GEORGETOWN, Ont. — It was a spectacular final round for Kitchener, Ont.’s Chris Hemmerich at the Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship being contested at the Club at North Halton. Hemmerich entered the day 5-under, two-shots behind leaders and Team Canada teammates Corey Conners of Listowell, Ont. and Richmond Hill, Ont.’s Taylor Pendrith. However, Hemmerich shot an 8-under 63 in the final round and held on for a one-shot win over both Conners and Pendrith.

Hemmerich, 21, lit up the course from the beginning of the final round. He opened the day with birdies on the first two holes to grab a share of the lead. After birdies on holes 5, 7 and 9, Hemmerich sat 5-under for the day when he made the turn. He didn’t let up on the back nine as he drained birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 13 to drop to 13-under for the tournament. From there he parred the final five holes to enter the clubhouse with the lead, at a tournament total of 271 (-8).

“This really feels awesome,” said Hemmerich after the round. “I had a great support staff with me here this week, from the National Team staff to family and friends, who all came out to watch. It really couldn’t have been drawn up any better.”

One of the things Hemmerich was able to do well during his final round was rebound from sub-par shots. He talked about how he approached those situations.

“In years past I have hit a lot of very bad shots, so I know they are going to happen and when they do you just need to laugh about it,” he explained. “That is really how I approach golf.”

Hemmerich gave full credit to the other members of Team Canada who will join him in representing the province at the inter-provincial event at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship being held August 4-7 at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club and Southwood Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg.

“Every tournament we have entered as a team, at least one of us has been up near the top of the leaderboard,” he added. “It is kind of weird when you are 7-under for the day and still not leading. That just shows how good those boys are.”

For full scoring and other information, click here.

BRAMPTON, Ont. — There is only one way to describe Smith Falls, Ont. resident Brooke Henderson’s performance at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Women’s Amateur Championship at the Brampton Golf Club – clutch. The 16-year-old went wire-to-wire leading thru all four rounds to capture the 2014 title with a combined score of 12-under (272).

Henderson, a Team Canada member, came into the final round with a two-shot lead over fellow Team Canada member, Bath, Ont.’s Augusta James and seven ahead of a third Team Canada representative, Orangeville, Ont.’s Brittany Marchand.

The day began with a birdie for the 21-year-old James on the first hole and a bogey for Henderson on the third. That brought the two back to a share of the lead at 7-under. However, that would be the sole blemish on Henderson’s day. She completed the front nine with birdies on holes 4, 7 and 9. She then hit back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to finish the round at four-under (67).

As for James, she hit another birdie on the 5th hole, but a bogey on 6 brought her back to 7-under. She began the back nine with a birdie and a bogey, on 10 and 11, before closing out her round with birdies on 14 and 17. She finished the day three-under (68) and the tournament at 9-under.

Marchand, 22, looked to jump into the race for the title with a 3-under front nine. She would bogey 12, but added birdies on 13 and 15 to finish the day four-under (67) and six-under for the tournament.

After the round, Henderson spoke about what it meant to win the championship.

“It was such a great event,” she said Friday. “I had a good opening round and was able to finish it off today.  Coming into the tournament, I wanted to get my name on that trophy. There are so many great names on it and I am so happy I was able to do it.”

The three Team Canada members spent most of the week playing together, Henderson talked about how that impacted her game.

“I played with Britt (Marchand) right from the get go and then with Gus (James) for the last two rounds,” she added. “I had a couple of middle rounds that weren’t that great but playing with them was a lot of fun. They are a couple of great players. With them knowing how to win and being on the national team with them, I knew I needed to have four solid rounds to finish it off.”

The win is just the latest in a series of strong finishes for Henderson, but is sure to help keep her momentum going.

“I’ve been on a bit of a roll as of late with winning the Porter Cup, then I finished tenth at the U.S. Open, then won the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls and now the Ontario Amateur,” she said with a smile. “It really has been a great last couple of weeks and I have enjoyed it.”

With their top three finishes, the trio of Henderson, James and Marchand will go on to represent Ontario in the inter-provincial competition at the Canadian Women’s Amateur, July 22-25 at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock.

For full results from the 2014 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship, click here.

PITT MEADOWS, B.C. – Keaton Gudz of won the British Columbia Golf Junior Boys’ Championship presented by Canadian Direct Insurance on Friday with a five-under-par 283 after four rounds of fierce competition.

It came down to the final hole. Tied with Trevor Yu of Vancouver at 4-under with one hole left to play, it looked like a playoff may be imminent, but the 15-year-old from Victoria, B.C. showed incredible composure hitting the clutch birdie putt to claim the title.

This year is the first year that Gudz participated in the Junior Boys’ Championship. He finished tied for 10th in the 2013 British Columbia Golf Bantam Boys’ Championship and tied for 34th in the 2013 Juvenile Boys’ Championship.

“I improved a lot over the winter and had some good scores in the start of this year,” he said. “I was looking good coming into this tournament and I just played really well.”

Gudz entered the final day of competition after an incredible five-under-par 67 took him to just a single stroke back of Yu and Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., who were tied for the lead. His fantastic performance carried on into the final round, starting with a first-hole birdie. He briefly ran into some trouble bogeying the 435-yard par-4 number 16, but for the fourth day in a row, capped off his round with a birdie on the final hole.

“I wasn’t really expecting anything,” said Gudz. “I just stayed loose and played as good as I can I guess, I was really happy.”
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Yu finished tied at second with Curtis Chan. The 17-year-old playing out of Marine Drive Golf Club never dropped lower than second place and played consistently all week shooting 69-71-72-72. He entered the Championship fresh off of a win at the CN Future Link Western Championship last week.

Chan played a remarkable final round, finishing the day 7-under par. He bettered his third round score by 10 strokes to find himself in the top three. Chan will not represent BC at the Canadian Junior Boy’s Championship as he is already committed to the Boys’ Junior America’s Cup which conflicts with nationals July 29- August 1.

Little Rapids, Nfld. (Golf Canada) – Humber Valley Resort will play host to the final CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship – which will be held July 13-16, with a practice round being held Sunday, July 13.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature some of the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division, respectively.

“We are looking forward to finishing off the CN Future Links regional series on the East Coast,” said Tournament Director Cam Crawford. “For many of the competitors this event will be their first CN Future Links tournament of 2014. It will be exciting to see all that the juniors in the Maritimes have to offer.”

Play will take place on Humber Valley Resort’s River Course, which was ranked as the 9^th Best Modern Course in Canada by Golfweek in April 2014. The course was also the only Newfoundland course to make ScoreGolf’s Top 100 Canadian Golf Courses list in 2012.

“Our management, staff, and course crew have been busy preparing the course and clubhouse to welcome the athletes and their parents to the resort,” said Host Club Tournament Chair Heather Oke. “The future of golf lies in the athletes who compete in these tournaments and we want them to enjoy their golf experience here at Humber Valley.”

Defending CN Future Links Atlantic champion, Ryan Nowe of Bridgewater N.S., will be present in the field again this year. Nowe grabbed the title last season with a seven stroke victory in 2013 and also claimed second place in the 2013 Nova Scotia Junior Championship. The third place finisher at CN Future Links Atlantic in 2013, Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., will also look to pick up the champion title this year.

In the Junior Girls division, CN Future Links Atlantic veterans include Rachel Cormier of Rothesay, N.B., Claire Konning of Indian Mountain, N.B., and Bailey Carr of Charlottetown, P.E. The trio placed in the top-15 last year, and will look to improve their standing at this year’s tournament.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championships will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.  The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

Starting times, post-round results and a full field list are available online.

The CN Future Links Junior Golf Championships are part of CN’s ongoing partnership with Golf Canada and their commitment to junior golf. Focused on supporting safe and fun activities that have a positive impact on children’s health and well being, CN’s investment into CN Future Links is helping to increase grassroots junior golf participation in communities across Canada.

With school out until September, parents across Canada are constantly trying to keep their kids entertained over the summer months. You can head to the public pool, or visit the local park…again. But why not try something new that both parents and children will enjoy?

Take a Kid to the Course Week, developed by the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, provides parents with the opportunity to introduce their children to the sport and play alongside each other. Forget the park where parents are often left watching their children from the bench, a trip to your local course is fun and healthy for everyone.

The hundreds of participating courses across the country not only offer free golf to children under 16 with a paid adult, but many courses will also provide additional programs such as junior clinics, free range balls, free junior club rentals, and parent/child tournaments for the duration of the week.

Take a Kid to the Course Week runs from July 7-13^th, 2014. For more information and a list of participating courses click here.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is proud to announce the names of the athletes set to represent Canada in the Youth Olympic Games, taking place in Nanjing, China from August 16 – 28, 2014.

Representing Canadian golf will be Team Canada Development Squad member Tony Gil, 16, of Vaughan, Ont. and Maddie Szeryk, 17, of Allen, Tex.

Gil and Szeryk will be accompanied to Nanjing by Robert Ratcliffe, lead coach with Team Canada’s Development Squad. Ratcliffe has international playing and coaching experience and has worked with Golf Canada’s National Team program since 2007.

“It is very exciting to announce Tony Gil and Maddie Szeryk as the first Canadians ever selected to represent Canadian golf at the Youth Olympic Games,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Both of these talented competitors are eager to succeed in representing Canada on the international stage as we prepare for golf’s inclusion in major international multi-sport events such as the Youth Olympics, 2015 Pan Am Games and the 2016 Olympic Games.”

The inclusion of golf in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games marks the first time the sport has been included in this particular event, and the first time golf has been included in an Olympic event since 1904 when George Lyon brought the gold medal home to Canada. Golf will return to the Summer Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tony Gil
2014 marks Gil’s first year representing Team Canada as a member of Golf Canada’s Development Squad. Prior to joining the National Team, Gil was a member of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Under-17 Provincial Squad He finished tied for 12^th at the 2013 Ontario Amateur Championship and 5^th at the 2013 Ontario Junior Boys Championship. Since joining Team Canada, Gil continues to post strong results, including wins at the CJGA International Junior Challenge and the GAO Investors Group Junior Spring Classic. He also recorded a 6^th place finish at the prestigious South American Amateur and is coming off of a memorable experience at the Toyota World Junior where he finished tied for 37^th.

Maddie Szeryk
Szeryk, a GAO public player, made her mark in 2013 with three junior championship victories. Most notably, Szeryk won the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls Championship by an impressive 14 strokes. She also claimed victory at the 2013 CN Future Links Ontario Championship and the CJGA/AJGA Junior Championship. Szeryk, a dual-citizen with family ties to Ontario and Texas, recently secured her Canadian citizenship. Her 2014 results include appearances in both the USGA Junior Girls Championship and the North Texas LPGA Shootout. In addition, she won the 2014 AJGA Thunderbird International Junior in a playoff and finished third at the AJGA Under Armour/Hunter Mahan Championship.

Ste-Victoire-de-Sorel, Qué. (Golf Canada)– After three exciting rounds at Club de golf Continental, CN Future Links Québec Champion titles have been claimed by Thornhill, Ont.’s Kelvin Lim and Alyssa Getty of Ruthven, Ont.

Excitement mounted in the third round when 12-year-old Lim and Raphaël Lapierre-Messier, 17, of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué. battled for first place in a sudden death playoff. Lim was the eventual champion, making a birdie on the first playoff hole, to finish with 1-over-par 217 after rounds of 70-74-73. This win earns Lim an exemption into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship taking place at the end of July at Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont.

“It feels great to get the exemption,” said Lim after Thursday’s win. “I’m only twelve years old, so it’s exciting to be able to compete in that championship.”

Third place was shared by 16-year-old Brendon Lacasse of Châteauguay, Qué. and Brandon Seys of Port Lambton, Ont. The pair finished the championship at 5-over-par 221.

In the Junior Girls division, 17-year old Getty maintained a steady lead over her competitors during the three rounds of play, shooting an even-par 72 in Thursday’s final round for a final score of 5-over-221. Her nearest competitor, 13-year old Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile-Perrot, Qué. finished 11 strokes behind with a final score of 16-over-232. Third place was claimed by Diana McDonald, 16, of Kingston, Ont. who carded a final round 78 to finish at 20-over-par 236. With this win, Getty will compete in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at the end of the month at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

“The wind was pretty strong yesterday, and I noticed that there’s a lot of wind on this course in general,” said Getty. “The fairways are really narrow, so that was the hardest part. But I’m super excited to win this tournament and get the exemption.”

Notable highlights from this week’s tournament include hole-in-ones by Gabriel Gingras, 17, of Chelsea, Qué. and Emilie Tyndall, 17, of Kirkland, Qué. Gingras aced the 145-yard eighth hole in the first round, while Tyndall fired an ace in the second round on the 160-yard Hole No. 13.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 on the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield course in Niagara Falls, Ont. The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

Alyssa Getty (Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault)

Calgary – Jaclyn Lee, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, capped off the Alberta Junior Girls Championship with a final round 73 to defend her title at Bearspaw Country Club, winning by 4 shots over Development Squad teammate Sabrine Garrison.

The 17-year-old Calgary native also captured the Sun Life Financial Ladies Amateur Championship one week earlier with a win at Whitetail Crossing in Mundare, Alta.

“It hasn’t really settled in yet,” said Lee. “I never thought this would happen. I’m really excited to win these past two weeks.”

Despite bogeys on holes 1, 2, and 4, Lee was able to overcome her erratic start with birdies on 5, 8, and 9 before cruising through the back nine to cap off the championship in convincing fashion.

Lee, joined by Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Bria Jansen of Cochrane, Alta. will form the Alberta Junior Girls Interprovincial team that will compete at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in a few weeks. She will also represent Alberta on the Ladies Amateur Interprovincial team as her busy schedule continues.

Calgary’s Kenna Hughes, 16, won the Juvenile Girls Championship after a 74, her low round for the championship. The round was even better than it sounded, but a triple bogey on the 16th hole negated 3 birdies on 7, 8, and 12. Still, she’ll take the positive of her good score and overall success in the championship and look to build on it at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

At 17-years-old, Lee is still eligible to play in 2015 and will attempt to defend her title once more, hoping to become the fourth player to win three or more Alberta Junior titles.

Click here for full results.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are pleased to announce the addition of PGA Junior League Golf into the programming of CN Future Links—Canada’s national junior golf program.

PGA Junior League Golf was launched in the United States in partnership with the PGA of America as a pilot program in 2011. The mission of the program is to introduce a structured team environment to foster an enjoyment of the game among junior golfers that will last a lifetime.

The program is delivered through a low-stress, two-player scramble format accommodating juniors of all skill levels. Each event consists of a 9-hole match that is divided into three segments, allowing PGA of Canada professionals to ‘substitute’ players throughout from their team of 10-12 juniors.

In 2013, PGA Junior League Golf saw nearly 9,000 juniors and over 740 teams participate in the United States. At season end, six regional championships were completed, followed by the national championship.

With the partnership, CN Future Links will deliver PGA Junior League Golf locally in 2014 with the potential for a national championship in coming years. The program operates under the official name: PGA Junior League Golf delivered by CN Future Links.

“The team scramble format is a great way for juniors of all skill levels to experience the thrill of competition in a friendly, safe and welcoming atmosphere,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “We are very excited about the addition of this program into the CN Future Links suite of junior programs available to facilities across the country.”

PGA Junior League Golf delivered by CN Future Links is available in Canada at pgajrleaguegolf.ca. PGA of Canada professionals can utilize the website by registering a team for juniors to join. Following registration, teams are equipped with matching jerseys to be worn in scheduled events against neighbouring teams.

Under the leadership of PGA of Canada golf professionals, PGA Junior League Golf further adds to the positive, fun-filled experience of CN Future Links programming.

“The PGA Junior League is an excellent addition to CN Future Links and allows PGA of Canada members to be leaders in the delivery in the program,” said Gary Bernard, PGA of Canada CEO. “The partnership between the PGA of Canada and Golf Canada continues to grow, thus ensuring the continued growth of developing world-class programs for golf in this country.”

CN Future Links is a joint initiative of Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations, which offers a full suite of junior golf programs for boys and girls ages 6-18, from beginners to those with a high degree of experience and playing ability. The CN Future Links program is committed to providing junior golfers and young enthusiast in communities across Canada with affordable and accessible golf programs.

Since launching in 1996, more than one million juniors have experienced quality golf activities through the CN Future Links program.

Ste-Victoire-de-Sorel, Qué. – CN Future Links Québec continued today at Club de golf Continental, Alyssa Getty and Kelvin Lim continue to lead their respective divisions after the second round of play.

Lim, 12, of Thornhill, Ont. carded a 2-over-par 74 on Wednesday to sit at even-par after two rounds. Lim broke out of yesterday’s tie with 15-year old Jason Chung, also of Thornhill, who now sits tied for tenth after an 8-over 80. Brendan Seys, 16, of Port Lambton, Ont. follows Lim by one stroke with a total score of 145, alongside 17-year-old Raphael Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué. and Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson, 15, of Toronto in a tie for third at 146 for the tournament.

In the Junior Girls Division, Alyssa Getty, 17, of Ruthven, Ont. continues to lead after shooting 7-over-par 79 in the second round for a total score of 5-over-149. Getty is followed by 13-year-old Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Qué. who carded a 78 today, to sit three strokes behind at 152 for the championship. A trio of players including, Oceane Jacques, 17, of St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Qué., Diana McDonald, 16, of Kingston, Ont., and Danielle Sawyer, 16, of Grafton, Ont.  sit tied for third at 14-over 158.

After Gabriel Gingras aced the eighth hole in yesterday’s opening round, Emilie Tyndall continued the excitement in the second round, scoring a hole-in-one on the 160-yard 13^th hole.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championships being held in 2014 earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The Junior Girls champion from each 2014 CN Future Links Championship earns an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont.

The third and final round of CN Future Links Québec takes place tomorrow, beginning at 7:30 a.m. EST. For complete scoring and information, click here.