The latest World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) has all five members of Canada’s National Women’s Amateur team inside the top 100 for the first time in program history.

No. 3 – Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.)

No. 64 – Jennifer Ha (Calgary)

No. 80 – Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Québec City, Qué.)

No. 84 – Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.)

No. 90 – Augusta James (Bath, Ont.)

Women’s Head Coach, Tristan Mullally, could not be more proud of the hard work that each player has put in, along with the dedication of the coaching staff.

“This is a validation of work that’s being done both in the background and with the players – it’s a testament to the effort put forth by Golf Canada and the entire supporting staff,” said Mullally. “In year’s past the target has been to get one or two players into the top 100 – to have all five is an accomplishment we are all proud of. The goal now is to keep going and get all the girls into the top 50 and so on”.

Reluctant to take any credit, Mullally did go on to express the pride that the coaching staff feels from such an achievement.

“When I came on board to the program, I was certainly taking over from some unbelievably good work,” he said. “Things have continued to grow and I am very proud, but more than that I am truly proud of the players because it comes down to their performance in the end. We (the coaches) work incredibly hard to impact the lives of these players. It’s a very important job and we take it very seriously.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – By most standards this has been a good year for Jason Day. He won the Match Play Championship and finished 20th at the Masters.

But to put the season in perspective, Tiger Woods has played more competitive rounds since February than Day has.

The Aussie has missed most of the last three months due to a bad thumb, while Woods is on the shelf for the foreseeable future after back surgery.

After his long layoff, Day can’t wait to tee it up in Thursday’s first round of the Memorial Tournament.

“It was frustrating. It was really frustrating,” Day said of a ligament injury in his left thumb that sidelined him for six weeks after he played in pain at Augusta. “Because everything felt great. My whole body felt great except for one thing – my thumb.”

That appendage not only kept Day, seventh in the world golf rankings, from earning a living but even practicing.

“You can probably get away with maybe a bad back or a bad knee, but if you can’t hold a club, then that’s not fun,” he said.

But now Day – a member of Muirfield Village – will be surrounded by friends, neighbors and family when he finally gets to return to action.

“I went through phases,” he said of the time he killed during his recuperation. “I’d be like very happy during the week and on Sunday I’d be moody because I’d see the guys winning. I guess my wife, Ellie, knew when to come and talk to me and when not to.”

Ellie and the native of Beaudesert, Australia, have found a home in the Columbus area. She is from an hour or so away. So the Days, including son Dash, settled in the suburbs. Now he works on his game on the course that Jack (Nicklaus) built instead of some warmer clime.

“To be able to win in front of Jack and the fans here, it would be obviously a great honor,” the 26-year-old said.

Woods, who has won the Memorial five times, won’t be competing. He called Nicklaus on Wednesday morning, wished him luck and passed along his regrets.

“He said he’s doing well, progressing well, and he’s looking forward to getting back into the game,” said Nicklaus, the Memorial’s founder and host. “He misses it.”

There are still plenty of other candidates to challenge for the title in the 39th Memorial, including defending champion Matt Kuchar, world No. 1 Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy, in addition to 2010 Memorial winner Justin Rose.

Kuchar captured the 2013 Memorial by two shots over Kevin Chappell and likes his odds at a repeat.

“I feel optimistic about my chances,” said Kuchar, behind only Woods in terms of scoring average in tournament history. “This course has been really good to me – one of my favorite places. I’ve had great success in the past and feel the state of my game is still pretty good.”

Scott ascended to the top spot in the world rankings and then solidified his position by winning last week, beating Jason Dufner in a playoff at the Colonial.

“I just had a random lunch with Luke Donald and he made a comment something like, `It feels pretty good up there’ or something like that,” Scott said. “And for sure it does. The feeling for me is I’m motivated to work hard and try to stay there for a little bit.”

Mickelson does not have a glittering history at Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village – just two top-fives in 13 starts – but is coming off a two-week respite at home where he’s worked on his game and tried to get in the proper mindset for the U.S. Open in two weeks at Pinehurst.

“I’m not worried about results as much as I am getting the game sharp,” said Mickelson, needing only a U.S. Open title to complete a personal Grand Slam. “But I do think the results are going to come if I just play well. I’m not worried about finishing first or second or top 10 or what have you, but building momentum, building confidence in my game over the next couple of weeks.”

Watson, like Mickelson also a lefty, has not played well at the Memorial. He’s never finished higher than two ties for 23rd in his eight starts. But that doesn’t mean he’s conceding anything.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a real high finish, but I look forward to the challenge,” the two-time Masters champion said. “Hopefully, now that I’m playing a little bit better, it’ll show on Sunday afternoon.”

McIlroy won on the European PGA Tour last week at Wentworth in the wake of the breakup of his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. He declined to discuss details of the separation on Wednesday.

Everyone, of course, is chasing the $1.1 million first-place check and the congratulatory handshake from Nicklaus on the 18th green. But everyone also is looking ahead to Pinehurst.

“It was really nice to get that win last weekend,” McIlroy said. “It gives me some confidence coming into here – and obviously the U.S. Open in a couple weeks’ time.”

DUBLIN, Ohio — The LPGA Championship is getting a new name, two big partners and a lot more exposure.

In what amounts to a merger announced Thursday morning, the LPGA Tour and PGA of America have become partners in the Women’s PGA Championship. It will be the first women’s major run by the PGA of America starting in 2015 at Westchester Country Club in New York.

KPMG will be the title sponsor and use the week to host a major conference that brings together top female executives from business, politics, sports and society.

“Of anything we’ve done over the last 18 months, there’s nothing I’m more excited about than this,” said Pete Bevacqua, the chief executive of the PGA of America. “We’re excited because we feel we need to do something big, something important with the women’s game. Our two key mandates are serving our members and growing the game. And so much of growing the game is getting more women involved.”

The plan is to move the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship around the country. The purse will increase in 2015 to $3.5 million, up from $2.25 million this year, and it will become only the second LPGA Tour event on network television, joining the U.S. Women’s Open.

NBC Sports will televise the Women’s PGA on the weekend.

The LPGA Championship dates to 1955 and had been sponsored by Wegmans in Rochester, New York. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said Wegmans had reached a point that it could no longer be a title sponsor, and the solution proved to be ideal.

The partnership means the LPGA can lean on the PGA of America to run the major – Kerry Haigh, who sets up the PGA Championship and American-based Ryder Cup courses, will be in charge of Women’s PGA. And it allows the LPGA’s second-oldest major to rotate to major markets.

Whan said most of the championships will be in the New York area, allowing KPMG a strong market to host its business forum, though it would move to other markets to create space from a glut of majors in the area over the next decade.

Westchester was a popular stop on the PGA Tour for 40 years until 2007, with a list of winners that included Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Ernie Els.

“I am so excited to see the LPGA Championship take another huge leap forward,” said Nancy Lopez, a three-time LPGA champion. “For me, it has always been a special event that every player strives to win. But now, with the addition of network television, the awesome jump in prize money and the rotation of world-class venues – plus the opportunity to impact women in golf and in business – this is big time.”

One part of the merger includes teaching professionals.

The PGA of America has women among its 27,000 members. The LPGA has its own Teaching and Club Pro division. Starting next year, Whan said the Women’s PGA Championship field would include spots for club professionals from both organizations, a total number expected to be about eight players.

Whan said the idea came together quickly, and that KPMG was the first company they approached.

“They’re going to have a significant impact outside the ropes,” he said.

KPMG’s involvement in golf main had been endorsement deals with Phil Mickelson and Stacy Lewis, both of whom won the British Open last year. A big part of the week at the Women’s PGA will be a symposium for top business leaders that will be held on site.

“This sponsorship provides KPMG with a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in expanding women’s leadership, on and off the golf course,” said John Veihmeyer, global chairman of KPMG.

The LPGA Championship will be played Aug. 14-17 at Monroe Golf Club outside Rochester for the last time under its old name.

The Golf Association of Ontario will honor Canadian golf legend Richard (Dick) H. Grimm who passed away late May by distributing a commemorative pin with Grimm’s initials (RHG) on it to competitors and volunteers at provincial championships throughout the season.

“The Canadian golf industry truly lost one of the cherished ambassadors of our game and a treasured member of our collective family,” said GAO Executive Director Steve Carroll. “We are humbled to honor one of the game’s greatest by wearing his initials on our shirts, hats or golf bags during the 2014 season.”

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Grimm immigrated to Canada in 1948, earned the nickname “Mr. Canadian Open” thanks to his involvement in the event from 1965 to 1993. He used his skills as a salesman, promoter, official and fan to make the event what it is today. He was a key mogul in the development of Canadian golf and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1993.

The entire Canadian golf community is mourning the loss of Richard (Dick) Grimm who passed away on May 26, 2014 at the age of 91.

In a recent segment on Golf Channel’s Playing Lessons with the Pros, host Holly Sonders hesitated when her guest and matchplay opponent, PGA Tour star Matt Kuchar, asked her if his one-foot putt was good. She eventually nodded and he picked up his ball. “Ah, ladies’ matchplay rules…” snickered the noted jokester and trash talker.

But his slightly snide comment contained a kernel of relevance. The key to inviting more women to play golf is not to intimidate them with rules and regulations (although there is a definite need for a basic understanding of rules and etiquette, of course), and sometimes the more experienced women at a club or in a league do just that.

“When I started, some of the older ladies weren’t very welcoming,” recalls a friend of mine who now is a diehard golfer. “So I moved to another club where the atmosphere was totally different, like the difference between rep hockey and rec hockey,” said my friend, who has played both. “All I wanted was to exercise and socialize.”

Not coincidentally, at the club where my friend now plays, both the general manager and the director of golf are female. Keenly attuned to the priorities that make their ladies’ league so successful, they emphasize team events, where the focus is on enjoyment, not serious competition. They mix up the foursomes and provide a different themed dinner each week. “Exercise and socialize,” indeed.

Those grumpy Rule book-thumping ladies are not the sole reason more women don’t play the game, but they are a contributing factor, along with many others.

The deficiencies of design of many courses is a major offender. The forward tees are often an afterthought, poorly positioned to address the realities of shorter hitters who can’t navigate forced carries. These tee positions generally do not consider the distance women drive the ball or what club they hit on their approach. (I often wonder how many men would give up the game if they had to hit a fairway wood into every par-4 and counted themselves lucky if they hit a par-5 green in four shots, not three, as many women do.)

Many years ago, I was fortunate to interview Alice Dye who is married to famous course designer Pete Dye. Like her husband, Alice is an accomplished player and a renowned designer and was, in fact, the first woman president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.  Today, she has not changed her mantra from what she told me back then.  Golf courses should have two sets of tees for women; one at about 4,600 yards for average players and another about 5,600 for above-average. You can read the details here.

It’s not that women don’t want to play golf, or more golf. It’s that they don’t feel welcome, sometimes by their peers, or men, or even course design. And that is regrettable, because those of us fortunate to play and enjoy the game realize the object of the exercise is to have fun.

Combining that fun with a great cause is what is behind the Subaru Golf Fore the Cure. Golf Fore the Cure was created by Golf Canada to drive women’s participation in the game of golf with the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation), the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. (Please go to www.golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure to find out how you can get involved in this inspiring program.)

Ideally, the best way to get more women into golf is to introduce them to the game at an early age. Junior camps and clinics are great, but an impressive initiative has been started in Brampton, Ont., where Jeff Overholt and Jon Roy of Golf Performance Coaches have partnered with the Brampton Golf Club to launch the first and only Junior Golf Development Centre in Canada designed specifically for girls.

“The objective is to create an opportunity to encourage young girls to participate in golf while developing confidence and respect in a safe and supportive environment,” says the release announcing the program.  “It will also provide a coaching pathway for girls who are interested in playing competitive golf.”

The program, a joint effort between Golf Performance Coaches and Brampton Golf Club, is in conjunction with the governing bodies for golf in Canada. It is supported by Golf Canada, and run by PGA of Canada members.

For those not-so-young beginning female golfers, we may want to take a page (or pages, literally) from our neighbours to the south.

The National Women’s Golf Alliance is encouraging courses to become “NWGA certified” under its “Rolling Out The Green Carpet” program which uses as its major resource a PGA of America publication called the Connecting With Her Playbook, which explains why golf clubs should appeal more to women and offers advice on how to do it. (You can view the Playbook here.)

Obviously, there is no lack of resources to welcome more women of all ages into golf.

The question is: Do we—women, men and the industry in general—have the will?

Golf Canada goes one-on-one with Dave Scinocca, PGA of Canada Head Professional at Shilo Country Club in Westman, Manitoba. 

GC:       What prompted Shilo Country Club to host the CN Future Links Prairie
Championship?

DS:      We are a proud supporter of junior golf in Manitoba and regularly accommodate a number of regional qualifiers and tournaments. When we were presented with the opportunity to host the prestigious 2014 CN Future Links Prairie Championship, we jumped on board right away. This is very exciting for our facility, our staff, and our members at the Shilo CC. It’s an honor and a great chance to get involved with Golf Canada – we can’t wait for it to start.

GC:      What preparations have went into hosting this championship?

DS:      The staff and volunteers have worked very hard on the entire facility to showcase our course during this championship. Kudos to Karen Gero for undertaking the huge responsibility as Tournament Chair – she has made sure no small details have been overlooked or left out. We are poised and ready to host this championship and promise to leave a lasting impression on our guests and patrons. The golf course is in fantastic shape considering the late start we’ve had this season. The ground’s crews have worked very diligently on all areas of the course in preparation for this championship and we think it will certainly impress the golfers and the spectators this week.

GC:      What can players expect when they arrive at your club?

DS:      A friendly atmosphere and a warm welcoming. We pride ourselves on customer service and make it our goal to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience at the Shilo Country Club. On the course you may encounter some wildlife, see some military guns, spot some fighter jets overhead, and may even hear the distant sound of canons going off. Being located on a military base is a very unique feature and certainly presents a different feel when you first arrive at the Shilo Country Club.

GC:      What do you think will challenge competitors the most?

DS:      The trade winds at the Shilo CC are certainly a major factor. We have a short, tricky layout that demands precise tee shots on several holes. Our greens present a separate challenge as they are typically very quick and undulated. The key to scoring at the Shilo CC is primarily ball placement and controlling your short game around the greens. You don’t have to be a long ball hitter to play well here.

GC:      Are there any significant holes or sections of the golf course that should provide excitement for the tournament?  

DS:      Holes 6 through 12 tagged “The Gauntlet” will certainly challenge the competitors. It’s the tightest and most narrow stretch of holes that demands extra focus and precise shot making. Our layout also finishes with back to back Par 5’s that can make it possible for a late charge.

GC:      What does hosting an event like this do for your local community?

DS:      The support from the local community has been fantastic. We have had several of our members and even some non-members volunteer to help during the championship. A local branch of the Cargill Company has donated some tee gifts for all of the juniors as well. It has been a team effort and we can’t thank our sponsors and volunteers enough.

GC:      What sets your club apart from others in the area, in terms of both the
course and/or its membership?

DS:      The Shilo Country Club is located on the C.F.B. Military Base, which certainly makes it unique and intriguing. We are a semi-private facility that has a membership made up of both military and civilian people, and our golf course is often recognized as the best manicured, while boasting the fastest greens in our area by far. The atmosphere is always fun and friendly at Shilo CC and we have a fantastic restaurant, RICK’s, in the clubhouse. RICK’s restaurant offers up pizza and pasta meals that are second to none.

GC:      What does your club do to encourage and engage your junior membership each season?

DS:      We are a very family oriented facility. We encourage junior golfers of all ages and often allow parents to bring their young ones along for a few shots or holes to help introduce them to the game. We have very reasonable junior membership rates and offer junior programs that help to attract some of the area’s best young golfers. Our team of Golf Professionals love working with juniors of all ages and skill. Our facility promotes junior CN Future Links programs and we really strive to “Grow the Game” in our area.

GC:     Why is hosting this championship important to the club?

DS:      It’s an honor to host this championship. It certainly brings our facility to the forefront in our area and we take pride in hosting large events like the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. To be selected as the host venue and to have the chance to watch the future stars of the game tee it up at your home club is very exciting and rewarding. We can’t wait to see how the competitors will manage our course and battle the prevailing winds.

GC:      What is your club looking forward to the most in hosting this
championship?

DS:      Meeting and greeting the young protégés and their families will be the highlight. Hosting an event like the CN Future Links Prairie Championship takes time, effort, and dedication from all of our staff and volunteers. We have all put a lot of hard work into this event and are looking forward to the week ahead. Seeing everyone come together and watch the championship unfold will be very fulfilling for our facility and our membership. We can’t wait to see the juniors challenge our course and enjoy the atmosphere at our club; it will be a memorable week for us for sure.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday as he recovers from back surgery that has kept him out of golf for nearly three months.

It will be the second U.S. Open, and sixth major, he has missed because of injury over the last six years.

The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Pinehurst No. 2, where Woods tied for third in 1999 and was runner-up in 2005. The announcement on his website was not surprising. A week ago at a promotional event for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional, Woods said he still had not taken a full swing with a golf club and did not know when he could.

He had microdiscetomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve on March 31.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be there because I’m not yet physically able to play competitive golf,” Woods said. “I’d like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won’t be at Pinehurst. The U.S. Open is very important to me, and I know it’s going to be a great week.”

Woods last played on March 9 at Doral, where he closed with a 78 while suffering what he called back spasms. He withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with back pain a week earlier.

Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion, one short of the record shared by Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson. His most recent U.S. Open victory was in 2008 at Torrey Pines, where he won in a playoff over Rocco Mediate a week before he had season-ending knee surgery.

That was his 14th victory in 46 majors, a winning rate of 30 percent as a pro. He has not won a major since Torrey Pines, leaving him four short of Nicklaus’ record.

Woods missed the British Open and PGA Championship after knee surgery in 2008. He missed the U.S. Open and British Open while allowing leg injuries to heal in 2011. He missed the Masters for the first time in April because of back surgery.

Nicklaus said earlier Wednesday that Woods’ health would be the biggest obstacle in breaking his record in the majors. Woods called Nicklaus earlier Wednesday to express regrets about missing the Memorial, and Nicklaus said that Woods indicated he was making progress.

“If he’s healthy, I think Tiger has got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf,” Nicklaus said. “And I’ve said many times, he’s got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships; he’s only got to win five to pass my record. As good a player as he is, I don’t think that should be a big deal. But then again, he’s got to do it. Plus, he’s also got to be healthy to be able to do it.”

Woods has not indicated when he might be able to return to competition, saying that would be up to his doctors and how he recovers from the surgery.

“Despite missing the first two majors, and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future,” he said.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Adam Scott celebrated his rise to No. 1 in the world by rallying to win at Colonial. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Rory McIlroy capped off a busy week in the news by winning for the first time this year at the European Tour’s biggest event in England.

In a golf world that has been without Tiger Woods for the last few months, it gave the sport some life at just the right time.

Scott and McIlroy headline a strong field at the Memorial that includes nine of the top 12 players in the world, most of whom have never had a chance to share a winner’s handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus behind the 18th green at Muirfield Village.

The Memorial typically has one of the best fields among PGA Tour events, and it signals the start of a big summer in golf – the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in two weeks, a month ahead of the British Open and the PGA Championship right behind it.

Woods, a five-time winner of the Memorial, last played March 9 at Doral. He is recovering from back surgery and has not indicated when he will be able to return, though it’s virtually certain he won’t be at the U.S. Open.

Nicklaus said Woods called him Wednesday morning to wish him well and offer his regrets for not playing, which Nicklaus said was a “very, very nice call.”

“He was saying that he felt bad about not being able to be here,” Nicklaus said. “He said he’s doing well, progressing well, and he’s looking forward to getting back into the game. He misses it. I just pass that on.”

Golf had been missing some excitement in his absence. It has been a peculiar year in which hardly any of the top players have won – until last week.

In 28 events on the PGA Tour this season, Scott was only the third winner who was among the top 10 in the world. The others were Zach Johnson (No. 9 at Kapalua) and Matt Kuchar (No. 6 when he won at Hilton Head).

Scott nearly missed the cut at Colonial, and then closed strong on the weekend. Not since Vijay Singh in 2004 at the Canadian Open had a player won the week after he became No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career.

“It’s satisfying, absolutely,” Scott said. “But I think all the things I did leading up certainly helped put me in the right mindset to play well last week, and it took a couple of days for it to show up really on the weekend. But that’s when it counts. … Getting to No. 1 was such a journey and so much work went into it. I wasn’t going to settle for just staying there for a week.”

With his win, Scott is assured of staying No. 1 when he gets to the U.S. Open.

McIlroy was equally intriguing. He started his week at Wentworth by announcing that he had broken off his engagement with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, right after the wedding invitations had gone out in the mail. McIlroy then birdied his last two holes and won the BMW PGA Championship.

It was an important win for the former No. 1 and two-time major champion. He had not beaten a field that deep and strong since Dubai at the end of 2012, the sensational year that took him to No. 1 and made it look as though he would stay there.

Since then, he has gone through an equipment change and a management change. And right when it looked as though his game was trending in the right direction, he went through a public breakup of what had been a very public relationship.

McIlroy declined to answer one question about newspaper reports that he split up with Wozniacki over the phone saying that he was only talking about his golf. And with that win at Wentworth, golf became a fun topic of conversation again.

He had squandered good chances in Abu Dhabi and the Honda Classic, all while posting a string of top 10s. For him to win at Wentworth with that much scrutiny on his personal life gave him a life.

“I think I showed quite a lot of mental strength or focus or whatever you want to call it last week during the whole tournament,” he said. “I think mentally, it gave me a lot of confidence knowing that when I did get myself into contention, I could close it out, which I wasn’t able to do at Honda.

“And yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence going to the second half of the season.”

DOUG LAWRIE 

PGA of Canada Director of Instruction
Focus Golf Group, Burlington, ON
WEBSITE: focusgolfgroup.com
FACEBOOK:/FocusGolfGroup or /DougLHP
TWITTER: @FocusGolfGroup
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “If they continue to fail and make mistakes they will learn this game faster than trying to be perfect every time,” Lawrie says. “There is only one way to fail…forward.”

The very first thing Lawrie, the 2012 PGA of Canada Junior Leader of the Year, does with new junior students is to literally get down to their level – many times on his knees – so they do not feel intimidated or scared. This is a key point with every child that enters his golf program. “They need to know that you have their best interest in mind and that they can relax and ask questions in a positive environment where they learn and have fun,” says Lawrie, who also received recognition earlier this year as one of the Top 50 junior golf instructors in the world from U.S. Kids. This past winter students attending the 46-year-old’s indoor academy at Burlington Fitness and Racquet Club played indoor tennis, trained with hula hoops and swung baseball bats, among other activities, to engage their bodies and minds. “If they aren’t having fun then I’m not doing my very best,” he says.

MATT PALSENBARG

PGA of Canada Director of Instruction
Northview G&CC, Surrey, BC
WEBSITE: tourperformancelab.com
FACEBOOK: /matthew.palsenbarg
TWITTER: @mattgolfLAB
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: “If at first you don’t succeed, listen to what your coach said the first time.”

When you join The Tour Performance LAB at Northview G&CC you are joining a team. It’s a different approach to learning about golf, but it’s working for Matt Palsenbarg as his players support each other at tournaments and LAB events. When a member of the team wins, everyone wins. As one of the core values for the lab, students spend a lot of time in the gym with fitness guru (and Golf Canada columnist) Jason Glass. “We see muscles popping out, fat disappears, they run and they start to get in shape. They feel like athletes and that’s a big thing because it gives them confidence,” says the 32-year-old Palsenbarg, who spent five years teaching the golf swing before transitioning into comprehensive coaching five years ago. Thirty-eight students are enrolled in the team-oriented, year-long coaching program that starts each September and another 60 students – with the goal of getting to 100 – take part in shorter programs throughout the year.

MITCH WALZ

PGA of Canada Assistant Professional
Canyon Meadows G&CC, Calgary, AB
WEBSITE: mwjuniorgolf.com
FACEBOOK: /mitch.walz
TWITTER: @walzygolf
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: A self-described “Star Wars nerd,” Mitch often pulls quotes from these epic movies for his students. One of his favorites is from Yoda: “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” 

Walz, who began his golf career as a long drive competitor, believes that the best junior golf development programs must provide the framework for personal growth. His coaching programs ensure that all juniors, regardless of skill level and age, build foundational life skills such as honesty, integrity, accountability, responsibility and teamwork. Walz’s programs embrace healthy competition and physical and mental development. The 30-year-old works hard at being a strong mentor, but most of all he focuses on having fun! “We create an atmosphere where the kids have a blast and want to come back again and again,” he says. Off course activities have included paintball and a girls’ yoga night. Fifteen of his students organized a 72-hole golf challenge and raised.

BARI GOURLEY

Technical Director

Golf New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
WEBSITE: golfnb.ca
FACEBOOK: /nbgolfers
TWITTER: @golfprobari
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE: Choosing words from Ben Hogan, Bari tells her junior golfers, “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”

As a golf professional in New Brunswick for 25 years, Gourley has introduced tens of thousands of youngsters to the game she fell in love with as a six-year-old playing with her parents. “The greatest memories I have of my parents are playing golf with them and I hope children that I teach will look back on their youth and have those memories too,” says Gourley, named Junior Leader of the Year for 2013 for the PGA of Canada Atlantic Division. “My goal is to start them out and introduce them to a healthy active lifestyle that they will be able to play as parents and grandparents. They’re probably not going to get to the pro tours, but they certainly can enjoy golf with their friends and family.” In 2013, the 49-year-old drove the CN Future Links mobile van to clinics across New Brunswick, introduced the Golf in Schools program to teachers and students, and coached Team New Brunswick at the Canada Summer Games and Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Westman, Man. – Shilo Country Club in Westman, Man., will play host to the third CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Prairie Championship – which will be held May 29 – June 1, with a practice round being staged on Thursday, May 29.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division, respectively.

“We are excited to see the results from this year’s CN Future Links Prairie Championship,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Justine Decock, “It’s always exciting to watch someone defend their title; however, with so many fresh faces in the field this year, anything could happen.” 

Team Canada’s sole representative in the tournament will be Development Squad member Jaclyn Lee, 18, of Calgary, who is back to defend her CN Future Links Prairie title after winning the championship by three strokes in 2013. Lee has been an active competitor in the 2014 season thus far, playing in both the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and the Canadian Women’s Tour in British Columbia earlier this month. Also competing in the Junior Girls division will be 14-year old Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C. Lau finished in fourth in 2014’s CN Future Links Pacific Championship. 

The Junior Boys division will feature a strong contingent of players from across the country. Returning competitors to the CN Future Links Prairie include: Corey Bailey, 16, of Shaunavon, Sask., Andrew Brown, 17, of Calgary, Alta., Ryan Ahrens, 16, of Peterborough, Ont., Jaesung Choi, 18, of Surrey, B.C., and Travis Fredborg, 18, of Selkirk, Man., all of who placed in the top-20 at last year’s competition. 

Shilo Country Club, otherwise known as “Westman’s Best 18”, previously played host to Golf Manitoba’s Regional Team Championship in 2013. Earlier this year, the club also hosted the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, which is run by PGA of Canada professionals and offers junior golfers the opportunity to gain exposure to college golf programs. 

“We are very excited and honored to host the CN Future Links Prairie Championship this year,” said PGA of Canada Head Professional at Shilo Country Club, Dave Scinocca, “The course will be a great test of prairie golf for all of the competitors and we can’t wait for the championship to begin.  Good luck to everyone and we hope you enjoy your time with us at CFB Shilo, Manitoba.”

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.  In addition, the champion receives an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Event.  

The CN Future Links Junior Golf Championships are part of CN’s ongoing partnership with Golf Canada and their commitment to junior golf. Focused on supporting safe and fun activities that have a positive impact on children’s health and well being, CN’s investment into CN Future Links is helping to increase grassroots junior golf participation in communities across Canada.

The CN Future Links tournament schedule also includes the CN Future Links Western Championship (July 1-4 at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C.), the CN Future Links Québec Championship (July 7-10 at Club de golf Continental (St-Laurent) in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué.), and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (July 13-16 at Humber Valley Resort (River Course) in Little Rapids, N.L.).

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Prairie Championship, click here.