RICHMOND, B.C. –  British Columbia Golf has announced the nomination of five outstanding golfers in their respective categories for the Sport BC Athlete of The Year Awards.

Doug Roxburgh, Jackie Little, Christina Proteau, Adam Svensson and Naomi Ko have each been nominated by British Columbia Golf’s President David Atkinson and Executive Director Kris Jonasson.

The gala event, being held March 12, 2015, is the longest standing provincial sports award program in Canada to recognize the accomplishments of amateur athletes, coaches and officials.

Nominated as Master Male Athlete of the Year, Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh is the 2014 B.C. Senior and Canadian Senior Champion. The Marine Drive Golf Club member is a 13-time B.C. Amateur Champion, 4-time Canadian Amateur Champion and has been inducted into both the B.C. and Canadian Golf Hall of Fames.

“When I think of how much golf has given me, I can’t help but think this is such an unbelievable game,” said Roxburgh. “There’s no other sport like it. You can play it from when you’re a kid to when you’re old. You can play it with your family, from playing with your dad to playing with your kids and grandkids. I think of all the friends I’ve made through the game and how good the game has been to me. I owe so much to this game.”

Port Alberni’s Jackie Little, nominated in the Master Female category, took home the B.C. Senior Women’s trophy for the 4th time, while adding the B.C. Mid-Master and Zone 6 Sr. Women’s championships in 2014. She also captured the Alberta Senior Ladies crown and Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) Women’s Amateur Senior titles for good measure. Little is also a member of the B.C. Golf Hall of Fame.

There must be something in the water in Port Alberni as they also lay claim to Christina Proteau, who is up for the Senior Female award. Aside from accepting her third straight PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Award, Proteau won the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and then followed that up by taking her third consecutive Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title, which she won while she was 5 months pregnant.

Up for Senior Male Athlete of 2014 is Surrey’s Adam Svensson, the number two ranked male amateur golfer in Canada. As a junior at Barry University in Florida, Svensson won seven of the 12 NCAA Division II events he competed in, a record that earned him the Jack Nicklaus Award for best Division II golfer in the nation. He was also named the PNGA’s Male Golfer of The Year and recorded a tie for 8th in the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship as well as tie for 4th in the 112th B.C. Amateur.

The nominee for Junior Female Athlete of the year is Victoria’s 17-year-old Naomi Ko. A Team Canada Development Team member, Ko, who was named the PNGA Junior Girls’ award winner, had a stellar 2014, which included winning the B.C. Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship and finishing runner-up at the B.C. Juvenile Girls’ Championship. She also added the CN Future Links Ontario title to her list of achievements for the year.

The Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards take place March 12th, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Golf Central and HBM Integrated, two Nova Scotia owned and operated businesses, have teamed up to donate National Golf in Schools kits (NGIS) to two deserving schools in Nova Scotia.

Hebbville Academy was the recipient of a National Golf in Schools Kit donated by HBM Integrated. This school has over 500 students from grades primary to nine and won the Golf in Schools kit via winning a draw from all entries of schools attending the Sport Nova Scotia Milk Sports Fair held in in Bridgewater. PGA Professional Andrew Noseworthy assisted in delivery of the program by conducting classes for 100 students.

Waverley Memorial Elementary School received a National Golf in Schools Kit courtesy of Golf Central. This school has approximately 350 students from grades primary to six and was visited by PGA of Canada Professional Mike Timmons. More than 200 students of all ages participated in balancing and posture exercises along with putting and full swing drills.

HBM Integrated Technology Inc. provides business management and accounting solutions to companies in a wide variety of industries in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Golf Central is a locally owned and operated golf retail store in Bayers Lake Industrial Park. It has built its success on selling brand name golf products at competitive prices while, at the same time, keeping quality customer service and satisfaction its number one goal.

Team Canada member and Surrey, B.C. native Adam Svensson was nominated for Sport B.C. Male Athlete of the Year. The 20-year-old will learn the results of his nomination come the award ceremony on Mar. 12^th.

In his sophomore season at Barry University, Svensson won seven NCAA titles en route to winning the Jack Nicklaus Award—given to the best Div II golfer in the nation. He followed that up with a 7^th place finish at the World Amateur Team Championship alongside teammates Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.)—the Canadian contingent finished second overall.

Currently, Svensson sits at No. 35 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and looks to improve even further in his junior year at Barry.

Svensson was nominated by David Atkinson, President of British Columbia Golf and Kris Jonasson, Executive Director of British Columbia Golf.

The 2014 winner of this award was Boston Celtics basketball player Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops.

OTTAWA — Today the National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) brought golf industry representatives to Parliament in order to advocate for tax fairness for the game of golf, Canada’s most popular sport.

“Golf is one of Canada’s most beloved sports with more people playing the game than hockey,” said Jeff Calderwood, NAGA spokesman. “There are an estimated 5.7 million Canadian golfers and there are 2,300 golf courses and practice ranges in Canada and the industry is worth more than $14 billion per year to the Canadian economy.”

While golf continues to be a favourite pastime for Canadians, it’s important to note that the small businesses involved in the golf industry have felt the impact of the recession over the past several years. Both participation rates and employment have significantly decreased. To make matters worse, current federal tax legislation imposes a major competitive disadvantage on the golf industry.

“Unfortunately the golf industry in Canada suffers from an outdated 40-year-old tax policy that singles out golf businesses in an unfair manner,” continued Mr. Calderwood. “Over the past several years we have met with Parliamentarians from all parties to call on the federal government and Minister of Finance to correct this inequity and to restore tax fairness for Canada’s golf industry.”

Due to a 1971 tax reform, the Canada Revenue Agency does not allow deductions for expenses incurred by business people entertaining clients at golf courses. Canada’s 2,300 golf courses, most of whom are small business operators, feel that they cannot compete fairly with all the other industries where CRA does support entertaining clients. Over time, the unfairness of this discrimination against the golf industry has become more and more significant.

“Just a few weeks ago, Minister Oliver projected that 2015 will conclude with a surplus,” concluded Calderwood. “In the meetings we’ve had with MPs and Prime Minister Harper’s government over the past several years, we advised that we understood the government’s need to balance its books before amending the Income Tax Act, and that time is now upon us. We are a collection of small businesses who are simply asking to be treated fairly.”

Global Golf Post has selected its second-annual All-Amateur team and Canada is well represented in this year’s picks.

The selections identify amateurs, from across the world, who have played exceptional golf over the last calendar year. In 2014, the selection committee chose 211 golfers from 23 different countries.

Corey Conners was selected to the Men’s Amateur 1^st Team after a season in which the Listowel, Ont. native finished as the runner-up in both the US and Canadian Amateurs. The 22-year-old also captured the Jones and Tailhade Cups.

Joining Conners with distinctions in the Men’s Amateur category was Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., who was selected to the 2^nd Team. The long-bomber also had a successful 2014, earning victories at the Monroe Invitational and the Porter Cup, in addition to turning heads with a fantastic opening round at the RBC Canadian Open.

In the Men’s Mid-Amateur category, Garrett Rank and Rob Couture were both honoured with All-Amateur selections.

Rank, who hails out of Elmira, Ont., was selected to the Men’s Mid-Amateur 1^st Team. He won the 2014 Canadian Mid-Amateur in a playoff over Couture at the Barrie Country Club. A member of the 2014 Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, Rank also advanced to the to the Rd. of 32 at the US Amateur and Rd. of 16 at the US Amateur Public Links.

Couture, who finished as the runner-up in the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur, was selected to the Mid-Amateur 2^nd Team. A dual citizen of the US and Canada, Couture was a semi-finalist at this year’s Crump Cup and finished in the top 15 at the 2014 Lupton Invitational.

Rounding out this year’s male honourees was Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh, who was named to the Men’s Senior Amateur 1^st Team.  The four-time Canadian Amateur Champion added to his already stellar career resume with a victory at the 2014 Canadian Senior Amateur just a month after clinching his second-straight and 13^th overall B.C. Senior Amateur title.

On the women’s side, it comes as no surprise that Brooke Henderson was selected to the Women’s Amateur 1^st Team. The Espirito Santo Trophy recipient was the runner-up at the US Women’s Amateur and had the low amateur score at this year’s US Women’s Open, where she tied for 10th. The 17-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont. is currently the No. 1 ranked female amateur golfer in the world.

Henderson’s Team Canada Women’s Amateur teammate Augusta James was selected to the Women’s Amateur 2^nd Team after a very strong summer. The Bath, Ont. native defeated Henderson to win the Canadian Women’s Amateur, in addition to finishing runner-up at the Ontario Amateur. James also advanced to the Rd. of 16 at the US Women’s Amateur.

Soon-Bin Kim of Coquitlam, B.C. was given an honourable mention for her excellent play in 2014. Kim was named Golfweek’s Women’s player of the fall after winning the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational and finishing as the runner-up at the Pac-12 Preview.

Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. was named to the 1^st Team in the Women’s Mid-Amateur category after a strong 2014 campaign that culminated in her receiving the PNGA Women’s Mid-Am Player of the Year award for the third consecutive year. Proteau collected her third straight Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title, won the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur, and finished as a quarter-finalist at the US Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Stefi Markovich, a resident of Welland, Ont., was given an honourable mention in the Women’s Mid-Am category for a solid year in 2014.

In the Women’s Senior Amateur category, Judith Kyrinis and Helene Chartrand were named to the 1^st Team, while Mary Ann Hayward was selected to the 2^nd Team.

Kyrinis, a registered nurse who plays out of the Thornhill Golf Club in Ont., fell short in the finals of the US Senior Women’s Amateur to Joan Higgins of Glendora, Calif. Kyrinis also placed inside the top 5 at the Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur.

Chartrand of Pincourt, Qué. was victorious at the Canadian Senior Women’s Amateur just one month after capturing the Mid-Master title at the 2014 Canadian Women’s Amateur. Chartrand was also able to advance to the Rd. of 32 at the US Senior Women’s Amateur.

Hayward, who resides in Aurora, Ont., claimed the Ontario Senior Women’s Championship title and finished as the runner-up at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in August.

UXBRIDGE, Ont. —  The GAO (Golf Association of Ontario) has announced the rosters of the five regional teams that will comprise Ontario’s under-17 high performance program in 2014-15.

After a very successful regional team pilot program in 2013-14, the GAO is expanding the number of regional teams as well as adding more content to the training programs.  The team members were selected based on their 2014 tournament scores and testing results from Skills Combines held during the month of September.

“We were thrilled with the progress of the 36 athletes that were part of regional team pilot program last season,” says Mary Ann Hayward, GAO Manager of Sport Performance. “Six of those players have advanced to our Team Ontario program for the upcoming season. With the addition of Niagara and Windsor, we will have 60 promising young athletes in our under-17 training program for 2014-15. A new addition to the program this year is a 36-hole regional team competition to be held in the Niagara area in late April. With our skilled personal coaches, dedicated regional coaches and the support of TaylorMade-adidas Golf Canada as our new high performance sponsor, the future of golf in Ontario has never been brighter.”

Team Ottawa

Team Ottawa is made up of athletes from Ottawa and surrounding areas in Eastern Ontario. Adam Holden coaches the team and Allen Hicks is the team’s strength and conditioning coach. They will train out of the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata and the Ottawa Athletic Club.

Players

• Cameron Belanger (Stittsville, Ont.)
• Christopher Carwardine (Kanata. Ont.)
• Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.)
• Logan Henry (Kemptville, Ont.)
• Keenan McPhail (Ottawa, Ont.)
• James Parsons (Almonte, Ont.)
• Tyler Read (Brockville, Ont.)
• Nick Valiquette (Cornwall, Ont.)
• Dylann Armstrong (North Gower, Ont.)
• Sarah Cushing (Brockville, Ont.)
• Isabella Landry (Nepean, Ont.)
• Kiley Rodrigues (Kingston, Ont.)

For more information on the team and its players, visit the Team Ottawa page.

Team York

Team York covers Toronto and the GTA. Jeff Overholt coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Katie Robinson. Team York will train out of The Golf Lab in Vaughan and Carrying Place G & CC in Kettleby.

Players

• Kevin Doran (Sharon, Ont.)
• Brendan Dunphy (Whitby, Ont.)
• Jeffery Fang (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
• Zachary Katzenstein (Thornhill, Ont.)
• Lachlan O’Hara (Mississauga, Ont.)
• Jacob Presutti (Brampton, Ont.)
• Luke Sear (Stouffville, Ont.)
• Dee Xie (Toronto, Ont.)
• Amanda Kerr (Brampton, Ont.)
• Hailey McLaughlin (Markham, Ont.)
• Cynthia Zhao (Toronto, Ont.)
• Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players, visit the Team York page.

Team Waterloo

Team Waterloo is made up of players from the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding area. Mike Martz coaches the team and their strength and conditioning coach is Angella Lee. They will train out of the Golf Performance Centre and Whistle Bear GC in Cambridge.

Players

• Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.)
• Cougar Colling (Caledon, Ont.)
• Lucas DeCorso (Guelph, Ont.)
• Michael Dubois (Brantford, Ont.)
• Jarrett Fitzpatrick (Caledonia, Ont.)
• Dylan Henderson (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Michael Rizzo (Brantford, Ont.)
• Carter Snowden (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Haley Barclay (Strathroy, Ont.)
• Taylor Kehoe (Strathroy, Ont.)
• Kristen Giles (Georgetown, Ont.)
• Grace Mitchell (Kitchener, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players, visit the Team Waterloo page.

Team Niagara

Team Niagara is comprised of golfers in the Niagara region, which includes Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and surrounding area. John White coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Wayne Oliver. They will train out of the Legends on the Niagara, in Niagara Falls and winter training will be at TurfNet and Fourth Quarter Fitness in Welland.

Players

• Michael Athoe (Ridgeway, Ont.)
• Justin DiCienzo (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Vincent Dicosimo (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Vince Friyia (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Sparky MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Jason Maloney (St. Ann’s, Ont.
• Ethan Siebert (Beamsville, Ont.)
• Brett Warkentin (Ridgeway, Ont.)
• Sukriti Harjai (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Susan Leone (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Taylor Simoneau (St. Catharines, Ont.)
• Emily Ward (Niagara Falls, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players, visit the Team Niagara page.

Team Essex-Kent

Team Essex-Kent is made up of golfers from the Windsor and South Western Ontario area. Randy McQueen coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Ryan Carlone. They will train out of Roseland Golf Club and On The Green Indoor Golf in Tecumseh.

Players

• Spencer Ferguson (Windsor, Ont.)
• Brett Harrison (Essex, Ont.)
• Curtis Hughes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• Adam Nunes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• David Nunes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• Shawn Sehra (Windsor, Ont.)
• Marcus Slipchuk (Amherstburg, Ont.)
• Ethan Stewart (Windsor, Ont.)
• Shannon Coffey (Windsor, Ont.)
• Rachel Cote (Windsor, Ont.)
• Jasmine Ly (Windsor, Ont.)
• Brooke MacKinnon (Chatham, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players, visit the Team Essex-Kent page.

The Provincial Government is cutting the red tape around liquor licensing for golf courses and ski areas.  This will make it easier for courses to hold special events outside of their licensed areas.  Previously, courses had to apply for special permits for each use and pay a $330 fee for each application.

The process has now been streamlined so that ski areas and golf courses need only apply once per year, with one fee, and hold up to 26 events per year.  These events (like weddings) are typically held outdoors, away from the licensed areas of the club.  Clubs can now plan in advance what events they wish to hold and book these events secure in the knowledge that they will be able  use their license.

The change will come into effect December 9, 2014 and courses will be able to apply for their annual permits at that time.  Courses must still obtain local government approval.

Kris Jonasson, Executive Director of British Columbia Golf attended the announcement.

“Its great to see the government working hard to cut red tape for small business and tourism operations in the province,” said Jonasson. “Golf courses throughout BC extend their licensed areas quite often for our customers, to host weddings and for large gatherings.  This change will be a great relief for many.”

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario will welcome four new members into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony taking place on May 6, 2015 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

Bob Breen, Doug Carrick, Edith Creed and Bill Kerr will become the 69th, 70th, 71st and 72nd members of the Hall.  In addition, Garry McKay will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario Media for “major contributions to golf.”

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in the year 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

2015 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

Bob Breen

Robert Breen was born in Guelph, Ont. in 1939, before moving to Brampton. Breen quickly excelled in the sport, capturing the Ontario PGA Hunt Trophy as a junior, a feat he would go on to do again three times as a senior.

He turned pro in 1960 and went on to have tremendous success. He captured 15 victories on the Ontario PGA Tour and another three on the Canadian Tour. Breen also participated in the Canadian Open on 10 occasions, played on the American Tour, where he won the Bahamas International, the Florida tour, where he was a four-time winner, the South American Tour and events on the PGA Tour.

Success followed Breen when he began competing on senior tours. He captured 17 Ontario Senior PGA Tour wins and won the Canadian Super Senior Championship three times (2001, 2005 and 2007). In 2010, he was the Canadian Diamond Division Canadian Champion. Breen also had the opportunity to play in a pair of USGA Senior U.S. Opens.

In addition to his individual success, Breen also represented Ontario, 23 times in the Ontario/Quebec Titleist Cup Matches. He was also a 10-time member of the Bobby Orr Nabisco Team.

Breen’s contributions to the game of golf go beyond his playing career. He began working in the industry in 1961 as an Assistant Professional at Kleinburg Golf Club and Pine Valley Golf Club (now The National). He moved on to become the Head Professional at Malton Golf Club (now Castlemore) a position he would also hold at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Erin Heights Golf Club and Derrydale Golf Club. Breen passed away in August of 2014. At the time, he was serving as ambassador and teaching Professional at Brampton Golf Club and Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Doug Carrick

Don Mills resident, Doug Carrick, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category. A renowned course designer, Carrick has designed 25 courses in Canada and another four internationally. In addition, he has been involved in the renovations of 45 courses.

His work has earned him numerous awards including: Best New Course in Canada (six times), Best New Course in Ontario (three times), Best Golf Development (2005, Humber Valley River Course) and Best International Golf Resort (2007, Humber Valley River Course).

Carrick’s courses have hosted multiple professional events including two Canadian Opens (2002, Angus Glen South Course and 2007, Angus Glen North Course), two Canadian Women’s Opens (2000, Angus Glen South Course and 2004, Legends on the Niagara Battlefield Course) a European Tour event and European LPGA event.

A past president of the Summit Golf Club, Carrick has also served in a variety of roles with the American Society of Golf Course Architects, including president in 2009-10.

In 1985, Carrick established his own golf course design firm Carrick Design Inc.

Edith Creed

Edith Creed was born in Toronto in 1928 and now resides in Schomberg, Ont. A member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, Creed had tremendous success as an amateur golfer.

Her list of accomplishments is long and includes being a 37-time Club Champion at Oakdale. Creed also won the York District Championship in 1982.

It was as a senior competitor though where Creed made her mark on the game. She captured the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship three times (1979, 1981 and 1982). Her victories were also seen at the provincial level as she won the Ontario Senior Women’s Championship five times (1978, 1981-83 and 1986). Creed also added two York Senior Women’s District Championships (1978 and 1985).

Creed represented Ontario in 1966 as a member of the provincial team and then 10 times as a member of the senior provincial team.

She has given back to the game by helping to organize national competitions at Oakdale, along with being a supporter of their junior program.

Bill Kerr

Born in Lisburn, Ireland in 1911, Bill Kerr immigrated to Ontario soon after his birth. He had numerous affiliations to Ontario courses between 1928 and 1946, before becoming the head professional at Beaconsfield Golf and Country Club in Quebec.

While a resident of Ontario, Kerr captured the 1945 CPGA Championship, a feat he would go on to replicate in 1960. He also won two Miller Trophy Match Play Championships in 1944 and 1945, another feat he would duplicate while in Quebec in 1947 and 1950.

Throughout his career, Kerr played in six Canadian Opens and the 1961 Masters Championship. He was a five-time winner on the Quebec PGA Tour, the 1956 Bermuda Goodwill Champion, and the 1963 and 1964 CPGA Senior Champion.

In addition to his contributions to the game as a head and touring professional, Kerr also served as a two-time President of Golf Quebec and President of the CPGA from 1955-1958.

Kerr passed away in 1997, but his legacy lives on through his family who have continued his work with contributions to the golf industry in Ontario and Quebec in various capacities.

Garry McKay- Lorne Rubenstein Award

Sports journalist, Garry McKay, has been covering golf for more than 40 years. The Hamilton, Ont. resident has written for the Hamilton Spectator along with all of the major Canadian golf magazines as well as periodicals in the U.S. and Germany. In 2009, he also moved into radio hosting the Canadian PGA Golf Radio Show.

He’s a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the past-president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. McKay is a voting member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. He also sits on the SCOREGolf Top 100 and the Ontario Golf Magazine Best New Course and Top 50 Course panels.

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada has announced the names of the athletes who have been selected to represent Team Canada as part of the 2015 National Amateur Squad and Development Squad program.

In all, eight athletes comprise Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, including four players on the women’s team and four players on the men’s team while the National Development Squad will include 11 athletes (five women and six men).

Returning to lead the men’s squad is 2014 US Amateur runner-up Corey Conners, 22, of Listowel, Ont. (No. 17 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). Conners, who recently made it to the match play semi-finals at the Argentina Amateur and helped Canada win the Tailhade Cup, earned 2015 exemptions to play in The Masters and U.S. Open by way of his runner-up finish at the 2014 U.S. Men’s Amateur. He was also part of Canada’s runner-up team at the 2014 Men’s World Amateur Team Championship.

Surrey, B.C., native Adam Svensson, 20, ranked No. 37 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking and winner of the 2014 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus Award also returns to the Men’s National Amateur Squad. In 2014 as a sophomore at Barry University, Svensson’s seven victories set the school record for NCAA Division II victories en route to the team repeating as NCAA Division II champions. He alsofinished as the low Canadian in 7^th position at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship where he helped Canada finished runner-up.

Joining Conners and Svensson will be Burlington, Ont. native Blair Hamilton, 21, a sophomore at the University of Houston who is a year removed from the National Program when he was a member of the Development Squad in 2013. Rounding out the squad is 18-year old rising star Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas, a dual citizen who is currently ranked No. 18 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Connelly recently paired with Conners to win the Tailhade Cup and was also a finalist in the Argentine Amateur.

On the women’s side, Team Canada Amateur Squad returning members include Brittany Marchand, 22, of Orangeville, Ont., (No. 67 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking) and Jennifer Ha, 20, of Calgary (No. 90 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). A senior at N.C. State, Marchand helped Canada to a runner-up finish at the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship while Ha, a junior at Kent State, finished second at the 2014 Porter Cup.

A pair of rookies will join Team Canada’s Women’s Amateur Squad including dual citizen Maddie Szeryk, 18, of Allen, Texas, (No. 63 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking) who represented Canada at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games and Elizabeth Tong, 21, of Thornhill, Ont. (No. 210 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking). Szeryk, a freshman at Texas A&M, has had a solid start to her college career, finishing 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th and 2^nd in her first four starts while Tong competed in both the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in 2014 and advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“We are very excited about the group of young men and women selected as members of Team Canada for 2015,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “It is at the very core of what we do; supporting, developing and nurturing Canada’s future stars of the sport. Investing in future heroes for our sport has a ripple affect across all areas of what we do. We have no doubt that the athletes selected will represent Canada to the best of their abilities and we look forward to assisting them in achieving their goals.”

The following athletes have been selected to Golf Canada’s 2015 Team Canada:

WOMEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD
Brittany Marchand, Orangeville, Ont. (22)
Jennifer Ha, Calgary, Alta. (20)
Elizabeth Tong, Thornhill, Ont. (21)
Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Texas (18)

MEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD
Corey Conners, Listowel, Ont. (22)
Adam Svensson, Surrey, B.C. (20)
Blair Hamilton, Burlington, Ont. (21)
Austin Connelly, Irving, Texas (18)

Complete National Amateur Squad bios can be found here.

As part of the National Amateur Team Program, Golf Canada also named the 22-and-under Development Squad that includes five female and six male athletes. The Development Squad is designed to help facilitate the continued development of Canada’s top young talents.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2015 Development Squad Program:

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
Naomi Ko, Victoria, B.C. (17)
Jaclyn Lee, Calgary, Alta. (17)
Grace St-Germain, Ottawa, Ont. (16)
Michelle Kim, Surrey, B.C. (17)
Alisha Lau, Richmond, B.C. (15)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Tony Gil, Vaughan, Ont. (16)
Tyler Saunders, Sturgeon County, Alta. (19)
Patrick Murphy, Crossfield, Alta. (17)
Trevor Ranton, Waterloo, Ont. (17)
AJ Armstrong, St. Albert, Alta. (17)
Étienne Papineau, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. (18)

Complete Development Squad player bios can be found here.

Golf Canada also announced the 2015 Team Canada coaching staff with Derek Ingram returning as Men’s Squad Head Coach and Tristan Mullally returning as Women’s Squad Head Coach. Robert Ratcliffe returns as Lead Development Squad Coach and will be supported by Women’s Development Team Coach Ann Carroll. Ingram, Mullally, Ratcliffe and Carroll are all Class “A” members with the PGA of Canada.

Oakville, Ont. — The Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC) compiled its annual coaches poll on November 12^th, 2015 and the UBC Thunderbirds men’s and women’s squads were voted as the two top teams in the country.

In the men’s poll, the Thunderbirds (92 points) edged the Manitoba Bisons (91 points) and the Waterloo Warriors (87 points) by a narrow margin.

Rounding out the TOP 10 were the Laval Rouge et Or (84 points), Holland Hurricanes (81 points), Victoria Vikes (79 points), Brock Badgers (70 points), Ottawa Gee Gee’s (55 points), Fraser Valley Cascades (53 points), and Montreal Carabins (52 points).

On the women’s side, UBC (60 points) was unanimously voted as the top team in the country, garnering all six first place votes.

The Toronto Varsity Blues (48 points) finished in second place, just one point ahead of the Montreal Carabins (47 points). The Victoria Vikes (44 points) claimed fourth spot, while the Alberta Pandas (33 points) took fifth.

The Waterloo Warriors (31 points) placed in sixth overall, followed by the Fraser Valley Cascades (22 points). The Western Ontario Mustangs and McGill Martlets tied (16 points) for 8^th place overall, and the Laval Rouge et OR (10 points) completed the TOP 10.

The 2015 Golf Canada University/College Golf Championship will run May 25-29 at Cutten Fields Golf Course in Guelph, Ont.