HAMMOND PLAINS, N.S. – Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., David Snyder of McAllen, Tex., and Matt Sharpstene of Cornelius, N.C., each hold a share of the lead after the opening round of the 115th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship held at Glen Arbour Golf Course and co-hosted by The Links at Brunello.

Travale, Snyder and Sharpstene all carded rounds of 3-under-par 67 at Glen Arbour.

Travale, a former member of the Team Canada National Junior Squad, fired a bogey-free round that included back-to-back birdies on holes No. 5 and No. 6.

Snyder birdied three of his first five holes, playing even-par golf for the rest of his round. The 21-year-old won the 2019 NCAA Championship with Sandford University.

“The best part of my game today was my driving, I just kept it in good position all day,” said Snyder. “I didn’t have any tree trouble, which is possible out here, so it kept the round nice and smooth throughout all 18 holes. Tomorrow I’d like to get a little better with my wedges from 100 to about 130 yards. I feel like I had some opportunities today that I didn’t capitalize on.”

Sharpstene birdied all three par-5’s at Glen Arbour during his first career round in Canada, but a pair of bogeys brought him back to 3 under.

“I hit my tee ball really well,” said Sharpstene. “I didn’t put myself in any bad spots today. I made a couple of putts. The driver was key, so hopefully I can keep it going.”

Julien Sale, a Gatineau, Que., product representing France, is in fourth place at 2 under.

The players will switch courses for round two – any competitor who played round one at Glen Arbour will play at The Links at Brunello and vice versa.

Team Ontario consisting of Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) and Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) jumped out to an early lead in the 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup. The trio combined for a score of 7 over par and a one-stroke lead.

Team Québec is in second place at 8 under par. The Willingdon Cup champion will be crowned on Tuesday at Glen Arbour.

In addition to claiming the title of 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Players from a record 15 countries are competing at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. This is the second Golf Canada championship conducted at Glen Arbour Golf Course, as the club hosted the 2005 CP Women’s Open, won by Meena Lee. Recent Golf Canada championships held in Nova Scotia have yielded some notable winners; Adam Svensson won the 2012 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, Garrett Rank won the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur and Hye-jin Choi was crowned the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion.

Click here for full scoring.

Garrett Rank, of Ont., beat the odds to win the 117th Western Amateur at Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Rank, an NHL referee, earned the George R. Thorne Trophy with a 3 and 2 victory over Daniel Wetterich, of Cincinnati, Ohio. The last mid-amateur to win the Western Amateur was Danny Green in 1997 at The Point, which was hosting the tournament this week for the first time since 2008.

“This is the end of a dream week,” said the Team Canada alumnus.

Rank, who finished fifth at 6 under in stroke play on Thursday, trailed in all four of his matches. He was 1 down after five in the final, but took the lead with a birdie at No. 7. Rank went 2 up after making a birdie on the ninth.

Wetterich answered with a birdie at No. 10, but Rank took control with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 14-15 to go 3 up. He parred the 16th to end the match.

Rank carded six birdies and won seven holes. Wetterich made four birdies and won four holes. The two didn’t tie a hole until No. 8.

“The front was back and forth, and it was fun,” said Wetterich, who graduated from Ohio State in the spring. “He just made a lot of putts, and he wouldn’t give me any wiggle room.”

A native of Elmira, Ontario, Rank played golf and hockey growing up and earned scholarships in both sports to University of Waterloo in Ontario. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in his second year of college, he quit hockey and focused on golf.

In 2012, Rank was the runner-up to Nathan Smith at the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois.

“I’ve had a lot of close calls in big events,” Rank said. “To finally break through is huge. I’m a big believer in the more you put yourself under pressure you learn something every time. I relied on that.”

The win gives Rank an exemption into next year’s Evans Scholars Invitational at The Glen Club in Glenview, Illinois. Wetterich also received an invitation into the Korn Ferry Tour event.

“I’m really excited about how I played,” Wetterich said. “Overall, I’m really content with the week, and I will build on what I did [Saturday] going forward.”

Rank is the second Canadian champion – Jim Nelford won the tournament in 1977 at The Point. He’s the first international winner since Danny Lee in 2008.

“I know how important and cool this is in amateur golf,” Rank said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, and I’m sure I’ll be even more proud when it does.”

After playing in the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship on Aug. 20-23, Rank reports to NHL training camp Sept. 9. Even following a win at the Western Amateur, among the most prestigious tournaments in the world, Rank isn’t compelled to turn golf into a full-time job.

“I have no regrets about not being professional,” he said. “I have no doubt I could be a great pro and could do well in the game of golf. But I love my job. I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I know how the ups and downs of golf work and have seen a lot of great players not make it.

“When you get to play in tournaments like this and have success, I don’t know why you would want to chase being a professional golfer.”

VANCOUVER (Golf Canada) – The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to Vancouver as Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) announced the 2020 CP Women’s Open will be contested at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club from August 31- September 6, 2020.

The 2020 CP Women’s Open will mark the sixth time that the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

“Together, with our partners at Canadian Pacific (CP) and the LPGA Tour, we are very excited to bring the 2020 CP Women’s Open to the world-class city of Vancouver and the prestigious Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada.

“Vancouver and the entire province of British Columbia are home to a tremendously passionate golf community, and we are excited to see the LPGA Tour’s best take on one of Canada’s premier golf courses.”

CP, through its community investment program CP Has Heart, will once again be making a significant charitable contribution to the host community. In its first five years of title sponsorship, from 2014-2018, the campaign has raised more than $8.5 million for children’s cardiac care in the tournament’s host communities.

“CP is proud to bring the CP Women’s Open back to the Vancouver area,” said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO.

“Vancouver is vital to our network and home to more than 500 CP employees. This venue in particular evokes CP pride at every turn, including bearing the name of long-time CP president, Thomas Shaughnessy. We look forward to leaving a significant charitable donation and an indelible mark on this area, just as our predecessors have.”

Founded in 1911 and on its current site since 1960, Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club lies on the shores of the Fraser River, minutes from downtown Vancouver. Both the original course and the 1960 course were designed by famed golf course architect and Vancouver resident A.V. Macan, who was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2018. The 2020 event will mark the first time that Shaughnessy has hosted the stars of the LPGA Tour. The club has hosted the RBC Canadian Open four times, most recently in 2011. In hosting both the CP Women’s Open and RBC Canadian Open, Shaughnessy becomes the 14^th club to host both of Canada’s Men’s and Women’s Open Championships.

“Our Board of Directors, members and staff are truly excited about hosting this most prestigious golf championship,” said Brian Mossop, General Manager and COO of Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. “Our club is ready and our course will undoubtedly provide a terrific test for the world’s greatest golfers. We are looking forward to being part of the great history of the CP Women’s Open.”

The CP Women’s Open has traditionally featured one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour vying for a total purse of $2.25 million USD, one of the largest purses on tour.

The 2019 CP Women’s Open is being held at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., from August 19-25 and will welcome 94 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour, including CP golf ambassador and defending champion Brooke Henderson, fellow CP ambassador Lorie Kane, Canadians Alena Sharp, Britany Marchand, Jaclyn Lee and A.C. Tanguay along with past champions and LPGA stars such as Lydia Ko, Ariya Jutanugarn, So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park and Katherine Kirk.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil to inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Brooke Henderson’s historic victory in 2018 was the first time a Canadian had won the Canadian Women’s Open since golf legend Jocelyne Bourassa 45 years earlier.

HAMMONDS PLAINS, N.S. – The world’s best amateur golfers are set to compete in the 115th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in Nova Scotia at both Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello from August 5-8.

The championship was first held in 1895, making it one of the most storied sporting events in Canada and the third oldest amateur golf championship in the world. Glen Arbour will play host to 264 players from 12 countries over four stroke play rounds, while The Links at Brunello will co-host for the first two rounds prior to the 36-hole cut.

“Golf Canada is delighted to be back in Nova Scotia to conduct the 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at two terrific venues,” said Adam Helmer, the Tournament Director. “We are confident both Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello will challenge some of the top amateur golfers in the world as they vie for exemptions into two prestigious national championships.”

In 2018, Zach Bauchou of Forest, Va. defended his championship by winning at Duncan Meadows Golf Course in Duncan, B.C., by a three-stroke margin. Bauchou is the 22nd American to capture the Canadian Men’s Amateur crown and made his pro debut at this year’s RBC Canadian Open.

Current PGA TOUR players Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) are both winners of the event. Taylor won it in 2007, while Hughes won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012.

“We are thrilled to be hosting this strong field at Glen Arbour Golf Club and welcoming this prestigious championship to our course,” said Mike DeYoung, General Manager of Glen Arbour Golf Club. “The golf course is in tremendous shape and we look forward to seeing some of the world’s top amateur competitors take to the fairways.”

“The Links at Brunello and our members are excited to be the co-host for the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship,” added Miles Mortensen, General Manager of The Links at Brunello. “Our staff has been working tirelessly to prepare for the competition and we are proud to showcase our course and our community.”

A full field of competitors will compete for the Earl Grey Trophy and the title of Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, including Team Canada’s Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont., who was the low Canadian in 2017, Brendan MacDougall of Calgary, who finished in a tie for 16th in 2018 and Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., who is the reigning South American Amateur champion.

An inter-provincial team championship will be played in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the competition, with three-member teams vying for the Willingdon Cup. Team Québec, consisting of Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Julien Sale (Gatineau, Que.) shot a combined 10 under par to capture Québec’s second straight team championship in 2018.

The field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the final two rounds contested at Glen Arbour.

Glen Arbour Golf Course is one of Atlantic Canada’s and Halifax’s premiere golf destinations. Designed by renowned Canadian golfer and course architect Graham Cooke, the course previously hosted the 2005 CP Women’s Open, as well as the TELUS World Skins Game, the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive and the first Wayne Gretzky & Friends Tournament.

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Qualifier will be played at Glen Arbour Golf Course on Aug. 2 – a minimum of five spots into the tournament will be awarded. Additional information can be found here.

Co-host The Links at Brunello, located in Timberlea, N.S., was voted as one of Canada’s top 25 golf courses by Golf Digest in 2018. Designed by Thomas McBroom, the course was opened in 2015 and is regarded as one of the region’s finest.

In addition to claiming the title of 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

NOTABLES

Josh Whalen, Napanee, Ont.
Whalen returns to the Canadian Men’s Amateur with unfinished business. The Kent State alumnus finished third with four under-par rounds in 2017, but missed the cut last year. He enjoyed a strong 2018 season that saw him earn top-5 finishes at the Flagstick Open and the Argentinian Men’s Amateur Championship. He enters the tournament ranked No. 623 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Canon Claycomb, Bowling Green, Ky.
Claycomb has represented the United States on the international stage on numerous occasions, including most recently as a member of the 2019 Wyndham Cup team. He was the youngest member of the 2017 Junior President’s Cup team. The 17-year-old was the winner of the 2017 PING Invitational, and is the 61^st-ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Chris Crisologo, Richmond, B.C.
Crisologo made a name for himself at the 2018 RBC Canadian Open, winning the Gary Cowan Award as the low amateur at the event. Currently studying at Simon Fraser University, he won three tournaments in 2018 – the Concordia Invitational (NCAA), the South American Amateur and the British Columbia Amateur. This season, Crisologo won the South American Amateur in February.

Noah Goodwin, Corinth, Tex.
Ranked No. 67 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Goodwin is entering his junior year at Southern Methodist University. The highlight of his junior career was winning the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Goodwin won the Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017, becoming only the fifth player ever to do so, joining an exclusive club that includes Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Brendan MacDougall, Calgary
As a sophomore, Calgary’s MacDougall captured the Big South Conference Championship as a member of High Point University by a convincing six strokes and added four top-20 results for the Panthers. He followed his collegiate season with a T16 result at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur and a victory at the Alberta Match Play Championship. In 2016, MacDougall lost in a playoff at the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship.

Christopher Vandette, Beaconsfield, Que.
One of the brightest prospects in Canadian golf, Vandette recently placed third at the 2019 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup. As a 16-year-old, he made the cut of the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and was in a tie for 7th following the opening round after posting a 68.

More information on the 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship can be found here.

Nine Canadians, including two members of the Team Canada National Amateur Squad have qualified to play the 119th U.S. Amateur Championship.

Ninety-six sectional qualifiers were held across North America from July 1-24, including one at The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., on Monday, July 22. Cougar Collins of Caledon, Ont., and Jackson Bowery of London, Ont., earned the two automatic exemptions at The Thornhill Club.

Julien Sale (Reunion Island) produced one of the lowest scores of any qualifier when he carded 10 under 132 at Mendon Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y. on July 8.

Calvin Ross (Fredericton, N.B.) was the low qualifier at The Ledges Golf Club in York, Maine on July 15. The 2017 Canadian Junior Boys champion finished one stroke ahead of Team Canada member Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.), with both players earning qualification.

Colwyn Abgrall (Niverville, Man.) finished as the low qualifier at the sectional at Fargo Country Club in Fargo, N.D.

Étienne Brault (Mercier, Que.), Tristan Mandur (Mill Bay, B.C.) and Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.) all finished as runners-up at their respective qualifiers, therefore earning exemptions.

Eight additional Canadians are alternates for the championship; Jacob Presutti (Brampton, Ont.), Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.), Tyson Turchanski (Calgary), Kade Johnson (Yorkton, Sask.), Jeevan Sihota (Victoria), Cameron Kellett (Lambeth, Ont.), Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) and Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.).

Each qualifier consisted of two stroke play rounds on the same day. Over 7,000 players attempted to qualify for the 312-player field.

The 119th U.S. Amateur Championship is being held at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C., from August 12-18.

Full results from all U.S. Amateur Championship sectional qualifiers can be found here.

by Dwayne Tingley

It has been 20 years since Stuart Musgrave earned his playing card for the professional Canadian Golf Tour.

These days, Musgrave is a senior account manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada and golf is still a focal point of his life and he’s enjoying every minute of it.

He and his wife Erin will be part of Team New Brunswick at the Atlantic Amateur Golf Championships scheduled for Sept. 14-15 at the Humber Valley Golf Course in Corner Brook, N.L.

Stu Musgrave – Country Meadows Golf Club (pictured at 2017 Atlantic Golf Championships)

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play golf in a lot of different places right across the country and I consider this a wonderful opportunity,” said Musgrave, who plays out of the Country Meadows Golf Club, near Moncton.

“Not all of our players get to travel a lot so it’s fun to see them succeed,” he continued. “It’s all part of being a team. It may be an individual sport, but it’s a lot of fun to be part of a team like this. We all cheer for each other and we support each other so we have a great time with it.”

New Brunswick is the two-time defending champion of the Atlantic tournament. Musgrave won the men’s mid-masters (40 and older) title last year at the Glen Arbour Golf Course in Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S.

“We’re going with another solid team with very good players in every division,” said Musgrave, a North Sydney, N.S. native. “The best part is that we make a strong and united team.

“There are going to be a lot of good golfers there, so we will have our work cut out for us. Winning is great, but we’re also going there to have fun. It’s a great time when everyone gets together for tournaments like this. We take it seriously, but having fun comes first.”

Paula Napke-Flanagan, a member of New Brunswick’s senior women’s team, calls the Atlantic Golf Championships a “special time.”

“When you play all summer, you see the same players week after week and they are great people, but it’s nice to see golfers from the other provinces,” said Napke-Flanagan, who plays out of the Miramichi Golf and Country Club.

“It’s a fun tournament because of all the new faces and we have a good time when we get together,” said Flanagan, who has operated Paula’s Hair Studio, just steps from the 16^th fairway of her home club for 34 years.

“It’s a big expense for us to go over there so you know it’s about a lot more than the golf. It’s enjoying the company of all these great people from all over the Atlantic Provinces.”

Flanagan said the Humber Valley course is difficult because it features elevated tees and greens and the winds are always tricky.

“You might be using your short irons then the next day it could be a five-wood so you have to be ready to face the conditions that change all the time,” she said.

Paula Napke-Flanagan – Miramichi Golf & Country Club (pictured at 2017 Atlantic Golf Championships)

New Brunswick’s team was selected based on last year’s player of the year standings.

The men’s team is comprised of Alex Palmer (The Riverside Country Club), Peter Wedge (Riverside) and Steven Brooks (Country Meadows) in the amateur division; Musgrave (Country Meadows), Greg Jones (Country Meadows) and Jamie Melanson (Fox Creek Golf Club); Garry Jenkins (Fredericton Golf Club), Mike Hosford (Royal Oaks Golf Club) and Fernand Robichaud (Golf Pokemouche) in the senior division (55 and older) and Sonny Phillips (Fredericton) in super senior (65 and older).

The women’s team is comprised of Molly MacDermaid (Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club), Carly Hubbard (Miramichi) and Karen Flett (Miramichi) in the amateur division; Erin Musgrave (Country Meadows), Doreen Vienneau (Pine Needles Golf and Country Club) and Sandy Comeau (Country Meadows) in mid-master; Napke-Flanagan (Miramichi), Andrea Boucher (Moncton Golf and Country) and Mary Walton-Rossignol (Fredericton) in senior and Sharon Case (Miramichi) in super-senior.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Stuart Musgrave, who won the Atlantic mid-masters title last year. “It will be a challenge for all of us on Team New Brunswick.”

• For more information on the Atlantic Golf Championships – Click here
  
• For more information on the Golf Newfoundland Labrador – Click Here
• For more information on the Prince Edward Island Golf Association– Click Here
• For more information on the Nova Scotia Golf Association – Click Here
• For more information on the Golf New Brunswick– Click Here

RED DEER, Alta – Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, Calif., shot 4 under 68, overcoming a four-stroke deficit to capture the 106th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship held at Red Deer Golf & Country Club on Friday.

Michelle Liu of Vancouver finished as the low Canadian of the tournament, becoming the youngest player ever to earn an exemption to the CP Women’s Open. Liu carded a final round of 2 over, finishing at 1 over on the tournament in a tie for 12th.

Liu will be aged 12 years, nine months and six days when the 2019 CP Women’s Open tees off on August 22 at Magna Golf club in Aurora, Ont.

“I’m very proud of myself, especially being able to play with so many well-known professional players,” said Liu. “I started off today not very well – at three over through four holes and I was like ‘oh, this may not happen.’ I managed to get back and get my scoring under control.”

Navarrosa won the championship with a tap-in par putt on the par-4 No. 18. Jennifer Chang (Cary, N.C.) was one stroke behind Navarrosa – narrowly missing a 15-foot birdie putt to force a playoff.

This is Navarrosa’s second tournament win of the season, having claimed the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational in February. By claiming the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup, the 17-year-old earns exemptions into the 2019 CP Women’s Open and the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

“Going into today I was really hoping just to get a top three and stay consistent throughout the whole day,” said Navarrosa. “Of course I wanted to win. I wasn’t nervous going into the back nine, I was hyped to sink some putts. This will be my first LPGA event. I just want to have a good experience. If things don’t work out well, it’s ok. Just being there is an honour.”

Chang finished at 9 under par after firing 2 under 70 on Friday.

The 54-hole leader, Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif., shot 3 over on Friday and finished in third place.

Alyaa Abdulghany (Newport Beach, Calif.) made a charge up the leaderboard to finish fourth. Abdulghany entered the final round at even-par and her round of 7 under 65 was the lowest round of the tournament.

Full results can be found here.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Top junior golfers from across North America will head to Lethbridge Country Club from July 30-August 2 to compete in the 65th playing of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

The impressive field is led by the Team Canada National Junior Squad, with all five members set to chase the Brokenshire Trophy in Lethbridge; Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto), Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.).

Dao is the defending champion, having won last year’s event by three strokes. She took the lead in the second round, but an impressive charge in the final round secured her the championship. Three birdies on her final five holes allowed her to separate from runner-up Emily Zhu.

In total, 16 of Canada’s top 50 golfers from the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) are included in the field.

“Lethbridge Country Club is the perfect host for our national Junior Girls Championship,” said Tournament Director Adam Cinel. “Its signature holes and fantastic layout will provide a great challenge for the best junior golfers across North America as they chase Canada’s national title.”

A practice round will be conducted Monday, July 29 prior to the championship’s opening round on Tuesday, July 30. Following the first two rounds of play, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties with the top ten juvenile’s and ties included in the final round.

A tie for the championship will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following the conclusion of play.

The 2019 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2020 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Founded in 1909, Lethbridge Country Club has been on its current site since May 1932. Designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson, the course runs adjacent to the Old Man River. It was the site of the 2012 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, which was won by Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who carded a course record 65 in the third round. A 14-year-old Brooke Henderson finished sixth.

“We are thrilled to be hosting this strong field at Lethbridge Country Club and welcoming this prestigious championship to our course,” said Brian Huculak, General Manager of Lethbridge Country Club. “The golf course is in tremendous shape and we look forward to showcasing its beauty as well as the great city of Lethbridge.”

The Canadian Junior Girls Championship has a long list of distinguished past champions, including Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and major champion Sandra Post, and current LPGA superstar and Canadian professional golf victory record-holder Brooke Henderson.

An inter-provincial team competition will take place over the first two rounds. The two best scores of the three golfers from each provincial team in rounds one and two count towards the team’s score. The lowest aggregate score over rounds one and two determines the champions, who will claim the Mary Pyke Trophy.

Quebec will look to defend their team competition title. The trio of Dao, Élizabeth Labbé (Lévis, Que.) and Emily Romancew (Pierrefonds, Que.) shot four over, four strokes ahead of British Columbia.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

NOTABLES

Céleste Dao, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que.
The 18-year-old played the 2019 US Women’s Open and is the highest-ranked Canadian in the field on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (No. 311). Dao also played the 2018 CP Women’s Open and placed fifth at the World Junior Girls Championship in September 2018. She currently leads the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Girls Order of Merit and is sixth on the Golf Canada National Women’s Order of Merit.

Annabelle Ackroyd, Calgary
Ackroyd earned an exemption into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in her home province by winning the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship in June. The 17-year-old defended her title as Alberta Junior champion earlier this summer.

Ellie Szeryk, London, Ont.
The sister of Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Maddie Szeryk, Ellie was in the hunt at last year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship. She won the 2018 Golf Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship and played well at the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship. Szeryk also teed off at the South American Amateur Championship in January 2019.

Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Now in her third season on the Team Canada National Junior Squad, Chun won three tournaments in 2018. Although she missed the cut at the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, she finished in a tie for fourth at the tournament in 2017 and in the top ten in each of the previous three years. Chun also finished third at the AJGA C.T. Pan Junior Championship in April 2019.

Emily Zhu, Richmond Hill, Ont.
A runner-up performance at last year’s tournament was an incredible accomplishment for Zhu, who was only 14 years old at the time. She made the cut at the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, becoming one of the youngest players ever to do so. Zhu won the AJGA Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior and played well at the Women’s Porter Cup this season.

Sarah Bejaq, Toronto, Ont.
Bejaq placed fifth at last year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship and joined the Team Canada National Junior Squad shortly thereafter. She posted top-10 finishes at both the 2018 Ontario Women’s Junior and Amateur Championships. Bejaq was one of six Canadians to play at the World Junior Girls Championship last year.

FAST FACTS

Dao’s win in 2018 broke a streak of three straight years in which a British Columbia golfer won the individual event: Susan Xiao in 2017 (Surrey, B.C.), Naomi Ko in 2016 (Victoria, B.C.) and Michelle Kim in 2015 (Surrey, B.C.).

Nine-time LPGA winner and major champion Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., won the event in 2012 at River Spirit Golf Club in Calgary, Alta.

The lowest single-round score in the tournament’s history is a 66 – Karen England (1997), Kristy Finlayson (1998), Elyse Archambault (2010) and Hannah Lee (2015).

Heather Kuzmich won four straight Canadian Junior Girls Championships from 1981-1984.

Four Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members are past champions of the event: Betty Stanhope-Cole (1956), Judy Darling Evans (1957), Gail Harvey (1958-60) and Sandra Post (1964-66).

Current LPGA golfer Alena Sharp was the 1999 Canadian Junior Girls Champion.

The 2019 Canadian Junior Girls champion will receive an exemption into the 2020 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Men’s Senior Results – Click Here
Men’s Super-Senior Results – Click Here

For Immediate Release:

The final round of the 2019 Argus Audiology NB Men’s Senior Championship was anything but a forgone conclusion.  When the host Aroostook Valley Country Club’s Ralph Michaud teed it up on day three, he was sitting comfortably at five under par (-5) and in possession of a five-shot lead over Denis Beaulieu of Le Club de Golf de Saint-Quentin and Dan Coulombe of the West Hills Golf Course.

Ralph Michaud – 2019 Argus Audiology NB Senior Men’s Champion

While to many it looked like Michaud would simply cruise to his first NB Senior Men’s Crown, someone forgot to tell Denis Beaulieu.  Beaulieu, the two-time NB Senior Team member would come out guns a blazing with a birdie streak that would not end until he reached the 5^th green.  While Michaud would try and keep up, with birdies of his own at the 3^rd and the 4^th, bogeys at the par three 8^th and the par four 9^th would see him make the turn in an even par (E), 36, and in position of just a one-shot lead over Beaulieu through 63 holes.

Despite the early scare, Michaud would bounce back on the inward half and capitalize on Beaulieu’s only two mistakes of the day.  As Beaulieu would bogey the par 12^th and 14^th holes, Michaud would make birdie and would quickly return to his original five shot advantage.  Two more bogeys at the 16^th and 17^th would make things interesting, but Michaud would finish off his first Argus Audiology NB Senior Men’s title in style with a birdie on the 72^nd hold to close with a final round one under par (-1), 71, and a three-day total of six under par (-6), 210.

Beaulieu’s hot start would help him fend off a hard charging Tom Cameron of the Gage Golf & Curling Club, finishing the day with a two under par (-2), 70, and a 54-hole total of 214, four shots off Michaud’s pace.  After posting the round of the day, a three under par (-3), 69, Cameron would leap past Coulombe to secure solo second with a one under par (-1), total of 215, one shot ahead of Coulombe (71, 73, 72 – E / 216) in fourth and three better then the Fredericton Golf Club’s Sonny Phillips (69, 77, 72 – +2 / 218).

Sonny Phillips – 2019 Argus Audiology NB Super Senior Champion

In the Super Senior division, it would be two-time defending champion, Herrick Hansen of Aroostook Valley who would make the early move.  A birdie at the par five 3^rd would see him make the turn in a one under par (-1), 35, to make up his two-shot deficit and draw even with 36-hole leader Sonny Philips of the Fredericton Golf Club.  Phillips, who at one point was four under par (-4) through his first 9 holes of the tournament, would have a roller coaster nine to open his final round.  Birdies at the 2^nd and 3^rd would be sawed off by a double bogey at the par three 4^th.  Phillips would bounce back with birdie at the 5^th but would bogey the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th holes to complete a series of seven hole without recording a par and make the turn in a two over par (-2), 38, and tied for the lead in the Super Senior Division.

The back nine would see the tables turn.  While Hansen would bogey the 10^th and 13^th before making birdie that 14^th, Phillips would channel his inner Ralph Michaud and match the 2019 NB Senior Champions by dominating Aroostook Valley’s three back nine par fives with birdies at the 12^th, 14^th and 18^th balanced by a bogey on the par four 16^th to post a two under par (-2), 34, on the back, a even par final round of 72 and a three day total of 218 to claim his first Argus Audiology NB Super Senior Championship by three shots over Hansen.

by In third position, 10 shots off the pace, would be Gary Swain (75, 77, 76 – +12 / 228) of the Hampton Golf Club while Jean LeBlanc (75, 75, 80 – +14 / 230) of the Fox Creek Golf Club and the hickory club wheeling Gary Melanson (74, 77, 79 – +14 / 230) of the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club would round out the top five in a tie for 4^th.

In addition to the Argus Audiology NB Senior and Super Senior Champions, Golf NB also named the three-player team who would represent the province at the upcoming Canadian Senior Men’s Championship to be held from September 10 to 13, 2019 at the Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario.  With Michaud, a member of the Maine State Golf Association and a United States resident, being ineligible Denis Beaulieu, Dan Coulombe and Tom Cameron have been selected as Team NB members who will represent New Brunswick at the upcoming Canadian Senior Championships.

2019 NB Senior Men’s Team – L to R: Tom Cameron, Denis Beaulieu, Dan Coulombe

In addition to their support of the 2019 NB Senior & Mid-Master Championships, Argus Audiology is also the title sponsor of the Argus Audiology NB Ladies Provincials which was held July 7-9 at Golf Pokemoche, the Golf NB Annual Awards Banquet and Silent Auction on October 19 in Fredericton and the 2019 Golf NB Competitive Golf Season.

• For more information on the 2019 Argus Audiology NB Men’s Senior & Mid-Master Championships please CLICK HERE.
• For more information on the Aroostook Valley Country Club please CLICK HERE.

Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB), a not for profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick.  In January of 2006, the New Brunswick Golf Association (NBGA) officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province.  Programs offered by Golf NB to its 8,000 members include: 12 provincial events, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, junior golf development programs and member club marketing initiatives.

Argus Audiology is a family owned and operated hearing service centre. We employ bilingual audiologists, hearing aid practitioners and technicians at our New Brunswick centres. Argus Audiology has been proudly serving Southern New Brunswick since 1978 and now has 4 convenient locations working in a collaborative culture.

Men’s Mid-Master Results – Click Here

For Immediate Release:

The third and final round of the 2019 Argus Audiology NB Men’s Mid-Master Championship, hosted by the Aroostook Valley Country Club, got started under perfect scoring conditions.

So perfect in fact that, the Hampton Golf Club’s Darren Ritchie would quickly wipe away a three-shot deficit with birdies at the 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th and 8^th and a lone bogey on the par four 9^th to make the turn in a three under par (-3), 33, and get to five under par (-5) through 63 holes.  While Ritchie was heating up, over night leader Darren MacPherson of the Restigouche Country Club would stumble.  After Ritchie’s birdies at the 2^nd and 3^rd, a double bogey on the par three 4^th would see his three-shot lead turned into a one-shot deficit through four holes.  Another bogey at the 7^th would see MacPherson make the turn in a three over par (+3), 39, and three shots back of Ritchie.

After another birdie at the 10^th, Ritchie would bogey the 11^th, 13^th and 16^th opening the door for MacPherson and setting up a sprint to the finish.  A MacPherson birdie at the par five 5^th would draw him even with Ritchie coming to the 72^nd hole.  Another birdie by MacPherson on Aroostook Valley’s home hole would see him card a final round one over par (+1), 73 on the day and to four under par (-4), 212, for the event.  Now one down, Ritchie would get up and down for a birdie of his own to force a sudden victory playoff for the title, with a final round two under par (-2), 70, 212.

After making an 8-footer to save par on the 1^st playoff hole, the par four 1^st, Ritchie would complete the come from behind victory by closing out MacPherson on the 2^nd playoff hole to claim his second Argus Audiology NB Men’s Mid-Master Championship, and first since 2006.

With a scheduling conflict forcing Ritchie to decline, Darren MacPherson has been awarded the third and final position on Team NB and will join Stuart Musgrave of the Country Meadows Golf Club and Riverside’s Ed Reevey in representing the province at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, to be held from August 20 to 23, 2019 at the Summit Golf Club in Toronto, Ontario.

• For more information on the 2019 Argus Audiology NB Men’s Senior & Mid-Master Championships please CLICK HERE.
• For more information on the Aroostook Valley Country Club please CLICK HERE.

Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB), a not for profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick.  In January of 2006, the New Brunswick Golf Association (NBGA) officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province.  Programs offered by Golf NB to its 8,000 members include: 12 provincial events, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, junior golf development programs and member club marketing initiatives.

Argus Audiology is a family owned and operated hearing service centre. We employ bilingual audiologists, hearing aid practitioners and technicians at our New Brunswick centres. Argus Audiology has been proudly serving Southern New Brunswick since 1978 and now has 4 convenient locations working in a collaborative culture.