Amateur Canadian Men's Amateur Championships

Team Québec secures inter-provincial title; Turner takes lead

Team Québec charged ahead to win the inter-provincial competition in a seven-stroke victory over the host squad, Team British Columbia. Laurent Desmarchais, Christopher Vandette, and William Forgues shot a collective 3 under to become the ninth team from Québec to secure the title since the Willingdon Cup became an annual competition in 1927. Reigning champions Team Ontario rounded out the top-3 at 6 over par.

In the individual competition, American Elijah Turner rose nine spots on the leaderboard to lead the pack during Tuesday’s second round at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. The 23-year-old from Highland, Utah limited himself to two bogeys at Seymour Golf and Country Club, carding four birdies and an eagle on his final hole, the 9th hole, to set himself up well at the halfway point of the tournament.

“My caddie is a local member at Seymour and he was great at helping me manage around the course,” said Turner of his round today at Seymour Golf and Country Club. “It was important for me to hit fairways and stay out of trouble as much as possible. I had a nice run with 3 birdies in a row that were set up with good drives off the tee. I think I’m a good driver of the ball and that strength certainly helped me today. Seymour’s greens were very demanding today with tough pin placements. It took a lot of patience out there today on those greens. Both courses are just excellent,” he added.

Following closely, 22-year-old, Michael Haranhan Smith shot a 66 today finishing one shot back at -5. Haranhan Smith is one of a trio of Australians competing this week, with all three advancing to the third round.

“I think this course is definitely the one to score on, the back 9 can be tricky but you can definitely get it going on the front,” said Haranhan Smith of this round at Point Grey Golf and Country Club. “I’m a relatively good iron player which suits this golf course and the greens are pretty large but you need to be in the right section to give yourself a chance at holing some putts.” 

Five Canadians sit inside the top-10 in a tie for eighth place including Jean-Philippe Parr (St-Célestin, Que.), Alex Zhang (Richmond, B.C.), Eric Zhao (North York, Ont.), Keith Ng (Richmond, B.C.), and Kai Iguchi (Banff, Alta.),

The winner of the championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, as well as the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship being contested August 15-22 in Paramus, N.J.

The third round commences tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. PT at Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

Quick Links:

Leaderboard

Player list
Tee times
Course details
Championship history & past champions

For more information on the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

PGA Tour

Taylor Pendrith finishes T2 for career-best finish at Rocket Mortgage Classic

DETROIT, MI - JULY 31: Taylor Pendrith of Canada plays the ninth green during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club on July 31, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

By: Canadian Press

DETROIT – Tony Finau has changed the conversation about him in less than a calendar year.

Finau ran away with the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday at Detroit Golf Club to become the first player in three years to win consecutive PGA Tour events in the regular season. He closed with a 5-under 67 for a five-shot victory and a tournament-record 26-under 262 total.

It was his fourth career victory, and third title in 11-plus months. Finau began his stretch of success last August at The Northern Trust, where he had his first victory in five years and 142 PGA Tour starts.

“I’m proud of the way I’ve fought through adversity in my career,” said Finau, a Salt Lake City native with Tongan-Samoan heritage. “They say a winner is just a loser who kept trying, and that’s me.”

Finau ended a drought in Detroit, winning for the first time in six attempts when he had or shared the 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour event.

And, he did it easily.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ontario (72), Patrick Cantlay (66) and rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (68) tied for a distant second.

“I wasn’t that close,” Young said. “Tony put on a show.”

Indeed.

Finau hit 66 of 72 greens in regulation, trailing the accuracy of just two players since 1980 in a PGA Tour 72-hole event. Peter Jacobsen hit 69 greens in regulation at Pebble Beach in 1995 and a year later, Willie Wood hit 67 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

With Finau’s sixth birdie at No. 17 and a closing par, he broke Nate Lashley’s tournament record of 25 under set in 2019 during the inaugural PGA Tour event.

The PGA Tour will close the regular season at the Wyndham Championship, with the North Carolina event opening Thursday. Players on the bubble will have one last shot to finish in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup standings to earn a spot in the playoffs and a full card next season.

Finau and Pendrith started Sunday tied after a third round that seemed like match play, and a potential Detroit duel turned into a dud.

Pendrith had his first lacklustre round of the tournament after he shared the first-round lead with Finau, led him by one shot after the second and matched his 21-under total through three rounds.

The 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie from Canada hit an errant tee shot on the second hole to the right in the rough behind tree branches – after being distracted by a fan running across the fairway – and pulled a 9-foot putt on the hole to lose the lead for good.

Cantlay, No. 4 in the world ranking, had his third straight round in the mid-60s after opening with a 70. Young bounced back from a first-round 71 to finish second for the fifth time.

“I’d be lying if I said it was easy to just watch other people win,” Young said. “Obviously, today Tony beat us all by a lot.”

Pendrith struggled in the final round just as he did the only other time he had a 54-hole lead. He led the Bermuda Championship last October by three shots before a 76 dropped him into fifth place, which was his best finish before his showing in the Motor City.

“It stings a little bit,” said Pendrith, who played in his third tournament after missing nearly four months with a broken rib.

Finau began to pull away from Pendrith with an 11-foot birdie putt at No. 4 and a tap-in for birdie at No. 7.

A par-saving, 11-foot putt at No. 9 was pivotal.

“When that lipped in, that gave me some momentum and then I was in control of the golf tournament,” Finau said.

He made a 21-foot putt for birdie at No. 10 for his third birdie. After his first bogey in the tournament at No. 11, Finau made a 31-foot putt with a break from right to left at No. 12.

Finau was the 3M Open winner last week in Minnesota, where he rallied from five strokes back to win by three. Brendon Todd was the last PGA Tour player to win two straight in the regular season, pulling off the feat in 2019.

“A week can change your life,” Finau said. “When you look at mine, two weeks have changed my life.”

CHIP SHOTS: Three B.C. golfers had respectable rounds Sunday but were never in contention. Adam Svensson of Surrey finished tied for 24th at 12 under, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford finished tied for 37th at 10 under and Roger Sloan of Merritt tied for 49th at 8 under.

LPGA Tour Team Canada

Maude-Aimee Leblanc finishes T8 in Ladies Scottish Open

TROON, SCOTLAND - JULY 31: Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Canada plays her second shot at the 2nd hole from deep rough during the final round of the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links Golf Course on July 31, 2022 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

By: Canadian Press

IRVINE, Scotland – Ayaka Furue of Japan ran off six straight birdies in the middle of her round and rallied from a four-shot deficit with a 10-under 62 to win the Women’s Scottish Open on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title.

A seven-time winner on the Japan LPGA _ once as an amateur _ Furue became the second rookie to win on the LPGA Tour this year, and she did it in style at Dundonald Links.

Starting the final round four shots behind Celine Boutier of France, the 22-year-old finished the front nine with four straight birdies and added two more to start the back nine. She never let up, playing bogey-free to win by three.

“I was four shots back. I thought it would be difficult to catch the top, good players. But I’m very happy I played good golf and I was able to come out as a winner,” Furue said. “I had the right mindset. I thought I had to go low, and I played very well.”

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., opened the day in a tie for third, but dropped to a tie for eighth. Her round of 72 included a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey.

Boutier was still in good shape until making three bogeys on the back nine for a 69.

“I started making some bogeys and I feel like it’s not easy, playing in the final group. Then obviously when someone just has their day, you just can’t do anything about it really,” she said.

Furue finished at 21-under 267 and won $300,000, along with valuable momentum going into the final major of the year next week in the Women’s British Open at Muirfield.

She began to show her full potential late last year on the Japan LPGA when Furue won three tournaments in a four-week stretch and tied for third in the other. Furue finished second on the money list behind Olympic silver-medalist Moni Inami, earned an LPGA card through the qualifying tournament and came into the Women’s Scottish Open at No. 30 in the world.

Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea (66) and Cheyenne Knight of the United States (67) tied for third, four shots behind.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the 36-hole leader, faded to a 71-71 weekend and tied for fifth.

Amateur Canadian Men's Amateur Championships

Gutschewski leads by two at Canadian Men’s Amateur

Point Grey Golf and Country Club and Seymour Golf and Country Club played host to 250 golfers this holiday Monday as play commenced for the 117th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.

Elkhorn, Neb. native Luke Gutschewski had a hot start, making eight birdies to shoot a 65 for the day. Heading into his second season playing for Iowa State’s golf team, Gutschewski played a near bogey-free round, getting into the groove and making birdie on five consecutive holes in the middle of his round at Point Grey Golf & Country Club.

“I really just played solid all day, nothing too flashy,” said Gutschewski. “I did a good job of keeping it in play off the tee, left myself in good places when I missed greens, and then putted pretty nicely too.”

Despite the early lead, the 19-year-old isn’t getting too far ahead of himself. “It’s really a long week and we have a long way to go,” added Gutschewski. “If I can keep on doing what I’m doing and not get too wrapped up in the individual result of each shot then we can add up the scores at the end of the week and see what happens.”

Following closely, Banff, Alta. native Kai Iguchi sits just two strokes behind at -4. The 21-year-old recently finished fifth in the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship and is competing in his first Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. 

In addition to Iguchi, nine other Canadians ended round one inside the top-10 including Marc Sweeney (Saskatoon, Sask.), Christopher Vandette (Beaconsfield, Qué.), Jean-Philippe Parr (St-Célestin, Qué.), Jace Minni (Delta, B.C.), Nasheel Kassam (Vancouver, B.C.), Robbie Latter (Mississauga, Ont.), Tony Li (Vancouver, B.C.), Tyler Hull (Toronto, Ont.), Ryan McMillan (Winnipeg, Man.).

Tomorrow will mark the final day of play at Seymour Golf and Country Club after which the field will be cut to the low 70 players (including ties). The final 36 holes are scheduled to take place at Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

The winner of the championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, as well as the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship being contested August 15-22 in Paramus, N.J.

After the halfway point of the Inter-Provincial competition Team Quebec, consisting of Christopher Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, and William Forgues, leads by three strokes over Team British Columbia. Nine provinces and two territories will continue to battle for the Willingdon trophy tomorrow with Team Ontario looking to rally to defend their 2019 title.

Quick Links:

Leaderboard
Tee times
Course details
Championship history & past champions

For more information on the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, click here.

PGA Tour Team Canada

Canada’s Pendrith stays T1 ahead of Rocket Mortgage Classic Final Round

DETROIT, MI - JULY 30: Taylor Pendrith of Canada walks off the 11th tee box during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club on July 30, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

By: Canadian Press

DETROIT – Canada’s Taylor Pendrith could be on pace for his first ever PGA Tour title.

The Richmond Hill, Ont., native shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to match American Tony Finau at 21-under 195 with a round left in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

A stroke ahead entering the round, Pendrith birdied four of the last five holes for a 66.

Pendrith was the second-round leader after setting the tournament 36-hole record at 15-under 129.

The 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie missed nearly four months this year with a broken rib.

Finau, the 3M Open winner last week in Minnesota, is trying to become the first to win consecutive regular-season tournaments in three years.

Rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (65) was four strokes back. He matched the Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 on Friday.

Stephan Jaeger was five shots back after a 65.

Patrick Cantlay, No. 4 in the world ranking, was six shots behind after a 66.

The duel in Detroit seemed like match play with Pendrith and Finau taking turns pulling and falling into ties and moving ahead.

Pendrith opened with six-foot birdie putt to take a two-shot lead. Finau pulled within a stroke on the next hole, making a 20-foot chip from the greenside rough for birdie.

“Stay hot, Tony!” a fan shouted.

Pendrith, who had his share of fans back home in Ontario, looked cool as calm as he bumped fists with two young boys as he walked to the third tee.

Finau pulled into the lead with a 15-foot putt at No. 3, then Pendrith pulled his three-foot putt to miss an opportunity to stay ahead.

Pendrith’s errant tee shot to the left on the par-5 631-yard fourth hole put him in the No. 6 greenside rough, leaving him behind several towering tees in his path to the green. He hit a shot 104 yards to the hole, an approach within 16 feet and made the putt to restore his one-stroke lead.

Pendrith took a two-stroke lead at No. 6, making a seven-foot putt that curled in the right side.

Finau equaled Pendrith at 18 under at the turn after making birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 while Pendrith missed a 1-foot putt and make bogey on the ninth hole.

Pendrith ended up behind a tree again at No. 13, forcing him to chip back onto the fairway and leading to a bogey that dropped him him into a second-place tie with Young.

Finau took a two-shot cushion with an eight-foot birdie putt at 14.

Pendrith, who won twice on PGA Tour Canada, bounced back from his second bogey with three straight birdies to pull back into a tie with two holes to play.

Finau went ahead at 17 with a birdie, and Pendrith tied it again with a birdie on the 54th hole.

If Finau can outlast the competition to win Sunday, he will be the first to win two straight regular-season events since since Brendon Todd in 2019.

LPGA Tour Team Canada

Maude-Aimee Leblanc one shot off the lead at the Scottish Open

TROON, SCOTLAND - JULY 30: Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Canada looks on at the 18th hole during round three of the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links Golf Course on July 30, 2022 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

By: Canadian Press

IRVINE, Scotland – Canada’s Maude-Aimee Leblanc started and finished with birdies for a 66 on Saturday, which lifted her to a tie for third place after Day 3 of the Women’s Scottish Open.

Leblanc, a 33-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., is tied with Germany’s Leonie Harm on 14 under, one shot off the lead.

Lydia Ko was joined by Celine Boutier at the top of the leaderboard.

France’s Boutier shot a 5-under-par 67 – five birdies on the front nine – to make up four shots on the New Zealander, who could manage only a 1-under 71.

“I really like links golf and playing in windy conditions. I feel like my ball flight is pretty low and so I never really have trouble keeping it down which is an advantage here because the ball doesn’t get affected as much,” Boutier said. “And I had some good memories of playing well in the past so that’s always helpful.”

Ko offset three bogeys with a birdie finish at Dundonald Links.

“My irons were not as sharp so I don’t think I set myself up for as many easier kind of 15 feet and birdie opportunities,” she said. ”I know it wasn’t the best golf I’ve played, but I was able to scramble around. I don’t think it was as bad as I think, and I think because I had two really low rounds it makes me compare more to the past couple days.“

Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea (70) and Lilia Vu of the United States (71) were two off the lead going into the last round.

No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko was at 1 under overall, and defending champion Ryann O’Toole at 4 under.

Amateur Canadian Men's Amateur Championships

Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship set to tee off in Vancouver

JEFF VOGAN/ GOLF CANADA

The 117th installment of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, tees off this week with 252 amateur golfers taking the stage in Vancouver.

The championship, which was first held in 1895, is the oldest amateur championship in the country. The inaugural tournament, held at Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Qué., marked one of the first orders of business for the Royal Canadian Golf Association – now known commonly as Golf Canada.

One of nine national championships conducted by Golf Canada for the 2022 season, the Canadian Men’s Amateur will consist of 72 holes of stroke play taking place at two elite courses, Seymour Golf and Country Club, and Point Grey Golf and Country Club, with the latter celebrating its centennial anniversary. The field will be cut to the low 70 players (including ties) following 36 holes.

Point Grey Golf Club, host of the 2022 Canadian Men's Amateur Championship
POINT GREY GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

Practice rounds are scheduled for July 30th – 31st before the tournament officially kicks off on August 1st.  Rounds will be played simultaneously at both properties for the first two rounds, with the final round and awards ceremony taking place at Point Grey G&CC.

“Golf Canada is proud to host this historic championship and bring together a field of top competitors from all over the globe,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Director, Amateur Championships and Rules. “Point Grey Golf and Country Club and Seymour Golf and Country Club are in excellent shape and will provide for an exciting competition as our competitors vie for the Earl Grey Cup.”

International talent will once again flock to the championship after COVID-19 complications restricted travel and thus, international inclusion. Among a field of strong international competitors are Connor Fewkes (Australia), Ching-Hung Su (Chinese Taipei), Jose Islas (Mexico), Tyler Wood (New Zealand), and Jackson Lake (U.S.A.).

As for the Canadian contingent, Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad member and Coquitlam, B.C. native A.J. Ewart will be counting on the home-province advantage to go all the way after finishing just two strokes shy of 2021 champion Max Sekulic last year. Other notable National Amateur Squad members in the field include Laurent Desmarchais (Longueuil, Qué.) and Chris Vandette (Beaconsfield, Qué.). Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and Vancouver, B.C. native Doug Roxburgh will be the only champion returning to the field having claimed titles in 1972, 1974, 1982, and 1988.  

Canadian Men's Amateur Champion Doug Roxburgh
DOUG ROXBURGH AT THE 1974 CANADIAN MEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

The winner of the championship will earn an exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, as well as the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship being contested August 15-22 in Paramus, N.J.

New to this year’s tournament is a purse payout. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will now compete for a purse of $8,000 CAD. Amateur golfers may accept prize money up to a maximum of $1,200 CAD, and payouts will be awarded to the top-10 finishers and ties.

Among the notable Canadian champions are Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured members Moe Norman (Kitchener, Ont.), Nick Weslock (Winnipeg, Man.), Gary Cowan (Kitchener, Ont.) and Doug Roxburgh (Vancouver, B.C.). PGA TOUR champions Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) have also hoisted the coveted Earl Grey Cup.

 Seymour Golf and Country Club, host of the 2022 Canadian Men's Amateur Championship
SEYMOUR GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB

The 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup will also return this year after a two-year hiatus. Team Ontario are the reigning champions and are set to defend their 2019 title.

More information about the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship can be found here.

PGA Tour Team Canada

Taylor Pendrith takes 1 shot lead over Finau at Rocket Mortgage

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JULY 29: Taylor Pendrith of Canada follows his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club on July 29, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

By: Canadian Press

DETROIT – Taylor Pendrith grew up getting breaks from golf, putting the clubs away each winter in Canada.

That may have helped him when he had to miss nearly four months of competition due to a painful injury earlier this year.

Pendrith shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Tony Finau into the weekend in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Pendrith and Finau shared the first-round lead at 8 under and will be in the final group Saturday, pairing a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie with a 32-year-old veteran coming off his third career victory.

Pendrith is playing in his third tournament after being unable to swing a club for 12 weeks due to a broken rib, a break that reminded him of his youth.

“We have a long offseason in Canada, so I didn’t touch a club all winter basically growing up so I guess I’m kind of used to it in a way,” he said.

Pendrith said matter of factly that he can compete with the best when he’s healthy and has showed that so far at Detroit Golf Club.

No one, though, has been better than Finau lately.

The Salt Lake City native with Tongan-Samoan heritage is 32 under over his last 107 holes, including rallying from a five-shot deficit last Sunday in Minnesota to win the 3M Open by three shots.

Pendrith tried to pull away in the second round in Detroit, opening with four straight birdies and six in his first 10 holes. He had two birdies and a bogey over the final five holes to finish Friday alone in first.

Finau, meanwhile, started slow with only one birdie on the front nine before carding five birdies on the back. He has a shot be the first PGA Tour player to win two straight regular season tournaments since Brendon Todd in 2019.

“Anytime you win, you breed confidence,” Finau said. “I was just happy to carry that confidence from last week right into this week.”

Pendrith and Finau had a bit of a cushion.

Rookie Lee Hodges (66) was three shots back.

PGA Tour rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young tied a Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 for a share of fourth place – five shots back – with Russell Henley (65) and Stewart Cink (66).

Rookie Sahith Theegala (67) was another shot back in a pack that includes defending FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, who bounced back from an opening-round 70 with a 65.

Davis Love III, the 58-year-old U.S. Presidents Cup captain, was in Detroit in part to play and more importantly to get to know players better on and off the course that may represent the country in September at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.

Love missed the cut at 5-over 149, but made the most of an opportunity to have dinner with some President Cup candidates and to play two rounds with with Young and Will Zalatoris.

Young and Zalatoris, teammates at Wake Forest and close friends, may be paired together again in two months.

“If they make the team, they’re a natural,” Love said.

Zalatoris, No. 13 in the world ranking, perhaps felt pressure playing with Love because he barely made the cut. He had to birdie his 36th hole to get to 3 under, the cut line, with a pair of lackluster rounds.

If Young does not earn an automatic spot on the American team, he might be a captain’s pick.

“Cameron is trending up,” Love said. “Go back to Jordan Spieth. Nobody heard of him and next thing you know in one year he’s on the Presidents Cup team, and Cam’s headed that way, too. No one ever heard of him on the Korn Ferry and here he is, he almost won a major.”

Young had a runner-up finish at the British Open and at the PGA Championship, he missed a playoff by a shot. He has four second-place finishes, was third in two tournaments. And in Detroit, Young showed Love up close what he can do.

“I would hope that I made some kind of case,” he said.

Amateur Canadian Junior Girls Championships

Yeji Kwon wins the 67th Canadian Junior Girls Championship

OTTAWA, Ont. – As she marveled at the names etched into the Brokenshire Trophy, Yeji Kwon gasped in awe when she realized she was in the same company as Brooke Henderson.

Kwon, 16, fired a two-under par 70 in Friday’s final round to capture the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m really happy and proud of myself; I’m really excited.”

Yeji Kwon

Words came few and far between from the Port Coquitlam, B.C., native following the victory. Instead, she let her play do the talking. With a four-stroke lead entering the day, Kwon stayed level-headed throughout, never allowing the gap to narrow down to less than three shots.

“I tried to block it (nerves) out as much as possible,” said Kwon. “I wasn’t playing the best today, but I tried my best out there to keep as calm as possible.”

Kwon, a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad, says her experience at the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in late June helped her manage her emotions in the spotlight at The Marshes Golf Club.

“It’s a tournament with everyone from around the world. I learned so much, especially playing with other players and I think that really helped me stay more focused and play a lot better,” Kwon said.

After Lucy Lin cut the lead to four with a birdie on No. 11, Kwon stepped on the gas and cruised to the promise land, closing out in style with birdies on holes No. 13, 14 and 16. At that point, she knew she had done it.

“I saw the scoreboard and I was like, “Ok, let’s just try to make pars and get it done.”

Get it done, she did. Kwon tapped in on No. 18 to win by nine strokes and was showered in water by her teammates and competitors who stormed the green.

After an opening round 75, the British Columbian carded rounds of 67, 65 and 70 for a total score of 11-under par 277, en route to the national title. Kwon was also crowned champion of the Juvenile Girls division – a subdivision for girls 16 and younger.

With the hardware comes an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as an entry into the 2023 U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

Kwon will also be awarded a cheque of $1,200. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, competed for a purse of $8,000 CAD. Along with Kwon, top-10 finishers and ties earned a piece of the prize money.

12-year-old Lucy Lin earned the runner-up honours in both the Junior Girls and Juvenile Girls divisions. The Vancouver, B.C. native, who is only getting started on the national stage, finished the tournament at two-under par for a total score of 286.

Erin Lee of Langley, B.C., completed the all-British Columbia podium sweep with a third-place finish. Lee, who was under par in each of the first three rounds, started hot with three birdies in her first four holes, but struggled to establish any pressure thereafter. She closed out her tournament with a four-over par 76.  

In the Juvenile Girls divisions, the bronze medal was shared by three participants: Amy Seung Hyun Lee, Alissa Xu and Anna Huang. Xu’s medalist honours are her second in as many weeks. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native finished as the runner-up at last week’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club.

Team Ontario – made up of Swetha Sathish, Sarah Gallagher, and Kelly Zhao – took home the Interprovincial Team Trophy. The Ontarians edged the British Columbians by five strokes in the team event, which concluded earlier in the week.

The 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be played at the Hampton Golf Club in Hampton, N.B.. Dates are to be announced in the coming months.

Click here for full results of the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Golf Fore The Cure

Pink Out Day at the Westfield Golf & Country Club

Golf Fore the Cure is a partnership between Golf Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society, through which golfers plan, coordinate, and host fundraising events or tournaments while raising money for the breast cancer cause. 

Westfield Golf & Country Club hosted a local event “Pink Out Day” on Saturday, July 9th as part of this national initiative and raised in excess of $5,700 for this worthy cause.  On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to extend a big thank you to Rose Theriault and her committee of Joan Hurst, Ruth Ross, Cathy Hutchinson and Val Curtis for bringing this national event to Westfield and making it a very special day for all involved, not just the ladies.   Lots of pink decorations adorned the Club, carts and the golf course, fun games were planned for golfers on the day and it was amazing to see everyone adorned in pink to raise awareness of breast cancer and support the cause.

I want to extend a special thank you to Brandon Bradley and Dave McCormick for elevating their fundraising “fun” by taking on the challenge of determining “how many holes can you play in a day” and getting sponsors for each hole played as well as collecting donations as they played!  The answer is 180 – they played 10 rounds of golf on June 30, starting at 4:30 am and playing through to 10:00 pm!  Thank you both for adding in this extra bit of fun and excitement on the golf course (and word has it there was a 6:50 am tee time the next morning)!

An event of this magnitude was only possible due to a willing roster of volunteers taking part to make it happen!  I want to thank each Westfield Golf Club member who played a role in making this day the success including the following:  Rose Theriault, Joan Hurst, Val Curtis, Ruth Ross, Cathy Hutchinson, Carla Roberts, Linda Thorne, Marilyn Upton, Terry Monaghan, Jean Bastarache, Elaine Elkin, Sandie Keeffe, Jennie Duncan, Judy London, Sean McCullough, Tammy Gould, Nancy Steele, Lori Wall, Rick Curtis, Paula Bosfet, Rick Gerrior, Chris Hachey, Alex Chevarie, Debbie Cyr, Gary Cyr, Gary MacFarlane Stan Ptasznick, Claudette Ptasznick and Trish Sleigh.

A sincere thanks is extended as well to all of the generous sponsors who provided swag and prizes for the day.  Please review the full list and I would encourage you to support these businesses when ever you can to show our appreciation and thank them for their support of this event.  Sponsors include:  John H. Walker Insurance Ltd., Grass Roots Grill, Paul Gautier and Century Subaru, The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, Jamie Stevens PGA of Canada Professional, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Pam DeCourcey & Company, Grand Bay Home Hardware, Lori Hudson, Dorothy Small and Sea Shed, Village Square Bakery, Grand Bay Foodland, Grand Bay Pizza Delight, Country 94 Cruiser, TW McKenzie Professional Corporation, River Valley Dental Clinic, Bourque Industrial, Christopher D. Cook Professional Corporation, Ground Breaking Services Ltd, Saint John Sea Dogs and the Westfield Golf & Country Club. 

As luck would have it, we managed to enjoy the perfect end to a perfect “pink out day”!  Ryan Lavine finished his round with one 180-yard shot recording a hole-in-one on #18 winning the $10,000 prize sponsored by John H Walker Insurance Ltd.!  Congratulations Ryan and thank you to all involved in

“Pink Out Saturday at Westfield”  July 9, 2022

Moving a step closer to a world where no one should fear cancer.