PGA TOUR event honored for “Best Marketing Initiative” and
“Best Tournament Sales” for 2022-23 season

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – The RBC Canadian Open was honoured with two awards by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR’s Tournament Meetings on December 7. The RBC Canadian Open, held in 2023 at Oakdale Country Club in Toronto, earned the awards for “Best Marketing Initiative” and “Best Tournament Sales.”

This is the first time since the 2018-19 season the PGA TOUR has presented a complete roster of tournament awards, due to challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am thrilled to congratulate the RBC Canadian Open on being recognized with two ‘Best Of’ awards for the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Season,” said PGA TOUR Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis. “After several years of challenges related to the pandemic and its impacts on event operations, I’m pleased we are able to once again celebrate the incredible work all PGA TOUR tournaments have accomplished to elevate the experience for players and fans. Our award winners should be extremely proud to be recognized as top among their peers on TOUR.”

The award for “Best Marketing Initiative” recognizes the tournament that best develops and executes a marketing campaign designed to increase ticket sales and attendance.

The RBC Canadian Open carried forward the momentum from its record-breaking year in 2022 with their 2023 campaign, “Summer’s Open.” The initiative positioned the RBC Canadian Open as not only a premier professional sporting event, but a diverse entertainment experience that offers value to golf fans and non-golf fans alike. The campaign had four key objectives: build excitement among golf fans leveraging Rory McIlroy’s potential three-peat (including a first-ever championship ring); generate buzz among casual Canadian sports fans by using Canadian TOUR players to tease potential historic win; profile breadth of entertainment offerings to drive purchase intent among attendees that are not sports fans; and capitalize on key viral moments in golf to drive reach.

“Best Tournament Sales” evaluates current year contracted sales across Sales Support Initiative categories (pro-am, hospitality, and sponsorship/advertising) compared to previous year overall performance and is equally weighted based on year-over-year growth by percentage and dollars.

Canada’s national open had its best sales year to date in 2023 and grew tremendously year-over-year, thanks to the incredible support from the people and business community of Toronto. Significant hospitality product was added to keep up with generated demand, with Golf Canada building over 200,000 square feet of hospitality along the Oakdale property, including a new double-decker structure for the first time. On the golf course, 11 viewing decks and bleachers were spread out across the property and there were over 50 activations for fans to engage in. Corporate hospitality and the pro-am was completely sold out.

New in 2023, the team launched the Gallery Fast Pass, a premium ticket offering that allowed fans to purchase preferred reserved viewing areas. Gallery Fast Pass ticket holders save time with access to the premium hospitality gate, expedited concessions and the premium 1904 Club viewing structure.

The RBC Canadian Open continues to boast some of the most unique and robust sponsorship activations on the PGA TOUR, anchored by “The Rink.” “The Rink” was back on Oakdale’s 14th hole and was completely enclosed for the first time. A fan experience combining Canada’s most popular pastimes – golf and hockey – “The Rink” earned the TOUR award for “Best in Class Element” in 2018. The area is modeled after an ice hockey rink, complete with hockey boards lining the hole, upgraded bleachers, and viewing decks, while featuring volunteer gallery management dressed as referees.

“We are honoured to receive both PGA TOUR awards in recognition for the success of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. A sincere thank you as well to the membership at Oakdale Golf and Country Club for their significant support in getting behind the tournament in a major way,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “We are extremely appreciative of RBC and our incredible network of partners along with the agency support of Wasserman and others for their continued elevation of the RBC Canadian Open into a true festival experience with innovative fan activations such as Hilton on the Green, The ScoreBet Hole Zero, Audi Performance Lab, The Fare Way featuring the Keg and so many more. Congratulations to all the award winners, and we look forward to hosting another great RBC Canadian Open in 2024 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.”

The 2024 RBC Canadian Open, won this year by Canadian Nick Taylor, returns to Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario, May 27-June 2.

Golf Canada is excited to announce the return of #MyGolfYear presented by BDO for year three.

Look back and celebrate your 2023 golf season at a glance! Golf Canada members get access to a snapshot of their golf season highlights and their personal #MyGolfYear can be proudly shared with friends and fellow golfers across their social media channels.

After the successful launch of #MyGolfYear following the 2021 golf season, the 2022 campaign saw the addition of new achievements and golfing milestones available for every member who logged their scores into the Golf Canada Score Centre over the course of the season.

Golfers can share their #MyGolfYear stats, highlighting total rounds, best round, total holes played, total distance played along with personalized achievements from the 2023 golf season.

“We have seen record levels of play in 2023 and Golf Canada members have shown great enthusiasm in sharing their #MyGolfYear stats. It’s a great way to look back on their season and be proud of what they have accomplished on the course and then be able to share with those milestones with their friends and networks,” said Tim McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, Golf Canada. “We are continually looking into the data and have increased the number of achievements since the program’s inception that members can highlight. We encourage all members to take advantage of this fun way to reflect on their golf season.”

The #MyGolfYear campaign wraps up one of the most successful years in Canadian golf including a record 10 million scores posted by Golf Canada members in 2023 – the first ever that that 10M milestone has been reached!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada)

The full list of #MyGolfYear achievements for 2023 include:

• Top Golfer: Your handicap ranks you as one of the top 15% golfers in Canada.
• Every Day I’m Golfing: You played golf every day of the week this year, joining 116,567 other Canadians who accomplished the same feat in 2023.
• Golfer For All Seasons: You played at least one round in each of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.
• Have Clubs, Will Travel: You played a round in five or more different cities within Canada in 2023.
• #MyGolfDay: You play golf on Saturday. That’s your day and you’re sticking to it!
• Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: You managed to play at least one round, five weeks in a row this year.
• Peak Summer: Canada’s warmest day in 2023 was July 5. On that day, you and 66,300 other Canadians played golf.
• Hole in One: The highest of achievements! You and 3,358 other Canadians recorded a hole-in-one in 2023.

• From Sea to Sea: You toured the country and while doing so, golfed in three or more provinces in 2023.
• I am Canadian: You and 114,606 others celebrated Canada Day weekend with a round of golf.
• Giving Thanks: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry are all Thanksgiving staples…for you and 23,654 other Canadians, adding a round of golf is equally as important.
• Golf Supporter: You have been a supporter of Golf Canada and golf in Canada for more than five years – Thank You!
• Golf Protector: You have supported Golf Canada for over 10 years and helped us grow the game – Thank You!
• Breaking Not Bad: You broke 100/90/80/70 this year – Congrats!
• New To the Club: You joined the Golf Canada community in 2023 – Welcome!

Thank you for being a Golf Canada member and enjoy sharing #MyGolfYear across your social networks!

To learn more about Golf Canada and the benefits of membership, please visit join.golfcanada.ca

The 50th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open is set for
July 23-28, 2024 in Calgary

Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), is pleased to announce that select tickets for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open are now on sale.

The 50th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open will take place at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 23-28, 2024. It will mark the seventh time that the province of Alberta has hosted Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, the fourth time for the City of Calgary and first time ever at Earl Grey.

Originally founded in 1919 as a five-hole layout and now on its current site overlooking the picturesque Glenmore Reservoir since 1932, Earl Grey is world-class championship facility located in the heart of Calgary. The club, which features an 18-hole championship course as well as a nine-hole Par 3, has hosted numerous major provincial, national and international competitions. Earl Grey underwent an extensive renovation project in 2018 that included construction of a brand-new clubhouse along with extensive on-course renovations, featuring new greens and an enhanced irrigation system along with a full bunker renovation.

“We are excited to return to Calgary and welcome the world’s best golfers to Earl Grey Golf Club for the 50th playing of our National Open Championship,” said Ryan Paul, CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director. “The stars of the LPGA Tour love our event and we are looking forward to delivering an incredible experience for golf fans next summer in Calgary.”

Canada’s National Women’s Open heads to Calgary riding the momentum of being named the LPGA Tour’s 2023 Tournament of the Year, the second consecutive year that the CPKC Women’s Open has taken home top honour at the LPGA Tour’s season-end tournament awards celebration last month. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open hosted this past summer at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver also won additional awards for the Best Sponsor Activation and Best Volunteer Appreciation.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CPKC Women’s Open marks the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour schedule. The week-long celebration of golf attracts the world’s best players, including 13-time LPGA Tour winner and CPKC Ambassador Brooke Henderson along with defending champion Megan Khang who defeated 2019 champion Jin Young Ko on the first hole of a playoff to earn her first LPGA Tour win.

CPKC will once again leave a meaningful legacy in the host community through its CPKC Has Heart campaign. This past year, CPKC raised nearly $3.5 million for children’s heart health with donations of $2.9 million to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and $580,000 to the Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation.

The 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey offers three select ticket options now on sale for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. The advance ticket options include:

• Any Day Ticket: Access to the CPKC Women’s Open on any one day, Tuesday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last.)

• Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Tuesday through Sunday.

• Heritage Lounge Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under.

Volunteer, sponsorship, and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open and to purchase tickets, please visit cpkcwomensopen.com.

After a down year, there will be more than double the number of Canadian golfers on the LPGA Tour in 2024.

Maddie Szeryk and Alena Sharp will return to the top women’s professional golf circuit next year and Savannah Grewal will make her debut after all three qualified at the LPGA Tour’s Q School last week. They’ll join world No. 12 Brooke Henderson and Maude-Aimee Leblanc on tour.

“That’ll be really cool to grow on the women’s side and have more players out on the LPGA Tour every single week,” said Henderson before Szeryk, Sharp and Grewal had confirmed their status. “It’s been really fun to watch the men’s side of Canadian golf, they’ve been playing amazing with four wins on the PGA Tour last season, which is really cool.

“Hopefully something similar like that can happen on the LPGA Tour in the next few years.”

Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Szeryk of London, Ont., were the only two Canadians on the LPGA Tour last season after Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., missed most of the year with an injury. 

Szeryk is also happy to see ranks of the Canadian contingent swell in 2024.

“It’s so great to see that, that there’s going to be more Canadians out there,” said Szeryk. “We all feel the support from each other and build off of that, so that will be really nice to have more.”

Henderson maintained her LPGA Tour membership thanks to her end-of-season ranking and Leblanc will return on an injury exemption. Szeryk had to re-earn her LPGA Tour membership through Q-School after finishing the 2023 season just outside of the rankings threshold. 

She tied with Hamilton’s Sharp for 38th at the third stage of the qualifying format.

“A lot of relief that the week was over. It was just a stressful week,” said Szeryk with a sigh. “Obviously, you want to be on the LPGA and play as best as you can. 

“I think I’m just relieved and excited that I get to play out there again next year, because that’s really the dream.”

Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., was the top Canadian at Q-School after she tied for 10th at 18 under. She turned professional in November after playing U.S. collegiate golf at Clemson. It is a requirement for all golfers to turn pro before entering the third stage of Q-School.

“Honestly, my goal is to be rookie of the year,” said Grewal, who made three starts on the LPGA Tour as an amateur. “I want to go out there and hopefully play some good golf.”

The 22-year-old Grewal will be the youngest Canadian to make her LPGA Tour debut as a professional since Henderson, now 26, turned pro in 2014.

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada members posted a record number of scores in 2023, with over 10 million being recorded, breaking the previous high of 9.2 million set in 2022. 

On December 12, 2023, the 10 millionth score in 2023 was recorded. The round was placed at Boca Raton Golf and Racquet Club in Florida, United States by Jocelyn Deschenes who is a member at Lanaudière Golf Center in Quebec.

The provinces of Ontario and British Columbia accounted for just over half of all scores recorded in 2023 while the month of July saw the most rounds played at almost two million.

Additional data from player’s who kept hole-by-hole scoring:

The first known recorded online round was played on June 23, 2005, at Bear Mountain Golf and Country Club in Victoria, B.C. Most of the early scores were posted in offline systems that were eventually imported in batches as the clubs migrated to the online system. Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. was one of the first courses to adopt the online version of Score Centre with 85 of the first 100 scores recorded were played at that course.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a boom in the sport of golf with a large increase in participation since 2019. Between 2019 and 2023, almost 45 million scores were recorded. This can be attributed to the numerous health benefits associated with the sport including, relieving stress, improving your mental health, weight loss, reducing the chance of developing heart disease and increased interaction with friends and family.

“Golf Canada is thrilled to see the sport of golf continuing the momentum and success it experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen increased levels in membership and more people spending time out on the golf course. With that, we have reached this incredible milestone of 10 million scores being posted this year,” said Ryan Logan, Director of Memberships, Golf Canada.

As the sport continues to grow in popularity, we look forward to beating this milestone in 2024. Not a member? Join Golf Canada’s largest golf community.

The PGA Tour has notified Jon Rahm he has been suspended for signing with Saudi-funded LIV Golf, a formality that is more about the benefits to the players Rahm leaves behind.

Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes and China’s Carl Yuan are the immediate beneficiaries of Rahm’s decision to sign with the rival league.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo to players Monday afternoon said Rahm’s suspension “due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments” removes his name from the FedEx Cup eligibility points list.

That means Hughes goes from No. 51 to No. 50, and now is eligible for all seven of the $20 million signature events in 2024. It also means Yuan, who was signed up for Q-school this week, moves up one spot to No. 125 and has a full PGA Tour card for next year.

The tour last year distinguished between the FedEx Cup standings and a separate list related to eligibility for the postseason and for status. The distinction was so players defecting to LIV would not have a negative impact on those who stayed behind.

Among those who benefited last year were Rickie Fowler, who got into the postseason because of all the players who left for LIV; and Jimmy Walker and Rory Sabbatini, who moved up on the career money list and were able to use one-time exemptions to keep full status.

This year, Hughes narrowly missed out on the top 50. He kept his 51st position through the fall, which only would have guaranteed him spots in the first two $20 million events. Now the Canadian can count on the likes of the Wells Fargo Championship in his home residence of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Alex Smalley goes to the No. 60 spot and now is assured of two $20 million events. The changes also affect Paul Haley, who moves to No. 150 and now has at least conditional status.

And it could effect Sahith Theegala. He finished No. 31 to narrowly miss the Tour Championship. He moves up to No. 30, which could make him exempt for the U.S. Open. This year, the U.S. Open recognized the top 30 who were eligible.

The movements were allowed because the new season has not started. If more PGA Tour players leave for LIV before the end of the year, that could lead to more changes.

Social media had been buzzing about the possibility of Tony Finau — he and Rahm are close friends — also leaving for LIV. Finau took to Instagram on Monday night that recapped his year and said he was “looking forward to playing my 10th season on the PGA Tour.”

“See y’all in Maui!” he concluded, adding the hash tag, “imnotleaving.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tony Finau (@tonyfinaugolf)

Monahan also said in the memo that the policy board and management recently met with a group of players upset that signature events will offer disproportionately more FedEx Cup points than the other events, leading to concerns it will be difficult for players outside the top 50 to fairly compete.

Monahan said the board will review how the new system is working in June and evaluate whether changes are in order for 2025.

Select tickets now available for 113th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada, in partnership with RBC is pleased to announce that select tickets are now available for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open taking place May 28 – June 2 at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.

Leading the charge for the 113th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship will be defending champion Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. along with two-time RBC Canadian Open champion and world no.2 Rory McIlroy.

Taylor, a three-time PGA TOUR winner will become the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to compete as defending champion coming off a historic four-hole playoff victory over Tommy Fleetwood this past June at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Last week, Golf Canada and RBC also announced a revised brand identity for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open logo that pays tribute to Taylor’s iconic 72-foot putt that secured the first Canadian win at the RBC Canadian Open in 69 years.

McIlroy won his first of two Canadian Open titles by a convincing seven shots at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open hosted at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. The 24-time PGA TOUR winner went on to successfully defend his RBC Canadian Open title in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. McIlroy will be looking to claim his third Canadian Open title in 2024 and join three-time champions Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino.

“There is incredible momentum for the RBC Canadian Open’s return to Hamilton with our historic defending champion Nick Taylor and our previous two-time winner in Rory (McIlroy) leading the early charge,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Hamilton has been an exceptional host venue for the championship, and we are looking forward to delivering another exciting festival experience for golf fans next summer.”

The 2024 RBC Canadian Open returns to the storied Hamilton layout for the seventh time and first since 2019. It will be the first opportunity for the stars of the PGA TOUR to experience the newly renovated Harry Colt design led by Martin Ebert. The two-year renovation project, which saw the return of key Colt design elements from the course’s past, including the complete rebuild of all 27 greens and bunkers, was named the “Best New Restoration” by Golf Digest for 2022.

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the 2024 RBC Canadian Open offers three select ticket options now on sale for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf at Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. The advance ticket options include:

• Any Day Ticket: Access to the RBC Canadian Open on any one day, Tuesday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last.)

• Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Tuesday through Sunday.

• 1904 Club Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

The official charitable beneficiary of the RBC Canadian Open is First Tee – Canada. As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under.

Volunteer, sponsorship, and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. To purchase tickets or for more information on the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, please visit rbccanadianopen.com.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners are a perfect 1-0 when paired together on the golf course. They’re ready to improve their decade-old record this week.

Henderson and Conners were teammates on Golf Canada’s junior national and both represented Canada at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but they rarely see each other as professionals on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour.

They haven’t been paired together since 2013, when they won the Copa de las Americas along with fellow Canadians Albin Choi and Augusta James.

That all changes when they tee it up together Thursday, at a new event featuring players from the world’s top men’s and women’s golf tours.

“I’ve always admired her swing and the smile she always has on her face,” said Conners on Wednesday in a joint news conference with Henderson. “We go way back. We haven’t crossed paths, unfortunately, that much over the last few years.”

The Grant Thornton Invitational, a new tournament on the pro golf calendar, sees players from the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour pair up in a season-ending event. Prize money will be evenly divided between the two genders at the 16-team field at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Henderson and Conners hope to learn from each other on the course and maintain their unblemished record as a pairing.

“I’m really excited to watch the men play, watch Corey play, see how he goes about it,” said Henderson, who added they have already begun strategizing. “I think that it’s pretty cool to have a partner and somebody that is as brilliant as Corey is to talk that through.”

Neither Conners or Henderson had turned professional when Team Canada won the Copa de las Americas by one stroke at the TPC Blue Monster Course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami 10 years ago. Conners, Henderson, Choi and James finished with a four-day total of 25-over par 1,177 to best Mexico (1,178) by a shot and the United States (1,179) by two.

A lot has changed since then.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., has won twice on the PGA Tour since turning professional in 2015 and is the second highest ranked Canadian on this year’s FedEx Cup standings.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., has put together an even more impressive resume, winning 13 times on the LPGA Tour including two majors since turning pro in 2014. She has the most pro wins in the history of Canadian golf.

“Ever since they announced the format of this event, I tried to try to throw my name in and partner up with Brooke,” said Conners. “I think it was similar from from her side, so it’s really exciting to be here together representing Canada. 

“Obviously, I’ve got a pretty solid partner so I’m looking forward to having some fun this week.”

Henderson think she can learn a lot from Conners, one of the best ballstrikers on the PGA Tour.

“I always enjoy watching my playing partners just regularly out on tour, when they’re practising, when they’re warming up, and also when I’m playing with them,” said Henderson. “You just always try to keep an eye out and see what I can learn and what I can pick up on and maybe how I can improve.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., the highest ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour, will also play at the event. He will partner with China’s Ruoning Yin.
Henderson and Conners agreed that the Grant Thornton could help grow the sport of golf in North America.

“It’s a really cool opportunity for the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour to do something together,” said Conners. “Hopefully this leads to some more collaboration and possibly some more events together.”

Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp and Maddie Szeryk finished inside the top-45 at the 2023 LPGA Q-Series in Mobile, Ala. securing their 2024 LPGA Tour status.

Grewal of Mississauga, Ont. finished T10 at 18-under following rounds of 66-69-71-67-71-68-412. Grewal turned professional in November, prior to the third stage of Q-Series. Grewal has made three starts on the LPGA Tour as an amateur. Grewal reached match play at both the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur and British Amateur.

Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. finished T38 at 9-under following rounds of 69-72-70-69-73-68-421. Sharp has 19 years of experience on the LPGA Tour and made four starts in 2023, highlighted by and eighth place finish at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational and T36 at the CPKC Women’s Open. Last month, Sharp also won the bronze medal for Canada at the 2023 PanAm Games in Santiago, Chile. In addition, Sharp represented Team Canada at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020.

Szeryk of London, Ont. also finished T38 at 9-under with rounds of 68-67-71-75-68-72-421. Szeryk recently completed her second full year on the LPGA Tour and made 22 starts with one top-ten finish. During her career, Szeryk has made 36 starts on Tour with one top-ten finish.

Robin Choi of Australia finished atop the leaderboard at 29-under after six rounds. Mao Saigo of Japan and So Mi Lee of Republic of Korea finished tied for second at 26-under. For the final leaderboard please click here.

Players who finished inside the top-45 including ties after 108 holes earn 2024 LPGA Tour eligibility. Players finishing in positions 1-20 and ties earn LPGA Tour status in Category 14 and players finishing 21-45 and ties earn LPGA Tour status in Category 15.

Golf Canada Q-School/Series stipends were made available thanks to generous donors of the Golf Canada Foundation, to help off-set the expenses of Canadian professionals striving to qualify for tours affiliated with the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour.

Now in its third year, the stipends have been given to Canadian professionals based on performance at Q-Series/School to ensure more support is available for players who accumulate higher expenses from advancing to further stages. To receive a stipend, players must compete professionally on the tour where they earned status (or another professional tour if status is gained elsewhere). In addition to Grewal, Sharp and Szeryk, 11 others will receive a stipend for their 2023 Q-Series/School performance including Leah John, Kate Johnson, Tiffany Kong, Brigitte Thibault, and Selena Costabile along with Jared du Toit, Stuart Macdonald, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Thomas Giroux, Etienne Papineau and Myles Creighton.

Next week the PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry will take place from December 14-17 at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) announced Keith Lyall of the Sun Peaks Resort Golf Course in Sun Peaks, B.C. as the CGSA Gordon Witteveen Award winner for 2023.

The Gordon Witteveen Award is presented annually by the CGSA to the superintendent or assistant superintendent who has authored the best article for publication in the CGSA GreenMaster magazine during the past year. Keith’s article entitled “Steps to An Effective Management System”, which was published in the Winter 2023 issue of GreenMaster, was judged by a panel of peers and Keith was unanimously chosen as the winner.

“It was an absolute privilege to be able to reach out to Keith to inform him of his article winning the Gordon Witteveen Award,” said Cameron Kusiek, Chair, Communications and Editorial Committee. “Keith’s article was a great read and discussed a topic quite different compared to what we traditionally read in GreenMaster, which is what we strive for. When I first read the article, I thought that Keith is simply superhuman, being responsible for the entire Sunset Peaks ISO Program. This just goes to show how diverse individuals in our industry are as Keith’s article further illustrates the multi-talents so many have beyond taking care of turf. Congratulation Keith on a very well written article.”

In 2004 Keith was introduced to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001 Environmental Steward. In his article Keith shares steps to an effective management system: (GreenMaster Winter Issue). Keith has been a CGSA member since 2005 and sits on CGSA’s Environment Committee.

Mr. Lyall will be presented with the Gordon Witteveen Award during the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, February 27 as part of The Canadian Golf Course Management Conference.