ROSEBERY, New South Wales, Australia — Team Canada’s Corey Conners has continued his red-hot play as of late, advancing to the quarterfinal match Friday at the Australian Amateur.

Conners, 23, took down defending champion Tae Koh of New Zealand, coming back from an early deficit to grind out a 2-up victory on the 18^th.

The Listowel, Ont., native is set to square-off against Australia’s Kevin Yuan in tomorrow’s match. The winner will play in the semi-final round, commencing later that afternoon.

Conners, the No. 11 ranked amateur in the world, is coming off an impressive victory last week at the Lake Macquarie Championship—just a two-hour drive from this week’s action at The Australian Golf Club.

On the women’s side, Team Canada’s Jaclyn Lee fell in the round of 16 by losing in a playoff amidst some drama against Australian native Liz Elmassian.

With a 1-up advantage and a short putt for par on the final hole, Elmassian mistakenly conceded Lee’s third shot from the bunker—giving her a birdie three.

Lee, a Calgary native, had no choice but to play on. In the end, Lee ran into trouble on the par-3 11^th, conceding the match to Elmassian. The 17-year-old was the lone remaining member of Team Canada’s Development Squad left in the field.

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ROSEBERY, New South Wales, Australia—Team Canada’s Corey Conners and Jaclyn Lee have advanced to the second round of match play at the Australian Amateur.

Conners, a 23-year-old National Team member, took down Korea’s Sung-Ho Yun 3&2 in the men’s opening match play round of 64. The Listowel, Ont., native is coming off an impressive win at the Lake Macquarie Championship last week and will look to keep rolling in Friday’s match against Japan’s Daisuke Matsubara.

Jason Goldsworthy, a Calgary native now living in Australia, fell to the No. 6 seed, Ryan Chisnall of New Zealand, 5&4.

The men will play their round of 32 tomorrow morning, then the round of 16 in the afternoon on a marathon day.

In the women’s opening round of 32, Calgary native Jaclyn Lee bested Hayley Bettencourt of Australia, 2&1. Lee, 17, was the only member of Team Canada’s Development Squad to advance to match play. The Ohio State University commit faces another Aussie, Liz Elmassian in tomorrow’s round of 16 match.

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Matias Dominguez closed with a 1-under 71 on Sunday to win the inaugural Latin American Amateur Championship, earning a spot at Augusta National in April as the first player from Chile at the Masters in more than 50 years.

After two bogeys on the last three holes, Dominguez won at Pilar Golf Club by one shot over Alejandro Tosti of Argentina, who also shot a 71.

Alvaro Ortiz, the brother of PGA Tour player Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, bogeyed the 18th for a 67 and finished two shots behind.

Dominguez, a senior at Texas Tech, finished at 11-under 277.

Along with a spot in the Masters, Dominguez is exempt into the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur, and the final stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open.

CITY OF LAKE MACQUARIE, New South Wales, Australia – Team Canada member Corey Conners finished at 17-under par, four strokes ahead of runner-up finisher Andrew Mccain of the U.S., en route to winning the Lake Macquarie title Saturday at Belmont Golf Club.

Conners, who recently turned 23, never looked back after earning a share of the lead with an opening round 67—highlighted by an eagle on the 460-yard par-5 10^th.

The Listowel, Ont., native kept his foot on the gas in the following rounds, carding three consecutive scores of 68 to close out the win. The Kent State graduate was the lone Canuck in the field.

This tournament marks the second of three in Conners’ stint Down Under. He finished T12 a week earlier in the Australian Master of the Amateurs, an ‘A’ ranked event on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Following this week’s win, Conners will head to the city of Mascot to tee-it-up in the Australian Amateur.

Conners returns to North America the following week to continue his tour as he looks to defend his Jones Cup title at the Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga.

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ADELAIDE, Australia – The host Australians pleased the home crowd on Friday at The Grange Golf Club, thumping South Africa 5-2 to remain undefeated en route to winning their fifth Astor Trophy.

“We came in this week not really knowing what to expect, especially in a match play format against some girls we hadn’t really seen before, and they just really came together well,” said Cutler, Australia’s Team Manager. “When you think we’ve lost two of the best amateurs we’ve seen in years, it was a fantastic achievement and perhaps the greatest part of it was that it shows the depth of talent we’ve got coming through.”

With the victory, Australia has won the Astor Trophy in four of the last six times it has been contested. They put an end to Great Britain & Ireland’s bid to win their third straight title, coming from behind to take away their early lead.

On the sidelines with a final round bye, GB&I finished with 15.5 matches won—3.5 behind Australia. New Zealand finished in third (15) and South Africa followed in fourth (12).

Meanwhile, the Canadian quintet’s effort to pick up their first win of the tournament was stopped short by New Zealand, falling 5-2. Canada’s Development Squad halved one of the morning foursome matches while losing the other, 2&1.

Once again, Canada showed some life in the afternoon single matches. Naomi Ko, a Victoria, B.C. native, halved her match against Munchin Keh to remained undefeated in singles. Jaclyn Lee (Calgary), the reining Alberta Ladies Amateur champion, cruised past Chantelle Cassidy with a dominating 7&5 victory.

The Canadian contingent will look to get back on track next week when they tee-it-up at the Australian Amateur, running from Jan. 20–25.

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Team Canada looks on during the closing ceremony. (Via Facebook/ Golf Australia)

The lasting legacy of Albert H. Murray has taken its rightful place alongside a number of the nation’s most prized and treasured items celebrating Canada’s storied history with golf. Ian Murray has generously donated a number of his grandfather’s keepsakes to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum in an effort to share the past of one of the country’s golfing greats.

“Albert has had a tremendous impact on the sport of golf in Canada and we are thrilled to add these pieces to our collection in recognition of his many successes,” said Meggan Gardner, curator of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

Raised in Toronto, Albert H. Murray’s love of the game began at an early age. At 10, he began his journey with the sport by caddying for George Cumming and serving as his apprentice. A short five years later in 1902, he would become Canada’s youngest professional golfer – a distinction he still holds to this day.

In the summer before his 21st birthday, Murray would parlay his passion for the sport and his skill on the course into his first of two Canadian Open Golf Championships – he remains the youngest player to win the event. The 1908 gold medal commemorating the victory is among the memorabilia that is now housed in the Hall of Fame. A total of three gold medals – including those from the 1924 CPGA Championship and the 1930 NHL Pro-Am Tournament in Montreal – highlight the collection donated by Albert’s grandson Ian.

The newest additions join the younger Murray’s previous contributions – a pair of priceless scrapbooks amassing the accolades of Albert and his brother Charles. The Hall of Fame siblings were pioneers of the sport and their gifts to the game go beyond their exceptional play.

The two were founding members of the Canadian Professional Golfers Association in 1911. The following year, Albert would go on to become the organization’s first president. The brothers changed the very landscape of the game having designed or re-modeled the layouts of over 50 courses in Canada and the United States.

For more on Albert H. Murray, please visit Ian Murray’s site here.

Albert H. Murray’s Canadian Golf Hall of Fame profile can be viewed here.

Additional information regarding the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum can be found here.

The items donated by Ian Murray include:
The 1908 Canadian Open gold medal.
A Gold pocket watch from the members of Outremont in recognition of Albert’s victory at the 1908 Canadian Open.	An autographed black and white photograph of Albert H. Murray circa 1910.
The 1924 Canadian Professional Golfers (CPGA) Championship gold medal.
The 1930 National Hockey League Pro-Am Tournament gold medal.
A matchstick case engraved “A.H. Murray Sept 15th 1917 Patriotic ProfessionalMatch Quebec”. These patriotic matches were held during WWI to raise money for the Red Cross.	A cigarette case engraved “To AHM from the BAD club 1931”.

ADELAIDE, Australia – Team Canada had a difficult time in Astor Trophy competition once again on Thursday, falling to South Africa5-2 at The Grange Golf Club.

Canada fell in both of the morning foursome matches, 4&2 and 2&1. With the losses, Canada remains winless in the category and is still yet to win a match.

The Canadian contingent’s uphill battle continued in the afternoon’s single matches, losing two, halving two and winning the other thanks to Victoria, B.C. native, Naomi Ko.

Ko, 17, has been a bright spot for the Canadian quintet, winning all three of her individual matches thus far.

All of the attention went to the host Australians on Thursday, who recorded a convincing 5.5-1.5 win over the leading team from Great Britain & Ireland—making for an interesting final.

With a bye in tomorrow’s final, GB&I is on-the-ropes against the Aussies, who look to complete the comeback and remain undefeated in the tournament. A win, or anything up to a 5-2 loss will ensure a win for Australia—their fifth title in the 56-year history.

Meanwhile, Canada will look to muster up a win in tomorrow’s final round against New Zealand, beginning at 8am (Adelaide time).

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Casa de Campo’s Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic has been confirmed as the host venue for the 2016 Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC), organizers announced during the inaugural staging of the championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The LAAC, which is being played at Pilar Golf this week, is scheduled for January 14-17 next year.

Founded by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), the LAAC was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Each year, the LAAC champion will receive an invitation to compete in the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. In addition, the winner and the runner(s)-up will be exempt into the final stages of qualifying for The Open and U.S. Open Championship. Finally, the champion will receive full exemptions into The Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible.

The 2016 LAAC will bring the region’s best players to one of the region’s most highly regarded venues. Designed by Pete Dye and built in the early 1970s, Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo features seven holes along the Atlantic Ocean and is routinely ranked as one of the best courses throughout all of Latin America.

“It is a great honor for us to have been selected to host this prestigious championship,” said Rafael Torres, President of Casa de Campo. “We are fortunate that the selection committee has seen fit to bring the LAAC to what we believe is the finest golf resort in this region.

“The event will be played at the legendary Teeth of The Dog, the masterpiece of golf course architect Pete Dye. The employees and the residents of Casa de Campo will be proud to be a part of Latin America’s premier amateur golf competition.”

Casa de Campo was named the number-one golf resort in the world by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) for its collection of golf courses, professional facilities, luxury amenities, as well as its executive team’s commitment to service and exceeding guest expectations.

This week’s LAAC features 109 players from the 28 countries throughout Latin America. Television coverage includes two hours of live broadcast on each of the four days being aired in more than 150 countries.

Entry into Pilar Golf for the 2016 Latin America Amateur Championship is free.

The LAAC follows a model established by the Masters and The R&A when, in 2009, the organizations created the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) to advance the sport in that part of the world and to create heroes other aspiring golfers could emulate. The event in the Asia-Pacific has been an astonishing success with the likes of Hideki Matsuyama and Tianlang Guan winning the championship and going on to make an impact in the Masters Tournament and on the PGA Tour. Australia’s Antonio Murdaca won the 2014 championship at Royal Melbourne and will have an opportunity to make his mark this year.

For more information about the LAAC, including latest news, schedule, spectator information and a roster of players competing, please visit the event’s website at www.LAACgolf.com.

It’s early January — a time when avid Canadian golfers are imagining a smooth new swing that will finally make this year the one that pulls it all together. But are kids thinking about golf? Do they share that same passion for the perfect swing?

For a junior golfer, the answer is likely no. As far as Golf Canada is concerned — that’s not a problem.

As the governing body of the sport in this country, Golf Canada’s focus towards junior golf stems from participation numbers. Priority lies with introducing the sport to Canadian youth who otherwise may not receive the opportunity to experience the game at a young age. In the end, what’s most important is the well-being of the child.

Across the country, golf’s industry leaders are doing their best to ensure that golf is an available option in promoting children’s health and fitness.

Beginning at the top of the chain, the National Golf Course Owner’s Association (NGCOA) is offering the Take a Kid to the Course Week once again in 2015. This nation-wide initiative offers free golf and sometimes more to children under the age of 16 who are accompanied by a paying adult. This year’s week will run from July 6–12. More details are available on the website.

At the grassroots level, Golf in Schools brings an educational curriculum to 300,000 students annually. The program — offered to both elementary and high schools — is delivered by teachers through the teaching guide and is endorsed by Physical Health Education (PHE) Canada. Those interested in getting Golf in Schools in their community can learn more here.

The delivery of programming by PGA of Canada professionals remains at the forefront of junior golf. With the help of Canada’s junior golf program, CN Future Links, instructors invest in teaching the fundamentals and values of golf through a variety of formats:

• CN Future Links Learn to Play
• CN Future Links Girls Club
• CN Future Links Mobile Clinics
• CN Future Links Girls Club
• CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge
• CN Future Links Field Trip program
• PGA Junior League Golf delivered by CN Future Links

Golf Canada, in close partnership with the PGA of Canada, is excited to add several new initiatives (coming in 2015) to their base of junior programming:

• Golf in Schools Intermediate program—Spring launch
• Learn to Compete (intermediate golf program)—Spring launch
• Long-Term Player Development Guide—version 2.0—February launch
• Two new  initiatives, linking students to golf courses—Spring launch

For those looking for a competitive edge, the Canadian Junior Golf Association recently announced their tournament schedule for 2015. The Maple Leaf Junior Tour has also made their list available online at this link.

Golf Canada’s competitive schedule is available here.

For all things related to junior golf, including news, programs, National Junior Golf Development Centres and course look-up, visit juniors.golfcanada.ca

ADELAIDE, Australia – Coming out of a second round bye, Team Canada’s Women’s Development Squad had their hands full on Wednesday with the team from Great Britain & Ireland at the Grange Club.

In total, GB&I recorded a convincing 5-2 victory over Team Canada’s Development Squad, set up by a pair of 5 & 4 wins in the morning matches.

Canada salvaged some respect in the afternoon’s single matches, taking down GB&I’s top-ranked amateur Bronte Law—No. 27 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR)—with a 2 & 1 win from Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.). Ottawa native Grace St-Germain also won her match, defeating Chloe Williams of Wales, 4 & 3.

Later wins from Connie Jaffrey, Charlotte Thomas and Hayley Davis ended Canada’s title chances and put GB&I in the driver’s seat.

Those wins also gave GB&I commanding lead in the matches won category, meaning that a come-from-behind victory in will be unlikely.

Canada remains winless in the foursome category—they will look to get on the board in Thursday’s round against South Africa.

Live scoring is available here.