Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada, has announced early retirement plans starting later this summer the association’s President announced in a news release Tuesday.

“It is with a strong sense of impending loss that I inform you of the decision by our Chief Executive Officer to take early retirement. Effective July 31, 2017, Gary Bernard will leave his post as Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada to focus on his health, his family, and to pursue lifestyle dreams,“ Steve Wood, President of the PGA of Canada wrote in an email to members released Tuesday.

“Gary has been with us 14-years, and has been CEO since 2010. During that time, he has significantly strengthened our financial position, our education program and our brand. He has brought the PGA of Canada to a position where it is regarded as being among the most respected in the world.”

Wood, Director of Golf Operations and Head Professional at St. Boniface Golf Club in Manitoba, said that the CEO’s departure is not related to, nor would it alter, the association’s current evolutionary process. “We have been in a change process for several years and we are confident that we will emerge from this process better equipped to serve our members and drive our brand. Gary is leaving us in a strong position financially, with a healthy and vibrant membership base, one of the best training programs and insurance packages in the business and a trained and experienced national office team capable of maintaining operations.”

“The golf landscape is shifting dramatically due to lifestyle realities that have the potential to impact every organization in the channel. We are looking at those shifts, at our operations, at our professional skill sets and assets to implant a business model that will best meet those realities and enable us to better serve our members.”

“Gary is an energetic and strong leader and a loyal and committed friend to the PGA of Canada and he will be missed,” Wood said.

Established in 1911, the PGA of Canada is the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world. The PGA of Canada is a non-profit Association comprised of 3,700 golf professionals across the country.

Since joining the PGA of Canada as a National Education Learning Facilitator in 1995, Gary Bernard moved up the education ranks to become the association’s Chief Executive Officer in 2010. He took over operational management of the PGA of Canada following the 2009 recession and embarked upon a significant financial turn-around, guiding the PGA of Canada to record seven consecutive years of surplus.

His Masters degree in Education has heavily influenced his management style. Staff training and development and Board development and leadership training have been hallmarks of his management. Turning his training skills to membership performance, he increased the conversion rate of ELITE Cohorts into “Class A” designation. He introduced a new professional development platform, which has received strong support from golf teaching professionals. He is a strong believer in the use of technology to deliver operational efficiencies.  Under his tenure, his team implemented the PGA of Canada digital magazine; became the first to use drones to enhance the broadcast of PGA of Canada events and has maximized the use of social media to strategic advantage.

He is a past Chairman of the National Allied Golf Association.

ACTON, ON. —The PGA of Canada is proud to announce RBC as the new title sponsor of the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada.

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country. All RBC PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final later this year with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at one of Canada’s greatest golf courses.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than RBC for this national grass-roots series of events,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Their commitment to the game of golf in this country is fantastic and we look forward to growing the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada in communities across Canada.”

As part of the partnership, RBC staff will interact and engage with golfers at the local events, market the scramble with in-branch advertising at select RBC locations across the country and utilize Team RBC autographed merchandise for giveaways all season.

“We are thrilled to support grassroots golf initiatives like the RBC PGA Scramble in communities across the country, providing thousands of amateur players the opportunity to compete at a higher level,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice President, Brand Marketing RBC. “This is just another example of how RBC works together with the PGA of Canada to create exceptional events to support the growth of golf in Canada.”

RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp, Nick Taylor and Brandt Snedeker.

For those qualifying to play out of their regional qualifier, the RBC PGA Scramble National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime. The 54-hole championship at one of Canada’s premier venues will be part of a festival of special events, prizing, activations and a chance to interact with celebrities.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada, please click here.

Update: Gordon de Laat passed away at the age of 100 in November of 2017

Canada’s oldest golf professional, Gordon de Laat, turns 100 this year, a milestone as remarkable as the legends he’s encountered.

Not only is July 1st a historic day in Canada but it’s also an historic day in the career of Gordon de Laat.

On that day in 1927, the young Dutch boy ventured over to Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto eager to make a buck. He came away with only 20 cents but it was still his first paid job in the game, having carried a member’s bag for nine holes while all the other kids were off celebrating the jubilee.

Slowly but surely the hardworking immigrant climbed the ranks at Lambton and beyond. He learned the game, the rules and how to conduct himself with class and dignity at all times.

As he approaches his 100th birthday on April 11th, Canada’s oldest golf professional still embodies those same qualities. He’s friendly, courteous and eager to regale in the stories of his past. And boy, are there many.

Like the days he spent shagging balls at the Lambton range for George S. Lyon. Like when he met Bobby Jones at the Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta. Like when he sat and watched Ben Hogan hit balls for an hour and a half in 1960. Like when he played with Sam Snead or Bob Hope, just a few of the many iconic figures he rubbed shoulders with through the years.

The tales extend beyond golf too. De Laat skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs practice squad for a few years as well, playing alongside Punch Imlach and Stafford Smythe, and was part of the Aurora Army’s 1943 Ontario Hockey Association championship team. The 5-7, 145-lb. right-winger was a speedy sniper, once potting nine goals in a game and leading the team in scoring for four seasons.

Golf was his true passion though. He paid close attention to the club professionals who had come over from Scotland at the time and soaked up every word they said.

“They taught the game and there was no fooling around,” he explained. “Do it his way or get going.”

Having graduated from a B caddie to an A caddie thanks to his hustle and tenacity, Lambton’s head pro Willie Lamb took de Laat under his wing. Lamb, who had been mentored by Percy Barrett, who himself was mentored by Harry Vardon, showed de Laat the ropes of club cleaning, club repairing and instruction. He developed de Laat into a valuable junior assistant pro and an improving player too.

De Laat never possessed the natural ability of his counterparts but was, and still is, committed to practising. It’s the key to his exceptional, creative short game and what helped the PGA of Canada’s longest serving member capture the Toronto District assistants’ championship in 1938 and a spot in the first of his 15 Canadian Opens in 1941.

Always one to pave his own way, de Laat moved on from Lambton after that. He enjoyed a brief stint as an assistant at Lakeview Golf Club and then some time out of the golf industry during the Second World War. But the 1944 Millar Trophy Match-Play Championship was arguably the turning point in his career.

He pooled all his money together just to compete, entering as a huge underdog in the match play bracket. One by one, de Laat defeated all the higher seeds he faced — earning the nickname “The Giant Killer” — until the final, which he lost 6&4 to his friend Bill Kerr.

That run to the Millar Trophy final got him noticed, and he accepted a head professional position at Pine Point Golf Club. Then in 1948, three seasons into his tenure there, he agreed to take over as head professional at nearby Weston Golf and Country Club, a post he would remain at for 30 years.

Gord de Laat (second from left) engaged with many golf icons during his career, including Sam Snead (far right), winner of 82 PGA TOUR events

He was the consummate club pro, always treating the game and members with respect. It earned him countless friends, like Arnold Palmer, who won the 1955 Canadian Open at Weston, and Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to tee it up on the PGA Tour. De Laat was good enough to play with them, but he was just a little bit short of what it took to be a tour pro and beat them.

Something else was also nagging at him: The idea to establish his own club. Twenty-three years after putting $15,000 down on a piece of land in Caledon, Ont. — which he did on the Monday after the ’55 Open in which he played all four rounds — the longtime club professional founded Mayfield Golf Club in 1978.

“I had nine children and we had to keep them busy, so we built a golf course!” he laughed. “And one day on the first of April we started, then got the farmers to help us, working in teams. Land was ploughed and developed and in the first year we had nine holes going.”

Growing up as an immigrant, de Laat didn’t have any access to the game. Mayfield, which grew to 27 holes in 2004, was always intended to be a public facility and still remains so.

Three of his kids — Christopher, Gregory and Paul — have taken over the day-to-day operations of the family business but dad still likes to interact with people in the clubhouse and sit in on the odd management meeting, when he’s not practising on the range.

His kids say he’s always been active and busy, which has likely contributed to his resilient health. But his achievements after sailing into Halifax’s Pier 21 in 1924 are just as unparalleled. Gord de Laat has given golf in this country nearly 90 years of service. Asked what golf and Canada have given to him, he simply says, “A way of life.”

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

The final round of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship saw numerous lead changes, but a birdie on the last hole gave American Chris Ward the win.

Standing on the tee of the final hole, Ward was tied with fellow American and clubhouse leader Jimmy Lytle at 4-under. Ward’s tee shot sailed over the flag, setting up the birdie opportunity from about six feet.

“I had a pretty good idea that putt on the last was for the win,” Ward said. “For a six-foot putt I had to play it outside of the hole, so luckily I hit it at the right pace and it turned at the end to fall in the hole.”

With the win, Ward will take home not only the champion’s first place prize money of $10,000 (USD), but a ton of confidence and experience as well.

“I was fortunate enough to play in the final group today with Chip Beck and learned so many invaluable things just from watching him,” Ward said. “I actually thought I was going to be more nervous today, but Chip’s such an easy-going guy that it made it really easy for me to stay calm.”

Beck, the four-time PGA Tour winner and three-time American Ryder Cup member, lead heading into Saturday’s final round, but slipped on Satuday to T8 for championship.

Lytle finished just one-shot back, while PGA of Canada member Oliver Tubb rounded out the top-three at 3-under. PGA Tour veteran Tom Gillis, 19-time Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson, former PGA Tour member David Morland IV and American Michael Murray all finished T4.

For the full leaderboard, click here.

With radiant sun and little-to-no wind, conditions were ideal for Saturday’s final round and players definitely appreciated it.

“This golf course is just awesome and the greens are about as pure as any that I’ve putted on in many years,” Tubb said.

Fellow PGA of Canada member Mark Kitts, who tied the course record Saturday with a 4-under-par 50, agreed with Tubb’s thoughts of Turtle Hill Golf Club.

“This is just a gem of a par-3 golf course,” Kitts said. “You’re staying at the Fairmont, the weather is perfect and it’s way better than being back home in the cold.”

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

Spencer Wideman of Bermuda captured the men’s amateur championship, while Tariqah Walikraam, also of Bermuda, won the women’s amateur championship. A third Bermudian, Craig Christensen took home the senior men’s championship.

Past champions of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour, Thomas Curtis and last year’s winner from Brazil, Rafael Becker.

[SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA] – The GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship kicks off this Thursday at the Fairmont Southampton’s Turtle Hill Golf Club in Bermuda.

This year’s 36-hole championship, which takes place March 17-18, sees a number of impressive professional golfers from across the globe compete for the title and their share of the $75,000 (USD) purse.

“We’ve got some amazing talent from all across the world teeing it up this week for the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship,” said tournament director Adam LeBrun. “At the risk of sounding cliché, it really is a wide open championship and any one of the numerous nice players in the field could hoist the trophy at the end of the weekend.”

The field includes four-time PGA Tour winner, three-time American Ryder Cup member and one of only six players who have shot 59 on the PGA Tour, Chip Beck; Golf Channel analyst and WEB.COM winner Charlie Rymer; 19-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, LPGA Tour winner three times and eight-time European Solheim Cup member, Trish Johnson; WEB.COM winner and former PGA TOUR member Tom Gillis; local Bermudian favourites Daniel Augustus, Michael Sims and Camiko Smith; and the PGA of Canada’s No. 3-ranked player Oliver Tubb.

For the full field and first round tee times, click here.

Players in this year’s GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship also have an opportunity to win $1-million (USD). Sponsored by Greg Norman Apparel and the Fairmont Southampton, the $1-million hole-in-one shootout will feature two professional and two amateur golfers.

“Adding this exciting element to the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship rounds out one of the best—and most fun—tournaments in Bermuda,” says Turtle Hill Golf Club’s director of golf Paul Adams. “The possibility of someone becoming an instant millionaire with just one swing of the club is electrifying.”

Professional and amateur participants will compete in two closest-to-the-hole contests (on Nos. 9 and 18) during Friday’s first round, with the four winners (two professionals and two amateurs) participating in the $1-million shootout later that evening on No. 18.

The $1-million shootout will be live streamed through the PGA of Canada’s Facebook page.

Past champions of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour, Thomas Curtis and last year’s winner from Brazil, Rafael Becker.

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

It is with great sadness the family of James F. “Jim” Connolly, husband to Pamela (Godin) Connolly announces his death surrounded by family on January 15, 2017 at the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Jim has been a staple at Riverside Country Club in Rothesay for nearly 60 years. He began his career as an employee of the golf shop in 1959. As his passion for the game grew, so too did his love of Riverside and the members and guests who came to play the course. Jim was intent on learning all he could about golf, including the mechanics of how to teach the game. This dedication earned Jim the position of Assistant Golf Pro at Riverside in 1968, then on to becoming Head Professional in 1978 until his recent retirement in 2015.

Read the full article at the PGA of Canada’s website.