CALGARY – Many golfers will be heading back to school with a scholarship this year, after Alberta Golf announced the 2016 scholarship recipients.

The successful applicants include past Team Alberta members, past Interprovincial Team members, Alberta Junior Champions, Alberta Amateur Champions, as well as students who simply enjoy the sport.

Alberta Golf’s scholarship program is open to all applicants pursuing their academic interests such that golfing ability is not a requirement. More than 20 of the recipients are past junior players who have competed in Alberta Golf’s provincial championships and several continue to play at a post-secondary level.

Scholarship applications are evaluated by a committee of volunteers based on the criteria of financial need, grade point average and volunteer experience. The funds for the scholarships are generated through a yearly casino, the generosity of patrons and from various donors and foundations.

The 2016 scholarship recipients are:
Lindsay Almberg, Barrett Belland, Katie Benoit, Quinn Ceplis, Andrew Chelack, Celine Copeland, Courtney Dickson, Claire Emery, Jolene Freerksen, Kevin Gfrerer, Heather Gisi, Patrick Gobran, Andrew Harrison, Bria Jansen, Conaire Kehoe, Peter Keith, Kat Kennedy, Alissa Kuhn, Julie Kuhn, Brendan Kuny, Carolyn Lee, Daria Leidenius, Shaye Leidenius, Erin Martens, Kate Martens, Scott McNichol, Melanie Murchison, Brandon Murphy, Hamzah Naeem, Nathan Nobert, Jack Pengelly, Allan Pruss, Michael Pruss, Dalton Ronan, Elliot Saive, Tyler Saunders, Luke Scanlon, Amanda Sha, Tyler Vandermeer, Mackenzie Walker, Sydney Weber, Rachel Wiebe and Jack Wood.

The application process for the 2017 academic year starts January 1, with a deadline of July 15, 2017. For more information on the application process, click here.

Individual and corporate donations are greatly appreciated. Each donation is eligible to receive a tax receipt. To donate online at any time, click here.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Brilliant sunshine and high temperatures welcomed Michael Mercier to the final round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Grand Niagara Golf Club. The Juno Beach, Fla., native fought through the intense heat to claim Canada’s national senior title.

Mercier began the day with a share of first alongside Dave Schultz of Calgary, but a five-birdie, 2-under 70 propelled him to victory.

“Today, I didn’t quite strike the ball as well as I was striking it the first three days. The first three days, I hit the ball very well, only missed a few greens over a total of three days, but I struggled a little bit putting. Today, I didn’t hit it that well, but I kind of figured out my putter last night on the practice green. I got the stroke and it freed up a little today. I putted much better today and I hit it good enough to get by.”

The 58-year-old is the tournament’s 54^th champion. With frequent visits to Canada and a number of ties to the country, Mercier spoke fondly of being its newest senior champion.

“It means a lot because Canada is somewhat dear to my heart since my great-grandfather came from here,” reflected the winner. “And apparently, I still have many cousins out there named Mercier up in the Montreal area that I’m related to. Because of that and the great spirit of the Canadian people, [my wife] Andrea and I, when we come up here every summer, it’s a real pleasure to come here. Because of that, Canada is more than just a stop for me to play golf in a great national championship, it’s like a second home to me.”

In addition to claiming the national senior title, Mercier has earned entry into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested from September 17-22 at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo. Despite only learning of the exemption moments after his final putt, Mercier was buoyed by the victory and looks forward to the challenge ahead.

“When I’ve won in the past, I’ve gained some confidence,” explained Mercier. “I played okay earlier in the year, but in July and August, I hadn’t really played very well, so I started to lose some confidence. And then I could tell, my confidence started coming back during the second round because I started hitting some good shots and I was able to get up on some of the tougher holes and drive the ball a little more precise with confidence. I’m sure – I won’t know until next week when I go down to the U.S. Senior Amateur – but I know I’ll have more confidence than I came here with which will be a big help.”

Finishing in second-place was James Gallagher of Yorktown, Va. The 58-year-old collected four birdies, but fell shy of his goal by two strokes. Claiming shares of third at 2-under were Brady Exber of Las Vegas and Camrose, Alta., native Frank Van Dornick.

Van Dornick, Schultz and Brian Brown of Nanton, Alta., captured the inter-provincial team championship which was contested concurrently over the tournament’s two opening rounds. The trio claimed a nine-stroke victory over Team Manitoba.

Also played alongside the championship’s first 36-holes was the Super Senior division. John Gallacher of Burnaby, B.C., posted back-to-back 72s to secure a six-stroke victory in the 65-and-over competition.

The 2017 edition of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship will be hosted at Kanawaki Golf Club in Montréal from September 11-14.

Additional information regarding the 2016 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship is available here.

With three years of experience as a member of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad and four with the University of Houston Cougars under his belt, Blair Hamilton will make the jump to the professional ranks.

The decision comes following a 2016 campaign that featured a runner-up finish at the Jones Cup, four Top-10 NCAA finishes, and cracking the Top-20 in both the prestigious Monroe Invitational and Porter Cup.

“I’m really excited—it’s one of those things you dream about when you first get into the game,” said Hamilton of his transition. “I’ve had a lot of awesome experiences as an amateur and I’m ready to take the next step in my career.”

The Burlington, Ont., product will tee-it-up in his home province this week at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Niagara Championship from Sept. 8-11 at the Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ont.

“I think it’s the perfect place for my professional debut,” he said of the event, which is an hour away from his hometown. “It’s a great event and I’m hoping to show up and play the way I know I can.”

Hamilton enters the week with experience competing on the professional stage. He competed in the 2015 RBC Canadian Open, where he finished as low amateur, as well as the 2016 RBC Canadian Open earlier this summer. He also boasts a wealth of experience from competing in prestigious international events through the Team Canada program.

“Making the cut at the RBC Canadian Open was a huge highlight for me,” he said of his 2015 performance. “I also think back to the 2012 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan with the Development Squad, which was one of the most fun events I’ve ever played in.”

At 22 years of age, Hamilton is confident in his ability to perform at the highest level and was quick to thank the Team Canada program.

“I have nothing but awesome things to say about everyone involved with Team Canada—we have some of the best coaches and support staff in the world. Being able to learn as much as I did from them, you know, there’s no doubt I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and experience they provided.”

Hamilton has signed with Mississauga-based, Higher Ground Sports Management Inc., to represent him as a professional. Higher Ground manages some of Canada’s top professional golfers including Adam Hadwin on the PGA TOUR, and LPGA Tour star Alena Sharp, who recently represented Canada at the Summer Olympics in Rio.

Following this week’s event, Hamilton plans to head south to compete in the Web.com Tour Qualifying School with hopes to earn status for the 2017 campaign.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – An unrelenting heat continued to envelop the Grand Niagara Golf Club during the second round of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. A trio of Albertans emerged victorious in the inter-provincial team competition, while John Gallacher claimed the Super Senior national title.

Camrose, Alta., native Frank Van Dornick began the day with a share of 19th, but vaulted up the leaderboard with six birdies on the day, including four across a bogey-free back nine, en route to a 4-under 68.

“My round was fairly steady,” said Van Dornick. “I haven’t been hitting it very well, so I was just trying to manage the golf course as best I could. Today, I hit a lot of decent irons, I actually made a lot of putts, and that was the difference.”

The performance propelled Team Alberta to a nine-stroke victory after entering the day two shots back of Manitoba. Teammates David Schultz of Calgary and Brian Brown from Nanton carded rounds of 1-under and 2-under, respectively. Team Manitoba claimed second, while the squad representing British Columbia came third.

“Historically, we’ve been in the hunt, but we don’t always win, of course,” reflected Van Dornick. “When we do, it’s always very special. This is Brian’s first year and David and I go back 25-30 years, so I’ve known David an awfully long time. I think it was really nice for Brian to not only be a part of this, but also play as well as he has to date. I think you’ll see a lot more of Brian in the future.”

Van Dornick was pensive when asked about his fellow competitors and the unique nature of this national championship.

“A lot of these guys, we’ve gone through illnesses together; we know what everyone’s had in the past. The ones that have survived and can continue to compete and still find joy in the competition, they’re the ones we still see. Our hats are off to the ones that are unable to do that for health reasons. We’ve made a lot of friends nationwide as a result of these competitions and all of these friendships are very special.”

At 2-under 142, Van Dornick holds a share of second alongside first-round leader Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, Fla., and Garth Collings of Matlock, Man. The trio trails Las Vegas native Brady Exber by a single stroke. The 60-year-old Exber is playing in his third consecutive Canadian Men’s Senior Championship with his best finish being a runner-up result in 2014.

Back-to-back 72s have earned Burnaby, B.C., product John Gallacher the Super Senior title. The 65-year-old closed the round with nine straight pars to win the 65-and-over division by six strokes. A trio of Albertans in Howard Broun (Calgary), Merv Dusyk (Sylvan Lake) and Ron Kelly (Calgary) tied for second.

A total of 77 players finished 155-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. The winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from September 17-22.

The third day of competition will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. ET. Additional information from the championship can be found here.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The world’s top female junior golfers will head to Mississauga for the third edition of the World Junior Girls Championship from September 25-30 at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club. Two teams of three athletes will don the red and white of the host nation as Canada competes for the title of World Junior Girls champion.

“It is an honour to represent your country and we look forward to welcoming these players to Canada,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “The course is in fantastic shape and we are thrilled to host some of the world’s best juniors at this historic club. Our partners at Mississaugua and the communities in the surrounding area have come together to make this a truly memorable event for our competitors.”

Representing Canada One will be Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie who will look to translate home course advantage into success on the international stage. The member of Mississaugua Golf & Country Club has had a banner year, capturing the 2016 Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship before defending her Ontario Junior Girls title. At the national level, the 16-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member collected runner-up results at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Mary Parsons opened Golf Canada’s season by claiming victory at the 2016 edition of the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C. The product of Delta, B.C., came up just shy of the victory at her province’s Amateur Championship, collecting a second-place result, but then claimed an impressive six-stroke win at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship. The 17-year-old earned third-place at the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship behind Currie.

Completing the Canada One contingent is Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont. The 2016 Team Ontario member claimed her first CN Future Links title at the Quebec edition of the regional cross-Canada championships for junior golfers. The 15-year-old earned a share of second at her province’s amateur championship before finishing T11 at the national event for amateurs. Chun secured an eighth-place result at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

As the host country, Canada reserves the right to field two teams in the 48-player, 15-country competition. Céleste Dao earned her place on the Canada Two squad following an impressive season. A fifth-place showing at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship propelled the Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., native into a runner-up result at her province’s Junior Girls Championship. She tied for eighth in the stroke play component of the U.S. Girls’ Junior before claiming a share of sixth at Canada’s National Junior Girls Championship. The 15-year-old’s season culminated in a convincing nine-stroke victory at the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational.

Hannah Lee is returning for a second stint at the World Junior Girls Championship, having competed in 2015 at The Marshes Golf Club in the nation’s capital. The member of the National Team Development Squad secured a third-place finish at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship. She excelled at the provincial level, claiming fourth at the B.C. Women’s Amateur before earning a T2 at the B.C. Junior Girls competition. An 11th-place showing at the national Junior Girls Championship and a season of lessons-learned garnered the Surrey, B.C., native the growth and experience she needed to emerge victorious at the B.C. Juvenile Championship.

The third and final member of Canada Two is Isabella Portokalis – the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario champion. The London, Ont., native’s 2016 season includes a T2 at the Ontario Junior Girls Championship and a share of seventh at her provincial Women’s Amateur. The 2016 Team Ontario member’s performance at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship earned her a T11 result before she collected a sixth-place finish at the Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Championship.

“Golf Ontario is excited to once again partner with Golf Canada to conduct this global championship at another of Ontario’s storied clubs – Mississaugua Golf & Country Club,” said Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario Executive Director. “We thank their membership and volunteer committees for all their hard work. We are thrilled for our athletes from Ontario who have been selected to represent Canada and wish them the best of luck.”

“These six athletes have had tremendous seasons and their selections to Team Canada are the result of their hard work and commitment to the sport,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The Provincial Golf Associations, their home clubs, their parents and of course, the athletes themselves – their joint efforts have made this accomplishment possible and they should all be proud.”

While highlighting the work of those involved with the newest members of Team Canada, Thompson also spoke highly of the talented juniors from coast to coast.

“The selection of these teams was not an easy task. Across the nation, the level of skill shown by our junior-aged players speaks to not only the passion for golf in Canada, but also the excellent work done by golf facilities and our provincial partners to hone the skills of our athletes. We look forward to seeing these six players represent Canada against a number of the best juniors in the world.”

National Team Development Squad Women’s Coach Ann Carroll will once again lend her expertise to Canada One. Coach Mike Martz from the Golf Performance Centre at Whistle Bear will return to lead Canada Two.

The inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 was held at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., captured individual honours in leading Team USA to victory. Playing in her final event as an amateur, current World No. 3 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished fourth as Canada One claimed bronze.

The second edition of the tournament was conducted at Ottawa’s The Marshes Golf Club where the trio representing the Republic of Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Paju-si, South Korea native Hye-jin Choi finished 12-under in claiming a seven-stroke victory. Choi is currently the No. 15-ranked amateur in the world and counts a victory at the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship among her accomplishments.

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will celebrate the sport and focus upon the promotion and development of junior girls golf. Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic in the days leading up to the competition’s first round on Tuesday, September 27.

Admission to the competition is free.

FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association will host the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium on March 6-7 in Vancouver, gathering  leaders in sustainable facility management and sports research to share knowledge and advance the game.

Symposium attendees will discuss how research, science and data can help golf facilities around the world reduce their costs, operate more efficiently and provide a better experience for golfers. Over two days, the USGA and other contributing innovators will share details of their ongoing work in areas such as resource management, golf operations, revenue management, pace of play and equipment standards.

“Golf facilities have saved water and fuel, solved problems that cause bottlenecks on the golf course, and introduced programs to welcome more people into our game – simply by learning and sharing best practices discussed at these forums,” said Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA. “It’s a significant priority for the USGA to bring these leaders together, and foster this kind of innovative thinking each year.”

The 2017 event will be the fourth symposium hosted by the USGA, and the first conducted outside the United States. The first two events focused on pace of play and were held at USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J. In January 2016, the symposium in Pasadena, Calif., added programs on other aspects of facility management and golfer experience. Presentations from previous symposiums, delivered by the LPGA Tour, American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and USGA, among others, can be found by clicking here.

The 2017 event, supported by Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation, will center on three major themes: Golfer Experience, Facility Sustainability and Innovation in Governance. The USGA will introduce technologies and tools, in addition to presenting research results from the USGA’s strategic partnership with the University of Minnesota. One of the partnership’s first studies measures the impact of green speed on pace of play.

Other planned topics include facility benchmarking, insights from the USGA-ASGCA Site Evaluation Program, and ideas for improving the golfer experience, such as flexible course routing and Tee It Forward guidance. Presenters will represent academia, the private sector, non-endemic golf industries and golf associations.

“The challenges facing golf courses transcend borders,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “Like other organizations around the world, we are trying to help our golf community, and we are excited to bring the Golf Innovation Symposium to Canada so we can provide an opportunity for our facility managers to benefit from the knowledge that will be shared.”

Additional details will be made available in the coming months.

The 2017 Golf Innovation Symposium reflects the latest effort by the USGA to serve the game of golf as a knowledge center and information-exchange platform for golf facility operators and owners, and to spark and share innovative thinking for a healthy future for the game.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Heat and humidity dominated the day as the 2016 edition of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship opened at the Grand Niagara Golf Club. Michael Mercier carded a 4-under 68 to top the Senior division’s leaderboard, while Ottawa’s Dru Lafave and Burnaby, B.C., native John Gallacher share the Super Senior lead. The trio representing Manitoba is ahead in the inter-provincial team competition by two strokes.

Garth Collings of Matlock, Man., and Calgary’s Allan Ross recorded matching 70s to lead the Canadian contingent in the overall competition. Collings Collected three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 8^th hole.

“The course was awesome, but it was obviously very hot and humid,” said the 58-year-old. “The course played very well. I got off to a good start, but then I had a bit of a hiccup. I really worked hard to keep it in play. I made a couple of lucky shots and I was fortunate enough to shoot 70.”

Collings and teammates – and Winnipeg products – Michael Walker and Brad Moore, tallied a team total of even-par 144 to stake a two-stroke lead ahead of Team Alberta. Teams British Columbia and Ontario are T3 at 5-over 147.

“It’s the main reason why we come here,” reflected Collings, when asked about the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition. “Any individual success we have is great also, but when I teed up in our province to play in the Senior in Manitoba, I played to make this team. That was my goal. For us to play well here, hopefully we can keep it going tomorrow. It’s senior golf, it’s really about the golf and the camaraderie.”

Alone atop the Senior division is Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, Fla. The 58-year-old, who began the day on the back nine, notched seven birdies on the day, including four across his first nine holes for a 3-under 33 showing. Las Vegas native Brady Exber counted five birdies and sits one stroke back of the leader.

Ottawa’s Dru Lafave and John Gallacher of Burnaby, B.C., lead the 65-and-over Super Senior division contested concurrently with the championship’s first two rounds. At even-par, the pair sit one stroke clear of Vineland, Ont., native Kerry Short.

Following the opening 36-holes, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from September 17-22.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – Brooke Henderson is on a mission to grow the sport of golf.

The 18-year-old phenom, ranked third in the world, wants to make the game she loves more popular in Canada, one fan at a time. Just a year into her professional career, it seems like Henderson’s already had an impact in Canada.

“If I can try to help grow the game or inspire someone to pick up this game, this amazing game, it really makes me feel awesome,” said Henderson after her final round of play at the LPGA Manulife Classic. “They were yelling my name between shots and high fives at the end of the holes.

“It’s just really cool to see and a lot of fun. I think if even half of these people start to play the game if they didn’t before, I think that would be just incredible.”

After answering reporters questions Henderson went to meet dozens of fans, signing autographs and taking pictures for nearly half an hour at Whistle Bear Golf Club. Many of the fans waiting for Henderson were girls not much younger than her, who have taken to wearing her signature pink visor and enjoy the nickname “Brookealike.”

There’s tangible evidence that Henderson is making women’s golf more popular too: Attendance at this year’s Manulife Classic was up to 68,000 from 63,000 the year before, with Henderson drawing the biggest crowds.

Other golfers have noticed the uptick too.

“It was great to see a lot of people out here and especially a lot of juniors,” said world No. 1 Lydia Ko, a native of New Zealand. “I think when we come to Canada, I think it’s probably the most juniors we see on any of our tour schedule, so it’s always good to see the future stars.”

Henderson has allies in her mission too. Fellow Canadian Olympian Alena Sharp, from Hamilton, announced after her final round that she wants “more Canadians out here.”

Sharp was the low Canadian at the Manulife Classic, firing a 2-under 70 in the final round to tie for 26th at 9-under par. At the start of the year it was Sharp’s goal was to be ranked in the LPGA’s top 60 by the end of the season. She’s already accomplished that and is No. 34.

“It seems like Canadian women’s golf is heading in the right direction,” said the 35-year-old Sharp. “We have a lot of great young players coming up, and Golf Canada has been working hard getting these players developed, and they have everything – great coaching, great nutritionists, they have great physio and workout, and it’s starting to show, I think.

“I think five years from now we’re going to have a lot of top players in the world.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., was 1-under 71 on Sunday to tie with Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., who shot a 3-under 69 in the fourth round, to finish 39th. Quebec City’s Anne Catherine Tanguay shot 1-over 73 in the fourth round to tie for 44th at 6 under. All four Canadians said they’d hoped they’d inspired some young golfers with their play this week.

“I think it’s booming, and especially with Brooke, Alena and the Canadian national team has – the program’s been doing so much for women’s golf and young girls, too,” said Tanguay. “So I think it’s getting there, and we’ve seen so many young girls out here this week and throughout this season, too, and it’s so good to see that we can help grow the game.”

WELLAND, Ont. – A warm summer’s day provided ideal conditions at Hunters Pointe Golf Club for the qualifying event into the 2016 Canadian Senior Men’s Championship. Sandy Billyard – a co-owner of the host club – was able to take advantage of his strong familiarity with the course, shooting 1-under 71 to claim medallist honours.

The native of nearby Ridgeville, Ont., collected four birdies on the day and finished with the lone under-par round.

“The course was good; we had a heavy rainfall here about three or four days ago, so it softened the greens up and they were very receptive to shots. I didn’t have a terribly good putting day, but I kept the ball in play and limited the number of mistakes to a minimum. I just kept my eye on the fact that I had to shoot even-par, maybe 1-under, to qualify.”

The 60-year-old is excited for the competition in the coming days, hoping to add to an already impressive golfing career. Billyard captured the 1973 Ontario Junior Championship and came runner-up in the 1974 Canadian Junior Championship. As a 20-year-old, he took part in the 1976 Canadian Open as an amateur. In 2014, he was added to Golf Ontario’s Wall of Recognition, before joining the Welland Sports Wall of Fame one year later.

“It’s great. I’ve played in a number of national championships over my career as an amateur golfer,” reflected Billyard. “This one, I’m very interested in because it’s a local golf course. Grand Niagara is a wonderfully-designed and beautifully-conditioned golf course. I’ve played it many times and I’m excited to go out there to play and see how I can do against the best players.”

Fellow Ontarians William King of Sault Ste. Marie and John Murphy of Orillia carded even-par rounds of 72, while Ross Eisele of Milton, Ont., shot 73 to claim the fourth and final spot into the 54^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at the Grand Niagara Golf Club from September 6-9.

A 65-and-over Super Senior division and an inter-provincial team competition will be contested concurrently with the national championship’s first two rounds. Following the opening 36-holes, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from September 17-22.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here, while details from the qualifying competition are available here.