BROMONT, Que. – Clear skies and mountain winds at Golf Château-Bromont welcomed competitors to the first round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. At 5-under 67, Montréal’s Jacob Peterson holds a one-stroke lead alongside Jordan Irwin of Banff, Alta.

Peterson took off from the 10th tee with the morning wave and moved into quick possession of the lead with three birdies through holes 12 to 15 and an eagle on the par-5 17th.

“It was a pretty windy morning, but I managed pretty well,” said Peterson. “It honestly helped me at some points. I got some good breaks, I made some good putts and I holed-out from a bunker.”

The 25-year-old Concordia University Stinger, who is competing for the first time at this national championship, birdied No. 2, but settled for a bogey on the par-4 5^th hole. A birdie on his final hole solidified Peterson’s 67.

“I was pretty lucky to get the morning draw today, so hopefully it’s not too windy tomorrow afternoon. 5-under is hard to beat, but there are a lot of golfers out here, so I’ll just try to do the same thing tomorrow.”

The 31-year-old Irwin also began his round on the back nine, collecting a birdie on the 14th hole followed by a trio across holes 16 to 18. A final push with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 nudged Irwin into his share of the lead.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., put himself in good position to defend his 2015 40-and-over Mid-Master title with a 4-under 68. The 51-year-old sits T3 in the overall competition with Vaughan, Ont., native Philip Arci, Brandon Markiw of Edmonton and Calgary’s Dustin Yeager.

The team representing Ontario – consisting of Charles Fitzsimmons (London), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Matthew Sim (Oakville) – lead the inter-provincial team competition which takes place concurrently with the first two rounds of stroke-play. The trio combined for a two-stroke lead at 6-under 138 as they look to defend their province’s 2015 title.

Team Quebec’s Sebastien Levasseur (Nicolet), Alain Dufresne (Deux-Montagnes) and Dwight Reinhart (Renfrew, Ont.) follow closely in second at 4-under 140.

In addition to the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will see the first wave tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m., followed by the second wave from Nos. 1 and 10 at 12:30 p.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It wasn’t meant to be for Canada’s two remaining competitors at the 116^th playing of the Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., came up just short in a comeback bid against Denver, Colo., product Kyler Dunkle, losing by a hole. The 28-year-old journeyman was down 3 holes heading to the 15^th, and managed to cut the deficit to 1 hole with two to play. Rank failed to capitalize on a bogey from Dunkle on the par-4 18^th, matching his score to remain 1 hole back for the loss.

Rank will look to rebound next week as he tries for three consecutive wins at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Golf-Château-Bromont from Aug. 22-26 in Bromont, Que.

Fellow Canadian and Team Canada Amateur Squad member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., came up just short in a back-and-forth affair with Brad Dalke of Norman, Okla. The pair duelled with nine lead changes in the match, with the nod eventually going to Dalke following back-to-back wins on the final two holes for a 2-up victory.

Hamilton won’t leave with any hardware, but he did manage an eagle on the par-5 2^nd hole today to add to his hole-in-one in yesterday’s Round of 64 match.

Click here for full scoring.

PONOKA, Alta. – Wolf Creek Golf Resort’s Old Course will welcome Canada’s top 25-and-over golfing talents for the 2016 edition of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. The 46^th playing of the competition will be conducted from August 24 to 26 where winners in four divisions will be crowned.

Competitors over 25 will vie for the Mid-Amateur title, while players over 40 will also be eligible in the Mid-Master competition. Players over 50 will also play for the Senior championship and those 60-and-over will also compete for the Super Senior title over the tournament’s first 36 holes.

Located just north of Red Deer, Alta., the Old Course at Wolf Creek Golf Resort is a Rod Whitman design and was founded in 1984. The course’s natural beauty boasts sprawling fairways mounted across natural hills and dunes, nestled against scenic tree-lined ravines.

“There is a timeless, classic feel to The Wolf,” said General Manager Laura Witvoet. “We couldn’t be happier to share our course with these extremely talented ladies.”

“Wolf Creek Golf Resort is a fantastic setting for this national championship,” added Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The Old Course is in great shape and will provide a very good test for our talented field. The organizing committee and the community of Ponoka have done a great job; this tournament will be a wonderful experience for our players.”

Many of the nation’s most accomplished golfers have showcased their skills on the national stage provided by this championship. This year’s competition will see several Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members and a number of former champions compete to once again enter the winner’s circle at this tournament.

Returning to defend a trio of titles will be Terrill Samuel. The Etobicoke, Ont., native finished 3-under 210 at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie, Ont., to claim victories in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior divisions. The Weston Golf & Country Club member, who also captured the 2012 Senior title, will be joined by reigning Super Senior champion Joey Bush of Aurora, Ont.

Mary Ann Hayward will attempt to add another national title to her lengthy list of accolades. The Aurora, Ont., native is a member of both the Ontario and Quebec Golf Halls of Fame, and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. The 56-year-old’s storied career includes four Amateur championships, three Senior victories, as well as the 2008 Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master titles.

A trio of British Columbians hope to add to their legacies through this championship. Fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and four-time Senior champion Alison Murdoch of Victoria will play alongside a pair of Port Alberni, B.C., natives in two-time Senior winner Jackie Little, who also captured the inaugural Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master titles in 2007, and five-time Mid-Amateur champion Christina Proteau.

Hélène Chartrand of Pincourt, Que., returns to the championship in which she claimed the 2014 Senior and Mid-Master titles.

An inter-provincial team championship will be conducted in conjunction with the first two rounds of tournament play. Team Ontario enters the competition as defending champions, having claimed a two-stroke victory over Team Alberta last year.

Following the opening two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties from the senior division. In addition, all players eligible for the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions posting 36-hole scores equal to the final qualifier in the senior division will advance to the final two rounds. A minimum of 10 Mid-Amateur and five Mid-Master competitors will make the cut.

The 2016 Canadian Women’s Senior champion will gain an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to be contested at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass., from September 17-22.

Additional information regarding the championship can be found here.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – Development Squad member Hannah Lee went the distance on Thursday to record the victory at the B.C. Juvenile Girls’ Championship at the Chilliwack Golf Club.

The Surrey, B.C., product entered the final round of 54-hole tournament tied with 13-year-old Akari Hayashi of Victoria at 3-under par. Lee held a one-stroke advantage through nine holes before eventually pulling away from Hayashi on the par-4 13^th with a four-stroke swing. Lee went on to finish at 5-under for the tournament for a five stroke victory.

It was an extra sweet win for the 16-year-old, who relinquished a 4-shot final-round lead in last year’s event to finish runner-up.

“Last year I was leading going into the final round, so yes, it feels really good to finish this one off and win it,” said Lee.

In the boys’ division, Langley’s Khan Lee came out on top with a score of 5-under par (75-70-66) for a two-stroke victory over runner up Jeevan Sihota of Victoria.

The 2017 British Columbia Golf Juvenile Boys’ & Girls’ Championships will be held at Granite Pointe GC in Nelson.

Click here for full scoring.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A pair of Canadians have advanced through to the Round of 32 on Wednesday at the 116^th playing of the Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Garrett Rank, the reigning Canadian Mid-Amateur champion, continues to perform at a high level despite balancing his time as a full-time NHL referee. The 47^th seeded Elmira, Ont., native defeated American Benjamin Griffin 1up to advance to Thursday’s action. He’ll ride his momentum into play tomorrow against Kyler Dunkle at 9:10 am EDT.

Joining Rank is National Amateur Squad member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont. Hamilton wowed fans with an ace on the par-3 9^th for a sure win of the hole against opponent John Oda of Honolulu, Hawaii. The 22-year-old Team Canada vet went on to record a 4&2 victory. The University of Houston senior is geared to square off with Norman, Olka. product Brad Dalke at 10:00 am EDT.

What a day! #OnToTheNextOne #holeinone #USAmateur @canadahill65 @oaklandhillscc @USGA @TheGolfCanada pic.twitter.com/DWt3xq3cHr

— Blair Hamilton (@BlairHamilton12) August 17, 2016

Both remaining Canadians will look to accomplish what current Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners did in 2014 when he finished runner-up—eventually going on to earn Top Amateur honours at The Masters.

Fellow countrymen Austin James (Bath, Ont.) and Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.) failed to advance past the opening round of match play.

The 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play, followed by six rounds of match play, concluding with Sunday’s 36-hole championship.

Click here for live scoring.

BROMONT, Que. – The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will be contested at Golf Château-Bromont from August 23 to 26. The nation’s top amateur golfers aged 25-and-over will vie for the title and an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

The Howard Watson and Graham Cooke designed par-72 course boasts a challenging layout with a breathtaking view of Mount Brome.

“Our course was designed by the first Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion and a true legend in our sport. We could not be more honoured to host this tournament,” said Host Club Tournament Chair Martin Ducharme.

Cooke of Hudson, Que., captured the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title seven times between 1987 and 2002. He is among a group of five other players who have captured this championship on multiple occasions, including 2014 and 2015 winner Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.

“The Mid-Am is such a great opportunity for Canadian amateurs to find success and experience on a national stage and we are excited to bring this talented field to Bromont,” said Tournament Director Justine Decock. “The course is beautiful and in great condition to draw out some exciting competition.”

A total of 38 players on the World Amateur Golf Rankings will be in attendance, led by World No. 118 Rank. The two-time champion claimed a seven-stroke victory at this national event in 2015 at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S., and is coming off a T77 performance at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open and a T9 showing at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The 28-year-old will be joined by three returning champions from the past five years.

Woodbridge, Ont., native Dave Bunker claimed three consecutive Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur titles from 2008-10, and claimed runner-up honours in 2015. The 51-year-old will also look to defend his 2015 Mid-Masters title in the competition’s 50-and-over division.

Rob Couture of Dallas, Texas emerged victorious in 2011 at Coppingwood Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., before collecting Top-5 finishes in each of the three following years.

Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan will compete in the national championship in which he claimed victory in 2012 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf & Country Club. The 30-year-old successfully defended the title in 2013 and will look to improve upon a T9 result from 2015.

Returning alongside Rank and Bunker are Michel Landry of Saint John, N.B., Michael Rutgers from Windsor, Ont., and Winnipeg’s Justin McDonald to form the Top-5 from 2015.

Golf Château-Bromont members Anthony Marandola of Bromont, Que., and Anthony Jacques of Granby, Que., will represent the host club. 2016 Quebec Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Sébastien Levasseur will also be in attendance. The product of Nicolet, Que., is eighth on the Quebec order of Merit and the highest-ranked local in the field.

Team Ontario will attempt to defend its title in the inter-provincial team competition which will take place over the first 36-holes of the championship. The 50-and-over Mid-Masters division will be contested concurrently with the tournament.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2016 champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

The 116^th playing of the U.S. Amateur Championship begins today at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Twelve Canadians will vie for the title from August 15 to 21 in pursuit of the Havemeyer Trophy. The Canadian contingent will be lead by three Team Canada National Team members, including recent 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.

Team Canada National Team members- 

• Eric Banks – Truro, N.S.
• Blair Hamilton – Burlington, Ont.
• Hugo Bernard – Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.

Canadians in the field-

• Maxwell Sear – Unionville, Ont.
• Austin James – Bath, Ont.
• Joey Savoie – Montreal, Que.
• Chris Crisologo – Richmond, B.C.
• Bradford Curren – Hammonds Plains, N.S.
• Luke Moser – Waterloo, Ont.
• Kaleb Gorbahn – Smithers, B.C.
• William Deck – Kelowna, B.C.
• Garrett Rank – Elmira, Ont.

The competition will begin with two rounds of stroke play from August 17 to 18, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 competitors for match play. The remaining competitors will partake in six rounds of match play through August 19 to 22, and the championship match will take place on August 23.

Full schedule-

• Monday, August 15 – First round of stroke-play qualifying (18 holes)
• Tuesday, August 16 – Second round of stroke-play qualifying (18 holes)
• Wednesday, August 17 – Round of 64 match play
• Thursday, August 18 – Round of 32 and Round of 16 match play
• Friday, August 19 – Quarterfinal round of match play
• Saturday, August 20 – Semifinal round of match play
• Sunday, August 21 – Championship match (36 holes)

The 2016 championship will be the second U.S. Amateur and 11th USGA championship to be hosted by Oakland Hills Country Club.

For more information on the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship including scores and pairings, click here.

It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you have a team of passionate, driven leaders at the helm.

Take the “Moosehide Mommas” for example, a group of five ladies who have run Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru events for the last six years, raising close to $27,000 for breast cancer research—a great accomplishment in its own right. What’s even more empowering, is that this dedicated group has done so through a small town population just over 1,200 Canadians.

Nestled in the southern part of Canada’s Northwest Territories, a seven-hour drive west of Yellowknife, is the modest town of Fort Simpson. Small in size, but rich in history, Fort Simpson is home to just one golf course across its 78 km² area—Seven Spruce Golf Course. For the sixth consecutive year, this 9-hole course played host to the Moosehide Mommas’ annual Golf Fore the Cure event, which hosted over 40 women in a day of celebration with a round of golf and supporting events. At day’s end, this remarkable group of women raised over $14,000—their highest annual total to date.

How do they do it? Just ask one of the team’s lead site coordinators, Jennifer Thistle.

“It really starts with the incredible people we work with, who share a deep passion for the cause and what we are fighting for through this event,” she said. “We have such a memorable time golfing every year, and continue to challenge ourselves in new and exciting ways to make our event as special as it can be.”

Thistle was one of many site coordinators to receive a free polo shirt from adidas Golf, a new Pink Partner to Golf Fore the Cure in 2016. In the giving spirit, Thistle happily donated the adidas Golf polo towards the event’s raffle to help the cause.

To further help with events, Golf Canada ships a complimentary tournament kit to each team that includes pledge forms, signage, ribbons and prizing.

Committed to growing women’s participation, Golf Fore the Cure boasts over 100,000 participants throughout 12 seasons. During that period, the program has raised over $5.4 million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation in support of breast cancer research.

There are many other Canadian teams like the Moosehide Mommas that are behind Golf Fore the Cure’s mission, and you can be a part of that too.

Register to run an event—free of charge—by visiting golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure

MISSISSAUGA — Golf at the 2016 Mississauga Ontario Summer Games came to a close today with Stoney Creek’s Johnny Travale and Mississauga’s Chloe Currie standing atop the podium.

Travale came in with a lead and never relinquished it, carding a two-over (74) final round. Currie came from behind to win thanks to a four-under (68) on the day.

Travale, from Hamilton Golf & Country Club, entered the day at 10-under for the tournament, with a four-shot lead. The 15-year-old didn’t let his competitors back into it on the front nine as he was even par heading to the turn. On the back nine he would settle for three bogeys, but added a birdie to finish two-over, which was good enough for the win. Travale ended the championship at eight-under (68-66-74-208).

“It feels good to win this. A lot of hard work has gone into my game, especially after having a little upset at the U.S. Junior,” said Travale.

Earning silver was Langton’s Peyton Callens. Callens, from Delhi Golf & Country Club and Team Ontario, began the day five-under and that is where he finished thanks to an even par final round (70-69-72-211).

Rounding out the podium with the bronze was King City’s Michael von Schalburg. The York Downs Golf & Country Club member had a tough front nine but settled down on the back nine to end the day three-over (75). That helped him finish the event at three-under (68-70-75-213).

In the girls’ championship, Currie, from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, started the day two shots off the lead. The 16-year-old quickly made up that ground thanks to a solid three-under front nine. She continued her strong play on the back nine finishing it at one-under to end the day four-under (68). That moved her tournament total to seven-under (68-73-68-209), earning her a four-shot win.

With the win, Currie has now captured provincial championships at the Bantam (U15), Juvenile (U17) and Junior (U19) levels. After the win she spoke about what that means to her. “It is incredible! It is something you dream of doing, winning one is incredible but now I have won four provincial championships and it is an unbelievable feeling.”

Taking the silver was Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun. Chun, from the Summit Golf & Country Club and Team Ontario, was the leader as the final round got underway. However, she would give it up with a two-over front nine. While she did play the back nine even, she was unable to make up the ground on Currie. Chun finished the day two-over (74) to bring her tournament total to three-under (74-65-74-213).

Picking up the bronze was Maple’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio. DiMarcantonio, from Station Creek Golf Club and Team Ontario, started the final round at five-over. However, the 13-year-old had the second best round of the day, next to Currie, finishing at three-under (69). That moved her to two-over (80-69-69-218) and helped her earn the medal.

GATINEAU, Que. – The 112^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship concluded under beaming sunshine and stifling heat. Hugo Bernard battled through the sweltering conditions to shoot 5-under 65 for a come-from-behind victory at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

Bernard – a member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team – began the day knotted in third, three shots behind leader Blair Bursey. Bernard carded a 65 – one short of the tournament’s low round that he posted on the second day – to secure the win.

“I played pretty solid,” said the 21-year-old. “My driver was pretty long and pretty straight, too. I made some great putts out there and it was a very solid round for me.”

He becomes the first Canadian to win the National Men’s Amateur title since Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Mackenzie Hughes won back-to-back championships in 2011-12. He is the first Quebec native to win the competition since Craig Matthew of Montréal accomplished the feat in 1998.

The victory adds to a season in which Bernard claimed medallist honours at the 2016 NCAA Division II Championship before capturing this year’s Alexander of Tunis and playing in the 2016 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

The winner of the prestigious Earl Grey Trophy as Canadian Men’s Amateur champion was happy for the win, but seemed focused on the prized exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open which accompanies it.

“It means a lot,” said Bernard of the title. “I’m so happy to get my spot for the [RBC] Canadian Open next year. I hope I’m going to do better than this year, so I’m pretty excited about it.”

The native of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., tallied six birdies and held off the advances of several players, including Bursey. The product of Gander, N.L., held the lead for three consecutive days in a bid to become his province’s first Canadian Men’s Amateur champion.

“Blair Bursey from Newfoundland played amazing for the week,” said the winner, when asked about his competitors. “He shot 64 the first round; I was 10 shots back after one round, so it was my goal to chase him and I did it, so I’m pretty proud.”

China’s Andy Zhang, who resides in Winter Garden, Fla., shot 1-under on the day to maintain his hold on second. Bernard’s national teammate Stuart Macdonald began the day in sixth, but a 3-under showing vaulted the Vancouver native into third. Bernard reflected positively on his and Macdonald’s season as members of Golf Canada’s national team program.

“It was amazing this year. I learned so much with them. I played good golf since…[for] almost seven months. I learned so many things on the course and outside the course.”

Bursey would finish with a share of 5^th at 6-under alongside Kristoffer Ventura of Norway. Despite the setback in the individual standings, Bursey led Team Newfoundland and Labrador to its first Willingdon Cup in the 89-year history of the team competition played concurrently over this championship’s two opening rounds. The historic win was also the Atlantic province’s first team title at any amateur level on either the men’s or women’s sides.

In addition to claiming an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open to be hosted at Glen Abbey Golf Club from July 24-30, Bernard has earned entry into the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

The 2017 edition of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be hosted at The Toronto Golf Club and Islington Golf Club in Toronto from August 7-10.

Additional information regarding the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship can be found here.