KOMOKA, Ont. – Canada’s top student-athlete golfers will descend on FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. from May 28-31 for the 2019 Canadian University/College Championship.

2019 marks the 17^th playing of the event, which was established in 2003 by Golf Canada to give the country’s best college and university golfers a chance to compete at a national championship.

The Fanshawe College Falcons will host the event this year at the picturesque FireRock Golf Club.

Designed by Thomas McBroom, FireRock features captivating landforms, ragged handmade bunkers and environmentally significant Savannah grasses.

“We are thrilled to welcome the best Canadian student golfers to FireRock Golf Club,” said host club Director of Golf & Events Amanda Cosentino. “We’re looking forward to a competitive championship and showcasing our beautiful course.”

Golf Canada prides itself on conducting a top-notch tournament that is the highest level of national competition for college and university golfers in the country.

“The Canadian University/College Championship provides a unique opportunity for the best student-athlete golfers in Canada to represent their school and compete for a national championship,” said Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “Golf Canada is proud to conduct this event to showcase the talent from universities and colleges across the country.”

In 2018, Avril Li went wire-to-wire to capture the women’s individual title and help the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to their third consecutive Canadian University/College Championship. Li was the only female competitor to shoot under par, finishing at four-under, a full seven strokes ahead of the competition.

Daniel Campbell of the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades captured the individual men’s title by shooting three rounds in the 60s during the tournament. Campbell’s play helped UFV win the team title, becoming the first host school to win the team championship since 2014.

The 72-hole stroke play competition will feature 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the country vying for the national championship titles.

Following the third round, the field will be reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and top six women’s teams, or any team within 15 shots of the lead. Individuals within 10 shots of third place will also make the cut, or any player within the top 10. Additional information regarding the 2019 championship can be found here.

FireRock Golf Club was selected by Golf Canada as the 2018 Future Links Facility of the Year.

FAST FACTS

The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds are this year’s defending champions in the Men’s and Women’s Division, respectively.

Last year, Daniel Campbell became the first non-UBC competitor to win the men’s individual title since 2013.

The UBC women have won 13 of the last 16 team event titles – easily the most in the competition’s history. The T-Birds also have the most men’s team championships with five.

The individual men’s and women’s champions receive exemptions into the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, respectively. The top three Men’s and Women’s individual finishers qualify for the FISU Universiade Games.

For pairings and additional information, click here.

Men’s Teams

Bishop’s University Gaiters
Brock University Badgers
Fanshawe College Falcons
Humber College Hawks
McGill University Redman
McMaster University Marauders
Queen’s University Gaels
St. Lawrence College Vikings
Université Laval Rouge et Or
Université du Montréal Carabins
University of Alberta Golden Bears
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds
University of the Fraser Valley Cascades
University of Guelph Gryphons
University of Manitoba Bisons
University of Ottawa Gee-Gees
University of Victoria Vikes
University of Waterloo Warriors
Western University Mustangs
Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks

Women’s Teams

Medicine Hat College Rattlers
Queen’s University Gaels
Université Laval Rouge et Or
Université du Montréal Carabins
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds
University of British Columbia – Okanagan Heat
University of Manitoba Bisons
University of Toronto Varsity Blues
University of Victoria Vikes
University of Waterloo Warriors
University of Windsor Lancers
Western University Mustangs

THORNTON, Ont. – Golf Canada’s second regional junior golf championship of 2019 is set to take place from May 24-26 as the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship gets underway at Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club in Thornton, Ont.

With support from Golf Ontario, the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship is the second of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on May 23, before the tournament gets underway with round one on May 24.

Since opening in 2002, Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club has quickly gained recognition as one of the premier golf facilities in the entire Greater Toronto Area. The course was nominated as “Best New Golf Course” in Canada in 2003 by Golf Digest and has been rated as one of Canada’s Top 100 Golf Courses by the Globe and Mail.

“Golf Canada and Golf Ontario are pleased to present the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship,” said Rob Watson, this week’s Tournament Director and Competitions Coordinator at Golf Ontario. “We look forward to seeing some of Canada’s premier junior players showcase their skills as they navigate beautiful Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club.”

The field will consist of 87 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on Aug. 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. A tie for the fifth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will feature 33 golfers with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 29-Aug. 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Six additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this year;

• May 31-June 2 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – Ponoka, Alta. – Wolf Creek Golf Resort
• June 7-9 – Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec – Joly, Que. – Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly
• June 14-16 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Yorkton, Sask. – Deer Park Golf Course
• July 16-18 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Fredericton, N.B. – Mactaquac Golf Course
• 20-22 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Lachute, Que. – Club de golf Lachute
• 27-29 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Crown Isle Golf Resort – Courtenay, B.C.

Additional information regarding the 2019 Future links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

Prior to the championship on Thursday, May 23, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold the second of two regional competitions in support of Special Olympics golf. The first event was held at Pitt Meadows Golf Club before the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship. A field of 24 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, PGA of Canada professionals will conduct a clinic for Special Olympics coaches and athletes with focus on improving skills and leadership within the sport.

Notables

Nolan Piazza, Niagara Falls, Ont.
Piazza won the 2018 Ontario Junior Boys Championship. He is currently in the top 25 of Golf Ontario’s Order of Merit.

Emily Romancew, Pierrefonds, Que.
The winner of last year’s Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship tees off in Ontario. Romancew also finished T3 at last year’s Future Links Fall Series.

Bennett Ruby, Waterloo, Ont.
The No.2-ranked competitor on Golf Ontario’s Order of Merit is coming in hot, having won the MJT – Spring Class at Galt Country Club in late April.

FAST FACTS

In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its eight regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

The top five finishers in the boys’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

The top five finishers (including ties) in the girls’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Current Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Maddie Szeryk won the 2013 Future Links Ontario Junior Girls title in 2013.

Friday’s opening-round pairings and more information on the event can be found here.

Admission to the vent is open to the public at no charge.

The regional tournaments for the NCAA Division I men’s golf championships got underway on Monday May 13 and will conclude on Wednesday, May 15, at six different sites.

Each regional tournament will conduct play across 54 holes through May 15. Each regional site will have 13 to 14 teams and five to 10 individuals. In all, the regional stages will feature 81 teams and 45 individuals. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals.

A total of 8 Canadian golfers are taking part in the competition.

Pullman Regional

Myrtle Beach Regional

Louisville Regional

Athens Regional

Austin Regional

Team and individual medalist titles will be decided May 24-29 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The University of Arkansas is the host institution for the 2019 championships.

Click on the event site above to access the tournament leaderboard and follow our Canadian golfers throughout the competition.

TORONTO – Sebastian Szirmak fired a 5-under-par 67 on Monday to win medallist honours in Canada’s only U.S. Open Local Qualifier on the north course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Szirmak entered the back nine at 1 under par, but roared to the lead by sinking birdies on five of his final six holes. The Toronto native’s birdie on the 18th hole gave him sole possession of the lead.

The 29-year-old competes on PGA Tour Latinoamérica and finished T7 at a qualifying tournament in January. However, Szirmak has missed the cut in three of his five tournaments since. He played on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2016.

Trailing Szirmak were co-runners-ups Chase Komaromi, Mitchell Sutton and Zach Giusti, each a 4 under.

Komaromi, an amateur from London, Ont., earned medallist honours at the 2017 U.S. Open Local Qualifier in Canada, and finds himself in sectional qualifying for the second time in three years.

A trio of birdies on the back nine for Giusti and a bogey-free round by Sutton secured them both exemptions into U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying.

Rounding out golfers earning exemptions was amateur Cougar Collins. A sophomore at Eastern Michigan University, Collins fired a 2-under-par 70.

The five to advance are among 500 who will play in 36-hole sectional qualifying events at 12 locations, one of which is Rattlesnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont. Sectional qualifying takes place between May 20 and June 3.

A hole-by-hole playoff was conducted to determine the first two alternate positions, which went to Peter Laws and Jake Montemurro.

This week is a busy one for TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, as the course is hosting an RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier on Thursday, May 16.

Click here for full results.

More information on U.S. Open qualifying can be found here.

The top-5 advancing to sectional qualifying

1. Sebastian Szirmak, Toronto, Ont. | 67 (-5)
T-2 Chase Komaromi (a), London, Ont. | 68 (-4)
T-2 Mitchell Sutton, London, Ont. | 68 (-4)
T-2 Zach Giusti, Aurora, Ont. | 68 (-4)
5. Cougar Collins (a), Caledon, Ont. | 70 (-2)

PITT MEADOWS, B.C. – Lauren Kim fended off competitors five years her senior and held on to a second-round lead, while Michael Crisologo won in a playoff in their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

Kim, 13, rocketed to the lead by knocking in six birdies in round two. The Surrey, B.C. native shot a bogey-free round on Sunday, finishing at 6 under during the 54-hole event, one shot ahead of Euna Han in second place.

“I feel really good about myself,” said Kim. “My best hole out of the entire round was the sixth hole. I thought I was going to make a bogey because I went into the trees. I made the putt for a [par] save and I was really shocked, but I feel that really helped me stay calm.”

As the top five finishers, Kim, Han, YanJun (Victoria) Liu, Tiffany Kong and Angel (Mu Chen) Lin each earned exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 29-Aug. 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Narrowly missing the top five was Céleste Dao. The Team Canada Junior Development Squad member led after 18 holes, but ultimately finished in sixth place at 2 over. Dao’s Team Canada teammate Ellie Szeryk joined her in the top ten by carding a 6-over 74.

.@laurenjkim13 and Michael Crisologo earned medalist honours in a breathtaking day three at #FutureLinks Pacific ?️‍♀️?️‍♂️

?https://t.co/D88wPCgguN pic.twitter.com/rsMUQie7Y0

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) May 13, 2019

It was a stunning finish in the boys’ division, as Crisologo and Laurent Desmarchais both put together impressive final rounds and finished tied at 5 under on the tournament. A playoff was needed to decide the winner, and Crisologo birdied the first playoff hole to secure the victory.

“I’m super excited, I can’t really put it into words right now,” said Crisologo of Richmond, B.C. “[My family] watched me through all 18 holes, and it was good to have that support.”

It was a strong showing for the Team Canada Junior Boys Development Squad, as three of the five lowest scores were carded by team members. In addition to Desmarchais, Christopher Vandette and Jeevan Sihota finished tied for third place.

Crisologo, Desmarchais, Vandette and Sihota each earned exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, head at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. from Aug. 11-15.

Along with the four lowest finishers, Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta. also earned an exemption into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship by shooting even par to round out the top five.

Full scoring can be found here.

WINNIPEG – Golf Manitoba is proud to announce that the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation has donated $60,000 to Golf Manitoba to support junior golf programming and the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. Working cooperatively with the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation, Golf Manitoba will apply the donation to benefit grassroots and high-performance junior golf programs, the University of Manitoba Bison Golf female and male programs and the annual induction ceremony conducted by the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

In 2018, the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was established with a mandate to support junior golf in the province of Manitoba. The Foundation will eventually commit a total of $3 million dollars to an endowment that will aid in supporting the development of new generations of golfers through grassroots golf initiatives and high-performance programming.

“We are extremely excited about the impact the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation will have in supporting and growing the sport of golf in the province,” said Vince Mariani, President of Golf Manitoba. “As far as we know, this type of personal commitment to golf, and amateur sport for that matter, is unprecedented in Manitoba.”

“For 2019, the donation will have an immediate impact on our regional Golf in Schools program, a key grassroots program that delivers basic golf skills instruction through the school system,” said Jared Ladobruk, Executive Director of Golf Manitoba. “More funding means we can expand our capacity and visit more schools thereby introducing more young people to golf. The increased funding gives us the ability to train and certify early years educators who will then be able to deliver basic golf skills instruction as part of physical education programing. By training and certifying educators, we expand our Golf in Schools capacity and can now introduce more young girls and boys to the sport of golf with physical literacy in mind. Linking golf to physical literacy I believe is an opportunistic area for the future of the sport and hopefully this serves to grow the game even further.”

“Another key area of golf benefiting from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation is Golf Manitoba’s interprovincial junior golf teams,” added Ladobruk. “This new funding will offset the costs of travel and equipment for the girls and boys who have earned the right to represent Manitoba in national competitions conducted by Golf Canada. This generous funding will reduce the financial barriers that come with participation in national competitions and will mean that Golf Manitoba’s best young golfers will not be denied the opportunity to compete against the nation’s best due to financial constraints.”

The University of Manitoba Bison Golf Program will also benefit from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation. Funding will be allocated to support both the men’s and women’s programs. The Bison Golf Program is celebrating its 20th year in 2019 and the program is entirely self-funded through sponsorships and donations.

Golf Manitoba will now also fund external junior golf charitable programs through the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation. Existing junior golf programs will be able to apply for funding which will be evaluated by Golf Manitoba to determine eligibility with further announcements to follow.

Additionally, proceeds from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation will provide support to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame which recognizes and celebrates those who have made extraordinary contributions in the Manitoba golf community as well as nationally and internationally. A goal of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is to make known the achievements of its Honoured Members and Teams to serve as inspiration to future generations which is consistent with the goals of the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation to support junior golf. The 2019 induction ceremony is scheduled to take place in late September.

The donation from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was facilitated through the Golf Canada Foundation and its partnership with Golf Manitoba. The Golf Canada Foundation is a Registered Canadian Athletic Amateur Association (RCAAA), and as such is recognized by the Canadian Revenue Agency as a qualified donee. Gifts received by the Golf Canada Foundation qualify for an official donation receipt.

Peggy Colonello

Served as president of the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association in 1974 – 76 and was an active participant at her home course, the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, where she and husband Alex had been members since the 1940s.

Peggy also served a two-year term as president of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association from 1982-83. During her time on the national executive, Peggy attended World and Commonwealth championships in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Britain and Switzerland, including the various Canadian events in which she participated. Peggy was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was an inaugural inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame on September 29, 2003.

Alex Colonello

First moved to Winnipeg in 1941 where, in 1949, Bay Bronze Company asked him to start a machinery division for them. Alex eventually bought control of the company in 1973 becoming President until his retirement in 1996. In 1998, Alex purchased the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries to form Bayco Golf Inc. Alex Colonello passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.

PITT MEADOWS, B.C. – Golf Canada’s first regional junior golf championship of 2019 is set to take place this week as the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship gets underway at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C from May 10-12.

With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship is the first of six regional junior championships across the country, presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on Thursday, May 9 before the tournament gets underway with round one action on Friday, May 10.

Designed in 1963, Pitt Meadows Golf Club is a member-owned facility. With the picturesque Golden Ears Mountains as a backdrop, the course boasts a 25,000 sq. foot clubhouse, and has hosted numerous nationally and provincially recognized championships.

“The Future Links, driven by Acura Championships are great opportunities for our best junior golfers across Canada to showcase their talent,” said Adam Cinel, the Rules and Competitions Coordinator with Golf Canada. “Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf are looking forward to hosting an exceptional field at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.  The course is in immaculate condition and will provide a fair but tough test for all athletes.”

The field will consist of 87 competitors in the junior boys’ division with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.

The junior girls’ division will consist of 33 golfers with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 29-August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Five additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer:

• May 24-26 – Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario – Thornton, Ont. – Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club
• May 31-June 2 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – Ponoka, Alta. – Wolf Creek Golf Resort
• June 7-9 – Future Links, driven by Acura Québec – Joly, Que. – Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly
• June 14-16 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Yorkton, Sask. – Deer Park Golf Course
• July 16-18 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Fredericton, N.B. – Mactaquac Golf Course

Additional information regarding the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Champion, including participants, start times and up-to-date results  can be found here.

Since 2016, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada have partnered to host Special Olympics athletes at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific and Ontario Championships. On Wednesday, May 8, 12 athletes and their caddies from the British Columbia region participated in a 9-hole event to kick off the championship. Golf Canada is committed to providing opportunities for all golfers to participate and compete and are continually looking at ways to enhance the experience for these athletes in the future and our partnership moving forward.

Special Olympic athletes on Wednesday, May 8 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

NOTABLES
Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Last year’s Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific winner looks to defend her title. Chun also won the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship.

Cole Wilson, Kelowna, B.C.
The defending champion also returns on the boys side, as Wilson won last year’s Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific championship.

Céleste Dao, Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Qué.
A member of Team Canada, Dao recently qualified for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. She is currently No. 1 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Girls’ Order of Merit.

FAST FACTS
In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

The top five finishers in the boys’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

The top five finishers (including ties) in the girls’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Canadian LPGA Tour star Brooke Henderson won the Future Links Pacific Junior Girls title in 2013.

Defending champion Cole Wilson rallied in the final round of last year’s tournament to finish in top spot.

Monet Chun is a three-time Future Links Championship winner.

Friday’s opening-round pairings and more information on the event can be found here.

Admission to the event is open to the public at no charge.

OAKVILLE, ONT. – Canadians Céleste Dao and Megan Osland clinched their spots in the field for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open by winning their respective qualifying events Monday.

Dao was the medalist at a qualifying sectional in Boston, Mass. while Osland won her qualifying sectional in Bradenton, Fla.

Dao, an 18-year-old member of Team Canada, shot 8-over-par to best a field of 37 competitors. A native of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., Dao won the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last year and competed at the USGA U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

“What impresses me most about Céleste is her commitment,” said Matt Wilson, Team Canada Junior Women’s Coach. “There is a personal level of competition that she feels that lends itself to doing things at a high level of quality, which in my mind allows her to get the most out of every single day and take small steps forward towards improving on what is already a great skill set.”

Osland birdied three of her final five holes during the second of two rounds Monday to hold on to top spot in the tournament. The Kelowna, B.C. native carried a 3-stroke lead into the final round thanks to a first round 68, and withstood a strong charge from Mexican Ingrid Gutierrez Nunez.

The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open will be Osland’s first major championship appearance and she will celebrate her 26^th birthday the week before the tournament.

The U.S. Women’s Open takes place from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2 at Country Club of Charleston (S.C.).

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que. shot even-par on 54 holes at the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Regional this week. Thibault competed as an independent at the event, and narrowly missed advancing to the season ending Final Championships.

Four regional tournaments were conducted from May 6-8 to determine the field for the Final Championships. A total of 384 participants were selected for regional competition. Of these players, 132 advanced to the Championships. Six teams and three individuals advanced from each regional.

Here is the official list of Canadians who played, represented in three of four regional sites:

• East Lansing Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Mary Parsons (Indiana University)	Delta, B.C.	T61 (+14)
  Sydney Naro (Michigan State University)	Toronto, Ont.	T89 (+26)
  Phoebe Yue (UCLA)	West Vancouver, B.C.	T82 (+21)

• Norman Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Kathrine Chan (Pepperdine University)	Richmond, B.C.	85 (+20)
  Naomi Ko (North Carolina State)	Victoria, B.C.	T-90 (+29)

• Auburn Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Brigitte Thibault (Fresno State)*	Rosemère, Que.	T11 (E)
  Sarah-Eve Rhéaume (Furman University)	Québec, Que.	T51 (+9)

*Brigitte Thibault is an individual qualifier.

The national championships will be May 17-22 at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas hosted by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The final three days of the championships will be televised live by the Golf Channel.

Click on the event site above to access the tournament leaderboard and follow our Canadian golfers during the week.

Golf’s new World Handicap System, which is designed to bring the game of golf under a single set of Rules for handicapping and provide a more consistent measure of players’ ability between different regions of the world, remains on track for implementation from 2020.

Education has begun with events being held in Singapore, South Africa, Great Britain and Ireland, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Continental Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and the USA.

A secure resource portal, accessible via www.whs.com, has also been launched to provide national associations with a library of different materials that they can use to help support their own education efforts.

Coinciding with this release, the USGA and The R&A will be launching a social media video campaign to remind golfers of the eight key features of the new Rules, and to reveal more details.  These features include:

• A minimum number of scores to establish a Handicap Index and maximum Handicap Index of 54.0
• Basis of calculation of Handicap Index
• Acceptability of scores for handicap purposes
• Course Rating and Slope Rating
• Calculation of a Playing Handicap
• Maximum hole score for handicap purposes
• Adjustments for abnormal playing conditions
• Frequency of updates of Handicap Index

Significant progress has been made in preparation for the roll out of the new system, which includes building a library of education materials, finalizing the new Rules of Handicapping, release of the technical specifications and the continuation of testing. Many national associations around the world are busy ensuring that their golf courses are rated in accordance with the Course Rating System and working to update local software platforms so that they are ready to apply the new Rules of Handicapping.  While many countries will be ready to transition early in 2020, given both the magnitude of the change for some jurisdictions and varying seasonality throughout the world, it is anticipated that others will need more time.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “There are many ways in which it is important for golf to modernise and become more appealing for people thinking of taking up the sport and handicapping is clearly one of them. The World Handicap System is a major new initiative for the sport which will establish a clearer and more consistent handicapping process for golfers throughout the world.

“We are working closely with national associations, as we do across our governance, championships and development work, to ensure they are fully prepared for the introduction of the new system as soon as possible after it becomes available for implementation.”

Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA, said, “We hope every golfer will see the benefit of obtaining a handicap – not only to play equitably with anyone no matter where they play, but also as a tool to measure their success.  In making it easier for golfers to obtain and maintain a handicap, we hope golf will be more welcoming and less intimidating throughout the world.”

Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada said, “We are pleased to align with golf’s global governing bodies in the development and 2020 implementation of the new World Handicap System. “Over the coming months, we will work with national and provincial partners as well as golf clubs across Canada to educate golfers and ensure a smooth transition to this new system.”

Since its conception, the development of the WHS has focused on three key goals: to encourage as many golfers as possible to obtain and maintain a Handicap Index; to enable golfers of differing abilities, genders and nationalities to transport their Handicap Index to any course around the world and compete on a fair basis; and to indicate with sufficient accuracy the score a golfer is reasonably capable of achieving on any course around the world, playing under normal conditions.

The system has been devised following extensive consultation with the six existing handicapping authorities: Golf Australia, the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) in Great Britain and Ireland, the European Golf Association (EGA), the South African Golf Association (SAGA), the Argentine Golf Association (AAG) and the USGA. The Japan Golf Association and Golf Canada have also been closely involved in developing the new system.

Widespread support for WHS was expressed in an international survey of 52,000 golfers with 76% in favour of the new system and a further 22% saying they were willing to consider its benefits. Focus groups were also held in different regions of the world to elicit detailed feedback on the features of the new system, which have contributed to the finalised Rules of Handicapping.

The World Handicap System will unite the golf world under one single set of handicapping rules and will be governed by the USGA and The R&A, with support from the existing six handicap authorities.

As an extension of their support of the Rules of Golf worldwide, Rolex has made a commitment to support The R&A’s and the USGA’s efforts to implement the World Handicap System.