Michelle Piyapattra claims playoff victory on Canadian Women’s Tour
Parksville, B.C. (Golf Canada) – It only took one playoff hole for amateur Michelle Piyapattra to claim the season-opening Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Morningstar Golf Club.
Tied at 1-over par 145 after 36 holes, Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., headed into a hole-by-hole playoff with Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Lauren Mielbrecht of Gulf Stream, Fla. The 21-year-old faced an almost identical shot from the middle of the 18th fairway that she had taken just minutes earlier on her first trip down the 400-yard par-4 before posting a 2-over 74.
After Mielbrecht missed her approach shot to the left of the green, Piyapattra stepped up and stuck a pitching wedge to 3-feet. Richdale followed and landed her second shot 25-feet away. Moments later Piyapattra watched both players miss their birdie attempts and confidently converted her short putt for the victory and exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
“It was amazing for my approach shot just to stay on the green because I’ve been having trouble with that all week,” Piyapattra said. “I was just trying to stay focused and make sure to think that it’s not over until it’s over. It was really a great feeling especially with such great competitors out here.”
Piyapattra’s final round 2-over 74 was highlighted by three birdies – the most critical coming at the par-4 16th hole to grab a share of the lead. The Columbia University Lion senior graduates next week and hopes to play as a professional at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship at London Hunt and Country Club, August 18-24th, 2014.
“It’s really an honour and I’m obviously still an amateur since I’m still in school and graduating next week,” she said. “Hopefully by then I’ll have a professional status. It’s going to be great that it’s my first event and I got into it as an amateur, it’s a real honour.”
Richdale and Mielbrecht shared first-place prize money following their playoff losses. They both took home $8,498.18 for their second place finishes. Mielbrecht carded the low round of the day at Morningstar with a 1-under 71, while Richdale posted a 3-over 75.
Team Canada Development Squad member, Valérie Tanguay of St. Hyacinthe, Que., shared fourth place at 2-over 146 place alongside amateur SooBin Kim of Coquitlam, B.C., and Seul-Ki Park of Northbrook, Illinois.
What women’s golf means to me
How do I measure the success of Golf Fore the Cure events? It’s simple – laughter.
Sure, it’s relative and it can’t be tracked. But if you’re looking, it’s there. Through the bogies, the birdies, the mulligans and the lost balls, laughter is the key to engagement.
Laughter creates fun, which leads to engagement – my personal goal (also the goal of the program). Golf Fore the Cure events are by no means required to be competitive. In fact, less than 10% of events feature some form of competition. And even then, that competition is almost always suited to accommodate all skill levels.
I felt it necessary to address competition, because it can be seen as a barrier to the game for women who are considering taking up the sport. Being at the centre of Golf Fore the Cure for over two years, I know that there are ladies who are hesitant to play for that very reason.
I want to change that. WE want to change that.
Golf is a game for a lifetime, and I want any and all ladies to be introduced to the game, even if interest doesn’t develop. Let’s not forget, a round of golf takes roughly four hours – the majority of time is spent in between shots. That’s where the laughter happens.
This is what Golf Fore the Cure looks like in my head:
We could all use more laughter. It’s a sign of happiness, it’s a sign of enjoyment, and above all it’s contagious. Hearing the foursome ahead of you erupt in laughter is a sure way to make anyone smile. That’s what I love about golf.
Awareness and fundraising for breast cancer is the financial goal of Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru. It is a global issue that affects millions and is a cause very dear to my heart. Through laughter on the golf course, we can grow female participation and work towards ending the fight against breast cancer forever.
So, what are you waiting for? Get involved… Register a Golf Fore the Cure event before June 27th and you will be entered to win an iPad mini.
If you have any questions about Golf Fore the Cure, feel free to drop me a line.
Rebecca Siddall
Coordinator, Recreational Programs
Golf Canada
1.800.263.0009 x495
rsiddall@golfcanada.ca
Richdale and Tanguay lead Canadian Women’s Tour event in BC
Parksville, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Samantha Richdale and Anne-Catherine Tanguay fired opening round 2-under 70’s to share the lead at the Canadian Women’s Tour B.C. stop at Morningstar Golf Club.
Tanguay, of Quebec City, arrived at the season’s first stop on the heels of an eighth place finish at the NCAA West Regionals last week with her national championship bound Oklahoma Soooner’s squad. On Tuesday, she carded five birdies in her opening round that was highlighted by a 3-under 33 front-nine.
“We played in some tough conditions [at regionals] and I did really well so that gave me some confidence,” Tanguay said. “I made some pretty solid swings today and my putting was definitely what kept me going, I made a lot of putts for birdie and par.”
As the defending champion, Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., opened with a 1-under 35 front-nine. Her round included four birdies and was blemish free until a double-bogey on the par-3 4th hole on her closing nine.
“I made a lot of good chips today and I really only had one bad shot where I hit it in the water,” Richdale said. “Last year’s win gives me a little bit of confidence, I just really wanted to come back and play, we have a Symetra event this week but I decided to take it off just because I really like these events and I like playing in B.C.”
Heading into tomorrow’s final round, the duo leads by a stroke over Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif. Piyapattra opened with a 1-under 71, while a trio of players including Emily Childs, the 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario champion, sit at even-par.
Team Canada’s Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. and Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay of St. Hyacinthe, Que., posted 1-over 73’s and share seventh place alongside six other players. World No. 3 ranked amateur, Brooke Henderson, carded a 2-over 74 and is currently tied for 15th heading into the final round.
R&A considers voting by mail on female members
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Royal & Ancient Golf Club could make history even before its historic vote in September to have female members.
R&A secretary Peter Dawson said the club is deciding whether to allow members to vote by proxy, something he said has never been done in club history. Club rules require members to be present to vote.
“The jury is still out on that,” Dawson said in a telephone interview last week during the R&A’s spring meeting. “The rules of the club only allow a vote to be taken at the business meeting of those present. There is a view in the club, and quite a strong one, that postal voting should be allowed.”
Dawson announced last month that the R&A would vote Sept. 18 to allow female members for the first time in its 260-year history.
The R&A Golf Club has about 2,400 members around the world.
Dawson is hopeful the vote will be favourable toward allowing women to join. There has been speculation that he had a strong sense how the members were leaning when he publicly announced that it was on the ballot, though he has said all along that’s not the case.
“It’s been written up that it will happen,” said Dawson, who is retiring in September 2015. “We’re never sure of the outcome. I don’t think that’s the case at all. I think it’s the right thing, and I hope that R&A members do what’s right for golf.”
Because attendance is required to vote, a proxy vote might include those who are in favour of change but are disinclined or unable to travel to St. Andrews in September. Several golf administrators are R&A members. The vote falls between the end of the FedEx Cup and the week of the Ryder Cup.
The R&A said Monday in a statement that “members from around the world have expressed the desire to be part of this September’s historic vote.” It said the general committee is investigating a change to club rules that would allow voting by mail on “particularly important issues such as this one so that every member can have the opportunity to be involved.”
It’s an important vote for the image of the R&A, particularly coming just two years after Augusta National allowed female members for the first time in its 80-year history. There are differences. Augusta National is a private golf club. The Royal & Ancient is based in St. Andrews, though the Old Course and other links run by the St. Andrews Links Trust are open to the public.
The R&A Golf Club is separate from “The R&A,” a business arm created 10 years ago to handle the Rules of Golf, organize the British Open and operate other business affairs. The R&A has female employees. Its committee and board, however, are populated by Royal & Ancient Golf Club members. Thus, there are no women in leadership roles for governing the game or running a major championship.
Dawson is secretary of the R&A Golf Club and chief executive of the R&A. He said he expected a decision on the voting procedure “fairly soon.”
“It would be very easy to say that would be the democratic thing to do,” Dawson said of a proxy vote. “There are cons to it. One can say that affairs are to be settled locally, not at the bar of one’s club. It’s a balance of what’s right or wrong. All the legislation in the UK – and maybe it’s the case in the U.S. – laws are passed by those who turn up at Parliament. There has not been a proxy.”
Tanguay and Francois capture CN Future Links Pacific Championship titles
VICTORIA, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Valérie Tanguay and Alex Francois captured their CN Future Links Pacific Championship divisions at Bear Mountain Golf Resort Sunday in Victoria, B.C.
In the Junior Girls division, Team Canada Development Squad member Tanguay, 18, of St-Hyacinthe, Que., outlasted West Vancouver’s Alix Kong in a sudden-death playoff. The duo both birdied the par-5 18th hole to send the Junior Girls division into extra holes and Tanguay was declared the winner after Kong missed a short par putt on the first playoff hole.
“I’ve been in some playoffs, but this one was different because I played with Alix three days in a row,” said Tanguay. “This tournament was important for me because I won’t be playing in it next year since I won’t be a junior and I wanted this win so badly so it was great.”
With this victory, Tanguay carries momentum into the upcoming Canadian Women’s Tour stop this week at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C.
“I played well on this course it was really difficult and I know Morningstar is a difficult too,” she continued. “If I was able to play well here I’ll be able to do it there too.”
Tanguay finished the championship at 11-over 224 after rounds of 71-81-72, while Kong finished in solo second after rounds of 80-71-73. Team Canada Development Squad member, Naomi Ko, 16, of Victoria finished in third at 12-over 225. Richmond, B.C. native Alisha Lau finished in fourth at 13-over, one stroke ahead of Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C.
In the Junior Boys division, Alex Francois, 16, of Burnaby, B.C. held on to win by a stroke over Vancouver’s Jordan Lu. Francois carded a final round 2-over 73 to post a 4-over 217 for the championship.
“I was playing very well this week but I struggled a little on the greens,” Francois said. “I knew that if I could fight my way through the tough greens I’d be good and in the second round I made zero three-putts and I think that was the key to my win this week.”
Lu’s 2-under 69 matched the low round of the day but it wasn’t enough to edge out Francois as he finished the championship at 5-over 218 after rounds of 77-72-69.
Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon County, Alta., and Team Canada’s Development Squad member Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. shared third place at 8-over par.
The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championship being held in 2014 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 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.
Naomi Ko leads CN Future Links Pacific Championship
Victoria, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Excitement continued on Canada’s wast coast Saturday as the second round of the CN Future Links Pacific championship took to Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.
Jason Martens of Edmonton and Alex Francois of Burnaby, B.C. are tied for the lead thru 36-holes in the Boys division – Martens shot 1-under-par 70 in the morning, while Francois followed with 1-over 72. Both players sit at 2-over 144. In the Girls division, Team Canada’s Development Squad member Naomi Ko leads by a stroke.
Francois finished yesterday’s round in second, but carded a 1-over 72 on Saturday to move into a share of top spot with 17-year old Martens, who carded four birdies in today’s round. Development Squad member Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. currently shares third alongside A.J Armstrong of St. Albert, Alta. and Patrick Tan of Vancouver.
On the girls’ side, Alix Kong of West Vancouver carded an even-par 71 to trail leader Ko is second. while yesterday’s leading scorer and Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que. and Alisha Lau of Richmond B.C. are tied for third.
Connor McLellan, 18, of Chilliwack B.C., had the shot of the day with an incredible 218 yard hole-in-one on the par 3 6th hole at Bear Mountain’s Valley course.
The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championship being held in 2014 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 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.
The final round of CN Future Links Pacific begins tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. PST. For complete scoring and information, click here.
The Meadows at East St. Paul wins inaugural CN Future Links Facility of the Year award
The Meadows at East St. Paul in Winnipeg was recognized as the 2013 CN Future Links Facility of the Year winner for its marked performance and engagement with over 500 juniors through the CN Future Links program.
Glen Sirkis, head PGA of Canada Professional at The Meadows at East St. Paul for the past five years, has been a leading supporter of CN Future Links since it began in 1996.
“It’s a great honour to receive recognition for all the hard work this team has put in over the years,” said Sirkis. “We have a passion to grow the game – watching the kids have fun learning to hit the golf ball and then knowing that it’s a game for life is such a thrill for Adam (Boge), myself and the rest of the team.”
With large junior classes, The Meadows has made full use of the tools provided through the CN Future Links program. Most notably, the program offers an online database for the instructor to organize and monitor results with just a few clicks. This has made progress reports simpler for Sirkis, and more impactful for each of his students. The progress reports clearly outline areas the student is progressing in and areas that need work. The Meadows at East St. Paul has realized the value of this and has been successful in delivering 100% of their progress reports to all students.
“We are trying to get even more PGA of Canada golf professionals on board to see the benefits of the CN Future Links program and the website” added Sirkis. “It’s is such a great tool for the parents and pros to follow along with what is happening, and it allows everybody to work together.”
In addition to maximizing the tools available, Sirkis has further delivered the mission of the program by planning to host CN Future Links Field Trip events throughout the summer. This initiative extends the outreach of junior golf by bringing children from the classroom to the golf facility to teach elementary students the fundamentals of golf along with the life skills and values involved in the sport.
Sirkis and his team are no strangers to teaching golf to elementary students, they have visited a handful of schools on their own time to help grow the game in Canada. They aim to visit at least six schools each golf season.
“We are very proud with the introduction of this important award”, explained Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “We thank The Meadows and Glen Sirkis for their leadership, delivery and support of the program. There were many qualified facilities to choose from, the Meadows should feel very proud of this accomplishment.”
Sirkis and his team were honoured May 10th with a media day acknowledging their accomplishment. Local press and industry representatives were in attendance to join in the festivities.
Tanguay and Riches lead after opening round of CN Future Links Pacific Championship
Victoria, B.C. (Golf Canada) – After the first round of the CN Future Links Pacific Championship Valérie Tanguay leads the Junior Girls division by four strokes, while Victoria’s Jeff Riches sits one stroke ahead in the Junior Boys division.
Tanguay, of St-Hyacinthe, Que., posted five birdies in her opening round 71 on Bear Mountain Golf Club’s Valley Course in Victoria, B.C. The 18-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member closed out her round with a 2-under 34 on the back-nine and currently leads by four strokes over Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C., Mary Parson of Delta, B.C. and Avril Li of Port Moody, B.C. Team Canada Development Squad member and Victoria, B.C. native Naomi Ko, 16, rounded out the top-5 after a 5-over 76.
In the Junior Boys Division, Riches, 18, carded an even-par 71 that included four birdies. He currently leads by a stroke over A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Alta. and Alex Francois of Burnaby, B.C.
Logan Yanick of Courtenay, B.C. posted a 2-over 73 and currently sits in solo fourth. Team Canada Development Squad members Carter Simon of Sutton, Ont. and Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. carded opening round 3-over 74’s and share fifth place alongside Vancouver’s Patrick Tan, Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C. and Jason Martens of Edmonton.
The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championship being held in 2014 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 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.
BC Golf hangs on to repeat as PNGA Cup champions
Federal Way, Wash. – The 12-person team from British Columbia Golf withstood a significant rally by the team from the Oregon Golf Association to hang on and win the 9th PNGA Cup, successfully defending their title in the championship.
The Ryder Cup-style matches were held at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. and featured 48 of the finest amateur golfers representing the Washington, Idaho, Oregon and British Columbia Golf associations.
In the second day of the matches, which consisted of singles play on this final day, Team BC Golf began the day with a comfortable lead but could not gain much traction in the early going. Team OGA began the day in last place, but won 10 of the 24 matches. The outcome came down to the final hole in the final match, and when Dave Lydell of Team OGA could not get out of a greenside bunker on the 18th hole of his match against Scott Vermeer of Team IGA, the title of the PNGA Cup went to BC Golf, which won by half a point over Team OGA, two and a half points over Team WSGA, and seven points over Team IGA.
British Columbia Golf won last year on the second hole of a playoff against Team WSGA, when the matches were held at Crane Creek Country Club in Boise, Idaho. British Columbia Golf also won the PNGA Cup in 2009. Team OGA is a five-time champion of the PNGA Cup.
For a complete listing of the final results, please click here. And for a complete roster of players in the 9th PNGA Cup, please click here.
The PNGA Cup was created in 2006 by past PNGA President Dr. Jack Lamey as a way of continuing the friendship and partnership of the region’s allied associations under the PNGA umbrella – British Columbia Golf, Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association. The annual competition consists of 48 of the finest amateur golfers in the region. Each association will send a 12-person team consisting of eight men and four women. The representation includes four mid-amateur men of 25 years of age or older, two men of 40 years or older, two senior men of 55 years or older, two mid-amateur women of 25 years or older and two senior women of 50 years or older.
The Ryder Cup-style format included four-ball and foursome matches the first day and singles matches on the second and final day. The PNGA Cup is one of 15 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
Canadian Women’s Tour to open season at Morningstar Golf Club
Parksville, B.C. (Golf Canada) – The 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour will kick off the season at Morningstar Golf Club, May 12-14th in Parksville, B.C.
The event marks the first of three Canadian Women’s Tour events conducted annually across the country, featuring top amateur and professional players – from Canada and abroad – competing in a two-day 36-hole stroke play competition for a $60,000 purse.
Headlining the field will be Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., the reigning 2013 Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year and world No. 3 ranked amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.
“We’re excited to get the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour underway this year at Morningstar Golf Club with a very strong field that includes two champions from last season,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “This course should prove to be a solid test for some of the best up and coming professionals as they look to earn those coveted exemptions into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.”
A number of notable players will also join the field including Canadians Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John B.C., Danielle Mills of Pointe-Claire, Que., Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Kyla Inaba of Kelowna, B.C, Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C. and 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario Champion Emily Childs of Alameda, Calif.
Team Canada’s National and Development squads will be well represented at the B.C. Tour stop with Henderson aiming to continue a stellar 2014 campaign that has seen the 16-year-old capture the South Atlantic Amateur Championship and finish T26 at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Joining Henderson on the National Squad will be Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. and Jennifer Ha of Calgary. Development Squad members, Valérie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Taylor Kim of Surrey, B.C., Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., and Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Jaclyn Lee will also join the field.
Morningstar Golf Club recently played host to the 2012 CN Future Links Pacific Championship. The club has also hosted three PGA of Canada events as well as the 2010 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.
“We are excited to be selected as the host venue for the season opening event on Golf Canada’s Women’s Tour and we are really looking forward to continuing the momentum of the tour at Morningstar Golf Club,” said Head Professional Kevin Oates. “ Previous events have been filled with superb play from a very strong field of competitors, and our golf course should once again provide a competitive challenge to all the players. I expect exciting play from the competitors as they prepare themselves for the reward of an exemption into the Canadian Open.”
Five exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, an LPGA Tour event held August 18-24 at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. are currently available to competitors. Exemptions are given to the winners of each of the two Canadian Women’s Tour events with two additional exemptions reserved for the top two competitors (not otherwise exempt) on the season-ending Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.
In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.
The Tour’s second stop is scheduled for June 23-25 at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont. New for 2014, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf that runs July 29-31 at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont., will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour. Points will also be awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.
Total season prize money for the 2014 season is $180,000 (CDN) for three events, which includes the PGA of Canada’s PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf. Each 36-hole championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque.
Conducted since 2002, many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course. Canadian Women’s Tour alumnae Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Jessica Shepley, Isabelle Beisiegel, Stephanie Sherlock, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sara Maude-Juneau and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc have all used their experiences as Canadians on the Canadian development circuit as a catalyst to future successes. Other Canadian Women’s Tour graduates include LPGA notables Yani Tseng, Ryann O’Toole, Candace Schepperle, Sara Brown and Katy Harris.
For more information on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour, click here.