AUSTIN, TX – The Simon Fraser University (SFU) Clan men’s golf team will become the first Canadian school to compete for an NCAA Championship in golf. The team overcame a 17-stroke deficit Wednesday at the NCAA Super Regional to earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Golf Championships in Allendale, MI.

SFU entered the day 17 strokes behind the sixth place team, Chico State, and scored 290 as a team on Wednesday to earn the sixth and final spot at the NCAA Championship.

Mlikotic led his team on the final day of competition, shooting the best round of any golfer throughout the entire tournament, a 68 (-4) to tie for 8^th place individually along with Kevin Vigna, each shooting 221 (+5).

Head Coach John Buchanan is pleased with the achievement, but realizes there is still much work to be done.

“The last rounds were a reflection of our player’s ability,” said Buchanan. “The challenge for the NCAA Championships will now be to stay consistent and play to that ability.”

Mlikotic was also content with his play at the regional qualifier.

“It was good to finish strong,” said Mlikotic.  “I stayed focused and took one shot at a time. I was able to stay bogey free after the first hole, make a couple birdies on seven and eight and then to cap it off with a 20 foot putt from the fringe for birdie. I’d say it was the best round of my life”

Senior Mike Belle (Burnaby, B.C.) had his best round of the tournament in the third round, shooting a 73 (+2) to finish the championship at 232 (+16).

Freshman Craig Titterington (Coquitlam, B.C.) saved his best round of the tournament for last. After shooting 83 and 88 in his first two rounds of post-season play, Titterington fired a 75 (+3) in the final round to aid his team’s comeback.

Bret Thompson (Winnipeg) shot a 78 (+6) in the final round. After scoring for the Clan with rounds of 77 (+5) in the opening round and 78 (+6) in round two, he was edged out by Titterington in round three.

The 2014 NCAA Division II Championship will get underway May 19 at The Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, MI.

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) held it’s annual Ontario Hall of Fame induction ceremony May 7th at Wooden Sticks Golf Course. Earl Fritz, John Henrick, Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe and Bob Weeks were inducted as the class of 2014, while Ken McKee was the recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

GAO president Jim King summed up the importance of the evening for golf in the province.

“Tonight is about honouring our past. I think it is very important that we recognize the accomplishments, contributions and the inspiration that these people have provided for the other side of the equation: the up and coming. So it is really nice to honour them.”

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award to Ken McKee. McKee was unable to attend the ceremony, however, his grandson Maxwell delivered his acceptance speech that was written by McKee and members of his family.

“Mostly we just wanted this speech to convey sentiments and how much he enjoyed covering the game,” read Maxwell. “From high school to the Masters, he just loved getting there to tell the story in his own way. My grandfather is truly humbled and thankful to have been chosen as the 2014 Lorne Rubenstein Award recipient, my grandfather has the utmost respect for his work.”

Maxwell closed with a word of thanks directly from McKee.

“I want to thank the Golf Association of Ontario for this award and to all the players, past and present, I could not have done my job without you.”

The first inductee to be recognized was Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe. In acceptance of the award for Hurd Howe, the Ladies President of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Nancy Rundle, where Hurd Howe was a member while she lived in Canada, sent a letter of thanks for the recognition of one of their own. It was delivered by emcee Rod Black.

Next, Earl Fritz took to the stage to receive his award.

“I never understood how excited one could be until I was called by Dave Mills (retired GAO Executive Director) and told that I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Golf Association of Ontario,” said Fritz. “I was excited and honoured. I was on a cruise in the Mediterranean at the time. The excitement got to me so much that I had to phone Dave and thank him all the way from Barcelona. I’d like to thank all of the other inductees for all of the work they have done to develop the game of golf. Thanks to everyone who is here and to the GAO for such a big honour.”

John Henrick was then recognized. He shared some of the thoughts he had before heading out for his Hall of Fame round of golf earlier in the day.

“I can’t thank you enough for this honour,” stated Henrick. “I am so proud to be a member of the golf scene, still as a player. My last competitive round was played in 2008 at Royal Woodbine and I shot a 70 on a par 72 course. My first competitive round I went to caddie but then herd my name called by the pro shop. Our pro told me I was to fill in for one of the pros. I shot a 74. Ladies and gentlemen 61 years later, I’m getting better!”

Only earlier in the day the final inductee Bob Weeks notified the GAO that he had a family emergency to tend to and would be unable to attend. However, his friend and colleague from SCOREGolf Kim Locke stepped in to say a few words.

“The last thing I wanted to do was to be here speaking for Bob,” said Locke. “I know how honoured and excited he was to have the opportunity to be here tonight. The SCOREGolf brand and its success over the years, without Weeksy, would not have grown and might not even exist today.”

Locke closed with the speech that Weeks had sent to him just hours before the ceremony.

“I have been so fortunate to be able to travel far and wide, meet people and enjoy this wonderful game of golf on so many levels. The best part of it all is just how many friends I have made, for that I am blessed. Not a day goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am to do what I do. To be honoured here tonight is humbling and extremely exciting.”

With that the 2014 class entered the hall capping off an excellent Hall of Fame Day celebration.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada’s CEO, Scott Simmons and RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bill Paul visited a McDonalds in Oakville, Ont. Wednesday May 7th, 2014  as honourary servers to assist in raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada – the official charity partner of the RBC Canadian Open.

McDonalds restaurants across the country were hosting McHappy Day, where $1 from each Big Mac, hot coffee and Happy Meal sold that day were donated directly to neighbourhood children’s charities and Ronald McDonald Houses.

Scott and Bill were proud to be a part of McHappy Day and have shared their thoughts in this video. Enjoy!

GC:       What prompted Bear Mountain to host the CNFL Pacific Championship?
JR:       It’s an honour to be able to host some of Canada’s best young players. Most all of us started out as junior golfers and being able to give back and work with Golf Canada to grow the game is a privilege.

GC:      What do you think will challenge competitors the most?
JR:       The greens on the Valley Course. They are large with slopes and ridges so I would expect to see some scoring swings take place on our greens.

GC:      What can players expect when they arrive at your club?
JR:       It’s true Mountain golf. We pride ourselves on our service and facilities and are looking forward to showing all the youngsters and their families a great time while they are competing here.

GC:      Why is hosting this championship important to the club?
JR:       We want to become the best Resort and Golf Community in Canada so working with Golf Canada hosting high end events is a natural fit.

GC:      What preparations have went into hosting this championship?
JR:       Our membership is amazing and so many of them have volunteered to help drive shuttles for the players, do scoring and such. It would not be possible to organize without the help of our membership.

GC:      What does hosting an event like this do for your local community?
JR:       This is great for our resort and will allow many of the players to stay here for the entire trip staying in the hotel and taking the elevator back to their room at the end of the day.

GC:      Are there any significant holes or sections of the golf course that should provide excitement for the tournament?
JR:       The greens and staying away from three putts will likely decide the winner. Our Valley Course is a little more user friendly than the Mountain but still a very good test of golf. I am always impressed when we host junior event of the caliber of play and the Valley will demand some shot making and an all-around solid game.

GC:      What does your club do to encourage and engage your junior membership each season?
JR:       All of our golf memberships include free junior golf memberships for our member’s children. We run very popular Kids Bear Cub Camps all Summer long both golf specific and 5 spot taking advantage of the tennis, swimming, hiking and volleyball options at the resort. We also have 5 sets of tees with both courses playing around 4,500 from the forward tees as a softer introduction to junior golfers.

Golf is a sport rich in history and tradition. These elements are upheld at all levels of the game – see the video below to learn how the CN Future Links “Learn To Play” junior program helps to introduce these elements to children.

New this year, Learn To Play is changing from seven levels to four stages and refocusing its programming to target a smaller age range.

The target age group of 6-12 year-olds will now be rewarded with colour-coded hats and gear provided by the program’s new apparel sponsor, Puma Golf. CN Future Links instructors will benefit by enticing juniors with the popular, vibrant Puma colours that have been made famous by PGA Tour stars Rickie Fowler and Canadian Graham DeLaet.

With the new updates, the seven core modules of Learn To Play remain unchanged. Acting as foundational elements, the modules are easily transferrable to other sports and aspects of life – one of the primary goals of CN Future Links.

You can read more about each core module of CN Future Links here.

The 2014 Elmhurst Invitational golf tournament will offer two exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

As part of Elmhurst’s 100-year celebration the invitational will run from June 27-29th, 2014 and is expecting to draw its strongest field ever.

Invitations will be extended to top caliber players from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota and Minnesota. To entice players to enter, fully paid exemptions to the 2014 Canadian Men’s Amateur to be hosted by Elmhurst Golf & Country Club from August 2–7, 2014 will be awarded to the top-two finishers at the conclusion of the Elmhurst Invitational.

The Elmhurst Invitational was created to fill a gap that was left behind when the Manitoba Amateur Golf Tour ceased to exist.

“Top ranked players in Manitoba were saddened by the demise of the amateur tour,” said John Multan a long time member and founder of the ElmhurstInvitational. “As a former player, there were not enough competitive events left to play in and we were hungry for some competition. After discussing the concept with other competitive golfers, Elmhurst decided to step up to the plate and fill this gap.”

Since its inception in 2004, the Elmhurst Invitational has succeeded in its goal to supply competitive golfers with a golf course and a field that truly tests everyone who plays in it.

For further information on the Elmhurst Invitational, please contact Dave McMillan, Director of Golf, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club by phone at (204) 222-5511.

Victoria, B.C. (Golf Canada) – Bear Mountain Resort will play host to the first of six CN Future Links Championship events in 2014 – the CN Future Links Pacific Championship – which will be held May 9-11, with a practice round being staged on Thursday, May 8th.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18 including eight of Team Canada’s National Development Squad members. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division on Bear Mountain’s Valley Course.

“Golf Canada is delighted to return to Victoria to host our opening event of the season,” said Golf Canada tournament director Cam Crawford. “The field at Bear Mountain is going to be exceptionally strong with some of Canada’s top junior competitors in the field and it should prove to be an exciting championship.”

Team Canada’s Development Squad program will be represented on the junior boys side by 2013 CN Future Links Ontario Champion, Carter Simon, 17, of Sutton, Ont., and CN Future Links Quebec Champion, Étienne Papineau, 17, of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. Teammates Matt Williams, 17, of Calgary and Tony Gil, 15, of Vaughan, Ont. will also vie for the Pacific title.

On the junior girls side, Team Canada’s Development squad will be led by 2013 CN Future Links Western champion Sabrine Garrison, 17, of Calgary, alongside the reigning 2013 CN Future Links Prairie Champion, Jaclyn Lee, 17 from Calgary. Valérie Tanguay, 18, of St-Hyacinthe, Que., and Naomi Ko, 16, of Victoria will also represent the squad in the season opening event.

The Bear Mountain Golf Resort was designed by Jack Nicklaus and previously hosted the Telus World Skins Game in 2010 where Mike Weir, Fred Couples, Ian Poulter, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas dueled it out over two days for charity.

“With new ownership increasing its investment in all aspects of Bear Mountain we are working towards our goal of becoming the finest residential resort community in Canada. We are proud to be able to host the best Canadian young golfers here at Bear Mountain and work with Golf Canada to grow our great game,” said Jordan Ray Director of Golf at Bear Mountain Resort.

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., while 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.

In 2013, Team Canada’s Kevin Kwon of Maple Ridge, B.C. captured the Junior Boys title at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at Crown Isle Resort in Courtenay, B.C., while Brooke Henderson grabbed the 2013 CN Future Links Junior Girls title. Neither will be in the field this year at Bear Mountain.

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 2014 CN Future Links tournament schedule also includes the CN Future Links Ontario Championship (May 22-25 at The Rock Club in Minett, Ont.), the CN Future Links Prairie Championship (May 29-June 1 at Shilo Country Club in Westman, Man.) the CN Future Links Western Championship (July 1-4 at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C.), the CN Future Links Quebec Championship (July 7-10 at Club de golf Continental (St-Laurent) in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Que. and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship (July 13-16 at Humber Valley Resort (River Course) in Little Rapids, Nfld.

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Pacific Championship, including starting times, post-round results and a full field list click here.

CARMEL, Ind. – Team Canada’s Corey Conners captured medalist honours on Sunday, lifting Kent State to a record sixth consecutive Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship title.

Conners, a Listowel, Ont. native, finished at 11-under par (72-67-65-73) thru 72 holes. The 21-year-old’s play was highlighted by a third round hole-in-one on the par 3 12th – the fourth of his young career. The ace boosted Conners to a tournament low 65, good for a six stroke cushion heading into Sunday’s final round.

The Kent State senior went on to shoot 73 and capture his second title in three years (he won it back in 2012). His final year now features three NCAA titles – he won the General Hackler Championship and Davidson Invitational earlier in the season. Along with his NCAA victories, Conners took home the prestigious Jones Cup in February, one of the highest ranked amateur events in the world.

Taylor Pendrith, also a member of Team Canada, finished runner-up behind Kent State teammate Conners at 6-under par. Pendrith, a native of Richmond Hill, Ont., was the only player to shoot under par in each of the four rounds. The long-driving senior won last year’s title, making this the third consecutive year a Canadian has won the MAC medalist honours.

Collectively, the Kent State Golden Flashes ended with a 10-stroke victory over Toledo and Akron to win the conference championship. The Kent State women’s team, featuring three Canadians, also took home the conference championship just one week earlier for the 16^th straight time.

Conners, Pendrith and the Golden Flashes will look to continue their success next week at the NCAA Regionals from May 15-17.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

On Tuesday, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced that Chris Hill, coach at University of Houston, has won the Jan Strickland award, given to the top assistant coach in Div I, II or III golf.

Hill has become the first Canadian to win the award in its 12-year history.

“When I started coaching, I only dreamed that someday I would be included in the ranks of coaches even considered for such an honour,” Hill told UHCougars.com.

The award focuses on the coach’s ability to excel in working with athletes both on the course and in the classroom. Hill, a Sarnia, Ont., native, modestly credited his University of Houston athletes.

“My most important thank you goes to all my players, past and present, because without them this award was never even a possibility,” he continued.

Coach Hill has extended his Canadian roots into the recruiting system at the University of Houston. In his four years, Hill has been involved in the recruiting and coaching of three Team Canada athletes – Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.), Matthew Scobie (Ajax, Ont.) and current Development Squad member Matt Williams (Calgary).

HUGE congrats @UHCoachHill for winning assistant coach of the year!! Great friend and a great member of @UHCougarGolf #WellDeserved #Canuck

— matt scobie (@mattscobieUH) April 29, 2014

In addition, Hill and the Houston Cougars have successfully added Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., to their recruitment class of 2016. Gil, 16, is new to Canada’s Development Squad this year and verbally committed to the University of Houston earlier this month.

Robert Ratcliffe, Team Canada’s Lead Development Squad Coach, credits Hill for building the strong relationship between the University of Houston and Team Canada’s High Performance programs.

“Chris has been instrumental in establishing the great connection that we have with the University of Houston,” said Ratcliffe. “A handful of Canadians have truly excelled under his direction and I really look forward to what the future holds under his leadership.”

Hill has helped the Cougars jump to their current spot of No. 9 in the NCAA Div I Men’s Golf rankings. Away from the golf course, the Cougars achieved their highest ever cumulative grade-point average (GPA).

Click here to view Chris Hill’s profile