By: Dan Pino

Windsor, Ont. – Kurtis Barkley of Williamsburg, Ont. and Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. both completed wire-to-wire victories to defend their respective Gross Stroke Play titles at the second annual Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO and hosted at Essex Golf and Country Club in Windsor, Ont.

Barkley followed up an opening-round 4-under 67 with an even par 71 on Wednesday to finish the championship at 4-under 138, one shot better than runner-up Chris Willis of Aurora, Ont. whose round of 1-under 70 was the low round of the day.

“The conditions were awesome tee to green. It’s a ball striker course you know, tee to green which I’m usually pretty good at it. I think I hit 14 greens today and I hit 17 yesterday, so it was definitely suited to my game,” said Barkley, a member of Cedar Glen Golf Course who came into the championship ranked no. 6 on the World Gross Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD). “I played smart percentage wise, and Kris is an amazing player. I battled with him in the Ontario one and I look forward to many battles with this guy.”

Rounding out the top-five behind Barkley (67-71—138) and Willis (69-70—139) were Jesse Florkowski of Medicine Hat, Alta. (73-72—145), Michael Pisaric of Fort Erie, Ont. (77-77—154) and local product Kevin Delaney of Windsor (76-81—157).   

The win marks back-to-back victories in the Men’s Gross Stroke Play division for the 34-year-old Barkley, who won the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Club in Toronto. Barkley’s impressive season also includes a victory at the 2022 Ontario Disability Championship in July, his fourth consecutive win at the provincial event.

In the women’s Gross Stroke Play division, defending champion Natasha Stasiuk carded rounds of 84-82 to finish 24-over 166. The 24-year-old Oakville, Ont., native finished 13 strokes ahead of runner-up Tess Trojan of St. Catharines, Ont. (91-88—179).

“It feels pretty awesome and amazing,” said Stasiuk, who also collected her fourth consecutive title at the Ontario Disability Championship earlier this summer. “It was a tough situation. It was back-to-back-to-back with Tess on the back nine. I’ve been working a lot on my game, my mental game. I went to Pinehurst in July, and it helped me prepare for this.”

For the Women’s Net Stableford Competition, Trojan, a public player with the Golf Canada, earned 39 stableford points in the second round for tournament total of 74 stableford points to defend her division title. Trojan finished 20 points clear of Stasiuk who earned 28 points Wednesday and a tournament total of 54 stableford points.

In the Men’s Net Stableford competition, the local favourite Delaney, a member of Pointe West Golf Club in Windsor, earned 35 stableford points Wednesday to finish with 75 total points for the championship, two clear of Pisaric (73). Rounding out the top-five were Randall Mackus of Prince George, B.C., (72) in third and Willis in fourth (71) with Vic McLelland of High River, Alta. and Kristian Hammerback of Winnipeg, Man. in a share of fifth at 70 stableford points.

Click here for complete final results from the 2022 Canadian All Abilities Championship.

A total of 39 players, regardless of disability classification, competed over 36 holes across four divisions— Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play; and Men’s Net Stableford. 

As a legacy of the second annual Canadian All Abilities Golf Championship, Golf Canada was proud to donate a SoloRider (Para Golfer adaptive golf equipment) to the City of Windsor to support golfers with a disability. The SoloRider will be utilized at the Roseland Golf & Curling Club.  

A venue for the 2023 Canadian All Abilities Championship will be announced at later date.

The Canadian All Abilities Championship was contested September 13-14 as a 36-hole competition featuring players from Canada and the United States with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments. First held in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course, the competition supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.

Golf Canada has worked with several partner organizations on the Canadian All Abilities Championship including Special Olympics Canada, Blind Golf Canada, Canadian Amputee Golf Association, Emeritus Golf, The R&A, EDGA, and others to ensure an inclusive and fair competition is provided to the athletes.

By: Dan Pino

Tess Trojan and Randall Mackus lead in the Women’s and Men’s Net Stableford Competitions

Windsor, Ont. – Defending champions Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. and Kurtis Barkley of Williamsburg, Ont. have jumped out to an early-opening lead at the second playing of Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO and hosted at the Essex Golf and Country Club in Windsor, Ont.

A total of 39 players, regardless of disability classification, are competing over 36 holes across four divisions— Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play; and Men’s Net Stableford. 

In the Women’s Gross Stroke Play Competition, Stasiuk, a member of Heron Point Golf Links who won the 2021 Women’s Gross Stroke Play title at the Canadian All Abilities Championship, shot a 13-over 84 and heads into Wednesday’s final round with a seven-shot lead over Tess Trojan of St. Catharines. Earlier this year Stasiuk won the 2022 Ontario Disability Championship.

For the Women’s Net Stableford Competition, Trojan, a public player with the Golf Canada, earned 35 total stableford points and leads Stasiuk (26) by nine points. Trojan also won the Women’s Net Stableford Competition in 2021.

In the Men’s Gross Stroke Play Competition, Barkley, currently ranked no. 6 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disabilities (WR4GWD), fired an opening-round 4-under 67 to take a two-shot lead into Wednesday’s final round. A member of Cedar Glen Golf Course, Barkley also won the 2022 Ontario Disability Championship in July.

Chris Willis of Aurora, Ont. sits alone in second at 2-under 69 while Jesse Florkowski of Medicine Hat, Alta. (2-over 73), local product Kevin Delaney of Windsor (5-over 76) and Michael Pisaric (6-over 77) round out the top-five.

In the Men’s Net Stableford competition, Randall Mackus, a member of Prince George Golf and Country Club, earned 42 total stableford points Tuesday and leads Delaney by two points. Vic McLelland of High River, Alta. is third with 39 points with Pisaric is fourth with 37 points. Barkley and Willis round out the top-five with 36 points each.

The national golf championship is being contested September 13-14 as a 36-hole competition and features players from Canada and the United States with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments. First held in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course, the competition supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.

Golf Canada has worked with several partner organizations on the Canadian All Abilities Championship including Special Olympics Canada, Blind Golf Canada, Canadian Amputee Golf Association, Emeritus Golf, The R&A, EDGA, and others to ensure an inclusive and fair competition is provided to the athletes.

Click here for opening-round results from the 2022 Canadian All Abilities Championship.

By: Dan Pino

WINDSOR, Ont. – The Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, heads to Essex Golf and Country Club this week to celebrate the second playing of the now-annual championship.
 
With international competitors permitted to take part this year following restrictions in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the field will expand to feature 39 golfers from Canada and the United States.
 
The national golf championship will be contested September 13-14 as a 36-hole competition and will feature players with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments. First held in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course, the competition supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.
 
“We are extremely proud to host the Canadian All Abilities Championship, a signature event on Golf Canada’s calendar that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Golf Canada Director of Rules and Championships, Mary Beth McKenna. “Essex Golf and Country Club will prove to be an excellent test for our talented competitors, and we look forward to an exciting competition ahead.”
 
There are four different divisions in the Canadian All Abilities Championship that players will compete in, regardless of disability classification: Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play; and Men’s Net Stableford. 
 
Williamsburg, Ont., product Kurtis Barkley will return to defend his title in the Men’s Gross Stroke Play division. The 34-year-old is currently ranked no. 6 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disabilities (WR4GD) and carded the lowest score in last years tournament at 3-under 67.  Barkley, who is a member at Cedar Glen Golf Course, also claimed victory at the 2022 Ontario Disability Championship back in July.
 
2021 Women’s Gross Stroke Play champion Natasha Stasiuk will also make her way to Essex Golf and Country Club to compete for a chance at back-to-back victories. Like Barkley, the Oakville, Ont. resident came out on top of her division at the 2022 Ontario Disability Championship.
 
2021 Canadian All Abilities Women’s Net Stableford champion Tess Trojan will also return to the field to compete in the second playing of the championship in Windsor.
 
Essex Golf and Country Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Donald Ross and played host to the Canadian Open in 1976 won by Jerry Pate. In 1998 the club also hosted the world’s finest female golfers by staging one of the four “Majors” on the LPGA tour, the du Maurier Classic, won by Brandie Burton. This year, the club celebrates its 120th year of operation.
 
As part of Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment, the national sport federation in concert with the PGA of Canada has also launched the EDGA 359 Pilot Project, partnering with EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association) on coach training designed to demystify adaptive golf and give coaches the confidence needed to launch and develop programs for golfers with disabilities across Canada. More information about the EDGA 359 Pilot Project is available here.
 
More information about the 2022 Canadian All Abilities Championship can be found here.

RED DEER, Alta.  – As the saying goes, there’s power in momentum. It’s a saying that Rusty Strawn knows all too well after securing back-to-back victories this September at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in Marion, Mass., and the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO in Red Deer, Alta. Nine days separated the two wins. Needless to say, the McDonough, Ga. resident is going to need a bigger trophy case.

Heading into the final round at Red Deer Golf and Country Club, the 59-year-old shared the lead with fellow American, Mike Lohner of Southlake, Tex. The pair went back and forth throughout the day, both beginning their round at 5-under-par. It wasn’t until the back nine when Strawn hit a groove, birdieing three of his last eight holes to pull away from the pack to secure the 60^th Canadian Men’s Senior Championship title.

“I was very fortunate last week to win the United States Senior Amateur,” said Strawn. “And of course, by doing it I got the exemption to the United States Mid-Amateur, and I told the people at the USGA, I said, there is no way I’m going to miss the Canadian Men’s Senior. I absolutely love it here.”

To celebrate, Strawn popped a bottle of champagne and toasted the volunteers, Red Deer Golf and Country Club staff, and fellow competitors “To my new Canadian friends!”. He also commented, “having my picture taken with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the coolest picture I’ve ever taken.”

Strawn was also highly complimentary of the host club.

“It’s just been a wonderful week here in Red Deer,” said Strawn. “When I arrived here for my practice round on Sunday – probably the strength of my game is my putting – and when I rolled those first few putts on the practice green, I was like, I have nobody but myself to blame because they were absolutely awesome.”

Low Canadian Ken Griffith, who is a member at Red Deer Golf and Country Club, placed third on the leaderboard, carding a total score of 288, his best finish ever at the national championship.  Fellow members, Grant Lee and Peter Innes also competed in the tournament and finished T7 and T15, respectively.

Frank Van Dornick ran away with the Super Senior division securing the title and the Governor’s Cup by 10 strokes.

Earlier in the week, host club Team Alberta won the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition in an impressive 11-stroke victory over runner-up Team British Columbia. Ken Griffith (Red Deer Golf & Country Club), Senan Foley (Public Player – Alberta), and Kelly Risling (Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club) shot a collective one-under to give Team Alberta the back-to-back victory as they defended their 2019 title and claimed the Phil Farley Memorial Trophy.

Quick Links:

Leaderboard
Course statistics

Championship history

TORONTO – The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) have announced Jim Clark is the recipient of the 2022 Dick Grimm Award, the association’s highest honour.

A committee of past GJAC Presidents selected Clark, who has volunteered for the RBC Canadian Open every single year but one since 1984. 

Named in honour of Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Richard “Dick” Grimm, whose legendary service to the Canadian Open and the Canadian golf industry is unparalleled in Canadian golf history, the Dick Grimm Award is presented annually to those who have made a significant lifetime contribution to Canadian golf.

Clark’s leadership was put on display 11 times as the RBC Canadian Open Tournament Chair, in addition to being the CP Women’s Open Tournament Chair on two occasions. 

Clark has been recognized for his work in the golf industry by virtue of the Golf Canada Distinguished Service Award, which he received in 2016, as well as being named an Honourary Life Governor earlier this year. Clark was named to the Town of Aurora Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 in the ‘builder’ category. 

Grimm, who passed away in 2014, was a true giant of the game in Canada, and in the world of golf. He was an energetic supporter of GJAC, and the association’s highest annual award is named after him.

PAST WINNERS
2021- Garry McKay
2020 – Kim Locke
2019 – Doug Carrick & Tom McBroom
2018 – Lorie Kane
2017 – John Gordon
2016 – Marlene Stewart Streit
2015 – Lorne Rubenstein
2014 – Jocelyne Bourassa
2013 – Bob Weeks
2012 – Sandra Post
2011 – Jim Barclay
2010 – Dick Grimm

CALEDON, ONT. – Forty-seven players from 8 Canadian provinces have travelled to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont., to compete in the annual playing of the Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp, which is taking place September 8-11, 2022  

This event’s main purpose is to help Golf Canada’s High Performance staff assess and evaluate some of the best Canadian golfers under the age of 21 who are not currently playing collegiate golf.

The selection camp includes a skills testing portion run concurrent to a practice round and a 54-hole stroke play event which gets underway Friday, September 9^th and concludes Sunday, September 11^th.

The boy’s and girl’s division champions of the 54-hole stroke play event receive an exemption onto the 2023 Team Canada NextGen Squad. The top-3 girls also receive exemptions to the 2022 World Junior Girls team to be played October 10-15, 2022 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Clear skies over Red Deer Golf and Country Club set the stage for a picturesque day in Red Deer, Alta. as the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, wrapped up its third day of play in the Energy Province.

For the third consecutive day, Mike Lohner continues to hold prime real estate at the top of the leaderboard, firing even par 72 to share the lead with fellow countryman Rusty Strawn. A resident of Southlake, Tex., Lohner finished second in the Carlton Woods Invitational earlier this year and is in the hunt for his first victory north of the border.

Strawn finished the first round tied for the top spot with Lohner, but dipped down to second place after navigating three bogeys during yesterday’s second round. After a steady performance today where the McDonough, Ga. resident made birdie on five holes, Strawn holds a share of the lead once again and will look to keep the momentum going after securing a victory at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship last week.

Occupying the third spot, local golfer and Red Deer Golf and Country Club member Ken Griffith came in at one-under par today. Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. (4), and Dave Bunker of Ridgeway, Ont. (5) round out the top five with an even score.

In addition to sitting fourth for the overall tournament, Van Dornick also leads the 65-and-over Super Senior division that runs concurrently throughout the week. The Super Senior champion will be crowned tomorrow and awarded the Governor’s Cup.

Tomorrow promises to be an exciting battle of top amateur talent with an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship on the line. Not only will the winner etch their name into the historic John Rankin Memorial Trophy, but also into Canadian golf history as the field of 156 top senior golfers comes down to one champion.

The final round is set to commence at 8:10 a.m. MT tomorrow with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place at approximately 3:00 p.m. MT at Red Deer Golf and Country Club.

2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 LEADERS

2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION ROUND 3 LEADERS

Additional information, including a full list of competitors and scores can be found here.

Through the efforts of over 10,000 women, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru raised over $272k for breast cancer research in 2022 at 112 events held across the country.

With another 10 Golf Fore the Cure events to come in the remainder of the golf season, we are looking forward to seeing this number build even higher.

Since the program’s inception in 2003, upwards of 130,000 women have raised over $7 million to date with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation.

Over 100 women celebrated this year’s success at the 16th annual Golf Fore the Cure National Event at Lionhead Golf and Conference Center in Brampton, Ont.

The National Event included 18 holes of golf featuring raffles, prizing, and games, followed by an awards dinner to thank the 13,000 Golf Fore the Cure participants across Canada this year.

TOP 20 FUNDRAISING SITES IN 2022

We would also like to thank our Provincial Golf Associations for their continued support in encouraging clubs to participate in Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru. Below is a breakdown of all the funds raised by province:

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru was created in 2003 by Golf Canada to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation), the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for a cause close to Canadian hearts—the fight against breast cancer.

Canada holds over 37,000 charity events at golf courses across the country which raise approximately $533 million annually for charity.

Subaru Canada has been a proud partner of Golf Fore the Cure since 2007.

To learn how to get involved with Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, visit golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure.

Prevailing winds continued to challenge competitors at Red Deer Golf and Country Club as the 60^th edition of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, wrapped up the second day of play in Red Deer, Alta.   

Host squad Team Alberta ran away with the lead to win the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition in an impressive 11-stroke victory over runner-up Team British Columbia. Ken Griffith (Red Deer Golf & Country Club), Senan Foley (Public Player – Alberta), and Kelly Risling (Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club) shot a collective one under to give Team Alberta the back-to-back victory as they defended their 2019 title and claimed the Phil Farley Memorial Trophy (the Inter-Provincial competition wasn’t contested the past two years due to complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic). Rounding out the top 3 was Team Ontario carding a consolidated score of +12.

In the individual competition, American Mike Lohner extended his stay at the top of the leaderboard, earning sole possession of first place after Rusty Strawn (McDonough, Ga.) fell one shot back after a seesaw round of four birdies and three bogeys at Red Deer Golf and Country Club. Lohner, a resident of Southlake, Tex. carded five birdies to remain steady and set himself up well after the halfway point of the tournament.

Strawn and Red Deer Golf and Country Club member Ken Griffith share second place, coming in at 4-under after Wednesday’s round.

In the 65-and-over Super Senior Championship division, which runs concurrently throughout the tournament, Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. shot a 70 today to extend his lead after 36 holes of play. Aurora, Ont. native Michael Mealia moved up four spots to claim solo second, with a two-way tie for third including local golfers Jim Russell (Calgary, Alta.), and David Schultz (Calgary, Alta.).

Following the conclusion of round two today, the field was reduced to the low 70 players and ties with 72 competitors advancing to bid for the 60^th Canadian Men’s Senior Championship title and a coveted spot on the John Rankin Memorial Trophy. The individual champion will also receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 LEADERS

2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION ROUND 2 LEADERS

Round three is set to commence tomorrow at 8:10am MT.

Additional information, including a full list of competitors and scores can be found here.

By: Terry Lenyk

Canadian Brooke Henderson joins American star Lexi Thompson and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko as the franchise-first female pros in the PGA TOUR 2K23 video game.

Other pros available in the game include cover athlete Tiger Woods, Will Zalatoris, Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas, who graced the 2K21 cover.

Henderson, a 24-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., has won US$10.4 million in career earnings and currently ranks fifth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Ko is No. 4 and Thompson No. 7.

Also featured in the game is St. George’s Golf and Country Club, host of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch7v3XUu3lC/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1c92e094-6e7e-46e4-9ecb-9627fd95283f

The video game is developed by HB Studios in Lunenburg N.S., for 2K Sports.

The deluxe version of the game is scheduled for release on Oct. 11 with the standard edition to follow Oct. 14.