Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Alan Nacinovic, Muskoka Bay Club, Hole #17

We were playing the round at my home course Muskoka Bay with friends Mike “Top Shot”, Eric “Long Drive” and my brother Oliver “No Break”. The birthday shots of tequila and whisky were flowing. We pulled up to hole #17. The yardage was 175 to the flag. I pulled out the trusty 7 iron, and the rest is history. An unforgettable moment, the first of many I hope.

Anderson Brown, Predator Ridge, Hole #4

What a day at the Predator course in B.C.

Bill Lutes, Brooks Golf Club, Hole #8

I’m 71 years old and have been playing since I was 14. My first hole-in-one!

It was a breezy fall day. Wind out of the south at about 25km. Our 8th hole is a par 3 that can play anywhere from 120 yards to 160. That day playing 130 into the wind. I went for a 9 iron but it was not going to be enough, so I went to the 8 and tried to bunt one in low. I’d love to tell you I hit a magnificent high cut but the reality is “thin to win”. It was lower than I wanted but a decent shot that never left the flag and when it hit in front and started to roll it looked pretty good. When it got to the flag and disappeared, I turned to my brother and asked, “Did that just go in?” When he confirmed it had I gave it a “Ya baby!” I was playing that day with my brother, Allen Lutes, and a couple of pals, Rod Swenson and Ken Bain. Nice to have the foursome and everyone saw it go in. I have been oh so close many times but never had one drop until now.

Bob LeBlanc, River Oaks Golf Club, Hole #5

When we got to the 5th tee box, I was hitting second.

The pin lasered at 152 yards, and the green has a heavy slope right to left. Ideally, any shot is played towards the upper third of the green, and the slope will carry it down as it rolls out.

One of my playing partners, Jeff Tofflemire, had the honours, and we watched his shot go a little bit long.

I had taken a 7 iron out of the bag, and after seeing Jeff’s shot go long, I went back to the bag and down to an 8 iron. We couldn’t feel the breeze on the tee, but it was obviously there.

We watched the ball come down on the green, hop and check and then hop and check the second time. Then we couldn’t see it roll out! The evening sun had the green surface in a sheen, making it impossible to follow the roll out.

Jeff said, “I think that went in the hole!” None of us could be sure, though. The fifth plays over a gully and little pond, so driving down into the gully, I could see a white spot on the back of the green and shouted back to Wayne and Jeff that the ball must have rolled past that I could see it. I grabbed my putter when I got out of the cart and headed to the green. The white spot turned out to be a leaf glistening in the sun and no sign of my ball! I stood there and looked all around the edge of the green and still couldn’t see my ball so I took another step ahead and peered into the hole and there it was! Lodged between the front of the cup and the pin!

It was a very surreal moment. Jeff and Wayne were whooping it up letting everyone within earshot know I had just had a hole-in-one. Surprisingly, after one good fist pump, I stayed pretty calm.

Before we began our round, the course GM had let me know that he had shot a 67 that morning. I told him that I’d just have to go out and shoot a 66 then! At the turn, I went to the club pro (Andrew) and told him he could text Graeme and let him know I wouldn’t be beating his 67 but to be sure to let him know that I had aced #5.

When I finished the round, Andrew met me at the clubhouse and presented me a bag tag denoting the moment and an embroidered towel with a hole-in-one logo.

Chris Bonli, Michelson National Golf Club, Hole #15

I made a hole-in-one on September 17 on the 15th hole at Michelson National Golf Club in Calgary, Alberta! 

Dale Klassen, Heritage Pointe Golf Club, Hole #9

I’m a member at Heritage Pointe and it’s in amazing shape and condition. This one was an 8 iron to a front pin 137 yards to the 9th green. I was playing with Harold Chornoboy and Daryl Ritchie. It was a little cool but a beautiful Fall day.

David Kelly, Hautes Plaines, Hole #3

I played with three players whom I did not know, but all were Hautes Plaines members. It was 147 yards on hole #3. I used my Taylormade P790 7 iron.

Eunice Fast, Highland Pacific Golf, Hole #2

It was a great feeling to watch the ball head to the hole and disappear into it. I dropped my club on the ground and started jumping for joy! The distance was 101 yards from the silver tee box and I was using my 7 hybrid. I happened to be playing with two staff members from Olympic View Golf Course who had never been with anyone who had a hole-in-one. It was a fun moment. When the course drinks cart came around, I bought the beer. By the time we finished the last fairway, I realized that the news had reached the starter shack and was still circulating several days later.

George Wilson, Innerkip Highlands Golf Club, Hole #2

My playing partners were David Lee, Andrew Pickard and Ryan Westbrook. I used a pitching wedge from 130 yards.

Gordon How, Collicut Siding, Hole #2

I hit a 6 iron into a light breeze. It landed five feet short right then one hopped and rolled in the hole. I played with John McLean, Tom Dubray and Darry Anderson.

Jack Vitali, Copper Creek Golf Club, Hole #8

Occurred on a cool fall day at Copper Creek Golf Club on October 8, 2023. I was playing with Robby and Diego. Special moment happened on hole #8 from 139 yards. I hit a perfect Srixon #4 ball. It was seven feet short of the flag and it rolled itself into the hole perfectly.

This hole has had my number for 15 years with the highest score of 13 and now the lowest being one. Lucky triple eight!

Jackie Green, The Nest Golf Club at Friday Harbour, Hole #8

I have been golfing casually since 2009. However, in the last few years as a member of The Nest Golf Club at Friday Harbour, I have been able to golf at least a couple times a week which has helped with my game. I was golfing on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 with my husband Dean Cicci and a couple of our friends, Dave Cannon and Ilia Paraschis.  Once the guys teed off it was my turn. I teed up and used my 5 wood as the pin on the 8th hole was closer to the front of the green. It was a clean shot, clearing the water and went directly at the pin landing no more than a foot away. I saw it land and then roll right into the cup! It was very exciting and I’m sure the rest of the course could hear my excitement. As word got back to our clubhouse, our club manager Peter Young met me at the 14th hole to congratulate me. After the round, I celebrated my ace at the clubhouse by buying shots of fireball for all that were there! Fun times and I hope to do this again!

Jamie Steele, McCall Lake Golf Course, Hole #17

I hit a 6 iron from 167 yards to a back right pin on #17 at McCall Lake on October 8. I was playing with another single golfer named Ed as there was a long frost delay in the morning. I could not see the bottom of the pin when my ball landed but then I did not see the ball roll past the pin and I said maybe the ball went in the hole. Ed was riding in a cart, and I was walking and he got to the green first and said my ball was in the hole. I could not believe it as I had never really been close to a hole-in-one before.

Jas Khatra, Southbrook Golf & Country Club, Hole #9

Editor’s Note: Our very own Golf Canada staff member, Jas Khatra, achieved an ace Southbrook Golf & Country Club. This is his first hole-in-one!

It definitely made for an awesome round. Unfortunately, I was playing by myself when it occurred, so I had a little one-man celebration on the green.

It was about 165 yards downhill with an 8 iron, landed just behind the pin and rolled in.

Jeff Barratt, Mississauga Golf & Country Club, Hole #10

I was playing with Phil Leja and Steve Mika. It was a 9 iron from 129 yards.

Jeff Brookhouser, Niagara-On-The-Lake Golf Club, Hole #4

Best day ever!

John Bonham, Cottonwood Golf & Country Club, Hole #6

I was playing with Mark Carson and Craig Thomas. The yardage was roughly 146 with a breeze coming towards us.  I used a 6 iron from the bronze tees. 

Karen Robertson, Seymour Golf & Country Club, Hole #14

I’ve been playing for a few decades so it was nice to finally have one drop! It was hole #14 which is 113 yards uphill with a middle pin. I used a 7 iron by TaylorMade. My ball was a Lady Bridgestone and was with my partner Scott Warner.

Marian Thomson, Pender Island Golf & Country Club, Hole #6

My first hole-in-one was on hole #4 in October 2022. This time it happened on hole #6.

Once again, I used my driver, something I like as I can pull back on it nicely, although I am experimenting with different options, the driver always gives me a range of options I am comfortable with.

A hole-in-one on #6 is so great because you can actually see the ball land and travel to the hole, creating suspense as to whether it will actually drop. So, there was anticipation and then celebration.

Neil MacDonald, Shannon Lake Golf Club, Hole #16

It was hole #16, 150 yards with an 8 iron and I was playing with Andrew and Kian Albiston as well as Andrew Hull.

Ngoc Tran, Saint-Raphaël (Club de golf) – Bleu, Hole #15

I was playing with my golf buddy/partner since the 2021 season at Golf Saint-Raphael with our spouses and their lady friends in the foursome behind us. Coincidentally, my partner, Kim Thong Ta, also made a hole-in-one at the very same 15th hole in the 2022 season.

The flag was in the middle of the green toward the left bunker, away from the water hazard on the right. I attempted a low line drive into the wind directly at the flag, knowing that the ball would land safely on the fairway if the shot was short.

From the tee, I was able to see the ball bounce once and roll onto the green toward the flag but wasn’t sure where it ended up. As I approached the green, the ball was nowhere in sight; could it have rolled across the green into the rough? Before searching for the ball in the rough, I decided to look for it in the hole and, well, the rest is history.

My wife and I started to play golf around 2005-2006; although we were interested (I more so than my better half), we never really played much. Since 2007, I’ve played five rounds or less per season mostly accompanying my friends and enjoying the walk and view of the courses. Needless to say, our golf skills were non-existent.

It was COVID that brought us back to golf. Out of the blue, my tennis buddies, to whom I introduced golf several years earlier, called and invited me to join them. This was July 2020. Since 2021, my wife and I have been members at Saint-Raphael and played regularly.

Paul Kennedy, Wooden Sticks Golf Club, Hole #3

I was playing with my friends Bill Triolo and Bob Philip. We were playing in the Ke Tarling Invitational Tournament. The shot was on the 3rd hole at Wooden Sticks Golf Course which is a replica hole of the 12th Hole at Augusta National Golf Course. The hole was playing 140 yards into a bit of a breeze. I hit my 4 hybrid. The ball was right online the whole way. From the elevated tee, we could see that there was no doubt that the ball rolled into the hole after landing about 10 feet short. 

Peter Garnham, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley – HOOT, Hole #8

I was playing with two buddies, Carter Gates and Alex Jacques McClary. We were playing the blue tees and the hole was playing 165 yards to the pin. I used a 7 iron and it was the best shot I’ve hit in my life. It sounded pure and it was dead straight.

The craziest part about the story is that one of our friend’s dad’s, Bart Von Kalkreuth, got a hole-in-one on the same hole five minutes after I did!

Richard Daukant, The Pulpit Club – Paintbrush, Hole #16

It was at the Paintbrush course. It was 151 yards with a 7 iron. I played with Fraser Nelson.

Rick Ferguson, Willow Valley Golf, Hole #15

This was my second ace on this hole. I used a pitching wedge to go 117 yards.

Spencer Reid, Bridgewater Country Club, Hole #6

I was playing with two buddies, Carter Gates and Alex Jacques McClary. We were playing the blue tees and the hole was playing 165 yards to the pin. I used a 7 iron and it was the best shot I’ve hit in my life. It sounded pure and it was dead straight.

The craziest part about the story is that one of our friend’s dad’s, Bart Von Kalkreuth, got a hole-in-one on the same hole five minutes after I did!

Terry Moore, Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club, Hole #14

I was playing with my wife, Sandra, and two guests, Terry and Peggy from Midland. The hole-in-one was on hole #14, 133 yards with a back pin at Settler’s Ghost. The rain was just starting so we decided to play this hole before it poured. I used a 3 hybrid. We could not see the ball finish as the hole was in a hollow near the back of the green. When we got to the green it was found in the hole.

(October 11, 2023) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the host golf clubs for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms for the next three years.

Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. will host in 2024, followed by St. Catharines Golf and Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont. in 2025 and The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. in 2026.

The World Junior Girls Championship has been conducted eight times since its inception in 2014, most recently last week at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. The prestigious international championship brings together the world’s best junior-aged girls golfers competing for the team and individual title. In addition to the competition, the championship is a week-long celebration of golf hosting First Tee – Canada clinics and a PGA of Canada coach’s summit.

“Together with our partners, Golf Canada is excited to announce our next three host venues for the World Junior Girls Golf Championships,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules, Golf Canada. “We want to thank all three host courses along with their respective cities for their commitment to amateur golf in Canada and hosting this prestigious world championship. The impact of these three clubs and their collective membership provides the event continued momentum to build off the success of these past eight years.”

Team Canada won its first-ever World Junior Girls Golf Championship and Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic won the individual competition last week at Brampton Golf Club. The gold-medal Team Canada 1 squad was comprised of 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto and 17-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver who shot a team-total 4-under 564 for the championship, a single shot clear of the Republic of Korea. Vodickova, tied the women’s competitive course record during Friday’s third round with a 5-under 66. She went on to finish the tournament at 7-under and won by three shots, also earning an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open.

This year’s championship featured the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and 21 countries, with eight competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top-100.

Spain (2017 & 2022) is tied with the Republic of Korea (2015 & 2019) for the most victories in the event’s eight-year history with two each. Other team winners include the United States (2014), Philippines (2016), Italy (2018), and Canada (2023). The Republic of Korea have earned the most podium finishes in tournament history with five, after winning the silver medal this year. A history of past individual and team winners is available here.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to have great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

ABOUT THE HOST VENUES…

Credit Valley Golf and Country Club – September 30 – October 5, 2024
Credit Valley Golf and Country Club boasts a challenging 18-hole Robbie Robinson designed parkland course. Nestled alongside the winding Credit River and the natural setting of the valley, it offers members a hidden golf and country club oasis within the bustling cityscape of Mississauga.

“On behalf of the members and staff at Credit Valley, we are honoured to host the World Junior Girls Championship in 2024. This event has generated great excitement and support from our membership, and we look forward to welcoming the best junior players from all over the world to Credit Valley. Thank you to Golf Canada and Tourism Mississauga for being great partners in helping us bring this prestigious championship to our club and community.” – Patrick Yashar, Director of Golf, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club

“Tourism Mississauga is thrilled to partner with the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club to host the World Junior Girls Golf Championship in 2024.  We are ready to showcase one of our finest golf courses and will continue to celebrate women in sport and the cultural canvas that is Mississauga. We look forward to cheering these athletes on and creating an experience they will never forget!” – Victoria Clarke, CEO, Tourism Mississauga

St. Catharines Golf and Country Club – September 15 – 20, 2025
St. Catharines Golf and Country Club features a 6,850-yard golf course that was designed by Stanley Thompson. Over its 125-year history, the Club has had several renovations with a current master plan developed by Ian Andrew, the noted course architect. The course is located in the heart of the City’s downtown, has hosted many provincial and national golfing events.

“Our members are excited about the opportunity of hosting these young golfers from around the world, and we promise them a challenging golf course for the competition.” – Brent Pym, President, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club

“St. Catharines has a proud history of supporting international sporting events and we look forward to welcoming the World Junior Girls Golf Championship to the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.” – Mat Siscoe, Mayor, City of St. Catharines

The Royal Ottawa Golf Club – September 28 – October 3, 2026
The Royal Ottawa Golf Club offers the finest courses in the National Capital Region, graced by the natural beauty of the Gatineau Hills. The Main Course is a natural, old-fashioned layout, where the emphasis is placed on the natural lay of the land, rather than artificially created hazards. The original course architect was Tom Bendelow of Chicago, who at the time was a leader in the industry. The original design was subsequently amended by Willie Park Jr., winner of the British Open in 1887 and 1897. In recent years, Graham Cooke was a principal Course Architect. The current Course Architect is Neil Haworth, who spearheaded the design of the new Short Game Area and Canada’s first full TrackMan Range. The golf course played host to the 2000 CPKC Women’s Open and holds the record for hosting the most Canadian Amateur Championships.

“The Royal Ottawa Golf Club is thrilled and honoured to welcome the world’s top junior golfers for the 2026 World Junior Girls Championship. We are looking forward to the showcase of talent these players will bring to our historic course.” – Kris Bulmer, Club President, The Royal Ottawa Golf Club

“Our team at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club enthusiastically awaits our opportunity to welcome the World in 2026. Having been a part of the 2018 World Junior Girls event in Ottawa, I look forward to raising the standard of excellence to match the high level of golf skill these girls will exhibit.” – Greg Richardson, General Manager, The Royal Ottawa Golf Club

Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic wins individual title at Brampton Golf Club

Brampton, Ont. – The most successful season in Canadian golf history added another exciting chapter on Saturday as Team Canada won its first-ever team title at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms. 

The Canada 1 Team comprised 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver (71-69-70-70—280), 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto (70-73-73-75—291), and 17-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver (72-75-80-68—295) shot a team-total 138 under cool and blustery conditions at Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. to finish at 4-under 564 for the championship, a single shot clear of the Republic of Korea. 

Canada 1, who began the day with a share of the third-round lead alongside Korea and the United States, needed a late-round charge to overtake Korea, who held a one-shot team lead through 16 holes. 

The tournament shifted on the par-5 17^th hole when Huang made a birdie for Canada and Korea’s Soomin Oh made a bogey. Zhang then stepped up with a birdie on the par-4 18^th, followed by Huang rolling in a par-putt to secure Canada’s first-ever team gold medal at the prestigious international junior championship. 

Team Canada 1 Coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S. was proud of how his team battled all week, going head-to-head with powerhouse challengers from Korea and the United States to earn the prestigious title – of world champions. 

“It feels really amazing, the girls have worked so hard, they all contributed so much today, it was really close all day and they dealt with the stress really, really well,” said MacDonald, who was especially proud of the team’s resolve and self-belief that they could win. “Anna made a huge birdie on 17 while Vanessa was rolling in an incredible 30-footer on 18. We always knew it was a good company to be in, they (Korea and the USA) weren’t going to back down. The Koreans made a lot of putts today, they were exceptional, and our Canadians really stepped up to the occasion. They never felt like they couldn’t win this golf tournament. The whole time they knew they belonged, and they knew they could compete with those countries. They were competing, they wanted to win, and they knew they could win the whole time.” 

“I think me, and Vanessa (Zhang) did a great job on the last four holes, we both made two birdies, so that was a really great comeback for us, I’m just really proud of how we all did as a team, its not just individual scores, its all about the team effort,” said Huang. 

Canada’s previous best team finish at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship was a bronze medal in 2014. 

“I don’t think we all had super high expectations going into this event, we just set out to do our best every single day and it was nice that we saw ourselves on the leaderboard, it more just came down to keeping our practice routines the same and trying our best each and every shot,” said Zhang. 

“It’s such a cool experience, I said this earlier this week, you’re playing for something bigger than yourself, you’re playing for a team, and to do this together, feels pretty cool,” added Borovilos. 

The two-time past winners from Korea would finish with the silver medal, shooting a team-total 3-under 565 followed by Czech Republic earning bronze at 4-over 572. Rounding out the top-five were Sweden (5-over 573) and Mexico (8-over 576). 

The Team Canada 2 squad of 14-year-old Miranda Lu of Vancouver, 16-year-old Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. and 14-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished 18^th. 

World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms – final team standings:

1​ Canada 1 ​(-4)​ 141-142-143-138—564

2​ Korea ​(-3)​ 143-141-142-139—565

3​ Czech Republic​ (+4)​ 145-142-142-143—572

4 ​Sweden ​(+5)​ 140-147-144-142—573

5​ Mexico​ (+8)​ 144-144-149-139—576

6​ United States ​(+9)​ 139-142-145-151—577

7​ Belgium ​(+12)​ 142-149-146-143—580

8​ Spain​ (+15)​ 143-144-149-147—583

9 ​Italy​ (+16) ​146-144-152-142—584

10​ England​ (+17) ​141-148-149-147—585

11​Germany​ (+26)​ 148-147-149-150—594

12 ​Finland​ (+28)​ 146-147-154-149—596

13​ Denmark​ (+29) ​151-147-147-152—597

14​ Poland​ (+32) ​148-147-150-155—600

15​ Chinese Taipei ​(+35) ​148-153-146-156—603

T16​ Switzerland​ (+36)​ 148-147-158-151—604

T16​ Colombia​ (+36)​ 153-150-151-150—604

18​ Canada 2​ (+43) ​154-151-153-153—611

19​ Peru ​(+44)​ 151-155-158-148—612

20 ​Iceland​ (+47)​ 152-156-154-153—615

T21​ Austria ​(+51)​ 149-154-159-157—619

T21 ​Wales​ (+51)​ 155-158-156-150—619

Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, third-round leader Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic followed up yesterday’s scorching 66 with a final-round even par 71 to win the Czech Republic’s first-ever individual medal in the eight-year history of the championship. An adjustment a month ago to her putting grip brought a great sense of confidence into the championship, finishing 7-under 277 for the tournament. 

“It’s amazing, I feel great. I was very nervous today, I messed up the 17^th hole a little bit and wasn’t sure I was still leading but was very glad about the finish,” said Vodickova, who plans to play college golf at Wake Forest next year. “My putting was really good, I’m putting cross-handed now, I changed a month ago and it’s working really well.”

With the victory, the 18-year-old earns an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open next July at the Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta. 

Canadian Anna Huang capped off a tournament to remember, earning runner-up honours in the individual competition in addition to helping Canada win its first-ever team title. Huang, who finished T11 in 2022, shot a final-round 1-under 70 to finish at 4-under 280 for the championship, three shots back. 

The runner-up finish for Huang was the best by a Canadian in the individual competition since Brooke Henderson’s fourth-place finish in 2014.  

Soomin Oh of Korea finished third at 3-under 281 while Savanah de Bock of Belgium (1-under 283) and Nora Sundberg of Sweeden (2-over 286) rounded out the top-five. 

Click here for the third round individual leaderboard.

This year marked the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and representing 21 countries competing for the team and individual titles.

Surrey, B.C. – Clara Ding and Tate Bruggeman have won the NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards at The Hills at Portal Golf Club in Surrey, B.C.

In the Junior Girls Division, Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. fired a 5-under 67 on Saturday to finish the tournament at even par and secure the championship. Ding was one-shot back heading into the final round and finished five shots clear of Rose Zhiyan Chen of Langley, B.C.

Ding recorded rounds of 75-74-67-216, to win the tournament and secure her spot in the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. In addition, Ding also won the Bantam Girls Division. Joining Ding at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be Chen who finished as runner-up at 5-over in both the Junior Girls and Bantam divisions and Karrisa Yuehan Zhao of West Vancouver and Elsa Wu of Maple Ridge, B.C. who finished tied for third at 16-over.

In the Junior Boys Division, Tate Bruggeman of Edmonton, edged out Louis Chun of Port Coquitlam, B.C. on the second playoff hole with a par to win the championship and book his place in the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Bruggeman was four shots back after an even par 71 in Thursday’s opening round but fired back-to-back rounds of 2-under 69 to finish at 4-under and get to the playoff.

Chun also earned his spot in the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship as runner-up. Joining Bruggeman and Chun is Manpreet Lalh of Nanaimo, B.C. who finished third at even par.

Chengze (Jim) Zhu of Vancouver won the Bantam Boys division by six shots, finishing the tournament at 1-over.

The field of 92 amateur golfers (66 Junior Boys and 26 Junior Girls) competed over 54-holes for three spots each into their respective Canadian Junior Championships next summer.

This week’s tournament marked the final stop on the NextGen Series schedule for the 2023 season. The NextGen Fall Series West Championship is one of Golf Canada’s eight regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards.

For the final leaderboards in the NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, click here.

About the NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2023 national championships. Two additional Fall Series events will be hosted to close the season. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. For more information on the NextGen Championship series and 2023 results, click here.

Denisa Vodickova ties women’s competitive course record at Brampton Golf Club

Brampton, Ont. –Team Canada 1, Team United States (USA) and South Korea will enter Saturday’s final round all tied for the lead at even par at the eighth annual World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont.

Overnight rain brought about more seasonal conditions for Friday’s third round with players battling the wind and cooler temperatures. Friday also saw numerous changes to the team leaderboard throughout the day and as the final putt dropped, three teams find themselves tied for first.

Team Canada 1 was led by the play of Anna Huang of Vancouver who shot a 1-under 70. Huang also finds herself in second place in the individual championship at 3-under for the tournament. Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto shot a 2-over 73 and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver shot 9-over 80. Team Canada 1 Coach Jeff MacDonald of Chester, N.S. is proud of how his team has battled all week heading into Saturday, “It’s a good spot to be in and when we started the week this is where we wanted to be, and the girls are just really battling. We’ve had a couple tough breaks here and there and a couple things happen out there, but I am really proud of how much they’ve fought each day. It’s really tough out there, it’s really windy and the greens are really tricky, so some things are going to happen that you have to deal with, and they’ve just dealt with it so well to get into the position and give them a chance to win tomorrow.”

Team USA held the lead through the opening two rounds of the world championship but are now tied. Chloe Kovelesky of Boca Raton, Fla. led the way on Friday with a 2-under 69, teammates Mia Hammond of New Albany, Ohio and Molly Brown Davidson of Springville, Ala. both shot rounds of 5-over 76. Coach Mo Martin is looking forward to Saturday’s final round, “Couldn’t ask for a better finale tomorrow on Canadian soil. This is the first unified front for the U.S. Development program, and we’re really excited about. I know all three players are honoured to be the face of that and I think they are carrying that with a lot of pride and a lot of passion.”

Two-time champions, South Korea were led by Hyojin Yang who fired a 1-under 70 on Friday. Teammates, Soomin Oh and Seojin Park both recorded rounds of 1-over 72 to grab a piece of the team lead. Coach Naon Min said she hopes her team enjoys the final round, “I’m really proud of them. It’s their first time in Canada and first time playing for Korea and for that I am really proud of them.”

The three countries take a three-shot lead into Saturday with the Czech Republic in fourth at 3-over and Sweden sits fifth at 5-over.

Team Canada 2 is at 32-over and features 14-year-old Miranda Lu of Vancouver (5-over 76),

16-year-old Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. (6-over 77) and 14-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (9-over 80).

World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms, team standings:

Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, there is a new leader as Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic tied the women’s competitive course record at Brampton Golf Club, shooting a 5-under 66 to move to 7-under for the tournament. The record was previously set by Brooke Henderson during the 2014 Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship.

Vodickova had the low round for the second consecutive day and recorded seven birdies in her round. The 18-year-old credited her putting and a change just before the tournament that has helped her this week, “I changed my grip recently and it’s working really well so I think that’s what has helped me the most. My putting was really good and also my irons into the green were great as well.”

Vodickova takes a four-shot lead into Saturday’s final round over Anna Huang. Savannah de Bock of Belgium is in third place at 2-under with Nora Sundberg of Sweden and Soomin Oh of South Korea tied for fourth at even par.

Click here for the third round individual leaderboard.

This year marks the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and representing 21 countries competing for the team and individual titles. This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by eight competitors currently ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top-100 including the tournament’s top-ranked player, Spain’s Rocío Tejedo Mulet (no. 23). Spain and South Korea both feature two players ranked inside the WAGR top-100, with Spain’s Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (no. 33) and South Korea’s Hyojin Yang (no. 60) and Soomin Oh (no. 67).

Defending champions Spain (2017 & 2022) is tied with South Korea (2015 & 2019) for the most victories in the event’s seven-year history, with two each. Other team winners include the United States (2014), Philippines (2016), and Italy (2018). South Korea and Sweden are tied with the most podium finishes in tournament history with four each. Canada’s best finish in the team competition was third in 2014 and fourth in 2018. A history of past individual and team winners is available here.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to have great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open being held at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 22 – 28, 2024.

For Saturday’s final round tee times, please click here.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Andre Potvin, Mountain Woods Golf Club, Hole #12

The hole-in-one was made on hole #12 at Mountain Woods Golf Club. The distance was 214 yards and used a #5 fairway metal. My playing partners Garry Miles, Claude Desrochers and Fergus Omond.

Andrew Perugini, Carrying Place Golf and Country Club, Hole #7

I was playing with my good friend and my cousin at Carrying Place on a Sunday afternoon. The hole was playing difficult with a front pin location and a two club wind into us. The hole was zapped at 145 yards, so I took out my 8 iron and hit a high draw over the top of the flagstick. The ball landed three feet behind the hole and spun back into the cup. It was a very cool experience because I was able to see the entire ball flight, where the ball landed and how it tracked back to the hole because of where the flag was located. It was my first hole-in-one and a memory I will never forget.

Ashton Romaniuk, Labroquerie Golf, Hole #5

It was on hole #5, 175 yards to a front pin. I was playing with my co-worker and best buddy, Paison Butler, who advised me a “light” 8 iron would do the trick. I hit the shot and right away thought, “Oh that’s going to be good” so I picked up my tee without even watching the rest of the ball flight. I was then tackled by my buddy screaming, “It went in, it went in!” and then he took off running down the fairway! I couldn’t believe it went in.

Brad Henderson, Forest City National Golf Club, Hole #13

I played with Matt McCallum, Adam Fox and Matt Morrison. It was 172 yards and I used an 8 iron.

Cedric Thompson, Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, Hole #8

I used my 8 wood and it was 156 yards playing with Jim Newman and Barry Norminton.

David Beck, Sagebrush Golf Club, Hole #4

Fourth hole at Sagebrush Golf Club on Saturday, September 30th with James Wise and Robert Hunter who was playing with us. The par 3, fourth hole is 165 yards and I was hitting my 7 iron.

David Hinton, Myrtlewood Golf Club, Hole #17

Our group was playing in our biennial “Ryder Cup” event. I was playing for Team Europe. The yardage was 125. I hit a Callaway Big Bertha 9 iron. Playing a yellow Titleist Pro V1.  The ball hit about six inches in front of the hole. One bounce and in. Our Europe Team won the matches that day. Playing with Andrew Ward against Jamie Bridwell and Graham Cross. Only my second hole-in-one (last was 30 years ago). Hopefully I get my next sooner as I am 73 years old.

Derek Hood, Barrie Country Club, Hole #13

On Monday September 25th, while playing with Larry and Mel at the Barrie Country Club. I was fortunate enough to make a hole-in-one on the 142 yard 13th hole using my Ping hybrid.

Elliot Noh, FireRock Golf Club, Hole #3

The hole-in-one took place on September 25th. My tee-time was at 10:10 a.m., with two other gentlemen who I met for the first time. One of their names was Michael, but unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of another person who was his friend. I hit a 6 iron on the 176 yard par 3 from the gold tees.  With some tailwind, the ball landed at the front edge of the green, bounced once and went directly into the hole.

I’ve hit another hole-in-one about two years ago on the eighth hole, so I’ve been having some amazing luck at Fire Rock!

Fay Elsdon, Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course, Hole #12

I was playing with Rita Scott and Yvonne Borrowman. The yardage was 100 with an 8 iron.

Fred Vautour, Pine Needles Golf & Country Club, Hole #15

I played with Jackie Boudreau, Bernie Savoie and Lucille Savoie. The yardage was 104 yards and I used a 9 iron with a Titleist Velocity ball.

Fredrick Courchene, York Lake Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

Unfortunately, I was playing alone. I did use a 9 iron into wind, pin in the front playing about 143 yards. The ball one hopped short of green hit the flag stick and dropped in the cup.

George Kolisnek, Hylands Golf Club, Hole #3

The distance was 167 yards and I used a Callaway Mavrik 4 hybrid club. I was playing with retired military friends with whom I golf two or three days a week.

Gerald Aggus, Hidden Lake Golf Course, Hole #17

I have been playing golf since I was 20 years old on and off until about seven years ago when I semi-retired and I began golfing regularly three times a week. My first hole-in-one occurred on the 17th hole at Hidden Lake in Burlington. The pin was at the back of the green and I was playing with my regular Friday group. We did not see my 5 iron shot roll into the hole but heard the clunk when it hit the pin. What a thrill to experience my first ace after so many years!

Helen Knowlton, Foothills Golf Club, Hole #16

I was golfing with my hubby, Lorne, and my in-laws Bob and Loralee Knowlton at Foothills Golf Club in Phoenix. I was so surprised when it rolled in and my sister-in-law Loralee was more excited than I was. This was my third hole-in-one in less than a year. Then I got super excited as I’m not a serious golfer at all.

Hugh Mitchell, Eagles Glenn Golf Course, Hole #4

On September 6th, I played with Dan Lavoie, Bruno Coté and Alex Sandahl, all from Montreal or the Laurentians. I was playing with 35 other guys on the annual Smitty’s Invitational, an informal group of guys hailing from all provinces from Newfoundland and Labrador to Ontario, plus a couple of guys from B.C. This is the 33rd Invitational and the largest so far. The last couple of “Western” venues were the Royal Laurentian and Niagara. In P.E.I. this year we played Andersons Creek, Glasgow Hills and, of course, Eagles Glenn.

For my hole-in-one it was on the 4th hole at Eagles Glenn. I was playing the green tees at 125 yards and used an 8 iron.

I am a 75-year-old retiree, who took up golf a little over a decade ago and play a couple of times a week. I belong to the Dunany Country Club and play at the Lachute Golf Club.

Jared Bertrim, Winchester Golf Club, Hole #4

On one of the last warm sunny days of the year, I stepped up to the par 4 which was 245 yards uphill. I crushed my driver with a slight fade into the hill that bounced towards the green. After driving up to the green, we struggled to find my ball amongst the leaves and gave up after a couple of minutes. While walking across the green to grab a ball to drop, I noticed my bright red ball in the hole. The last place I’d think to look! I’m grateful to have shared the hole-in-one while playing with my dad, Dean, and our friends Mitch and Jay. We were playing this round with other foursomes in memory of a co-worker and friend, Adam Kelly.

Jesse Stewart, Quilchena Golf and Country Club, Hole #11

I was golfing with my three pals that day, Kevin Stewart, Chris Jung and Jonathan Lee, all Quilchena members. We were on hole #11 and it was a strong head wind that day. 148 yards to the pin but playing more like 165-170. I took my 7 iron and gripped down a little and let it rip. It looked like it landed about a yard short two hops and in. There were a few stripes of shade going across the green so we were not sure until we walked up and found it in the hole, at that point the celebration commenced.

Jim Cepecauer, Bear Creek Golf Club, Hole #6

On September 30th my wife Joann and I were out late afternoon when I hit a perfect 7 iron! 157 yards to a middle of the green pin. It took two bounces and rolled right in the cup! Two guys ahead on the blocks actually saw it roll in even. Turns out I was paired with him the next day in our final men’s league tourney! It took us a minute to realize that we were both talking about each other the night previous!

John Crosson, Barrie Country Club, Hole #7

It was hole #7 at the Barrie Country Club. This is an uphill par 3 with a green that kind of has three different levels or tiers, and generally slopes to the left. I was playing from the blue tees, about 141 yards out.

I teed up with a 9 iron, hit it to just right of the pin but because of the elevated green I didn’t see where it landed. As our group walked up to the green, I couldn’t see the ball anywhere on the green itself. I figured that it rolled off the left side as they have a tendency to do so. One of the guys I was playing with said, “You should probably check the hole” and sure enough there it was!

Joshua McNair, Bayview Golf and country club, Hole #17

I used a 7 iron to hit it 170 yards.

Lorie Baker, Maple City Country Club, Hole #12

We were on the 12^th hole at our picturesque home club, Maple City Country Club located in Chatham-Kent, Ontario.   The 12^th hole is a short 104 yard par three over water to a green that slopes gently back to front, with the front of the green having considerably more slope towards the impending water. I normally use a 7 iron on this hole, but that day I choose to use my Callaway 6 iron to ensure I would clear the forever heightening reeds and grasses. After striking the ball, I watched it land on the green and run up to the flag pole which was positioned at the back of the green, and then disappear. I assumed that it must have rolled off the back of the green, however my golfing partner, Joan suggested she check the hole first. To our amazement my TaylorMade golf ball was sitting in the bottom of the hole! The best day ever!

Maynard Simpson, Eagles Glenn Golf Course, Hole #17

My playing partners were Linda Spenser and Janet Phillips. The 17th hole at Eagles Glenn was playing 125 yards and I used a 7 iron. I have also had a two on a par 5. The 8th hole at Green Gables Golf Club on the original course layout in 1978.

Mike Appleyard, Links at Crowbush Cove, Hole #17

I was on a trip with friends and colleagues to P.E.I. on June 9th and was playing my typical 90’s golf with the help of a few cold Gahan beers. I approached the 17th hole par 3 elevated green. From the whites, it was a 107 yards to the center with wind swirling at the top of the elevated green. I purchased all new Vokey Wedges this year and have been practicing my 100 yard game extensively. I decided on my 48 wedge off the white tees and gave it go. When we approached the green, we only found three balls and figured I must have gone over the back into the woods. It wasn’t until my buddy Remi Comeau looked into the hole and told me I got an ace. It was the single best golf experience I’ve ever had!

Nicholas Fawcett, Greyhawk Golf Club, Hole #15

I was playing with Clublink member Justin Lafleur and Liam Eddenden and my cousin, James Kitchen. It was on hole #15 at Greyhawk Talon. The distance was 167 yards I used a 7 iron with a draw over the bunker and it landed about 10 feet short and rolled right in!

Ralph Balila, Victoria Park Valley Golf Club, Hole #2

Golf has been my passion for the last 25 years and I am beyond thrilled. For some reason my swing that day was particularly smooth and relaxed so with my Cleveland Launcher XL 8 iron I hit a nice draw from an elevated tee that landed 10 feet in front of the flag which then rolled in. It was certainly a surreal experience and I’m just glad it happened while playing on our regular Sunday couples golf group.

Raymond Chan, Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Hole #15

Ryan Crowley, Grey Silo Golf Course, Hole #2

Ryan Crowley, Grey Silo Golf Course, Hole #2

It was a 9 iron from 167 yards in our Ontario University Athletics tournament while I was representing Queen’s University!

Ryan McConnell, St. Thomas Golf and Country Club, Hole #4

I was playing with Ryan O’Hara, Matt Duncan and Tim McLaren. We were all guests of Ryan’s. It was also a cool feeling as Tim Moore the head pro has been a family friend since I was a kid.

I had a 9 iron in my hand and ended up switching to an 8 iron. It was 144 yards on the rangefinder, and I landed it about five yards past the hole and it rolled down and in. I had actually hit the shot, and once it landed on the green started to walk back to my bag and one of my playing partners, Tim, had said that it’s still rolling and then he said get your rangefinder’s that might’ve gone in. None of us could exactly tell so we didn’t want to celebrate too much.

Matt started videotaping about halfway to the hole when he realized it was in. I got close to the green and pointed to another ball, which was Ryan’s. To which he said that’s my ball. That’s when it started to sink in that it could possibly be in the hole. Then I walked up and retrieved it. First one ever

Terry Hodgson, Mountain Creek Golf Club, Hole #14

Like most retirees I didn’t take up the game until I left the office life behind. I have played mostly around Southern Ontario, Northern New York, and my favourite, Bermuda. I played the Mid-Ocean with my grandson, what a blast! I scored the hole-in-one on #14 at the Mountain Creek Golf Course, which is just south of Arnprior, Ontario. I play with a couple of buddies that I curl with and one new guy (retired RCMP) who keeps us entertained with his story telling. The hole is 125 yards from the green was 118 from the reds/yellow so I grabbed a 7 iron and teed up one of my special golf balls. I like to play with Callaway Super Soft, yellow balls, they are easier to see from the fairways and greens. When one reaches 80 years of age it is important to have golf balls that are easy to see, that way you don’t lose too many as you wonder around the course. I haven’t been able to repeat that feat, but I keep coming back knowing that if I did it once, I can do it again.

Tina Liu, Elbow Harbour Golf Course, Hole #15

I got a hole-in-one on September 22, 2023, in the SHSAA 2023 Provincial Golf Championship. On the 15th hole par 3 in Elbow Harbor golf course.

Todd Markus, Dakota Dunes Golf Links, Hole #17

I was playing with a couple of buddies of mine, Dan Leier and Cam Bristow, when I got my hole-in-one on hole #17 at Dakota Dunes Golf Links in Saskatoon. The hole was playing 174 yards with a slight breeze into us. I used a 7 iron and hit a high draw into the green, landing about six feet from the hole before rolling in.

Tony Gabriel, Gander Golf Club, Hole #4

I played with Sterling Brett, Gerry Parrot and Max Kean. It was 140 yards and a 6 iron.

Valerie LeMessurier, Nanton Golf Club, Hole #8

I golf at the Nanton Golf Club in Nanton, Alberta. On August 15^th 2023 I had a hole-in-one on the par 3, 8^th hole which is 136 yards using a 9 iron. In the same round, I had another hole-in-one on the 17^th hole par 3. That one is 191 yards using a 6 iron. Two holes-in-one in the same round.

Wendy Leach, Bootleg Gap Golf, Hole #12

I used a 4 hybrid. The yardage was 107 yards. I was golfing with Carol Tanner, Lee Morrison and Sharon Sullivan. We are all from Saskatchewan.

Zach Newcombe, Musqueam Golf and Learning Centre, Hole #6

I was playing with my girlfriend, Anna, and we were paired up with a couple of younger guys, Nick and Liam. It was hole #6, which is 122 yards long and the pin was located closer to the front of the green, so it was approximately 118 yards. We were straight downwind, and the wind was blowing fairly strong that day, so I played a 110 yard shot with the pitching wedge. It was struck really well and flew straight at the flag. We saw it land pretty close to pin and it danced around the flagstick with two or three little bounces and just disappeared completely. I was so excited my club just fell out of my hand and I ran over to celebrate with the group. I bought everyone a round of beers at the turn to cheers to the experience. What a great memory.

Brampton, Ont. – Team United States (USA) shot a combined even par round to remain at 3-under to hold a two-shot lead over Team Canada after two rounds at the eighth annual World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont.

Tougher conditions on Thursday saw the sunny skies from Wednesday disappear as the wind picked up midway through the round. Team USA were led by Mia Hammond of New Albany, Ohio and Molly Brown Davidson of Springville, Ala. who both shot even par rounds of 71 to keep Team USA at 3-under for the tournament. Teammate Chloe Kovelesky of Boca Raton, Fla. shot a round of 3-over 74. The top two individual scores count towards the combined team score each day.

Davidson began her round on the back nine and rallied after a tough start to record six birdies on the front nine to finish at even par. She credited a well-timed joke from her team captain and improved ball striking to help turn things around on Thursday, “We just kept fighting today. Conditions were not easy, but we just wanted to keep fighting for our team and each other. In my head, I just wanted to keep going and making those putts. I was really motivated to just keep it going,” said Davidson.

Team USA takes a two-shot lead into Friday’s third round over Team Canada 1. Team Canada was led by 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver who shot a 2-under 69 to help move Canada up one spot into second.

“I think we all did really good. We’re just supporting each other and helping each other out on the course. It’s really fun, we’re just trying to keep it together and hope for the best the next two days,” said Huang.

Huang’s teammates on Team Canada 1 include 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto (2-over 73) and 16-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver (4-over 75).

Team Canada 2 sits at 21-over and features 16-year-old Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. (3-over 74), 14-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (6-over 77) and 14-year-old Miranda Lu of Vancouver (7-over 78).

World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms, team standings:

Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Hammond maintains a one-shot lead heading into Friday’s third round over Huang and Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic. Vodickova fired the low round of the day with a 3-under 68 to put herself in a tie for second with Huang.

Hammond also started her round on the back nine where she was 2-over. After a bogey on the first hole (10th hole), she went on to grab three birdies and finished with four straight pars to maintain her lead after two days.

“It was definitely a rocky start for me. I know I said yesterday my ball striking is a big portion of my game and today it was a little off. I was kind of in-between clubs all day and I seemed to pick the wrong option between the two for the first 11 holes and finally on number 12, I finally hit a shot inside of ten feet and I made the putt and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the round,” said Hammond.

Anastasia Hekkonen of Finland and Soomin Oh of South Korea sit in a tie for fourth place at 1-under and are both two shots back. Savannah de Bock of Belgium is alone in sixth at even par and five golfers find themselves tied for seventh at 1-over including, Matilda Björkman (Sweden), Francesca Fiorellini (Italy), Vanessa Borovilos (Canada 1), Molly Brown Davidson (USA) and Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (Spain).

Click here for the second round individual leaderboard.

This year marks the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and representing 21 countries competing for the team and individual titles. This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by eight competitors currently ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top-100 including the tournament’s top-ranked player, Spain’s Rocío Tejedo Mulet (no. 23). Spain and South Korea both feature two players ranked inside the WAGR top-100, with Spain’s Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (no. 33) and South Korea’s Hyojin Yang (no. 60) and Soomin Oh (no. 67).

Defending champions Spain (2017 & 2022) is tied with South Korea (2015 & 2019) for the most victories in the event’s seven-year history, with two each. Other team winners include the United States (2014), Philippines (2016), and Italy (2018). South Korea and Sweden are tied with the most podium finishes in tournament history with four each. Canada’s best finish in the team competition was third in 2014 and fourth in 2018. A history of past individual and team winners is available here.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to have great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open being held at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 22 – 28, 2024.

For third round tee times, please click here.

Right up until she was standing on the 18th green, making her final putt of the tournament, Brigitte Thibault didn’t know she was winning the Kathy Whitworth Championship.

The three-stroke win in Trophy Club, Texas, was the first victory of the 24-year-old Thibault’s professional career. Thibault said she had just kept her head down for the third and final round of the Women’s All Pro Tour season finale.

“I had no idea what the leaderboard was. I was just trying to score as best as I could,” said Thibault. “It’s almost like I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and just felt like I just needed to keep pushing.”

Thibault finished the tournament 71-68-68 for a total of 207. The native of Rosemere, Que., came out of the front nine of her third round at 5 under, having three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole at the Trophy Club Country Club.

She bogeyed the par-3 No. 13 to arrive at her final round score of 4-under 68 and the win.

“I kept missing great opportunities on the back nine,” said Thibault. “I’d reach a lot of pins and then not make the putts.

“I felt like I was giving it away, but I ended up coming up on top. That was exciting.”

Having won a professional event, Thibault’s next goal is to move up to a higher tier of women’s golf. That means a good showing in Stage II of the LPGA Tour’s qualifying series at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., Oct. 17 to Oct. 20.

Thibault said she’ll be working with coach Chuck Cook in Austin, Texas, to ready herself for Stage II.

“Just preparation for what the course is asking for,” said Thibault. “Really make sure I’m comfortable with the type of shots that I’m going to need to be hitting. Just a lot of short game, to be honest.”

Winning the Kathy Whitworth Championship has shown Thibault that she can do it.

“My work is paying off and just to see it come to fruition is really exciting,” said Thibault. “But also just confidence in terms of like I’m trying to stay ready for Q-School and just to have competitive reps and to be able to come out on top it’s very encouraging on my end.”

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Caddies are as essential to the fabric of club culture today at Hamilton G&CC as they were more than a century ago when the program began.

Today’s Caddie Program is open to youngsters from 12 to 17 years of age and has been on the upswing after not operating in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive golf course renovations.

In 2023, a pool of about 60 youngsters caddied in excess of 1,000 rounds at the club.

There are four levels of caddies C, B, A and AA with promotion based on performance and member input after each round with a caddie evaluation card that is filled out.

Caddie training is provided by the club and several members each spring with additional input from staff throughout the season.

Caddies make between $28 and $40 a round based on their skill level, plus optional member/guest tips.

Caddies are available at the club on weekends in May and June, daily throughout July and August, on weekends in September and October and upon special request from members.

The $8 Caddie Special is paid for by the member for each round including a Halfway House hotdog or sandwich with chips or chocolate bar and a drink.

Learn to golf lessons with Golfer Services Manager and Caddie Master Gary Hay, an Associate Professional and PGA class A professional for 24 years.

Annual Caddie Banquet at the end of each season for caddies who reach a minimum of 40 rounds with an added bonus of $10 per round plus donation from members including sporting tickets, gift cards and Professional Shop credit.

As they mature, top caddies are regularly promoted to the Golfer Services Team including the Back Shop and Practice Tee staff.

Caddies are able to play the Short Course and after successfully completing a playing ability they are able to play the championship courses.

“I believe the Caddie program is best in class due to the members and their continued support for the program. We are fortunate that members are providing caddies the opportunity to learn the game and the strong traditions here at HGCC. Having heard many members tell stories of their caddy days, they speak with a passion and pride that they are now helping these caddie understand and grow into,” says Gary Hay. “We are also fortunate for the young men and women who come out to caddie. With all that is available to them, to choose to caddie and to be with new friends and members has become a primary choice for them. They are very keen young people who are having fun working a caddie.”

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Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the 2024 RBC Candian Open May 28-June 2. For more information, visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.

Brampton, Ont. – Team United States (USA) sits atop the team leaderboard by one-shot over Team Sweden following the opening round of the 2023 World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont.

Mia Hammond of New Albany, Ohio shot a 3-under 68 to take the individual lead and help lead Team USA to a combined 3-under (139) on Wednesday. Chloe Kovelesky of Boca Raton, Fla. shot an even par 71 which included a string of four straight birdies on holes 14 through 17. Molly Brown Davidson of Springville, Ala. shot a 1-over 72 for Team USA. The top two individual scores count towards the combined team score each day.

Team USA Coach Mo Martin was proud of her team following the opening round and their preparation heading into the tournament, “They are so talented and they’re all playing really well. We had a couple really great practice rounds so they’re putting well, hitting it well, had a really good feel for the course. They were really dedicated in their practice rounds, really took it seriously and they wanted to play all 36 holes, I tried to actually take them away from finishing that, but they really wanted to finish. I know Molly got in a day late, so they stuck with her so that cohesion they’ve just melded so quickly and so well, that I think it’s great dynamics and they’re incredibly talented.”

They’re just great people so that’s made me the most proud as a coach that they’re good competitors, they’re kind, they’re cheering for their teammates and they’re happy to be here and also to meet all the other countries, it’s a really special event,” added Martin.

Team Sweden sits in second at 2-under (140), Team Canada 1 and Team England are tied for third at 1-under (141) with Team Belgium rounding out the top five at even par (142).

As the host nation, Canada is fielding two teams in the tournament. Team Canada 1 is comprised of 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto (1-under 70), 14-year-old Anna Huang (E 71) and 16-year-old Vanessa Zhang (1-over 72), both of Vancouver.

Team Canada 2 sits at 12-over (154) and features 14-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (6-over 77), 16-year-old Luna Lu of Burnaby, B.C. (6-over 77) and 14-year-old Miranda Lu of Vancouver (7-over 78).

The following are round-one team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:

Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.

In the individual competition, Hammond takes a one-shot lead into Thursday’s second round over Anatasia Hekkonen (Finland), Larissa Carrillo (Mexico) and Savannah de Bock (Belgium) who all shot rounds of 2-under 69. Five golfers sit tied for fifth following rounds of -1 70 including, Nora Sundberg (Sweden), Nellie Ong (England), Matilda Björkman (Sweden), Vanessa Borovilos (Canada 1) and Pella Sol Sigurbrandsdottir (Iceland).

Hammond recorded four birdies in her round with only one bogey on the par five 17th hole. Hammond credited her ball striking for a strong opening round, “It was one of those rounds where everything went well for me. I was a little nervous on the range this morning, I wasn’t hitting it my best but after a couple shots on the course I got my swing back intact and putts started to fall after a few holes, and it was a pretty steady round.”

Click here for the first round individual leaderboard.

This year marks the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and representing 21 countries competing for the team and individual titles. This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by eight competitors currently ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top-100 including the tournament’s top-ranked player, Spain’s Rocío Tejedo Mulet (no. 23). Spain and South Korea both feature two players ranked inside the WAGR top-100, with Spain’s Andrea Revuelta Goicoechea (no. 33) and South Korea’s Hyojin Yang (no. 60) and Soomin Oh (no. 67).

Defending champions Spain (2017 & 2022) is tied with South Korea (2015 & 2019) for the most victories in the event’s seven-year history, with two each. Other team winners include the United States (2014), Philippines (2016), and Italy (2018). South Korea and Sweden are tied with the most podium finishes in tournament history with four each. Canada’s best finish in the team competition was third in 2014 and fourth in 2018. A history of past individual and team winners is available here.

Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.

Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.

The individual champion will receive an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open being held at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary from July 22 – 28, 2024.

For second round tee times, please click here.