SAN BUENAVENTURA, TLALPAN, Mexico – Four of the six Men’s Development Squad members are ramping up to compete in the zone qualifier for the 2015 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, which as usual will be held in Japan in June.

The qualifying tournament consists of four teams of four athletes—all gunning for one of two available spots to earn a ticket to the World Cup in two months. Each team will count their three lowest scores for the day, counting towards their overall aggregate total. The two lowest scores after Thursday’s final round at the Golf Club of Mexico will advance onwards to Japan.

Canada will be represented by Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué.), Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.), Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Patrick Murphy (Crossfield, Alta.).

The Canucks are set to square off against Dominican Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Development Squad Lead Coach, Robert Ratcliffe, expressed his optimism heading into tomorrow’s opening round.

“The course here lends to the strengths of the boys—it sets up well for us,” he said. “We’ve put in a lot of great practice as a team in the past few months and we’re excited to get started tomorrow.”

Last month, Ratcliffe and the boys competed at the Southern Cross Invitational in Argentina, coming out with a fourth-place finish. The international team experience will be a great asset for the squad as they gear up for tomorrow’s competition.

Toyota Junior Golf World Cup is the world’s only junior golf championship in which 20 national teams, winners of regional qualifiers held across 6 continents and participated by more than 60 national teams, compete for the world champion trophy.

In 2014, the Men’s Development Squad placed seventh, 11 strokes back of champion Norway. The best Canadian finish came in 1994 when the team took home runner-up honours.

Click here for live scoring from the qualifier.

TORONTO – If you have ever dreamed of what it might be like to try to make a 30-footer on No. 18 at Augusta National Golf Club with the Sunday pin placement for the Masters, you might want to ask Vanessa Borovilos for some advice.

The eight-year-old from Toronto has been there and done that, in last Sunday’s Drive, Chip and Putt Championship. Along the way, she learned valuable lessons about never giving up and what it takes to become a champion.

Vanessa stroked her first putt on No. 18 at Augusta National to within two feet of the hole from 30 feet away. Then she edged her second put from the 15 foot marker to just under 18 inches from the cup to finish third out of 10 in the putting portion of the challenge for girls nine and under.

“There’s some pressure” she says, but it’s “an exciting feeling” more than it’s “scary” and that’s probably why the Grade 3 St. George’s Junior School student was able to move from last place to fourth overall in what she says was an “amazing experience.” “Everything was fun. I’m pleased with my overall performance and I really want to go back next year and win it,” she says with a big grin on her face. It’s the smile on her face and the look in her eyes that tell you this was an amazing journey.

It all started by travelling to and winning three qualifying tournament in the United States last summer with her father Dino, who acted as her caddy during the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National. Check out www.drivechipandputt.com for details on how to sign up for this summer’s qualifiers. For the national championship, Vanessa, her mom, dad and brother flew to Augusta and they stayed together at a Marriott hotel for four nights with a great pool, which is important to eight-year-olds!

She had two practice sessions at a nearby golf club with many of her other fellow competitors on the Saturday to get used to being outdoors again after a long winter of training indoors with coach Doug Lawrie from the Focus Golf Group in Burlington and many nights at a nearby indoor golf dome.

On Saturday night, the 80 Drive, Chip and Putt competitors attended a welcome reception and dinner in downtown Augusta. Billy Payne, Chairman of Augusta National GC and the Masters Tournament, expressed his pride in the accomplishments of the Drive, Chip and Putt finalists. “I truly hope you realize that you have already achieved what millions of others dreamed,” Payne said. “You’re the astronauts who walked on the moon, you’re the pitcher who tossed a no-hitter in the World Series, you’re the golfer who made a hole-in-one on the very first par 3 they ever played. But most importantly, you’re the kids who have been given this unbelievable opportunity because your parents love you, and they have made considerable sacrifices to give you this great opportunity.”

Vanessa was up bright and really early the next morning for a breakfast of waffles and waiting for the 9:15 am shuttle drive to take the nine-and-under girls to Augusta National. After the drive down Magnolia Lane, being warmly greeted and welcomed by Augusta members and an hour to warm up, it was off to the stadium at the practice range for the first event – just two balls for two drives!

“I hit my first drive really hard, but hooked it,” Vanessa said noting that it went out of bounds. She let up on her second drive to try and keep it in play, which she did, but it left her in last place among the 10 competitors.

“When we got to the chipping area, Vanessa was feeling good about being there, but not so good about the driving,” says her father Dino, who tried to lift her spirits. “Vanessa didn’t watch the other girls chip like she did with the driving. I really think she wanted to focus on what she wanted to do. I think she got into her zone.”

From 16 yards away from the hole, Vanessa’s first pitch rolled to within six feet of the cup and then she calmly knocked the second shot to three feet to finish second in chipping. “That felt really good,” Vanessa says, as she moved from 10^th to seventh spot in the standings. She improved to fourth place overall with a third place finish in putting.

“I had a tremendous sense of pride seeing how she finished,” says coach Lawrie, a Golf Canada Future Links Leader Facilitator, who spent the winter months working with Vanessa on changes to her full swing. “I knew going in there was a good chance if she stuck a drive that she had a really good chance of winning the overall title because her chipping and putting is so good. To perform in that pressure environment on national TV with thousands of people watching and you only get two drives, two chips and two putts, I was absolutely amazed at her performance.”

Jayla Kucy from Camrose, Alta. finished T8 in the same division at Vanessa as she placed ninth in driving, seventh in chipping and fourth in pitching. The third Canadian in the championship, Ryan Blair from Oakbank, Man., finished ninth overall in the Boys 10-11 age group placing fifth in driving, ninth in chipping and eighth in putting.

The following day, Vanessa and her family returned to Augusta to watch Monday’s practice round. She smiles when talking about following her favourite golfer Rory McIlroy for six or seven holes, meeting Canadian amateur Corey Conners, getting her Masters hat signed by players like Ricky Fowler and JB Holmes and hopefully being able to play all 18 holes at Augusta one day – and not just the 18^th green!

“It’s a beautiful place. I sure hope I’m back next year,” she says. And so does all of Canada!

Did you Know?

Canada has its own version of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship that predates the Masters’ adaptation?

To learn more about Canada’s CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge, click here.

OXFORD, Miss. – Kent State junior Josée Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Qué., posted the second-lowest three-round score in program history en route to capturing medalist honours at the Rebel Intercollegiate on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Doyon finished at 8-under par (69-71-68) for a comfortable five-stroke cushion over runner-up Marijosse Navarro of Texas A&M. Doyon’s performance lifted the Kent State Golden Flashes to a collective runner-up finish. Team Canada’s Jennifer Ha of Calgary pitched in with a T25 finish at 6-over par for the tournament.

Team Canada’s Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk was also in action, finishing T3 at 2-under par (71-72-71) to help lift Texas A&M to a first place team finish. This marks the sixth time Szeryk has placed inside the top-five in her freshman season.

The Golden Flashes will head to Columbus next to compete in the Lady Buckeye Invitational from Apr. 18–19 while Szeryk and the Aggies will prepare to tee-it-up at the SEC Championship from Apr. 17–19.

Click here for full scores.

Corey Conners is getting ready for the biggest golf tournament of his life. But, the Canadian is trying to treat it like any other.

As a youngster, Conners said he got a VHS tape of the 1997 Masters when Tiger Woods won by 12 strokes. He watched that video “one or two hundred times.” He also remembered watching on television as Mike Weir sank the final putt to win his own green jacket in 2003.

Now, Conners will be playing in the tournament he’s only seen on a screen.

The 23-year-old from Listowel, Ont., will be in the field for next week’s Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., thanks to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2014. The two finalists are traditionally invited to participate in the Masters each year.

He’ll become the 13th Canadian amateur to play in the tournament, joining names like Sandy Somerville – who played in the first Masters in 1934 – and Moe Norman. He’ll be the 29th Canadian ever.

And, unless Graham DeLaet wins on the PGA Tour this week at the Shell Houston Open, Conners and Weir will be the lone Canadian representatives in the field this year.

Conners hasn’t allowed the big stage to get to him yet. Augusta, although historical, is “pretty cool.” He admits he is “really looking forward to the experience,” but he just wants to play golf.

“I’m really excited for next week,” he said Tuesday. “I’m really looking forward to the experience.”

No amateur has ever won the Masters, but American Ken Venturi came close. He finished one shot back of the eventual champion Jack Burke Jr. in 1956.

Conners doesn’t shy away from saying how Augusta National fits his game.

“Overall the course is beautiful, and it sets up well for my game,” he explained. “It’s a really great course and I think I can do really well.”

He’s not alone in thinking this.

Besides a group of fans from his hometown – Conners says his father will likely caddie for him in the par-3 competition next Wednesday, before the tournament begins – Golf Canada’s men’s national team head coach Derek Ingram will also be in Augusta.

Conners has been part of Golf Canada’s program off-and-on since 2010, and Ingram has watched him grow as both a player and a young man.

“If he plays his game, I really think he can (finish in the) top 20,” Ingram stated. “The course at Augusta suits his game really well.”

Conners has played a handful of practice rounds at Augusta National, including one where Ingram was present. He says they’ve tried to work on hitting shots to the best spot possible on Augusta’s notorious greens.

“He’s trying to treat it like golf. He knows golf really well and he knows tournament golf really well,” said Ingram. “Obviously the Masters is the most iconic and biggest professional golf event in the world, and there will be some challenges there. But we’ve talked about dealing with them.”

Conners is working to arrange a practice round with Weir. He’ll definitely play one with Europeans Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, who are both managed by the same company as Conners – International Sports Management (ISM).

The team at ISM arranged for Conners to get a spot in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open in March. He missed the cut, but said that experience was invaluable.

“It was a huge in helping me prepare. I learned a lot playing there and it was great to be out there with a bunch of professionals,” he explained. “I learned a lot that will make me feel comfortable during the Masters.”

Conners has picked the brains of a few fellow amateurs who have played in the Masters in years past, players he crossed paths with while playing for Kent State University.

Conners was a two time All-American there, and was named Kent State’s outstanding male athlete in his graduating year.

The award is given to, “the male member of the senior class who has demonstrated the most exceptional combined qualities of leadership, positive image, athletic ability and academic performance.” According to his college coach, Herb Page, this sums up Conners perfectly.

“I’m really proud of what he accomplished and how he did it,” said Page, a Canadian who is in the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. “A lot of young men hit a little wall or they don’t keep pushing ahead. But, he kept advancing and getting better. And now he’s at the Masters.”

Conners drove down Magnolia Lane – the entrance-way to Augusta’s hallowed grounds – for the first time a few weeks ago.

“It didn’t feel real,” he admitted.

But, it is. And it all starts next week.

Click here to listen in to a media teleconference with Corey Conners and Canadian golf journalists recorded March 21, 2015.

PITT MEADOWS, B.C.  – Team Canada member Alisha Lau, 15, of Richmond, B.C., fired 69 to win the MJT Girls Division title and Low Overall at the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s rain-shortened recent stop at Meadow Gardens Golf Course in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

The tournament was scheduled to run March 28^th and 29^th and also serve as a qualifier for the IMG Academy Junior World Golf Championships, but inclement weather forced cancellation of the final round, meaning the qualifier will move to April 25^th and 26^th at Pagoda Ridge Golf Course in Langley, B.C.

“It feels nice to put a good round together in the beginning of the season, especially with some of the changes I’ve been making,” said Lau, who won by four strokes. “Over the winter I worked a lot on my swing. This win will give me a bit more confidence playing again.”

The MJT Girls 14 and under division was won by Michelle Cha, 13, of Surrey, B.C., (83).

Shayne LaRochelle, 19, of Coquitlam, B.C. claimed the MJT Junior Boys 17-19 title after shooting 73.

Another score of 73 secured the MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 win for Mathew McConnachie, 16, of Surrey, B.C.

There was a tie for the lead with a score of 83 in the MJT Bantam Boys 13-14 division between Andy Jang, 14, of Langley, B.C., and Dylan Bercan, 13, of Vancouver, with the trophy decided on countback and going to Jang.

A five stroke margin ensured the MJT Peewee Boys 12 and under win went to Cole Bowering, 12, of Vancouver.

For full scores, click here.

TIGRE, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Medalist Romain Langasque of France dominated the field at Nordelta Golf Club, finishing at 14-under par (71-69-67-67), 9 strokes ahead of runner-up Jarryd Felton of Australia to lift Team France to the come-from-behind victory.

In total, France finished comfortably in first with a combined 846 (18-under) after trailing second place Ireland (852) through 36 holes. Rounding out the podium was Australia, who held a narrow one-stroke margin over Canada through 36 holes before pulling away in the final two rounds to finish at 5-under par (859).

Canada’s Development Squad held the fourth spot at 877, fending off Argentina’s last-ditch effort on Sunday to overtake the Canucks—they finished two-back at 879.

The leaderboard was rounded out by Chile (882), South Africa (886) and Portugal (890).

The inaugural Southern Cross began in 1999 between Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Since then, the event combined with the Four Nations and Ten Nations Cup to include the larger field it hosts today.

Click here for full scoring.

With one man down today, Team Canada holds on to 4th place at Southern Cross Invite in Argentina pic.twitter.com/zAdHtC7Fbb

— Robert Ratcliffe (@ratcliffegolf) March 29, 2015

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Team Canada’s Corey Conners put forth another strong effort on Sunday, finishing in usual fashion inside the top-10 (T6) at 6-under par at the Azalea Invitational.

The 23-year-old Conners closed with a final-round, 3-under 68 in his last competitive round of golf prior to teeing it up at the pinnacle of professional golf — The Masters.

With the Masters quickly approaching, the Listowel, Ont., native will fly back to West Palm Beach, Fla., where he will continue his preparation.

“We’re both very pleased with his consistent performance this week,” said Team Canada Men’s Head Coach Derek Ingram. “We’re also able to further identify strong areas in his game, and others that could use additional attention in these next few days we have to practice.”

As a refresher, Conners earned his ticket to the Masters after finishing runner-up at the 2014 U.S Men’s Amateur Championship. He since won the prestigious Lake Macquarie championship in Australia earlier in January.

Fellow Team Canada member Austin Connelly was also in the field at the Azalea Invitational, finishing T18 at 1-under par for the tournament.

The Azalea Invitational has its own roots in history as well, having been hosted almost every year at the Country Club of Charleston since 1946.

Click here for full scores.

The Canadian golf community lost two brothers earlier this month with the passing of former Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA – now operating as Golf Canada) presidents R. Bruce Bailey and Thomas P. Wood. Golf Canada, Alberta Golf and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame are deeply saddened by the loss of these two influential leaders and passionate proponents of the sport.

R. Bruce Bailey, born August 8, 1922, passed away on March 11, 2015. The patriarch of the Bailey family had lived 93 full years as a professional geologist, devoted husband, dedicated family man and spirited golfer.

While Bruce’s education afforded him a career in his chosen path and the means by which to pursue his dreams, it was his dedication to golf that afforded him a lifelong passion – one which would see him become president of the RCGA in 1978.

The long-time member of the Calgary Golf and Country Club is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Shirley (nee Atkinson); their three children Colleen, Robert and Kim; as well as, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Bruce was predeceased by daughter Lyndsay Jean in 1984.

By his family’s request, there will be no funeral service. Cremation has taken place and a gathering in Bruce’s memory is planned for later in the year. Messages of remembrance are welcome and may be left for the family at www.southcalgaryfuneralcentre.ca.

Four days following the passing of Bailey, Canadian golf would lose another cherished member in 1987 president Thomas P. Wood. Born on June 13, 1927, Thomas led a dedicated life of service in sports, government and the private sector. It is perhaps the confluence of these roles that led him to one of his proudest achievements, when he and a group of likeminded individuals conceived of, and successfully lobbied for, the creation of the picturesque Kananaskis Country Golf Course.

The founding member of the Derrick Golf and Winter Club leaves behind wife Verlie and their three children: Lindsay Redpath (Bryan), Meredith Adams (Garry Scheuerman) and Michael Wood, as well as, two step-sons, Bill Piers (Susanne) and Michael Piers (Julie). The beloved family man will be remembered fondly by his six grandchildren.

At Thomas’s request, there will be no service. His ashes will be spread at a later date in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Thomas’s name to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Children’s Hospital Aid Society. Condolences may be forwarded to the family via www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Thomas Wood, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park.

The commitment and service that R. Bruce Bailey and Thomas P. Wood demonstrated to golf in Canada exemplifies the best of what sport is capable of developing in any individual. Leadership. Passion. Dedication. Perseverance. These are the characteristics by which these men led their lives and guided their sport’s national governing body; in their passing, these are the characteristics for which they will be remembered, cherished and honoured.

MURRELLS INLET, SOUTH CAROLINA – It was almost like déjà vu from 2014 as soggy conditions greeted the players at Wachesaw Plantation Club on the final day of the Can-Am Junior Team Matches.  The American team, consisting of juniors from the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, earned 147 of 288 possible points to defeat the Canadian squad, from the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), 225 to 207 to earn the 2015 title of Can-Am Champions.

The competition got underway on March 21 with best-ball team matches. While the event was played in a match-play format, the scoring was slightly different than a traditional match-play. Each match played the full 18-holes and a point was awarded for each hole with tied holes counting for half a point.

After the first day, the American team held a 12-point margin over the Canadian juniors 78 to 66. Ontario’s lone win came from Grace St-Germain and Monet Chun who took their match 11.5-6.5. Brendan Seys and Kelvin Lim managed a 9-9 split in their match, as did the team of Madeline Marck-Sherk and Alyssa Getty.

The young men led off the Can-Am singles matches, during the final round on March 22, with Ontario posting one win, by Jake Bryson, and one halved match by Trevor Ranton. However, the American team captured the other six boys’ singles matches.  After the eight boys matches had concluded, the Americans extended their first day lead by an additional 20 points and were seemingly all but out of reach.

However, the lady Canadians came out firing with Grace St-Germain defeating Savanah Goodman by a 13.5 to 4.5 margin and Alyssa Getty handing a loss to Jodee Tindal 12.5 to 5.5, cutting the two-day lead in half after just two matches. The rest of the afternoon remained tight with Ontario’s girls winning two matches and the South Carolina team earning three.  Chloe Currie was a winner in her match, 10-8 over Victoria Huskey, and Isabella Portokalis defeated Morgan Cox 10.5 to 7.5. In the end, the South Carolina team held on for the 225-207 win.

It was a challenging final day on the course as wet conditions impacted the players and the course.  At the conclusion of play, it was a great weekend of golf for both GAO and South Carolina Junior Golf Association players.  It was also the closest that the Can Am Matches have been since 2010, when the Golf Association of Ontario youngsters last hoisted the Joseph T. Simons Can-Am Trophy.

“The highlight of the event was the impressive performance by the girls in the singles matches: the dominant wins by St-Germain and Getty along with the solid wins by Currie and Portokalis,” said Mary Ann Hayward, Manager of Sport Performance. “Although Bryson was the only boy to post a win in the boys’ singles matches, many of the boys played extremely well. All of the team members fought hard for every point gained on the last day and we are extremely proud of everyone for their performance in the matches.”

Team Ontario took advantage of the trip to include a training camp leading up to the matches. Thanks to the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, the Ontario team had the opportunity to train and play at three other courses in the area: True Blue Plantation, The Reserve Golf Club and the Debordieu Club.

“The week of the Can-Am Matches are always an important one for the team as we transition from our preparation phase into competition,” added Reggie Millage, Head Provincial Coach. “The team trained hard during the week leading up to the matches and we had some really positive results heading into the event. Overall, the team played well and we had some outstanding performances that got us as close to the trophy as we have been in years. The real benefit of the week though is how it will help our athletes get a jumpstart on our competitive season. If this week is any indication we should see some great results from our Ontario athletes in 2015.”

It should be noted that the matches are less about the competition and more about building relationships and celebrating the growth of junior golf in both Ontario and South Carolina.  The Wachesaw Plantation Club members and staff make this a truly unique event.  The 2015 Can-Am Matches were a success in terms of showcasing the game of golf and the relationships that have been built between the two countries, as well as the membership of Wachesaw Plantation Club. The Canadian team was hosted by the Wachesaw membership in a Member-Am event on March 18 consisting of a shotgun scramble team event followed by a luncheon.