Kyrinis adds Super Senior division crown and the Katherine Helleur Trophy with Team Ontario
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – Judith Kyrinis is a Canadian national champion for the seventh time. Kyrinis needed a two-hole playoff win over Tina Papatolis to claim the 2026 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. on Friday.
“I didn’t really think that was going to happen today, so I am truly grateful to get this win,” said Kyrinis following the playoff. “The playoff was great, made that great and up down with a great putt so really just thrilled to win.”
The win gives Kyrinis her third Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, having previously won in 2016 and 2019 to go along with four Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships (2016, 2019, 2023, 2025).
“It’s special to win the Ada Mackenzie Trophy and the other trophies that go along with the Mid-Am, I’m 62 years old so I try to represent the older seniors as best I can and I am just super proud,” said a smiling Kyrinis.
Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. entered the day tied with Tina Papatolis of Issaquah, Wash. at 3-over, but Papatolis quickly jumped into the solo lead following a double bogey from Kyrinis on the first hole.
Papatolis went on to open with five consecutive pars while Kyrinis followed with a pair of bogeys to sit at 4-over for her round and drop to four shots behind Papatolis.
“I didn’t have a great start, four-putting the first green then having a three-putt a couple holes later it was a rough start, but I just told myself just be patient,” said Kyrinis.
Kyrinis grabbed a crucial birdie on No. 5 to get things back on track and finished with four pars to close her front nine at 6-over. Papatolis meanwhile exchanged a bogey for a birdie on hole Nos. 6 and 7 along with two pars to make the turn at 3-over and held a three-shot advantage over Kyrinis.
Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and four-time Canadian Women’s Senior champion Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas, Ont. pulled into a tie with Kyrinis following a birdie at No. 10, to sit 6-over chasing Papatolis.
Both Papatolis and Kyrinis opened their second nine with a bogey at No. 10. Papatolis would bogey again at No. 12 followed by a birdie from Kyrinis on No. 13 to cut the lead to one. Kyrinis added another birdie at No. 16 to pull even with Papatolis at 5-over.
Kyrinis enjoyed playing with Papatolis, who was competing in her first Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, while knowing what she needed to do to close the gap.
“I know she won the week before so she is obviously on form, she’s playing well and played a practice round with her so it was great to see what she was doing and I was trying to see what the group in front of me was doing also just to make sure I knew where the field was at.”
Hayward added birdies at Nos. 13 and 17 to pull within a shot of the leaders until a double bogey at 18. Hayward finished with a 3-over 76 to sit at 8-over for the tournament, finishing fourth. Diane Irvin of Pacific Palisades, Calif. was clubhouse leader at 7-over following a 2-over 75 on Friday and would go on to finish third in the Senior division and runner-up in the Super Senior division.
The leaders exchanged pars on the final two holes after Papatolis narrowly missed an opportunity to close it out on 18. On the first playoff hole, Papatolis effort for birdie went past the hole while Kyrinis made an up-and-down and closed with a 6-footer to force a second playoff hole.
On the second playoff hole, Kyrinis was on in two with a look for birdie. Papatolis’ got into some trouble with her second shot and eventually had a 25-footer to save par that rimmed the cup giving Kyrinis two putts to win, which she converted with a par.
Kyrinis added that while the nerves were certainly there, she did a good job of combating them through her breathing and staying within her routine and process during the playoff.
“She played very well and had been chipping well and putting really well so I really expected her to get up and down so looking at the putt, these greens are very tough, they’re hard to read and the speed is kind of hard to figure out so after she missed, I was just trying to cozy it down there. I am most proud of the first playoff hole to get up and down and make that 6-footer,” said Kyrinis.
Kyrinis added that she is proud to win another playoff, her most recent Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship win came via a three-hole playoff in 2025 and just reminded herself that she could do it again.
“What a special week, never expected to do all this. The people here were just amazing and the weather was fabulous, the course was in fabulous condition and couldn’t ask for a better week,” she said, closing with rounds of 78-71-75-224 at 5-over.
Along with winning the Ada MacKenzie Challenge Trophy for a third time, Kyrinis also claimed the Super Senior Division title for the first time. Kyrinis joins Edie Creed, Nancy Fitzgerald, Terrill Samuel and Shelly Stouffer as three-time champions at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
Kyrinis will now compete at the 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, September 26 – October 1 at the Portland Golf Club in Portland, Ore. after previously earning an exemption into the field.
Additionally, Kyrinis has earned exemptions into the 2027 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, 113th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, 2027 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and a 10-year exemption into the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
On Thursday, Team Ontario claimed the Katherine Helleur Trophy the twelfth time since 2006, finishing with a combined score of 8-over to beat the host province, Team Alberta by 11 strokes.
Team Ontario was represented by Kyrinis, Hayward and Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont. Kyrinis carded a 2-under 71, while Samuel added a 3-over 76 to count for the team on Thursday. Hayward’s 2-over 75 and Kyrinis’ 5-over 78 counted for Ontario in the opening round.
The win marked Hayward’s tenth inter-provincial team title, Kyrinis’ seventh and Samuel’s third at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. It also marks the third time the trio have won together, previously winning in 2018 and 2023, and the seventh time Hayward and Kyrinis have done it together.
Ontario and B.C. had won 11 titles each since 2002, the win at Pine Hills now gives Ontario the edge with 12 in that time frame, and its first team title since 2023.
The Canadian Women’s Senior Championship featured a pair of competitive divisions, the Senior division and the Super Senior division that ran concurrently throughout the competition’s 54 holes.
Conducted since 1971, the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship has featured many of the country’s top senior golfers. Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Marilyn O’Connor, Margaret Todd and Mary Ann Hayward all own senior championship titles.
For the final leaderboard following the 2026 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.
