MOKA, Trinidad & Tobago – Team Canada Men’s Development Squad won a one-hole playoff on Friday to finish second place and punch their ticket to the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan this upcoming June.

Canada’s struggles in Friday’s closing round made for an interesting finish down the stretch at St. Andrews Golf Club. The foursome let a seven-stroke advantage slip away to enter a playoff with host nation Trinidad & Tobago, eventually going on to win a nail-biting one-hole playoff.

The Mexican squad also earned a spot in Japan by cruising to a 13-stroke victory with an aggregate total of 652 (+4). They were led by Luis Carrera, who closed at 213 (-3) as the only competitor to score under-par for the tournament.

The Canucks were paced by Coquitlam, B.C., product A.J. Ewart, who led the team at 219 (+3) despite struggling with a final-round 80. Vaughan, Ont., native Tony Gil came in at 220 (+4) while teammate Jack Simpson of Aurora, Ont., ended with a 230 (+14). Quebec’s Charles-Éric Bélanger rounded out the squad, posting a 240 (+24).

The 2016 event will be contested in Japan from June 14–17. It is the world’s only junior golf championship in which 20 national teams—including winners of regional qualifiers held across six continents and 60 national teams—compete for the world championship trophy.

In 2015, the Men’s Development Squad placed sixth 15 strokes behind champion Japan. The best Canadian finish came in both 1994 and 2002 when the team took home runner-up honours.

GULF BREEZE, Fla. – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard continued his red-hot play on Tuesday, rallying with a final-round 70 (-2) to close out the come-from-behind victory at the Argonaut Invitational.

The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product surged up the leaderboard following Monday’s second round at Tiger Point Golf Club, firing a tournament-low 66 (-6) on the day to leapfrog 17 spots up the leaderboard and put him in the driver’s seat for the win.

With his first collegiate victory in sight, Bernard’s final-round 70 was enough to shut the door on the competition and build a three-stroke cushion over second place.

The win highlights a string of impressive results in Bernard’s freshman campaign with the Div II Saint Leo Lions. Prior to Tuesday’s victory, the 21-year-old rattled off three consecutive Top-5 finishes in just four events on the squad.

“Hugo’s been working extremely hard on his game and is progressing nicely,” said Derek Ingram, Team Canada Men’s Head Coach. “I’m really pleased to see that all of his hard work is paying off with some great results across the board.”

Collectively, the Lions finished runner-up at 11-over par, three strokes behind champion Missouri – St. Louis.

Bernard, last year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur runner-up, will look to continue his streak when the Lions tee-it-up next at the Sunshine State Conference Championship from Apr. 17–19.

Click here for full scoring.

MOKA, Trinidad & Tobago – Four members of Team Canada’s Men’s Development Squad are set to compete in the qualifying event at St. Andrews Golf Club from Apr. 6–8 to secure one of two available spots into the 2016 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

The qualifying format will be a 54-hole stroke-play event, with each team’s three lowest daily scores contributing to the aggregate total. The Canadian foursome will square off against Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico.

The Canucks will be led by Vaughan, Ont., native Tony Gil, who returns to the qualifier for a second straight year after posting Canada’s lowest total score in 2015. He will be joined by teammates Charles-Éric Bélanger (Québec), A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.).

The Canadian contingent will be under the guidance of Lead Development Squad Coach, Robert Ratcliffe.

“We’ve had some strong success in this qualifying event in the past and the boys have practised hard to continue that trend,” said the PGA of Canada Class “A” member. “The course is set up well for our game and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

In last year’s qualifier, Canada cruised to a six-stroke victory and went on to place sixth at the World Cup. The best Canadian finish came in 1994 when the team took home runner-up honours.

The 2016 event will be contested in Japan from June 14–17. It is the world’s only junior golf championship in which 20 national teams—including winners of regional qualifiers held across six continents and 60 national teams—compete for the world championship trophy.

Click here for live qualifier scoring.

Development Squad’s Grace St-Germain has signed a letter of intent to join the Daytona State Falcons in August of 2016.

The Falcons are listed as a Div I school under the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)—an association dedicated to America’s two-year collegiate programs.

“This is a great fit for Grace all-around,” said Ann Carroll, Women’s Development Squad coach. “The training facilities at Daytona are phenomenal and it will compliment her game perfectly as she looks to take her game to the next level.”

Hailing from Ottawa, St-Germain will carry a long list of accomplishments to the Falcons, including a runner-up finish at the 2015 Quebec Women’s Amateur and a pair of victories at the 2014 Quebec Women’s Amateur and Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

She will fall under the guidance of long-serving Head Coach and well-known teaching professional Laura Brown, who has been at the helm for all 16 of the team’s seasons.

Click here to learn more about the Falcons.

Officially a Falcon!So excited to have signed with Daytona State College! Thank you to everyone who has supported me pic.twitter.com/2nXh6nsggD

— Grace (@gracestgermain) April 3, 2016

VANCOUVER – Development Squad member A.J. Ewart birdied his final two holes on Sunday to earn a one-stroke victory in the U19 division at the Canadian Junior Golf Association’s (CJGA) B.C. Junior Open presented by Pacific Rim Intercollegiate Golf.

Holding the 18-hole lead, the Coquitlam product kept up the pace in Sunday’s final round to close out the wire-to-wire victory at 4-under par (70-70). The Team Canada rookie fended off the battling Henry Lee of Coquitlam, who closed the tournament one-stroke back of Ewart at 3-under. Both competitors ended as the only two athletes to finish under-par at the University Golf Club.

The win marks Ewart’s first CJGA victory of his young career. The Pitt Meadows Golf Club member will look to ride his momentum into action next week when he joins Team Canada teammates to compete at the Toyota World Junior Qualifier in Trinidad.

On the girls’ side, Delta native Amanda Minni led the pack with a closing score of 2-over par (73-73) to lock up the victory in the U19 division. She built up a two-stroke cushion over co-runner-ups Mary Parsons—also of Delta—and Ye Ji Lim of Langley.

The Women’s Development Squad were also in action in Vancouver. In the Juvenile group (U17), Richmond’s Kathrine Chan ran away with a score of 1-under par for a five-stroke victory over teammate and Surrey native Hannah Lee. The win also marks the first CJGA win for the 16-year-old Chan, who currently sits at No.14 on the CN Future Links National Junior Order of Merit .

Hometown native and Development Squad member Tiffany Kong finished the U19 division tied for sixth at 7-over par (78-73).

Click here for full scoring.

CALGARY – Alberta Golf has announced its competition schedule, including host clubs and dates, for the 2016 championship season. A total of 12 provincial amateur championships will be conducted – along with qualifying events – that lead to entry into Canada’s national amateur championships.

“Nearly 1,500 talented Albertan and regional golfers will gather at some of Alberta’s top golf facilities to compete for a provincial golf championship,” said Alberta Golf’s COO, Jack Lane.

“It is Alberta Golf’s honor and privilege to conduct these championships in partnership with our host clubs, committed sponsors and the hundreds of devoted volunteers from communities across Alberta. We are pleased that our championships offer an opportunity for all members to compete, whether that be for the simple enjoyment of the challenge, or for our athletes who are hoping to add their name to the history books.”

The complete 2016 schedule and registration information can be found here.

Richmond, BC – British Columbia Golf has announced the addition of Brad Ziemer to their staff in the capacity of writer/reporter.

During a 30 year career with the Vancouver Sun newspaper, which began in 1985 and included the role of Sports Editor for five years before returning to his true passion of sports reporting, Ziemer established himself as one of the Canada’s premier golf writers.

He has covered every significant golf event in British Columbia, both amateur and professional over the last few decades including seven PGA TOUR events. In 2013, Golf Canada presented him with its Distinguished Service Award, making him only the second B.C. golf writer to receive the award, following in the footsteps of his esteemed colleague, Arv Olson.

“I have always had a passion for writing about golf and the people who play the game, particularly at the amateur level,” said Ziemer, “I look forward to sharing some of those stories this spring and summer in my new role with British Columbia Golf.”

Ziemer will begin his new role by providing coverage from the Annual General Meeting for British Columbia Golf, taking place April 2nd at Tsawwassen Springs in Delta, B.C.

His role will begin in earnest in May as BC Golf prepares for its Championship Season starting later that month.

Waterloo, Ont.  – Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of Business & Economics, with the support of the Golf Management Institute of Canada (GMIC), is introducing a new field within its MBA program: Management in the Golf and Resort Industry.

“We are excited to be working with our golf and resort industry partners to be the first in Canada to offer this kind of specialization in an MBA program,” said Dr. Hugh Munro, Director of Laurier’s MBA program. “Our goal is to develop managerial talent to enhance the performance of those firms operating in this challenging global industry, and to provide exciting career opportunities for our graduates in the golf and resort sector.”

Laurier prides itself on preparing graduates who are adaptive and able to handle the increasing complexity and dynamics of business. The golf industry is no exception.

A big part of this new specialization is designing immersive learning opportunities into the curriculum that help to ground theoretical concepts in business practice. The Golf and Resort Industry constitutes a fertile domain for both applying management knowledge, and for developing management talent. With over 32,000 golf facilities around the world, the industry is global, dynamic, and strategically complex. It faces transformative challenges in the mature developed markets, yet is an important growing economic development engine in many developing economies. Both situations require managers who have the requisite business acumen, and industry specific knowledge to effectively address the inherent challenges and opportunities.

Applications are now being accepted for the August 2016 intake of The Lazaridis School of Business & Economics new specialization, Golf & Resort Management, within the Full-time & Full-time Co-op MBA programs.

In Canada alone, the Golf and Resort Industry employs over 300,000 workers at more than 2,500 golf courses and resorts across the country. In the United States, the numbers are exponentially larger, with more than 15,000 golf facilities, with the total economic impact of golf in America reaching $176.8 billion, and supporting approximately two million jobs.

“I’m excited about the Golf and Resort Management specialization being offered within Laurier’s MBA program,” said Grant Fraser, founder of the GMIC and Laurier BBA graduate. “The GMIC is thrilled to be working in partnership with Laurier on the delivery of this unique program. This will be the only MBA program in Canada designed to train the next generation of golf business leaders, here at home, and around the world. That will be the focus, to create a specialization that will enable graduates to work in a variety of golf businesses anywhere in the world.”

By working closely with a wide range of industry partners and organizations, there are a variety of exciting career paths awaiting Laurier MBA graduates. Companies such as Nike, Titleist, and TaylorMade-Adidas are a few of the powerful brands the program will align with. In addition, international golf and resort property owners and managers such as Fairmont, Marriott, Troon Golf, Pacific Links, and Mission Hills in China will all have a role to play shaping the next generation of global golf industry leaders.

Here at home, the Canadian golf industry is fully supportive of Laurier’s new MBA specialization. Industry leaders such as Bruce Simmonds, CEO of Pacific Links International, Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada, and Keith Keindel, Executive Director of the Canadian Golf Industry Association have all been instrumental in moving the program forward. In addition, an industry specific Advisory Board comprised of representatives from equipment manufacturers and retailers, facility owners and managers, industry consultants, golf course designers, and club managers has been formed to assist with this exciting initiative.

All involved are committed to developing a program that meets the needs of the global golf and resort sector. This includes providing direction and support with marketing, curriculum development, project opportunities, co-op positions, and post-graduate careers.

In addition to the specialization being offered in the Full-time MBA and Full-time with Co-op MBA, plans are underway to develop, design, and deliver the Golf & Resort Management specialization within a part-time schedule, targeting managers currently working in the industry anywhere in the world.

For more information about the Laurier MBA program, and the Golf & Resort Management Specialization please visit www.lauriermba.ca.

A trio of Canadian girls are set to head south for the 2016 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta National on April 3—the Sunday prior to the Masters tournament week.

Canadians Vanessa Borovilos, Jayla Kucy and Elaine Giantsopolous will be among the 80 qualifiers (40 male, 40 female) vying to be crowned champions of their respective age divisions at the third annual national championship.

Toronto’s Borovilos will compete in the 7­–9 age group for a second consecutive year—she finished fourth in 2015, just four points off the lead. The aspiring LPGA golfer and Trafalgar Golf & Country Club member punched her ticket to Augusta by winning the regional qualifier held at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.

Vanessa Borovilos (Dave Reginek/ Getty Images) and Jayla Kucy (Steve Dykes/ Getty Images)

Camrose, Alta., native Jayla Kucy will also make her return to Augusta National in the 2016 event. The year prior, Kucy (9-years-old at the time) posted a final score of 13 to finish T8 in the 7­–9 group. With another year of experience under her belt, Jayla will take the all-expenses-paid trip once more to golf’s hallowed ground. Kucy and Borovilos are among four competitors set to return for a second straight year.

Competing in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship for the first time is Elaine Giantsopolous of Richmond Hill, Ont. Giantsopolous earned her spot in the final with a one-point victory at her regional qualifier—also held at Oakmont. Playing out of York Downs Golf & Country Club, Giantsopolous will compete in the 12–13 division.

The journey to the final event is no easy task. Amongst tens of thousands of entrants in 250 qualifying events, all three girls secured top-three spots at their local qualifiers, top-two finishes at their sub-regionals, followed by wins at their regional events. Results of all qualifying events can be found here.

A joint initiative by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Masters and the PGA of America, the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship is a free nationwide youth golf development program open to girls and boys aged 7-15 – competing in separate divisions in four age categories – focusing on the three fundamental skills employed in golf and tapping the creativity and enthusiasm of young golfers.

Coverage of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel on April 3.

The Canadian equivalent, the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event, will be contested on July 16 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., the Sunday prior to the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

MESA, Ariz. – Team Canada Development Squad member A.J. Ewart carded a bogey-free final round 71 on Sunday to finish tied for fourth at the Winn Grips Heather Farr Classic hosted by Longbow Golf Club.

The 16-year-old Coquitlam, B.C., product finished at 4-under par (71-67-71) in the 54-hole event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). He trailed the trio of leaders by just one stroke, with Ricky Castillo of Yorba Linda, Calif., emerging to win the two-hole playoff.

The result marks the third Top-5 AJGA finish for Ewart—he won the Sunriver Junior Open in 2015 and finished T5 at the AJGA/CJGA Junior Championship in 2014.

Fellow Canadian James Song was also in action at Longbow, posting a 77-69-71 (+4) to finish T22. Development Squad teammate Jack Simpson of Aurora, Ont., missed the cut after struggling with scores of 71 and 78.

Click here for full scoring.