The Golf Canada Foundation is offering golfers a unique fundraising mini-tournament experience with the launch of the first ever ‘Play Like the Pros’ Charity Challenge.

Between May 25^th and July 20^th, participants will have the opportunity to book a limited number of tee times at nine of Ontario’s most prestigious golf courses by pledging support for junior golf through the Golf Canada Foundation.

The top-five fundraising foursomes as well as the winning team from each ‘Play Like the Pros’ Charity Challenge event will win an ultimate prize package to play Glen Abbey Golf on July 27^th – the day after the conclusion of the 2015 RBC Canadian Open – including the same tees, pin positions and tournament conditions faced by PGA TOUR players competing in Canada’s National Open Golf Championship.

Individual golfers or foursomes can secure their spot online at www.playliketheprosgolf.com by selecting their preferred course, date and paying the registration fee ($100/player or $400 per foursome). Each foursome agrees to pledge or fundraise a minimum of $400 per golfer ($1,600 per foursome) to participate in the ‘Play Like the Pros’ Charity Challenge.

“It’s a unique opportunity for golfers to secure a once in a lifetime golf experience at some of the Canada’s most prestigious golf courses and fundraising their way to Glen Abbey to play under PGA TOUR tournament conditions,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “I can’t say enough to thank the participating golf courses and their members for generously supporting junior golf through this unique fundraiser.”

Space is limited as each of the nine participating golf courses will offer up to five foursomes at each event. Foursomes that hit fundraising targets of $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000+ per team will also receive additional prize packages courtesy of TaylorMade.

The Golf Canada Foundation is pleased to have the following golf courses participating in the ‘Play Like the Pros’ Charity Challenge:

Tournament play will be 4-person team Stableford format with handicap allowance of 75%. Scoring will assign Stableford points to the net score, and combine for team total. The winning team from each event will be invited to play Glen Abbey on Monday July 27^th. All participating players must have an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor.

The 2015 RBC Canadian Open will run July 20-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

For more information or to register a foursome in the ‘Play Like the Pros’ Charity Challenge visit www.playliketheprosgolf.com.

“You sometimes knock yourself on the head and ask, ‘Why didn’t we think of this earlier?'”

Jeff Thompson is seated by an electric fireplace near the entrance of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, reflecting upon the genesis and subsequent success of the National Golf in Schools program.  It’s a crisp, cloudless February afternoon, but Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer finds himself inching away from the heat being thrown off next to him.

Of course, if Thompson is feeling a little warm and fuzzy at the moment, he has every right.  The National Golf in Schools (NGIS) program- launched at the elementary school level in May 2009, for Grades 9-12 in 2012, and then bridging the gap with Grades 7-8 beginning in May-has been embraced by almost 2,600 schools nationwide, exposing more than 306,000 children to the sport annually.  That number is steadily growing with the addition of 300 to 400 schools per year.

The potential is staggering, with nearly 6.5 million students enrolled at 10,000 elementary and 4,500 high schools, but there is cause for concern.  Physical education classes across the land are gradually diminishing due to budget restrictions-this despite the fact that the 2014 Active Healthy Kids Canada report indicated that a mere seven per cent of Canadian kids aged five to 11 are active enough to meet Canada’s basic daily physical-activity guidelines-and despite the fact that a mountain of scientific research screams the physiological, sociological and scholastic benefits of athletic participation in school.  Among the more recent studies was a University of Illinois report released last August that linked physical exercise with stronger brain activity in children.  Findings published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience indicated that aerobically fit 9- and 10-year-olds have denser regions of ‘white matter’ in their brains, enhancing their ability to pay attention, reason and retain memories.

Consequently, anything that helps gym class remain a staple of the curriculum is invaluable, and Golf Canada did its homework in preparing NGIS.

“It was in 2006, during the time when we were developing the Long-Term Player Development guide,” Thompson recalls.  “Part of the process was looking at gaps in our sport, and one of the things that came up was the absence of golf in our school curriculum.  There were some ad hoc situations, where teachers who played golf had introduced it to the school, but there was nothing developed to be delivered by teachers.”

Extensive research included the First Tee program, which had just been launched in the U. S. “At that time, they were using golf pros to go into schools to instruct it, or teachers who had to participate in multi-day training to deliver the program,” says Thompson.  “We really felt there were teachers delivering all sorts of other sports in schools without specific training, so how was golf that much different?

“When we talked to Physical Health Education Canada, they noted what schools and teachers are concerned with is delivering learning outcomes for specific grades. For example, they won’t allow any program for Grade 3 unless it delivers on balancing, striking skills and coordination.  We built our curriculum based on those requirements.  The object was not to develop competitive golfers, but to get kids exposed to the game so that they might go home to their parents and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing golf at school this week and I really like it.  I want to go to the range.'”

SPORTING PIONEERS

Golf Canada was a trailblazer in this regard, says Chris Jones, Executive Director and CEO of Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) in Ottawa, which develops physical and health education programs and resources for Canadian teachers.  “The national sport organizations have increasingly come to us in the way golf did, seeing it as a way to expose kids to their sport-that if you adapt it correctly and make it relevant and straightforward to implement, the kids can develop an awareness of the sport and perhaps move over to a complementary program, such as CN Future Links in the case of golf.”

As with all such proposals, the NGIS program had to meet stringent criteria in order for PHE Canada’s board to grant its approval.  It had to be pedagogically sound, user-friendly, comprehensive and relevant.  And for Golf Canada, they are looking for a relationship to Sport Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development model, which identifies specific training to be addressed at different stages of a youth’s development.

While many see golf as a relatively static sport, the design of NGIS lessons keeps kids on the move-indoors or out-with multiple stations, complementary activities (such as Frisbee throwing to help teach youngsters how to align to a target), as well as warm-up drills and stretching exercises targeting the golf-specific task that day.

Provincial golf associations also play a key role in enhancing the program by off ering a variety of Golf in School “activations,” such as sending golf pros to the schools and inviting classes to golf facilities.

“Three criteria that were also instrumental in our choice to accept Golf in Schools were that we saw it was a sport you can play for life, that it has a fitness dimension in walking the course, and that there’s the social dimension,” says Jones.  “These are the kinds of things we try to promote in our current programs.  We want kids to have fun, to socialize and to learn some athletic and motor and movement skills aspect of etiquette that golf includes is just an added benefit.”

That latter element is being harnessed as a school recruitment tool.  “We just partnered with the University of Ottawa to develop a life-skills, core-values component that will be integrated into Golf in Schools beginning this May, including the idea of sportsmanship, honesty, integrity and perseverance,” says Thompson.  “For the schools that ask, ‘Why is this better than teaching them basketball?’  We will have this research to sell them on it.  I think that will be a game-changer.”

P.E.I. Provincial Golf Coach Dallas Desjardins is among the PGA Of Canada members already on the front lines. “A lot of our discussions when we go into schools are about the values that golf instills,” he says. “I don’t market is as ‘Come play golf.’  I market it as ‘Get your kid involved in golf so that they’re building relationships and are exposed to a social network and not stuck at a computer.'”

How well has the program been received?  “The average time period that golf is being delivered in a school is 3.4 weeks, which is above the norm of typical sports in the curriculum,” Thompson observes.  “And 100 per cent of teachers surveyed found their students were responsive to the NGIS program, with 95 per cent noting the program was easy to implement.”

Why isn’t everyone jumping on board?  Financial restraints, for many, although the cost is reasonable: $475 for the resource manual and 177-piece elementary school set, which includes hard plastic clubs and foam balls, and $795 for the high school kit, which includes real clubs.

Golf Canada’s Adopt a School program enables golf facilities, companies or individuals to sponsor the NGIS program at a local school while getting a tax receipt in return.  “Of the schools we get each year, about 60 per cent are adoptions,” says Thompson.

Additional support will help foster the program’s penetration into the Canadian school system, which will lay the groundwork for future golfers.  At a societal level, it will help keep young bodies active, but, unlike any other sport in Canadian physical education, it may also be intrinsically suited to shape minds for the better.

BANDON, Ore. – Mika Liu and Rinko Mitsunaga won the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball title Wednesday at Bandon Dunes, beating fellow teens Hannah O’Sullivan and Robynn Ree 4 and 3.

The 16-year-old Liu, from Beverly Hills, California, and 18-year-old Mitsunaga, from Roswell, Georgia, were 8 under for 15 holes on the Pacific Dunes course. Liu had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the front nine, and Mitsunaga holed out from 88 yards for eagle on the par-5 12th.

“My putting was so hot today,” Liu said. “I feel like I pretty much made everything, so I was very happy with that.”

Liu and Mitsunaga won Nos. 6, 7 and 8 with Liu’s birdies to open a 3-up lead, Mitsunaga made it 4 up with her eagle on No. 12 and they halved the next three holes with pars to end the match.

“It really has not hit me,” Mitsunaga said. “Right now, we’re just happy to be here. We’re so thankful for the golf course and all the volunteers for having us this week. It’s been a long, tough week.”

O’Sullivan and Ree won the opening hole with a birdie, Liu and Mitsunaga tied it with a birdie on the second and they halved the par-5 third and fourth holes with birdies.

“(Ree’s birdie) actually gave me a really fast reminder that I had to be focused on every shot and work hard to win it,” Liu said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win it or not, but I was going to give it my best try, and I was going to just go for it.”

Liu and Mitsunaga attend IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Liu plans to play at Stanford, and Mitsunaga is headed to Georgia.

The 17-year-old O’Sullivan is from Chandler, Arizona, and the 18-year-old Ree is from Redondo Beach, California. They plan to play at Southern California.

“Everything happens for a reason,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ve just got to keep our heads up and take the positives from it – learn from it, bring it into our next events and use it as motivation to do better next time we compete.”

O’Sullivan won the Symetra Tour’s Gateway Classic in February in Mesa, Arizona, at 16 to become the youngest winner in the history of the professional circuit.

Ree and O’Sullivan were 4 under.

“We were happy with how we were playing,” Ree said. “We just wish a couple of putts dropped.”

In the morning semifinals, Liu and Mitsunaga beat Alyaa Abdulghany of Newport Beach, California, and Ellen Takada of Irvine, California, 3 and 2, and O’Sullivan and Ree topped Madelein Herr of New Hope, Pennsylvania, and Brynn Walker of St. Davids, Pennsylvania, 3 and 2.

The 2015 CN Future Links Ontario Championship will welcome the talents of Canada’s elite junior golfers to Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester, Ont., from May 21-24. Following a practice round on May 21, the athletes will compete over the course of three days in a 54-hole stroke play tournament.

The CN Future Links Ontario Championship is part of a series of six junior competitions played across the country in partnership with CN. Pine Knot Golf and Country Club – located outside of London, Ont. – features a number of narrow fairways and several water hazards that offer a unique and challenging playing experience to competitors.

“Golf Canada is looking forward to hosting the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Pine Knot Golf and Country Club. Pine Knot is an ambitious and scenic track that will serve as an excellent opportunity for the athletes to test their games early in the season,” said Justine Decock, Tournament Director for the competition.

Sun Kim from L’Île-Perrot, Que., will be in the field of 70 to defend his CN Future Links Ontario title. He won last year’s edition of this event at The Rock Golf Club in Minett, Ont., by shooting a combined 1-under 212 with rounds of 69, 73, and 70.

Returning in an attempt to improve upon her second-place finish in 2014 will be Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. Last year, Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) edged out Costabile in a playoff to be crowned CN Future Links Ontario champion.

The first CN Future Links Championship of the season was played from May 8-10 at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., with two Team Canada Development Squad members emerging victorious. Trevor Ranton led wire-to-wire to capture the Junior Boys division while Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) claimed the Junior Girls Pacific title. The pair – who will be looking to build upon their strong starts to the season – will be joined at Pine Knot by fellow Development Squad members Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) and Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.).

The CN Future Links Championships are conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with CN as part of their commitment to the growth and development of the sport at the junior level.

Four additional CN Future Links Championships will be played coast to coast throughout the summer:

• June 11-14 – CN Future Links Prairie – Cooke Municipal Golf Course, Prince Albert, Sask.
• July 2-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Domaine Château-Bromont, Bromont, Que.
• 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.

Each of the six CN Future Links Championships will reward its top six junior boys with exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be hosted by Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6. Similarly, the top six finishers on the junior girls side in each of the CN Future Links Championships will earn a spot in the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. These 36 exempt players will have the right to compete in the field at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 3-7.

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

The first event of Golf Canada’s competitive season concluded in the same way it unfolded – with a pair of Team Canada Development Squad members atop the leaderboards as Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain claimed victory at the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship.

No one could dethrone Trevor Ranton’s reign over the Junior Boys division. After opening with a course record of 7-under 65 and following with a second round of 3-under, the Waterloo, Ont., native carded a final round of 2-under 70 to complete the wire-to-wire win. When asked about his play over the past three days, Ranton credited his quick start as a key to his success. “I was pretty happy with (my performance). Right from the start, I was playing well. I started the tournament off with two straight birdies, so I felt comfortable on the course. I was hitting a lot of good shots and making a lot of putts.”

The first year Development Squad member will now set his sights upon the CN Future Links Ontario title – a competition in which he finished T2 in 2014. “If I can keep my putter hot like this week, I’m sure I’ll have a good chance again.”

Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished runner up with a bogey-free final round of 3-under. Tony Gil – a member of the national team Development Squad – opened the back nine with four straight birdies to claim third place. Development Squad members Étienne Papineau and A.J. Armstrong took fourth and sixth place respectively, while teammate Patrick Murphy completed the tournament T18. A.J. Ewart finished in sole possession of fifth.

Grace St-Germain birdied the second playoff hole to win the Junior Girls title in exciting fashion. The extra session was only necessary after fellow Development Squad member Michelle Kim notched a pair of birdies in her final three holes to move to 2-over par and force the playoff. “I hit a pretty nice drive. After hers went in the water, I tried to stay calm and play it smart. It was a lot of fun,” said St-Germain of the second extra hole.

“I’ll try to play as well as I played this week for the rest of the summer and try to take what I did well here and incorporate it into the rest of the tournaments,” added St-Germain when asked about her outlook for the season ahead.

Tiffany Kong and Euna Han finished in a tie for third place at 2-over 220. Development Squad member Alisha Lau completed the tournament in sixth place while teammate Naomi Ko tied for the best Junior Girls round of the day at even par to climb into a tie for seventh.

The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships was the first of six junior-aged tournaments presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. The CN Future Links Ontario Championship – the next in the series – will be contested at Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. from May 22-24.

The top six Junior Boys from each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be held from August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. The top six finishers on the Junior Girls side in each CN Future Links Championship will earn the right to join their peers at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. will host the tournament from August 4-7.

Complete results from the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship are available here.

The sun continued to shine at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. for second round action at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. For the second day in a row, a pair of Team Canada Development Squad members holds the lead with Grace St-Germain and Trevor Ranton alone atop their respective leaderboards.

After beginning the day in a four-way tie for third, St-Germain claimed sole possession of first on the strength of seven birdies, highlighted by a string of four straight on holes seven to 10. The Development Squad member’s second round of 1-under 71 has her at even par for the competition, two strokes clear of Euna Han, Janet Zhang and fellow Team Canada member Michelle Kim. Alisha Lau remains within striking distance, tied for fifth with Tiffany Kong at 4-over. Naomi Ko rounds out the Squad’s contingent at T17.

Ranton, who is in his first year as a member of the national Development Squad, was unable to match his first round course record of 7-under 65, but he still managed to build upon his lead. The Waterloo, Ont., native shot 3-under and now holds a six-shot advantage. A.J. Ewart, Khan Lee and Henry Lee are currently locked in a fierce battle for second place at 4-under 140, after tallying eight, seven and six second-round birdies, respectively.

Development Squad member Étienne Papineau sits just outside this group in a tie for fifth with Diego San Pedro at 2-under. The remaining national team junior boys are all positioned in the top-10; Patrick Murphy is T7, while A.J. Armstrong and Tony Gil hold shares of tenth place.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division will earn entry into this summer’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The tournament is set to be played August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. Likewise, the top six Junior Girls will gain exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. from August 4-7.

The third and final day of competition will begin at 7:30 a.m. PT with the final group teeing off at 12:50 p.m. At the end of the day, two junior athletes will be crowned this season’s first CN Future Links champions.

For additional information and full second round results, please visit the tournament website.

The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships began today on the sun-soaked links of Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton and Alisha Lau took advantage of the ideal course conditions to top the leaderboards of the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions, respectively.

Ranton, a Waterloo, Ont., native, potted nine birdies en route to a 7-under 65 performance to lead the field of 72. The Team Canada Development Squad member sits four strokes clear of Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C., who was only one of five junior boys to notch an eagle on the day. Rounding out the top three at 2-under was Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C.

Team Canada`s Development Squad fared well on the first day of the tournament. A.J. Armstrong is in a four-way tie for fourth after a round of 1-under par. Squad members Patrick Murphy and Étienne Papineau carded even-par 72s for shares of eighth, while Tony Gil began the tournament at 2-over.

A pair of Richmond, B.C. products are atop the standings on the Junior Girls side of the competition. Development Squad member Alisha Lau tallied three birdies on the back nine to finish 1-under 71 to match Janet Zhang`s opening round. As part of a four-way tie for third with Mary Parsons and Esther Subin Lee are national team Development Squad members Grace St-Germain and Michelle Kim. Naomi Ko, the final Team Canada member in the competition, finished the round at T20.

The CN Future Links Pacific Junior Boys champion and those placing second to sixth will earn entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be played August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. Their six Junior Girls counterparts – the winner and the first to fifth runners-up – will gain exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship; Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. will play host to the tournament from August 4-7.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls tee-off at 7:30 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 11:30 a.m. Additional information and complete opening round results can be found here.

The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) held it’s annual Ontario Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Wooden Sticks Golf Course in Uxbridge, Ont. Bob Breen, Doug Carrick, Edie Creed and Bill Kerr were inducted as the class of 2015, while Garry McKay was the recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

GAO president Chris Osborne began the evening by introducing the great class of 2015. “When I joined the GAO, I was told I could play lots of golf and meet many cool people. I haven’t seen much of the golf, but I have met many great people and that echoes here tonight. What I like most about golf is it is enjoyed by great people. On behalf of our board, staff, volunteers and Hall of Fame Committee thank you all for coming out and let’s induct this great class.”

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award to McKay. McKay, who has covered golf for more than 40 years, has written for a number of news publications, golf magazines and hosted golf radio programming. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the past-president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

“I want to congratulate all of the inductees, they have all had amazing careers,” said McKay. “There are so many people I want to thank, but I really need to thank all of the people in this room because all golfers have great stories and I wouldn’t have had a great career if I couldn’t tell your stories.”

Bob Breen excelled at golf capturing the Ontario PGA Hunt Trophy as a junior, a feat he would go on to do again three times as a senior. He turned pro in 1960 and went on to have tremendous success. He captured 15 victories on the Ontario PGA Tour and another three on the Canadian Tour. Breen also participated in the Canadian Open on 10 occasions, played on the American Tour, where he won the Bahamas International, the Florida tour, where he was a four-time winner, the South American Tour and events on the PGA Tour.

Accepting on behalf of Breen, who passed away in August of 2014, was his son Blair Breen who was visibly emotional about the honour his father was given. “I’m sure that back in the 1950s, when my dad started playing golf he would have never imagined this moment, being inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. It is a true honour for him and his legacy to Ontario golf.”

Doug Carrick entered the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category. A renowned course designer, Carrick has designed 25 courses in Canada and another four internationally. In addition, he has been involved in the renovations of 45 courses. His courses have earned him numerous awards and have hosted multiple professional events.

“I was traveling in Austria when I received a call from GAO Executive Director Steve Carroll telling me I was to be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and I can tell you I was completely stunned.” said Carrick. “I’d like to thank all of my clients over the years for putting their trust in me to design and remodel their golf courses.”

Edie Creed had tremendous success as an amateur golfer as a member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Her list of accomplishments is long and includes being a 37-time Club Champion at Oakdale. Creed also won the York District Championship in 1982. It was as a senior competitor where Creed made her mark on the game. She captured the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship three times (1979, 1981 and 1982). She also added five Ontario Senior Women’s Championships (1978, 1981-83 and 1986).

Creed talked about her inspiration in golf, her husband Eddie. “I’m honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I got started in golf all because of my husband Eddie. He always encouraged me to practice and I listened to his advice. While I don’t play golf anymore, my memories are as sharp as the tee, my friendships as long as the fairway. This induction is my eagle.”

Bill Kerr captured the 1945 CPGA Championship, a feat he would go on to replicate in 1960. He also won two Miller Trophy Match Play Championships in 1944 and 1945, another feat he would duplicate while in Quebec in 1947 and 1950.  Throughout his career, Kerr played in six Canadian Opens and the 1961 Masters Championship. He was a five-time winner on the Quebec PGA Tour, the 1956 Bermuda Goodwill Champion, and the 1963 and 1964 CPGA Senior Champion. In addition to his contributions to the game as a head and touring professional, Kerr also served as a two-time President of the Quebec Golf Association and President of the CPGA from 1955-1958.

Accepting on his behalf were Rob Kerr and Bill Kerr III. “Our family is honoured to accept this great award for my father,” said Rob. “He had the chance to play with many great players and also the opportunity to teach many people about the game of golf and he really enjoyed that. It is difficult to have a professional career while running a golf course but he was a determined individual and was able to have a pretty decent career.”

With that the 2015 class entered the hall capping off an excellent Hall of Fame Day celebration.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas golfers Taylor Moore and Nicolas Echavarria have been suspended indefinitely from competition following their arrests for allegedly taking sexually explicit photos of an intoxicated woman.

Moore and Echavarria were arrested by Fayetteville police Wednesday and charged with felony video voyeurism.

According to a preliminary police report, the woman said she went to Moore’s house on April 11 to sleep following a night of drinking. She recalled seeing flashes of light and suspected Moore had taken pictures of her.

Police seized Moore’s and Echavarria’s phones, discovering a sexually explicit photo Moore allegedly took on Echavarria’s phone. Moore, 21, is a junior from Edmond, Oklahoma, while Echavarria, 20, is a junior from Medellin, Colombia.

The Razorbacks finished sixth in the Southeastern Conference tournament and are set to complete in the NCAA men’s golf regionals next week in New Haven, Connecticut. Moore leads the team with an average of 71.8 strokes per round this season, finishing second at the SunTrust Gator Invitational.

The university said Thursday it was aware of the arrests and that Moore and Echavarria have been suspended indefinitely.

Both posted $2,500 bond and had were given court dates of June 1.

The incident first came to the attention of police when the victim contacted them on April 18. She told police she met Moore and Echavarria, who she knew previously, while out on the city’s popular Dickson Street on April 11, and after determining she was unable to drive that she planned to sleep at Moore’s house and be taken home the next morning.

While slipping in and out of consciousness, the women said she recalled seeing the flash of light – prompting her to later contact police.

Moore and Echavarria initially denied that any photos of the victim had been taken before later recanting, police said in the report. The report also says the two admitted taking three pictures, two of which had been deleted, and that the victim was unaware the pictures had been taken.

SAN FRANSICO, Calif. – Walker Cup teammates Nathan Smith and Todd White won the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball on Wednesday, beating Sherrill Britt and Greg Earnhardt 7 and 5 in the championship match.

Smith and White won the first four holes at Olympic Club, Britt and Earnhardt took the fourth with a birdie, and Smith and White birdied the sixth to regain their 4-up lead. Smith and White won Nos. 11 and 12 with pars and ended the match with a birdie on the par-3 13th.

The 36-year-old Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, is an investment adviser in Pittsburgh. The 47-year-old White is a high school history teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Earlier in the day, the American duo defeated Canadian Amateur Squad member Austin Connelly and partner Sam Burns, 2 and 1, before going on to win the title.

Connelly and Burns, ranked 9^th and 7^th, respectively in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), put forward a great effort in the semi-final round, fighting back from a 2-hole deficit to draw even on the 10^th. The 18-year-olds could not hold on, however, eventually giving way to the veterans.

“They stepped up on the back nine,” said Connelly, who captured the Jones Cup in February and will attend Arkansas.“They made three putts outside of 30 feet at really key times.”

Austin Connelly (USGA/ Darren Carroll)

The Four-Ball replaced the U.S. Amateur Public Links on the USGA calendar.

Click here for full scoring.