24 professionals join the previously announced 28 amateur golfers to complete the Team Canada roster for the 2025 season

Emerging Professional Players of the Year Award,
presented by Andrew Cook announced

OAKVILLE, ON – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of 24 professional athletes that will be part of the 2025 men’s and women’s Team Canada squads.

The Team Canada program supports a group of experienced amateur golfers on the path towards professional golf along with a group of young professional golfers who are building their careers as touring pros. Athletes are selected based on results from the previous calendar year. The professional players will join the seven women and two men previously selected to Team Canada as amateurs in addition to the Team Canada – NextGen members that were announced last fall.

With players choosing to turn professional at different points in the season, an athlete’s involvement in the Team Canada program including financial support continues during their transition from amateur to professional golf. 

“We are proud to announce our full roster of professional and amateur players for the upcoming season and look forward to supporting their development and journeys to the LPGA and PGA TOUR,” said Emily Phoenix, Director of High Performance, Golf Canada. “The continued success of Canadian golf would not be possible without our generous donors and corporate partners who share our passion for supporting our nation’s developing talent.”

The women’s professional team features eight returning players including: Brigitte Thibault, Brooke Rivers, Ellie Szeryk, Leah John, Maddie Szeryk, Monet Chun, Savannah Grewal and Yeji Kwon. Also joining the pro group this season is Anna Huang who announced her decision to turn pro last month. Huang will remain on the Team Canada – NextGen squad this season.

Four team members won last season, two of which before they turned professional. John won three times in her senior year at the University of Nevada. Chun was the co-medalist in the Big Ten Championship and added one additional win to close her collegiate career at the University of Michigan. Ellie Szeryk won her first professional event, claiming the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series which also earned her an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open, where she made the cut. Kwon was also victorious, winning the Genesis of Conway Central Arkansas Open as part of the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour. Thibault, Rivers, John, Maddie Szeryk, and Chun will all be competing on the Epson Tour this season while Grewal re-earned her LPGA Tour card for 2025.

The men’s professional team features 15 returning players for the upcoming season including: AJ Ewart, Brady McKinlay, Brendan MacDougall, Chris Crisologo, Étienne Papineau, Jared du Toit, Joey Savoie, Johnny Travale, Matthew Anderson, Myles Creighton, Noah Steele, Piercen Hunt, Stuart Macdonald, Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Thomas Giroux.

Last season, Anderson won the ECP Brazil Open, Macdonald won the Diners Club Peru Open and Ewart won the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open, all on PGA TOUR Americas. Ewart added another win at the Sandpiper Open as part of the Vancouver Golf Tour. The 2025 season got off to a strong start for Yellamaraju, who won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour. Yellamaraju along with Papineau, Anderson, Creighton and Macdonald will be competing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season. Ewart, Macdougall, Crisologo, Savoie, Steele and Giroux all have status on PGA TOUR Americas for 2025.

Team Canada – Women

(In addition to the seven players selected during the amateur selection process in the fall)

Team Canada – Men

(In addition to the two players selected during the amateur selection process in the fall)

As previously announced, the coaching staff for the men’s and women’s Team Canada squads will return in full for the 2025 season. Team Canada – Women will be led by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach Salimah Mussani (Vancouver, B.C.) and Associate Coach Jennifer Greggain (Deep Bay, B.C.). The Women’s Team is supported by Mental Performance Coach Judy Goss (Toronto, Ont.) as well as Strength and Conditioning Coach Andrea Kosa (Calgary, Alta.).

Team Canada – Men will be led by Head Coach Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and Assistant Coaches Louis Melanson (Moncton, N.B.) and Benoit Lemieux (Montréal, Que.), along with Mental Performance Coach Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood (Winnipeg, Man.) and Strength and Conditioning Coach Greg Redman (Kelowna, B.C.).

For full Team Canada bios and additional information, please click here.

For the Team Canada – NextGen and Team Canada amateur squad announcement, please click here.

Golf Canada’s player development program provides individualized training and competition support to athletes on their journey to the LPGA and PGA TOUR. National team coaches work with athletes and their personal support teams to develop annual training plans and identify areas where impact can be made to help athletes improve in all areas of their game. Athletes are also supported by a comprehensive sport science team that includes mental performance, physical conditioning, and mental health supports. The players are brought together regularly for training camps where they receive support from national team coaches and sport science staff, and train with their peers. Team Canada members also receive access to training hubs in Phoenix, Ariz. and the recently opened facility at Cabot Citrus Farms in Brooksville, Fla. where they can train and live during the winter months.

Team Canada is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Hilton, Puma, Foresight, Golf Canada Foundation and Sport Canada.

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Golf Canada Foundation is also proud to announce Savannah Grewal and Matthew Anderson as the recipients of the Emerging Professional Players of the Year Award, presented by Andrew Cook for the 2024 season. In 2020, Andrew Cook, a proud trustee of the Golf Canada Foundation, and past president of Golf Canada, established a $20,000 annual fund to recognize a top male and top female emerging Canadian professional golfer. Past recipients include current PGA TOUR member Taylor Pendrith, Korn Ferry Tour members Wil Bateman and Stuart Macdonald, and LPGA Tour members Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Maddie Szeryk.

“We are pleased to name Savannah and Matthew as the Emerging Professional Players of the Year,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “We are incredibly grateful to Andrew Cook for his continued support of the Team Canada program and this annual award. It makes a huge difference to help our players on their journey to the highest levels of professional golf.”

Grewal, who has now won the award in back-to-back years, competed in 21 events on the LPGA Tour in 2024, making 10 cuts and earning a T4 finish at the Blue Bay LPGA in March. Grewal retained her LPGA Tour card for 2025 after finishing in the top 100 in the Race to CME Globe standings.

Anderson enjoyed a successful season on PGA TOUR Americas, earning six top-10 finishes including one win along with a runner-up and two third place finishes, while making 14 cuts in 16 events. Anderson was the top Canadian on PGA TOUR Americas and finished third on the season-long points race to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2025.

Team Canada NextGen member Anna Huang has announced that she has decided to turn professional.

Huang 16, of Vancouver, B.C. has been a member of the Team Canada NextGen program the previous two seasons. She was part of Team Canada’s victory at the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in Brampton, Ont., the first gold medal for Canada at the tournament since its inception in 2014. She also finished second individually at 4-under.

“This milestone would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my incredible family, team, and coaches who have guided and encouraged me every step of the way. I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Golf Canada for providing me with the opportunities and resources to grow as both a person and a player. Thank you to Jen Ha, Jeff MacDonald, and my amazing teammates for the lifelong memories that I will cherish forever,” said Anna Huang. “Competing as a professional golfer has always been a dream of mine, and I am so excited to embark on this new chapter of my journey.” 

Last season, Huang earned a number of top finishes including a T2 finish at the Mizuho Americas Open, a tournament that allows the top 24 ranked junior girls on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Tour to compete alongside a full field of LPGA stars. Huang also earned a T2 finish at the Nike Junior Invitational, a second-place finish at The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series which earned her an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. She also finished T7 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and a T4 at The Elite Invitational. Huang has two additional wins from the Toyota Tour Cup at Oak Valley (2022) and the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational (2023).

“Since Anna joined the Team Canada – NextGen squad two years ago she has always carried herself in a professional manner and has impressive skills beyond her years. Anna’s ability to excel under pressure is notable and has led to remarkable finishes including her second-place result at the World Junior Girls Championship, which secured the first ever gold medal for Team Canada in the event,” said Jeff MacDonald, Head Coach, Team Canada – NextGen (Girls). “We are excited to continue our support of Anna as she embarks on her professional career and will be cheering her on as she represents Canada on the Ladies European Tour.”

Last month, Huang competed in the 2024 Lalla Aicha Q-School in Marrakech, Morocco where she earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season.

Huang will be making her professional debut on the Ladies European Tour in the coming weeks.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju, of Mississauga, Ont., took a major step toward his PGA Tour dream on Wednesday by winning the second event of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, golf’s premier feeder circuit.

The 23-year-old won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club by five shots over runners-up Russell Knox and Kensei Hirata. Yellamaraju fired a final-round 64 — the lowest score of the day — and shattered the tournament scoring record by seven shots.

He became the third Canadian to win the event, following Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., in 2018 and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., in 2023. Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, Yellamaraju pulled away to secure the biggest win of his career.

“It feels great. It feels good that the hard work and all the hours I’ve put in, me and my parents, has paid off,” Yellamaraju told reporters in the Bahamas. 

Yellamaraju was born in India and his family immigrated to Winnipeg when he was four. He moved to the Greater Toronto Area when he was 11. Yellamaraju won the Ontario Amateur at 16 but did not go to college in the United States, saying Wednesday he didn’t get enough money via scholarships to make it work. He instead turned pro immediately after finishing high school. 

Yellamaraju, part of Golf Canada’s National Team, is the second Canadian in three weeks to capture a men’s golf title after Nick Taylor won the Sony Open in Hawaii, the second event of the 2025 PGA Tour season. Taylor took to social media to congratulate his countryman, while fellow Canadian Korn Ferry Tour pros Matthew Anderson and Etienne Papineau were greenside in the Bahamas for a big celebration. 

Golf Canada men’s national team head coach Derek Ingram describes Yellamaraju’s game as “really consistent” from tee to green. Coupled with a solid short game, a deep passion for golf, and a “tremendous work ethic,” Ingram believes Yellamaraju has the makings of another Canadian PGA Tour star.

Yellamaraju played on PGA Tour Americas in 2022 and 2023 before earning Korn Ferry Tour status in 2024. He finished 99th in the season-long points list last year. 

He had to return to the first stage of the tour’s qualifying school in the fall after falling short in the season-long points race. However, he battled his way to the final stage, where he finished tied for 36th. Placing inside the top 40 earned him eight guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.

It only took him two to take full advantage. 

“There’s tension, there’s pressure, but I just kept my head down, kept playing. One shot at a time. I wanted to play good shots,” Yellamaraju said. “I wasn’t completely calm obviously. Once I saw the scoreboard and I saw I had a five-shot lead heading into the last hole I knew I was fine.” 

Yellamaraju didn’t miss a green or fairway in his tidy final-round effort, going 5-under on his first nine holes before settling into a groove and bringing the trophy home.

“I just wanted to play good shots. I just wanted to shoot as low as possible and I think I did a pretty good job,” Yellamaraju said with a laugh. 

With only 20 PGA Tour cards on the line this year — there were 30 available the last two seasons — Yellamaraju knows that every shot counts this year more than ever. 

It’s been a non-traditional journey for Yellamaraju, who is largely self-taught. He learned the game by watching YouTube and golf on TV, with his father, Suresh, serving as his watchful second set of eyes.

Wednesday, Yellamaraju said, was his father’s birthday. 

“It’s rare to have a tournament, in January, where we play a final round, on his birthday. It just all fell into place,” Yellamaraju said.

“I guess it was just all meant to be.”    

About Sudarshan Yellamaraju

• Captures first career Korn Ferry Tour victory in his 29th start on Tour
• Fourth time the 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
• Becomes the 20th Canadian to win on the Korn Ferry Tour; third to win The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club (Adam Svensson/2018; Ben Silverman/2023)
• At 25-under 263, breaks the previous 72-hole tournament scoring record of 270; shared by Jared Wolfe (2020), Brandon Harkins (2022) and Zecheng Dou (2022)
• Moves to No. 2 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Sixth winner under the age of 24 years old to win on the Korn Ferry Tour since the start of the 2023 season
• Secured guaranteed starts in the first eight events of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season with a T36 finish at Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
• As a rookie, finished No. 99 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, logging 13 made cuts and one top-10 finish (T7/NV5 Invitational) in 25 starts
• Finished T14 at Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time
• Previously competed on PGA TOUR Canada (2022, 2023); where he made 12 cuts in 18 total starts with four top-10s
• Turned professional in 2021 and plays from Mississauga, Ontario
• Born in Visakhapatnam, India

Liu starts and ends strong to win by six

Team Canada NextGen member Shauna Liu has started the new year with a win, firing a four-day total of 8-under to win the 61st Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.

Liu of Maple, Ont. fired rounds of 64-74-72-66-276 to win by six strokes over Alexa Takai of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fellow Team Canada NextGen member, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished T14 at 11-over. On the Boys side, Canadians Emile Lebrun (Montreal, Que.) finished T7, Eric Zhao (Toronto, Ont.) finished T11 and Spencer Shropshire (Ramara, Ont.) finished T27.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Ding goes the distance to win by five

Team Canada NextGen member Clara Ding also opened 2025 in the winners’ circle, firing a three-day total of 3-under to win the Women’s Orlando International Amateur 2025 at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Ding of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 70-68-74-212 to win by five shots over Sofia Cerif Essakali of Morocco. Fellow Team Canada NextGen members, Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.) finished T3, Aphrodite Deng (Calgary, Alta.) finished sixth, Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) finished T17 and Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.) finished T38.

Other Canadians to make the cut were, Bridget Wilkie (Toronto, Ont.) who finished T20, Angela Cai (Oakville, Ont.) finished T23 and Luna Lu (Burnaby, B.C.) finished T55.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

As 2024 draws to a close, Golf Canada reflects on the stories that captivated our readers throughout the year. Here are the top 10 most-read articles that highlighted significant moments and achievements in Canadian golf:

1. Final Field released for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2. Pendrith, Conners, Hughes named to International Team for upcoming Presidents Cup

3. Golf Canada announces professional athletes named to 2024 Team Canada

4. Golf Canada releases 2024 championship schedule

5. Golf Canada announces amateur athletes named to 2025 Team Canada

6. LaunchPad Golf expands across Canada with six new locations

7. Built For This: TPC Toronto to host RBC Canadian Open in 2025

8. Canada’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open on second playoff hole

9. Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

10. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to host 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our readers and the incredible Golf Canada community. Thank you for your passion, engagement, and unwavering support throughout the year. Your love for the game inspires everything we do, and we’re honoured to share these stories with you.

Here’s to another year of unforgettable moments on the course and beyond. Thank you for being an essential part of the Golf Canada family—see you in 2025!

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) has announced its Golf Story of the Year, along with various Player of the Year awards for the 2024 season.

“GJAC is pleased to recognize Canadian professional and amateur golfers again this year with our year-end Player and Canadian Golf Story of the Year awards,” said Mike Johnny, president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. “The competitive golf landscape in Canada continues to thrive, with successes across multiple tours and levels of competition. At home, participation in the game remains high, and grassroots initiatives to expand engagement in golf are flourishing. From the Presidents Cup to the World Junior Girls Championship, to name just two, Canada is always proud to showcase the best players coming to compete on the world stage.”

Here are the Story of the Year and Players of the Year for the 2024 season:

Presidents Cup Return to Royal Montreal Named GJAC Story of the Year

The Presidents Cup returned to the Royal Montreal Golf Club, the site of Canada’s first time hosting the event in 2007. Under the leadership of International Team captain Mike Weir, two Canadians—Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith—were selected to join Canadian qualifier Corey Conners.

The Americans won the biennial competition 17–10 for their 10th straight victory.

While hosting this event in Canada was significant, it was Weir’s leadership and the numerous storylines of Canadian player participation that created positive energy among Canadian golf fans.

Taylor Pendrith Named Male Professional of the Year

Pendrith’s most successful year on tour was capped with his first PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, along with seven top-10 finishes in 2024. Advancing to the Tour Championship, Pendrith finished tied for 14th in the season-long FedEx Cup standings.

Pendrith was named to his second Presidents Cup team, playing in all five sessions and tying for the International Team lead with two points.

He ended the year ranked 47th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Brooke Henderson Named Female Professional Player of the Year

Canada’s most accomplished professional golfer was named Female Professional Player of the Year for 2024. With nine top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and her selection to Canada’s Olympic golf team, Henderson continued to lead as Canada’s top female golfer. She ended the season ranked 13th in the CME Race to the Globe standings on the LPGA Tour.

Henderson finished the year ranked 25th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.

Ashton McCulloch Named Male Amateur of the Year

McCulloch, a sophomore at Michigan State University and a member of Team Canada, had a standout season. He did not finish lower than tied for seventh in all 2024 competitions, including a victory at The Johnnie-O at Sea Island. He also qualified for the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the round of 16, while finishing second at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

McCulloch competed in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, shooting 75-75.

Lauren Kim Named Female Amateur of the Year

Kim, a sophomore at the University of Texas, capped off a successful season with a collegiate victory at the Glencoe Invitational, earning an exemption to compete in the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. She also finished tied for third at the Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship and fifth at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Kim, a member of Team Canada, is currently ranked 25th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

For more info about GJAC, visit www.gjac.ca.

Trinity, Texas – Team Canada won the bronze medal in the combined men and women’s team competition along with another bronze in the women’s team competition at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship (The Spirit) at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas on Saturday.

Team Canada was represented by Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. and coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach, Salimah Mussani of Vancouver, B.C.

In the combined team championship, Canada finished T4 at 36-under (196 women’s and 200 men’s) with Denmark. England won the combined competition firing a 44-under to take the gold medal. The Republic of Korea (Korea) and Spain finished tied for second at 39-under. Due to the ties, Korea and Spain shared the silver medal, while Canada and Denmark shared bronze.

Borovilos and Kim combined to shoot 20-under (66-63-67-196) to earn the bronze medal in the women’s team competition. Denmark finished at 23-under to win with Spain taking the silver medal at 21-under. On Friday, Canada was led by Borovilos carding six birdies and an eagle. Kim was equally as strong in Thursday’s opening round with five birdies.

In the women’s individual competition, Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain finished first with 21 points, 2024 World Junior Girls team and individual champion, Soomin Oh of Korea finished second with 20 points and Marie Madsen of Denmark finished third with 17 points. Borovilos finished T5 with 14 points and Kim finished T11 with 12 points.

McCulloch and Matthews combined to shoot 16-under (66-66-68-200) to finish 10th in the men’s team competition. Mexico and England finished tied for first at 28-under with Australia finishing third at 25-under.

Individually, Josiah Gilbert of Australia won the men’s gold medal finishing with 21 points. Omar Morales of Mexico finished second with 19 points and Gerardo Gomez (Mexico) and Dominic Clemons (England) finished tied for third with 18 points. Both McCulloch and Matthews finished T18 with 11 points.

The 11th playing of The Spirit was contested over 54-holes of stroke-play competition that brought together 20 countries. In addition to the combined team component, competitors battled in individual championships as well as men’s and women’s team competitions. In the individual competition, players were awarded points based solely on birdies and eagles during their round with one point for a birdie and two for an eagle.

For the final leaderboards from The Spirit, please click here.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Team Canada earned a second place finish at the 52nd Copa Juan Carlos Tailhade (Copa Tailhade) at Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.

Canada shot a combined score of 575 over four rounds, finishing four shots behind Colombia (571). Host nation Argentina finished third with a total score of 576.

Canada was represented by Team Canada NextGen members Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. and Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man. Jasmin finished T5 at 3-over in the individual standings following rounds of 71-73-70-73-287. Kuntz finished T8 at 4-over with rounds of 73-68-72-75-288. Juan Martin Loureiro of Argentina won individual honours, finishing the tournament at 5-under.

Canada has won the Copa Tailhade four times in tournament history, winning titles in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2023. Austin Connelly (Clare, N.S.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) won in 2014, Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.) and Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) in 2015, Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) in 2017 and Brady McKinlay (Lacombe, Alta.) and Felix Bouchard (Montréal, Que.) in 2023. Since 1996, Australia has won five titles (1998, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2012), in addition to Canada, England and Argentina have also won the tournament four times.

Five members of Team Canada NextGen Girls team finish in the top four; Jager Pain finishes T3 in Boys competition

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – Clara Ding defeated Michelle Xing on the second playoff hole to win the 2024 Elite Invitational at Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Sunday.

Ding, 13, of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 67-72-71-210 to sit at 6-under for the tournament and jumped into a playoff with her Team Canada NextGen teammate Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. who posted rounds of 69-72-69-210. After trading pars on the opening playoff hole, Ding tapped in for par on the second playoff hole to earn her third victory on the year having won the Lake Charles AJGA Jr. and RLX Ralph Lauren Jr. titles this year.

Xing who finished as runner-up was in search of her fifth title of the year. Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. finished in third at 3-under following rounds of 71-70-72-213. Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont. and Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. finished tied for fourth at 2-under.

In addition, Team Canada NextGen members Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. finished T7 at 1-under. Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. finished 15th at 4-over, Swetha Sathish of Oakville, Ont. finished T18 at 6-over, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished 23rd at 9-over and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver finished T30 at 14-over.

In the Boys competition, Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Austin Krahn of Christina Lake were the lone Team Canada NextGen Boys team members competing. Pain finished the tournament at 3-under to finish T3 following rounds of 70-68-69-207, finishing four back of the winner, while Krahn finished T42 at 11-over.

For the final leaderboards, click here for the Girls Leaderboard and click here for the Boys Leaderboard.

Yeji Kwon’s life is unusual, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The 18-year-old Kwon has spent the past five months on the road with her parents, playing golf on the Women’s All Pro Tour, sharpening her skills to become Canada’s next top player. That hard work paid off last week as she was the top Canadian at the qualifying stage of the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series, tying for 10th to advance to the final level.

“Definitely different from regular teenagers who go to school every day,” said Kwon on Wednesday from her home in Port Coquitlam, B.C. “I’m definitely missing out on that side but I’ve gotten used to it, and honestly, I love this life. 

“I travel with my parents everywhere, we take the van, and I’ve had a lot of fun this summer. It’s been busy, it’s been very busy, but I’ve been enjoying every single moment of it.”

The qualifying stage at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., was certainly a highlight.

Kwon had a rough start to the four-round tourney on Oct. 22, shooting a 2-over 74 on the club’s Panther Course. But she bounced back the second day, reeling off five consecutive birdies to finish the day with an 8-under 64 card on the Bobcat Course.

“Going into the first round, I was definitely a little bit more nervous. I had a lot more thoughts going on,” said Kwon, noting she was more comfortable in the second round. “I was a lot more confident. I wasn’t thinking a lot. 

“I wasn’t hitting the ball really, really great, but my putting was amazing. I was making everything from almost everywhere, and made almost every par save.”

She then had a 3-under third round and a 1-under fourth round to finish 10-under overall. That put her four shots back of co-winners Mimi Rhodes of England and French amateur Adela Cernousek.

“Yeji came in very prepared, had spent lots of time playing the courses and getting used to them leading up to the event,” said Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s women’s head coach, who was in attendance at Plantation. “She has always been a very composed golfer, from watching over the last couple years.

“She carries herself with a high sense of confidence, and complements that with a strong work ethic.”

Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., tied for 31st at 4-under overall. All four Canadians will play in the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series final stage on Dec. 5-9 at Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile, Ala.

“It’s super cool, because obviously, all these girls I look up to and you’re going to advance the final stage along with them,” said Kwon. “It means a lot.

“I’m not really gonna think much about it, though, just play my own game.”

Mussani said she has high hopes for Kwon, who is a member of Golf Canada’s 2024 NextGen girls team.

“To continue to grow, continue to develop her skills and learn more about herself,” said Mussani in text messages to The Canadian Press. “She is still quite young, so I hope she finds time to enjoy her youth as well, while also following her dreams and working towards her goals.”