Brooke Henderson wins individual gold at Spirit International
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson captured the women’s individual gold medal at the Spirit International in Trinity, Texas, on Saturday.
Henderson, 16, finished at 13-under in the rain shortened 54-hole tournament. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native held off Mathilda Cappeliez, who finished at 12-under for the championship.
“I was definitely aiming for the gold, but I really was trying to help my team the most,” said Henderson. “This is one of my absolute favorite tournaments. I’ve wanted to come back ever since I was here two years ago.”
In the overall team competition the Canadian contingent of Henderson, Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., finished in eighth place at 15-under 417. The Canadian squad finished 18 strokes behind Team USA who captured the overall championship after firing 33-under over 54 holes.
For more information, visit The Spirit International website at www.thespiritgolf.com.
Canada’s golf industry to conduct economic impact study
The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) is conducting a study to measure the economic impact of golf in the Canadian economy.
The study, which is a follow-up to the Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study conducted in 2009, will help NAGA measure the significant economic impact of golf in communities across the country.
Golfers interested in participating in the Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study can do so by clicking here.
In addition to the golfer portion of the Economic Impact Study, a separate survey is being targeted directly to Canadian golf course operators and facilities.
The Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study is the second iteration of the landmark study originally launched by NAGA in 2009 assessing the direct and indirect economic impact of our sport. Among the highlights from that 2009 study, NAGA learned:
- the game of golf accounts for an estimated $11.3 billion of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which includes 341,794 jobs (43% of which are students), $7.6 billion in household income, $1.2 billion in property and other indirect taxes, $1.9 billion in income taxes;
- approximately 70 million rounds of golf are played annually;
- more than 200,000 hectares of green space (including 41,000 hectares of unmanaged wildlife habitat) are managed by golf course operators;
- each year at least 25,000 charity golf events help raise more than $439 million for charitable causes across Canada;
- Canadian travelers make more than 1 million golf related trips spending an estimated $1.9 billion on golf related travel within Canada.
Similar to 2009, Strategic Networks Group (SNG) on behalf of NAGA is carrying out the Canadian Golf Economic Impact study. SNG’s approach to analyzing the economic impacts of golf in Canada will involve collecting impact data directly from stakeholders in the golf industry (golf facility operators, individual golfers, etc.) through an online survey to quantify golf’s direct impacts to the Canadian economy.
The study outcomes, to be delivered to NAGA in early 2014, will be an independent assessment of the impacts of the Canadian Golf industry on employment, taxes, GDP, household income, and consumer spending, across Canada and within each province. In addition, the study will provide a more complete understanding of the economic dimension of golf to supporting industries, consumers and the public, and government at local, provincial and national levels.
Dates announced for 2014 Rules of Golf Level 4 seminars
Golf Canada’s Level 4 rules of golf seminars consists of a combination of classroom theory and interactive sessions furthering your understanding of the practical application of tournament officiating. In order to take full advantage of the curriculum, participants are expected to have a good understanding of the Rules of Golf and must be level 3 certified.
To see if you qualify and to learn more about our level 4 Rules of Golf Seminars, click here.
Registration for level 4 seminars will open December 2nd. Seminar sites and important travel information will be provided at that time.
2014 Golf Canada Level 4 Rules of Golf Seminars:
March 20-23, Victoria, B.C. (Location: TBD)
April 3-6, Calgary, Alta. (Location: TBD)
April 3-6, Montreal, Que. (Location: TBD)
April 24-27, Oakville, Ont. (Location: TBD)
May 1-4, St. John’s, N.L. (Location: TBD)
In 2013, 65 participants attended our level 4 seminars. We would like to specifically recognize one participant, Tom Forestell, who achieved the highest mark on the level 4 exam in 2013 scoring 98%! Congrats, Tom, and all the other participants that achieved the highest level of rating through written examination of the Golf Canada level 4 rules of golf.
Another great story from 2013 that was well documented was an individual who achieved 100% on the level 2 exam and attended the level 3 seminar last year. Meet Canada’s youngest rules official by clicking here.
Level 4 is the pinnacle of our Rules Education Pathway (national certification) and we encourage everyone passionate about golf to gain some level of Rules knowledge.
Our Rules Education Program is designed for anyone wishing to learn the Rules of Golf including recreational golfers, competitive golfers, professionals and rules officials. Whether you have an interest in learning the basics to further your enjoyment of the game or you are setting your sights on national certification, Golf Canada’s four-level program is tailored to suit everyone’s goals.
Provincial associations conduct the Level 3 seminars (Provincial Certification). For more information on level 3 seminars in your area, visit the provincial links by clicking here.
And, if you want to get your Rules Education started with our online rules education program, click here.
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Click here to view the Rules Education Pathway (PDF), a document which shows how you can progress from a rules beginner to officiating highly competitive golf events.
Lydia Ko confirms she is turning pro
Top-ranked amateur Lydia Ko has chosen an unusual method to announce her decision to turn professional at the age of 16 and after foregoing more than $1-million in potential prize money.
Ko, ranked No. 4 in the world, chose not to hold a formal news conference but released a short, scripted video in which she debates the merits of turning profession with the All Blacks rugby player Israel Dagg.
The video shows Dagg losing to Ko in a golf match, then telling her: “If you can beat me, then you can definitely handle the pressure of going pro. It must be time now.”
Ko nods and replies: “Okay, I’ll do it … right now, right this second.”
Ko alerted her Twitter followers to the video and her decision by posting “made a monumental decision today with a little help from my @AllBlacks friend @Izzy–Dagg #LOVEGolf.”
New Zealand Golf chief executive Dean Murphy said Ko “was reluctant to hold a traditional press conference” because she “didn’t want to make a big fuss about news that had already been reported in the media in recent weeks.”
“This is a very momentous day for Lydia and we are so thrilled that she has chosen such a unique and entertaining way to share her news with her fans today,” Murphy said. “She has also been very busy studying for exams and wanted to make this announcement in a different way.”
The LPGA Tour confirmed Oct. 10 that it received a petition from Ko asking that it waive its minimum age requirement of 18.
Ko was born in South Korea but moved to New Zealand with her parents and took up golf aged five. She first took lessons at Auckland’s Pupuke Golf Club from professional Guy Wilson, who has been her coach ever since.
She was the world’s leading female amateur in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and became the youngest person, male or female, to win a professional tournament when she won the 2012 New South Wales Open at the age of 14. That record has since been broken.
Ko was also the youngest winner of an LPGA tournament when, aged 15, she won the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open, a title she defended this year in Edmonton. She has yet to miss a cut in 23 professional tournaments.
After finishing runnerup at the Evian Championships in France in July, Ko hinted that she would be turning professional but said she wished to complete exams before making any announcement.
She is expected to play for the first time as a professional in the LPGA’s season-ending event in Florida.
Murphy said Ko’s career as an amateur “has been phenomenal.”
“Her amateur record ranks right up there among the greats of the game,” Murphy said. “She has won four (tour) titles, claimed the U.S. and Australian Amateur titles, climbed to No.4 on the World Rankings and has been the World No. 1 amateur for more than two years without ever losing that title.
“That is a record that is unlikely to be matched by a 16-year-old ever again.”
Vote for Graham DeLaet as Sportsnet’s Canadian Athlete of the Year
Graham DeLaet was a name Canadians couldn’t help but follow on PGA TOUR leaderboards in 2013.
With DeLaet currently in the race for Sportsnet’s Athlete of Year there’s no better time than now to show your support by casting your vote for Graham here.
Below, we take a look back on the Weyburn, Sask. native’s breakout year on the PGA TOUR that culminated with a 3-1-1 record at the Presidents Cup.
In 2013, DeLaet racked up an impressive list of accolades on the PGA TOUR that included:
- Three top-3 finishes
- Seven top-10 finishes
- A T2 and third place finish during the FedEx Cup Playoffs that landed him the eighth spot in the season ending standings
- A 21st place finish on the PGA TOUR’s Money List, which totaled money earnings of $2,834,900 in 26 starts.
- Two highlight reel hole-outs that went alongside his 3 ½ point Presidents Cup debut.
Manulife Financial LPGA Classic gets June date in 2014
The third edition of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic will be moving back to a June date in 2014.
Tournament organizers say the event will return to Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ontario the week of June 4-8.
“We felt that the earlier summer date will make it even more convenient for fans to make their summer plans around the tournament,” said tournament director Richard Kuypers.
Over the first two years, the tournament has attracted more than 125,000 spectators making it one of the most well-attended events on the LPGA Tour.
For the second straight year, the tournament was won in a playoff. South Korean Hee Young Park out-lasted Angela Stanford in a three-hole playoff. Park joined Texas native Brittany Lang, who won the inaugural tournament in 2012 also in a playoff.
The LPGA has also announced that the winner of the upcoming Golf Channel reality series, “Big Break Florida”, will receive an exemption into the Manulife tournament.
Information on tickets and volunteer registration is available at manulifeclassic.ca
Carrigan and Proteau named PNGA Players of the Year
The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) has announced the Players of the Year for the 2013 championship season. The talented group of recipients includes Canada’s own Kevin Carrigan of Victoria, B.C. in the Men’s Mid-Amateur category and Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. in the Women’s Mid-Amateur category.
Other golfers taking home honours in their respective divisions were Cameron Peck of Olympia, Wash. in the Men’s category; Kendall Prince of Lake Oswego, Ore. in the Women’s category; Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash. in the Senior Men’s category; Lisa Smego of Olympia, Wash. in the Senior Women’s category; Frank Garber of Kirkland, Wash. in the Junior Boys’ category; and Gigi Stoll of Beaverton, Ore. in the Junior Girls’ category.
This is Carrigan’s second consecutive PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year honour. His exceptional year included repeating as champion of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He also finished third in the BC Amateur, tied for seventh in the Canadian Amateur, tied for sixth in the Sahalee Players Championship, and tied for third in the Peru Invitational. He also competed in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.
Proteau is also receiving her second consecutive Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year honour, and her year also included repeating as champion of the Royale Cup Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. She also won the BC Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, after finishing runner-up last year. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, making it to the Round 16, and made it to the Round of 32 in the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur. She also tied for 13th in the BC Women’s Amateur.
The PNGA Player of the Year candidates are nominated by the various state and provincial golf associations that comprise the PNGA (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington), and are selected by a vote of the PNGA Championship Committee and members of the Northwest Golf Media Association. Awards are given annually in eight different categories: Men’s, Women’s, Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s, Junior Boys’, Junior Girls’, Men’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur. The awards are officially presented at the PNGA Annual Meeting in the spring.
Visit www.thepnga.org for more information about the PNGA.
Canadian Pacific to sponsor Canadian Women’s Open
Canadian Pacific has stepped up to become the title sponsor of the Canadian Women’s Open Golf Championship.
The three year agreement will see the tournament renamed the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open with the inaugural event being held at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. next August.
Canadian Pacific takes over from Canadian National, which had been the title sponsor of the event since 2006.
“Having been involved in this great championship in the past, I am well aware of the significant benefits of associating our brand to this event and to the lasting charitable legacy in the communities where we do business,” said Canadian Pacific CEO Hunter Harrison. “Together with our dedicated team of railroaders and the support of our great customers, I am confident we will take this event to new heights and continue to preserve its status as the premier event on the LPGA Tour.”
In one of its first moves, Canadian Pacific announced an increase in the purse for next year’s event to $2.25-million (US).
“For our players, this championship has become a must-play event and we look forward to working with Canadian Pacific to showcase the LPGA Tour to millions of golf fans in Canada, across North America and throughout the world,” said LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan who was also on hand for the official announcement on Wednesday.
The tournament returns to London for the first time since 2006 when Cristie Kerr overcame an 8-stroke deficit to claim her first Canadian Open title.
“The London Hunt Club is a fantastic golf course,” said Kerr. “There are a lot of pin placements they can tuck and you have four or five yards over a bunker and not much behind it. You really have to be in charge of your game playing that golf course. So I just remember the greens being so pure, just being able to make a lot of birdies on the golf course when I played there, even though it was quite tough. It’s going to be a very good challenge. ”
London previously played host to the 1993 tournament, when it was a major on the LPGA calendar.
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To order tickets for the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at the London Hunt and Country Club click here or call 1-866-571-5742.
Click here if you are interested in volunteer positions for the 2014 tournament.
Henderson wins gold at The Spirit International
Brooke Henderson grabs gold medal at Spirit International
Playing for Team Canada alongside Development Squad members Jaclyn Lee, Tony Gil and Étienne Papineau, Henderson held on to defeat France’s Mathilda Cappeliez by a stroke in the individual competition of The Spirit Invitational.
Currently ranked No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Henderson, 16, finished the tournament at 13-under.
On the men’s side, Tony Gil, 15, grabbed a bronze medal in his debut performance as a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad.
As a team, Canada finished in solo eighth at 15-under 418 for the championship, 18 strokes behind Team USA, who took home team honours after firing 33-under over 54 holes.
Svensson’s fall season concludes at Barry University
Last week marked the end of the fall schedule for Adam Svensson, a sophomore at Barry University. Svensson currently sits as the No. 6 ranked player in Division II by Golfstat after finishing T14 at the McDonough Cup last week.
The 19-year-old had an outstanding fall season at Barry, notching back-to-back victories at the Brickyard Intercollegiate and the Guy Harvey Invitational to begin the season.
Heading into the winter break, the Surrey, B.C., native currently sits as the third highest ranked Canadian amateur in the world at No. 68 and continues to impress in the collegiate ranks for the Buccaneers.
Tanguay lifts Sooners to season-ending victory
AC Tanguay’s fifth place finish helped lift the Oklahoma Sooners to their first team victory of the season recently at the Alamo Invitational.
Tanguay, a senior at Oklahoma, carded rounds of 69-71-72 to finish at 4-under for the tournament. The fifth place finish was Tanguay’s best of the year, after posting three top-30 finishes to kick off her final year at Oklahoma.
Hemmerich repeats as OUA Champion
Chris Hemmerich captured his second straight OUA Championship title after firing rounds of 69-69 (-4) at Grey Silo Golf Club.
The National Squad member was the only player to break par in the championship and earned himself OUA Athlete of the Week honours after successfully defending his title.
Valérie Tanguay sets record at CCAA Championship
For the second straight year Valérie Tanguay captured the individual title at the CCAA Championship for Champlain St. Lawrence.
Tanguay, a member of the Development Squad, carded rounds of 67-71-73 to finish at 5-under for the championship.
Her 211 total, left her 14 strokes clear of the nearest competitor and set a new CCAA Championship scoring record.
Alumni Watch – Albin Choi rolls through First Stage of Web.com QSchool
Recent Team Canada graduate Albin Choi of Toronto, soared through the PGA TOUR’s first stage for Web.com TOUR recently in North Carolina.
Choi, 22, fired rounds of 68-72-74-73 to finish in 13th place with a 1-under 287 total. Choi was on of 32 to players to advance through to Stage II from the North Carolina qualifying site.
Meet the men and women of 2014 Team Canada
MEN
Garrett Rank returns to the National Team for his third consecutive year, bringing an array of elite golf skills to go along with a charismatic attitude and outlook on the game. Rank, 26, graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2012 and has set his goals on making the World Amateur team in 2014.
Born in Elmira, Ont., Rank has competed in several international events against the best talent in the world. This past season, Rank took home medalist honours at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Lorton, Va., and finished second at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. A month earlier, he finished second at the Ontario Amateur Championship. Rank was also runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and was the 2012 Canadian University College Champion.
Rank has also defeated a serious illness that he was diagnosed with in the winter of 2011. At 22 years young, Rank learned that he had testicular cancer. After successful surgery, he stepped back on the golf course with an enlightened perspective on the game to help him along his journey as one of Canada’s top amateur golfers.
Team Canada is pleased to welcome back Corey Conners, one of Canada’s top ranked amateur golfers (No. 33). Hailing from Listowel, Ont., Conners attacked green after green in the most prestigious events of 2013, including an appearance at the 2013 RBC Canadian Open. A senior at Kent State University, Conners captured a slew of top-10 finishes, highlighted by a second place finish at the U.S. Amateur Championship, a runner-up finish at both the North & South Championship and Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and a third place finish at the Monroe Invitational.
At 21 years old, Conners has positioned himself to excel on the world stage as he enters his final collegiate season. The calm, composed Canuck is returning for his third year on the National Team. He was also a member of the Development Squad in 2010.
Conners plays out of the Listowel Golf Club, a 27-hole semi-private course in his hometown.
Taylor Pendrith bombs his drives 300 yards plus time and time again. The long-hitter from Richmond Hill, Ont., sits as Canada’s highest ranked male amateur at No. 29 in the world entering his senior year at Kent State alongside fellow teammate Conners. He is returning to the National team for a second straight year with high hopes of building on his budding golf talent.
Highlights from this past season include a win at the prestigious Porter Cup held at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y. The Porter Cup plays host to some of the best amateur golfers from around the world every year, making the 22-year-old’s accomplishment all the more impressive. With the win, Pendrith ended a 28-year drought marking the last time a Canadian won the event.
Pendrith plays out of the Station Creek Golf Club, a Clublink course in Gormley, Ont.
Chris Hemmerich returns to the team for a second consecutive year after another strong performance during the 2012/13 season. Despite receiving interest from U.S. schools, the 20-year-old elected to stay home and study in Canada, choosing to attend Guelph University. Since then, Hemmerich has continued to lead by example as the captain of the men’s team.
Some of his best accomplishments include placing second at the 2013 Canadian University/College Championship and finishing in a T12 at the Porter Cup. Hemmerich also picked up a sixth place finish at the 2013 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and finished in a T3 at the 2013 Ontario Amateur. Already this season, the Kitchener, Ont., native has posted four consecutive top two finishes playing for Guleph, solidifying his status as one of Canada’s best young amateurs.
Hemmerich is a member at the Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont.
After being on the Development Squad for four years, Adam Svensson has made the jump to the National Team – and it’s well deserved. Now acting as the National Team’s youngest member, Svensson has strung together an impressive list of accomplishments. Hailing from Surrey, B.C., Svensson was acknowledged with the Phil Mickelson award, given to the most outstanding freshman in NCAA Division II men’s golf after his freshman season at Barry University.
In his first year at Barry, Svensson helped the Buccaneers win the Men’s Division II NCAA Championship. Individually, the 2012 Canadian Junior Boys champion placed T4 at the prestigious Sahalee Players Championship in early July. His strong play landed him an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open against the world’s best, an experience that many sophomores don’t get.
Svensson is positioned out of the King’s Links by the Sea, located in Delta, B.C. and is currently ranked No. 62 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
WOMEN
At just 16 years old, Brooke Henderson sits as the No.9 ranked female amateur in the world. The teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., continues to show poise beyond her years in each and every competition. This year alone, the 10th grade student won the Canadian Women`s Amateur Championship and the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. She also made her mark on the professional stage with a third place finish on the CN Women`s Tour and a T35 finish at the LPGA Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and an appearance at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Perhaps her most impressive accomplishment was making the cut at the 2013 U.S. Women`s Open – an LPGA major and premier world event.
This marks Henderson’s third year with the High Performance program, being on the National Team last year and the Development Squad the year before that. With lots of time for further development, Henderson`s future looks extremely bright.
A senior at NC State, Marchand brings a wealth of experience back to the National Women`s Team as she enters her third consecutive year. Based out of Orangeville, Ont., Marchand finished T11 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur and also took home the low amateur honours at the 2013 PGA Women`s Championship of Canada, finishing T5 overall against a very competitive field.
The 2012 All-ACC member also notched a T4 finish at the CN Women`s Tour event in Québec, showing her ability to match up against already established professionals. Marchand also excels as a student of engineering, being named to the All-ACC Academic team in 2012.
Marchand’s home club is the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont.
Augusta James will be entering her fourth consecutive year with the High Performance program. The 20-year-old from Bath, Ont., is building on an impressive collegiate career that features becoming the first NC State member to ever win the ACC Freshman of the year award. Now in her junior year, James has opened with a T3 finish at the Mason Rudolph Championship.
This past season James finished in fifth on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit after a T3 finish at CN Women’s Tour B.C. and T7 finish at the Quebec stop in the tour’s first two events. James was also a member of the 2013 Canadian Copas de las Americas championship squad, where she finished in a tie for fifth individually.
James plays out of the Loyalist Country Club in her hometown of Bath, Ont.
Making the jump from the Development Squad to the National Team is Calgary`s Jennifer Ha. The 19-year-old junior at Kent State earned her promotion after just one year in the National Team program. In her junior season at Kent State, Ha was recognized for two consecutive weeks as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) golfer of the week after victories at both the Minnesota Invitational and Nittany Lion Invitational. Ha also won the MAC Freshman of the Year for Kent State in 2012.
The 2013 Pacific Northwest Amateur champion was also listed on the All-Academic team for the MAC. Her intended major is communication studies.
Ha is a member at the 45-hole, Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary.
After a two year hiatus from the program, Team Canada is pleased to welcome back Anne-Catherine Tanguay to the National Squad.
Entering her senior year at the University of Oklahoma, the Québec City native has built a strong foundation of golf skills over the years. Most notably, Tanguay has competed in all 34 collegiate team events, which include 11 top-10 finishes. The business major was also named to the 2013 All-Big 12 Conference Team as well as the All-Big 12 Academic Team. This past summer season, Tanguay finished runner-up at the Canadian Women`s Amateur.
In her earlier years, she was named the 2010 Athlete of the Year at St. Lawrence, a Cégep school in Québec City. Tanguay was a member of the National Team in 2011 and a member of the Development Squad in 2010 and 2009.
DEVELOPMENT SQUADS
The two-time Canadian Junior Boys champion is returning to the Development Squad for the third consecutive year. This year, he will be taking his talents south of the border as a freshman for the Division I University of Washington Huskies.
Kwon, the 2013 CN Future Links Pacific champion, will act as the one over-aged junior (18) eligible on the Development Squad. Hailing from Pitt Meadows, B.C., Kwon brings his elite skills back to the team, including the confidence gained from winning the gold medal at the 2013 Canada Summer Games.
Kwon plays out of the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.
Calgary’s Matt Williams returns to the Development Team for a second year. The 17-year-old Calgary native’s past season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship and a T9 finish at the Callaway World Junior Championship.
Williams has given a verbal agreement to play for the University of Houston in 2014, alongside fellow Canadians Blair Hamilton, Emmett Oh and Matthew Scobie.
Williams is a member at the Pinebrook Golf & Country Club in Calgary.
The smooth-swinging righty from Vaughan, Ont., makes his debut on the Development Squad after a very strong showing provincially this past season that saw Gil finished in a T5 at the Ontario Junior Boys Championships and T12 at the Ontario Amateur Championship. During that time, Gil was a part of the GAO Under-17 Provincial Squad.
Gil won the AJGA CourseMax/Philadelphia tournament this August and placed second at the AJGA Ravenwood event just two months earlier. The 15-year-old will look to keep things rolling in 2014, beginning with the Sprit International event in Texas at the end of October
Gil fine-tunes his skills in the offseason at the Glendale Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.
New to the Development Squad is Carter Simon, a 16-year-old from Sutton, Ont. This past May, Simon became the CN Future Links Ontario champion by winning a two-hole playoff at the Listowel Golf Club with an eagle. He followed that up with a third place finish at the CN Future Links Prairie championship and a fifth place finish on the individual leaderboard at the 2013 Canada Summer Games.
Simon was also a teammate of Gil’s on the GAO Under-17 Provincial Squad.
In 2014, Simon intends to join the NC State Golf program. He currently attends Bill Crothers Secondary School while playing golf out of Granite Golf Club.
The final new member to the Development Squad is Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué. Papineau’s list of accomplishments include, winning the 2013 CN Future Links Québec Championship in July. Just five days later, he took home hardware at the Québec Provincial Junior Championship, winning by a convincing 13 strokes.
Papineau also fared well against the country’s best junior talent, finishing T8 at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. He will tee-it-up alongside his new Development Squad teammate Gil at the Spirit International in late October.
In the offseason, Papineau trains at the Royal Bromont Golf Club in Bromont, Qué.
Making her return for a fourth year with the program is Surrey, B.C., native, Taylor Kim. A recent transfer to Kent State, the 18-year-old sophomore has tallied a number of top-5 finishes while being a part of Golf Canada’s High Performance program. This year alone she finished in a third at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, T13 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and picked up two T3 finishes at the both B.C. Women’s Amateur and the CN Future Links Pacific.
Kim plays out of the Surrey Golf Club in Surrey, B.C.
Naomi Ko, 16, makes her return for a second year with the Development Squad. The Victoria, B.C., native placed third at this year’s B.C. Junior Girls Championship and had a sixth place finish on the individual leaderboard at the 2013 Canada Summer Games. Other highlights include a runner-up finish at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and a T11 finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Ko currently attends Claremont Secondary School and plays out of the Royal Colwood Golf Course in Victoria.
A two-time Québec Junior Girls champion (2012, 2013), Valérie Tanguay, returns to the Development Squad for a second consecutive year. The 18-year-old St-Hyacinthe, Qué., native also placed third at the 2013 CN Future Links Ontario Championship and was runner-up at the 2013 Canada Summer Games.
Attending Champlain St-Lawrence in Québec City, Tanguay was crowned as the CCAA Girls Champion for a second straight year (2013, 2012). At this year’s event, Tanguay won by a dominating 14-stroke margin with a cumulative score of 5-under par through three rounds of play.
Tanguay golfs out of hometown St-Hyacinthe Golf Club in St-Hyacinthe, Qué.
New to the Development Squad in 2013 is the recently crowned Alberta Junior Girls champion, Jaclyn Lee of Calgary. Lee also added another title win at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship and went on to finish eighth at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
The 16-year-old Canuck is poised to build off an impressive 2013 season going forward that included a T4 finish at the 2013 Canada Summer Games.
Lee plays alongside Jennifer Ha out of the Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary.
Team Canada is also thrilled to welcome Sabrine Garrison, the 2013 CN Future Links Western champion from Calgary to the Development Squad. The 17-year-old’s impressive 2013 season also featured a runner-up finish at the Alberta Girls Championship,a third place finish at the Canada Summer Games and a T5 finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Garrison is a member at the Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary.