Ernie Muise was elected 62^nd president of the Nova ScotiaGolf Association at the association’s Annual Fall Meeting held October 3^rd at the Glen Arbour Golf Club. Mr. Muise will serve as the NSGA President until the end of the 2016 season.

Muise is the third president of the NSGA to serve from the Clare Golf Club (Dr. Julius Comeau 1986-87 and Roland Deveau 2001-02). Prior to joining the NSGA board in 2006, Mr. Muise was on the board of Clare Golf Club for 12 years and served as president in 2004-2005. He has been very active with both the Clare Golf Club and the NSGA. While with the NSGA he has served as the: Western Zone Representative, Director of Membership and served terms as first and second Vice President. Ernie has also served on the Provincial Council with Golf Canada.

Born in Grosses Coques in Digby County, N.S., Ernie lived and worked with Consolidated Freightways in Stoughton Massachusetts for over 30 years. After retiring he moved home to Nova Scotia where he lives with his wife Lorraine in Little Brook.

The following members will comprise the 2015-2016 NSGA Board of Directors:

President – Ernie Muise, Clare
Vice President – Garry Beattie, Ashburn
2nd Vice President – Katie Brine, Truro
Past President – Shirley d’Entremont, West Pubnico
Secretary/Treasurer – Jen Thompson, Brightwood
Course Rating Director – John Horton, Ken-Wo
Tournament Director – Bill MacMillan, Hartlen Point
Rules Director – Doug McEwan, Greenwood
Player Development Director – Sara Wilson, NSPPC
Membership Director – Sue Mitchell, Brightwood
Handicap Director – David Acker, Ken-Wo
Junior Director -Rob  Collins, Clare

EGGS HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Chip Lutz made his first trip to the final match pay off Thursday when he won the U.S. Senior Amateur over Tom Brandes.

Lutz, a 60-year-old from Reading, Pennsylvania, won the opening hole with a par and never trailed at Hidden Creek Golf Club. He won, 5 and 3.

Lutz made it to the semifinal round in 2010, 2011 and 2013. He advanced to the championship match with a 1-up victory over Tim Jackson, a two-time USGA champion.

Lutz also won the 2011 and 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior titles.

Brandes, from Bellevue, Washington, also was runner-up in the British Senior Amateur two years ago.

The victory means Lutz is exempt into the U.S. Senior Open next year, the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur for two years, and has a 10-year exemption from qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur.

New Zealand will host one of the world’s most prestigious amateur golf tournaments.

The Royal Wellington Golf Club has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October 2017 which will be broadcast live around the world.

The tournament is supported by three Founding Partners: the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A.  It is one of the largest tournaments of its type in the world, with the winner getting a place at the following year’s Masters and a spot in The Open Qualifying Series, the final stage to gain entry into The Open Championship.

The top 120 amateur players from the Asia-Pacific region will compete with 10 places available for New Zealanders as host.

Established in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship has quickly become one of the most celebrated amateur golf tournaments in the world with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama a two-time winner.

NASHVILLE – Karen Garcia rallied to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur on Thursday at Hillwood Country Club, taking the final two holes for a 1-up victory over Pamela Kuong.

The 53-year-old Garcia, from Cool, California, rebounded after losing Nos. 14-16 to fall a hole down. She squared the match with a par on the par-17th and won with a par on the par-4 18th.

The 54-year-old Kuong is from Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts.

In the morning semifinals, Garcia topped Sue Cohn of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 1 up with a par win on the 18th, and Kuong beat Tama Caldabaugh of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with a par on the 21st hole.

The tournament is for players 50 and older.

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – No amount of rain could put a damper on Tuesday’s Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event at the Richmond Hill Golf Club.

Despite the wet conditions, over 100 ladies were on hand to celebrate eclipsing the $300,000 mark for breast cancer research in 2015. The National Event, running for the twelfth consecutive year, featured 18-holes of golf packed with prizing, games and laughter, followed by an awards dinner to thank the many fundraising efforts put forth by Golf Fore the Cure participants across Canada.

“As the National Sport Federation, we are very proud of the continued growth of Golf Fore the Cure and what it has done for women’s golf across Canada,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “We are very thankful for the support of our partners and the dedication of all Golf Fore the Cure participants in the country for making this program such a huge success.”

Through 145 events in 2015 and upwards of 10,000 women, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru raised its fundraising total to-date to over $5.4 million—with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation.

For Pamela Fralick, President & CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru is one of many great events that drive cancer research and support programs in communities across Canada.

“We are so very thankful for the passion and support that Golf Fore the Cure has provided over the years,” said Fralick of the 10-year partnership with Golf Canada. “Our mission cannot be fulfilled without funding from supporters like Golf Canada and we look forward to continuing to empower more women in the years to come.”

The awards dinner gave special attention to foursomes from this year’s top-three fundraising teams, listed below:

1. New Brunswick Golf Association—$27, 778.57 (top provincial event)
2. Sandy Hook Golf Club from Sandy Hook, Man.—$21,558
3. Sussex Golf & Curling Club from Sussex, N.B.—$21,486

Photos from Tuesday’s National event can be viewed here.

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru was created in 2003 by Golf Canada to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation), the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for a cause close to Canadian hearts – the fight against breast cancer.

Subaru Canada has been a proud partner of Golf Fore the Cure since 2007. The company recently renewed its partnership for two additional years, reaffirming its commitment to making a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

To learn how to get involved with Golf Fore the Cure, visit golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) announced their 2015 NSGA Player of the Year Awards Monday.

The NSGA Player of the Year (POY) is a ranking system that assigns points to players from their finishes in various tournaments throughout the golf season. It is designed to promote the development of golfers in Nova Scotia through a points system based on their competitive accomplishments.

After a long summer battle, Glenn Robinson from Ashburn Golf Club defeated Truro’s Paul Coulson to win the 2015 Men’s NSGA Player of the Year. Robinson ended the season with a T12 finish at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, second place finishes at the Apple Blossom and the Ashburn Club Championship and a third place finish at the NSGA Mid-Am.

Abercrombie’s Julia Henderson returned to competitive golf in Nova Scotia and was impressive as she dominated the 2015 Women’s Player of the Year after finishing first in all 5 tournaments she entered. Henderson took the top spot in the Northumberland, Oakfield and Amherst Field Days along with first place finish at the June Bug. The highlight was capturing her third NSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at Northumberland.

2015 MJT Junior Player of the Year

Ashburn’s Shaun Margeson and Ken-Wo’s Heather McLean claimed Player of the Year – powered by MJT title honours.

In addition to the Player of the Year, the NSGA presents awards to the junior player of the year in each of 9 Regional zones. The following golfers have been chosen as 2015 Zone Player of the Year:

Greatest Reduction in Handicap

Each year the NSGA recognizes the Greatest Reduction in Handicap Factor for the golf season for players throughout the province. Congratulations to the following individuals who achieved the Greatest Reduction in handicaps for male and female players in each of the Junior, Amateur and Senior divisions.

St Andrews, Scotland – Martin Slumbers will begin his tenure as Chief Executive of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews today.

Slumbers joined The R&A as Chief Executive Designate in March 2015, and succeeds Peter Dawson who retired  Friday 25 September after leading the organization for the past 16 years.

“I am delighted to take on the challenge of leading The R&A and serving such a historic Club,” said Slumbers.  “The organisation has been left in excellent health by my predecessor, Peter Dawson, and I look forward to building upon Peter’s success and working together with our committees and staff to ensure The R&A continues to play a leading role in golf’s global development.”

Born in Brighton and educated at Lancing College, Mr. Slumbers, 55, gained a BSc in Production Engineering and Economics from the University of Birmingham. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London before embarking on a career in investment banking. He spent 12 years working for Salomon Brothers International in London and Hong Kong, becoming Chief Financial Officer in Asia and then Europe.

In 1998, he joined Deutsche Bank and served in a number of senior executive roles. He was appointed Global Head of Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking Operations in 2006 and the following year as Global Head of Global Business Services.

He is a keen golfer and a member of Worplesdon Golf Club in Surrey where he plays to a handicap of two. He is married with two sons.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  – Canada’s Mary Ann Hayward shot a two-day total of 1-over 145 and earned medalist honors at the 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, being conducted at the 5,857-yard Hillwood Country Club.

Hayward, 55, carded four birdies and four bogeys during Sunday’s second round of stroke play for an even-par 72, following Saturday’s 1-over 73. This marks the second time Hayward has been the stroke-play medalist at a USGA championship, joining the 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

“I played a little better than yesterday. I don’t think I had a three-putt today, which is good,” said Hayward, who manages the sports development program for the Golf Association of Ontario. “The pins were tough today. You just had to pick your spots, and I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

Martha Leach, 53, of Hebron, Ky., finished solo second at 3-over 147. Leach, who carded a 1-over 73 on Saturday, played her first 13 holes at 1 over par. However, a string of three disappointing bogeys over her last five holes dropped her to a 2-over 74 for Sunday.

“I’m not thrilled about the way I finished,” said Leach, a realtor and part-time substitute teacher. “I think I need to go to the driving range and putt some. I like to be hitting the ball really well going (into match play) to get that confidence.”

Hayward and Leach are already USGA champions, with each having taken a U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title. Hayward won the 2005 Women’s Mid-Amateur at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Texas, while Leach captured the 2009 title at Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club in Florida.

Caryn Wilson, 54, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., earned the third seed at 5-over 149. Wilson, a former professional tennis player, survived what she termed a “roller-coaster” day that featured three birdies, three bogeys and one triple bogey en route to a 3-over 75.

“I just kind of checked out in the middle,” said Wilson, who reached the semifinals of the 2013 Senior Women’s Amateur. “I was feeling a little wonky today. I think I got out there and I hadn’t eaten much and I hacked around.”

Two-time U.S. Senior Amateur champion Ellen Port, 54, of St. Louis, Mo., recorded two birdies and three bogeys on Sunday for a two-day total of 6-over 150. Port, who has also four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles, tied for fourth with 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runner-up Laura Coble, 51, of Augusta, Ga.

Four players tied for sixth at 7-over 151, led by three-time Senior Women’s Amateur champion Diane Lang, 60, of Weston, Fla. She is joined by Lynne Cowan, 52, of Rocklin, Calif.; Leigh Klasse, 56, of Woodbury, Minn.; and Sue Wooster, 53, of Australia. Sherry Herman, the 2009 Senior Women’s Amateur champion, and Kim Eaton round out the top 10 at 8-over 152.

First-round leader Ginny Burkey, 60, of Eugene, Ore., followed Saturday’s even-par round with a difficult 9-over 81 on Sunday, a round that included six bogeys and one triple bogey. However, her two-day total of 9-over 153 earned her a tie for 12th and easily moved her into the match-play portion of the championship.

For the third consecutive year, the 36 holes of stroke play concluded with exactly 64 players advancing to the match-play bracket. No playoff was needed to determine any match-play berths.

Notables to miss the cut include 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Mary Budke, 61, of Palm Springs, Calif. (164), 1989 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Robin Donnelley, 62, of Palm Beach, Fla. (165) and 2011 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Terri Frohnmayer, 59, of Salem, Ore. (164).

The 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship is open to female amateur golfers who reached their 50th birthday on or before Sept. 26, 2015, and have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 18.4. It consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship is one of 13 national championship conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Tournament results can be found here.

As the temperatures cooled and fall was ushered in, Golf Canada’s championship season drew to a close with the conclusion of the World Junior Girls Championship. Team Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory and claimed both the team and individual titles at the second playing of the competition for the world’s best 18-and-under female golfers.

Hye-Jin Choi of Paju-si saved her best performance for last, posting 7 birdies in a bogey-free round to finish 7-under 65 for the lowest round of the tournament.

“Through the first three rounds I was focused on improving my putting, but today I sank a birdie on the first hole and with it, gained a boost of confidence for the round,” said the individual champion. “I felt better out there today than during any other round. I knew I could do it and at the same time, I trusted that my teammates would get it done, as well.”

The 16-year-old credited her competitors for challenging her across the course. “On the 14^th hole I made a birdie and followed it up with a difficult par on the 15^th.  At that point, I had a good feeling that I was going to be the individual winner. Up until then, I was still worried because my playing partners from Sweden and Denmark are great players and they could have made a charge and caught up.”

“Team competition is not very common in golf,” added Choi, whose squad was making its debut in the championship. “So when I get a chance to play as a team and represent my country, my focus is always on the team. When I saw their scores, I was so relieved and was then able to turn my attention to winning the individual title. I am so happy and proud of us.”

The remaining two members of the Korean contingent completed the competition tied for fourth at 1-under 287. Eun-Soo Jang of Chang Hyung shot a final-round of even-par 72 to count towards her team’s winning total of 22-under 554. The final member of the squad, Shin Hye Kim of Icheon, carded a 73.

“This is a really big win for us,” said head coach Sang-Won Ko, whose trio was the only team to all finish with under-par rounds. “Coming into the tournament, we never expected that we would win. Our top priority was to learn since the environment and course would be so different to us. I am so happy with the result. It is an added bonus to win because we learned so much during the week. I am really proud of all of my players.”

“Hye-Jin was crazy today!” said Ko, when asked about the World Junior Girls champion. “I have mentioned during the week that she struggled with her putting, but today it was simply amazing.”

Finishing second in the individual competition was Cecilie Bofill of Denmark. The native of Silkeborg began the day tied for third, but tallied five birdies en route to a 3-under 69. The 17-year-old moved to 5-under 286 in the competition to trade places in the standings with Filippa Moork of Sweden. The native of Karlstad was 2-over on the day and finished 2-under overall to claim sole possession of third.

Bofill’s performance coupled with Frederickshavn native Puk Lyng Thomsen’s 1-over 73 propelled Denmark into the runner-up position in the team competition at 4-under 572. Four strokes shy of second was Team Sweden which counted identical rounds of 2-over 74 from Moork and Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil to finish even-par 576.

Kathrine Chan led the Canadians in the field with a 3-over 75 performance. The native of Richmond, B.C., finished the championship at 15-over 303.

Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna echoed the sentiments of all those involved when asked to reflect on the competition. “In speaking with the players and coaches this past week, I think this event was a tremendous success. From the coaching summit and the skills clinic to an entertaining and exciting tournament – I truly believe this was a very positive experience for not only the golfing community in Ottawa, but also the development of junior girls’ golf on the international stage.”

Additional information on the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the tournament’s official website at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

Clear skies and brilliant sunshine provided an ideal backdrop for the second round of the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The team representing the Republic of Korea took full advantage of the ideal conditions to expand its lead atop the standings.

“I am very satisfied with both the scores and details of today’s performance,” said Korean coach Sang-Won Ko. “Yesterday the scores were fine, but the details weren’t where we wanted them to be. Today everything went well.”

Ko credited hard work and increased familiarity with the course for his team’s play. “The players are getting used to the course and are getting more comfortable playing it. Their putting was much better. We worked on it after yesterday’s round and it helped a lot today. To continue to lead, we just need to keep putting well.”

Leading the Korean side was Eun-Soo Jang who tallied six birdies en route to a 5-under 67. The 17-year-old, who has been battling a cold, is finally feeling more like herself. “Yesterday, I was struggling. Today, I got back to my game and gave myself more chances to make birdies. My wedge play was the strongest part of my game today. My shots from 80-yards-in were really good. I stuck many of them to within a foot or two on many of the holes.”

Cecilie Bofill of Silkeborg, Denmark ascended the leaderboard with five birdies, including three across a bogey-free back nine. The 17-year-old finished the first day of competition tied with 10 other players in fourth-place at even-par; her round of 68 has vaulted her into second.

The 18-hole leader – Hye-Jin Choi – followed her opening round of 2-under 70 with a 71. She carded two birdies on the day and despite sitting third in the competition, the 16-year-old’s tally will not count towards her team’s total on the day.

The Korean trio extended its lead from two to five strokes on the strength of performances from Jang and the team’s final member – Shin Hye Kim.  She collected four birdies on the front nine before a pair of bogeys saw the 18-year-old finish at 2-under 70. The team is now 9-under 279 through two rounds.

Led by Bofill, Team Denmark rose two spots to claim sole possession of second place. Puk Lyng Thomsen’s even-par round also counted towards her squad’s combined total of 4-under 285, while Line Toft Hansen’s 75 on the day completes the trio’s scores.

Team Sweden – comprised of Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil, Gothenburg’s Elin Esborn and Karlstad native Filippa Moork – holds third place at 1-under 287. Kinhult, who sits T5, posted a round of 1-under 71 to count alongside Moork’s 72. Esborn was 3-over 75 for the round.

Topping the Canadian contingent is Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C. The 15-year-old carded one birdie and completed the round at 2-over 74. The national team Development Squad member is T24 at 6-over for the competition.

Head Coach of Team Canada One, Ann Carroll, provided some insight on her squad’s second-round performance. “I think they tried a little too hard today. I think some of them got off to a not-so-great start and after that, they started to force things instead of letting things come to them. I tried my best to get them in the right frame of mind and back to where they could control things.”

Carroll remains positive on the experience as a whole. “I think playing in an international event like this excels their learning and gives them confidence that even though they may not have played their best, they still know they can play against other girls from around the world.”

The third round of the World Junior Girls Championship will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additional information regarding the tournament, including tee times and full results, can be found at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.