DENVER, Colo. – Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard capped off his impressive freshman season by winning medalist honours at the NCAA Division II Championship on Thursday at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Course.

The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product jumped out to an early lead with an opening-round 65 (-7) and never looked back, carding 17 birdies in total to lead the field en route to securing the two-stroke victory. The Saint Leo Lion finished at 13-under par (65-66-72) ahead of runner-up Calum Hill (Western New Mexico). The win marks the first NCAA championship win (individual or team) in Lions history.

The 21-year-old ended his freshman year where he spent most of his time this season—atop the leaderboard. Bernard finished inside the Top-5 in five out of seven events this season with Lions, including a win at the Argonaut Invitational.

The lefty’s efforts were further recognized by the NCAA on Thursday, being named as the Division II recipient of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year Award (won by Team Canada graduate Adam Svensson in 2013). Bernard also earned a nod as one of eight members named to the GCAA/PING First Team All-American squad.

Teammate and fellow Quebec native Joey Savoie struggled in the final-round, carding a 2-over 74 to slip nine spots to a T11 finish.

Bernard will lead the No. 1-seeded Lions into the eight-team match-play portion of the NCAA Championship Friday morning against Wilmington University.

Click here for full scoring.

National champion, freshman of the year, all-american team! Thanks to @dingramgolf to help me to get there! #dragons pic.twitter.com/GYF3KBP6qu

— hugo bernard (@Hbernard63) May 20, 2016

John (Johnny) Johnston, a former Canadian Amateur champion who is a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at the age of 91.

Johnston, known as J.J. to his many friends, was a longtime member of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver.

Johnston’s long list of achievements as an amateur golfer include a B.C. Amateur title in 1966. He won the B.C. Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967 and that same year also won the Mexican Amateur.

He played on B.C.’s Willingdon Cup team on multiple occasions and represented Canada in the America’s Cup, World Amateur and Commonwealth competitions. “He was a guy who was one of the legends at Marine Drive,” said Dick Zokol, a fellow Marine Drive member and two-time PGA Tour winner. “I looked up to him. He flew bombers in World War Two and I loved to hear his stories.”

Johnston was renowned for his short game. He and Ron Willey defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in an America’s Cup match. “He was a very gregarious guy,” Zokol said. “He was really good friends with George Knudson. He came from that era. He wasn’t a great ball-striker, but he could putt.”

Johnston became a member of Marine Drive in 1952. His Canadian Amateur win came in 1959 at his home course, where he beat Ontario’s Gary Cowan in the final. “John was a real character,” said fellow Marine Drive legend Doug Roxburgh.

“I heard so many stories from him about playing against the best of his era. His passing is very sad, but he is in a better place. Perhaps Stan (Leonard) and him will be teeing it up against each other again soon.”

Johnston, who received invitations to play in both the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby tournaments, was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. He joined the B.C. Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Career highlights include:

• Won the Canadian Amateur, defeating Gary Cowan at Marine Drive in 1959
• Won BC Amateur in 1966
• Won BC Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967, won Mexican Amateur in 1967
• Made BC’s Willington Cup Team 9 times from 1958-1967
• Represented Canada in America’s Cup 4 times, World Amateur twice and Commonwealth Competition twice
• Inducted into BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1971
• Won Marine Drive Golf Club’s Championship 6 times
• Teamed with Ron Willey, defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in match play competition (America’s Cup)

Three Men’s Amateur Squad members punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship on Wednesday by advancing at their respective regional events.

Leading the way for Team Canada was Kimberley, B.C., native Jared du Toit, who finished at 4-over (72-73-75) to tie for fifth at the Albuquerque Regional hosted at the University of New Mexico Championship Course. The Arizona State junior opened the tournament with an eagle, setting the tone early to help the Sun Devils finish first overall as a team. The Sun Devils were led by World No. 1 ranked John Rahm, who repeated as medalist at 4-under par (69-71-72).

Team Canada veteran Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., posted a final score of 2-over par (78-68-72) at the Franklin Regional to close at T51. The University of Houston senior was part of a Cougars squad that finished at 25-under par to tie for third place, earning one of the Top-5 spots to move on to the championship.

Rounding out the trio of Team Canada members to advance is Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald, who closed at T52 with a score of 24-over par (88-75-77). Despite his individual struggles, Macdonald and the Purdue Boilermakers captured the fifth and final spot at the Stillwater Regional with a two-stroke advantage over Augusta University.

All three Canucks will tee-it-up at the NCAA Div I Championship from May 27–June 1 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oreg.

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Albuquerque Regional scoring (Jared du Toit)

Franklin Regional scoring (Blair Hamilton)

Stillwater Regional scoring (Stuart Macdonald)

Muirfield was removed from the list of courses that can host the British Open golf tournament, after the Scottish club voted against admitting female members in a move Thursday that provoked sharp criticism from players and lawmakers.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, announced its decision to retain the club’s male-only policy following a ballot of its 750 members. A two-thirds majority was required for a change to take place, but 36 percent of members voted against allowing women.

The Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said Muirfield has been taken off the list of courses that can host golf’s oldest major championship.

“Going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement. “If the policy at the club should change, we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future.”

Muirfield is one of 10 courses on the British Open rotation and has staged the event 16 times, most recently in 2013. Royal Troon, which hosts this year’s tournament from July 14-17, is the only other club on the rotation to still exclude women.

British sports minister David Evennett said the decision by Muirfield’s members was “extremely disappointing” and “sends out completely the wrong message.”

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, voiced her disappointment on Twitter.

Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life. It is 2016. This is simply indefensible. https://t.co/qrULGuFG8v

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 19, 2016

Speaking after finishing his first round at the Irish Open, two-time British Open champion Padriag Harrington backed the R&A’s decision to remove Muirfield from the list of hosts.

“We love playing the golf course but there’s more to modern golf than just the course,” Harrington said. “Gone are the days where you can discriminate in a club. The R&A have a bigger responsibility to society, and they’ve done the right thing.”

Henry Fairweather, captain of Muirfield, said the club had to follow the rules set by its members.

“Women will continue to be welcome at Muirfield on the course and in the clubhouse as guests and visitors, as they have been for many years,” Fairweather said.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, the spiritual “Home of Golf,” opened its membership to women in 2014 for the first time in 260 years. Royal St. George’s, another British Open host, ended its male-only membership last year.

Augusta National, home of the Masters, decided in 2012 to invite women to join.

On the last occasion Muirfield hosted the British Open, when Phil Mickelson lifted the claret jug, the R&A was heavily criticized for allowing Muirfield to stage the event given its opposition to having female members.

A consultation exercise with members was opened as a result.

Scottish newspaper The Scotsman reported Wednesday that a group of members at Muirfield – leading a “No” campaign against women joining the club – had canvassed fellow members, saying “it is accepted that we may have to change, but we should not do so now on the basis suggested.”

“A traditional resistance to change is one of the foundations of our unique position in golf and our reputation,” the members wrote in the letter, according to The Scotsman.

Troon has separate men’s and women’s clubs and is consulting members over whether to alter that arrangement.

The Golf in Schools Professional Visitation Program was established to provide another avenue for CN Future Links instructors to further engagement with junior golfers—Canada’s future body of membership.

Developed by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada, the latest national grassroots initiative offers $150 grants to CN Future Links instructors to conduct a personal lesson to students (and teachers) at Golf in Schools sites.

The initiative is an extension of the CN Future Links Field Trip Program, which provides grants for a class of students to experience a golf facility first-hand through field trips.

Click here to apply for a grant.

TROON, Scotland – Royal Troon Golf Club, the host of this year’s British Open, is consulting members on whether its male-only membership policy should end.

Troon says it has written to its 800 members “seeking views on the issue of the admission of women members.”

Troon official Martin Cheyne says “we care very much for the reputation of Royal Troon Golf Club and it is important that the club, much like the wider game, reflects the modern society in which we exist.”

Royal Troon, formed in 1878, is sharing the responsibility of hosting next year’s British Open with The Ladies Golf Club in Troon that uses its facilities.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews decided in 2014 to open its membership to women after 260 years of male exclusivity.

ST ANDREWS, Scotland – A new manual giving guidance to golf clubs and golfers on ways of improving pace of play has been published today by The R&A.

The manual will be distributed to The R&A’s 152 affiliated organisations around the world and every golf club in Great Britain and Ireland. It will be available to download from The R&A website, www.randa.org/paceofplay, where further information, resources and related videos can also be viewed.

The new manual provides practical guidance in the three key areas of management, course set-up and player behaviour.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “There is no doubt that pace of play is a key issue for golf today and one on which many golfers have strong views. Through the research exercise and the conference we gained some valuable insights into the views of players, administrators and officials involved in all levels of golf.

“We fully recognize that in a sport as diverse as golf there is no one-size-fits-all approach and so the new manual outlines approaches which have proved to be effective and offers some thoughtful solutions to day-to day pace of play challenges which can arise in golf. We hope the manual will prove to be a useful reference guide for clubs, competition organizers and players alike.”

The R&A carried out an extensive international survey into golfers’ views on pace of play in 2014/15 which attracted more than 56,000 responses from golfers in 122 countries. One of the key findings of the research was that 60% of golfers said they would enjoy golf more if they played in less time.

The findings were discussed at the Time for Golf conference last November, which was attended by professionals and administrators from throughout the world of golf and those discussions helped shape the new manual.

European Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher took part in a discussion session at the conference. Welcoming the launch of the new manual, he said, “I think this is an important step forward in providing some practical ways of improving pace of play. It was fascinating to hear different perspectives on pace of play at the Time for Golf conference and there was definitely a feeling that we should share some of the best approaches to dealing with the issue with a wider audience. The new manual gives some great examples of best practice and I would definitely recommend it to anyone involved in golf.”

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The final round of the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club unfolded in much the same way as the previous two – with the Junior Boys and Junior Girls fields in pursuit of Tony Gil and Mary Parsons. Neither would be caught as the pair completed wire-to-wire victories to open Golf Canada’s championship season.

Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member Tony Gil matched his opening-round 66 with another six-birdie performance. “I managed myself really well, strategically and mentally,” said the product of Vaughan, Ont. “Tee to green, I was really solid. I made a couple of long putts for birdie. Overall this week, my ball-striking was on point. I only made two bogeys which was quite nice. I’m pretty happy with how I played.”

The significance of the victory was not lost upon Gil. “This is my last CN Future Links event, so it means a lot to cap it off with a win. This was a huge confidence booster. To know that I’m shooting that low – this experience will be really useful for the World Junior coming up.” The Toyota Junior Golf World Cup will take place at Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota, Japan from June 11-17.

The 18-year-old Gil finished 16-under 200 – 10-strokes clear of Conaire Kehoe of Calgary, who tallied five birdies to match the 69 he posted on the first day. Two Calgarians finished tied for third at 5-under: Brendan MacDougall, who carded a 68, and Development Squad member Alexander Smith, who made four birdies, including three across a bogey-free back nine.

When asked about her play throughout the tournament, Mary Parsons credited her preparedness for the victory. “I felt I played pretty well. I stuck to my game plan and didn’t try to change anything out on the course.”

“I really wanted to start the (Golf Canada) season off strong because I’ve had a bunch of Top-5 finishes in the season openers,” added the 16-year-old when reflecting on the importance of the win. “I really wanted to make this one count because I want to make Team Canada this year. I just played my game and I just wanted to have a good showing this week.”

Entering the final round, Parsons from Delta, B.C., held a six-shot advantage over Team Canada Development Squad member Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont. Parsons finished with four birdies on the day to hold off Currie, who was unable to catch the leader despite a seven-birdie 3-under 69. Fellow National Team member Grace St-Germain surged up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 5-under performance to finish T3 alongside British Columbians Sumie Francois of Burnaby and Amanda Minni of Delta.

All competitors within the Top-6 in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S. Joining Parsons in playing their way into the national amateur championship were Currie, St-Germain, Francois, Minni and Courtenay, B.C., native Abigail Rigsby.

As the competition’s top-six finishers, Gil, Kehoe, MacDougall, Smith, Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.) and Gavin Ciulla (Surrey, B.C.) have earned entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. McDowell claimed his exemption on the first playoff hole, while Ciulla emerged victorious on the third extra hole. The national amateur championship will be hosted by Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4.

Tony Gil (Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)

Five additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• May 27-29 – CN Future Links Ontario – Midland, Ont. – Midland Golf & Country Club
• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship can be found here.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Blue skies and a beaming sun set the stage for the second round of the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. Mary Parsons and Tony Gil continued their fine play at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club, as each extended their leads atop their respective divisions.

Mary Parsons collected five birdies, including two across a bogey-free back nine, to reach 3-under 69 on the day. The native of Delta, B.C., is now 9-under for the tournament and tops the Junior Girls Division by six strokes. Team Canada Development Squad member and Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie maintained her hold on second with a 1-under second-round performance that included five birdies.

An eagle and five birdies propelled Amanda Minni, also of Delta, B.C., from T6 into third-place at 2-under. Sumie Francois from Burnaby, B.C., collected seven birdies to card the low-round of the day – a 5-under 67.

Women’s Development Squad members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) are tied for seventh at 3-over 147 alongside former teammate Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C. Fellow British Columbians Hannah Lee of Surrey and Kathrine Chan of Richmond round out the National Team contingent and sit T12.

Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., opened the second round with consecutive birdies and would go on to collect four more en route a 4-under 68 performance. The Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member is four strokes clear of Surrey, B.C., product Po Su. The 16-year-old Su tallied nine birdies on the day to climb into second after beginning the round at T24. Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta., is third after shooting 69.

Calgary’s Alexander Smith, a member of the Men’s Development Squad, shot 68 to move into a tie for sixth. Completing the Team Canada quartet in attendance are A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., and Charles-Éric Bélanger of Quebec, who are T14 and T29, respectively.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division will receive exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be awarded via a hole-by-hole playoff. All finishers within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship to be played at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

The final round of competition will see the Junior Boys Division begin the day at 7 a.m. PT before the Junior Girls take to the course at 11 a.m. PT. Additional information, including start times and scoring, is available here.

Golf Canada gave Special Olympics BC (SOBC) athletes and coaches the opportunity to showcase their abilities and hone their skills at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship in Kamloops on May 11.

Twenty-five golfers from SOBC – 100 Mile House, Kamloops, Kelowna, Quesnel, Surrey, Trail, and Victoria opened the day with a nine-hole competition, followed by a clinic for the athletes and SOBC coaches with a PGA of Canada professional to cover key lessons from the day.

The top-scoring female golfer was SOBC – Victoria’s Kelsey Simpson, and the top-scoring male golfer was Ryan Courtemanche of SOBC – Kelowna.

Golf is one of SOBC’s fastest-growing sports, and the support from Golf Canada provides great opportunities to help build the game.

“For the past two years we’ve been working with Golf Canada on a partnership, and this is the outcome of that partnership. This is the first time that Special Olympics athletes have been a part of their series,” Special Olympics Canada Vice President, Sport, Blair McIntosh told CFJC.

There are now 1,675 registered Special Olympics golfers nationally, including approximately 400 in B.C. The Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games in Vancouver had the first National Games golf competition, and Special Olympics Team Canada 2015 marked the first time the national team included golfers.

This spring and summer, there will be great SOBC competition on greens and fairways around the province as Golf Regional Qualifiers are being hosted by SOBC – Creston (May 14), Kamloops (June 18), Surrey (July 2), Sunshine Coast (July 10 for Regions 4 and 5), Victoria (June 12), and Quesnel (June 25 to 26). For all except SOBC – Sunshine Coast, this will be their first time hosting Golf Regional Qualifiers. Competitors are seeking to advance to the 2017 Special Olympics BC Summer Games.

SOBC – Kamloops golfer Andrew Mitchell told CFJC that he first started playing golf at age six or seven, but subsequently stepped away from it, and Special Olympics brought him back in.

“I like being able to get out with friends and family members. It’s just kind of a fun game to play. You get better at it as you go,” Mitchell said.

SOBC – Victoria’s Scott Jones seemed to have a great day on the links in Kamloops.

“This is a great life. Golf is my dream, golf is my business, golf is my blood. Golf is my everything,” he told CFJC.