Team Canada NextGen member Justin Matthews lurks in third; Team Quebec carries three shot lead into final round of Inter-Provincial Team Championship 

GATINEAU, Que. – Thomas Grenier of Thetford Mines, Que. fired an 8-under 62 at Rivermead Golf Club to smash the previous course record and carry a one-shot lead into the second round of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, in Gatineau, Que. 

Grenier made six birdies, an eagle, and didn’t drop a single shot to claim the lowest score in the course’s 116-year history. His 8-under 62 on Monday is also the lowest single-round score to ever be recorded at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, the previous record belonging to multiple players at 64.  

Players from 13 different countries descended on Rivermead Golf Club and The Royal Ottawa Golf Club to kick off the 2025 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The double-field format pinned half of the total field at each course, with warmer conditions in the Ottawa-Gatineau region prompting lower scores as the morning wave worked into the back end of their respective rounds. 

Grenier, who began his round on Rivermead Golf Club’s 10th hole, was part of the morning wave to have aligned their game perfectly with the warm weather. Teeing off at 8:27 a.m. EDT, Grenier quickly reeled in birdies at the 10th and 12th to vault into a tie for second at 2-under par. The 18-year-old added birdies at the par-four 15th and par-five 17th to double his score and take his first outright lead of the tournament, playing his back nine without a blemish and dominating the course with his irons.  

Following his round, Grenier credited his short game to help him grab the early lead, though his play with his driver – particularly on the fourth hole – was the club most responsible for etching his eight-under 62 in the course’s history books and leading the tournament after 18 holes.  

His drive on the 307-yard par-four latched onto the green, setting him up for an eagle putt to advance his lead further. Unfazed by the quickening greens, Grenier converted, draining his putt from 15 feet to get to 6-under par before ending his round with two more birdies.  

“I had the speed all day, so I was able to make some putts,” said Grenier. As for becoming the newest recipient of the course record at Rivermead Golf Club, Grenier casted a brief smile before adding a quick sentiment on his accomplishment. “It’s very nice, it’s my first course record,” he added.  

Despite beating out the previous course record by three strokes, Grenier wasn’t the only one to have a historic opening round at Rivermead on Monday. Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont. rolled in seven birdies and an eagle of his own to card a 7-under 63 and pull within a single shot of Grenier.  

The two helped lead the way for their respective provinces in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship as well, with Team Quebec leading Team Ontario by three strokes heading into Tuesday’s final round. Grenier’s round was buoyed by a 2-under 68 from Team Canada NextGen member Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. and an even-par 70 from Émile Lebrun of Laval, Que. to lead at 10-under.  

Their closest chasers were largely led by Zhu’s 7-under 63 to open play, with even-par rounds from Eric Zhao of North York, Ont. and Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. keeping Team Ontario in contention for the Willingdon Cup.  

In the battle for the Earl Grey Cup, Team Canada NextGen Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. sits three shots off the pace following a five-under 65, while his teammates Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Ethan Wilson of St. Albert, Alta. sit in a tie for fourth and eighth respectively.  

Matthews is the lowest-ranked Canadian in the field on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at no. 225. His chase for the top spot of the leaderboard on Tuesday will be rivaled by Alexis Leray of Boulogne-Billancourt, France (no. 135 WAGR), who boasts the third-highest rank in the field and shot a 3-under 67 to stay in contention.  

Fifteen players are within five shots of the lead heading into Tuesday’s second round. Notably, each of the top five finishers on Monday played at Rivermead Golf Club despite the course playing harder in the opening round.  

The winner of the Earl Grey Cup will receive a direct exemption into several marquee events, including a spot in the field at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. Additionally, the Canadian Men’s Amateur champion will lock up a place in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and will be fully exempt from local qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Amateur and 2026 U.S. Open. The winner will also be exempt into next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and will be able to defend their title, if eligible.  

For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the opening round of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here. 

Xing joins prestigious list of Canadian Women’s Amateur champions and
earns an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

ROTHESAY, N.B. – Michelle Xing fired her third consecutive round of 1-under 71 on Friday to win the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

The 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont. finished the tournament as the lone player under par at 2-under following rounds of 73-71-71-71=286 to claim the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots over Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. and Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand who both finished tied for second at 2-over.

“It means everything to me,” said Xing after receiving her gold medal and the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup. “It’s something I’ve been working towards since I was little and winning it a day after my birthday is the best present for me.”

Players battled the wind at The Riverside Country Club throughout the week and fog rolled in as players began play on Friday before lifting as the final groups teed off.

On the opening hole both Xing and Choi dropped a stroke to still co-lead the tournament at even par before Xing grabbed the solo lead with a birdie on No. 4. Choi responded with a birdie on No. 5 and took the lead on No. 7 following a bogey from Xing. That lead was short-lived as Xing carded another birdie on No. 9 to pull even with Choi heading to the back nine.

Xing said throughout the front nine that she was doing her best to stay present and not look too much into the future. “The back nine is quite scoreable so I wasn’t thinking too much. Just play my game, hit the green, give myself a look for birdie and if not two-putt.”

Choi opened the back nine with a pair of bogeys to put Xing atop the leaderboard by two. Xing dropped a stroke with a bogey on No. 13; it would be the closest anyone would get to her on Friday.

Xing fired back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to open up to a three-shot lead on Pate and went four ahead of Choi with three to play and that’s when it started to feel like she was closing in on the title.

“On 13 I hit my drive to a bad spot and knew that bogey was likely the outcome, on 14 I knew if I could hit a good drive, I could hit on and two putt for birdie,” she said.

“On 15 I hit a good putt and I kind of started to feel the pressure a little bit because we were coming into the closing three holes but again, I was just trying to stay present and distract myself with anything really,” she added.”

Xing closed her round with three consecutive pars, tapping in on 18 to win the national championship. After handshakes, she was greeted by her Team Canada teammates and friends who stormed the green and dumped water on her in a celebratory manner.

As for what Xing was feeling as she tapped in for par on 18.

“It was happiness and relief. It’s just something that I’ve been dreaming of really, to win a tournament of this level. It feels great honestly.”

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup, Xing has earned an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24.

Xing will be making her second consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship having earned qualification through the She Plays Golf Championship Series last year.

“I am so excited. I was going to try, and Monday qualify for that but…” she paused and began to laugh. “Being exempt into the field feels great and I get to play with the pros again and try to learn from them.”

She has also earned an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

Xing joins a prestigious list of past champions in the tournament’s storied history led by Marlene Stewart Streit, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, who sits atop the class with 11 victories. In addition to some of golf’s brightest stars on the LPGA Tour including Ariya Jutanugarn (2012), Brooke Henderson (2013), Hye-Jin Choi (2016), Jennifer Kupcho (2017) and Yealimi Noh (2018).

Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan and Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Fla. finished tied for fourth at 3-over. Team Canada member, Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. fired a 2-under 70 on Friday to jump up and finish sixth at 4-over. Fellow Team Canada members, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. finished T7 at 6-over along with Jazy Roberts of West Bendigo, Australia. Molly Smith of Westford, Mass. Finished at 7-over to round out the top 10.

On Wednesday, Team British Columbia (B.C.) reclaimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship from Team Ontario after consecutive runner-up finishes the past two years.

Team B.C. finished with a two-day collective score of 9-over, six shots clear of the two-time defending champions to claim the title for the first time since 2022. The team was represented by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley, B.C.

Arora’s back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 and Kwon’s scores of 73 and 76 counted on both days for Team B.C. The two lowest scores from the three-person team counted towards the combined team total for each round. Team Ontario finished as runner-up with a combined score of 15-over. Team Alberta and Team Quebec finished in a tie for third at 30-over, with Team Manitoba rounding out the top five at 32-over.

For the final leaderboard following the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Canadian and International amateurs representing 14 countries comprise field competing for Canada’s top men’s amateur prize; British Columbia set to defend Inter-Provincial Team title over first 36 holes

GATINEAU, Que. – A field of 264 players will descend on The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Rivermead Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. July 26-31 for the 120th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.  

Fifteen of the top 500 amateur golfers listed on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) will tee off at this year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and battle across two historic sites for the top spot of the most prestigious men’s amateur event in the nation. All ten provinces and one territory will be represented at this year’s event, joining a list of 17 States and 13 additional countries Argentina, Australia, England, Finland, France, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, South Africa, United States, and Venezuela will all be represented by a member in the field.  

Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. (no. 225 WAGR), Ethan Wilson of St. Albert, Alta. (no. 453 WAGR) and Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. (no. 491 WAGR) headline a notable field of Team Canada members competing in Gatineau, with Matthews leading the way as the highest-ranked Canadian in the field.  

The trio will be joined by seven of their teammates on the Team Canada NextGen squad, led by recent B.C. Men’s Amateur and B.C. Junior Boys champion, Austin Krahn (Christina Lake, B.C.) as well as Antoine Jasmin (Blainville, Que.), Braxton Kuntz (Winnipeg, Man.), Charlie Gillespie (Calgary, Alta.), Cooper Humphreys (Vernon, B.C.), Jager Pain (Woodbridge, Ont.), and Matthew Javier (North York, Ont.).  

The Canadian contingent will be rivaled by a competitive batch of international talents led by Japanese duo Taisei Nagasaki of Miyazaki, Japan (no. 73 WAGR) and Kaito Sato of Saitama, Japan (no. 129 WAGR). The two finished second and first respectively in this year’s Japanese Amateur Championship and will be joined by Australian Jye Halls of Mollymook Beach, Australia (no. 580 WAGR) who claimed the Australian Amateur Championship in 2025.  

Ten other international players ranked in the top 500 of WAGR include Alexis Leray of Boulogne-Billancourt, France (no. 135 WAGR), Hector Gonzalez Cramer of Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico (no. 260 WAGR), Easton Johnson of Kansas City, Mo. (no. 318 WAGR), Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia (no. 348 WAGR), Ben Gregg of Dallas, Texas. (no. 373 WAGR), Mao Matsuyama of Aichi, Japan (no. 415 WAGR), Veikka Viskari of Espoo, Finland (no. 482 WAGR), Andrew Riley of Palm Coast, Fla. (no. 490 WAGR) and Seonghyeon An of Seoul, Republic of Korea (no. 497 WAGR). 

In addition to Krahn, the following provincial men’s amateur winners will compete in next week’s national championship including, Luke Cote (Saskatchewan), Brett Jones (Alberta), Émile Lebrun (Quebec), Isaac MacNaughton (Nova Scotia), Evan Nachtigall (Manitoba), Nick Ritchie (New Brunswick), and Eric Zhao (Ontario).  

“We are incredibly proud and excited to begin the 120th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at two historic courses next week in Gatineau,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director, Adam Cinel. “We appreciate the efforts from the staff and membership of both The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Rivermead Golf Club, who have recruited ample tournament volunteers, and are working tirelessly to deliver a memorable championship for all 264 players competing next week.” 

The Royal Ottawa Golf Club will host all four rounds of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and add a record tenth Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to its storied 134-year history. The Royal Ottawa Golf Club last hosted the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2016 where Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. won the national championship.  

“When approached by Golf Canada to host this internationally renowned men’s amateur championship, the Board of Directors felt it was in keeping with our storied tradition of support of amateur golf that we accept. But it was with direction that we provide an unrivalled experience for players, volunteers, spectators and officials, regardless of whether they are here for one day, or are competing for the Earl Grey Cup at the final round,” said Greg Richardson, General Manager of the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. 

“As our 10^th time hosting the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, including the first ever such event in 1895, we don’t take lightly the fact that this is a Canadian record for an event that has routinely been hosted by top clubs such as The Royal Montreal Golf Club, Toronto Golf Club and The Hamilton Golf & Country Club. With our partners at Rivermead Golf Club, we look forward to welcoming top amateurs from over 12 countries, several of whom will undoubtedly go on to have successful careers on the PGA Tour,” he added.

Playing as co-hosts to accommodate a larger field at this year’s event, Rivermead Golf Club is also located in Gatineau and just a few hundred metres from the north shore of the Ottawa River. Initially unveiled as a 9-hole course, the property was expanded to 18 holes in 1915 before being completely renovated in 1989 by Ken Skodacek and Ken Venturi to create the course’s current outstanding championship layout. In 2023, the Club completed a five-year course improvement project under the guidance of Jeff Mingay.  

Throughout its history, Rivermead has hosted many championships, including the 1920 Canadian Open, the 1925 Ladies’ Canadian Amateur Championship, the CPGA Championship in 1932 and 1959, and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour in 2005 and 2010. Of special pride to Rivermead members is the link to the RBC Canadian Open through the Rivermead Cup. The Rivermead Cup was awarded to the winner of the RBC Canadian Open until 1935. Since 1936, the Rivermead Cup has been awarded to the low Canadian at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Established in 1895, the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is the third oldest amateur championship in the world. The tournament was first contested as one of the newly formed Royal Canadian Golf Association’s (RCGA), now known as Golf Canada, first orders of business in 1895 at the Ottawa Golf Club. 

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George S. Lyon won the Amateur eight times between 1898 and 1914 and was runner-up two more times. Fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Sandy Somerville made it to the match play final ten times between 1924 and 1938, capturing six championships. Other past champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Famers and four-time winners, Nick Weslock (1957, 1963, 1964, 1966) and Doug Roxburgh (1972, 1974, 1982, 1988). Most recently, two-time PGA TOUR winner Mackenzie Hughes claimed the championship in consecutive years (2011, 2012) while 2023 RBC Canadian Open champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor claimed the 103rd Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2007.  

The winner of the 2025 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will earn an automatic exemption into the RBC Canadian Open set to return to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) In Caledon, Ont. in 2026 as well as spot in next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship if eligible.  

Additionally, this year’s amateur champion will lock up a spot in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and will be fully exempt from 2026 U.S. Open local qualifying and U.S. Amateur local qualifying.  

The 72-hole stroke-play competition will get underway on Monday, July 28 and wrap up Thursday, July 31. The national championship will also feature an Inter-Provincial Team Championship that will run concurrently through completion of the first 36 holes. Each day, the lowest two of three individual 18-hole scores will count towards the team score for players’ respective provinces. Team British Columbia will aim to keep the Willington Cup (awarded annually to the top province in the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship) in their possession and feature Maxim McKenzie of Chilliwack, B.C., Dustin Franko of Delta, B.C. and Krahn in their squad. Practice rounds will precede the tournament and take place on both host sites July 26-27.  

For the full list of the field competing in the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, please click here.  

Nine golfers within six shots of co-leaders, setting up exciting
final round on Friday

ROTHESAY, N.B. – Moving Day certainly delivered and then some following the third round of the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO; as Michelle Xing and Eunseo Choi are tied for the lead at 1-under heading into Friday’s final round at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

While the wind remained a factor, more favourable conditions paved the way for a number of lead changes and scoring opportunities over the course of 18 holes on Thursday in Rothesay.

Xing, of Richmond Hill, Ont. was just two shots back of the lead entering play and was able to respond to any setback she faced, keeping her name atop the lead for most of the day.

After opening with a bogey, she responded with back-to-back birdies followed by a string of pars. Xing dropped another stroke on No. 12 before answering with birdies on 14 and 15 and closed her round with three straight pars on route to a 1-under 71 to sit 1-under.

“I think I was hitting the ball pretty well today, I was making my shorter putts so that was working really well,” said Xing.

Equally as exciting for the Team Canada NextGen member, was that Thursday marked her 17th birthday, “not a bad way to spend my birthday,” said Xing with a smile.

As for how she may celebrate tonight.

“I have a cheesecake in my hotel room and had dinner with friends last night, so in a way we kind of celebrated already so maybe I’ll just have some more cake tonight,” said added with a laugh.

Xing said she plans to stick with what has worked with her for the past couple days from a routine and game plan perspective and will adjust as needed on Friday.

Choi of Auckland, New Zealand got off to a hot start with opening birdies on No. 3 and 4 before dropping back to even par for her round through nine. She ran into trouble again with a bogey on No. 10, but it would be the final blemish on an impressive back nine as Choi birdied four of her final seven holes to fire a 3-under 69 to move atop the leaderboard with Xing. Choi credited her putting and a strong mental game for her round.

“I wasn’t really shaken by anything and just tried to enjoy the game as much as I could – honestly, just tried to lock in as they say and really just enjoy it and I think that’s what went really well today,” she said.

Wind looks to be a factor again on Friday and Choi is prepared for whatever comes her way.

“This course is great, but the wind always makes variables for it. As long as I try to enjoy it, just stay in the moment and don’t think too much about it, just be comfortable in my own situation I think I’ll play well tomorrow.”

Xing and Choi hold a one-shot lead over Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Fla. who shot a 1-over 73 on Thursday to drop to even par for the tournament and is alone in third. Aira Nagasawa of Yamanashi, Japan moved up to fourth following a 1-under 71 to sit at 2-over while Raegan Denton of Fulham Gardens, Australia fired a 3-under 69 to move into fifth place at 3-over.

Team Canada member Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. also recorded a 3-under 69 on Thursday to move up and into a tie for sixth at 4-over with fellow Team Canada member, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta., Molly Smith of Westford, Ma. and Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. who held the 36-hole lead into Thursday.

Joline Truong of Mississauga, Ont. fired the low round of the day with a 4-under 68 to jump into a tie for tenth with Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan at 5-over.

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Trophy, the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24. The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

The final group of Xing, Choi and Schroeder will tee off at 9:42 a.m. ADT on Friday, for all Final Round tee times, please click here. For the individual leaderboard following the third round of the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Macy Pate holds one-shot lead heading into third round;
Michelle Xing two shots back

ROTHESAY, N.B. – After consecutive runner-up finishes the past two years, Team British Columbia (B.C.) has reclaimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship from Team Ontario in the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.

Team B.C. finished with a two-day collective score of 9-over, six shots clear of the two-time defending champions to claim the title for the first time since 2022 on Wednesday at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

The team was represented by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley, B.C.

“This win means a lot, we all have a lot of B.C. pride and any chance to play for our province is really good and being able to win for our province is a super great accomplishment,” said Arora.

The team mindset was to play smart heading into Wednesday, which has certainly been a requirement at Riverside Country Club over the first two rounds. For Kwon, the team dynamic played a key role in securing the title.

“Our team is very supportive of each other and the team made me feel very welcome and a very positive environment. This team was amazing and worked very well in the tournament,” she said. “Overall, I am proud and happy that I could play on the course with Team B.C.”

Lee, the lone returning player from last year’s team added, “I think it was great, I had really great teammates, and it was nice creating a bond with Team B.C.”

Arora’s back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 and Kwon’s scores of 73 and 76 counted on both days for Team B.C. The two lowest scores from the three-person team counted towards the combined team total for each round.

Team Ontario finished as runner-up with a combined score of 15-over. Team Alberta and Team Quebec finished in a tie for third at 30-over, with Team Manitoba rounding out the top five at 32-over.

Pate keeps pace

Day two began with warmer temperatures, but the winds picked up as the day progressed, flipping the script on Tuesday’s opening round conditions.

Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. maintains a one-shot lead following a 2-over 74 to now sit at 2-under for the tournament, ahead of Kaitlyn Schroeder from Jacksonville, Fla. who shot a 1-over 73 to move up one spot on the leaderboard at 1-under.

Pate began play on the back nine, recording a birdie and two bogeys before heading to the challenging front nine, where the winds played havoc for the field. After carding a birdie on the fifth hole, Pate struggled with consecutive bogeys before regaining her lead with a birdie on her final hole of the round.

Team Canada NextGen member, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. was one of only two players that shot under par on Wednesday, following a 1-under 71 to move to even par for the tournament to jump up to third. Xing opened with five birdies through her first seven holes.

“I got off to a good start,” said Xing. “Hitting my wedges well and putting the ball well. I didn’t think too much of it because it was the morning and was just trying to have some fun.”

Xing added that her putting has been a strong point over the first two rounds of the championship despite some challenging conditions for the field coupled with stronger winds over the first two days.

“It’s been tough, the pin positions today were really tough, the course has been pretty firm, and the greens have slope, but I think there are still some scoring holes, especially the par fives,” she added.

Angela (Yilin) Liu of Irvine, Calif., Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand, Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan and Team Canada member, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. are tied for fourth at 2-over. Fellow Team Canada member and 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. is tied for eighth with four others at 3-over.

The field has been reduced to the top 68 and ties (73 players total) advancing to the final 36-holes with a cut line of 15-over.

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Trophy, the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24. The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

For Thursday’s Third Round tee times, please click here. For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the second round of the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Team British Columbia leads Inter-Provincial Team Championship
by two over defending champions, Team Ontario

ROTHESAY, N.B. – Macy Pate fired a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead over Clara Ding following the opening round of the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

Cooler temperatures and strong winds made scoring more challenging early on Tuesday before warmer conditions settled in for the afternoon in Rothesay. Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. was one of only four players to get into red figures, carding four birdies in a bogey free round. She opened and closed her front nine with three consecutive pars, grabbing birdies on hole Nos. 4 and 6. Making the turn, she continued her run of pars through 13 before recording back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.

Pate credited her iron play and short game for putting her name atop the leaderboard following round one.

“It feels good to shoot a bogey free round. I played really solid and missed a few greens in the wind but I got up and down nicely and made some solid putts,” said Pate.

She added that patience will be key for her game heading into Wednesday, “the golf course is definitely challenging, so just trying to give yourself opportunities and not let the course get in your head or let anything get away from you.”

Pate recently completed her sophomore season at Wake Forest University, where she earned six top 25 finishes and also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA) for the first time this past April.

Ding of White Rock, B.C. also carded four birdies in her round to finish one back of Pate with a 3-under 69 to sit alone in second. The 14-year-old member of Team Canada NextGen was happy with her opening round but knows there is a long way to go this week. Ding and many others were complimentary of the course but found the greens to be a challenge on Tuesday.

“The greens are really tough on this course and putting was really difficult,” said Ding. “There are a lot of big breakers and slope.”

Ding has enjoyed a successful season thus far recording a pair of wins at the Women’s Orlando International Amateur Championship and most recently at the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open where she earned an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open through the She Plays Golf Championship Series.

Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Fla. sits in third following a 2-under 70, while Eunseo Choi of New Zealand is fourth after a 1-under 71. Five players are currently T5 at even par (72) including Team Canada members, Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont., Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. and Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C.

Team British Columbia (B.C.) leads the Inter-Provincial Team Championship by two shots over the two-time defending champions, Team Ontario. Team B.C. shot a collective 3-over in Tuesday’s round led by Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver who shot a 1-over 73 and Angela Arora of Surrey who finished at 2-over 74, B.C. is also represented by Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley. Team Ontario sits at 5-over with Oakville duo, Lindsay McGrath’s 2-over 74 and Nobelle Park’s 3-over 75 counting on day one. Ontario is also represented by Julia Alexander-Carew, also of Oakville. Park and Alexander-Carew are returning members from last year’s winning team. Team Manitoba sits third at 13-over and Team Alberta is fourth at 14-over. The two lowest scores from the three-person team count towards the combined team total. The Inter-Provincial Team Championship will be awarded tomorrow, following the opening 36-holes of the championship.

Following Wednesday’s second round, the field will be reduced to the top 70 players plus ties.

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Trophy, the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24. The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the opening round of the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Field of 156 will compete in the prestigious tournament; nine provinces represented; Inter-Provincial Team Championship to be contested over first 36 holes

ROTHESAY, N.B. – The 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO is set to be contested July 22 – 25 with a field of 156 amateur golfers competing over four rounds at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

This year’s field features a number of top amateur golfers from around the world including ten of the current top 100 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), 25 of the top 250 and 41 players within the top 500 on WAGR. Golfers from nine provinces are represented in the field along with eight additional countries: Australia, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United States.

The field is led by two Team Canada members in the WAGR top 100 including, 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. (no. 18 WAGR) and Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. (no. 49 WAGR).

Fellow Team Canada members that recently earned exemptions into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open through the She Plays Golf Championship Series will also be in Rothesay including, the reigning Canadian Junior Girls champion, Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. (no. 109 WAGR), Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. (no. 132 WAGR), Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. (no. 174 WAGR) and Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. (no. 197 WAGR).

Nine additional members of the Team Canada program are also in the field including, Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.), Clairey Lin (Langley, B.C.), Eileen Park (Red Deer, Alta.), Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.), Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.), Ruihan Kendria Wang (Vancouver, B.C.), Michelle Xing (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) and 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Zaretsky (Thornhill, Ont.).

Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan (no. 33 WAGR) tops the list of eight international players in the top 100 on WAGR that will compete. Joining Iwanaga are fellow Japanese amateurs, Mamika Shinchi of Kanagawa (no. 48 WAGR), Yurina Hiroyoshi of Fukuoka (no. 61 WAGR) and Aira Nagasawa of Yamanashi (no. 63 WAGR). Australians Jazy Roberts of West Bendigo (no. 85 WAGR) and Raegan Denton of Fulham Gardens (no. 93 WAGR) are joined by Macy Pate of Winston Salem, N.C. (no. 55 WAGR) and Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand (no. 82 WAGR) to headline a strong field.

The following 2025 Provincial Women’s Amateur champions will also be competing in the field: Abbey Baker (Nova Scotia), Taylor Cormier (Newfoundland and Labrador), Addison Kartusch (Manitoba), Anne-Léa Lavoie (Quebec), Amy Lee (British Columbia), Lindsay McGrath (Ontario), Callie Taylor (New Brunswick) and Jacquelyn Taylor (Prince Edward Island).

“We are excited to get the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship underway at the beautiful Riverside Country Club,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Madeline MacMillan. “We have a very strong field set to compete and the players are in for a great experience and test at Riverside. We’d like to thank the staff and volunteers for being welcoming and for their continued efforts in delivering an exceptional experience for our prestigious national championship.”

Established in 1897, The Riverside Country Club is a private championship golf course designed by the legendary Donald Ross. Nestled on the picturesque banks of the Kennebecasis River in Rothesay, New Brunswick, the 18-hole course offers a challenging and memorable golfing experience for players of all skill levels. At The Riverside Country Club, tradition meets modernity, offering a sanctuary for golf enthusiasts and a vibrant community for its members.

“Since being announced as the host club for the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, we have been incredibly excited and proud to welcome an elite field of female amateur golfers from around the world to Riverside,” said Jason Porter, General Manager, The Riverside Country Club. “Our membership and our team have been working tirelessly, and we are committed to providing an exceptional experience for all participants at our beautiful course and facilities. We remain steadfast in our belief that this championship will inspire the next generation of golfers and further promote the growth of women’s golf in our community.”

The championship, which was first contested in 1901, is one of the longest standing amateur golf events in the world. The inaugural tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que., featured only three players and over a century later, 156 players compete for the honour of etching their name onto the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup.

Along with the championship’s storied history comes a coveted roster of competitors including Marlene Stewart Streit, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, who sits atop the class with 11 victories, and five runner-up finishes at the national event. The tournament has proven to be a launch pad for some of golf’s brightest young stars including Ariya Jutanugarn (2012), Brooke Henderson (2013), Hye-Jin Choi (2016), Jennifer Kupcho (2017) and Yealimi Noh (2018) are previous winners who now compete on the LPGA Tour.

The national championship will also feature an Inter-Provincial Team Championship that will run concurrently over the first 36-holes of the tournament. Team Ontario will be looking to win their third consecutive team title. Last year, Shauna Liu (Maple, Ont.), Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.) and Julia Alexander-Carew (Oakville, Ont.) successfully defended the team title for their province beating Team Alberta and Team British Columbia by three shots. Championship week begins with practice rounds on Monday, July 21 with tournament play beginning on Tuesday, July 22. Following the opening 36-holes of the championship, the field will be reduced to the top 70 players plus ties.

The 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24. The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. In addition, the champion will earn an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

For the full player field competing in the 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

ENFIELD, N.S. – Emma Zheng of Auckland, New Zealand and Cole Stewart of Fall River, N.S. both secured victories at the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship on Thursday to wrap up the 2025 NextGen season and lock up their places in next month’s national junior championships.  

Both Zheng and Stewart took the lead following Tuesday’s opening round and failed to give way to their closest chasers over the final 36 holes at Oakfield Golf & Country Club in Enfield, N.S. 

Zheng, the only international player to tee off in the NextGen Atlantic Championship this week, entered Thursday’s final round with a two-shot lead over Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. With rounds of 70 and 74 behind her, the Kiwi found separation from Kwon in the early stages of her final round, stringing together birdies at the first, sixth and eighth holes to double her advantage to four strokes ahead of the more taxing back nine.  

Consecutive bogeys at Nos. nine and 10 sliced Zheng’s lead in half, though a timely string of par putts on holes 11, 12 and 13 helped to get back on track before a birdie at the par-4 14th got her back to two-under par. A final birdie at the 17th sealed the deal for Zheng while Kwon played her final four holes at three-over par to fall out of arms reach.  

The wire-to-wire victory marks Zheng’s fifth triumph of 2025, having claimed four other stroke-play events overseas to shoot up to 266th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).  

As for Stewart, the win marks his first of 2025 and featured three-straight rounds of maturity and poise to help claim a three-stroke victory without ever trailing. Stewart opened the tournament with a five-under 67 to lead Ben Brown of Antigonish, N.S. by a single stroke heading into Wednesday. 

Soaring atop the leaderboard on the heels of a hot start became familiar territory for Stewart at the NextGen Ontario Championship that took place earlier this year at Black Bear Ridge Golf & Resort in Belleville, Ont. Then, Stewart bound a lonesome bogey in his opening round with five birdies to card a four-under 68, leading the tournament until a six-over 78 the next day dropped him out of contention.  

Two months later and in the final NextGen Championship of the 2025 season, Stewart built on opening rounds of 71 and 74 to ride his advantage into the final round. The Nova Scotian entered Thursday with a four-stroke lead and was able to navigate around a series of bogeys at Nos. eight, nine and 13 to claim his maiden title on the NextGen circuit by five strokes.  

“After NextGen Ontario I learned a lot,” said Stewart following his round Thursday. “I figured out that I needed a good-night sleep and not check the leaderboard every five minutes. It definitely helped a lot for this week. 

“My mindset was to not make any big numbers and play my game that I was playing the past two days,” he added. “I proved to myself that I can win big tournaments like this and have the game to pull off wins in these types of scenarios.”  

The victory for Stewart is layered by a different kind of excitement as well, having grown up playing in the Enfield community, specifically at Oakfield Golf & Country Club.  

Brett Shaw of Stratford, P.E.I. rallied from a three-over par start through his opening six holes on Thursday to climb within three shots of Stewart and claim his second runner-up finish in two tries at the NextGen Atlantic Championship.   

NextGen Atlantic Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship 

*Top 6 qualify  

NextGen Atlantic Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship 

*Top 6 plus ties qualify  

The conclusion of Thursday’s final round marks the end of the 2025 NextGen Championship season as the final participants in next month’s Canadian Junior Boys and Girls Championships round out. Twelve winners and many others that contended in this year’s NextGen Championship season will descend on Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B. August 11-15 and Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. August 12 – 16 for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship respectively.   

To view the final leaderboards from the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship, please click here.   

About the NextGen Championships  

The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.  

As a long-time supporter of professional golf, RBC deepened its commitment to the sport in 2021 with the launch of RBC Community Junior Golf and continues to support this initiative, which provides affordable access to golf for youth across Canada.

In partnership with Golf Canada, RBC supports the national delivery of two junior golf programs, First Tee – Canada and Youth on Course.

First Tee – Canada, launched in 2021 by Golf Canada in partnership with First Tee, is a youth development program that offers life-enhancing experiences through accessible golf programming for young people from low socio-economic communities. Youth on Course is a complimentary program to First Tee – Canada that provides youth aged six to 18 with subsidized rounds of golf for five dollars or less.

Since 2022, RBC Community Junior Golf has engaged over 55,000 youth through providing First Tee – Canada programming at no cost and subsidizing green fees for junior golfers through Youth on Course.

“The growth of our programs and the ability to introduce thousands of young people to golf every year would not be possible without the steadfast support of RBC,” said Adam Hunter, Executive Director, First Tee – Canada. “RBC Community Junior Golf has expanded our reach and has played a pivotal role in providing communities across Canada with inclusive and affordable access to golf.”

All RBC Community Junior Golf sites across Canada, including municipal or publicly accessible golf courses, offer no-cost First Tee – Canada programming to participants with all necessary equipment, and provide participants with a complimentary Youth on Course membership to play affordable rounds of golf at participating golf courses.

At RBC Community Junior golf sites, youth in surrounding low socio-economic communities are prioritized access to the First Tee program.

Private, no cost registration links are shared with select schools and community groups, and RBC covers transportation costs to the golf course, to encourage participation from families who may not have considered golf as a sport for them.

RBC also covers the cost of First Tee coach certification, helping to onboard more dedicated coaches, increase program offerings, and ensure a safe and inclusive environment for participants.

Partnered schools and youth centres are also able to run First Tee programming in-house at no cost, with provided curriculum, training modules and equipment kits.

“We believe young people from all communities deserve the chance to play golf and reap the benefits the sport has to offer,” said RBC’s Chief Brand Officer, Shannon Cole. “Together with Golf Canada, we are breaking down barriers of entry to the game and bringing golf directly to communities in a meaningful and engaging way.”

Last year, in addition to the 36 established RBC Community Junior Golf sites, nearly 165 elementary schools, community centers, and youth organizations across the country partnered with RBC Community Junior Golf to further expand the benefits of First Tee programming. This expansion resulted in nearly 3,500 subsidized Youth on Course rounds being played at RBC Community Junior Golf sites alone.

Looking ahead, RBC Community Junior Golf will continue to grow the game, inspire the next generation of golfers and help make a positive impact in their lives, on and off the course.

For the third year in a row, First Tee – Premier départ Québec has partnered with FitSpirit to introduce more young girls to sport — and to golf, for the first time.

Between May 6 and May 27, First Tee coaches were on site at all five of FitSpirit’s Celebration events, which brought together thousands of girls aged 12 to 17 from secondary schools across Québec. The events — held at community parks in various regions — featured a mix of physical activities, social connection and leadership-building workshops in an inclusive, all-girls setting.

FitSpirit, a Québec-based non-profit, focuses on promoting physical activity and wellness among teenage girls. Its Celebration events aim to help girls build confidence, try new things and experience the joy of movement.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with First Tee – Premier départ Québec to offer golf discovery at FitSpirit Celebrations,” said Élisabeth Lagacé, program advisor at FitSpirit. “A welcoming, non-judgemental introduction to golf shows teenage girls that they belong in this sport and that trying something new can be exciting, rather than intimidating.”

Each participant was given a card to collect hole punches by completing different activities. The First Tee stations — each led by one of four female coaches — offered a welcoming space where girls could learn golf fundamentals and develop life skills through sport. Activities included a chipping target practice and a distance control putting challenge, all rooted in First Tee’s emphasis on confidence, respect and perseverance.

The Celebration events were held at Parc Maisonneuve (Montréal), Parc de la Pointe-aux- Lièvres (Québec City), Parc de la Terre-des-Loisirs (Trois-Rivières), Parc Beauséjour (Rimouski), and Centre de plein air Hélène-Larochelle (Gatineau).

Across the five events, nearly 3,350 girls participated — many experiencing golf for the first time.

“Over 95 per cent of FitSpirit participants were discovering golf for the first time,” said Marie-Michèle Richer, program manager for First Tee – Premier départ Québec. “It was incredible to see them focus on their tee shots and celebrate hitting the target. The more they played, the more they connected — with the game and with each other. We’re grateful to FitSpirit for welcoming us and making it possible to share golf with so many girls.”

At the conclusion of this year’s FitSpirit Celebrations, participation at the First Tee – Premier départ Québec stations rose by 55 per cent compared to 2024.

First Tee – Premier départ Québec aims to continue working with FitSpirit each season, using golf to empower more girls across the province to be active, confident and brave with anything that comes their way.

Learn more at firstteequebec.ca/en/register or fitspirit.ca.