Winnipeg – Corey Conners sits in the driver’s seat one-stroke in front of the field heading into the final round of the 110^th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

The Listowel, Ont. native opened his third round by firing a 3-under 32 front-nine, but closed with four bogeys over his final six holes to finish with a 2-under 68. His 8-under 204 total leaves him one-stroke clear of New Mexico’s Sam Saunders.

“I’m happy with my score, just kind of disappointed with all the bogeys,” Conners said. “I’ll try to smooth things out a little bit, I don’t know I just kind of got out of my rhythm towards the end, got a little antsy or excited.”

Now leading the way, the Team Canada member will face a familiar challenge on Thursday over the final 18 holes at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club. The 22-year-old has finished no worse than third in his last three attempts at the national amateur championship title.

“I came here with the mindset that it’s my time to win and I’m just trying to do my thing out here and see what happens,” he continued. “It would definitely be nice, still another round to be played but I’ll give it my best.”

Playing alongside Conners, Saunders carded a 1-over 71 Wednesday. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native finished at 7-under 205 and cut Conners’ lead to a single stroke after his birdie putt found the bottom of the cup on the par-4 18^th hole.

“That was really big. On the tee I knew I needed to play that hole well and not make a bogey because I had just bogeyed the previous two holes,” Saunders said. “It was really important for me to play a good hole and I got lucky, I sort of hit in there as close as I think you can on that one and made a great putt.”

Brian Bullington of Frankfort, Ill. finished with a 1-under 69 to grab solo third at 6-under 206. Bullington currently sits one stroke ahead of Team Canada’s Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. and New Zealand’s James Beale who share fourth spot at 5-under.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online here.

Winnipeg – Jonathan Garrick and Sam Saunders sit tied for the lead at the halfway point of the 110th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club and Southwood Golf and Country Club.

The American duo played opposite courses Tuesday and share top spot on the leaderboard at 8-under 134 thru 36 holes of play.

New Mexico’s Saunders carded the low round of the day at Southwood, firing a 5-under 67 during the afternoon flight. The Albuquerque native’s scorecard was highlighted by an opening 3-under 33 front-nine and a closing birdie on the par-5 18th hole.

“I just sort of played steady all day, I made two bogeys on the back nine on both the par-3’s and I actually birdied the next hole both times so that was good to keep my momentum going,” Saunders said. “I didn’t ever get into a lull in my round where it was too slow, so I just kept steadily making birdies all day and ended up 5-under.”

Playing at Elmhurst, Garrick of Atherton, Calif. continued his solid play from the first round carding a 2-under 68. The only blemish on the UCLA Bruins’ scorecard was a double-bogey on the par-4 16th hole before closing with a 2-under 33 back-nine.

“Today I got off to a good start, I eagled I think the fourth or fifth hole and then made a double after that and turned at even-par,” said Garrick “ On the back I gave myself some opportunities and made a couple more birdies coming in.”

A trio of players lead the way for the Canadian contingent in a tie for third including Team Canada’s Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. who carded a second round 2-under 68. Conners hopes to continue his strong play heading into the final 36 holes after a runner-up finish at this championship last season.

“I was pretty disappointed last year, so I want to make sure I don’t do anything silly and and jeopardize winning the tournament,” Conners said. “Basically the plan is to stick to my game plan and just stay relaxed, take it one shot at a time and do my own thing.”

Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont. and Winnipeg’s Bret Thompson share third place alongside Conners at 6-under par. Hamilton and Thompson both posted 4-under 68’s at Southwood to soar up the leaderboard on Tuesday.

In the Willingdon Cup team competition, Team Ontario’s squad of Conners, Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener, Ont. captured the title by eight strokes. The Team Canada trio carded a 2-under 138 second round team total to finish the championship at 9-under 275 ahead of Alberta’s A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Banff’s Jack Wood and Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon Country.

For a full field list as well as starting times, live scoring and post-round results for the 110th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

GLEN COVE, N.Y. -Five Canadians are headed to match play at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Brooke Mackenzie Henderson was the leading Canadian. The 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native who was the low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open, had a 71 to tie for 12th at 2 over.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. was 4 over and tied for 21st; while Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City, Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont. and Augusta James all tied for 46th at 6 over.

Bethany Wu shot a 2-under 68 on Tuesday to top the 64 match-play qualifiers.

Wu, the 17-year-old Diamond Bar, California, player who has committed to play at UCLA, finished stroke play at 3-under 137 at Nassau Country Club.

“Going to the back nine, I was thinking, `Don’t make any mistakes,'” said Wu, the runner-up last week in the Junior PGA Championship and a quarterfinalist two weeks ago in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. “(Earning medalist honors is) good for me because I’ve beat really top players here through stroke play.”

Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh, the first-round leader, was a shot back along with Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California. Oh had a 72, and Lee shot 69.

Princess Mary Superal, the 17-year-old Filipino player who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior, was another stroke back after a 73.

Defending champion Emma Talley, the 20-year-old University of Alabama player from Princeton, Kentucky, tied for 46th at 6 over. She followed her opening 76 with a 70.

“I knew that today was a big day,” said Talley, who made the winning putt for United States in June in the Curtis Cup. “I got 1 over at one point, and I knew I just needed to stick with my game.”

Winnipeg, Man. – Brian Bullington and Jonathan Garrick share top spot on the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship leaderboard after opening with 6-under 66’s. 

Bullington of Frankfort, Ill., played on the morning side of the draw at Southwood Golf and Country Club. He carded a 4-under 32 closing nine that was highlighted by four birdies over his final seven holes to vault into the early lead.

“I made like a 35-footer footer on No. 1 and on No. 2 I didn’t get up and down, I hit a spike mark which kind of kicked me into gear,” Bullington said. “I birdied the next three which was awesome and I knew that No. 7 was straight downwind so I knew if I could get that I’d probably be in a good position.”

Playing in the final pairing of the day Jonathan Garrick of Atherton, Calif., matched Bullington’s round with a bogey-free 6-under 66. The UCLA Bruins’ junior birdied his two final holes to grab top spot heading into Tuesday’s second round that will be split between Elmhurst and Southwood Golf and Country Club. 

“I birdied No. 10 to start of the back nine and in the middle I made one more but then missed a few opportunities, it was good to finish with two birdies,” Garrick said. “I’ve been playing well but I haven’t been scoring well, I’ve just been kind of waiting for it to all come together and it seems like this week it’s going to go that way.”

Leading the way for the Canadian contingent was Manitoba’s Josh Wytinck and Team Canada’s Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. who opened with a pair of 5-under 67’s. Wytinck of Glenboro, Man. carded seven birdies on Monday, while an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole highlighted Rank’s round.

“I’ve just been hitting it so well and usually when I feel pressure or nerves it’s usually when I’m not playing well,” Wytinck who plays for the University of Manitoba Bisons’ said. “I’ve been playing so well that I’m very confident in myself that if I made putts I’d shoot something like this.”

Colombia’s Ricardo Celia shares third place alongside Rank and Wytinck. Celia finished tied for fourth at the 2013 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and opened his 2014 campaign with six birdies at Southwood Golf and Country Club. 

In the Willingdon Cup team competition, Team Ontario’s squad of Rank, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. and Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener, Ont. lead the pack after opening with a 7-under 137 team total. Alberta’s A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Banff’s Jack Wood and Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon Country trail the trio of Team Canada’s National Squad members by three strokes heading into Tuesday’s final day of Willngdon Cup action. 

Monday’s opening round was contested at both Elmhurst Golf and Country Club and Southwood Golf and Country Club. Robert Ellis of St. Catharines, Ont. and Sam Saunders of Albuquerque, New Mexico carded the low rounds of the day at Elmhurst after posting 3-under 67’s to sit in a tie for 11th.

For a full field list as well as starting times, live scoring and post-round results for the 110th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

Winnipeg, Man. – Brian Bullington and Jonathan Garrick share top spot on the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship leaderboard after opening with 6-under 66’s. 

Bullington of Frankfort, Ill., played on the morning side of the draw at Southwood Golf and Country Club. He carded a 4-under 32 closing nine that was highlighted by four birdies over his final seven holes to vault into the early lead.

“I made like a 35-footer footer on No. 1 and on No. 2 I didn’t get up and down, I hit a spike mark which kind of kicked me into gear,” Bullington said. “I birdied the next three which was awesome and I knew that No. 7 was straight downwind so I knew if I could get that I’d probably be in a good position.”

Playing in the final pairing of the day Jonathan Garrick of Atherton, Calif., matched Bullington’s round with a bogey-free 6-under 66. The UCLA Bruins’ junior birdied his two final holes to grab top spot heading into Tuesday’s second round that will be split between Elmhurst and Southwood Golf and Country Club. 

“I birdied No. 10 to start of the back nine and in the middle I made one more but then missed a few opportunities, it was good to finish with two birdies,” Garrick said. “I’ve been playing well but I haven’t been scoring well, I’ve just been kind of waiting for it to all come together and it seems like this week it’s going to go that way.”

Leading the way for the Canadian contingent was Manitoba’s Josh Wytinck and Team Canada’s Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. who opened with a pair of 5-under 67’s. Wytinck of Glenboro, Man. carded seven birdies on Monday, while an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole highlighted Rank’s round.

“I’ve just been hitting it so well and usually when I feel pressure or nerves it’s usually when I’m not playing well,” Wytinck who plays for the University of Manitoba Bisons’ said. “I’ve been playing so well that I’m very confident in myself that if I made putts I’d shoot something like this.”

Colombia’s Ricardo Celia shares third place alongside Rank and Wytinck. Celia finished tied for fourth at the 2013 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and opened his 2014 campaign with six birdies at Southwood Golf and Country Club. 

In the Willingdon Cup team competition, Team Ontario’s squad of Rank, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. and Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener, Ont. lead the pack after opening with a 7-under 137 team total. Alberta’s A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Banff’s Jack Wood and Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon Country trail the trio of Team Canada’s National Squad members by three strokes heading into Tuesday’s final day of Willngdon Cup action. 

Monday’s opening round was contested at both Elmhurst Golf and Country Club and Southwood Golf and Country Club. Robert Ellis of St. Catharines, Ont. and Sam Saunders of Albuquerque, New Mexico carded the low rounds of the day at Elmhurst after posting 3-under 67’s to sit in a tie for 11th.

For a full field list as well as starting times, live scoring and post-round results for the 110th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh shot a 4-under 66 on Monday in the U.S. Women’s Amateur to take the first-round lead in stroke-play qualifying.

The 18-year-old Oh had six birdies and two bogeys at Nassau Country Club. The top 64 after the second round Tuesday will advance to match play.

“I’m playing quite solid,” said Oh, a quarterfinalist last year at the Country Club of Charleston in South Carolina. “Just giving myself a lot of opportunities and making a few.”

Eighth in the world amateur ranking, Oh matched the women’s course record. She holed out from 40 feet for birdie from off the green on the par-4 11th.

“I thought, `Just get it somewhere there,'” Oh said. “It felt good. I’ll take it any day.”

Sixteen-year-old Hannah O’Sullivan of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was a stroke back. She birdied four of her last six holes and needed only 25 putts.

“I just started hitting the ball better,” O’Sullivan said. “I was putting great all day and just gave myself better opportunities and drained the putts.”

Megan Khang, also 16, of Rockland, Massachusetts, opened with a 68.

Princess Mary Superal, the 17-year-old Filipino player who won the U.S. Girls’ Junior winner last month, had a 70.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who was low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open, shot 71 and was tied for 12th with Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont.

Augusta James of Bath, Ont. the newly crowned Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, opened with a 72.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City was 3-over after the opening-round – she fired a 73.

Defending champion Emma Talley, the 20-year-old University of Alabama player from Princeton, Kentucky, was tied for 86th at 76.

Winnipeg – Winnipeg, Man., native Jay Doyle will hope to draw on a hometown edge when he vies for Canada’s most historic championship as the 47-year old shot 1-over 71 during Friday’s Final Qualifier at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club to earn his place into next week’s 110th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
 
Doyle is one of five players and three Manitoba natives to earn an exemption into the storied Canadian Men’s Amateur Golf Championship. Also punching a ticket into next week’s championship are Alex Purdom of London, Ont. (+2) and Ben Bandura (+2) of Selkirk, Man. as well as Bobby Wiebe of Headingley, Man. (+3) and Russell Bowie of Mississauga, Ont. (+3).

Among the three Manitoba natives earning spots through the Final Qualifier, Bandura plays out of the host Elmhurst Golf and Country Club while Doyle plays locally out of Niakwa Country Club and Wiebe represents the Breezy Bend Country Club.

After Friday’s Final Qualifier, a total of 240 players are set to compete in the 2014 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, contested August 4-7th at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club as well as Southwood Golf and Country Club. 

After the first two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties for the final 36 holes of the championship finishing on Thursday, August 7th at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club. 

Practice rounds are set for Saturday, August 2nd and Sunday, August 3rd with the opening round set to tee off on Monday, August 4th. 

Admission is free to all spectators throughout the week.

For a full field list as well as starting times, live scoring and post-round results for the 110th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

Niagara Falls, Ont. – After 72 holes of play that consisted of multiple course records, low scores, and weather delays, 18-year-old Austin James of Bath, Ont. claimed the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course. 

James gained momentum in Wednesday’s second round, which continued into Thursday due to a weather delay, when he matched the course record with an 8-under-par 64. He continued his strong play in Thursday afternoon’s third round, which was suspended due to darkness when James was 2-under through nine holes.

“I tried not to let [the suspensions] affect anything and just kept playing the way I was playing,” said James after Friday’s awards ceremony. “It was a good test to see if I could do it mentally and I’m happy I did.”

It was evident that James did not let the week’s suspensions faze him. He finished the third round with a score of 4-under-par 68, and began his fourth round just a few hours later. His final round even-par 72 was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole and led James to finish with a score of 15-under-par 273 for the championship. 

James’ victory comes just one week after his older sister, Team Canada member Augusta James, claimed the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Their simultaneous victories make them the only siblings to have won Canadian national championship titles in the same year.

“I will definitely remember this moment for a while, I’m really blessed to have her as a sister. She’s a really good golfer, so it’s great to try and compare myself to her.” James said.  “Obviously her win last week was incredible, winning by six at such a big event with such strong competition. I really have her to thank for this week, it kind of made me believe that it was possible, and that I could win something like this.”

Following James by four strokes to finish in second was Team Canada Development Squad member Tony Gil, 16, of Vaughan, Ont. Gil’s final combined score of 11-under-par 277 crowned him the Juvenile Boys Champion. He also broke the course record of 8-under-par 64, originally set by Patrick Murphy and matched by James earlier this week, with a 9-under-63 in the third round. Murphy, 17, of Crossfield, Alta. finished in third at 10-under-278 for the championship. 

Final results and a full field list are available here.

Thornhill, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Grace St-Germain carded four consecutive under-par rounds to claim the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Thornhill Golf and Country Club. 

The 15-year-old showed poise over the final 18 holes, withstanding Team Canada Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay by firing a final round 1-under 71. The victory is the Ottawa native’s first national championship and comes on the heels of wins at the Quebec Women’s Amateur and Ontario Junior Girls Match-Play.

“It feels great, it’s a great accomplishment and it’s an honour to have my name on that trophy,” St-Germain said following her round.

St-Germain finished the championship as the only player under-par at 6-under 282 to claim both the Junior Girls and Juvenile division titles. Over 72 holes she carded 18 birdies to finish seven strokes ahead of Tanguay after rounds of 70-70-71-71. 

“This morning on the putting green, Reggie [GAO’s coach] just told me to just breathe and smile and you’ll be okay, so I just tried to breathe and smile,” she said about overcoming her final round nerves.

With St-Germain’s win she also earns an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and all three Canadian Women’s Tour stops next season. 

Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., battled with St-Germain on the opening nine, trading the lead back and forth before stumbling on the closing stretch. The 18-year-old struggled on the back-nine posting a 4-over 40 to finish in solo second at 1-over 289 after a final round 5-over 77.

Thornhill’s Selena Costabile claimed solo third after a 3-over 75 to finish the championship at 3-over 291. Costabile also finished in second place in the Juvenile division, while Development Squad member Naomi Ko of Victoria carded a 2-under 70 to finish in fourth overall at 4-over 292.

Courtney Tolton of Mitchell, Ont. rounded out the top-5 after a final round 1-under 71 to finish at 6-over for the championship.

London, Ont. (Golf Canada) –  Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., Team Canada amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. and Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. have all earned exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. August 18-24, based on their play during the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season.

The 16-year old Henderson, currently the no. 2 ranked amateur golfer in the world, captured the second Canadian Women’s Tour stop of the season in Niagara Falls, Ont. at Legends on the Niagara as well as the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. Although previously exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, Henderson shot rounds of 65-66 (-13) to win the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship by five strokes.

Henderson’s play this season earned her the prestigeious Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award and Amateur of the Year honours as she finished the season atop the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

Piyapattra earned her exemption into Canada’s Women’s National Open Championship after winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf and Country Club in Parksville, B.C., in a playoff.

Samantha Richdale and Simin Feng received the final two exemptions based on the 2014 Order of Merit standings at the end of season. The duo finished tied for fourth at the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship to secure their exemptions from the Order of Merit.

The exemptions were announced at the conclusion of the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship which served as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour.

A final listing of the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit can be found here.

Additional exemptions into Canada’s National Women’s Open Champion will be announced in the coming weeks.

The exemption contingent from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour season will join a world-class field at London Hunt and Country Club that includes a number of confirmed LPGA Tour stars including two-time defending champion and Rolex Rankings no. 2 Lydia Ko, Rolex Rankings no. 1 Stacey Lewis, no. 3 Inbee Park,  no. 5 Lexi Thompson and no. 12 Paula Creamer.

In addition to Ko, past Canadian Women’s Open champions confirmed to compete include Brittany Lincicome (2011), Michelle Wie (2010), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Katherine Hull-Kirk (2008) and Cristie Kerr (2006) who won the event when it was last held at the London Hunt and Country Club.

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to London Hunt and Country Club for the first time since 2006.

Tickets for all tournament days of the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are still available with children aged 17 and under getting in free all week with a ticketed adult.

As an added incentive, title sponsor CP has stepped up to encourage spectators to buy advance tickets to the event for the benefit of the Children’s Health Foundation in London Ontario. Through the CP Ticket Rally for Heart campaign, for every eligible ticket purchased to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open until August 17th, 2014, Canadian Pacific will donate at least $100 per ticket to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of paediatric heart health programs.