under.

“I like this golf course. I love Canada. It’s so pretty,” Joo said. “All the trees are so pretty and I’m enjoying it.”

Ruoning Yin closed with a double bogey for a 67, leaving her 8 under with Nasa Hataoka (69).

Seventeen-year-old Anna Huang was the top Canadian. She was 7 under after a 68.

Canadian star Brooke Henderson, the 2018 and 2025 champion, was 5 under after a 68.

“I love this event,” Henderson said. It’s so amazing and such a cool opportunity to be able to play in front of all the Canadian fans. They just show me so much love and support year after year. Even early this morning the fairways were lined with people coming out to watch.”

Top-ranked Nelly Korda shot 70 to remain 3 under. Lydia Ko, the 2013 winner at Royal Mayfair as an amateur, was 1 under after a 69.

This is the final week of qualifying for Americans to make the Solheim Cup team for the Sept. 11-13 matches in the Netherlands.

EDMONTON – Yamashita shot a season-low 62 on the 6,452-yard, par-70 Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton to sit one stroke ahead of her countrywoman Nasa Hataoka and two up on Kiara Romero of the United States.

Vancouver’s Anna Huang, 17, and 18-year-old amateur Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont., were three shots off the lead at 5-under-par 65 in a tie for fourth with China’s Ruoning Yin and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida.

The 25-year-old Yamashita, who won June’s Meijer LPGA Classic in Belmont, Mich., recorded eight birdies.

“It’s been a while since I finished the first round in good position,” she said. “My putting was really nice, so I felt really good.”

Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., seeking a third win in her home LPGA tournament, finished with a birdie to go 3 under.

“I feel it was very important and it felt great,” Henderson said. “I really wanted it. I hit it really hard. I’m glad I hit the hole, but to see it go in was really nice.

“The scores are very low out here today, the leaders especially, so just trying to go out tomorrow and make a bunch of birdies and try to catch them.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States was also 3 under.

Both Huang and Xing were positioned to make the cut Friday for the first time in their careers after two tries apiece.

“Definitely making the cut would be a really big goal for me, and then hopefully some good weekend golf,” said Huang, who won four European Tour tournaments in the last 11 months.

“I’m definitely a lot more confident than I was the past few years coming into this event, and then also just all the crowds out there really helped.”

Xing was a late addition to the field with a sponsor’s exemption.

“As an amateur, like that’s one of my biggest goals, is to make the cut at an LPGA event, especially when it’s in Canada,” she said. “It would mean a whole lot.”

The first round was played under mostly cloudy skies, a temperature of 24 C and in occasional clouds of insect repellent.

Edmonton’s 56 centimetres of rain since June 1 made the city a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

“I’m getting annihilated,” said one caddie as she sprayed herself down at the turn.

The majority of women wore long pants and long sleeves, and paid a price if they didn’t.

“Bad. Bad. Look at my arms,” said Xing, wearing short sleeves. “I have gotten bit all on the front side but none on the back.”

All the more reason to stay out of rain-thickened rough that both houses insects and grabs club heads, she added.

“Especially like when it’s going against you, it’s really hard to get a solid club on it, so hitting fairways is crucial here,” Xing said.

Huang said she was bitten through her pants and long sleeves.

“I would wear shorts out here but because of the bugs, can’t do that,” she said.

Henderson birdied her first three holes of the back nine after making the turn at even par. Her tee shot and second shot found rough on the 16th hole, which she bogeyed.

“If you find the rough or you’re not hitting it so well, it can really be penalizing as well, so you’re just trying to stick to the short stuff,” she said. “Every time I made a bogey, I was able to bounce back with a birdie pretty quickly, which is important.

“Three under, definitely going to need a little bit more tomorrow, but a good start.”

Clairey Lin, a 16-year-old amateur from Langley, B.C., shot a 68 in her tournament debut. 

Tour veteran Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., joined her at 2 under. Vancouver’s Leah John turned in a 1-under 69 and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., shot 70.

Lin’s fellow Canadian amateurs Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng and Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont., shot even par, Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos was 2 over and Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta., carded a 78.

Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., shot a 74, Alena Sharp of Hamilton a 77 and Calgary’s Tillie Claggett shot a 78.

Derek Meinhart and Alex Large are tied for the lead in the Men’s Mid-Master division

BRANTFORD, Ont. – Nachtigall holds the solo lead at 17-under through three rounds at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO at the Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ont. following play on Thursday.

Nachtigall of Brandon, Man. fired a 4-under 68 with one eagle and four birdies to remain in the lead heading into the final round of the national championship. Nachtigall got off to a hot start by opening his round with an eagle on the first hole.

“Hit a good tee shot down the left side, hit a seven iron to maybe 15 feet and rolled it in for eagle, so obviously a great start,” said Nachtigall. “I really just wanted to keep doing that, but I was not able too, I struggled off the tee most of the day, but I was still able to put together a solid score.

“I feel like I was able to stay patient even though I was not at my best out there, I made some good pars when I had to, it was pretty scrappy, I feel like I just stayed mentally strong out there and just tried to make pars if I wasn’t driving it into the fairway.”

Nachtigall holds a two-shot lead heading into the final round on Friday.

“I have to hit the ball better tomorrow, so I will figure that out tomorrow on the range and I need to make some more putts, so I will hit the putting green right away and roll it for a bit,” added Nachtigall on what he is going to do to prepare ahead of tomorrow’s round.

Heading into the final 18 holes of the national championship on Friday, Nachtigall is excited for what is ahead but knows there is still a long way to go.

“It would obviously be super cool, this is my first year playing in it, I just turned 25 this year, so it would be incredible, but there is a lot of golf left to go so I won’t be thinking too much about that until hopefully the final putt drops,” he added on what it would mean to win the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Trailing Nachtigall by two strokes is Garrett Rank of Waterloo, Ont. Rank shot a 3-under 69 with five birdies to sit in solo second at 15-under through three rounds.

“I settled in nice on the back nine and played solid, took care of the par fives and just kind of kept the ball in front of me,” said Rank. “Holes six and seven were not the greatest holes for me, I three putted number seven and kind of got out of position on number six, but overall, it was steady and I was not in too much trouble.

“I mean obviously going to have to be aggressive, there are birdies out there, it’s important to get off to a great start tomorrow and try and make as many birdies as possible,” added Rank on what he has to do to catch up to the leader.

If Rank wins the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship tomorrow, he has an opportunity to become a four-time champion. Rank previously won three years in a row from 2014-2016. Rank would become the third player to win the Men’s Mid Amateur Championship four times, the other two to win four or more include Stu Hamilton (1990, 1991. 1993, 1994) and Graham Cooke (1987, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002).

“It would be a huge honour, anytime you can win a national championship it’s a huge honour, it’s why you play the game,” added Rank. I’m not sure how many guys have won it four times, but I have the chance to get up there with some esteemed company with four.”

Derek Meinhart of Mattoon, Ill. and Alex Large of Dead Mans Flats, Alta. are tied for the lead at 9-under in the Mid-Master division. Meinhart shot 3-under 69 with four birdies and Large shot an even par 72 with five birdies.

Along with winning the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship trophy, the winner will also receive an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. from September 26 – October 1, as well as a spot in the field for the 2027 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2027 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both presented by BDO.

The field of 156 players feature golfers (aged 25-and-over as of August 18, 2026), with a handicap index of 5.0 or less. Those aged 40-and-over as of August 18, 2026, also compete in the Mid-Master division. Following Wednesday’s second round the field has now been cut to the low 70 players and ties

To view the leaderboards following the third round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson headlines the field as the LPGA Tour’s CPKC Women’s Open gets underway at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

Henderson won her second Canadian Open title last year in Mississauga, Ont.

The 28-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., enters the tournament ranked 11th in the world.

Her game has been rounding into form of late, and she finished runner-up at last month’s Evian Championship, losing the major to Haeran Ryu in a playoff hole.

Henderson has 14 career LPGA Tour wins, a Canadian record for victories on a major circuit.

The US$2.75 million tournament includes six of the world’s top 10 golfers, including world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States.

Evan Nachtigall leads Men’s Mid-Amateur division

BRANTFORD, Ont. – Team Manitoba won their first Inter-Provincial Team Championship since 2005 by four strokes at the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ont. on Wednesday.

Team Manitoba was represented by Evan Nachtigall of Brandon, Man., Jordy Lutz of Winnipeg, Man. and David Spurr of Oakbank, Man. who finished with a combined score of 15-under to win their first inter-provincial title in over 20 years. In the final round of the Inter-Provincial Team Championship, Nachtigall shot 5-under 67, Lutz shot 1-over 73 to count towards the team score, and Spurr shot 3-over 75.

“Its absolutely amazing, it’s crazy to look at the trophy and see there has been no Manitoba team in I think the last 21 years. Coming in we were confident and knew we could do it, things just had to kind of go our way and play well, but yeah, its awesome,” said Nachtigall on what it means to win the Inter-Provincial Team championship.

“We are all members at the same club back home and we play in a league where we are teammates, Evan was a new addition to that team this year,” said Lutz on whether the three have played as a team before this tournament.

“It was unreal, we are rooming together, we play together everyday back home, we had a practice round together, we traveled on the same flight together, said Spurr on what the team dynamic was like for this group.

“This was the number one goal and if we got this done then the guys can continue on with the rest of the tournament, Evan is leading the tournament right now so we are super pumped for him, hopefully he can keep going with what he’s doing, but last night it was all about getting this job done, then we will worry about the individual scores after that,” added Spurr.

Along with winning the Inter-Provincial Team title, Nachtigall is the solo leader heading into the third round of the national championship. Nachtigall finished his round with six birdies, five of those coming in the first six holes.

“It was just a lot of the same thing I did yesterday, being aggressive off tees and attacking pins,” said Nachtigall. “I felt like I kind of figured something else out on the practice green last night and was rolling them a little better.

“I was just hitting it close, making some putts, I had a great opening tee shot and had a pitching wedge into hole no. 1 there and I feel like I was off and running,” added Nachtigall on his hot start.

Trailing Nachtigall by one shot is three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank of Waterloo, Ont. Rank shot a 4-under 68 with one eagle and five birdies on Wednesday.

Alex Large of Dead Mans Flats. Alta. and Haymes Snedeker of Point Clear, Ala. are tied for the lead in the Men’s Mid-Master division at 9-under.

Along with winning the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship trophy, the winner will also receive an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. from September 26 – October 1, as well as a spot in the field for the 2027 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2027 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both presented by BDO.

The field of 156 players feature golfers (aged 25-and-over as of August 18, 2026), with a handicap index of 5.0 or less. Those aged 40-and-over as of August 18, 2026, also compete in the Mid-Master division. Following Wednesday’s second round the field has now been cut to the low 70 players and ties.

To view the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Brooke Henderson relishes the heat of the spotlight trained on her in Canada’s LPGA tournament.

The two-time winner of the CPKC Women’s Open showed both last year in Mississauga, Ont., and in 2018 in Regina that the extra attention she gets in her home-country tournament doesn’t feel burdensome.

“This week is very demanding and it’s a very special week,” Henderson said.

“For the most part, I’ve been really able to use the energy and the atmosphere of all the fans that come out to support me. There’s so much love and there’s so just positive energy for me. I feel like I’ve been able to use that to my advantage a lot of the years, which is really exciting. 

“I’m just trying to go out and play my best and try to make it exciting for them, especially if I can get some good rounds together.”

The 28-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., will attempt both a repeat and a third victory in her home tournament starting Thursday at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Club.

“Winning in 2018 was a huge career highlight, a dream come true,” Henderson recalled. 

“To be able to relive that again last year was so special and the last victory that my sister was also on the bag for, since she’s been at home with her new daughter. It’s just been so much meaning to it, and having my family and friends run out onto the green after the victory was so cool.”

The US$2.75 million CPKC Women’s Open includes six of the world’s top 10 golfers, including No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States. 

Of the 14 from the top 25, Henderson is No. 11.

The winningest Canadian golfer with 14 tour victories placed in the top three in this year’s Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship. Henderson lost in a playoff to South Korea’s Haeran Ryu in the latter.

Henderson is coming off a tie for 29th in the AIG Women’s Open in Britain and has made the cut all five majors this year.

“Having two back-to-back, really top major finishes in the middle of the summer felt really like my game is back to kind of how it used to be a couple years ago,” Henderson said. 

“It has given me a lot of confidence and a lot momentum for the rest of this year and I’m hoping to continue to use that this week.”

In addition to becoming an aunt, Henderson also became engaged this summer to Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Ricky Castro.

“I feel like all these amazing things off the course have really helped on the course, just being a little bit more relaxed and finding that freedom that golfers strive for,” she said.

Henderson headlines a contingent of 15 Canadians in the field of 156 professionals and amateurs at the 6,452-yard, par-70 course in Edmonton’s river valley. 

At just 17 year old, Vancouver’s Anna Huang won her fourth Ladies European Tour tournament in less than a year Aug. 9 in London.

“My game’s in a pretty good spot right now,” Huang said. “I’ve worked really hard this year to get where I am, and I’m just really excited to play among the best in the world.”

The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open is the 52nd edition of the tournament in Canada dating back to 1973.

The tournament returns to Edmonton for the fourth time and the Royal Mayfair for a third, but the first since 2013 when a 16-year-old Lydia Ko defended the title she won the previous year in Vancouver as an amateur.

Now a three-time winner of Canada’s tournament (2012, 2013, 2015), the 29-year-old from New Zealand returns to chase an unprecedented fourth. 

Pat Bradley (1980, 1985, 1986) and Meg Mallon (2000, 2002, 2004) were the only other women to win three.

Ko said the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary helped prep her game to win an Olympic gold medal in Paris later that summer.

“In many different ways this tournament has meant a lot to my career and it’s one that will always be very special to my heart,” Ko said.

Edmonton has received 56 centimetres, or 22 inches, of rain since June 1. The forecast for the tournament is for part sun and part cloud until showers roll in Saturday night.

Ko said the Mayfair course was in great shape, but she braced herself for mosquitoes that bred in wet conditions.

“I bought three different types of insect repellent yesterday and still trying to figure out which one actually works,” Ko said.

“Long sleeves and long pants and long socks because I am not showing skin. I’m just trying to be covered and not become like buffet meat for the mosquitoes.”

Added Henderson: “Everyone’s finding it very buggy so far. So far I haven’t been finding it too bad. Maybe I’m more used to it. That will definitely be a factor this week.”

Calgary holds the tournament attendance record of 73,000 set in 2024 at Earl Grey Golf Club.

Team Manitoba lead Inter-Provincial team division

BRANTFORD, Ont. – Evan Nachtigall, Nolan vonKalckreuth, and Garrett Rank all set the new competitive course record at 8-under 64 to sit tied for the lead following the first round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, at Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ont. on Tuesday.

Nachtigall of Brandon, Man. finished his round with one eagle and seven birdies on Tuesday.

“Honestly, I drove the ball extremely well, I only missed one fairway out there all day and that was on hole no. 14, where I hit it into the fairway bunker, but I drove the ball excellent today,” said Nachtigall. “I was able to hit it pretty close into the greens and happened to make a few putts.”

After shooting 2-under on the front nine, Nachtigall started hot on the back nine carding three birdies in a row.

“On hole no. 1, I hit a good tee shot, only had 160 into the par 5 there and it to eight feet, I missed the eagle putt but had an easy birdie, then on hole no. 2 I hit driver again, I ripped it up to the front of the green and chipped it on and then tapped it in for birdie, on hole no. 3 it was a good number for a six iron, I hit it to maybe 10 feet and rolled it in.”

After those first three birdies, Nachtigall’s hot streak continued with another three consecutive birdies on holes six through eight.

“I think today was a huge confidence builder with the driver, the last couple of days I kind of made a tweak in my setup and grip that seemed to really help today.

“So, I would say the way I am driving the ball right now, I am going to be in almost every fairway and from there I just have to hit it close and make some putts,” added Nachtigall on what he can take away from today’s round to continue success into the rest of the tournament.

vonKalckreuth of Fort Erie, Ont. finished his round with one eagle and six birdies to join Nachtigall.

“It feels great, I just hit a lot of good iron and wedge shots, and obviously made a few putts,” said vonKalckreuth. “But other than that, it was a really good day for me.

“I absolutely torched a drive right down the centre, I had about 207 in and I fanned one out to the right but left myself in a good spot for a chip, the chip snapped a lot but it went in for me,” added vonKalckreuth on his chip in eagle on hole no. 4.

Rank of Waterloo, Ont. carded one eagle and seven birdies in his opening round, putting him in a good position to compete for his fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship title after winning three years in a row from 2014-2016. Along with being a three-time Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion, Rank also won the Canadian College / University Individual Championship in 2012. Winning this year’s national championship would make Rank a five-time national champion.

Alex Large of Dead Mans Flats, Alta. and Thad Hudgens of Longwood, Fla. both shot 6-under 66 to sit T1 in the Mid-Master division following the first round of the national championship.

Team Manitoba leads the Inter-Provincial Team Championship competing for the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy, they are looking to win their first title since 2005. Nachtigall’s 8-under 64 and Jordy Lutz of Winnipeg, Man. 3-under 69 contributed to the team’s combined score of 11-under for the first round. Teammate David Spurr of Oakbank, Man. also shot 3-under 69. Team Alberta currently sits in second at 7-under, and New Brunswick sits in third at 5-under. The Inter-Provincial Team Championship runs concurrently over the first 36 holes of the national championship.

Along with winning the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship trophy, the winner will also receive an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. from September 26 – October 1, as well as a spot in the field for the 2027 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and the 2027 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, both presented by BDO.

The field of 156 players feature golfers (aged 25-and-over as of August 18, 2026), with a handicap index of 5.0 or less. Those aged 40-and-over as of August 18, 2026, also compete in the Mid-Master division. Following Wednesday’s second round the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties, based off the Mid-Amateur division with a minimum of 10 players in the Mid-Master division making the cut and anyone within 10 shots of the Mid-Master leader.

To view the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the opening round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Anna Huang was just six years old when she witnessed Lydia Ko win Canada’s National Open for the third time as an 18-year-old at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. Seeing Ko win in person back in 2015 gave her a visual representation that success in golf could be achieved from an early age and it’s driven her to succeed and to achieve her own version of greatness in the sport.

“I would say Lydia Ko is one of my idols growing up. I remember watching Lydia win in 2015. It was so cool to see how young she was but was still able to win events on the LPGA Tour. It really inspired me to work harder to become a better golfer.”

Young Anna was introduced to the sport of golf at the age of four by her parents, Alex Huang and Amanda An.

“I just remember starting out and playing with friends. We were laughing and having a good time playing on my home course in Vancouver,” said Huang about her humble beginnings in the sport. “But right from the beginning I loved it and stuck to it.”

Huang’s passion for golf would see the ambitious and hard-working youngster put all her focus and efforts towards reaching her full potential in the sport.

She says her first validation that her hard work was paying off came with her big win at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in 2018.

“When I was nine, I played in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship. It was held in the Pinehurst area in North Carolina and I won that,” she recalled.

“That tournament was all the hype back then; and it still is now for all the junior golfers. Having that win really made me believe that I could compete with the best in the world and I just have to continue working hard.”

Huang first joined Golf Canada’s NextGen team in 2023 and her coach on the squad, Jeff MacDonald, speaks about her development and her strengths as a golfer.

“Anna was 13 when she first came to our selection camp and over that time we could see she has gotten physically stronger and because of that she’s able to hit the ball further. She hits a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. She is very steady,” he said about Huang. 

“Something else that impresses me is her composure on the golf course. She’s very calm and confident. She doesn’t take a lot of risk or chances; she’s really calculated in her decisions making.”

MacDonald points to the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship where Huang made birdie on the final hole to help Team Canada win a gold medal with a one-stroke victory over Team Korea.

“Her mental toughness on the golf course is impressive. She doesn’t get overwhelmed by anything. That is something that impresses me for someone so young,” he noted.

At the 2024 Lalla Aicha Q-School in Marrakech, Morocco, Huang earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season. She made the decision to turn pro the following month to pursue the childhood dream she’s had since the age of six.

The teenage rookie pro golfer would experience her own version of greatness on the golf course in September of 2025 as she captured two LET tournaments.

The first of these impressive victories came at the La Sella Championship in Spain where she finished at 20 under, winning by seven strokes.

“That was a breakthrough victory. Honestly, going into the tournament I didn’t think I was going to win. But to win it and by seven strokes really helped to build my confidence,” said Huang about capturing her maiden title on the LET.

She followed that up by winning the Lacoste Ladies Open the following weekend by two strokes. Since then she has won another two times on the Ladies European Tour, making it four titles in less than 11 months. At just 17 years, nine months old, Huang became the youngest player in LET history to reach four career titles.

“I was just thinking a lot of the success would not be possible with the support team around me such as my family, Golf Canada, and my coaches.”

MacDonald says the wins by the former NextGen member were well deserved and very satisfying for everyone involved in her journey.

“I was incredibly happy for her and her parents because I know how much work and effort they put into it,” he noted.

“To win two weeks in a row on the LET and four wins in total is incredible and it just showed her drive to succeed and ability to compete at the highest level.”

Given her success in Europe, the talented young pro is even more driven to chase down her childhood dream of playing and excelling on the LPGA Tour – like her childhood idol. This year, Huang has the support of Golf Canada through her selection on the Professional Team where she is working with women’s head coach, Salimah Mussani.

“Anna is very mature and she’s obviously incredibly talented. Her work ethic and her golf IQ are impressive,” said Mussani about Huang.

“Anna is just very consistent in her habits and the way she goes about her daily routine. She’s willing to put in the work to refine certain things in her game. She’s definitely on the right track to reach her goals.”

Now Canada’s No. 2-ranked golfer and a Top-40 player in the world, Huang will be a fascinating player to watch to watch at this week in the CPKC Women’s Open.