RICHMOND, British Columbia – Naomi Ko won the 2014 British Columbia Golf Junior Girls’ Championship title at The Dunes at Kamloops on Friday with a 6-under par 286 after four days of competitive play.

The Team Canada member shot even par on the par 73, 5886-yard course on the final day of the championship on her way to winning the title.

“I felt pretty good going into the round, I started off with a bogey so I knew I had to make a couple birdies to get where I needed to,” said Ko. “Plus Kathy and Alix are really good players so I knew I couldn’t get behind, I knew I needed to make birdies.”

Ko, 16, made four birdies on Friday to counterbalance her four bogeys it would be enough to keep her in first. After shooting a 69 on the first day of competition she co-led the championship with Alix Kong and Hannah Lee, but slipped into a tie for fourth halfway through the competition.

“I knew it was a four-day tournament so I knew I had 36 holes to recover, which I did yesterday when I shot 3-under,” added Ko. “I didn’t let myself get down, I just tried to stay as positive as I could on the course and it worked.”

Ko adds the 2014 Junior Girls’ title to a long existing list of achievements as a junior golfer, including a second place finish at the 2013 BC Juvenile Girls’ Championship, third at the 2013 BC Junior Girls’ Championship and  a tie for 11th at the 2013 BC Women’s Amateur Championship, just to name a few.

Kathy Lim, of Langley, finished two strokes back of Ko as the BC Junior Girls’ runner-up with a 4-under 288 after playing incredibly consistently throughout the week with scores of 71-71-71-75. The 16-year-old was never out of contention for the title and was even tied for first after the second round.

Rounding out the top three is the championship’s leader thru the first three days of competition. Kong, who was celebrating her 18th birthday, recorded her highest score of the week on the final day (77) posting a final score of 289 (-3) only one stroke behind Lim.

The Capilano Golf and Country Club member struggled early on, double bogeying back-to-back on holes 5 and 6, and would not be able to recover on the back half shooting 1-under. Her efforts would, however, be enough to earn her the final spot on the team named to Nationals.

Ko, Lim, and Kong will represent British Columbia Golf at the Canadian Junior Girl’s Championship being held at Thornhill Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. July 28 – August 1.

Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué.  – Club de golf Continental in Ste-Victoire de Sorel is set to host the fifth CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Québec Championship – which will be held July 7-10, with a practice round being staged on July 7^th.

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.

“Golf Canada is excited to head to Québec for the second last CN Future Links stop of 2014,” said Tournament Director Justine Decock. “Québec is home to many talented junior golfers, so we can expect low scores and exciting competition.”

Located in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué., Club de golf Continental was designed in 1992 by Richard Faucher. The club previously played host to Golf Québec’s Provincial Junior Championship in 2008.

“We are lucky to have the opportunity to see such a talented bunch of young golfers right before our eyes,” said CN Future Links Québec Tournament Chair Jacques Sévigny. “We remember 2008 when Brooke Henderson charmed the region with her performance… Who knows, a new champion may be among us.”

Notable Québec players in the Junior Boys division include Sun Kim, 16, of Île-Perrot and Étienne Brault, 18, of Mercier. Kim took home the CN Future Links Ontario Champion title at The Rock Golf Club in Minnett, Ont. earlier this season, while Brault notched a top-10 finish at the event.

Annie Lacombe of Laval, Qué. and Océane Jacques of St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Qué. are ones to watch in the Junior Girls division. Lacombe was last year’s CN Future Links Québec Champion and has already had a busy 2014 season competing in the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls, Ont. and CN Future Links Ontario. Jacques also competed in May’s CN Future Links Ontario event, and saw a third place finish in the 2013 CN Future Links Québec Championship. Ontario’s Alyssa Getty is also entered into the Junior Girls field. Getty finished tied for 5^th at the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship 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. Additionally, the 2014 Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

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.

The CN Future Links tournament schedule includes one more stop in the 2014 season, the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship taking place from July 13-16 at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, Nfld.

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, click here.

CAMBRIDGE— Team Ontario member and Ottawa resident Grace St-Germain became just the second player in the history of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Junior Girls’ Match Play Championship to repeat as champion. St-Germain, 15-years-old from the Hylands Golf Club, took the win on July 4 with a 1up victory over Burlington’s Madison Easterbrook.

St-Germain got out to a good start taking the first hole. At the turn she was 2up, and at one point on the back nine she led by three. However, Easterbrook mounted a comeback and was just 1down heading to the 17^th hole. Easterbrook would take the hole squaring the match with one to play. Both players put their second shot passed the green on 18, but both manage to get their third to within makeable putting distance. After Easterbrook missed her putt, St-Germain had the chance to win the match with hers and did just that.

“It feels really good to win back-to-back,” said St-Germain. “I put a lot of effort into it and everything worked out.”

To reach the finals, St-Germain overcame fellow Team Ontario teammate, Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun (3&2) in the semi finals, Crystina Kertsos (1up) in the quarter finals, and Hailey McLaughlin (7&5) in the opening round.

“My hardest match would have been the finals against Maddi. Monet put up a really good fight in the semis too. It was a good match we both don’t talk much, but still spoke a bit during the match.”

As for Easterbrook, 18-years-old from Whistle Bear Golf Club, she defeated Guelph’s Katie McTaggart (3&1) in the semis, Grafton’s Danielle Sawyer (1up) in the quarters, and Kingsville’s Alyssa Getty (4&3) in the opening round.

Despite having a 3up lead, St-Germain gave full credit to Easterbrook for her comeback. “She played really well! She won a couple of quick holes and we were back to being even. I was really nervous when we were all square after 17. I knew 18 was a hard hole so I just tried to play it smart.”

After seeing Easterbrook miss her putt on the 18^th hole, St-Germain remembers how she felt starring down her final putt. “I was standing over the putt and I was just shaking. I thought to myself ‘you have made these before’ so I just stepped up and hit it.”

Looking back on the week, St-Germain recognized that her improved putting was a major reason why she was able to repeat. “I putted pretty well, which helped me today and yesterday. I have been working on putting a lot lately.”

For St-Germain, she will now turn her attention to the Investors Group Junior Girls Championship the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Seventeen-year-old Jaclyn Lee of Calgary maintained her two day lead through the final round at Whitetail Crossing Golf Club to claim the 2014 Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur crown.

The Calgary native and Team Canada Development Team member had a great day in Mundare, shooting a 73 on the final day to close out the 54-hole tournament at 4-under. Her seven stroke lead at the turn made her nearly untouchable through the back nine as her partners and fellow Calgarians Jennifer Ha and Grace Howie finished the tournament at -1 and +15 respectively.

The final round presented competitors with a challenging 25 kilometer wind, but gifted them with blue skies and warm temperatures.

Lee will join Ha and Becky Martin of Medicine Hat on Team Alberta at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Woodstock, Ontario from July 22nd-25th at Craigowan Golf & Country Club.

In preparation for next week’s Alberta Junior Girls Championship at Bearspaw Country Club, Lee is happy with how her game is shaping up after three rounds in Mundare.

“My last three rounds definitely gave me confidence to know that I can play well next week,” said Lee. “I will take this confidence with me to Bearspaw and hopefully be able to play consistently throughout the week.”

Lee didn’t let the pressure of the final round get to her and was able to remained focused through the last 18.

“I thought of today as the start of the tournament and just wanted to play my best,” added Lee. “I wasn’t concerned with what Jen (Ha) was doing because I knew that things could change quickly if she got on a roll.”

Crediting the support of her team for her championship win, Lee was thankful to have such a great group behind her on and off the course.

“It’s the people like my caddy Landon Goselwitz, my coach Paul Horton, my Team Canada coach Ann Carroll and my mom that motivate me to continue playing the sport I love,” she said.

Jessica Luciuk of  Barrhead, Alta. finished at 7-over thru 54 holes and claimed the Mid-Amateur title. This is Luciuk’s victory in the category. But, that wasn’t on her mind going into today’s round.

“I’m honestly not even thinking about the Mid Amateur category when I come out to this tournament,” Luciuk said. “I’m just happy to be playing with some talented young players who challenge me to compete.”

The 2014 Mid Master Championship trophy belongs to Kim Carrington of Calgary as her final round of 78 secured her the title with a +15 tally over three days.

Click here for full results.

Trail, B.C. – The CN Future Links Western Championship continued today at Birchbank Golf Course and the competition remained fierce during second round action.

Trevor Yu of Vancouver shot a 1-under-par 71 to sit 4-under for the championship, three-strokes ahead of yesterday’s leader Tyler McKay.

McKay, from Rossland, B.C., now sits in second at 1-under-par 143 after a round of 77. Jake Scarrow of Dewdney, B.C.  and Cole McKinnon of Surrey, B.C. share third at even-par 144.

In the girl’s competition, Annie Songeun Lee of Surrey, B.C. fired a 4-over-76 to break yesterday’s opening round tie with Ye Ji Lim. Lim, from Langley, B.C., shot a second round score of 10-over and now holds a share of third with Calgary’s Quinn Fitzgerald, who shot 5-over-77 Thursday. The pair finished the second round with scores totaling 12-over-156.   Vancouver’s Natalie Chu continues to hold on to second place, trailing Lee by one stroke with a total score of 7-over-par 151.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championships being held in 2014 will 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 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. Additionally, the Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The final round of CN Future Links Western takes place tomorrow, beginning at 7:30am PDT. For complete scoring and information, click here.

Trail, B.C. – The fourth CN Future Links championship of the 2014 season, the CN Future Links Western, kicked off today at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C. If the opening round scores are any indication of what’s to come, this junior championship will prove eventful and exciting.

Tyler McKay, 18, of Rossland, B.C grabbed the opening round lead in the Junior Boys division, firing seven birdies and a bogey for a first round 6-under-par 66, and a three-stroke lead. Fourteen-year-old Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C.; Trevor Yu, 17, of Vancouver; Jake Scarrow, 17, of Dewdney, B.C.; and A.J. Armstrong, 17, of St. Albert, Alta. All carded 3-under-par 69s and hold a share of second.

Leading the Junior Girls division is 18-year-old Surrey, B.C. native Annie Songeun Lee and Ye Ji Lim, 16, of Langley, B.C. The pair share first place after an opening 2-over-par 74. Kenna Hughes, 16, of Calgary and Natalie Chu, 15, of Vancouver are tied for third at 6-over 78.

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. Additionally, the Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The excitement continues tomorrow for the second round of the 2014 CN Future Links Western Championship, beginning at 7:30 am PDT. For complete scoring and additional information, click here.

Follow the story of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team at golfcanada.ca/teamcanada

Support Team Canada in their quest for greatness by donating through the Golf Canada Foundation

Follow the story of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team at golfcanada.ca/teamcanada

Support Team Canada in their quest for greatness by donating through the Golf Canada Foundation

With golf making its return to the Summer Olympics all eyes may be looking ahead to 2016. However, there’s one stop on the road to Rio that’s worthy of notice first: the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Scheduled for August 16-28 in Nanjing, China, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for athletes age 14-18. The 2014 edition will be the second-ever summer youth games; the inaugural event was hosted by Singapore in 2010. For the first time, golf will be among the 28 sports featured at the Youth Games. The top 26 countries on the world rankings will each select a male and female athlete to compete over an individual stroke play event as well as a mixed team competition. With the World Amateur Rankings used to determine which countries will compete, Canada is assured of fielding a team.

The Youth Games, along with the recent Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and the inaugural World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship to be held in Ontario later this summer, provides an opportunity to benchmark the strength of Canada’s golf development program.

“These international events give us a strong indication where Canada stands on the world stage,” says Thompson. “Our boys have performed well at the Junior World Cup over the past few years and we’re excited that the girls now have their own world championship event. We expect them to perform well.”

The objective of the IOC in holding Youth Olympics is more than just conducting a sporting competition for elite young athletes. Its goal is to create a cultural experience and emphasize the power of sport to nurture positive attributes and develop good young citizens.

More than 100 youth from all walks of life have been selected as Young Ambassadors for the Games. As well as promoting the YOG and the Olympic values in their own countries, the role of the Young Ambassadors will be to help the athletes on their national teams get the most out of their YOG experience. They will encourage them to interact with people from different sports and backgrounds, to soak up new cultures and to take part in a unique program of activities and workshops, featuring sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, anti-doping, careers in sport and media training. The lessons learned will equip the athletes with the sports skills to perform to the best of their ability on the field of play, and the life skills to be true ambassadors of their sport off the field of play, inspiring young people in their communities to get active and embrace the Olympic values. Although many of Canada’s top junior golfers have had the opportunity to compete internationally through Golf Canada’s national team program, the Youth Olympic Games will be an experience unlike any other.

“This is a significantly different competition in that it is a multi-sport games,” says Thompson. “Our team members will stay in an athletes’ village and have the opportunity to live and interact with competitors from all the other sports. They will participate in a number of cultural and educational events and, since they will be in Nanjing for up to 10 days, will really have the chance to soak in the Games atmosphere and enjoy the experience. We feel it will be a great opportunity for our young top-level golfers. One or more of these athletes could potentially be future Olympians.”

nanjing2014.org

TEAM CANADA SELECTION PROCESS

a. 1 spot per gender per country (1 male and 1 female athlete will be selected for Canada).

b. To be eligible for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between January 1st 1996, and December 1st, 1998.

c. Athletes must be members in good standing with Golf Canada.

d. Must be a Canadian Citizen and hold a Canadian passport.

e. Athletes must sign and submit the COC Athlete Agreement and Eligibility Conditions no later than June 10, 2014.

f. Have a valid Canadian passport that does not expire on or before December 31, 2014

SELECTION INFORMATION – BOYS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other significant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events.

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Boys Order of Merit; 2.National Men’s Amateur Order of Merit.

SELECTION INFORMATION – GIRLS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other signifi cant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Girls Order of Merit; 2. National Women’s Amateur Order of Merit.

For more information on the selection process contact Golf Canada’s Jeff Thompson at jthompson@golfcanada.ca.

With golf making its return to the Summer Olympics all eyes may be looking ahead to 2016. However, there’s one stop on the road to Rio that’s worthy of notice first: the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Scheduled for August 16-28 in Nanjing, China, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for athletes age 14-18. The 2014 edition will be the second-ever summer youth games; the inaugural event was hosted by Singapore in 2010. For the first time, golf will be among the 28 sports featured at the Youth Games. The top 26 countries on the world rankings will each select a male and female athlete to compete over an individual stroke play event as well as a mixed team competition. With the World Amateur Rankings used to determine which countries will compete, Canada is assured of fielding a team.

The Youth Games, along with the recent Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and the inaugural World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship to be held in Ontario later this summer, provides an opportunity to benchmark the strength of Canada’s golf development program.

“These international events give us a strong indication where Canada stands on the world stage,” says Thompson. “Our boys have performed well at the Junior World Cup over the past few years and we’re excited that the girls now have their own world championship event. We expect them to perform well.”

The objective of the IOC in holding Youth Olympics is more than just conducting a sporting competition for elite young athletes. Its goal is to create a cultural experience and emphasize the power of sport to nurture positive attributes and develop good young citizens.

More than 100 youth from all walks of life have been selected as Young Ambassadors for the Games. As well as promoting the YOG and the Olympic values in their own countries, the role of the Young Ambassadors will be to help the athletes on their national teams get the most out of their YOG experience. They will encourage them to interact with people from different sports and backgrounds, to soak up new cultures and to take part in a unique program of activities and workshops, featuring sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, anti-doping, careers in sport and media training. The lessons learned will equip the athletes with the sports skills to perform to the best of their ability on the field of play, and the life skills to be true ambassadors of their sport off the field of play, inspiring young people in their communities to get active and embrace the Olympic values. Although many of Canada’s top junior golfers have had the opportunity to compete internationally through Golf Canada’s national team program, the Youth Olympic Games will be an experience unlike any other.

“This is a significantly different competition in that it is a multi-sport games,” says Thompson. “Our team members will stay in an athletes’ village and have the opportunity to live and interact with competitors from all the other sports. They will participate in a number of cultural and educational events and, since they will be in Nanjing for up to 10 days, will really have the chance to soak in the Games atmosphere and enjoy the experience. We feel it will be a great opportunity for our young top-level golfers. One or more of these athletes could potentially be future Olympians.”

nanjing2014.org

TEAM CANADA SELECTION PROCESS

a. 1 spot per gender per country (1 male and 1 female athlete will be selected for Canada).

b. To be eligible for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between January 1st 1996, and December 1st, 1998.

c. Athletes must be members in good standing with Golf Canada.

d. Must be a Canadian Citizen and hold a Canadian passport.

e. Athletes must sign and submit the COC Athlete Agreement and Eligibility Conditions no later than June 10, 2014.

f. Have a valid Canadian passport that does not expire on or before December 31, 2014

SELECTION INFORMATION – BOYS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other significant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events.

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Boys Order of Merit; 2.National Men’s Amateur Order of Merit.

SELECTION INFORMATION – GIRLS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other signifi cant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Girls Order of Merit; 2. National Women’s Amateur Order of Merit.

For more information on the selection process contact Golf Canada’s Jeff Thompson at jthompson@golfcanada.ca.