Golf NB Announces 2022 Players of the Year
Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB) is pleased to announce the 2022 Golf NB Players of the Year.
The Player of the Year (POY) is a ranking system that awards points to players based on tournament results throughout the golfing year. It is designed to promote golf development through competition and celebrate the individual achievements of golfers in New Brunswick.
Leanne Richardson – Country Meadows Golf Club
A name synonymous with New Brunswick Women’s Golf once again sits atop the Royale NB Women’s Player of the Year standings as Country Meadows’ Leanne Richardson tallied 193.5 points on route to capturing the 2022 Royale NB Women’s Player of the Year Championship.
Impressive play throughout the season saw Richardson capture the 2022 NB Women’s Senior title along with 5 Club Invitational victories and a T-22 finish at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in Headingly, Manitoba.
Pam Cossey’s consistent play would see her finish in second place, 14.5 points behind Richardson with a season total of 179.0 points. The Rockwood Park member participated in 10 qualifying events highlighted by wins at the Driscoll Stears Ladies Invitational and Gowan Brae Ladies Invitational along with a top-10 finish in the 2022 NB Women’s Provincials, Driven by Audi Moncton.
For the second consecutive season, Miramichi’s Paula Napke-Flanagan secured third position thanks to her successful run of play which included, eight top-10 finishes and a T-13 finish at the 2022 NB Women’s Provincials, Driven by Audi Moncton, combining for a season total of 117.5 POY points.
Michel Landry – Fredericton Golf Club
2022 proved to be a successful season and a year filled with silverware for Fredericton’s Michel Landry. A victory in the season opening Don Sinclair was a telling sign of things to come as Landry followed up his win with an impressive stretch of play over three days at the NB Men’s Amateur Championship. A dramatic final round would see Landry capture his fifth provincial amateur title and once again secure the Taylormade Men’s Player of the Year title with 100.0 points.
Impressive performances throughout the season including T-3 at the Don Sinclair and a T-9 finish in the 2022 NB Men’s Amateur, would see Peter Wedge Jr. finish second in the Taylormade NB Men’s Player of the Year Challenge. The Riverside member earned with 58.5 points during the 2022 season, finishing 41.5 point back of first place.
Finishing in third position was 2022 Team NB Mid-Amateur player and Riverside member, Greg Steele. Steele recorded a second-place finish at the NB Men’s Amateur Championship, finishing one behind winner Michel Landry to amass a season total of points 56.0.
Shawn Branch – Country Meadows Golf Club
Country Meadows’ Shawn Branch had an incredible 2022 golf season. Victories at four Club Invitationals would propel him to the top of the season-long Wacky’s Flooring Senior Men’s Player of the Year Challenge. Capturing a total of 153.0 POY points from ten qualifying events, Branch would secure his first NB Senior Men’s Player of the Year Crown over Miramichi’s Pat Flanagan.
Flanagan finished the year with a 88.3 points from eight qualifying events. His second-place finish in the NB Wacky’s Flooring Senior Men’s Player of the Year Challenge capped off a successful season.
Finishing 5.3 points behind Flanagan in third place was West Hills’ Dan Coulombe. The former New Brunswick Champion completed the season-long race with 83.0 points after participating in three events, including the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship in Red Deer, Alberta.
Callie Taylor – The Riverside Country Club
Riverside’s Callie Taylor had a successful 2022 season as she claimed her first Golf NB Junior Girls Player of the Year crown.
Taylor’s victories at the East Coast Junior, NB Under-19 Championship, and NB Under-17 Championship earned her 14.0 and 27.0 POY points respectively, totalling 41.0 POY points for the season.
Finishing 3.8 points behind Taylor in the race was clubmate Addison McClune who’s performances at the NB Under-19 & Under-17 Championships saw her finish the season with 37.2 points.
Based on the play in 2020, 2021, and 2022, The Riverside duo both earned the opportunity to represent New Brunswick at the 2022 Canada Games which took place in August.
Rounding out the top-3 in the Golf NB Junior Girls Player of the Year Challenge was Fox Creek’s Neve Miller. An impressive run of play throughout the 2022 season would see Neve finish with 33.4 points, 3.8 points behind McClune.
Julien Babineau – Fox Creek Golf Club
A great run of form and consistent play sees Fox Creek’s Julien Babineau, capture the 2022 NB Junior Boys Player of the Year Challenge. A record-high of 117.0 POY points was enough to secure the victory in New Brunswick’s Order of Merit competition.
Babineau’s 2022 campaign was highlighted by victories at the East Coast Junior and NB Under-19 Championship which were accompanied by a T-11 finish at the New Brunswick Amateur. Topping off an incredible season of individual achievements, Julien’s performance also secured him a spot on Team NB for the 2022 Canada Summer Games which took place in Niagara Falls in August.
Finishing 36.0 points behind Babineau was clubmate and Team NB Junior Boys Alternate, Jacob LeBlanc. A win at the NB Under-17 Championship contributed to LeBlanc’s season total of 81.0 points.
Securing a third-place finish in the season-long Order of Merit race would be Gage’s Noah Riggs with 76.0 points. His third place finish at the NB Under-19 Championship earned Riggs with a position on Team NB at the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship in BC.
Canada and Spain share opening-round lead at World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms
By: Dan Pino/Golf Canada
Angela Arora shoots 4-under 68 to lead Canada 1 in the prestigious global golf championship; Surrey, B.C. native leads individual competition by one shot through 18 holes
MARKHAM, Ont. – Team Canada entered the opening-round of play at Angus Glen Golf Club looking for a fast start and got just that—riding a sizzling opening-round 4-under 68 by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. to take a share of the opening-round lead with Team Spain at the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.
The Canada 1 squad of Arora (4-under 68), along with 17-year-old Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(E 72), and 15-year-old Michelle Liu of Vancouver (E 72) shot a team-total 4-under 140 with the top two of three individual scores counting towards the overall team total.
The opening-round co-leaders from Spain were led by matching scores of 2-under 70 by Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández under cool conditions at the Markham, Ont. layout. The pair were joined by teammate Paula Martin who shot a (non-counting) 4-over 76 for the Spanish favourites who came into the championship as the only country with all three players ranked inside the Top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Spain is looking for their second team title, having previously won the championship in 2017.
Canada 1 and Spain head into Thursday’s second round with a four-shot lead over Belgium and Chinese Taipei who sit T3 at even par 144 through 18 holes.
As the host nation, Canada is fielding two teams in the international championship and while the Canada 1 squad holds a share of the opening-round lead, it was the younger Canada 2 squad comprised of 13-year-old Anna Huang from Vancouver (E 72), 16-year-old Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (1-over 73), and 14-year-old Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (2-over 74) that was equally as impressive, firing a team-total 1-over 145 to sit T5 with Colombia after the opening round of the championship.
With 54 holes still to be played on the South Course at Angus Glen, Canada is looking for their best-ever result in the team competition, having previously finished third in 2014 and fourth in 2018.
The following are round-one team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Canada 1 -4 (140)
1 Spain -4 (140)
T3 Belgium E (144)
T3 Chinese Taipei E (144)
T5 Canada 2 +1 (145)
T5 Colombia +1 (145)
7 Mexico +2 (146)
T8 Germany +3 (147)
T8 Sweden +3 (147)
T10 Denmark +6 (150)
T10 England +6 (150)
T10 Ireland +6 (150)
13 Wales +8 (152)
T14 Finland +10 (154)
T14 Italy +10 (154)
T16 Austria +12 (156)
T16 France +12 (156)
T16 Switzerland +12 (156)
Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.
In the individual competition, Arora’s 4-under 68 leads by a single shot, followed closely by Savannah De Bock of Belgium at 3-under 69. A trio of players – Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei, along with Spanish teammates Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández – sit T3 to round out the top-five at 2-under 70 through 18 holes of play.
The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Angela Arora, Canada 68 (-4)
2 Savanah De Bock, Belgium 69 (-3)
T3 Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei 70 (-2)
T3 Andrea Revuelta, Spain 70 (-2)
T3 Cayetana Fernández, Spain 70 (-2)
T6 Larissa Carrillo, Mexico 71 (-1)
T6 Meja Őrtengren, Sweden 71 (-1)
T8 Emilia Väistö, Finland 72 (E)
T8 María José Marin, Colombia 72 (E)
T8 Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany 72 (E)
T8 Anna Huang, Canada 2 72 (E)
T8 Lauren Kim, Canada 1 72 (E)
T8 Michelle Liu, Canada 1 72 (E)
Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.
In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
The second round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Thursday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.
This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.
With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Republic of Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.
A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior Girls competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.
Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.
Additional information regarding the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
Angus Glen Golf Club ready to host 7th World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms
By: Dan Pino/Golf Canada
MARKHAM, Ont. – Canada is set to host a global showcase of the world’s best junior golfers as the seventh edition of the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms will be contested October 10-15, 2022 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—will compete for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
“Together with our partners at Golf Ontario and Sargent Farms, Golf Canada is extremely proud to celebrate the return of the World Junior Girls Championship,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Golf Canada Director, Amateur Championships and Rules. “This championship has become a world-class showcase featuring some of the most promising young athletes from around the world. It is an honour to welcome these talented juniors—many whom we know will go on to great success in the professional game—back to Angus Glen and support these Canadian and international talents in their golf journey.”
“The World Junior Girls Championship has become a signature event on our championship calendar and there is a great excitement in welcoming this outstanding group of athletes from around the world to compete for an international title on Canadian soil,” said Golf Ontario CEO Mike Kelly. “Angus Glen has proven itself time and again to be a world-class host and a championship-worthy venue that will be ready to challenge the world’s best junior golfers.”
Canada’s lead coach will be Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta., who is currently the Assistant Coach of the Team Canada – NextGen Squad. The supporting coach will be PGA of Canada professional Emma de Groot, a native of New South Wales, Australia and resident of Hamilton, Ont. who is currently the director of women’s development with Modern Golf.
Canada 1 includes 18-year-old Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., 17-year-old Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., and 15-year-old Michelle Liu of Vancouver. Arora, who finished T20 at the 2019 World Junior Girls Championship, made it to match play of the 2022 US Women’s Amateur, finished runner-up at both the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur and NextGen Selection Camp, and also won the NextGen Pacific Championship. Kim, who finished T52 at the 2019 World Junior Girls Championship, had a 2022 season highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Canada Summer Games, a third-place finish at the Canadian Women’s Amateur and a T33 individual result at the World Amateur Team Championship. Liu, who qualified for her second CP Women’s Open in 2022, made it to match play at the US Junior Girls Championship, finished 7th at the Texas Women’s Open (pro), and was the winner of Golf Canada’s recent NextGen Selection Camp.
The Canada 2 squad is represented by 16-year-old Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., 14-year-old Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. and 13-year-old Anna Huang from Vancouver. Kwon earned a spot on the team by winning the 2022 Canadian Junior in a season that also included a ninth-place result at the Toyota Junior World Cup. Xing, who finished third at the NextGen Selection Camp, won the 2022 Ontario Junior Girls Match Play and finished runner-up at the Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship. Huang’s notable results include a T4 finish at the Canadian Junior, a T22 finish at the Canadian Amateur, a victory at the Toyota Tour Cup and a T3 finish a the NextGen Selection Camp.
This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100 including the tournament’s top-ranked player, Germany’s Helen Briem (no. 13). Spain is the lone country with all three players ranked inside the WAGR top-100 with Sweden next at two top-100 players. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.
With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.
Canada’s best finish in the team competition was third in 2014 and fourth in 2018.
A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.
Angus Glen Golf Club, which will host the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.
The following is a list of competing countries in the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada (2)
- Chinese Taipei
- Colombia
- Denmark
- England
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Mexico
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Wales
Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place October 10-11 with the first round of play set for Wednesday, October 12. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, October 15.
Admission to the competition is free.
Team North takes the 2022 Estabrooks Cup
For Immediate Release:
The current holders of the Estabrooks Cup, Team South (captained by Mark Shannon and Shelly Thomas) did not have the start they were looking for in the Saturday’s Fourball Match-ups at the Fredericton Golf Club as they were only able to secure 2.5 PTS. The North, (captained by Charlotte Evans and Eric Hildebrand) captured 6.5 PTS to give them a strong lead heading into Saturday’s Pinehurst Matches.
In the afternoon, we saw a near flip on the board. Team South were able to capture 6 PTS and Team North captured 3 PTS. This gave Team North a lead of 9.5 to 8.5 heading into Sunday’s Final Round Single Matches.
The Fall frost brought a slight delay on Sunday morning for our Singles Matches. With 18 individual points up for grabs on Sunday, the first pairing of Eric Hildebrand (Team North Captain) vs. Marck Shannon (Team South Captain) took the field at 9:00 AM. Despite the delay, it was nonetheless a fitting way to conclude a competitive and fun weekend of golf.
Securing 12 PTS during the Singles Matches Team North was able to finish the weekend with a commanding lead.
FINAL SCORES – North 21.5 PTS vs. South 14.5 PTS
CLICK HERE for more information on the 2022 Estabrooks Cup
CLICK HERE for more information on the Fredericton Golf Club.
Canada’s Hughes wins Sanderson Farms with birdie on 2nd playoff hole
By: Associated Press/Golf Canada
JACKSON, Miss. – Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont, made birdie on his third time playing the 18th hole on Sunday, and it gave him a playoff victory over Sepp Straka in the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Hughes twice had to made tough par saves on the closing hole at the Country Club of Jackson, in regulation from 100 feet behind the green for a 3-under 69 to force a playoff and from a tough spot in a bunker to keep going.
“Yeah, I’m over the moon. I had some moments today where I was tested and was able to pull through,” said Hughes. “It’s kind of my MO a little bit to scramble and save some pars. I had to do that a little bit today on the back nine. I did everything I possibly could, just grinded my butt off, and luckily it was good enough.”
Straka narrowly missed his birdie putt on the second playoff hole from 18 feet on the fringe. Hughes hit his approach to 8 feet and made the winning putt.
The victory comes one week after the Presidents Cup, and Hughes was disappointed not to be included on the International team at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives.
He wanted to use that as motivation, and it sure worked out that way. Hughes won for the second time on the PGA Tour, both in a playoff. His victory at Sea Island in 2016 didn’t finish until Monday morning, and this looked like it might be headed there with fading sunlight on the last hole they played.
Garrick Higgo of South Africa had a 68 and finished third.
Straka finished two groups ahead of Hughes and missed birdie chances of 20 feet and 18 feet on the last two holes for a 67 to finish at 17-under 271.
Hughes twice came up clutch with his putter down the stretch, even if the putts were for par. He was out of position on the par-5 14th, his wedge over a tree back toward the fairway came up short in a bunker, he had to lay up again and escaped with a 15-foot par putt.
On the closing hole, he was well left off the tee and punched under a tree and over the green against the grandstand. After free relief, he used putter from 100 feet away off the green with perfect pace for par.
On the first playoff hole at the 18th, Hughes came up short in a bunker with only about 15 feet from the edge of the bunker to the pin. He blasted out to 5 feet and made par.
That sent them back to the 18th for a third time, and Hughes closed him out.
Mark Hubbard, who went into the final round with a one-shot lead, managed only two birdies in his round of 74 and tied for fifth.
The final round featured five players who had at least a share of the lead at some point. That included Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, whose round came undone on the par-5 14th when he took a triple bogey without a penalty shot.
Higgo never was part of the lead, though he lingered the entire day and missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th that ultimately kept him out of the playoff.
Atlantic golf community looks to rebound after impact from tropical storm Fiona
By: Adam Stanley/Golf Canada
Golf is all about community – friends, family, your local club or course. Everything is connected. It’s part of what makes this game so great.
The Canadian golf community was struck a blow this weekend as tropical storm Fiona impacted in the Atlantic provinces with wind speeds up to 177 km/h and sustained winds of over 100 km/h blowing for up to 10 hours in parts of the Maritimes.
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said the army would be deployed to help with clean-up efforts.
“This is hands down the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” journalist Rene Roy told the CBC.
“It looks like a bomb went off,” Newfoundland resident David Harvey told the National Post while working with displaced residents at a local Salvation Army.
Nine people are estimated to have died due to the storm, with nearly 13,000 people displaced, and at least 20 buildings destroyed.
One of those buildings was the clubhouse of the Stanhope Golf and Country Club in Charlottetown, P.E.I. It burned down Sept. 24, and the golf course will likely be closed for the balance of the season as there was significant damage there, too.
“This is a real loss for the community. It’s a community club,” said Merlin Affleck, the club’s head professional. “It’s just devastating.”
Plenty of other courses in Eastern Canada escaped from the wrath of the storm relatively unscathed including Cabot Cape Breton, and Digby Pines in western Nova Scotia took to social media to say they were “open as usual.”
Golf Prince Edward Island posted on Twitter on Sunday morning encouraging patience as turf crews assess and clean up any damages. The island is home to more than 25 courses and has long been a popular destination for tourists and Canadians alike to get feet on the fairway.
“Islanders are resilient, and we will get through this together,” the statement said.
After two summers of COVID-19 restrictions, golf in Atlantic Canada was opening its doors at an impressive clip before Fiona made landfall. If there was a silver lining to the time of the storm, the 2022 golf season is much closer to its conclusion than its beginning, and there will hopefully be enough time to get things settled and sorted before shutting things down for the winter.
Ryan Logan, Director of Golf Services at Golf Canada, says it’s no surprise to see the golf community in Eastern Canada band together.
While golf courses in Canada are just starting to exit from the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic – a situation that bonded golf courses unlike ever before – the clubs in eastern Canada will now need to come together again to get things back to relative normalcy before the end of the 2022 season.
“We’ve seen great strength and heard great stories of community support already,” says Logan. “This was a catastrophic environmental event and Golf Canada knows the staff at impacted clubs will bind together and hopefully be able to come out stronger on the other side.”
US wins Presidents Cup for 12th time with Canada’s Conners and Pendrith wanting more
By: John Chidley-Hill/Golf Canada
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith made Canadian history twice at the Presidents Cup and, although they’re disappointed in the result, they’re ready for more.
It was the first time two Canadians had ever played at the prestigious best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. When the longtime friends were partnered on Friday they became the first-ever Canadians to play together at the storied tournament.
But Conners, from Listowel, Ont., lost to Xander Schauffele 1 up in Sunday’s seventh match to clinch the American victory. Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., also lost his match in the event’s final round when he dropped a 3 and 1 decision to Tony Finau.
Ultimately, the United States beat the international team 17.5 to 12.5 for its 12th Presidents Cup title.
The Canadians were the only members of the international team not to earn a point over the four-day, five-session tournament. Conners said he was disappointed to not maintain the international team’s momentum in the final round.
“All the guys were ready to go today,” said Conners by the 18th green. “Some of the guys got some points early to keep us in it.
“I’m really disappointed not to be able to add to our total, but it was a fun week.”
The biennial event alternates between courses in the U.S. and international locations. The next edition will be at Royal Montreal Golf Club, which last hosted in 2007 when Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., had a legendary showdown with Tiger Woods in the final round.
“It’s definitely going to be a goal of mine to make that team,” said Pendrith, who like Conners made his Presidents Cup debut. “This week was great, and I’m hungry to get some points.”
The U.S. dominated the first two days of play, building a commanding 8-2 lead. But the internationals gained ground on Saturday, finishing the fourth session just four points back.
With the U.S. leading 11-7 and needing just 15.5 points to win, American captain Davis Love III was aggressive in his picks for individual play, putting Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth – his most consistent players – into Sunday’s first two matches.
That gamble produced mixed results with South Korea’s Si Woo Kim beating Thomas 1 up but Spieth topped Australia’s Cam Davis 4 and 3.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama tied Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay downed Australia’s Adam Scott 3 and 2.
Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz kept the internationals in it with a 2 and 1 victory over Scottie Scheffler before Pendrith and Conners lost their matches as the Americans clinched their title.
Finau jumped out to a 2 up lead in his match against Pendrith, but the Canadian answered back with birdies on the third and fourth holes to tie it.
Pendrith made a 33-foot chip in on the par-3 sixth hole for a birdie and his first lead of the match. He also birdied the next hole, but Finau birdied on Nos. 9 and 12 to tie the match, then pulled ahead with birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17.
“I felt like I played decent today in the middle of the round and had some chances on the back nine,” said Pendrith by the 17th green. “No. 15 stings. No. 16, I hit a good putt, but Tony played really good as well.
“He made seven or eight birdies or something like that. Can’t really do much about that.”
Schauffele and Conners were tied through the first five holes, but the American eagled and had a birdie on Nos. 6 and 7 to take a lead. He added to that when Conners bogeyed No. 10. The Canadian rallied with three consecutive won holes, starting with No. 12, to even the score.
Conners bogeyed the par-4 15th hole, which Schauffele parred, and the American held on the rest of the way.
“It was a good battle. I feel like every match I got down, every match I fought back,” said Conners. “Ultimately I came up a little short, but good stuff.”
Play continued, however, with the remaining matches being seen to completion. South Korea’s Sungjae Im bested Cameron Young 1 up. Billy Horschel conceded to South Korea’s K.H. Lee for a 3 and 1 internationals win.
Max Homa fended off fan favourite Tom Kim of South Korea for a 1 up win, Collin Morikawa beat Chile’s Mito Pereira 3 and 2, and in the day’s final match South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout downed Kevin Kisner 2 and 1.
Ryan Hart, the executive director of the 2024 Presidents Cup, said he hopes that Royal Montreal will truly feel like an away game for the Americans.
“All the structures will be wrapped black and gold,” said Hart, gesturing to the white-sheathed structures at Quail Hollow. “So (the international team) can come out and we can hopefully have the entire country feel like they are part of the international team and cheer them on to victory.”
The atmosphere at the Presidents Cup has changed in the 15 years since Canada last hosted the event. Organizers said that 40,000 spectators attended the Presidents Cup every day, a massive gathering for golf that was amplified because those crowds were concentrated around just four or five groups the first three days of the tournament.
Pendrith said that it was the most people he had ever played in front of but he feels like he rose to the occasion.
“Obviously, the stakes were really high. Lots of pressure,” said Pendrith. “But the first day, I feel like I handled it pretty well.
“Really, all week, it was a lot of fun, and it will be a good experience to move forward.”
Rosie Bee Kim and Matthew Wilson win NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
By: Dan Pino/Golf Canada
Golden, B.C. – The NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, wrapped up at Golden Golf Club Sunday with Matthew Wilson of Nanaimo, B.C. and Rosie Bee Kim of Edmonton besting a field of 90 young amateurs to take home the respective Junior Boys and Girls titles.
In the Junior Girls Division, 15-year-old Rosie Bee Kim, a member of Highlands, Golf Club, used a final-round, even-par 72 and tournament-total 3-under 213 (69-72-72) for a 4-shot, wire-to-wire victory over runner-up Erin Lee of Langley, B.C. at 1-over 217. Lucy Lin of Vancouver, B.C. (+3) finished alone in the third while Kelly Zhao of Richmond Hill, B.C. (+5) and Elisa Liu of Richmond, B.C. (+5) rounded out the top 5.
Lin, a 12-year-old who Monday qualified into the 2022 CP Women’s Open last month to become the youngest competitor in the event’s history, used rounds of 76-70-73—219 (+3) to win the (U15) Bantam Division title by seven shots over Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. (+10). Earlier this summer, Lin, a member of Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, also won the NextGen Western Championship contested at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.
In the Junior Boys Division, Wilson, who plays out of Nanaimo Golf Club, followed up a second-round 4-under 68 with a final-round 72, and tournament total 2-under 214 (74-68-72) to win by three shots over Alex Zhang of Richmond, B.C. (+1). Wilson, 15, entered final-round play with a share of the lead at 2-under through 36 holes and held off a back-nine push by Zhang as well as a trio of players – second-round co-leader Joshua Ince of Surrey, B.C. (+2) as well as Ryan Vest of Vernon, B.C. (+2), and Caleb Davies of Langley, B.C. (+2) – who fired matching final-round 72s to finish T3 at 2-over 218 for the championship.
Zhang, 14, carded tournament rounds of 69-76-72—217 (+1) to cruise to a 10-shot victory in the (U15) Bantam Division over Brae Rogalczyk of Innisfail, Alta. (+11) followed by Jaden August of Pitt Meadows, B.C. in third (+12).
CLICK HERE for complete final scoring results from the NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.
The top three male competitors (Mathew Wilson, Alex Zhang, and , Ryan Vest,) from the 54-hole championship will earn a spot in the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO (location TBD). The top three female golfers (Rose Bee Kim, Erin Lee, and Lucy Lin) will also earn exemptions into next year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO at Hampton Golf Club in Hampton, N.B.
The NextGen Fall Series West Championship conducted by Golf Canada was the final of eight regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards.
From May through July, six championships took place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers competed to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national junior championships, with two Fall Series events taking place in September. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and display their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
For the full schedule of Golf Canada’s 2022 competitions, click here.
NextGen Fall Series West Championship heads to Golden Golf Club
By: Dan Pino
Golden, B.C. – The NextGen Fall Series West Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, begins this week with 90 amateur golfers taking the stage at Golden Golf Club in Golden, B.C.
Practice rounds are scheduled for Thursday, September 22, before the official 54-hole tournament gets underway on September 23. Play is scheduled to conclude September 25 with an awards ceremony scheduled immediately following play at Golden Golf Club.
The starting field will feature 90 players – 61 Junior Boys and 29 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship next summer. 45 players in the field hail from host province, British Columbia.
In addition, 13 boys and 10 girls are competing from the Bantam Division (Under 15 years of age).
The top three male competitors will earn a spot in the 2023 Canadian Jr Boys Championship, presented by BDO (location TBD). The top three and female golfers (including ties) will also earn exemptions into next year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, August 1-4, 2023, at Hampton Golf Club in Hampton, N.B.
“Golden Golf Club is a terrific test to challenge our talented collection of junior golfers competing in our season-ending NextGen Junior Championship,” said tournament director Daniel Suppa. “We appreciate the golf club, the volunteers and the community for rallying around the championship that will feature many of the rising junior talents in Canadian golf.”
The NextGen Fall Series West Championship is one of Golf Canada’s eight regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards. Hyunjun Lee and Tina Jiang took home the honours in their respective divisions in 2021.
Additional information about the 2022 NextGen Fall Series West Championship including a field list and scoring can be found here.
The Golden Golf Club has a long history dating back to the formation of the club in June of 1935. In 1942, the club opened its first 5-hole golf course south of town near Reflection Lake. The Golden Golf Club was incorporated as a non-profit society in 1962 and continues under this designation in present day. In 1985, the original 9-hole golf course opened exclusively for member play—memberships cost $5, and rounds were $5 each. May of 1986 marked the official opening of the Golden Golf Club. More information about the club is available here.
The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships, with two Fall Series events taking place in September. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and display their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
For the full schedule of Golf Canada’s 2022 competitions, click here.
Canadian Golf Superintendents Association names Jim Flett 2022 Superintendent of the Year Award Recipient
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) and Bayer Environmental Science Canada have announced Jim Flett of Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club in Port Carling, Ont. as their Superintendent of the Year for 2022.
The award recognizes a member of the CGSA who has held the position of golf course superintendent for a minimum of five years and who has distinguished her or himself through dedication to the profession, performance as a golf course superintendent and contributions to their profession and their community.
“Jim has made an impression on the Golf Industry. Through his dedication, tremendous support of the association and humble leadership; he helped lead CGSA through very challenging times in the association’s history. What a great ambassador for our industry. It was my distinct pleasure to personally notify Jim and congratulate him on being selected as the CGSA / Bayer Superintendent of the Year.”
Pierre Vezeau, AGS, CGSA President
Flett has been a CGSA member since 1990 and has held the Accredited Golf Superintendent (AGS) designation since 2007. He was CGSA President in 2017 and is a Past President of the Ontario Golf Superintendent’s Association (OGSA). He has been the Superintendent at Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club since 1992.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M in 1988 after completing the University of Guelph’s Turf Associate Diploma program in 1985. Jim apprenticed under two Canadian superintendent mentors Gordon Witteveen and David Gourlay, both CGSA Superintendent of the Year past winners.
Flett will be recognized during The Canadian Golf Course Management Conference and presented with his award during the Award Luncheon in 2023.
“My involvement in the CGSA has tremendously elevated my career through the professional development opportunities and Canada-wide networking over the years,” said Flett, “I was lucky enough to serve as President of the CGSA in 2017 when Canada celebrated its 150th Birthday. I always thought it was important to instil the sense of Canadian pride in our association. Most of all golf has been a part of my life since I was a child and over the years, I’ve met so many amazing people I would not have met otherwise.”