Following a comprehensive search, Golf Canada has announced the appointment of Laurence Applebaum as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Applebaum, most recently the Executive Vice President of the Florida-based Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), will assume his new role as of July 10, 2017.

“Laurence Applebaum’s hiring marks the beginning of a new era for Golf Canada,” said Roland Deveau, President of the Golf Canada Board of Directors. “After an extensive search, Laurence stood out because of his previous leadership in sports organizations, proven senior management skills and visionary thinking. His drive and energy are infectious. We are so pleased to repatriate this outstanding Canadian leader to take Golf Canada forward.”

With a career in sports spanning more than 20 years in Canada, Europe and the United States, the senior executive and Toronto native is proud to return home to lead the national sport federation and governing body for golf in Canada.

“I am both honoured and humbled to be given the chance to lead Golf Canada at a crucial and exciting juncture in the organization’s history,” Applebaum said. “Throughout my career, I have had the chance to work with teams made up of great athletes, passionate partners and engaged stakeholders. I am eager to apply the lessons and experiences from past roles to this new challenge. Golf is such a passion for so many Canadians including myself, and I know the sport in this country is well positioned for growth and success going forward. As much as anything, I am also elated to be returning home with my family.”

Applebaum joins Golf Canada after serving in an extensive array of sports management roles around the globe.

For the past five years, he has been Executive Vice President of the WTA in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he oversaw a variety of strategic and operational initiatives.  During his tenure, Applebaum was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the women’s global professional tennis circuit, including tournament operations, on-site competition, player relations and development, sports science and medicine, broadcast operations and new business development.

Prior to joining the WTA, Applebaum served as the Toronto-based Vice President of Salomon Canada from 2006-2011. Previously, Applebaum served in a variety of progressively senior roles at Wilson Sports and the brands of its parent company, Amer Sports, including Atomic, Suunto and Precor, based in Europe. After starting his career at Wilson Sports Equipment Canada, Applebaum was the Sales & Marketing Manager at Nike Golf Canada from 1997-1999.

Married with two children, Applebaum is a 1994 graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University where he received an Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree.

Golf Canada President Roland Deveau also recognized the work of Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, who has managed the day-to-day affairs of Golf Canada for the last several months as interim CEO.

“I would like to thank Jeff for his steady hand during this transition. We look forward to Jeff’s continued contributions as our Chief Sport Officer,” said Deveau.

Deveau added: “I would like to acknowledge all of the dedicated volunteers, staff and partners who work diligently every day to deliver programs and services across Canada to help grow the game of golf.  Golfers from novices to elite athletes benefit from the efforts of, and collaboration between, many stakeholders and I know that Laurence is looking forward to meeting them.”

Reporting to Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, Applebaum will lead the organization in the ongoing development and execution of its strategic plan.

NOTE TO MEDIA – click here for a high-resolution headshot and bio of Golf Canada Chief Executive Officer Laurence Applebaum.

Click here to download the teleconference audio file.

The most reliable rankings in golf are based on merit—best on best athletes competing over the course of a season offers a definitive snapshot of performance consistency.

With that in mind, Canadian golf’s Order of Merit will be getting an overhaul beginning in 2017. Golf Canada set out to enhance Canada’s National Golf Ranking System to improve the accuracy of the rankings used to evaluate player performance at all levels of competition.

In addition to improving on the accuracy of Canada’s Amateur and Junior Orders of Merit, the evaluation system will be more closely aligned with the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

The improved system and evaluation criteria will award points based on the quality of the event combined with the numbers of participants in the field.

The revamped Order of Merit was tested in a BETA environment during the summer of 2016 to test the changes and determine how they would impact player rankings; to identify and correct perceived flaws in the new proposed system; and ensure that the changes were equitable to all competitors hailing from large, medium and small provinces.

The review and overhaul of the Order of Merit was tasked to a committee that included representatives from Golf Canada and the provincial golf associations along with Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured members Doug Roxburgh and Mary Ann Hayward, a duo well versed in amateur and high performance golf. The final recommendations of the Order of Merit Review Committee were presented to, and approved by, the Provincial Golf Associations prior to the start of the 2017 competitive golf season.

“We went through a very comprehensive review process in evaluating the changes to the National Orders of Merit,” said Dave Stockton, Director of Sport Programs with Golf Canada.  “The BETA testing phase last summer gave us some tremendous insight that we used to make some additional adjustments to the evaluation criteria. At the end of the day, you want the Order of the Merit to be a truly reflective measure of player performance and we think we’ve done that.”

Among the changes are a revised tournament listing for junior and amateur competitions adjusted for quality of event and strength of field as well as a reduction in the number of Order of Merit counting events from 12 to 10 (reduction from 12 to 8 on the Junior Orders of Merit). The Order of Merit point breakdown will now be tiered based on field size with seven tiers that range from 10 or less participants all the way up to 81 or more competitors. As well, Canada’s Men’s and Women’s Orders of Merit will no longer have Junior counting events, regardless of WAGR ranking.

“Reducing the number of counting events and the tiered points breakdown will really challenge players to put a focus on scheduling and choosing events that best meet their age and/or stage of development.  Obviously, higher ranking events will yield the most points,” added Stockton. “As well, removing junior counting events from the Amateur Order of Merit eliminates a perceived advantage from competitors who were additionally counting those events towards our Junior Order of Merit.

Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C. and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. topped the respective National Men’s and Women’s Orders of Merit in 2016 while A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. and Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. topped the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys and Junior Girls Orders of Merits.

A link to the 2017 Canadian Golf Order of Merit including points breakdown and tournament standing is available here.

Click here for a full summary of changes.

TORONTO – Golf Canada, along with leading fan engagement company Stadium Digital, today announced the re-launch of golfcanada.ca.

The new platform introduces the roll out of a responsive national website network across Canada’s provincial golf associations, beginning with albertagolf.org. The digital home for the national sport federation is the go-to destination for millions of Canadian golfers and 1,400-member golf clubs across the country.

Developed and powered by Canadian sports technology leader, Stadium Digital, the bilingual platform features a dynamic new content hub to share Canadian golf news, information and highlights of Golf Canada’s slate of championships, programs and services for golfers and member clubs. The sites also feature original content to showcase the next generation of Canadian rising stars as well as informative articles for golf enthusiasts from coast to coast.

“The launch of our new bilingual digital network is an important evolution in golfer engagement for Golf Canada and our provincial associations, allowing us to go well beyond our previous capabilities,” said Golf Canada Interim CEO Jeff Thompson. “Stadium Digital’s network infrastructure platform gives us the much-needed scale so we can connect with our golfers, fans, partners and sponsors in a much more meaningful way.”

The digital network development was supported in part by a grant through the Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) National Sport Federation (NSF) Enhancement Fund. The program was devised to assist NSFs in the creation of efficiencies and enhancements that could benefit other sport federations.

“We are thrilled to see Golf Canada develop this innovative digital network to engage with golf enthusiasts across Canada,” says Chris Overholt, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee. “The insights learned through this initiative can now be shared with other national sport federations who look to build their own platforms. This is a great example of how sport organizations can work to strengthen the system as a whole.”

The infrastructure, hosted on the Microsoft Azure Cloud Platform, allows for a streamlined interface for users across devices. While all Golf Canada digital content lives on a single network managed by Stadium Digital, the infrastructure allows provincial golf associations to customize the look of their sites and develop their own unique content and sponsorship opportunities to serve local golfers and clubs.

Highlights of the new digital network include:

• New content hub & video player with full integration of on-demand video
• Standardized look for teams & championships
• Content sharing across all provincial golf associations
• Improved member & golf club services
• New national & local sponsorship opportunities
• Bilingual engagement
• Improved discovery of original content – video, photos & stories
• Enhanced navigation capabilities

“This is an exciting new era for golf in Canada with so many dynamic young players and a growing number of members and marquee events,” said Mark Silver, President of Stadium Digital. “It has been wonderful working with the team at Golf Canada and the provincial golf associations to develop a new platform and content hub to serve golf lovers and fuel Canada’s passion for golf for years to come.”

Stadium Digital has confirmed that work is already underway to build other Canadian provincial golf associations into the platform and that they are ultimately planning to extend the model to other national sports associations.

TORONTO – Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting culminated on Saturday, February 25^th with the election of Roland A. Deveau of Bedford, N.S., to serve a second term as the National Sport Federation’s President.

Deveau’s election to serve a second term is historic as he joins Alfred Collyer (1930-31), F.A. Rolph (1915-1919), A.W. Austin (1907 & 1910) and Col. George A. Sweny (1898, 1901 & 1909) as only the fifth President to serve multiple or consecutive terms since the association’s formation in 1895.

The nomination for Deveau to serve a second term was put forth by Golf Canada’s Nominating Committee and supported by the Board of Directors as the association works through a leadership transition to hire a CEO successor to Scott Simmons who stepped down earlier this month after 10 years. Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer is currently serving in the role as interim CEO with a new CEO expected to be named in April 2017.

Deveau will lead a Board of Directors that includes Calgary’s Leslie Dunning as first vice-president and Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que., as second vice-president. Other Board members include Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C., Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg, Man., Don MacKay of Bracebridge, Ont., and Allison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B., as well as past president Paul McLean of King, Ont. and new Directors Tom Sears of Port Hope, Ont. and David Atkinson of Vancouver, B.C.

“I am humbled to accept the nomination to serve a second term as the President of this great organization,” said Deveau.  “I do so recognizing that it is a privilege to represent a membership of more than 307,000 golfers at 1,400 member clubs and an honour to work with our provincial, national and international association partners for the betterment of this great sport.”

Annual Report, Financial Statements & Strategic Plan

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2016 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the association’s 2016 Financial Statements.

Click here for Golf Canada’s 2017 Strategic Plan, outlining the key activities that Golf Canada is focused on as the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf in the country.

Bill Klein and George McLeod honoured with Volunteer of the Year Award

Bill Klein of Parksville, B.C. and George McLeod of Brandon, Man. were recognized as Golf Canada’s 2016 co-recipients of the Volunteer of the Year. This marks the 11^th year in which the association has honoured volunteers for their efforts and commitment to grow the game in their community.

Click here for more on Volunteer of the Year honourees Bill Klein and George McLeod.

In addition to appointing its new president and members to the Board of Directors, the association presented details of its strategic plan and gathered with stakeholders from the provincial golf associations as well as national and international association partners including the R&A and USGA.  The AGM also celebrated accomplishments from the previous year, including a tribute to former CEO Scott Simmons.

Volunteer duo to be recognized during Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting

Toronto (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Bill Klein of Parkville, B.C. along with George McLeod of Brandon, Man. have been named co-recipients of Golf Canada’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year.

The pair will be acknowledged during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 25^th at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel.

“Volunteers are the driving force behind the success of golf in this country and we are proud to recognize both Bill Klein and George McLeod for their long tenured support of Canadian golf,” said Golf Canada President Roland Deveau. “Both of these deserving individuals have given back to the game at the provincial and national level and have been proud ambassadors for our sport in their communities.”

Each year in Canada, tens of thousands of committed volunteers help to support the game of golf in communities from coast to coast.

Now in its 11^th year, candidates for Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community.

BILL KLEIN – Parksville, B.C.

Bill Klein of Parksville, B.C. has been a volunteer with Golf Canada for more than 20 years. He originally got involved with the organization while living in Saskatchewan, during a period with Golf Saskatchewan the included successive terms as the President of Golf Saskatchewan in 1995 and 1996.

He continued to volunteer in golf after moving from Saskatchewan to Parkville, B.C. Although he enjoys living on Vancouver Island, the former police officer is fiercely proud of his roots in Regina, Sask.

A former governor with Golf Canada and past Board member with BC Golf, Klein has been a strong supporter of Canadian golf and mainstay on Golf Canada’s championship duty roster—often serving as Tournament Chair—whenever events are conducted on Vancouver Island.

He has a positive influence on his fellow volunteers and is tremendously popular among the players and guests at championships.  Klein also makes it a point to thank all the event volunteers and club staff, and goes out of his way to make sure players enjoy their championship experience.

After fighting a devastating bought of cancer two years ago, he remains a passionate supporter of the game. He served as both Tournament Chair and member of the host club committee for the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship. That event that marked the eighth time since 2010 that he served as Tournament Chair for a Golf Canada Championship on Vancouver Island including the Canadian Men’s Amateur (2013); the Canadian Women’s Amateur (2011); the Canadian University/College Championship (2012 & 2016); the Future Links Pacific Championship (2012 & 2015); the Canadian Women’s Tour (2014); and the Canadian Women’s Senior (2010).

In addition to championships, Klein has served on numerous other committees during his volunteer tenure with Golf Canada, BC Golf and Golf Saskatchewan. His passion and enthusiasm exemplify the spirit of volunteerism that drives the game of golf in communities across Canada.

GEORGE MCLEOD – Brandon, Man.

George McLeod of Brandon, Man. began volunteering in the 1980’s as a Rural Representative for the Wheat City Golf Club with the Manitoba Golf Association (MGA). He was then nominated and elected to the Board of the Manitoba Golf Association in 1985.

During his 20 year tenure on the Board, he volunteered on nearly every MGA committee and eventually served as President from 2002 through 2004. He was the last President of the MGA and the first President of the amalgamated Golf Manitoba. He was also instrumental in the formation and inauguration of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

Nationally, he served with Golf Canada as Manitoba’s Class “C” Governor for 10 years. He assisted with the association’s amalgamation with the former Canadian Ladies Golf Association (CLGA) and served on numerous committees over his 10 years as a Governor. Following Golf Canada’s governance change in 2011, he became a member of the association’s Governors Council, served on the Membership Committee and was Chair of the Canadian Turf Grass Research Foundation until 2015.

For more than 30 years, McLeod has been a Rules Official, Course Rater, Starter, Scorer and Tournament Chair with both Golf Manitoba and Golf Canada.

In 2016, he was honoured as the recipient of Golf Manitoba’s Volunteer Distinguished Service Award for his long tenured service to both Golf Manitoba and the Manitoba Ladies Golf Association and his commitment to amateur golf in Manitoba and North West Manitoba.

He has gone above and beyond the expectations of a volunteer, has been an advocate for the game and has been a positive influence on his many fellow volunteers.

Roland Deveau of Bedford, N.S., nominated to serve a second term as Golf Canada President

TORONTO – Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is set for this week (February 23-25) at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel in Toronto.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, committee volunteers and staff as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations and stakeholders from within the golf industry including international representatives from the R&A and USGA. The group will assemble for three days of meetings, presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

The Annual General Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Roland A. Deveau of Bedford, N.S., to serve a second term as the National Sport Federation’s volunteer President. Deveau joins Alfred Collyer (1930-31), F.A. Rolph (1915-1919), Col. George A. Sweeney (1898, 1901 & 1909) and A.W. Austin (1907 & 1910) as the fifth President to serve multiple or consecutive terms.

Deveau’s nomination to serve a second term was supported by Golf Canada’s Nominating Committee and Board of Directors as the association works through a leadership transition to hire a CEO successor to Scott Simmons who stepped down earlier this month after 10 years. Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer is currently serving in the role as interim CEO and a new CEO is expected to be named in April 2017.

The formal appointment of Deveau as President along with the release of the association’s 2016 financial statements will take place during Golf Canada’s official Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 25^th at 5:00pm ET.

As part of the AGM, Golf Canada will also present its Volunteer of the Year Award in acknowledgment of outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada. In addition, the association will pay tribute to Simmons’ tenure as Golf Canada’s CEO.

A full itinerary of presentations taking place during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting is available here.

A copy of Golf Canada’s 2017 Strategic Plan is available here.

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 307,500 golfers and more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

As 2016 comes to a close, I would like to thank you for supporting the game of golf through your membership with Golf Canada and your provincial golf association.

Your 2016 dues are being invested back into the sport:

• Golf in Schools now delivering its curriculum to 3,108 schools across Canada
• Future Links welcomed 85,000 junior golfers at 536 participating facilities
• 145 Golf Fore the Cure events conducted across Canada raised $354,000 in support of breast cancer research
• National, provincial and regional golf competitions
• Course and Slope Rating; Rules and Handicap seminars; coach training and certification
• Preservation of golf history and heritage through the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum

It was exciting to see so many members engaged in the sport this past season:

• A membership base that includes close to 310,000 golfers across the country
• Golf Canada members posted more than 7 million scores following rounds at member golf clubs
• The average member golfer enjoyed approximately 20 rounds this season
• 35 million page visits on Golf Canada’s website – the #1 source for Canadian golf news

Team Canada athletes continue to inspire on the global golf stage—Jared du Toit’s run at the RBC Canadian Open; Hugo Bernard capturing his first Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship; Mackenzie Hughes’ incredible season that included victories on both the Web.com Tour and PGA Tour; and Brooke Henderson, the first Canadian female to win a major since Sandra Post, capturing her first LPGA Major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Golf’s return to the Olympic games for the first time in 112 years saw Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, David Hearn and Graham DeLaet proudly represent Canada in Rio de Janeiro.

Golf Canada, along with our provincial partners, are investing in the overall health of golf and that investment simply wouldn’t be possible without our members. The initiatives supported through membership dues are helping to create a new generation of golfers and life-long enthusiasts that contribute to the vitality of the sport.

Thank you for your continued support of our great game.

Sincerely,
Scott

Not a Golf Canada member? Click here to learn more.

OTTAWA – The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) took to Parliament Hill to conduct their National Golf Day and meeting with Parliamentarians to discuss the business of golf in Canada.

“Golf is one of Canada’s most beloved sports with more people playing the game than any other sport,” said Scott Simmons, NAGA Chair and Golf Canada CEO. “There are an estimated 5.7 million Canadian golfers and there are 2,400 golf courses and practice ranges in Canada and the industry contributes more than $14 billion to the GDP per year.”

While golf continues to be a favourite pastime for Canadians, it’s important to note that the small businesses involved in the golf industry have felt the impact of the weak economy over the past several years. Both participation rates and employment have significantly decreased. The outdated federal tax legislation ‎that places all golf businesses at an unfair competitive disadvantage can no longer be sustained.

“Golf is the most effective option for business people investing in client relations to generate sales and employment” states Jeff Calderwood, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada. “The income tax act properly allows for those necessary expenses applied to all competing industries such as restaurants, concerts, spectator sports, all other participation sports, theatre, concerts and more. But client golf is not permitted due to a 45 year old section of the Act that was written at a time when golf was a small niche market for the wealthy. It’s now 2016 and golf is not only the most popular participation sport but also the most valuable client entertainment option for businesses.”

To avoid this unfair disadvantage on such an important small business industry, the same 50% deduction must be applied to expenses incurred when taking client guests to the golf course. This will not include golf memberships. Calderwood notes that the expression “more business done on the golf course than in the boardroom” is well known due to the effectiveness of client golf. “But we can only provide those benefits if the Income Tax Act allows us an equal opportunity to all other industries”.

“The Minister of Finance is currently engaged in a review of Canada’s tax expenditures, to ensure that they are fair and effective,” concluded Calderwood. “Our recommendation is for just that: fairness. Current tax law imposes a significant burden on our industry which is already hurting from weak economic growth. We are a collection of small businesses who are simply asking to be treated fairly.”

On June 1, Mr. Tilson, MP for Dufferin — Caledon, introduced a Private Member’s Bill which would allow businesses who are entertaining clients on the golf course the same 50% deduction enjoyed by competing hospitality industries.

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada joins the international golf community in mourning the loss of golf legend Arnold Palmer who passed away on September 25, 2016 at the age of 87.

Affectionately known as ‘The King’, Palmer, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in the history of golf.

“On behalf of the entire Canadian golf community, we are extremely saddened by the loss of a legend and would like to express our most sincere condolences on the passing of Arnold Palmer,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “Mr. Palmer meant so much to the game both on and off the golf course and his influence on the sport has had an immeasurable impact. His legacy reflects a storied champion, business leader, mentor, philanthropist, visionary and a true gentleman. We are extremely proud of Mr. Palmer’s special connection to Canadian golf and join the international golf and sporting communities in celebrating the life of arguably the finest ambassador golf has ever known.”

Palmer competed in 17 Canadian Opens during his storied playing career (1955-1958, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1971-1979).

His victory at the 1955 Canadian Open at Weston Golf and Country Club was his first career PGA Tour victory. A statue of Palmer’s Canadian Open win at Weston – based on a photograph by Gordon W. Powley – was erected in 2005 to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the historic victory.

Including his win at the 1955 Canadian Open, Palmer earned seven Top-10 finishes at Canada’s National Open Championship (T9 in 1956; 2^nd in 1964; 7^th in 1967; T10 in 1973; 4^th in 1975; and T8 in 1978).

He also competed in a pair of Canadian Senior Opens, finishing tied for 12^th in 1983 and tied for 58^th in 1996.

As well, Palmer played in the PGA of Canada Championship on four occasions, including a victory in 1980; 6^th in 1978; T49 in 1981; and T12 in 1983.

A global ambassador and proponent for golf as a charitable platform, Palmer delivered the keynote address to help celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Canadian Open in 2004.

NOTE TO MEDIA – photos of Arnold Palmer from the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame are available to download here.

Palmer made mark on Canadian golf, including first PGA Tour win in 1955

Bill Paul recalls meeting Arnold Palmer in 1981 and being just as impressed with the man as the golf legend.

“I was maybe 22 and he was whatever (52),” Paul, former tournament director of the Canadian Open and now Golf Canada’s Chief Championships Officer, said Monday. “I remember it because he’s the king of golf and I’m this little peon, but he treated me like I was anybody else.

“He treated everyone the same. And every time I’d meet him after that, he remembered me and knew my name.”

Many people who met Palmer, who died Sunday in a Pittsburgh hospital, have similar stories about the King, who went from being a caddie to one of the greatest names in the sport but never seemed to forget where he came from.

Palmer certainly left his mark on Canada, and not only for the courses he helped design like the Whistler Golf Club or Northview in Surrey, B.C.

The Latrobe, Pa., native posted the first of his 62 PGA Tour victories in 1955 at the Weston Golf and Country Club near Toronto. Palmer was a Tour rookie that year and traveled between tournaments by car with his first wife Winnie. The couple camped in a field behind the superintendent’s shed at Weston.

Then he blew away the pack en route to a four-stroke win and the top prize of $2,400.

“Things came together pretty much for me in this Canadian Open and it got me started on the winning trail,” Palmer said of the win.

In 2004, Paul invited him to help celebrate the Canadian Open’s 100th anniversary and was stunned when the four-time Masters champion said “I’ll go to the Canadian Open and I’d like to speak at it.”

“When he said ‘yes’ it was unbelievable,” said Paul.

A year later, Palmer was back at Weston to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his first PGA win, which included playing in a skins game with Dave Barr, Ray Floyd and Mark Calcavecchia. A statue of Palmer hugging the trophy was unveiled at the course.

Palmer went on to become one of golf’s all-time greats and was credited with sparking the sport’s mass appeal at a time when the game had just started to be shown on television.

He also led the way for other athletes in capitalizing on his fame and achievements by launching a clothing line, a golf course design company, helping start the IMG sports agency and other ventures.

“As promoters and organizers we all tip out hats to Mr. Palmer for what he meant to sports and what he showed in his life,” said Paul.

Here’s video of Arnold Palmer’s 1955 Canadian Open victory courtesy the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Archives.

Also, here’s video of Palmer speaking at the 100th playing of the Canadian Open.