Goose Hummock Golf Course in Gibbons, Alta., will welcome many of Canada’s top junior golfers to compete in the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship. The tournament opens with a Monday practice round on July 6, followed by three rounds of stroke play competition from July 7-9.

The CN Future Links Western Championship is the fifth in a series of six junior events presented in partnership with CN, aimed at supporting the development of junior golf in Canada. Goose Hummock Golf Course, located just north of Edmonton, will test the competitors with its many interlocking ponds situated among a combination of Scottish and everglades architecture.

“We’ve seen several talented junior golfers this season. With the CN Future Links Championship series heading into its final stretch, the Western edition is shaping up to be yet another strong field,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Tournament Director. “Golf Canada is proud to host the championship at Goose Hummock Golf Course with over 75 players competing in their home province.”

Among the local players is Alexander Smith of Calgary, who was recently crowned the 2015 CN Future Links Prairie champion. Smith claimed a two-stroke victory at the event last month and will aim for a repeat performance.

On the Junior Girls’ side, Kenna Hughes – also a product of Calgary – will seek to improve upon her T3 finish at the 2014 CN Future Links Western Championship, contested at Birchbank Golf Club in Trail, B.C.

The 54-hole tournament will offer six exemptions into each of this season’s national junior championships. The 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be contested from August 2-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. The top six junior girls will earn entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., taking place August 3-7. The CN Future Links Junior Girls Western Champion will also gain an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choice.

The Atlantic Championship will wrap up the CN Future Links series for the 2015 season, July 13-16, at the Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B. The Quebec edition will be played this weekend, July 2-5, at Golf Château-Bromont in Bromont, Que.

The first event of the championship series saw National Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa) claim victory at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at Pheasant Gen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Winning on the second stop – the CN Future Links Ontario championship at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont., – were Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) Joining Alexander Smith in the winners’ circle of the CN Future Links Prairie championship at Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., was Team Canada’s Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C.

For more information on the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship, including a full list of competitors and pairings, please visit the tournament website.

This season marks the inaugural year in which the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions will be played as part of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.

Sawmill Creek Golf Resort & Spa in Camlachie, Ont., will host the event from August 25-28.

Traditionally, the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master tournaments were contested in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The move to bring the competitions to the Women’s Senior event was made to provide players with another opportunity to demonstrate their talents on the national stage. All female golfers 25-and-over will now be eligible to compete for the title of Mid-Amateur Champion, including those in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. Competitors over 40 will be able to play in the Mid-Master division.

A minimum of 25 Mid-Amateur competitors and 10 Mid-Master players will be accepted into the field, the remainder of the 156 player field will be comprised of senior competitors.

Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C., captured the 2014 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title at Craigowan Golf and Country Club, in Woodstock, Ont. The Mid-Master crown was awarded to Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que.

The 2014 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship was contested at Club de golf Milby in Sherbrooke, Que., where Chartrand secured the title with a thrilling playoff victory.

Additional details regarding the 2015 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior Championships are available here.

Register here to join the competition and measure your game against some of Canada’s best players.

With nearly 5.7 million Canadian golfers and 60 million golf rounds played annually, it’s no surprise golf is the number one participation sport in the country and the anchor for a newly launched initiative at GolfCanadaGolf.ca to herald the love of the game.

Earlier this spring, a collection of golf industry leaders gathered to create the Golf Canada Golf campaign to invite Canadians to share their stories and show their support for Canadian golf. This upcoming Canada Day holiday, golfers from all points far and wide in Canada are encouraged to add their nostalgic story about the great game of golf with a special incentive; the most compelling submissions have the chance to be profiled during the upcoming RBC Canadian Open.

“The Golf Canada Golf campaign welcomes Canadian golfers from all corners of Canada, walks of life and ages and stages to share their personal stories and special connections to the game,” shared Gavin Roth, Chief Commercial Officer with Golf Canada.

Since its spring launch, the campaign has logged more than 100 story profiles to www.golfcanadagolf.ca, more than 10,000 story views and over 1.75 million impressions through social media. Stories have been shared from regions across Canada and the hashtag #golfcanadagolf has been gaining momentum in the weeks since the campaign launched.

As part of the campaign to profile the game of golf, a custom website – www.golfcanadagolf.ca – was developed to feature a mix of stories, from professionally filmed feature segments to personal submissions by golfers with a unique story to share.

“We’re excited that Canadian celebrities, like former Toronto Maple Leaf Wendel Clark and Canada’s top-ranked player on the Women’s World Ranking Brooke Henderson have joined in to support the campaign, in addition to a number of feature stories that were filmed to launch the campaign,” added Roth. “Canadian LPGA Tour player Alena Sharp also shares her story – a tribute to the impact her dad had on her golfing career – as part of the campaign’s family focus.”

The site also features a social media hub that curates stories using the hashtag #golfcanadagolf as well as resources for golfers looking to find a course, connect with a PGA of Canada professional or learn more about junior golf programs in their community.

Sharing golf’s story means celebrating the health, social, economic, competitive and charitable benefits of the game in Canada. A snapshot of the Canadian golf landscape reveals an industry that is worth more than $14.3 billion annually to the Canadian economy, numbers that reinforce the massive financial, charitable, social, tourism and environmental impact golf has in communities across Canada.

In addition, Canadian golf facilities are a channel for major charitable giving with close to 37,000 events at Canadian courses helping to raise more than $533 million annually for worthwhile causes.

The Golf Canada Golf campaign was developed and executed in partnership with BrandFire Marketing Group, a full-service agency based in Toronto that in 2014 was named among Profit 500’s Fastest Growing Companies in Canada.

The campaign will extend throughout the 2015 season, inviting golfers and sport enthusiasts to share and celebrate the many stories that make the game of golf special in Canada.

From July 2-5, Golf Château-Bromont located in Bromont, Que., will welcome defending champions Kelvin Young Woong Lim and Alyssa Getty alongside a number of local juniors for the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship. A practice round will be held on June 2 before the opening round of the 54-hole stroke play competition commences the following day.

“Golf Canada is proud and excited to host the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship at Golf Château-Bromont,” said Justine Decock, Tournament Director. “The scenic views throughout the course and Mont Brome will serve as a fantastic backdrop for this competition.”

Getty won the 2014 edition of this championship at Club de golf Continental with a 5-over-221. The Ruthven, Ont., native has already claimed a victory in the 2015 CN Future Links Championship series, having taken the Ontario title at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont.

On the Junior Boys side, Lim of Thornhill, Ont., captured the 2014 title after a playoff and a strong 1-under-par 217 performance for the tournament. This season, he finished T22 at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship, highlighted by a low-round 3-under par 68 on the second day of competition.

Also in the field at Château-Bromont will be Annie Lacombe of Laval, Que., the reigning Quebec Junior Girls Champion, who will look to notch another win on home soil. She finished T6 at last year’s event at the Continental. Ayers Cliff, Que., product and CJGA Quebec Junior Open champion Brendan Smith and Brandon Lacasse of Châteauguay, Que., – currently No. 2 and No. 5 on the Quebec Junior Order of Merit, respectively – will be in the hunt to improve upon top-10 finishes at the 2014 edition of this event.

The 2015 season has been off to a strong start, with National Team Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) finishing at the top at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. The Ontario stop in the championship series saw Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) join the winners circle at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. At Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and National Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.) captured the Prairie Championship titles.

A total of six CN Future Links Championships are presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. These championships provide opportunities to junior golfers across Canada to develop their games in a safe and encouraging environment.

Two additional CN Future Links Championships remain to be played next month:

• July 6-9 – CN Future Links Western – Goose Hummock Golf Course, Gibbons, Alta.
• July 13-16 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Gowan Brae G& CC, Bathurst, N.B.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will receive direct entry into the field of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be contested at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6.

Similarly in the Junior Girls division, the CN Future Links Championships will award its top six finishers with exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, from August 3-7, at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. Additionally, the six CN Future Links Junior Girls champions will receive exemptions into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of their choosing.

Additional information on the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, including a full list of competitors and tee-times are available here.

KITCHENER, Ont. — Elmira, Ont.’s Garrett Rank held a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener. By the end of the day, Rank remained at the top of the leaderboard and claimed his first Ontario Men’s Mid Amateur title.

The 27-year-old former Team Canada member finished the final round 3-under (70) to bring his tournament total to seven-under (74-68-70-212). Despite finding trouble during the round, Rank was able to hit recovery after recovery to win. Last year, Rank won the Canadian Mid-Amateur but said following it up with the provincial title was still a great feeling.

“It feels good! Any time you can win a tournament and put yourself in a winning position it feels really good,” said Rank.

Rank went on to talk about how the weather earlier in the week didn’t affect his overall tournament.

“I almost blew away on Tuesday, it was that windy! I just knew that everyone had to play in it and I just played my way through it. I knew if I could keep my score around par I would be near the lead. In the second and third rounds I made some key putts. I didn’t make everything but I was really solid. I took advantage of my good iron shots and made birdies and some good par saves.”

Despite some tough shots during his final round, Rank was able to recover well, something that he said helped him win.

“There were a few times today where there could have been some big swings but I managed to save a couple bogeys. I just tried to keep the momentum moving in the right direction and eventually made some late birdies.”

For Rank, he will now turn his attention to representing Canada at the PanAm Games, July 16-19 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, and the RBC Canadian Open, July 23-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville.

Earning the silver medal was Toronto’s Kevin Fawcett. The Toronto Golf Club member shot an even-par final round (73) to finish the tournament at two-under (71-73-73-217).

Picking up the bronze medal was New Hamburg’s Josh Hunke. Hunke, from Deer Ridge Golf Club, also ended the day at even par bringing his three-day total to one-under (72-73-73-218).

Rank, Fawcett and Hunke were all named as the members of Team Ontario for the inter-provincial competition at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur, Aug. 25-28 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.

Capturing the Mid-Masters (40+) trophy was Woodstock’s Drew Symons. Symons, the 2012 Mid-Amateur Champion and Craigowan Golf & Country Club member, ended the day one-under (72) and finished in a tie for fourth overall at even for the tournament (73-74-72-219).

For full tournament information and the final leaderboard click here.

The top 41 finishers in the event earned entry into the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

DRUMMONDVILLE, Q.C. – CN and Golf Canada announced the continuation of the CN Future Links Community Tour on Friday with a visit to the city of Drummondville during its 200^th anniversary as part of CN’s dedication to junior golf and the community.

“Golf is an excellent sport for our young students to get involved with and we are thrilled to have CN engage with our community through the CN Future Links program,” said Johanne Marceau, General Director of the Corporation des fêtes du 200e de Drummondville. “We are extremely excited for our 200^th anniversary and are thankful to have CN share in the celebration through the Community Tour.”

Close to 50 students from Frédéric-Tétreau Elementary celebrated with a CN Future Links Field Trip event at the Drummondville Golf & Curling Club in honour of CN’s recent adoption of 15 local schools in the Drummondville region. Students received lessons in safety, putting, driving and chipping from Head PGA of Canada Professional, Claude Gamache.

As part of CN’s focus towards safety, each of the schools adopted into the Golf in Schools program (valued at $475) will receive an all-encompassing rail safety demonstration from CN’s partner, Operation Lifesaver, a national organization dedicated to keeping Canadian kids and the public safe around all rail tracks.

The celebration at Drummondville Golf & Curling Club marks over 150 schools adopted through CN’s school adoption program since 2013, reinforcing their vision of helping communities share in the health and safety values associated with junior golf. The Drummondville region was the second of three communities visited in 2015 by the CN Future Links Community Tour, a nation-wide event that brings the values of junior golf to regions across Canada—Kamloops, B.C. was the first stop earlier this month.

“Junior golf has provided us a valuable platform to make a significant impact in key communities like Drummondville that are along CN’s network,” said Claude Mongeau, CN President and Chief Executive Officer. “CN is pleased to be part of Drummondville`s  200^th anniversary festivities and to take an active role in helping Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada share the values of golf across the country.”

As a follow up to Friday’s school adoption, the CN Future Links Community Tour is gearing up to unfold from June 27–28 in the heart of Drummondville at 150 Rue Brock (parking lot 3), engaging community youth and attendees in various golf activities in addition to rail safety tips from CN Police.

“CN continues to move the needle in terms of initiating creative ways to expose golf to Canada’s youth,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The Community Tour is a very exciting national initiative for introducing golf in fun, community-based festival environments across the country—an engaging method of taking the sport directly to youth.”

Current CN Future Links programming includes the Learn to Play program as well as mobile clinics, PGA Jr. League, Girls Club, Field Trip and the CN Future Links Championships. As part of its investment in Canadian junior golf, CN is also a proud supporter of Golf in Schools.

In 2014, CN Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 455 golf facilities with more than 7,000 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 160 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge running more than 3,200 juniors through qualifying events. More than 56,000 youngsters participated in more than 1,200 mobile golf clinics across the country. Since 2006, more than 1.2 million children have been introduced to golf through the CN Future Links program.

Team Canada’s impressive run at the leaders fell short in Friday’s final as the Canucks struggled with a combined round of 214 (+1) to finish sixth at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.

Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., was the only Canadian to shoot under-par in the final round at Chukyo Golf Club’s Ishino Course, shooting a 67 (-4) for his best score of the tournament. The University of Houston commit finished T10 individually as the lowest Canadian along with Étienne Papineau.

Papineau, 18, ran out of steam on Friday with a 2-over 73—his highest score of the tournament. Individually, the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu native finished at 4-under (70-69-68-73) alongside Gil.

Trevor Ranton of Waterloo, Ont., finished T21 at even-par (72-71-67-74) while A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Alta., came in at T35 (70-75-69-76).

Collectively, the Canadian quartet finished at 10-under par, two strokes behind fifth place Norway (-12) and three back of the United States (-13). The Koreans captured the bronze medal at 14-under, while the Swedes took home silver a good seven strokes ahead at 21-under.

The gold medal went to host nation Japan, who ran away with a score of 25-under—thanks in part to their tournament-best final round of 200 (-13). Japan’s Ren Okazaki won medalist honours, finishing at 13-under (67-68-71-65).

Click here for team scoring

Click here for individual scoring

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru will hold its 12^th annual National Event at Richmond Hill Golf Club, in Richmond Hill, Ont., on September 29. Over 120 golfers are slated to participate in the 18-hole charity event held in celebration of another successful year in promoting and raising funds for the fight against breast cancer.

This past Sunday’s National Cancer Survivors Day – observed on the first Sunday of June – offers those with a history of cancer with the opportunity to share their journeys and celebrate their triumphs. Events such as the Golf Fore the Cure National Event aim to further promote awareness and fund initiatives to assist in the search for a cure against cancer.

“We are honoured to host this year’s Golf Fore the Cure National Event, and to be part of the tournament’s ongoing success,” said Donna Norman, Assistant Professional at Richmond Hill Golf Club. “The passion of everyone involved with organizing the tournament is so impressive; and the participants, by playing the game they love, are helping make a positive difference in providing hope in the lives of women faced with the challenge of living with cancer.”

Golf Fore the Cure encourages women of all skill levels to participate in fun-filled golf events to raise funds for breast cancer research and to support those whose lives have been affected by the disease. Every year, thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer. The Golf Fore the Cure initiative has raised over $5.1 million; this year’s nationwide fundraising goal has been set at $500,000. The proceeds from 2015 will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

“We are delighted to team up with Richmond Hill Golf Club in support of such a worthy and important cause,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “Breast cancer has impacted the lives of so many women and families across Canada. On behalf of the Canadian golf community, we are proud to contribute to the awareness and fundraising efforts of breast cancer research through the game we love.”

The National Event celebrates the many contributions of the dedicated volunteers, host golf courses, and generous communities that host Golf Fore the Cure “pink-out” events across the nation during the golf season. Foursomes from the top three fundraising events will be honoured at the National event.

For the fourth year, Evanka Osmak, Broadcaster for Rogers Sportsnet, will be in attendance at the National Event to continue her role as an ambassador for the tournament.

In addition to the goal of ending breast cancer in our lifetime, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru aims to encourage women’s participation in the sport. Golf Canada developed the friendly competition as a platform for members of the golf community to come together and rally around a worthy cause through the sport of golf.

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. As a dedicated contributor to Golf Fore the Cure events, the “Subaru Safest Drive” competition will be held at each site with Subaru providing prizes for participants.

Registration is open to the public; additional information can be found here.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Team Canada rebounded in strong fashion on Thursday, dealing a low-round 204 (-9) to climb into a tie for fourth place at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

The Canadian foursome was led by Waterloo, Ont., product Trevor Ranton. The towering Indiana University commit carded a 4-under 67 at Chukyo Golf Club’s Ishino Course—his previous best score was an even-par 71.

Next in line was St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué. native, Étienne Papineau. The 18-year-old remained consistent in the tournament, posting a 3-under 68 to sit in a tie for fourth as Canada’s lowest individual scorer at 6-under overall (70-69-68).

The third and final score posted by the Canucks came from matching rounds of 69 from Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. and A.J. Armstrong of St. Albert, Alta. (team’s lowest three scores count towards daily total).

The Swedes hold the outright lead at 16-under for the tournament, four strokes ahead of host Japan (-12) and defending champion Norway (-12). Heading into Friday’s final round, the Canadian quartet is deadlocked with the Koreans at 11-under.

Team Canada is paired up in Friday’s final with the Koreans and Americans in the earliest tee-time slot at 8:00 am JST.

Click here for team scoring

Click here for individual scoring

Any trace of inclement weather from the previous day was erased with clear skies and beaming sunshine as the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario concluded at Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club in Smiths Falls, Ont. The 36-hole competition finished with a pair of Team Canada members emerging victorious – Young Pro Squad member Rebecca Lee-Bentham claimed the title while Jennifer Ha earned low amateur honours.

Lee-Bentham opened the day in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard. The National Team Young Pro Squad member distanced herself from the pack and secured the victory by shooting the low round of the day – a 2-under 69. “I went out with a really relaxed mindset which helped me to concentrate on each shot more and not worry about results. I think that’s what helped me today,” said the Toronto native when asked about her combined 2-under 140 performance.

With the victory, Lee-Bentham not only takes the $10,000 winner’s share of the tournament’s $60,000 purse, she has also secured an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be played August 17-23 at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. “It’s good knowing that I secured the spot. The CP Women’s Open is probably my favourite stop on tour, so just to have the opportunity to play in it again this year is a blessing,” reflected the Team Canada member.

Lee-Bentham’s Young Pro Squad teammate Brooke Henderson returned to her home course and finished one shot shy of the winner. The 17-year-old registered a bogey on her first hole, but finished the round without another to go with two birdies. The two Young Pro Squad members’ under-par rounds were the only ones of the tournament.

Brittany Henderson, the elder of the two Henderson sisters, finished in a five-way tie for third place. The rookie on the Symetra Tour carded a second-round 73 and completed the competition at 4-over 146.

Joining Brittany Henderson for a share of third was National Team Amateur Squad member Jennifer Ha. The Calgary native was one of four players to notch back-to-back 73s; the only difference is that the Ha was the lone amateur to do so. “It was an up and down sort of day,” said Ha of her round. “I hit the ball well and overall, I’m pretty happy with the way I played. Winning low amateur has made this event extra special.”

Ha sees the honour as a stepping stone as she heads into an important summer. “It gives me a lot of confidence going into the season. It’s going to be a big year for me as I get ready to become a professional. It gives me a boost knowing that I can finish high at a professional event. Hopefully this trend continues and I can build upon the success I found here.”

For a second day in a row, the Canadian National Team contingent fared well. Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished in a four-way tie for eighth with a score of 5-over. Thornhill, Ont., native Elizabeth Tong equaled her first-day 74 for a share of 12^th place while London, Ont., product Maddie Szeryk was T14 at 7-over. Of the 23 amateurs in the field, the four National Team Amateur Squad members finished at the top.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham joins Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., as the winners of the first two legs on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour. The Tour’s third and final stop, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, will be contested July 20-22 at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont. In addition to the exemptions awarded to the Tour champions, the top two competitors on the Jocelyne Bourassa Order of Merit, who are not otherwise exempt will join the trio at Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship, provided they have played in at least two of the three Tour events.

The five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will also be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

Additional Information on Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario can be found here.