United States wins the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship, Canada climbs to finish T17
Building off a successful third round, Canada finished the World Amateur Team Championship strong on Saturday, climbing to a T17 finish with a combined team score of 13-under (146-142-136-139-563) in the 36-team field.
Two members of Team Canada earned top-30 finishes in the individual competition amongst a field of 108 golfers. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. fired the low round of the day for Canada with a 3-under 69 to finish the tournament T24 at 7-under (72-72-68-69-281). Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. recorded a 2-under 70 on Saturday to finish T30 at 6-under (74-70-68-70-282). Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. closed the tournament with a 5-over 77 to finish at 13-over (80-74-70-77-301).
The United States of America surged to its 16th Eisenhower Trophy win, and its first since 2014, on Saturday in the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. David Ford, the No. 5 ranked amateur in the world, posted an 8-under 64, while 2023 U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap contributed a 4-under 68.
On the strength of a red-hot Ford, who was 6-under through his opening six holes, the Americans quickly established an eight-shot cushion midway through the opening nine. Ford rattled off four consecutive birdies followed by an eagle hole-out from 140 yards on the par-4 sixth to kick-start his final round.
Ford’s 64 is the second-lowest individual final round score in World Amateur Team Championship history.
After struggling to get things going early on, Dunlap birdied six of his final 10 holes, leading to his 68, and Gordon Sargent, the low amateur in the 2023 U.S. Open, posted a non-counting 71 for the USA in the fourth round. Dunlap (2), Ford (T-5) and Sargent (T-5), who competed together on last month’s victorious USA Walker Cup team at St Andrews, all finished in the top 5 of the individual scoring.
The USA’s 72-hole hole score of 36-under-par 540 was 11 strokes better than the silver-medal winning Australia and Norway teams. The 11-shot victory was the largest championship margin since Australia’s 19-stroke win in 2016.
Australia used a strong finish by Jack Buchanan (4-under 68), who birdied four of his final five holes, and a counting score from Karl Vilips (2-under 70) to close at 25-under-par 551.
Norway’s silver is its first medal in the country’s 26 Eisenhower appearances. The Norwegians, whose previous best finish was fourth place in 2022, used a 3-under 69 from Herman Sekne and a 2-under 70 from Michael Mjaaseth for a team total of 551.
France finished in fourth place, one stroke behind Australia and Norway at 24-under 552. Italy, the 2022 champions, and New Zealand finished in a tie for fifth place at 553.
The USA receives custody of the Eisenhower Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship, which will be held in 2025 in Singapore. Members of the winning team receive gold medals and members of the two second-place teams receive silver medals.
Although there is no official recognition, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori, the 2023 Western Amateur champion, was the low individual scorer at 16-under 272.
Notable:
- The USA’s 12-under 132 is tied for the second-lowest final-round team score in championship history (since moving from three to two counting scores in 2002). Singapore also carded a 12-under-132 on Saturday.
- In 33 appearances, the Americans have won 28 total medals (16 gold, nine silver and three bronze).
- The USA is one of seven nations to participate in all 33 World Amateur Team Championships since 1958.
- David Ford’s 29 on the front nine tied the second lowest nine-hole score in championship history, which has occurred six other times. Denny McCarthy shot a 28 on the front nine during the final round of the USA’s Eisenhower Trophy win in 2014.
- Australia now has 14 medals, which remains second all-time behind the United States.
- Norway’s Michael Mjaaseth finished in a tie for eighth place in the individual scoring after he tied for ninth in 2022. He is the only player to finish in the top 10 both years.
- Czechia (T-8th) registered its best finish in a WATC after placing 22nd in 2018.
- South Africa finished in seventh place for its first top-10 showing since 1998.
- Kazuma Kobori’s 16-under bested Nick Dunlap by one in the individual scoring. Kobori was the 2023 Elite Amateur Series champion. In addition to his Western Amateur victory this summer, Kobori added top-10 finishes in the Southern Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Amateur.
What’s Next:
The 30th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy will take place beginning Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The 2025 World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy will be held at Tenah Merah Country Club in Singapore.
Results from Saturday’s final round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America 135-137-136-132–540
Nick Dunlap 69-67-69-68–273
David Ford 68-74-69-64–275
Gordon Sargent 67-70-67-71—275
T2 Norway 144-134-134-139–551
Herman Sekne 73-64-68-69–274
Michael Mjaaseth 71-70-66-70–277
Mats Ege 75-77-71-70–293
T2 Australia 137-137-139-138–551
Jeff Guan 68-69-68-72–277
Karl Vilips 69-68-73-70–280
Jack Buchanan 76-72-71-68—287
4 France 135-138-139-140–552
Bastien Amat 68-70-67-69–274
Hugo Le Goff 67-68-72-71–278
Paul Beauvy 68-73-74-73—288
T5 New Zealand 139-139-139-136–553
Kazuma Kobori 70-70-67-65–272
Sam Jones 69-72-72-71–284
Jayden Ford 74-69-73-72—288
T5 Italy 142-138-136-137–553
Pietro Bovari 69-67-69-70–275
Flavio Michetti 73-73-67-67–280
Riccardo Fantinelli 74-71-70-71—286
7 South Africa 139-138-138-139–554
Christo Lamprecht 71-68-68-70–277
Christiaan Maas 70-70-71-69–280
Altin van der Merwe 69-71-70-71—281
T8 Czechia 139-135-140-142–556
Filip Jakubcik 69-67-70-71–277
Petr Hruby 72-68-70-73–283
Louis Klein 70-72-73-71—286
T8 Ireland 145-139-138-134–556
Matthew McClean 72-68-68-69–277
Alex Maguire 73-73-72-65–283
Liam Nolan 75-71-70-70—286
10 Netherlands 136-140-139-142–557
Jack Ingham 70-70-69-73–282
Benjamin Reuter 66-71-76-71–284
Lars van der Vight 77-70-70-71—288
T11 Denmark 137-138-143-142–560
Jacob Olesen 68-71-71-71–281
Frederik Kjettrup 75-67-72-71–285
Gustav Frimodt 69-75-72-71—287
T11 Spain 138-140-142-140–560
José Luis Ballester 69-72-68-69–278
Luis Masaveu Roncal 69-70-74-71–284
Angel Ayora 71-70-76-78—295
T11 Mexico 143-133-142-142–560
Santiago De La Fuente del Valle 71-66-72-71–280
Omar Morales 72-68-70-71–281
José Islas Valdespino 75-67-74-75—291
14 Argentina 137-138-146-140–561
Joaquín Ludueña 70-70-74-67–281
Vicente Marzilio 69-68-72-75–284
Segundo Oliva Pinto 68-72-76-73—289
T15 England 137-143-142-140–562
Tyler Weaver 68-71-70-71–280
Jack Bigham 72-72-72-69–285
Barclay Brown 69-73-72-75—289
T15 Germany 141-141-145-135–562
Jonas Baumgartner 71-70-70-69–280
Tim Wiedemeyer 70-72-75-68–285
Tiger Christensen 73-71-76-67—287
T17 Canada 146-142-136-139–563
Brady McKinlay 72-72-68-69–281
Ashton McCulloch 74-70-68-70–282
Piercen Hunt 80-74-70-77—301
T17 Chinese Taipei 143-136-141-143–563
Chuan-Tai Lin 72-66-72-72–282
Ching Hung Su 71-70-72-75–288
Chi Chun Chen 74-77-69-71—291
T17 Wales 142-139-141-141–563
Tomi Bowen 70-71-70-71–282
Matt Roberts 75-71-75-70–291
James Ashfield 72-68-71-80—291
T17 Japan 142-140-141-140–563
Yuta Sugiura 72-70-71-69–282
Riura Matsui 75-70-73-71–289
Minato Oshima 70-70-70-80—290
T21 Scotland 141-140-140-145–566
Connor Graham 70-71-68-69–278
Calum Scott 71-69-72-76–288
Gregor Tait 78-79-72-76—305
T21 Switzerland 142-142-143-139–566
Max Sturdza 70-68-71-73–282
Nicola Gerhardsen 74-74-72-70–290
Marc Keller 72-80-75-69—296
T21 People’s Republic of China 138-135-144-149–566
Justin Bai 69-68-73-76–286
Zihang Qiu 69-67-71-83–290
Ziqin Zhou 76-69-79-73—297
24 Morocco 141-142-143-141–567
Soufiane Dahmane 69-69-72-75–285
Hugo Mazen Trometter 72-74-71-70–287
El Mehdi Fakori 75-73-73-71—292
T25 Colombia 142-139-138-149–568
Nicolas Quintero 69-69-67-76–281
Carlos Conde 73-72-71-75–291
Manuel Merizalde 76-70-73-74—293
T25 Republic of Korea 144-142-135-147–568
Seonghyeon An 73-70-65-75–283
Donghyun Moon 71-72-70-72–285
Sungho Lee 74-72-74-85—305
T27 Sweden 145-141-140-143–569
Daniel Svard 70-71-73-71–285
Tobias Jonsson 75-71-69-72–287
Albert Hansson 79-70-71-73—293
T27 Guatemala 146-143-139-141–569
Gabriel Palacios 72-70-73-70–285
Juan Ricardo Davila 74-74-66-73–287
Alejandro Villavicencio 82-73-73-71—299
T29 Austria 147-144-138-142–571
Christoph Bleier 73-71-66-67–277
Fabian Lang 78-73-72-75–298
Florian Schweighofer 74-77-79-77—307
T29 Singapore 154-142-143-132–571
Hiroshi Hirahara Tai 79-71-72-65–287
Ryan Ang 78-71-71-67–287
Troy Storm 76-78-75-74—303
T31 Finland 149-139-144-141–573
Elias Haavisto 77-67-71-71–286
Jesse Saareks 74-72-76-70–292
Markus Luoma 75-75-73-79—302
T31 Thailand 149-145-141-138–573
Ashita Piamkulvanich 74-70-70-66–280
Parin Sarasmut 75-75-71-72–293
Jiradech Chaowarat 75-77-73-77—302
33 India 150-142-148-142–582
Yuvraj Singh 74-70-72-71–287
Shaurya Bhattacharya 76-73-76-71–296
Rohit Narwal 79-72-76-74—301
34 Zimbabwe 143-147-151-144–585
Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa 70-72-74-78–294
David Amm 73-76-77-69–295
Keegan James Shutt 82-75-78-75—310
35 United Arab Emirates 155-153-153-154–615
Rayan Ahmed 79-79-75-77–310
Ahmad Skaik 80-74-80-77–311
Thomas Nesbitt 76-80-78-79—313
36 Guam 169-158-157-161–645
Markus Nanpei 86-80-74-74–314
Nalapon Vongjalorn 84-78-83-87–332
Eugene Park 85-86-85-89–345
Golf Canada Hole-In-One Report – October 20, 2023
Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).
Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.
Amos Robinson, Oaks Golf & Country Club, Hole #6
It was 194 yards and I hit a 4 iron. I was golfing with my wife.
Andy Brown, Homestead at Wolf Ridge, Hole #11
I am still buzzing after that day. I’ve been golfing for 30 years and that was my first! My partners that day were Elton Neuman and Lloyd Peters, it was a cool Fall day and the 11th was playing 159 yards into the wind. I took a 7 iron and have to admit, I flushed it. The green is tiered so unfortunately, I didn’t see it go in, I thought it had run through the green but Elton said to look in the hole, and there it was! I’m not sure what was more exciting, the hole-in-one or the fact that I was with these two great friends when it happened.
Andrew Bouchat, Belleview Golf Club, Hole #11
September 24, 2023 was a mild fall day with blustery winds. I was playing with two friends and having a decent round. The shot on the 11th hole was slightly left of the pin and based on the ball mark, landed three yards from the hole – bounced once and ran towards the cup and disappeared. The three of us thought it was behind the cup. As I walked off the tee, I could see that there was no ball on the green; raised my arms and said, “It went in.” loud enough, that my wife Claire, who also has two holes-in-one, and was putting on the 10th green, heard the excitement. I shot 76 and told the Golf Course Manager (Josh) who sent a notification to the Membership via Facebook. After 50 years with no aces, I now have two this year!
Arjun Punthambekar, Don Valley Golf Club, Hole #7
I headed to the course as a single and was joined by a twosome and another single. It was an ordinary round until hole #7, a 165 yard par 3, and the pin was placed in the front.
It was an 8 iron that I made good contact and saw it shaping towards the hole and bounce on the green. It looked like it popped into the hole but I couldn’t believe it, and told one of my playing partners that it might be behind the flag.
But he was certain, and sure enough when we went to the green it was in the hole, can’t quite describe the feeling.
Cecil Chung, The Quarry Golf Course, Hole #6
That day, Wednesday, October 11, 2023, my playing partners were Don Descotes and Lewis Murray, who are also members at The Quarry and with whom I golf regularly. It was hole #6 on Slate. It measured 138 yards into a slight breeze and I used a 7 iron.
Cory Reierson, Mount Paul Golf, Hole #5
It was my second-ever ace on a 94-yard hole. I used a 60-degree wedge.
Dennis Small, Peninsula Lakes Golf Club, Hole #8
We were playing the final round of our Men’s League season at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club. The format for the day was a shotgun start with a five-man best ball. My playing partners were David Drosky, Kevin Shaw, Fred Ciszek and Brad Splawinski. We were on the 130 yard par three 8th hole on the Orchard 9. It was late in the afternoon, and we were playing into the sun which made it difficult to see the balls land. When we got to the green the other guys all found their balls but mine was nowhere to be seen. Kevin suggested that maybe it was in the hole. Surprise! That’s where we found it. My very first hole-in-one.
Ernie Lascelles, Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course, Hole #16
My first was 10 years ago in Florida. That time the hole was on the backside of a mound, so we didn’t see it go in. This time was extra special because I was playing with my two sons and a very good friend, and we saw the ball actually go in the hole. According to my son’s rangefinder the flag was 124 yards from the tee, and I used an 8 iron.
Franklin Lee, Wildstone Golf Course, Hole #12
This was my very first hole-in-one. I couldn’t have picked a better time for it to happen. It was during an annual trip with a number of buddies which is named the Fanatic’s Tour. This trip has been going on for 37 years in one form or another and this was the first ace in its history. For the past number of years, the tour has been played for five days in the Kimberley/Cranbrook area and the group has grown in size to 20 to 24 guys from Edmonton, A.B. and Victoria, B.C. This year we had one buddy come in from Ireland to play for the first time. He couldn’t stop talking about the amazing scenery and courses here he’s never experienced anything like it back home.
My hole-in-one was on Thursday. Sept 14th which was day one of the Ryder Cup. It was on hole #12 at Wildstone in Cranbrook. It’s kind of an island green playing about 120 yards and I used my 9 iron. I hit it clean and saw it hit the green and then it disappeared. I didn’t see it go in, but my buddies Jim, Bill and Boyd all yelled, “It’s in the hole!” It wasn’t until I walked over the bridge onto the green and looked into the hole that I believed it. I can’t describe my feeling as I picked it out. I don’t think my smile left my face for the rest of the trip. All 24 of us plus a few more new friends we met in the clubhouse celebrated with a toast afterwards. It was a good bar tab but well worth it! The group at Wildstone was kind enough to present me with a flag in recognition of the accomplishment and it’s something I’ll treasure forever.
George Stokes, Deerridge Golf, Hole #16
As a member at Deerridge Golf in Kitchener, I aced the 16th hole on Friday and five days later I aced the 4th hole. I finally aced all four par threes at Deerridge which has been done by only one other member. By the way, my ace on Wednesday was my 14th. I am 81 years of age.
Gregg Fabris, Idylwylde Golf & Country Club, Hole #7
Definitively a special moment that I was fortunate enough to share with my Dad, old high school friend and his father. The hole was playing 185 into the wind with a middle pin placement. Hit a 6 iron about four feet short, hopped once and rolled straight in. Great way to end the golf season here in Northern Ontario.
Jeff Derbyshire, Moncton Golf & Country Club, Hole #17
Sunday’s hole-in-one was my single greatest achievement. Hole #17 at Moncton golf course is uphill so we couldn’t see it go in from the tee. I was playing with my friends and colleagues Andrew Jones and Jason Crane. It was 140 yards, cold, breezy, back pin with an 8 iron. Perfection.
Jeff Diduck, Country Hills Golf Club, Hole #10
I had my first career hole-in-one on Thanksgiving; Monday, October 9th, 2023. My group of Scott Secord, Ian Secord and Tyler Foster of Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary had the first tee time on our Ridge course. No frost delay today and it got hot in a hurry. The round didn’t start off very well as I had a double bogey followed by a bogey, so my expectations for the rest of the round were pretty low at that point.
We made our way around the front nine and I was able to keep it somewhat respectable. We had a little game going with Tyler and myself getting beat up pretty good by Ian and Scott. So, Tyler and I had a little pep talk at the halfway house. We knew we needed to get some birdies going if we were going to have any chance. We headed down to the 10th hole. A par 3 playing 184 yards that day. However, just as we made our way to the tee, the wind started to pick up. I was a little behind getting to the tee as I watched from a distance, Scott and Ian hit their shots onto the green. When I finally pulled my bag up to the tee Tyler was just getting ready to hit. I asked the guys about distance and started doing some quick calculations to figure out what club I was going to hit. 184 yards is a stock 7 iron for me but as I mentioned, the wind was starting to blow. The gusts were pretty strong and I wasn’t confident in a 6 iron being enough club. I grabbed my 5 iron and decided to choke down on it, take some off and keep it down under the wind.
I hit it perfectly! The ball came off the club just as I had hoped and never left the flagstick! As I held my finish, we all watched that ball take one bounce short of the hole and then disappear.
The guys behind me went crazy and it took me a second to actually let myself believe that it went in, as I’ve had years of close calls and disappointments.
It took me about two holes after that ball went in to get my heart rate back to normal. But I was able to follow up the ace with a birdie on the par 5 11th, so that was sweet!
Kathy Foster, Picton Golf & Country Club, Hole #2
It was 116 yards with a 7 wood.
Marva Opperman, Glacier Greens Golf Club, Hole #17
On Thursday, I was playing with my friends, Yvonne Higgs and June Fraser and we were on the 17th hole. My goal was to hit high and hope to place it well on the green. I was using my 5 hybrid. My ball flew high and I watched it land on the green, then roll into the hole, 135 yards, and I couldn’t believe it. I think we were all in disbelief. We had to walk up and check for sure and let it sink in. I think Yvonne was more excited than I, until it sunk in.
Mike Cameron, Avondale Golf Course, Hole #8
I was playing with my brother, John Cameron. Hole #8, from the senior tees is 110 yards, uphill and I used a 9 iron. Besides my brother John, the shot was witnessed by two gentlemen I did not know, who were getting ready to tee off from the white tees on hole #8.
Piercen Hunt, Colombia’s Esteban Restrepo, Hole #4
Piercen Hunt made his first career hole-in-one. Pitching wedge from 134 yards/123 meters on the par 3 fourth hole. It was the first WATC ace since the final round of the 2018 championship (Colombia’s Esteban Restrepo, 7th hole).
Rick Ferguson, Willow Valley Golf Course, Hole #15
This is my fifth hole-in-one. It was 115 yards and I used a pitching wedge.
Ron Kulperger, Oaks of St. George Golf Club, Hole #17
I was playing with my brother Len Kulperger, and fellow members Dan Demurak and Dwayne McDonald. The hole was set up short that day at about 70 yards. I used my sand wedge. My fifth ace, but my first at my home club. A truly tremendous feeling.
Sandra Culp, Nanton Golf Club, Hole #3
I was with two ladies from my ladies’ league, Lee and Charlene. It’s a par 3 and 145 yards. The pin was back and to the left of the center. I used my 5 wood and I hit it long and to the right of the pin, hit the green and it curved down about six feet into the hole.
Scott Warren, Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course, Hole #16
This is my third career hole-in-one. Ironically my first came in June of ’94 also at Cottonwood Coulee in Medicine Hat, Alberta on the 16th hole. But since that time the 9’s have been reversed and that is now the 7th hole. On Sunday I aced the 16th while playing with Dan Pede and Kevin Conrad. It was the first time I played the course in six years and the 16th usually gives me a lot of problems. On this day things would be different. I struck a 6 hybrid perfectly, the ball hit before the ridge, then trickled over and filtered down to the pin which was in a tough back right location. Right away I thought it had a chance but we couldn’t see it go in because the pin was tucked in behind that ridge. As we walked toward the green the group on the 17th tee offered congratulations as at least one of them saw it go in from their vantage point. Dan walked toward the hole pointed down then gave me a thumbs up.
My three aces have all been on the 16th hole. The first was in ’94 as previously mentioned, the second was in August of ’14 on the 16th at Riverview Golf Club and then the one on Sunday.
Sheldon Kitzul, Prairie Lake Lodge, Hole #6
It was my first ace and was 150 yards with a 9 iron.
Sheldon Warner, King’s Riding Golf Club, Hole #12
It was 147 yards to the flag and I used an 8 iron. I met the three other guys in my group for the first time that day.
Tony Lye, Bally Haly Country Club – North, Hole #2
I was playing with my wife Cindy and two friends, Scott and Bob. I hit a nine iron to 131 yards on hole #2 on the Bally Haly North Course to record my hole-in-one. The wind was blowing a little to the right that day and Bob just hit a nice shot left of the hole. I said to Bob I was going to use his ball as a target. My ball went right over Bob’s and just found its way to nestle in the hole. It was a fantastic experience made that much better to have my wife, Cindy, with me. I believe Scott was more excited when I got mine then he was when he recorded his own a couple years earlier.
Troy Yuzik, Willow Park Golf and Country Club, Hole #6
It was 168 yards with a 7 iron.
Val Mieras, Gorge Vale Golf Club, Hole #10
I was playing with friends and we all saw the ball fly over the pond and roll into the hole. Since we started on the back, this 8 iron was the first shot of the day.
William Sparks, Savannah Golf Links, Hole #3
On September 19, 2023, I enjoyed scoring my very first, hole-in-one at Savannah Golf Links, in Cambridge, Ontario. On the par 3 hole #3, playing 104 yards, I scored the ace with an 8 iron.
On October 3rd (14 days later), playing at Savannah Golf Links, I scored my second ever on the very same hole. On this date the hole was playing 106 yards. 8 iron again.
I have witnesses for both dates. I have trophies now, marking these awesome dates.
United States maintains lead, Canada finishes strong after third round at the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
Piercen Hunt recorded first career hole-in-one on par-3 fourth hole
Team Canada had a day to remember on Friday, highlighted by Piercen Hunt’s first career hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth hole at the World Amateur Team Championship. Hunt, from Hartland, Wis. hit a pitching wedge from 136 yards to record the ace. It was the first WATC ace since the final round of the 2018 championship, which was recorded by Esteban Restrepo of Colombia. “That’s my first ever hole-in-one. It landed a bit short [of the hole], took a couple hops and went in. It was crazy,” said Hunt. He finished the day with a 2-under 70 to sit at 8-over for the tournament.
Teammates Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. and Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. both fired rounds of 4-under 68 to move Canada up to 23rd place and combined score of 8-under for the tournament. Both McCulloch and McKinlay are T38 in the individual standings at 4-under for the tournament.
The United States of America, propelled by a 5-under 67 from world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, tallied 14 birdies amongst its three players and strengthened its lead to four stokes after Round 3 of the World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Sargent, who leads the individual leaderboard at 12-under par, rattled off four birdies in his opening eight holes, highlighted by a 35-foot putt on the par-4 sixth.
The Americans, who are seeking their first Eisenhower Trophy win since 2014, stand at 24-under par at 408 with France and Norway sharing a tie for second at 412. The USA’s Nick Dunlap and David Ford each finished with 3-under 69s, bringing the team’s third round tally to an 8-under 136. Only two of each team’s best three scores count toward the total.
France, with a 5-under 67 from Bastien Amat and a 72 from Hugo Le Goff, lost ground to the Americans while remaining in second place alongside Norway.
Norway, which is eyeing its first medal in team history, climbed nine places on the strength of a 6-under 66 showing from Michael Mjaaseth and a 4-under 68 from Herman Sekne, who is No. 24 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®. The 10-under team total led the field in the third round.
Australia remains in solo fourth place with a three-day total of 413 after a 4-under 68 from Jeffrey Guan and a 71 from Jack Buchanon.
Czechia holds fifth place at 414, followed by the Netherlands and South Africa tied for sixth. The defending champion Italians are eight strokes off the lead in solo eighth place.
Notable:
- USA is attempting to become the fifth wire-to-wire champion in Eisenhower Trophy history, and the first since 2012. The Americans have done so twice before in 2004 and 2012.
- France is seeking its first Eisenhower medal since winning gold in 2010.
- Gordon Sargent has posted rounds of 67-70-67 to lead the individual scoring by one over six players.
- Canada’s Piercen Hunt made a hole-in-one on the par-3 4th hole (136 yards/124 meters) with a pitching wedge. It was the first hole-in-one in Eisenhower Trophy competition since Colombia’s Esteban Restrepo aced the 7th hole at Carton House Golf Club in Ireland in 2018.
- The Republic of Korea tied Norway for the largest leaderboard move on Friday, climbing nine spots into a tie for 16th place based on a 9-under 135 team score led by Seonghyeon An‘s 7-under 65.
- Czechia is in position for its best-ever Eisenhower finish. The Czech’s current best (22nd place) came in 2018.
- South Africa, which jumped four spots into a tie for sixth after Round 3, is seeking its first top-10 finish since 1998.
- Temperatures at Abu Dhabi Golf Club peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) during the third round.
What’s Next:
The final round begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. local time with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The leading teams of USA, France and Norway will occupy the final tee times of 12:06, 12:17 and 12:28 p.m. off the 1st tee.
Results from Friday’s third round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America, USA 135-137-136–408
Nick Dunlap 69-67-69–205
Gordon Sargent 67-70-67–204
David Ford 68-74-69—211
T2 France, FRA 135-138-139–412
Hugo Le Goff 67-68-72–207
Bastien Amat 68-70-67–205
Paul Beauvy 68-73-74—215
T2 Norway, NOR 144-134-134–412
Herman Sekne 73-64-68–205
Michael Mjaaseth 71-70-66–207
Mats Ege 75-77-71–223
4 Australia, AUS 137-137-139–413
Karl Vilips 69-68-73–210
Jeff Guan 68-69-68–205
Jack Buchanan 76-72-71—219
5 Czechia, CZE 139-135-140–414
Filip Jakubcik 69-67-70–206
Petr Hruby 72-68-70–210
Louis Klein 70-72-73—215
T6 Netherlands, NED 136-140-139–415
Jack Ingham 70-70-69–209
Lars van der Vight 77-70-70–217
Benjamin Reuter 66-71-76—213
T6 South Africa, RSA 139-138-138–415
Christo Lamprecht 71-68-68–207
Christiaan Maas 70-70-71–211
Altin van der Merwe 69-71-70—210
8 Italy, ITA 142-138-136–416
Pietro Bovari 69-67-69–205
Riccardo Fantinelli 74-71-70–215
Flavio Michetti 73-73-67—213
T9 New Zealand, NZL 139-139-139–417
Jayden Ford 74-69-73–216
Kazuma Kobori 70-70-67–207
Sam Jones 69-72-72—213
T9 People’s Republic of China, CHN 138-135-144–417
Zihang Qiu 69-67-71–207
Justin Bai 69-68-73–210
Ziqin Zhou 76-69-79—224
T11 Denmark, DEN 137-138-143–418
Frederik Kjettrup 75-67-72–214
Jacob Olesen 68-71-71–210
Gustav Frimodt 69-75-72—216
T11 Mexico, MEX 143-133-142–418
Santiago De La Fuente del Valle 71-66-72–209
José Islas Valdespino 75-67-74–216
Omar Morales 72-68-70—210
13 Colombia, COL 142-139-138–419
Nicolas Quintero 69-69-67–205
Manuel Merizalde 76-70-73–219
Carlos Conde 73-72-71—216
T14 Chinese Taipei, TPE 143-136-141–420
Chuan-Tai Lin 72-66-72–210
Ching Hung Su 71-70-72–213
Chi Chun Chen 74-77-69—220
T14 Spain, ESP 138-140-142–420
Luis Masaveu Roncal 69-70-74–213
Angel Ayora 71-70-76–217
José Luis Ballester 69-72-68—209
T16 Republic of Korea, KOR 144-142-135–421
Seonghyeon An 73-70-65–208
Donghyun Moon 71-72-70–213
Sungho Lee 74-72-74—220
T16 Argentina, ARG 137-138-146–421
Vicente Marzilio 69-68-72–209
Joaquín Ludueña 70-70-74–214
Segundo Oliva Pinto 68-72-76—216
T16 Scotland, SCO 141-140-140–421
Calum Scott 71-69-72–212
Connor Graham 70-71-68–209
Gregor Tait 78-79-72—229
T19 Wales, WAL 142-139-141–422
James Ashfield 72-68-71–211
Tomi Bowen 70-71-70–211
Matt Roberts 75-71-75—221
T19 Ireland, IRL 145-139-138–422
Matthew McClean 72-68-68–208
Liam Nolan 75-71-70–216
Alex Maguire 73-73-72—218
T19 England, ENG 137-143-142–422
Tyler Weaver 68-71-70–209
Jack Bigham 72-72-72–216
Barclay Brown 69-73-72—214
22 Japan, JPN 142-140-141–423
Minato Oshima 70-70-70–210
Yuta Sugiura 72-70-71–213
Riura Matsui 75-70-73—218
23 Canada, CAN 146-142-136–424
Ashton McCulloch 74-70-68–212
Brady McKinlay 72-72-68–212
Piercen Hunt 80-74-70—224
T24 Morocco, MAR 141-142-143–426
Soufiane Dahmane 69-69-72–210
El Mehdi Fakori 75-73-73–221
Hugo Mazen Trometter 72-74-71—217
T24 Sweden, SWE 145-141-140–426
Albert Hansson 79-70-71–220
Daniel Svard 70-71-73–214
Tobias Jonsson 75-71-69—215
T26 Germany, GER 141-141-145–427
Jonas Baumgartner 71-70-70–211
Tiger Christensen 73-71-76–220
Tim Wiedemeyer 70-72-75—217
T26 Switzerland, SUI 142-142-143–427
Max Sturdza 70-68-71–209
Nicola Gerhardsen 74-74-72–220
Marc Keller 72-80-75—227
28 Guatemala, GUA 146-143-139–428
Gabriel Palacios 72-70-73–215
Alejandro Villavicencio 82-73-73–228
Juan Ricardo Davila 74-74-66—214
29 Austria, AUT 147-144-138–429
Christoph Bleier 73-71-66–210
Fabian Lang 78-73-72–223
Florian Schweighofer 74-77-79—230
30 Finland, FIN 149-139-144–432
Elias Haavisto 77-67-71–215
Jesse Saareks 74-72-76–222
Markus Luoma 75-75-73—223
31 Thailand, THA 149-145-141–435
Ashita Piamkulvanich 74-70-70–214
Parin Sarasmut 75-75-71–221
Jiradech Chaowarat 75-77-73—225
32 Singapore, SIN 154-142-143–439
Ryan Ang 78-71-71–220
Hiroshi Hirahara Tai 79-71-72–222
Troy Storm 76-78-75—229
33 India, IND 150-142-148–440
Yuvraj Singh 74-70-72–216
Rohit Narwal 79-72-76–227
Shaurya Bhattacharya 76-73-76—225
34 Zimbabwe, ZIM 143-147-151–441
Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa 70-72-74–216
Keegan James Shutt 82-75-78–235
David Amm 73-76-77—226
35 United Arab Emirates, UAE 155-153-153–461
Ahmad Skaik 80-74-80–234
Rayan Ahmed 79-79-75–233
Thomas Nesbitt 76-80-78—234
36 Guam, GUM 169-158-157–484
Nalapon Vongjalorn 84-78-83–245
Markus Nanpei 86-80-74–240
Eugene Park 85-86-85–256
United States lead by one after two rounds at the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
The United States of America’s Nick Dunlap, who is No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, tallied seven birdies en route to a 5-under 67 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to position the Americans one stroke clear of France and the People’s Republic of China through the second round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship.
Team Canada currently sits tied for 27th at even par 288. Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. lead the way for Canada on Thursday by firing a 2-under 70 to sit at even par for the tournament. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. recorded an even par 72 for the second straight day. Their scores counted towards the combined team score to help move Canada from 2-over to even par after two rounds. Teammate Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. finished with a 2-over 74 and is now at 10-over for the tournament.
USA also used a 2-under 70 from world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, who officially earned PGA Tour membership on Wednesday via PGA Tour University Accelerated, for a two-day total of 16-under 272. After a slow team start, Dunlap and Sargent combined for five birdies during a four-hole stretch at the conclusion of their first nine.
France, which held a share of the lead at the start of the day, was led by 15-year-old Hugo Le Goff’s 4-under 68 and a 2-under 70 from 2023 U.S. Open qualifier Bastien Amat. Hugo, a 2023 R&A Boys’ Amateur semifinalist, had an eagle and three birdies through his first seven holes.
The People’s Republic of China, which finished in a tie for 31st last year in France, moved up six places on the leader board on the strength of a 5-under 67 from Zihang Qiu and a 4-under 68 from Justin Bai, who has committed to play at the University of Washington in 2024.
Australia remains two strokes behind the USA in a tie for fourth place with Czechia on the strength of another steady day from two-time Australian Junior Amateur champion Jeffrey Guan and Stanford University senior Karl Vilips. Guan and Vilips, who qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open, traded a pair of 67s and 68s during the first two rounds to lead the Aussies to a 14-under total of 270.
Frederik Kjettrup rebounded from an opening-round 75 with a 5-under 67 on Thursday to position Demark in a tie for sixth alongside Argentina at 275. Jacob Skov Olesen added a 71 for Denmark.
Completing the top 10 are Mexico and The Netherlands with team totals of 12-under 276.
Notable:
France’s Le Goff (9-under 135) leads the individual leaderboard by one stroke over Czechia’s Filip Jakubcik, Italy’s Pietro Bovari, the People’s Republic of China’s Zihang Qiu and the USA’s Nick Dunlap.
Bovari made two eagles during his second-round 5-under 67 for the defending champion Italian team, which sits in a tie for 15th place. Italy is attempting to become the first team to win consecutive WATC titles since the USA did so in 2012 and 2014.
Mexico and Norway made the largest moves of the day, both climbing 13 places. Mexico jumped into a tie for eighth, while Norway moved into a tie for 11th thanks to an 8-under 64 from Herman Sekne that included nine birdies. Sekne’s 64 is the lowest round of the championship thus far.
Australia, the People’s Republic of China and the USA are the only countries with two players in the top 10 of the individual leader board.
With his U.S. Amateur win in August, Nick Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur.
What’s Next:
Round 3 begins Friday at 6:30 a.m. local time with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Results from Thursday’s second round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
1 United States of America 135-137–272
Nick Dunlap 69-67–136
Gordon Sargent 67-70–137
David Ford 68-74—142
T2 People’s Republic of China 138-135–273
Zihang Qiu 69-67–136
Justin Bai 69-68–137
Ziqin Zhou 76-69—145
T2 France 135-138–273
Hugo Le Goff 67-68–135
Bastien Amat 68-70–138
Paul Beauvy 68-73—141
T4 Czechia 139-135–274
Filip Jakubcik 69-67–136
Petr Hruby 72-68–140
Louis Klein 70-72—142
T4 Australia 137-137–274
Karl Vilips 69-68–137
Jeff Guan 68-69–137
Jack Buchanan 76-72—148
T6 Argentina 137-138–275
Vicente Marzilio 69-68–137
Joaquín Ludueña 70-70–140
Segundo Oliva Pinto 68-72—140
T6 Denmark 137-138–275
Frederik Kjettrup 75-67–142
Jacob Olesen 68-71–139
Gustav Frimodt 69-75—144
T8 Mexico 143-133–276
Santiago De La Fuente del Valle 71-66–137
José Islas Valdespino 75-67–142
Omar Morales 72-68—140
T8 Netherlands 136-140–276
Jack Ingham 70-70–140
Lars van der Vight 77-70–147
Benjamin Reuter 66-71—137
10 South Africa 139-138–277
Christo Lamprecht 71-68–139
Christiaan Maas 70-70–140
Altin van der Merwe 69-71—140
T11 New Zealand 139-139–278
Jayden Ford 74-69–143
Kazuma Kobori 70-70–140
Sam Jones 69-72—141
T11 Spain 138-140–278
Luis Masaveu Roncal 69-70–139
Angel Ayora 71-70–141
José Luis Ballester 69-72—141
T11 Norway 144-134–278
Herman Sekne 73-64–137
Michael Mjaaseth 71-70–141
Mats Ege 75-77—152
14 Chinese Taipei 143-136–279
Chuan-Tai Lin 72-66–138
Ching Hung Su 71-70–141
Chi Chun Chen 74-77—151
T15 England 137-143–280
Tyler Weaver 68-71–139
Jack Bigham 72-72–144
Barclay Brown 69-73—142
T15 Italy 142-138–280
Pietro Bovari 69-67–136
Riccardo Fantinelli 74-71–145
Flavio Michetti 73-73—146
T17 Colombia 142-139–281
Nicolas Quintero 69-69–138
Manuel Merizalde 76-70–146
Carlos Conde 73-72—145
T17 Scotland 141-140–281
Calum Scott 71-69–140
Connor Graham 70-71–141
Gregor Tait 78-79—157
T17 Wales 142-139–281
James Ashfield 72-68–140
Tomi Bowen 70-71–141
Matt Roberts 75-71—146
T20 Japan 142-140–282
Minato Oshima 70-70–140
Yuta Sugiura 72-70–142
Riura Matsui 75-70—145
T20 Germany 141-141–282
Jonas Baumgartner 71-70–141
Tiger Christensen 73-71–144
Tim Wiedemeyer 70-72—142
22 Morocco 141-142–283
Soufiane Dahmane 69-69–138
El Mehdi Fakori 75-73–148
Hugo Mazen Trometter 72-74—146
T23 Ireland 145-139–284
Matthew McClean 72-68–140
Liam Nolan 75-71–146
Alex Maguire 73-73—146
T23 Switzerland 142-142–284
Max Sturdza 70-68–138
Nicola Gerhardsen 74-74–148
Marc Keller 72-80—152
T25 Sweden 145-141–286
Albert Hansson 79-70–149
Daniel Svard 70-71–141
Tobias Jonsson 75-71—146
T25 Republic of Korea 144-142–286
Seonghyeon An 73-70–143
Donghyun Moon 71-72–143
Sungho Lee 74-72—146
T27 Finland 149-139–288
Elias Haavisto 77-67–144
Jesse Saareks 74-72–146
Markus Luoma 75-75—150
T27 Canada 146-142–288
Ashton McCulloch 74-70–144
Brady McKinlay 72-72–144
Piercen Hunt 80-74—154
29 Guatemala 146-143–289
Gabriel Palacios 72-70–142
Alejandro Villavicencio 82-73–155
Juan Ricardo Davila 74-74—148
30 Zimbabwe 143-147–290
Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa 70-72–142
Keegan James Shutt 82-75–157
David Amm 73-76—149
31 Austria 147-144–291
Christoph Bleier 73-71–144
Fabian Lang 78-73–151
Florian Schweighofer 74-77—151
32 India 150-142–292
Yuvraj Singh 74-70–144
Rohit Narwal 79-72–151
Shaurya Bhattacharya 76-73—149
33 Thailand 149-145–294
Ashita Piamkulvanich 74-70–144
Parin Sarasmut 75-75–150
Jiradech Chaowarat 75-77—152
34 Singapore 154-142–296
Ryan Ang 78-71–149
Hiroshi Hirahara Tai 79-71–150
Troy Storm 76-78—154
35 United Arab Emirates 155-153–308
Ahmad Skaik 80-74–154
Rayan Ahmed 79-79–158
Thomas Nesbitt 76-80—156
36 Guam 169-158–327
Nalapon Vongjalorn 84-78–162
Markus Nanpei 86-80–166
Eugene Park 85-86–171
Canada’s Hadwin, Pendrith thriving after strong showings at Shriners Children’s Open
Canadians Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith both finished near the top of the leaderboard at the Shriners Children’s Open and are resting this week as they consider what to do next.
Hadwin finished second at TPC Summerlin on Sunday, one shot behind eventual winner Tom Kim of South Korea. Pendrith was in a group tied for third, a shot back of his fellow Canadian.
“It was a good week. I didn’t know what to expect coming in,” said Hadwin, who had last played in a PGA Tour event on Aug. 20 at the BMW Championship. “I hadn’t played since the playoff event in Chicago, about seven weeks ago, so it was nice to play.
“I was really ready to compete. I was missing the competition of things.”
Pendrith hadn’t played for a month, missing the cut at the Fortinet Championship in mid-September. The native of Richmond Hill, Ont., returned to Canada to see family before heading to Las Vegas for the Shriners Children’s Open.
“Kind of a blur, but I took the red eye home Sunday night from Vegas and got here about noon on Monday,” said Pendrith from his residence in Florida. “It’s nice to be home. We haven’t been here in probably five weeks.”
Hadwin and Pendrith’s stop-and-start schedule is partly thanks to the PGA Tour’s new calendar, as the top men’s golf tour in the world transitions to a regular season that starts in January instead of straddling two years.
Hadwin, who is from Abbotsford, B.C., said that because he’s 45th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, he might not play again in 2023.
“I’m going to probably speak with some of those statisticians and analysts and see whether or not I may be able to maintain my top 50 ranking without playing,” said Hadwin, who wants to finish the year within the top 50 to qualify for the 2024 Masters. “I know that sometimes, depending on how the points shake out, you’re better off not playing than playing.”
Hadwin said that he would consider his options and possibly play in one of November’s tournaments. Pendrith, on the other hand, said he intends to keep playing, likely at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Nov. 2, Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Nov. 9, and the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga., on Nov. 16.
“A win now has the same perks as a win in the regular season. I can still play my way into the elevated events at the start of the year with some good finishes in the next three weeks,” said Pendrith, who earned a PGA Tour card for next season with his tie for third on Sunday. “There’s still lots to play for.
“I feel like my game’s good right now and my body feels good. Why not play is kind of what I’m thinking.”
Regardless of whether or not they play in November, both Canadians are looking forward to a six-week break through December and into January. They said they want to spend time with their young families.
“I do like the idea of having three, four months to work on a few things, maybe add a few pounds, work on getting faster and stronger and all those sorts of things without having golf matter,” said Hadwin, who will also participate in some fundraising events for the Hadwin Family Foundation during his break. “It’s nice to be able to work without chasing FedEx points or wanting to get the year off started on a good note.”
Pendrith said he’s eager to spend time in his new house in Florida. He has also got into the wine business, launching the Taylor Pendrith Wine Collection through Pillitteri Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
“I’ve liked wine for a number of years and we thought it’d be a cool thing to get this going,” said Pendrith. “I was there two weeks ago to taste it for the first time, which was really cool. Got a tour of the whole place and saw where the wine was made and it’s pretty neat.
“I think it’s great that it’s a Canadian winery, and they’ve won tons of awards for their wines.”
France and United States of America co-lead after opening round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship
France and the United States of America stand atop a crowded leader board after the first round of the 33rd World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on Wednesday. Fueled by a pair of 5-under 67’s from 15-year-old Hugo Le Goff and world No. 2 Gordon Sargent, France and the USA hold a one-stroke lead over The Netherlands.
Team Canada currently sits tied for 28th at 2-over 146. Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. shot the low round of the day for Canada with an even par 72. 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. shot a 2-over 74 and Piercen Hunt of Hartland, Wis. finished with an 8-over 80.
All three of France’s players carded rounds of 68 or better in the early wave of the morning. Teammates Bastien Amat (counting) and Paul Beauvy (non-counting) shot a pair of 68’s behind Le Goff’s 67 leading France to a 9-under total of 135 to match the Americans. Only two of each team’s best three scores count toward the total.
The Netherlands’ Benjamin Reuter had the individual low round of the day, a 6-under 66, and teammate Jack Ingham added a 70 to position the Dutch in solo third place. Reuter, who plays at Georgia Tech University, registered three birdies and an eagle in his final seven holes.
Gustav Frimodt (3-under 69) and Jacob Olesen (4-under 68) led an afternoon charge for Denmark, who shares fourth with Argentina, Australia and England, two strokes behind the leaders.
Notable:
Through his WATC start on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, Gordon Sargent became the first player to earn PGA TOUR membership via PGA TOUR University Accelerated after achieving the 20-point threshold. Sargent is a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
France’s Bastien Amat, and the USA’s Sargent and Nick Dunlap, are three of seven players in the field who competed in the 2023 U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club.
No. 1-ranked amateur Christo Lamprecht, of South Africa, shot a 71 with three birdies and two bogeys. Altin van der Merwe (69) and Christiaan Maas (70) positioned South Africa in a tie for 10th at 5-under 139.
Temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) with a heat index of 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) during Round 1.
Twenty-five of the 36 teams finished under par on Day 1.
A total of 46 players in the field competed in the 2022 WATC in France. Colombia, Netherlands and Norway are fielding the same three players as last year.
Ahmad Skaik, of the United Arab Emirates, hit the opening tee shot of the championship on Wednesday morning. Skaik is competing in his fourth WATC.
Zimbabwe’s Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa carded a bogey-free 2-under 70. Nyamukondiwa, a senior at Drexel University, has an elephant named Cookie back home in Zimbabwe that he used to ride to school.
Guatemala’s Alejandro Villavicencio is playing for the seventh time, most of any player in the field.
What’s Next:
Round 2 begins Thursday at 6:30 a.m. with a two-tee start on the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Results from Wednesday’s first round of the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships, played at par-72 Abu Dhabi Golf Club (National Course), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
T1 France – 135
Hugo Le Goff – 67
Bastien Amat – 68
Paul Beauvy – 68
T1 United States of America – 135
Gordon Sargent – 67
David Ford – 68
Nick Dunlap – 69
3 Netherlands – 136
Benjamin Reuter – 66
Jack Ingham – 70
Lars van der Vight – 77
T4 Argentina – 137
Segundo Oliva Pinto – 68
Vicente Marzilio – 69
Joaquin Ludueña – 70
T4 Australia – 137
Jeff Guan – 68
Karl Vilips – 69
Jack Buchanan – 76
T4 Denmark – 137
Jacob Olesen – 68
Gustav Frimodt – 69
Frederik Kjettrup – 75
T4 England – 137
Tyler Weaver – 68
Barclay Brown – 69
Jack Bigham – 72
T8 People’s Republic of China – 138
Justin Bai – 69
Zihang Qiu – 69
Ziqin Zhou – 76
T8 Spain – 138
Jose Luis Ballester – 69
Luis Masaveu Roncal – 69
Angel Ayora – 71
T10 Czechia – 139
Filip Jakubcik – 69
Louis Klein – 70
Petr Hruby – 72
T10 New Zealand – 139
Sam Jones – 69
Kazuma Kobori – 70
Jayden Ford – 74
T10 South Africa – 139
Altin van der Merwe – 69
Christiaan Maas – 70
Christo Lamprecht – 71
T13 Germany – 141
Tim Wiedemeyer – 70
Jonas Baumgartner – 71
Tiger Christensen – 73
T13 Morocco – 141
Soufiane Dahmane – 69
Hugo Mazen Trometter – 72
El Mehdi Fakori – 75
T13 Scotland – 141
Connor Graham – 70
Calum Scott – 71
Gregor Tait – 78
T16 Colombia – 142
Nicolas Quintero – 69
Carlos Ardila Conde – 73
Manuel Merizalde – 76
T16 Italy – 142
Pietro Bovari – 69
Flavio Michetti – 73
Riccardo Fantinelli – 74
T16 Japan – 142
Minato Oshima – 70
Yuta Sugiura – 72
Riura Matsui – 75
T16 Switzerland – 142
Max Sturdza – 70
Marc Keller – 72
Nicola Gerhardsen – 74
T16 Wales – 142
Tomi Bowen – 70
James Ashfield – 72
Matt Roberts – 75
T21 Chinese Taipei – 143
Ching Hung Su – 71
Chuan-Tai Lin – 72
Chichun Chen – 74
T21 Mexico – 143
Santiago De La Fuente del Valle – 71
Omar Morales Nacif – 72
Jose Cristobal Islas Valdespino – 75
T21 Zimbabwe – 143
Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa – 70
David Amm – 73
Keegan James Shutt – 82
T24 Norway – 144
Michael Mjaaseth – 71
Herman Sekne – 73
Mats Ege – 75
T24 Republic of Korea – 144
Donghyun Moon – 71
Seonghyeon An – 73
Sungho Lee – 74
T26 Ireland – 145
Matthew McClean – 72
Alex Maguire – 73
Liam Nolan – 75
T26 Sweden – 145
Daniel Svard – 70
Tobias Jonsson – 75
T28 Canada – 146
Brady McKinlay – 72
Ashton McCulloch – 74
Piercen Hunt – 80
T28 Guatemala – 146
Gabriel Palacios – 72
Juan Ricardo Davila – 74
Alejandro Villavicencio – 82
30 Austria – 147
Christoph Bleier – 73
Florian Schweighofer – 74
Fabian Lang – 78
T31 Finland – 149
Jesse Saareks – 74
Markus Luoma – 75
Elias Haavisto – 77
T31 Thailand – 149
Ashita Piamkulvanich – 74
Jiradech Chaowarat – 75
Parin Sarasmut – 75
33 India – 150
Yuvraj Singh – 74
Shaurya Bhattacharya – 76
Rohit Narwal – 79
34 Singapore – 154
Troy Tian Storm – 76
Ryan John Ang – 78
Hiroshi Hirahara Tai – 79
35 United Arab Emirates – 155
Thomas Nesbitt – 76
Rayan Ahmed – 79
36 Guam – 169
Nalapon Vongjalorn – 84
Eugene Park – 85
Markus Nanpei – 86
Hadwin finishes runner-up in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Tom Kim now has something in common with Byron Nelson as the only players to have won the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season.
Kim successfully defended his title Sunday in the Shriners Children’s Open when he closed with a 5-under 66 to emerge from a pack of a dozen players who had a chance in the final hour. Kim wound up winning by one shot over runner-up Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., who birdied the final hole for a 67.
A $404,200 putt ?@AHadwinGolf’s 25-foot birdie on No. 18 earned him solo second place @ShrinersOpen.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 16, 2023
Kim now has three PGA Tour titles in the last 15 months, at 21 the youngest player since Tiger Woods in 1997 to have three tour wins.
He won in Las Vegas a year ago, beating Patrick Cantlay in a playoff at the TPC Summerlin, when the Shiners Children’s Open was early in the season. Now, the Las Vegas event is still part of the same season because the PGA Tour goes to a calendar season starting in 2024.
Nelson won the San Francisco Open in January 1944, and the same tournament in December of 1994, both times at Harding Park.
This one was up for grabs until Kim seized control on the par-5 16th.
With an hour left in the tournament, there was a six-way tie for the lead and 12 players were separated by a single shot. The key stretch at the TPC Summerlin was holes No. 13 through No. 16, which ranked as four of the five easiest holes in the final round.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was tied for the lead with a birdie on the 13th, but had to settle for pars the rest of that stretch. He ended up T3 at -18.
Then, it became a two-man race between Kim and Hadwin, playing in the final group with Kim holding a one-shot advantage.
Both birdied the 13th, Hadwin with a 35-foot birdie putt that rimmed all the way around the cup before dropping. Both birdied the reachable par-4 15th, Kim with a tough up-and-down and birdie putt from 12 feet, Hadwin narrowly missing a 25-foot eagle attempt.
It turned on the par-5 16th. Kim hit to the fat of the green in two, 50 feet away for eagle. Hadwin knew he missed his shot right after contact and it came up well short and into the water. Hadwin missed a six-foot par putt after his penalty drop, and Kim three-putted — he had to make a five-footer on his third one — for par.
“I completely whiffed it, up and out of it, and unfortunately one of my worst swings of the day at the least opportune time,” Hadwin said.
“I feel like you dump it in the water there on 16, and I certainly by no means gave the tournament away, but I would have liked to have hit a more quality golf shot and put a little bit more pressure on Tom coming down the stretch.”
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C.finished T13 at -16, while Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., tied for 18th at -12.
Hadwin in three-way tie for Shriners lead in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Defending champion Tom Kim felt the vibes and found his groove Saturday in Las Vegas with a 9-under 62 that gave him a three-way share of the lead in the Shriners Children’s Open and a chance to win the same tournament twice in one season.
It was the second straight year Kim had a 62 in the third round at the TPC Summerlin. It led to a playoff victory over Patrick Cantlay last year in what was the early part of the season. Now it’s technically the same season before the PGA Tour goes back to a calendar year.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., played bogey-free — he had more birdies on the par 3s than the par 5s — for a 63 to catch Kim. Joining them was a late arrival in so many ways — Lanto Griffin, who was tied for the 36-hole lead and didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole.
That was the start of three birdies in a four-hole stretch that led to a 68 and allowed Griffin to share the lead at 15-under 198.
This was hardly a three-man race going into the final round. K.H. Lee (66) was among three players on shot back. It all, 14 players were within three shots of the lead. That includes J.T. Poston and RBC Canadian Open champion Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, small consolation to both of them.
Poston hit a superb bunker shot on the 15th to five feet for birdie that allowed him to tie for the lead. He was 209 yards away on the par-5 16th, poised for birdie at worst. And then it all fell apart with one swing and one decision.
His shot landed on the bank of the green and hopped back into the water. Instead of going to the drop zone some 95 yards away in the fairway, Poston chose to drop in the right rough for a better angle at the bank left pin. But then his wedge came out heavy, caromed twice off the rocks framing the green and back into the water.
This time, he went to the drop zone and hit it to 15 feet.
“Should have done that the first (expletive) time,” Poston could be heard saying. He missed the putt, giving it a sarcastic thumbs-up as it was drifting right of the hole, and took triple bogey.
He closed with a birdie for a 68 and was in the large group at 13-under.
Taylor was within one shot of the lead when he failed to birdie the par-5 16th. On the par-3 17th, he hung his head when his tee shot was in the air, knowing anything too far left would catch a slope and roll into the water, and that’s what it did. He took double bogey, had to settle for a 69 and was among those at 12-under 201.
Other Canadians in the hunt include Taylor Pendrith of Thornhill, Ont., who is one shot back of the leaders and Surrey’s Adam Svensson, who is two back.
Hadwin had one of only seven birdies on the 17th, holing a 30-footer that capped off a 63. The Canadian is playing for the first time since the BMW Championship in August, and said he felt more rejuvenated than rusty. He finished among the top 50 in the FedEx Cup and is already in all the $20 million events next year.
But he is No. 56 in the world ranking. The top 50 at the end of the year get into the Masters.
Golf Canada Hole-In-One Report – October 13, 2023
Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).
Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.
Alan Nacinovic, Muskoka Bay Club, Hole #17
We were playing the round at my home course Muskoka Bay with friends Mike “Top Shot”, Eric “Long Drive” and my brother Oliver “No Break”. The birthday shots of tequila and whisky were flowing. We pulled up to hole #17. The yardage was 175 to the flag. I pulled out the trusty 7 iron, and the rest is history. An unforgettable moment, the first of many I hope.
Anderson Brown, Predator Ridge, Hole #4
What a day at the Predator course in B.C.
Bill Lutes, Brooks Golf Club, Hole #8
I’m 71 years old and have been playing since I was 14. My first hole-in-one!
It was a breezy fall day. Wind out of the south at about 25km. Our 8th hole is a par 3 that can play anywhere from 120 yards to 160. That day playing 130 into the wind. I went for a 9 iron but it was not going to be enough, so I went to the 8 and tried to bunt one in low. I’d love to tell you I hit a magnificent high cut but the reality is “thin to win”. It was lower than I wanted but a decent shot that never left the flag and when it hit in front and started to roll it looked pretty good. When it got to the flag and disappeared, I turned to my brother and asked, “Did that just go in?” When he confirmed it had I gave it a “Ya baby!” I was playing that day with my brother, Allen Lutes, and a couple of pals, Rod Swenson and Ken Bain. Nice to have the foursome and everyone saw it go in. I have been oh so close many times but never had one drop until now.
Bob LeBlanc, River Oaks Golf Club, Hole #5
When we got to the 5th tee box, I was hitting second.
The pin lasered at 152 yards, and the green has a heavy slope right to left. Ideally, any shot is played towards the upper third of the green, and the slope will carry it down as it rolls out.
One of my playing partners, Jeff Tofflemire, had the honours, and we watched his shot go a little bit long.
I had taken a 7 iron out of the bag, and after seeing Jeff’s shot go long, I went back to the bag and down to an 8 iron. We couldn’t feel the breeze on the tee, but it was obviously there.
We watched the ball come down on the green, hop and check and then hop and check the second time. Then we couldn’t see it roll out! The evening sun had the green surface in a sheen, making it impossible to follow the roll out.
Jeff said, “I think that went in the hole!” None of us could be sure, though. The fifth plays over a gully and little pond, so driving down into the gully, I could see a white spot on the back of the green and shouted back to Wayne and Jeff that the ball must have rolled past that I could see it. I grabbed my putter when I got out of the cart and headed to the green. The white spot turned out to be a leaf glistening in the sun and no sign of my ball! I stood there and looked all around the edge of the green and still couldn’t see my ball so I took another step ahead and peered into the hole and there it was! Lodged between the front of the cup and the pin!
It was a very surreal moment. Jeff and Wayne were whooping it up letting everyone within earshot know I had just had a hole-in-one. Surprisingly, after one good fist pump, I stayed pretty calm.
Before we began our round, the course GM had let me know that he had shot a 67 that morning. I told him that I’d just have to go out and shoot a 66 then! At the turn, I went to the club pro (Andrew) and told him he could text Graeme and let him know I wouldn’t be beating his 67 but to be sure to let him know that I had aced #5.
When I finished the round, Andrew met me at the clubhouse and presented me a bag tag denoting the moment and an embroidered towel with a hole-in-one logo.
Chris Bonli, Michelson National Golf Club, Hole #15
I made a hole-in-one on September 17 on the 15th hole at Michelson National Golf Club in Calgary, Alberta!
Dale Klassen, Heritage Pointe Golf Club, Hole #9
I’m a member at Heritage Pointe and it’s in amazing shape and condition. This one was an 8 iron to a front pin 137 yards to the 9th green. I was playing with Harold Chornoboy and Daryl Ritchie. It was a little cool but a beautiful Fall day.
David Kelly, Hautes Plaines, Hole #3
I played with three players whom I did not know, but all were Hautes Plaines members. It was 147 yards on hole #3. I used my Taylormade P790 7 iron.
Eunice Fast, Highland Pacific Golf, Hole #2
It was a great feeling to watch the ball head to the hole and disappear into it. I dropped my club on the ground and started jumping for joy! The distance was 101 yards from the silver tee box and I was using my 7 hybrid. I happened to be playing with two staff members from Olympic View Golf Course who had never been with anyone who had a hole-in-one. It was a fun moment. When the course drinks cart came around, I bought the beer. By the time we finished the last fairway, I realized that the news had reached the starter shack and was still circulating several days later.
George Wilson, Innerkip Highlands Golf Club, Hole #2
My playing partners were David Lee, Andrew Pickard and Ryan Westbrook. I used a pitching wedge from 130 yards.
Gordon How, Collicut Siding, Hole #2
I hit a 6 iron into a light breeze. It landed five feet short right then one hopped and rolled in the hole. I played with John McLean, Tom Dubray and Darry Anderson.
Jack Vitali, Copper Creek Golf Club, Hole #8
Occurred on a cool fall day at Copper Creek Golf Club on October 8, 2023. I was playing with Robby and Diego. Special moment happened on hole #8 from 139 yards. I hit a perfect Srixon #4 ball. It was seven feet short of the flag and it rolled itself into the hole perfectly.
This hole has had my number for 15 years with the highest score of 13 and now the lowest being one. Lucky triple eight!
Jackie Green, The Nest Golf Club at Friday Harbour, Hole #8
I have been golfing casually since 2009. However, in the last few years as a member of The Nest Golf Club at Friday Harbour, I have been able to golf at least a couple times a week which has helped with my game. I was golfing on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 with my husband Dean Cicci and a couple of our friends, Dave Cannon and Ilia Paraschis. Once the guys teed off it was my turn. I teed up and used my 5 wood as the pin on the 8th hole was closer to the front of the green. It was a clean shot, clearing the water and went directly at the pin landing no more than a foot away. I saw it land and then roll right into the cup! It was very exciting and I’m sure the rest of the course could hear my excitement. As word got back to our clubhouse, our club manager Peter Young met me at the 14th hole to congratulate me. After the round, I celebrated my ace at the clubhouse by buying shots of fireball for all that were there! Fun times and I hope to do this again!
Jamie Steele, McCall Lake Golf Course, Hole #17
I hit a 6 iron from 167 yards to a back right pin on #17 at McCall Lake on October 8. I was playing with another single golfer named Ed as there was a long frost delay in the morning. I could not see the bottom of the pin when my ball landed but then I did not see the ball roll past the pin and I said maybe the ball went in the hole. Ed was riding in a cart, and I was walking and he got to the green first and said my ball was in the hole. I could not believe it as I had never really been close to a hole-in-one before.
Jas Khatra, Southbrook Golf & Country Club, Hole #9
Editor’s Note: Our very own Golf Canada staff member, Jas Khatra, achieved an ace Southbrook Golf & Country Club. This is his first hole-in-one!
It definitely made for an awesome round. Unfortunately, I was playing by myself when it occurred, so I had a little one-man celebration on the green.
It was about 165 yards downhill with an 8 iron, landed just behind the pin and rolled in.
Jeff Barratt, Mississauga Golf & Country Club, Hole #10
I was playing with Phil Leja and Steve Mika. It was a 9 iron from 129 yards.
Jeff Brookhouser, Niagara-On-The-Lake Golf Club, Hole #4
Best day ever!
John Bonham, Cottonwood Golf & Country Club, Hole #6
I was playing with Mark Carson and Craig Thomas. The yardage was roughly 146 with a breeze coming towards us. I used a 6 iron from the bronze tees.
Karen Robertson, Seymour Golf & Country Club, Hole #14
I’ve been playing for a few decades so it was nice to finally have one drop! It was hole #14 which is 113 yards uphill with a middle pin. I used a 7 iron by TaylorMade. My ball was a Lady Bridgestone and was with my partner Scott Warner.
Marian Thomson, Pender Island Golf & Country Club, Hole #6
My first hole-in-one was on hole #4 in October 2022. This time it happened on hole #6.
Once again, I used my driver, something I like as I can pull back on it nicely, although I am experimenting with different options, the driver always gives me a range of options I am comfortable with.
A hole-in-one on #6 is so great because you can actually see the ball land and travel to the hole, creating suspense as to whether it will actually drop. So, there was anticipation and then celebration.
Neil MacDonald, Shannon Lake Golf Club, Hole #16
It was hole #16, 150 yards with an 8 iron and I was playing with Andrew and Kian Albiston as well as Andrew Hull.
Ngoc Tran, Saint-Raphaël (Club de golf) – Bleu, Hole #15
I was playing with my golf buddy/partner since the 2021 season at Golf Saint-Raphael with our spouses and their lady friends in the foursome behind us. Coincidentally, my partner, Kim Thong Ta, also made a hole-in-one at the very same 15th hole in the 2022 season.
The flag was in the middle of the green toward the left bunker, away from the water hazard on the right. I attempted a low line drive into the wind directly at the flag, knowing that the ball would land safely on the fairway if the shot was short.
From the tee, I was able to see the ball bounce once and roll onto the green toward the flag but wasn’t sure where it ended up. As I approached the green, the ball was nowhere in sight; could it have rolled across the green into the rough? Before searching for the ball in the rough, I decided to look for it in the hole and, well, the rest is history.
My wife and I started to play golf around 2005-2006; although we were interested (I more so than my better half), we never really played much. Since 2007, I’ve played five rounds or less per season mostly accompanying my friends and enjoying the walk and view of the courses. Needless to say, our golf skills were non-existent.
It was COVID that brought us back to golf. Out of the blue, my tennis buddies, to whom I introduced golf several years earlier, called and invited me to join them. This was July 2020. Since 2021, my wife and I have been members at Saint-Raphael and played regularly.
Paul Kennedy, Wooden Sticks Golf Club, Hole #3
I was playing with my friends Bill Triolo and Bob Philip. We were playing in the Ke Tarling Invitational Tournament. The shot was on the 3rd hole at Wooden Sticks Golf Course which is a replica hole of the 12th Hole at Augusta National Golf Course. The hole was playing 140 yards into a bit of a breeze. I hit my 4 hybrid. The ball was right online the whole way. From the elevated tee, we could see that there was no doubt that the ball rolled into the hole after landing about 10 feet short.
Peter Garnham, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley – HOOT, Hole #8
I was playing with two buddies, Carter Gates and Alex Jacques McClary. We were playing the blue tees and the hole was playing 165 yards to the pin. I used a 7 iron and it was the best shot I’ve hit in my life. It sounded pure and it was dead straight.
The craziest part about the story is that one of our friend’s dad’s, Bart Von Kalkreuth, got a hole-in-one on the same hole five minutes after I did!
Richard Daukant, The Pulpit Club – Paintbrush, Hole #16
It was at the Paintbrush course. It was 151 yards with a 7 iron. I played with Fraser Nelson.
Rick Ferguson, Willow Valley Golf, Hole #15
This was my second ace on this hole. I used a pitching wedge to go 117 yards.
Spencer Reid, Bridgewater Country Club, Hole #6
I was playing with two buddies, Carter Gates and Alex Jacques McClary. We were playing the blue tees and the hole was playing 165 yards to the pin. I used a 7 iron and it was the best shot I’ve hit in my life. It sounded pure and it was dead straight.
The craziest part about the story is that one of our friend’s dad’s, Bart Von Kalkreuth, got a hole-in-one on the same hole five minutes after I did!
Terry Moore, Settlers’ Ghost Golf Club, Hole #14
I was playing with my wife, Sandra, and two guests, Terry and Peggy from Midland. The hole-in-one was on hole #14, 133 yards with a back pin at Settler’s Ghost. The rain was just starting so we decided to play this hole before it poured. I used a 3 hybrid. We could not see the ball finish as the hole was in a hollow near the back of the green. When we got to the green it was found in the hole.
Golf Canada announces three future sites for World Junior Girls Golf Championship
(October 11, 2023) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the host golf clubs for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms for the next three years.
Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. will host in 2024, followed by St. Catharines Golf and Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont. in 2025 and The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. in 2026.
The World Junior Girls Championship has been conducted eight times since its inception in 2014, most recently last week at the Brampton Golf Club in Brampton, Ont. The prestigious international championship brings together the world’s best junior-aged girls golfers competing for the team and individual title. In addition to the competition, the championship is a week-long celebration of golf hosting First Tee – Canada clinics and a PGA of Canada coach’s summit.
“Together with our partners, Golf Canada is excited to announce our next three host venues for the World Junior Girls Golf Championships,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules, Golf Canada. “We want to thank all three host courses along with their respective cities for their commitment to amateur golf in Canada and hosting this prestigious world championship. The impact of these three clubs and their collective membership provides the event continued momentum to build off the success of these past eight years.”
Team Canada won its first-ever World Junior Girls Golf Championship and Denisa Vodickova of the Czech Republic won the individual competition last week at Brampton Golf Club. The gold-medal Team Canada 1 squad was comprised of 14-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, 17-year-old Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto and 17-year-old Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver who shot a team-total 4-under 564 for the championship, a single shot clear of the Republic of Korea. Vodickova, tied the women’s competitive course record during Friday’s third round with a 5-under 66. She went on to finish the tournament at 7-under and won by three shots, also earning an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open.
This year’s championship featured the largest field in tournament history, with a total of 66 athletes comprising 22 teams and 21 countries, with eight competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top-100.
Spain (2017 & 2022) is tied with the Republic of Korea (2015 & 2019) for the most victories in the event’s eight-year history with two each. Other team winners include the United States (2014), Philippines (2016), Italy (2018), and Canada (2023). The Republic of Korea have earned the most podium finishes in tournament history with five, after winning the silver medal this year. A history of past individual and team winners is available here.
Several players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Golf Championship have gone on to have great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time LPGA winner and Canada’s winningest professional golfer, who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as Yuka Saso of the Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open winner, Megan Khang of the United States competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
ABOUT THE HOST VENUES…
Credit Valley Golf and Country Club – September 30 – October 5, 2024
Credit Valley Golf and Country Club boasts a challenging 18-hole Robbie Robinson designed parkland course. Nestled alongside the winding Credit River and the natural setting of the valley, it offers members a hidden golf and country club oasis within the bustling cityscape of Mississauga.
“On behalf of the members and staff at Credit Valley, we are honoured to host the World Junior Girls Championship in 2024. This event has generated great excitement and support from our membership, and we look forward to welcoming the best junior players from all over the world to Credit Valley. Thank you to Golf Canada and Tourism Mississauga for being great partners in helping us bring this prestigious championship to our club and community.” – Patrick Yashar, Director of Golf, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club
“Tourism Mississauga is thrilled to partner with the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club to host the World Junior Girls Golf Championship in 2024. We are ready to showcase one of our finest golf courses and will continue to celebrate women in sport and the cultural canvas that is Mississauga. We look forward to cheering these athletes on and creating an experience they will never forget!” – Victoria Clarke, CEO, Tourism Mississauga
St. Catharines Golf and Country Club – September 15 – 20, 2025
St. Catharines Golf and Country Club features a 6,850-yard golf course that was designed by Stanley Thompson. Over its 125-year history, the Club has had several renovations with a current master plan developed by Ian Andrew, the noted course architect. The course is located in the heart of the City’s downtown, has hosted many provincial and national golfing events.
“Our members are excited about the opportunity of hosting these young golfers from around the world, and we promise them a challenging golf course for the competition.” – Brent Pym, President, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club
“St. Catharines has a proud history of supporting international sporting events and we look forward to welcoming the World Junior Girls Golf Championship to the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.” – Mat Siscoe, Mayor, City of St. Catharines
The Royal Ottawa Golf Club – September 28 – October 3, 2026
The Royal Ottawa Golf Club offers the finest courses in the National Capital Region, graced by the natural beauty of the Gatineau Hills. The Main Course is a natural, old-fashioned layout, where the emphasis is placed on the natural lay of the land, rather than artificially created hazards. The original course architect was Tom Bendelow of Chicago, who at the time was a leader in the industry. The original design was subsequently amended by Willie Park Jr., winner of the British Open in 1887 and 1897. In recent years, Graham Cooke was a principal Course Architect. The current Course Architect is Neil Haworth, who spearheaded the design of the new Short Game Area and Canada’s first full TrackMan Range. The golf course played host to the 2000 CPKC Women’s Open and holds the record for hosting the most Canadian Amateur Championships.
“The Royal Ottawa Golf Club is thrilled and honoured to welcome the world’s top junior golfers for the 2026 World Junior Girls Championship. We are looking forward to the showcase of talent these players will bring to our historic course.” – Kris Bulmer, Club President, The Royal Ottawa Golf Club
“Our team at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club enthusiastically awaits our opportunity to welcome the World in 2026. Having been a part of the 2018 World Junior Girls event in Ottawa, I look forward to raising the standard of excellence to match the high level of golf skill these girls will exhibit.” – Greg Richardson, General Manager, The Royal Ottawa Golf Club