Dennis Bradley

GC: What prompted Birchbank Golf Course to host the CN Future Links
Western Championship?
DB: We were looking for an opportunity to help promote junior golf in our local area, B.C., and Canada. So when this opportunity arose, we couldn’t refuse.

GC: What preparations have went into hosting this championship?
DB: Meetings with the Junior Committee, as well as local businesses, radio, and newspaper have been a big part of the preparation. We’ve also had many members step up to volunteer in various capacities for the tournament.

GC: What can players expect when they arrive at your club?
DB: Friendly staff, a great practice area, a playable course… just a great week overall.

GC: What do you think will challenge competitors the most?
DB: Most players will find that keeping the ball in play right off the tee will be the most challenging aspect of the course.

GC: Are there any significant holes or sections of the golf course that should provide excitement for the tournament?
DB: Starting holes #1 – 4, as well as the 18th are certainly one’s to watch.

GC: What does your club do to encourage and engage your junior membership each season?
DB: Free lessons on Mondays, as well as a very reasonable rate for Junior Memberships.

GC: What is your club looking forward to the most in hosting this
 championship?
DB: Seeing talented junior golfers from across the country play our course.

GC: What does hosting an event like this do for your local community?
DB: We’re expecting this event to bring a lot of players, as well as their family, to the area. And hopefully they enjoy their stay and plan to return in the future.

BLUFFTON, South Carolina – For the first time since 2007, the Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) team defeated the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT) Team USA in a dramatic finishing, winning 15.5 – 12.5 at Oldfield Golf Club.

“I think we definitely had team spirit,” said CJGA Team Captain, Mitchell McPhail. “Last year we struggled as a team to bond. This year we were more of a team, which brought us better chemistry together in our matches. That was a huge key to our victory today.”

After holding a 10-4 lead in team matches through two days of competition, the final day came down to one-on-one singles competition. Team USA battled back winning 3 of the first four matches, but after a solid first two days, the Canadian squad only needed 4.5 points, in which they would slowly secure.

Andrew Russ (Oakville, Ont.) secured the 14th point of the tournament winning 3 & 2 against C.J Hughes (Indiana, Pennsylvania) in the 12th match. With Russ’ points secured, and John Burghardt (Oakville, Ont.) on the fairway of 18 with a 1 up lead, Team Canada had guaranteed themselves a victory reaching the 14.5 points needed to win the cup.

“This is hands down the best display of golf and competition I’ve ever seen,” said CJGA Team Canada non-playing Captain Stephen Nixon. “Team USA came back strong today and deserve a lot of credit. It means so much to be apart of the team that finally brought the cup home. In a sport that is supposed to be all about the individual, these kids were unbelievable in the way that they came together as a team so quick.”

Trail, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C. will play host to the fourth CN Future Links event of the season – CN Future Links Western – from July 1-4, 2014, with a practice round being staged on July 1.

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

“Golf Canada is looking forward to hosting this exciting junior event in Trail, B.C.” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “Many of B.C.’s junior golfers have had a great amount of success at CN Future Links Championships in the 2014 season thus far. It will be exciting to see who will claim the champion titles at this event.”

Located just 20 kilometers South of Castlegar, B.C., Birchbank Golf Course has previously played host to the 2011 British Columbia Junior Boys Championship.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing so many talented junior golfers from across the country play our course,” said Birchbank’s Director of Golf, Dennis Bradley. “We were looking for an opportunity to help promote junior golf in Canada, so when this opportunity arose, we couldn’t refuse.”

Present in the field this year are many of British Columbia’s most talented junior golfers, including Zach Anderson, 17, of Nanaimo. Anderson was the 2013 CN Future Links Prairie Champion, as well as the CN Future Links Pacific Champion in 2012. Anderson has yet to claim a CN Future Links Champion title in 2014, making him one to watch in Trail this year. Other B.C. natives in the Junior Boys division include Logan Yanick, 17, of Courtenay and Trevor Yu, 17, of Vancouver.

Representing B.C. in the Junior Girls division is 18-year old Annie Songeun- Lee of Surrey, who has already made strong 2014 appearances in both the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Parksville. Joining Lee in the field is Ashley Cai, 15, and Marie Donicci, 18, both of Vancouver.

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 the Legends on the Niagara Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.  The Champions of this year’s first three CN Future Links events include Alex Francois, 16, of Burnaby, B.C. (Pacific Championship) Sun Kim, 16, of L’Ile Perrot, Que. (Ontario Championship) and Andrew Brown, 17 of Calgary, Alta. (Prairie Championship).

The top six competitors in the Junior Girls division 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.  The Junior Girls Champions in 2014’s first three CN Future Links events include Valérie Tanguay, 18, of St-Hyacinthe, Que. (Pacific Championship), Naomi Ko, 16, of Victoria, B.C. (Ontario Championship), and Jaclyn Lee, 16, of Calgary, Alta. (Prairie Championship).

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

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 also includes the CN Future Links Quebec Championship (July 7-10, 2014 at Club de golf Continental in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Que.) and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (July 13-16, 2014 at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, Newfoundland).

Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill battled through tough conditions to capture the Elmhurst Invitational on Sunday in Winnipeg.

Cockerill, from Gunton, Man., held the opening round lead after carding a 6-under 66 during Friday’s opening-round and held on to win by six strokes after the tournament was shortened to 27 holes.

Josh Wytinck finished in solo second to claim the second exemption into the 2014 Canadian Men’s Amateur to be held in just over a month at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club along with co-host Southwood Golf and Country Club.

As part of Elmhurst’s 100-year celebration the invitational was created to fill a gap that was left behind when the Manitoba Amateur Golf Tour ceased to exist.

For more information on the 2014 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

LANCASTER, Pa – Canadians Josee Doyon and Delaney Howson have been eliminated from the Women’s Western National Amateur Championship after both advancing to Friday’s semifinals at the Lancaster Country Club.

Doyon, a Beauceville, Que., native, topped Allison Emrey of Charlotte, N.C. 1up in the round of 16. The Kent State sophomore later went on to take down Florida’s August Kim in the quarterfinals, 4 and 3. Her streak ended after losing to Mika Liu of Beverley Hills, Calif.

Howson, a recent Murray State graduate, advanced through to the round of 16 by defeating American Sierra Sims in 22 holes. The Newmarket, Ont., native then defeated Aliea Clark of Carlsbad, Calif. in the quarterfinals, 2 up. The 22-year-old also lost in the semifinals, losing 1up to Cammie Gray of Northport, Ala.

Naomi Ko, the lone remaining member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, fell in the earlier round of 16 to Cammie Gray.

Mika Liu and Cammie Gray will square off in tomorrow’s final matches, beginning at 7:30 am.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Team Canada’s Development Squad members collectively finished seventh after play came to a close on Friday at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

Together, the Canadians fired a 3-under 213 on Friday’s final round to finish at 9-under par for the tournament. The team’s three lowest scores for the day were contributed by Matt Williams of Calgary (67), Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. (71) and Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (72).

Williams stellar round also included an ace of the par 3, 6th hole.

Knocked in my first ace today… Final round of Junior Golf World Cup. #finally #roundofcokes @TheGolfCanada pic.twitter.com/LV5NnORTGC

— Matt Williams (@MWilliamsGolf) June 27, 2014

Carter Simon (Sutton, Ont.) posted a final round of 75, which was discounted as the team’s highest for the day.

In the end, the Canadians trailed champion Norway by 11 strokes, who took home top spot with a four-stroke margin over runner-ups United States and Venezuela.

Individually, Carter Simon and Etienne Papineau finished tied for 15^th at 1-under. Matt Williams came in tied for 33th at 3-over par and Tony Gil finished tied for 37th at 5-over par.

The Canadians climbed the leaderboard in the end, having been as high as 10^th throughout the four stroke play rounds.

Click here for the leaderboard showing all 15 national team scores.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Three of the five Canadians have advanced through to the match play round of 16 at the 114^th Women’s Western National Amateur Championship on Thursday.

Naomi Ko, 16, of Victoria, B.C., bested Liz Breed of Waynesboro, Pa., 6 and 4. She now acts as the lone representative of Team Canada’s Development Squad, as both Taylor Kim (Surrey, B.C.) and Sabrine Garrison (Calgary) lost their respective matches.

Also moving on was Delaney Howson of Newmarket, Ont. The Murray State senior knocked off Niki Schroeder of Avon Lake, Oh., 3 and 2.

The third Canadian moving on is Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. Doyon, a sophomore at Kent State, defeated Celia Kuenster of Mendota Heights, Minn., 3 and 1.

Play will resume tomorrow with the round of 16 beginning in the morning and the round of 8 to follow in the afternoon.

Click here for the full leaderboard, including results from all other flights.

SANDWICH, KENT, England – Team Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Augusta James have been eliminated from the Ladies British Amateur after losing their matches on Thursday morning at the Royal St. Georges Golf Club.

Tanguay, 23, of Québec City, came in as the 9^th seed after the qualifying rounds but was unable to pass Germany’s Laura Fünfstück, losing 2&1.

James, a junior at N.C. State University, lost to 5^th seed Noemi Jiminez of Spain, 5 & 3. The Bath, Ont., native narrowly made the cutline as the 60^th of 64 seed.

Click here for the full leaderboard

SANDWICH, KENT, England – Team Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Augusta James have been eliminated from the Ladies British Amateur after losing their matches on Thursday morning at the Royal St. Georges Golf Club.

Tanguay, 23, of Québec City, came in as the 9^th seed after the qualifying rounds but was unable to pass Germany’s Laura Fünfstück, losing 2&1.

James, a junior at N.C. State University, lost to 5^th seed Noemi Jiminez of Spain, 5 & 3. The Bath, Ont., native narrowly made the cutline as the 60^th of 64 seed.

Click here for the full leaderboard

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Carter Simon, of Sutton, Ont., posted a 4-under 67 during Thursday’s third round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, boosting the Canadian contingent up two spots to sit in eighth place.

Collectively, the Canucks fired a 209 Thursday to jump to 6-under par for the tournament, 12 strokes back of leader and defending champion Venezuela.

In addition to Simon’s score, Canada posted respective rounds of 70 and 72 from Development Squad members Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. and Matt Williams (Calgary).

Papineau currently sits in 16^th place individually, while Williams is tied for 45^th.

Tony Gil’s score of 74 on Thursday was discounted as the team’s highest for the day. The Vaughan, Ont., native currently sits T38 overall.

The individual boys lead is held by Venezuela’s Jorge Garcia, who currently holds a steady eight-stroke lead over second place at 17-under par (64-68-64).

The final round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup tees off Friday at 8am, UTC.

Click here for the full leaderboard.