Uxbridge, ON – The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) has announced the recipients of the Volunteer of the Year, District Volunteer of the Year and Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Awards for 2013.

The GAO volunteer recognition program has been designed to recognize outstanding performance and contributions by volunteers who have played an instrumental role in promoting the growth and development of amateur golf throughout the province of Ontario while preserving the integrity and traditions of the game. The recipients will be formally recognized at the GAO Annual General Meeting, set to take place on January 25 at Peterborough Golf and Country Club.

Volunteer of the Year – Karen Newman

The GAO Volunteer of the Year Award has been designed to recognize and honour a GAO volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding performance and contributions while preserving the integrity and traditions of the game.

For the past six years, Collingwood resident Karen Newman has been a familiar face GAO at qualifiers and championships assisting with registration, starting and scoring. At the 2013 Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, Karen stepped up to take on the challenging role of volunteer chair, an integral part of the execution of the event. Traditionally, a major tournament of this size would have seen the tasks grouped into committees with a separate chair for each, but due to time restraints Karen managed the full team of over 70 volunteers. She skillfully recruited and scheduled members from her home club, Blue Mountain Golf and Country Club, OslerBrook, and neighboring golf clubs to make up a full team of volunteers. Throughout the championship, Karen was on-site ensuring the “blue team” of volunteers was successfully engaged.

Born and raised in Toronto, Karen was the longtime Director of Volunteers at the Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. A member at Blue Mountain for the past eight years, the grandmother to five started volunteering as an activity that she could share with her husband Pat, who is a GAO Rules Official.

By taking on the daunting task of managing a full team of volunteers for a major championship, Karen played a key role in the execution of the Ontario Amateur, the GAO’s biggest championship.

District Volunteer of the Year – Bruce Rand, Essex-Kent District

This award has been designed to recognize those volunteers who embody the spirit of volunteerism and have shown dedication by making a significant contribution in promoting, supporting and expanding amateur golf within their District.

Windsor resident and longtime Essex-Kent District Coordinator Bruce Rand first began volunteering with the Ontario Golf Association in the mid-1980’s, serving as club representative for Beach Grove Golf and Country Club. A former assistant pro at Beach Grove, Bruce started actively volunteering with the Essex Kent District as a starter and scorer before taking on the lead role of District Coordinator in 2001 when the GAO was established. He has been a vital link between the GAO and golfers in the Essex-Kent District, tirelessly promoting GAO initiatives and growing the game at the club, District and provincial level. Bruce was instrumental in bringing three GAO events to Beach Grove over the past two years, and continues to act as a starter and scorer at provincial events throughout the District. While leading the District Executive Committee and serving on Beach Grove’s golf committee, Bruce is a familiar face at functions and meetings throughout Essex-Kent providing information about GAO programs and encouraging golfers to get involved by participating or volunteering. In 2013, Bruce served as the Senior Tournament Official at the Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, one of the GAO’s major events.

Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award – Liz Hoffman

This award is considered the highest honour recognizing individual service to the game of golf in Ontario. The award is named after Richard H. Grimm, who was affectionately known as “Mr. Canadian Open” for his service to the event from 1965 to 1993. Throughout his time in golf, he has been known a masterful coordinator, promoter, official, fan, and – most importantly – a passionate volunteer who put his heart and soul into making golf better. The GAO’s Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual’s meritorious service to the game of golf in Ontario as a volunteer. Recipients of this award embody the principles of integrity, dignity and commitment which are central to the volunteer experience and to Mr. Grimm’s persona.

For more than three decades, Thornhill’s Liz Hoffman has been an influential leader in Canadian sport, as an elite athlete, successful coach and widely-respected administrator. She joined the GAO Board of Directors in in 2007, bringing her extensive knowledge and experience to become a driving force within the Association as a volunteer and fervent supporter of junior development programs across the province.

Liz’s passion for golf developed at an early age, when she won the Ontario junior and Quebec amateur championships before becoming a member of the national team and participating in numerous amateur championships throughout the world.  While serving as the University of Toronto’s Director of Athletics, Liz joined the GAO as a volunteer and immediately became part of the Executive Committee as Vice President before assuming the role of President in 2009. Outside of those key roles, Liz has also lent her expertise to multiple GAO committees including Hall of Fame, Scholarship, Governance, and Finance, while also chairing the Sport Development Committee and becoming a familiar face as a tournament official at championships across Ontario.

Liz’s outstanding leadership skills and passion for the advancement of young athletes has been instrumental in the establishment of multiple new GAO initiatives to develop junior golfers. She has been influential in the launch of Junior Golf Development Centres, which provide developmental pathways and coaching support for juniors, while providing guidance in securing provincial grants to help fund new programs. She also serves as a link between the GAO and Golf Canada, where she is a member of the Board of Directors and numerous Golf Canada committees. A member at Thornhill Golf and Country Club, Liz has been highly involved with junior golf at the Club, the golf and greens committees, and is on Thornhill’s Board serving as Membership Director.

For more information about the Golf Association of Ontario’s Volunteer program, or to become a volunteer, please contact the GAO’s Coordinator of Volunteers Sandy Davidson at 905-852-1101 ext. 236 or sdavidson@gao.ca

(Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra, FL) – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School will take place at three separate sites next spring, heading to Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, California April 7-11, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club in Kissimmee, Florida April 14-18 and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia May 5-9.

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the three sites, with fields of 132 players maximum. The top 18 players at each site will earn exempt status for 2014, with players finishing 19th through 40th plus ties earning conditional status.

“With these three qualifying sites, the access and opportunity for players to earn status on PGA TOUR Canada has greatly increased,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “These qualifying tournaments should be extremely competitive and will enhance the level of competition in our second season. We look forward to seeing the next generation of players to make an impact on this Tour.”

Oak Valley, a 7,003-yard layout designed by Lee Schmidt, has hosted qualifying school for the PGA TOUR and will host the first week of qualifying April 7-11, while the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club, a Salamander Resort, is a 6,916-yard Jack Nicklaus design and will host qualifying the following week in Kissimmee, just outside Orlando.

The spring’s final qualifying tournament will take place at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia, part of a two-year deal that will see PGA TOUR Canada qualifying take place at Crown Isle in 2014 and at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, British Columbia in 2015. Crown Isle, a 7,025-yard Graham Cooke design, is located just minutes from Comox Valley Airport.

The application to enter PGA TOUR Canada qualifying will be posted to PGATOUR.com/Canada in the new year.

The full 2014 PGA TOUR Canada schedule will be announced at a future date.

SUN CITY, South Africa – Lightning halted the first round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge and Luke Donald’s rapid start at the 30-man invitational on Thursday.

Donald opened with a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes and was 5 under after 11 when a second interruption for lightning caused players to come off the course for good.

The former top-ranked Englishman is two ahead of Jamie Donaldson and Thomas Bjorn. Donaldson played 12 holes, while Bjorn was 3 under with three birdies in six holes.

Playing for the first time since ending last season with the FedEx Cup and European money list titles, Henrik Stenson was 1 under after seven, with six straight pars after a birdie on No. 1.

SUN CITY, South Africa – Ernie Els is considering cutting his golf schedule even more to spend time with his family, saying life on the road after 25 seasons as a pro is getting “tougher and tougher.”

The four-time major winner has already slowed down over the past few years, playing 19 tournaments on the PGA Tour and only seven European Tour events last season.

The 44-year-old Els expects to trim that again, he said at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, his first tournament in a month.

The South African, who turned professional in 1989, said that with his daughter Samantha now 14 and son Ben now 11 “there are other things that come into play.”

“It’s always been difficult leaving the house, but now you really see your kids growing up and it gets more difficult,” Els said.

He almost skipped the Nedbank to stay on vacation with his family, and had to send Samantha back home to Florida on her own for school while he set off in search of a fourth title at Sun City.

“I feel a little bit guilty about that,” he said.

Els is recognizing the trend with a couple of other players on tour.

“Family life is important and you don’t want to miss out on their best years before they leave the house,” he said. “A lot of us are in that boat now. Phil (Mickelson) has kids the same age as mine, so does (Steve) Stricker. Guys get to my age and your kids get to teenage years and it becomes a bit of a difficult scenario. It’s getting tougher and tougher. The younger guys don’t have too many hassles traveling … but things change.

“I haven’t really got a game plan for next year yet, but I definitely have to play a slightly different schedule. I’ve got to look at my schedule and see where I’m going to.”

One thing that will remain is his commitment to trying to win another major – maybe two. His British Open title in 2012, a decade after his first Claret Jug, bolstered Els’ hopes of another big win before he eases off completely.

“I’m 44 and with the equipment I can really stay with the longer hitters,” Els said. “I feel I have a chance. I just need to sharpen up some things, get the right venue and get the right mojo. Then I think we can pull something off again. It’s not going to be easy, but I believe there are one or two left, so I’ll keep searching.”

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Tiger Woods believes it’s harder than ever to win on the PGA Tour because of the increasing depth of talent of the players.

And most of them are at his tournament this week.

The World Challenge gets underway Thursday, held at Sherwood Country Club for the last time, and the field is so strong that the entire 18-man field is in the top 30 in the world ranking. That’s what makes it difficult to win trophies.

And what’s why Woods laughs at using the phrase “pretty good” to describe a year in which he won five times on the PGA Tour.

“I think it’s deeper now than it ever has been,” Woods said. “There is more young talent. There are more guys winning golf tournaments for the first time. If you look at the major championships, how long did we go from basically Phil winning and Phil winning?”

He was referring to the 13 majors played between Phil Mickelson winning the 2010 Masters and the British Open this year. Eleven of those champions had never won a major, the exceptions being Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.

Of those 11 first-time major champions, only Darren Clarke has fallen lower than No. 40 in the world.

“It’s more difficult to win events now,” Woods said.

He pointed to advancements in equipment, particularly from wood drivers and wound golf balls. Woods says the younger players who hit the ball high “are shocked to see the ball get moved by the wind.”

“For a lot of us who grew up playing balata balls, you wanted to get that thing down. You didn’t want it up in that wind because it got pushed around like you wouldn’t believe,” he said. “It’s a totally different game. Guys have evolved, and I think they’ve become much more aggressive now than they ever used to be because of equipment.”

Separating the best players is getting more difficult.

Graeme McDowell set a target to get back into the top five in the world at the start of the season. He wanted a certain amount of world ranking points that he figured would do the trick, and he about reached that level. Little did he know that so many other players also raised the level of their game.

“It’s fun to be part of it,” McDowell said.

Woods dominated the PGA Tour with five wins against five tough fields, which also gave him another Vardon Trophy and money title. Henrik Stenson became the first player to win the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and the Race to Dubai on the European Tour.

Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson had multiple wins around the world that included historic majors – Scott was the first Australian in a green jacket at Augusta National, Mickelson won a British Open that not even he thought he could ever win.

Jordan Spieth finished No. 7 in the FedEx Cup even though he didn’t have status on the PGA Tour at the start of the year. Hideki Matsuyama became the first rookie to win the Japan Golf Tour money title, and he didn’t even turn pro until April.

And this list of characters doesn’t include McIlroy, who began the year at No. 1 and is just now starting to emerge from a slump.

“You’ve got to play really well to win,” McIlroy said. “I think that’s why you see so many first-time winners, because the field is so deep, and it is tough to win out here. But I think golf is in great shape.”

Comparing eras is never easy, though Woods detected a big difference from a generation ago.

At the end of the 1990s and early in the 2000s, golf was strong at the top – Woods, David Duval, Mickelson, Els, Vijay Singh. But there was a reasonable gap between the biggest stars and the next level. From 1999 through 2002, there was a massive gap between Woods and the other stars.

Woods said a player now has to be consistent to be among the best.

The World Challenge is the end of the year for the majority of the field – a few players are headed to Thailand next week – and it should set the table for a fascinating season in 2014. Stenson and Scott will try to sustain their excellence, along with a newcomer such as Spieth.

Woods said that he still looks at the way players hit the ball to determine who has game, though the direction is different. When he first joined the tour in 1996, it was players who could work the ball both ways. Now he looks at the players who can manoeuvr the trajectory.

“You don’t see shot-makers like you used to. The ball doesn’t curve like it used to,” Woods said. “It just doesn’t move as much. But you look at the guys who are pretty good players at the top. They cannot really shape the golf ball necessarily, but they can move their trajectory up and down. I think that’s where the shape has changed. They don’t shape it as much from right to left, but more in altitude.”

After this year, the tournament is going through a change in latitude.

This is the 14th year the World Challenge is held at Sherwood, a Jack Nicklaus design with emerald fairways set against the brown foothills of the Santa Monica mountains. The Tiger Woods Foundation announced last month that it is moving to Isleworth outside Orlando.

In the latest vote conducted by the Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC), the University of Fraser Valley men’s squad and the Université de Montréal Carabins women’s team were both selected as the top-ranked male and female post-secondary golf programs in the country.

According to the GCAC Top 20 Fall Rankings, the Fraser Valley Cascades, the 2013 PACWEST and CCAA Champions, earned 41 points, edging out the University of Western Ontario Mustangs by two points. The University of Victoria Vikes (36 points) finished in third in the poll, while the Université de Laval Rouge et Or (30 points) and University of Toronto Varsity Blues rounded out the top-5.

The defending Canadian/University College champion the Université de Montréal Carabins (36 points) are the leaders of the GCAC Top 10 Fall Rankings on the women’s side. The Carabins narrowly edged out the University of Victoria Vikes (35 points). The University of Toronto Varsity Blues followed in third place (33 points), while the Cascades and the University of Waterloo Warriors completed the top-5.

Last week the USGA and R&A announced the new changes to the 2014-2015 Decisions on the Rules of Golf book.  In total, 87 changes were implemented into the new Decisions book, set to release on January 1^st, 2014.  To read more about the notable changes, please read last week’s article here on what was updated.

The 2014-2015 Decisions on the Rules of Golf book is now available for pre-order on Golf Canada’s e-store.  The book will be shipped in January 2014, in time to brush up on your rules knowledge for the golf season.

Along with the Decisions on the Rules of Golf book, our e-store offers many different publications to learn more about the game of golf.

The 2012-2015 Rules of Golf book outlines the 34 rules to adhere to while golfing.  The Definitions sections give clarity to the terms which form the foundation around the Rules of golf.  The Appendix sections at the end of the Rules Book further explain anything from Local Rules to the specifications of the clubs and the ball.

Local Rules can vary based on the golf course and only be implemented at certain times, but all must abide by the Rules of Golf.  A common local rule that may be in effect golf courses that haven’t been hit by snow yet this year, is “Preferred Lies” and “Winter Rules”.  Not to be confused with Rule 25 (Abnormal Conditions, Embedded Ball, and Wrong Putting Green), adverse conditions are consistent around the course and temporary in nature.  To promote fair play and protect the course, the Local Rule is recommended: “A ball lying on a closely-mown area through the green may be lifted, without penalty, and cleaned.  Before lifting the ball, the player must mark its position.  Having lifted the ball, he must place it on a spot within of and not nearer the hole than where it originally lay, that is not a hazard and not on a putting green.”

The Rules of Golf book is an important tool to keep in your golf bag.  In addition to the Decisions and Rules book, golf is a game of integrity and to display respect for your fellow competitors.  The Easy Guide to the Etiquette and Rules of Golf is perfect for someone new to the game or those who are experienced and may want a quick reference on how to proceed on some of the more common rules of the game.

The Golf Canada Handicap Manual is the comprehensive guide to the rules and regulations of the handicap system. The book is essential for every club handicap committee.

Golf Canada’s e-store provides many books to become an expert in the Rules of the game.  If these books intrigue you to learn more about the game, begin your online Rules Education here.

As always, our ‘Ask an Expert’ tool can be utilized and accessed via our website, where we would be happy to answer your Rules-related inquiries.

For more information, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.

Jaye Marie Green fired a 10-under-par 62 on the Jones Course at LPGA International to set a course record and take the first-round lead at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. The 19-year-old Boca Raton, Fla. native takes a four-shot lead over LPGA Tour veterans Tiffany Joh and Seon Hwa Lee heading into Thursday’s second round of the 90-hole event.

As a 2013 Symetra Tour rookie, Green tallied four top-10 finishes in 15 events to end the season ranked 29^th on the Volvik Race for the Card. On Wednesday, she sent an early statement that she’s more than ready for the LPGA Tour as she carded 11 birdies and one bogey to leave her mark on the Jones Course at LPGA International.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Green of her record-breaking round. “I switched my irons back to my old ones because of the shafts. But it was really just everything. I really only just missed one fairway and two greens. You know how people say, ‘if I just made putts I would have shot this?’ Well it was just one of those days that the putts went in and I did shoot it. It was cool. The putting was just on point.”

Green began her first round on the 10^th tee and rattled off consecutive birdies on her first four holes. With two more birdies on the 16^th and 18^th holes, Green made the turn at 6-under. Her lone bogey of the day came on the par-3 sixth hole following birdies on three of the first five holes, and managed to finish her round with birdies on the final two holes. She says posting a 10-under-par score was much easier than expected.

“It was weird because I looked over at my dad and I was seven under through ten holes and I was like, I don’t feel like I’m 7-under,” said Green. “I’m just hitting it, finding the ball and then putting it. It was like, I don’t understand, like what’s going on?”

San Diego, Calif. native Joh, who also played the Jones Course, teed off on No. 1 and began the day with a bogey on the fourth hole but quickly recovered with two birdies on the fifth and seventh holes. Joh admits after seeing the leaderboard while making the turn, an aggression set in for the back-nine as she went on to record five birdies to end the day in second place at 6-under 66.

“I wasn’t really making a ton of putts on the front-nine and I think I was just a little more aggressive on the back-nine,” said Joh. “I think at Q School you kind of come into it with a mentality of just trying to play solid instead of taking it deep. I think it was just that and changing my mindset and being more aggressive.”

Sitting one stroke back at 5-under is a group of five which includes Ladies European Tour players Megan Grehan and Line Vedel, Japan native Haru Nomura, 2011 Symetra Tour Player of the Year Kathleen Ekey and 19-year LPGA veteran Nicole Jeray.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Jennifer Kirby lead the 10 Canadian contingent in the field. The pair sit tied for 33rd with a slew of players at 1-under par. Lorie Kane is tied for 48th after recording an even par 72.

The 90-hole tournament is staged at LPGA International, where 153 players will play the Jones and Hills courses twice, hoping to be among the top-70 and ties to advance to Sunday.  After Sunday’s final round, the top-20 finishers will earn Category 12 status for the 2014 LPGA Tour season, while those who finish 21^st through 45^th and ties will earn Category 17.

SUN CITY, South Africa – Ten days away from golf was just about enough for Henrik Stenson to get his “funky” right wrist back to being close to healthy.

Stenson knows he needs more time to recover fully, but when he’s in this kind of form it’s easy to understand why the Swede doesn’t want to slow down.

The hottest golfer in the world is returning after a brief end-of-season break for this week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, hoping to continue the kind of play that earned him both the FedEx Cup and the European money title this year.

“It’s going to take some golfing to keep this up, what I managed to achieve this year,” Stenson said Wednesday at the casino resort in northern South Africa. “It’s been a dream year and a fantastic season for me. I’m still having little niggles, but it (the wrist) still seems to be fine to play and hit. I hope we can keep my body together.

“This is my 30th event this year and I’m in serious need of rest, but we’ll try to mobilize for the last little bit.”

If he needs any kind of reminder for how quickly fortunes can change, the third-ranked Stenson only needs to think back to his last tournament in South Africa at the end of 2012. Back then, his ranking had plummeted and he hadn’t won a title in 3 1/2 years, but his victory at the South African Open helped spark his historic run this year.

Whether he can earn another title at Sun City – where he won by nine shots in 2008 – will depend on “how much energy we can mobilize,” Stenson said.

Nedbank is a tougher test this year, as well, with the field having been increased from 12 to 30 players this year and the tournament being part of the 2014 European Tour schedule. U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, former No. 1 Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and major winners Charl Schwartzel, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen and defending champion Martin Kaymer are among the starters.

The 37-year-old Stenson played through the pain in his wrist during the final swing of the European Tour last month to keep his lead in the Race to Dubai standings _ with the help of pain killers, anti-inflammatories and plenty of ice. His last few weeks have been more about recovering than celebrating.

“I have spent more time in the ice bucket than a bottle of Moet & Chandon over the last month,” he said earlier this week.

Having sprayed his share of champagne this season, though, Stenson is now facing constant questions over when he’ll win his first major. And for next year, that’s definitely one of the goals.

“The majors are the next step for me. I’ve won great tournaments on both the PGA and European Tours,” he said. “I won both the Order of Merits and played in the Ryder Cup team. … I’ve pretty much achieved everything in the game that I want to except for winning a major championship. I must keep on working on my game and following up on a great season.

“(But) There are a couple of traps and I think expectation is one of them. Another is handling my time. The demand for my time is probably five times as much now as it was six months ago. When you’re flavour of the month everyone wants a piece of you … and if you don’t get rest and practice in then it will show up in your game. It will be key to look after those areas.”

And after Sun City, Stenson will follow his own advice and finally take an extended break.

The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) announced Genevieve Stelmacovich of Holland Landing, Ont. as the recipient of its 2013 Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award.

Stelmacovich, a 17-year old member at Pheasant Run Golf Club in Sharon, Ont. is the third Ontario native to earn the honorable distinction for an award that recognizes sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment in the game of golf.

The award is named after Helena Harbridge, an outstanding junior golfer and CJGA alum that passed away in 2006 during her freshman year at West Georgia University.

“I am very honoured to receive the Helena Harbridge Award” said Stelmacovich. “Helena represented traits I find valuable in junior golf and I try to emulate these traits on and off the golf course.”

Similar to the path Helana took, Stelmacovich is planning to play collegiate golf. Last season, she finished second on the CJGA’s National Order of Merit and currently sits sixth on this years ranking with one event left to play.

“Having golf in my life has helped me learn how to stay positive, have the will to work at something – no matter what the outcome seems to be – and to persevere,” added Stelmacovich. “All of these things have developed as I continue to golf and are present throughout my daily life.”

Winners of the Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award receive a beautiful custom trophy and a complimentary life time membership to the CJGA.

Helena Harbridge Sportsmanship Award Winners:

• 2012 – Molly Molyneaux (Prince Edward Island)
• 2011 – Marlies Klekner-Alt (Ontario)
• 2010 – Shannon Lee Greenshields (Quebec)
• 2009 – Thea Hedemann (Saskatchewan)
• 2008 – Jocelyn Alford (Alberta)
• 2007 – Juanita Rico (Alberta)
• 2006 – Lauren Bowerman-Ritchie (Ontario)