Quarry Oaks Golf Course plays host to NextGen Prairie Championship
Golf Canada
STEINBACH, Man. – The NextGen Prairie Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards lands in Central Canada at Quarry Oak Golf Course in Steinbach, Man., June 10 – 12.
Practice rounds are scheduled for June 9, before the official 54-hole tournament gets underway on June 10. Play is scheduled to wrap up on June 12.
The top 6 male competitors will earn a spot in the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, August 7-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. The top 6 female golfers (including ties) will also earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 25-29, at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.
The starting field will feature 89 players – 67 Junior Boys and 22 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.
The NextGen Prairie Championship is the fourth of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards. Lucy Lin and Alex Zhang took home the honours in the latest NextGen Championship at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. For the full schedule of 2022 NextGen Championships, click here.
Quarry Oaks Golf Course, a 27-hole course located southeast of Winnipeg Man., will play host to the junior event. The Central Canadian club covers 440 acres and features three different nine-hole courses, each unique in their own way. The diversifying stylistic variety allows a challenge for intermediate golfers up to professionals and will test the best junior golfers of the Prairie provinces this week.
For past results of the 2022 NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards: Pacific | Ontario | Western
Additional information about the 2022 NextGen Prairie Championship can be found here.
NOTABLES
Ella Kozak (Yorkton, Sask.)
Ella Kozak continues to climb the ranks in Canadian junior golf and saw her name mixed in with some of the best Junior Girls in Canada at last year’s Golf Canada Junior Selection Camp. Prior to that, the Yorkton, Sask., native won the Saskatchewan Amateur Women’s Championship and will be vying for the NextGen Prairie Championship this week.
Ryan Blair (Winnipeg, Man.)
Ryan Blair will be in familiar territory at Quarry Oaks Golf Course this week. Blair is less than a week removed from a semi-final performance at the Steinbach, Man. track at last week’s 2022 Manitoba Match Play Championship and will be looking for a repeat performance at the stroke play event June 10-12.
Clara Peake (Binscarth, Man.)
The reigning 2021 Manitoba Junior Women’s Provincial Champion headlines the Junior Girls field at Quarry Oaks this week. Peake’s rise to the top of Manitoba junior golf came after just three years from her picking up a golf club. The Binscarth, Man., native will look to continue building on an impressive resume at the NextGen Prairie Championship.
Hunter Kutcher (Regina, Sask.)
Kutcher was crowned champion of the 2021 Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Provincial Championship and will be taking his talents to the neighbouring province of Manitoba for a shot at the NextGen Prairie Championship.
OTHER NOTABLES
Addison Kartush
Jack Taylor
Noah Fiks
Jack Moro
Alex Swinnerton
Carter Timmerman
Darien Herlick
Max Regier
Autumn Neiszner
About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
Lin, Zhang victorious at NextGen Western Championship
Lucy Lin and Alex Zhang win the 2022 NextGen Western Championship at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta., June 2 - 4.
Golf Canada
Rocky Mountain House, Alta. – As the old saying goes, ‘age is just a number.’ Lucy Lin and Alex Zhang proved that theory right at the 2022 NextGen Western Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.
Lin, 12, and Zhang, 13, showed maturity beyond their years – and then some – at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. They certainly were not the oldest in the starting field of 93 players but this week they proved to be the best, winning their respective divisions at the junior event.
Lin, a Vancouver, B.C. native, lead wire-to-wire in the Junior Girls division, shooting even-par or better in each of the three rounds to secure a two-stroke victory over Eileen Park – yet another youngster who proved her talents out west.
“I had a lot of fun, [gained] a lot of experienced, learned a lot and played quite well,’ said Lin.
Lin, the second youngest player in the field in the Junior Girls divisions, welcomed the challenge of competing against girls up to the age of 19, and says she was just trying to play her own game, hit every shot well and learn from the experience.
The west-coast prodigy is now turning her focus to a U.S. Junior Girl Qualifier and says her main goal for this season is to qualify for that event.
Park, the runner-up in the Junior Girls division and youngest competitor in the field, put her talent on display in Alberta and showed why her potential is amongst the highest of junior girl golfers in Canada.
“I don’t have any fears. I’ve played with these girls for a few years now, so I am kind of used to it,” said Park. “It’s actually pretty fun to play with the older girls now. There’s a little more challenge [though] because they hit it further than me.”
The 12-year-old says she is trying to hit more “bombs” and throw more “darts” to make up for the gap in distance from the older girls. It’s safe to say she did her fair share of dart throwing this week, finishing 2-under par for the tournament.
Shifting gears, Park says she hopes to win the U19 Provincial Championship and “maybe” the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship.
In the Junior Boys divisions, Zhang mounted an improbable comeback in the final round, firing a 1-under 72 for a two-stroke victory over Charlie Gillepsie. The 13-year-old showed that no moment was too big for him in a field where many of his competitors had more experience under their belt.
“I wasn’t scared at all, but I viewed it as a good challenge for me and a good test of golf,” said Zhang. “It was really great for experience to see how they managed emotions and their shots.”
“I knew my game was feeling pretty good going into today. I knew I had to play my own game, not think about the score and who’s leading, and I would have a good chance of winning,” said the Richmond, B.C. native.
Click here for full results of the 2022 NextGen Western Championship.
Including Lin, the top six players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.
POS
NAME
1
Lucy Lin (Vancouver, B.C.)
2
Eileen Park (Red Deer, Alta.)
3
Sydney Bisgrove (Calgary, Alta.)
4
Carys Code (Calgary, Alta.)
5
Tessa Ion (Calgary, Alta.)
6
Belle Brezovski (St. Albert, Alta.)
From the Junior Boys division, the top six players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia. Tyler Kidd knocked off Cole Bergheim in a playoff to secure the final spot at Nationals.
POS
NAME
1
Alex Zhang (Richmond, B.C.)
2
Charlie Gillepsie (Calgary, Alta.)
3
Christian Flick (Heritage Pointe, Alta.)
T4
Kyle Fisher (Leduc, Alta.)
T4
Tate Bruggeman (Edmonton, Alta.)
T6
Tyler Kidd (Buck Lake, Alta.)
About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
UBC sweeps 2022 Canadian University/College Championship
The UBC women's golf team claimed their fifth consecutive national championship, while the men's won their seventh banner in tournament history this week in Bromont, Que.
Golf Canada
Bromont, Que. – The University of British Columbia’s golf team did it again, completing the four-division sweep at the 2022 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO and cementing their status as a dynasty in Canadian collegiate golf.
The T-Birds won the women’s team division for the fifth time in a row, and fifteenth time in the 18-year history of the event, while the men’s earned their seventh banner since the inaugural event in 2003. Aidan Schumer and Sonja Tang were crowned champions of the men’s and women’s individual events, respectively.
“We’ve probably been through as many hard times as good times […] It’s just been an incredible year – I’m very proud of them,” said head coach Chris MacDonald. “Everyone at this tournament works hard; they’re willing to put the extra time in [and] I think there’s a certain level of internal chemistry,” he said of the bond between the men’s and women’s teams.
The Thunderbirds women’s 98 stroke triumph sets the record for the largest margin of victory since 2004 and caps off a perfect season of 12 tournament wins is as many events played. The team of Sonja Tang, Élizabeth Labbé, Shania Remandaban and Grace Bell finished off a wire-to-wire win with a final round 3-over par 219.
“We work really hard, everyone here pushes each other on and off the course and it’s just really nice to have one last win in Canada,” said Tang, the 2022 Canadian University/College Women’s Individual Champion.
On the men’s side, team captain Ethan De Graaf, Aiden Schumer, Mackenzie Bickell, Russell Howlett and Dylan MacDonald combined for a tournament score of 7-under par 1145 for an eight-stroke victory over the Université de Laval Rouge et Or (1-over par 1153). The University of Victoria Vikes rounded out the top three at a total of 8-over par 1160.
Despite trailing by four strokes entering the final round, Tang pulled off the comeback, one even she didn’t think was possible.
“I still can’t believe it; I was back by four, I didn’t really think I had a chance but I just kept my head down and played,” she said. “I think I played pretty decent today.”
Decent is an understatement to Tang’s performance. After a one hour and 50-minute weather delay interrupted her final round, the Vancouver B.C., native headed back onto the course and withstood the howling wind conditions enroute to a final round 1-under par 71, to win by three strokes over her teammate Labbé. Remandaban and Bell rounded out the all-UBC top four.
Schumer held a one stroke lead entering the final round but dropped into a tie for the lead with Jacob Armstrong – one of the three second place finishers, along with Samuel Breton Gagnon and Alexis Leray – midway through his round. The Columbus, Ohio, native stepped on the gas late in his round to escape the pack and earn the title of 2022 Canadian University/College Men’s Individual Champion.
“I did have an idea [of the leaderboard] somewhat. I don’t think it was the worse thing in world. I knew the guys were struggling a little bit on the back nine, so I really felt a push to do something for not just myself, but for the guys,” he said. “I had those two birdies on five and six, that really just got me going and I put myself in a good place to comfortably come down the stretch and take it.”
For the 19-year-old, the win is no drop in the bucket.
“I am very privileged to be in this spot and I really have to enjoy it no matter what,” said Schumer. “I had to keep it in perspective, and I just focused on what I’ve been practicing my whole life.”
Schumer, who last won a tournament three years ago at the Ohio High School State Championship, says this was the biggest win in his young career as a golfer, but was quick to note that it was more than just a personal achievement.
“It’s hard to process right now, it still hasn’t fully sunken in [but] this is for the guys, this is for UBC,” he said.
Schumer’s tournament score of 277 matched the second lowest 72-hole score in tournament history, matching Lee French (2007), Scott Secord (2014) and Daniel Campbell (2018) who previously accomplished the feat.
Click here for more information including the leaderboard, final round pairings and course information.
T-Birds seek clean sweep as final round looms at Canadian University/College Championship
UBC Thunderbirds, Élizabeth Labbé (left) and Aidan Schumer (right), lead the individual divisions entering the final round at Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que.
Golf Canada
Bromont, Que. – It was a rainy morning, but the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds continued to shine in the third round of the 2022 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO at Golf Château Bromont.
On Saturday afternoon, the Thunderbirds will attempt the four-division sweep, looking to become only the second group in the history of the event to do so, and first since 2016. As it stands, UBC leads in the men’s and women’s team divisions, while Thunderbirds Élizabeth Labbé and Aidan Schumer sit atop the individual standings.
The T-Birds women’s team built on their notable lead in round three, which now stands at 77 strokes, just nine shy of breaking the record for the largest margin of victory in any of the team divisions at the event since 2004. That year, the Thunderbirds won by 135 shots.
The men in blue and gold stayed steady in round three shooting a combined 4-under 284, but it was the team in red and gold from Université Laval who made the biggest splash on moving day, combining for a 9-under 279.
Alexis Leray, who has flown under the radar all week, piloted his Laval team with a 4-under 68, and re-entered the conversation in the men’s individual competition. The 2021 RSEQ Champions will, however, need to make up at least six more shots on the T-Birds in the final round for any hope of a national championship.
Schumer, who finished birdie-birdie on holes No. 17 and 18 to take the outright lead, holds a one-shot advantage over Leray and Samuel Breton Gagnon (Champlain St-Lawrence) ahead of the final round.
“It’s just like with running; if you run more, you’re going to get faster. You’re to get better at anything you train, including your mind,” said Schumer on visualizing winning a national championship. “I definitely enjoy being in this position and regardless of the outcome, it’s been a really good week with the guys. Hopefully I can put together one more good round.”
Labbé stretched her lead to four strokes in the women’s individual competition with an even-par 72. Round three was a rollercoaster ride for the Lévis, Que., native, who made three bogeys out of the gate, but negated the slow start with five birdies coming in.
“I’ve been having a little more trouble settling into my last two rounds, so I’ve just been trying to be patient,” said Labbé. “Obviously the pins today were a little bit trickier and a little bit harder to reach, so I just stayed patient and I knew it would balance out.”
The Thunderbird, who has lead wire-to-wire thus far, says she feels more and more comfortable playing with the lead and for now, is simply focusing on what she can control: her own game.
As for scoreboard watching tomorrow, there won’t be any for Labbé – “I’m just going to do my thing and hope for the best,” she said.
Sonja Tang is four back of her teammate entering the final, while Shania Remandaban and Grace Bell round out the all-UBC top four in the women’s individual division.
A heavy rainfall early Friday morning delayed the start of the third round. With all hands on deck, the grounds crew took the necessary actions and the course was deemed playable at 9:30 a.m.
“Patrice Fredette and his team did an outstanding job of providing playing conditions worthy of a Canadian Championship,” said Martin Ducharme, general manager of Golf Château Bromont. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t contribute to the start of the third round, but the grounds crew did the necessary work, and I would say a miracle to get the course back in shape.”
As a result of the morning delay, the gas tank on daylight ran dry and forced a stoppage to round three at 8:31 p.m. due to darkness. Play resumed at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning and wrapped up at 8:15 a.m.
A quick turnaround is in the works as the final round is scheduled to tee off at 10:00 a.m.
Click here for more information including the leaderboard, final round pairings and course information.
T-Birds extend lead, Vikes climb leaderboard in second round at Canadian University/College Championship
Samuel Breton Gagnon (left) and Élizabeth Labbé (right) in action at the Canadian University/College Championship at Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que., on June 2, 2022.
Golf Canada
Bromont, Que. – The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds improved their leads in the men’s and women’s divisions in the second round at the 2022 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO.
“We brought four really good women here and there are five left at home that also could have won this event […] so [as a team] we are not here without those girls,” said Shania Remandaban on UBC’s depth on the women’s side.
On the backs of Sonja Tang’s 5-under 67 and Remandaban’s 3-under 69, UBC strengthened their grip on the women’s team division and head into the third round with a 55-stroke lead.
The men’s team also cemented their lead atop their division with a trio of 1-under par performances from Aidan Schumer, Ethan DeGraaf and Dylan MacDonald, and an even par showing for Mackenzie Bickell.
“I think resilience is number one; our coach is always trying to get us to play smart and keep grinding,” says Aidan Schumer on the strength of UBC’s men’s golf team.
The University of Victoria Vikes men’s team carded the low round of the day, shooting a collective 9-under in the team competition to jump six spots on the leaderboard into second place. Each of the five players were under par on the day: Zachary Ryujin (-4), John Morrow (-3), Aidan Craig Steele (-1), Marlon Neto-Bradley (-1) and Robin Canlan (-1).
Despite a stellar effort to etch his way back into the competition, Morrow says the best is yet to come from him and knows he’ll have to go low over the next two days to be in contention for the individual title.
“I was able to keep it respectable yesterday, but I still don’t feel like I am controlling the golf ball very well,” said Morrow. “I’m going to have to play solid, hit a lot of greens and make some putts.”
Samuel Breton Gagnon and Élizabeth Labbé continued to pace the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively.
Breton Gagnon recorded a 5-under 67 for the second time in as many rounds and holds a four-stroke lead halfway through the competition. The 18-year-old’s 10-under is the lowest 36-hole score in the event since Scott Secord’s 11-under in 2014.
Labbé’s 1-over par 73 brought her to 3-under on the tournament – two strokes ahead of Tang in second place. Grace Bell and Remandaban, also Thunderbirds, hold the third and fourth place spots, respectively.
The highlight of the day came from Remandaban at the 133-yard, par-3 11th hole. The 2019 runner-up fired her tee shot at a blind front-right hole location and knew it was good, but didn’t know how good. She would find out soon enough just how good it was.
“I didn’t see it go in, but my playing partners’ parents said, ‘Nice shot!’ and I said, ‘Thanks!’ then they said, ‘No, it’s a really nice shot – it’s in!’” she laughed. “I didn’t know at all, so it was a nice surprise picking it up.”
Thomas DeMarco (University of Windsor) recorded six birdies on the day and sits in a tie for second place with UBC’s Schumer. Alexis Leray (Université Laval) is alone in fourth at 5-under after a 69 in round two.
After the third round, the field will be cut to the low ten (10) Male teams and the low six (6) Female teams, including any team within 15 shots of the lead. Individuals within 10 shots of third place, including any player within the top 10, will also make the cut.
Click here for more information including the leaderboard, third round pairings and course information.
UBC off to hot start at Canadian University/College Championship
The University of British Columbia's women's golf team on day one at the 202 Canadian University/College Championship at Golf Chateau Bromont in Bromont, Que.
Golf Canada
Bromont, Que. – Albeit three years later, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds picked up right where they left off at the Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO: on top of the leaderboards.
The T-Birds took a commanding 26-stroke lead in the women’s division, while the men’s squad will enter round two at Golf Château Bromont with a four-stroke lead of their own.
Élizabeth Labbé and Grace Bell lead the charge for the women’s team, firing rounds of 4-under 68 and 3-under 69, respectively. The Thunderbirds duo sit 1-2 atop the leaderboard in the individual competition.
Aidan Schumer, a member of the UBC men’s team, and Samuel Breton Gagnon of the Champlain St-Lawrence Lions share the lead at 5-under in the men’s individual competition.
Labbé, a native of Québec who plays her university golf on the west coast, returned home to La Belle Province and used the familiarity of the course to her advantage.
“I think there’s a fairly good advantage to being familiar with the greens, so my putting was really good today,” said Labbé. ‘‘I gave myself a lot of opportunities and I was able to convert some of them,” added the first-year student, who says she has played multiple events at Golf Château Bromont as a junior.
The Lévis, Que., native caught fire midway through her round, rolling in a pair of birdies and an eagle during a three-hole stretch (nos. 8 to 10).
“I just tried to stay calm and roll with it” said Labbé who, admittedly, even surprised herself.
Breton Gagnon, a native of nearby Quebec City, Que., went out with a bogey-free 4-under 32 before shooting a 1-under 35 on the back nine to finish tied for the lead atop the men’s individual leaderboard.
At the mere age of 18, the Champlain St-Lawrence showed maturity beyond his years at a course he says he knows well. When asked about any possibility of an intimidation factor, Breton Gagnon was quick to shut it down.
“Absolutely not – I feel like I can beat them all, or almost all,” he said. “I’m just here to play golf and have fun.”
Hayley McCallum (Humber College) and Sonja Tang (UBC) finished with a 4-over 76 and are T3 entering Thursday’s second round. Lexie McKay (Western Mustangs) rounded out the top-5 with a 6-over 78.
Matthew Morris (Brock University) and Jacob Armstrong (University of the Fraser Valley) are neck-and-neck at 3-under par, tied for third place.
Armstrong, a third-year student, says this tournament was a long time coming for him and his team from B.C.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, so to get off to a strong start was neat. After waiting so long, I’m very excited to be here this week – especially at a course like this,” said Armstrong.
Pine Hills Golf Club set to host NextGen Western Championship
(Credit: Pine Hills Golf Club)
Golf Canada
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – The NextGen Western Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is set to begin Thursday at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
Practice rounds are scheduled for June 1, before the official 54-hole tournament gets underway on June 2. Play is scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, June 4.
The top six male competitor will earn a spot in the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, August 7-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. The top six female golfers (including ties) will also earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 25-29, at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.
The starting field will feature 94 players – 67 Junior Boys and 27 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.
The NextGen Western Championship is the third of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards. Alessandra Nagayo and Ben MacLean took home the honours in the latest NextGen Championship at Oak Bay Golf Club in Port Severn, Ont. For the full schedule of 2022 NextGen Championships, click here.
Halfway between Calgary and Edmonton and a 3-wood to the west is home to Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. True to the name of the town in which it is located, Pine Hills offers an array of elevation changes and blind approaches over it’s hilly, yet majestic landscape. In 1989, an additional 9 holes were added to the original layout to complete the 18-hole championship course that requires creativity and shot-making to go low.
For past results of the 2022 NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards: Pacific | Ontario
Additional information about the 2022 NextGen Western Championship can be found here.
NOTABLES
Cole Bergheim (Red Deer, Alta.)
Top 10 results at the 2021 NextGen Fall Series West Championship and the 2022 MJT National Championship sets Cole Bergheim up nicely for another stellar result at the NextGen Western Championship. Bergheim will be hoping to improve on his 15th place finish at the NextGen Pacific Championship earlier this year, and he will have every chance to do so this week at Pine Hills Golf Club.
Logan Graff (Sylvan Lake, Alta.)
Graff, who plays out of the same club as Bergheim, will be poised to get his hands on the trophy in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. The Sylvan Lake, Alta. native finished as the runner-up at last year’s Alberta U19 Boys Championship and is keen on taking his game to the next level in 2022.
Georgia Barr (Calgary, Alta.)
The 2020 Alberta U17 Girls Champion will look to continue making strides in her young golf career at the NextGen Western Championship. In 2021, Barr’s game trended in the right direction with a 5th place result at the Alberta U19 Girls Championship, a T8 finish at the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship and a 13th place finish at the 2021 NextGen Fall Series West Championship.
Eileen Park (Red Deer, Alta.)
Don’t let Eileen Park’s size or age fool you. As a 12-year-old, Park won every event in her age category on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour last season and finished in second place at the Alberta U19 Girls Championship. She’s proven she can play with the best of them before, and she will be looking to do so again when she tees it up in Rocky Mountain House on Thursday.
About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
Canadian University/College Championship returns for first time since 2019
Golf Canada
BROMONT, Que. – Canada’s best student-athlete golfers will descend on Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que., for the 2022 Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO from June 1-4. The championship includes both a team and individual component featuring Canada’s top university and college talent.
2022 marks the 18th playing of the event, which was established in 2003 by Golf Canada to give the country’s best university and college golfers a chance to compete at a national championship.
The 18 teams competing for the Men’s division come from the following conferences (number of teams in brackets):
Ontario University Athletics (6)
Canada West (5)
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (2)
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (5)
The Women’s division is composed of 12 teams from across the country:
Canada West (4)
OUA (5)
RSEQ (2)
CCAA (1)
After the third round, the field will be cut to the low ten (10) Male teams and the low six (6) Female teams, including any team within 15 shots of the lead. Individuals within 10 shots of third place, including any player within the top 10, will also make the cut.
Golf Canada prides itself on providing an opportunity for university and college players to compete at the highest level of national competition at the end of their seasons.
“The Canadian University/College Championships, presented by BDO provides an opportunity for the best student-athletes from across the country to showcase their talents and compete for a national championship,” said tournament director, Akash Patel. “After a two-year hiatus, Golf Canada recognizes the significance of the return of this event, and we are excited to get the competition underway.”
The 72-hole stroke play event – which was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – was last played in 2019 and hosted by the Fanshawe College Falcons at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. In contrast to recent years, there will be no official host school for this year’s event held in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.
The University of British Columbia enters this year’s tournament as the defending champions of both the Men’s and Women’s divisions. In 2019, the women’s team captured their fourth consecutive national championship with a one-stroke victory over the Laval Rouge et Or, while the men’s team erased a nine-stroke deficit to knock off the Western Mustangs in the final round via a playoff.
The UBC women have won 14 of the last 17 team event titles – easily the most in the competition’s history. The T-Birds also have the most men’s team championships with six.
Sarah Dunning of the University of Guelph was crowned champion of the Women’s individual competition and Charles Fitzsimmons of Western University took home the honours on the Men’s side in 2019. Neither Dunning, nor Fitzsimmons will be returning to defend their titles this year.
Last time the event was held in Quebec (2013), the UBC Thunderbirds won the Men’s division, and the Université de Montréal Carabins were named the Women’s champions.
Multiple winners of the event include Christina Spence (2007 & 2008), Kat Kennedy (2016 & 2017) and Evan Holmes (2015 & 2017).
For more information about the 2022 Canadian University/College Championship, including the player list, pairings and leaderboards, click here.
MENS TEAMS Bishop’s University Gaiters Brock University Badgers Champlain St Lawrence Lions Humber College Hawks McMaster University Marauders Queen’s University Gaels Université Laval Rouge et Or Université du Montréal Carabins Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or University of British Columbia Thunderbirds University of Calgary Dinos University of the Fraser Valley Cascades University of Guelph Gryphons University of Manitoba Bisons University of Victoria Vikes University of Windsor Lancers Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks
WOMENS TEAMS Brock University Badgers Humber College Hawks Université Laval Rouge et Or Université du Montréal Carabins University of British Columbia Thunderbirds University of British Columbia – Okanagan Heat University of the Fraser Valley Cascades University of Ottawa Gee-Gees University of Victoria Vikes University of Windsor Lancers Western University Mustangs Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks
MacLean, Nagayo win the NextGen Ontario Championship
Golf Canada
PORT SEVERN, Ont. – There wasn’t much for Ben MacLean and Alessandra Nagayo to worry about on Saturday at Oak Bay Golf Club in Port Severn, Ont.
MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.) led wire-to-wire and Nagayo (Toronto, Ont.) made a final round comeback to capture the titles in their respective divisions at the NextGen Ontario Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.
MacLean carded rounds of 69, 69 and 70 for an 11-stroke victory for his second championship in as many weeks, after bringing home the 2022 Ontario Junior Spring Classic (U19) Boys Championship last week.
“I made a huge jump in my game last year and I took most of the stuff I did last year and added to that,” said MacLean on his recent success. “[I’m] finding better shots off the tee and hitting my shots a lot better than I was last year which has been pretty helpful, and I’m trusting everything more.”
Next for the 17-year-old is the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier on June 6 at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, an event MacLean says he’s confident he can qualify for.
Nagayo’s week wasn’t as straight forward, but the result was no different. Entering Saturday’s round five strokes back, the 18-year-old carded a final round 71 to win the Junior Girls division by five strokes.
Swetha Sathish, who held the 36-hole lead in the Junior Girls division wasn’t able to get it done down the stretch, but her confidence remains intact.
“Thinking about those good shots, visualizing those good shots, and then making them happen was really crucial [this week],” said Sathish, and the positive thoughts didn’t end there.
“I see myself probably winning a couple provincial championships, maybe even a national championship, and definitely getting into a good university in the future and [eventually] going professional.”
From the Junior Boys division, the top eight players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Including Nagayo, the top eight players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.
Canada’s Brigitte Thibault plans to turn pro this summer after exemplary NCAA career
Brigitte Thibault (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
John Chidley Hill
Canada’s Brigitte Thibault is ready to take the next step in her career.
The product of Rosemere, Que., said on Wednesday that she plans to turn professional sometime this summer after a successful career as an elite amateur, competing in the NCAA and representing Canada internationally.
“Next will be half pro events this summer, half amateur events,” said Thibault after competing in her last tournament with the Texas Longhorns. “Just making sure I get in the best field I can to challenge myself as much as possible.
“We’ll be turning pro this summer for sure but right now we’re just going with the flow and see how things go.”
BRIGITTE THIBAULT
Thibault said that she intends to turn professional either before the LPGA’s Q School or the CP Women’s Open, both of which will be held in late August.
Stage I of the Q School will be held Aug. 18-21 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the CP Women’s Open is at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club Aug. 22-28, and Stage II of the Q School will be held Oct. 18-21 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.
Thibault had an exemplary NCAA career, winning five titles while as an undergrad at Fresno State between 2018 and 2021. She won the 2019 Mountain West Conference Championship, the 2019 Ontario Women’s amateur Championship, the 2020 Women’s Western Amateur Championship, the 2020 Women’s Dixie Amateur and the 2021 Rebel Beach Intercollegiate. She also won bronze with Canada at the 2019 Pan American Games in the mixed team event.
She moved from Fresno State to the University of Texas at Austin for her fifth and final year of eligibility as a graduate student. Her best result as a Longhorn was tying for 14th at the Bruzzy. She also helped the Texas Women’s Golf squad to a one-over-par 289 on Monday to close out the season in 13th-place at the NCAA Championship.
“I think it hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest,” said Thibault of her collegiate career coming to an end. “I was just with my teammates today and reminiscing on all of the years.
“I’m at a loss for words, I’m just super grateful for all the years, all the learning experiences, and it’s just a lot of emotions altogether.”
Thibault said her next event will still be an amateur tournament, either the British Women’s Amateur Championship at Hunstanton Golf Club in Norfolk, England, on June 20-25 or the Porter Cup at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, N.Y., on July 13-16.
LPGA TOUR _ Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was paired with Jeongeun Lee6 at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in Las Vegas. The event at Shadow Creek Golf Course will have three days of round-robin play and then the knockout round.
EPSON TOUR _ Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., will tee off on Friday in the Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. Costabile is 66th on the Epson Tour’s money list and Szeryk is 148th.
CP WOMEN’S OPEN _ The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, host of this summer’s CP Women’s Open, posted on Sunday that its course was severely damaged by a severe storm that swept through the area over the weekend. The club shared photos of several uprooted trees in an Instagram post announcing that the club would be closed until further notice.
PGA TOUR _ Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., are the only Canadians in this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Taylor enters play this week 112th in the FedEx Cup rankings and Svensson is 126th.
KORN FERRY TOUR _ Toronto’s Albin Choi leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s NV5 Invitational at the Glen Club Golf Course in Glenview, Il. He’ll be joined by David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont. Choi is ranked 89th on the second-tier tour, Hearn is 117th and Silverman is 190th.
