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by Golf NB 

2019 East Coast Junior Championships – 1st Round Pairings & Tee-Times

For Immediate Release:

The Covered Bridge Golf and Country Club will see a lot of junior golf action this summer with several of the country’s top junior championships making their way to Hartland, NB in 2019.

Kicking things off on June 25^th & 26^th will be the 2019 East Coast Junior Championship, the first of three major events Covered Bridge will see in the coming months, followed by the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship from July 16^th to 18^th and capped off by the Canadian Junior Boys Championship which will be held from August 12^th to 15^th.

The 2019 East Coast Junior Championships presented by Golf NB will be played in 36 holes over two days and will offer the highly competitive field the opportunity to compete for the East Coast Junior Boys, Junior Girls and Bantam Boys titles respectfully.

With last year’s Junior Boys champion Tyler Hashmi (PEI) moving to the Amateur ranks, Junior Girls champion Camille Lafierne-Oulette (QC) choosing not to defend her title and 2018 Bantam champion Jordie Cooper jumping into the junior ranks, the field is wide open for new champions to be crowned.

This tournament will offer 33 New Brunswick junior golfers the chance to meet those from other provinces, with 30 players coming from Quebec, 17 visiting from Prince Edward Island and 16 joining us from Nova Scotia; 96 junior golfers in total will come together for two days of great competitive golf.

This diverse group of juniors will lend to a great tournament, great golf, and good fun.  We look forward to seeing what the players bring to the course and crowning our 2019 Golf NB East Coast Junior Champions.

• For more information or to register for the 2019 East Coast Junior Championship please CLICK HERE.
• For more information on the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club please CLICK HERE.

CHASKA, Minn. – Michelle Wie returned to competition Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship looking as if she had never left.

She was icing her right hand. She shot a 12-over 84.

And then she wondered, through tears, how much time she had left.

“It’s hard,” Wie said after matching her highest score on the LPGA Tour as a pro. “It’s just one of those situations where I’m not entirely sure how much I have left in me. So even on the bad days, I’m just like trying to take time to enjoy it.”

At this point, her voice was cracking and she began wiping tears from her eyes as she stood outside the clubhouse at Hazeltine National.

“It’s tough,” she said, before walking away.

Wie has lived with fame her entire career, from winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at age 13, competing against the men on the PGA Tour at age 14 and turning pro at age 16. She has five LPGA victories, most notably the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, most recently the HSBC Women’s World Championship at the start of the 2018 season.

The most recent injury was to her right hand. She had surgery in October, returned in Thailand in February and had to withdraw from her title defence in Singapore a week later as she still coped with pain.

Wie sat out a month and returned at the LPGA’s first major and then her hometown event in Hawaii, both times missing the cut. She withdrew from the U.S. Women’s Open three weeks ago, and didn’t start hitting balls again until last week.

Hazeltine proved to be too tough for someone whose hand is that fragile, and that was before dark clouds, cooler temperatures, wind and rain arrived as she was finishing a round to forget.

Wie had two birdies to go along with two double bogeys, six bogeys and a quadruple bogey on the par-3 eighth over the water, her penultimate hole.

“It was kind of a little foolish to think that I would shoot really well – just hitting golf balls last week – at Hazeltine,” Wie said. “It’s a tough golf course but I’m really, really happy that I played. Just feeling a lot of joy just being out there and competing again. It’s going to take time and I’ve just got to be patient, and thankfully I have all afternoon to get warm again and take care of my wrist.”

Wie also shot an 84 in the third round of the Evian Masters in 2007. Her highest score on any tour was an 85 at the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in 2004 when she was 14.

She played with Lydia Ko, who saw a good attitude to go along with a big struggle.

“Clearly, she loves the game and she’s passionate about it and she’s not out there just because she’s a golfer. She loves it,” Ko said. “She loves being out here with the girls and that’s why even though has to go through the treatments and everything, she keeps coming out and trying. … She’s definitely got nothing to lose. She’s proven herself in all different levels. She’s a U.S. Women’s Open champion. But it shows how much she loves the game.”

Wie had said earlier in the week she talked to the LPGA Tour about taking a medical leave the rest of the year. She thought she was getting healthy enough to rehabilitate and try to play without pain.

“Every bit of my body wants to play and it sucked sitting out of the U.S. Open,” she said. “I just didn’t want to do it again and I’m here.”

Just maybe not for long.

A quartet of Canadians are in the field. Brooke Henderson, sits in a tie for 84th at 4 over, and Alena Sharp is one stroke behind Henderson in a tie for 103rd. Jaclyn Lee and Anne-Catherine Tanguay are both tied for 124th at 7 over.

The PGA of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious championship takes place next week at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont.

Seventy-two of the association’s best players look to capture the 98th playing of the PGA Championship of Canada.

Teeing it up at Whistle Bear and looking to add their name to the P.D. Ross Trophy includes 22 past PGA of Canada national champions, eight of whom are past PGA Championship of Canada winners.

Additionally, 43 of the top 50-ranked players from the RBC PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC are in the field, including the entire top 10.

“It’s absolutely wild how stacked the field is for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada,” said the PGA of Canada’s managing director of championships and foundation Adam LeBrun. “When you have all these past national champions, plus a number of up-and-coming players from across the country, you’re going to have a first-rate championship that ultimately produces a worthy champion.”

For the full field and first-round tee times, CLICK HERE.

Built on more than 230 acres, Whistle Bear is regarded as one of southern Ontario’s most distinctive golf destinations. Host of the 2004 and 2005 PGA Championship of Canada (as part of the Nationwide Tour schedule), the links-style venue features more than 100 bunkers throughout the 18 holes, as well as water on more than half of the holes.

Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event thru 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the P.D. Ross Trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 64 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

This year’s championship at Whistle Bear will follow the same format.

Pierre-Alexandre Bedard looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Knudson won in 1976 and 1977. The 23-year-old from Club de Golf Cap Rouge bested Gordon Burns 1-up on a relentlessly hot and humid Friday at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in the championship’s final match.

“This is definitely the biggest win of my entire life and I’m so proud of myself,” Bedard said after his win in 2018. “It’s so incredible to have my name on the same trophy as all the legends who came before me, not to mention all my fellow Quebecers who have won this championship over the past couple years.”

Since 2011, six PGA of Canada members from Quebec—Vincent Dumouchel, Eric Laporte, Dave Levesque, Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Jean-Philip Cornellier and  Bedard—have captured the PGA Championship of Canada.

In addition to Bedard, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC points are also up for grabs at Whistle Bear. The eventual winner will take home 60 points, with the runner up gaining 50 points. The player who earns the most ranking points (in national and zone events) in 2019 will be awarded the Mike Weir Player of the Year crown at next year’s Canada Night.

Attendance to the PGA Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

by Dwayne Tingley

Sarah Holt – Gage Golf & Curling Club

Sarah Holt, who turns 19 in August, has a mature golf game.

The two-time New Brunswick juvenile girls champion is approaching the upcoming East Coast Junior Championships with new mental and physical vigor.

“I feel as though the physical and mental aspects of my game have changed significantly over the years of competitive golf,” said the Waterville native who plays out of the Gage Golf and Curling Club.

“Physically,” she added, “I feel much more involved in the game in a sense that my swing has become more technical and tailored to my body as well as taking care of it with physiotherapy and massage therapy.”

The University of New Brunswick science student took a break from training to fully recover from a back injury she suffered two years ago.

“The mental aspect of my game has changed, where I think much less, and I am not as anxious or worried about decisions I make on the course. I have become more trusting in myself as a golfer.”

Holt, who represented New Brunswick at the Canadian Junior Girls Championships from 2016-18 and the 2017 Canada Summer Games, will bring her new mature approach to the East Coast Junior Championships June 25-26 at the Covered Bridge Golf and Country Club in Hartland.

“I know I will not be as strong this season as the others, but I am happy that I am able to swing a club and participate in my last year as a junior.”

Golf New Brunswick technical director Bari Gourley said the East Coast Junior Championship is an important event on the calendar for young players.

“It is a great development tournament in that it brings great players from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec all together,” Gourley said.

“It will be the largest field (144 players) that any of these juniors will play up to that date,” she continued. “The juniors are out of school by then and have more freedom to practice and play.”

Nathan Hogan, last year’s New Brunswick Junior and Juvenile Boys Champion, is eager to compete at the East Coast Junior.

Nathan Hogan – 2018 NB Junior Boys Champion

The 17-year-old who plays out of the Miramichi Golf and Country Club has made the 90-minute trip to Moncton every Sunday during the winter to train with Team NB Junior Boys Coach, Louis Melanson, at his indoor Louis Melanson Golf Academy.

“It feels good to hit a lot of balls even in the winter time and I hit some at home, in the garage, too,” said Hogan, who just finished Grade 11 at Miramichi Valley High School.

“I’ve been doing it for a few years and it’s helped my game,” he added. “I get good instruction at the academy and I get to work on my game all year long. I really enjoy it and I learn a lot when I go to every week.”

Hogan said Covered Bridge, which measures 6,609 yards and is known to challenge the short game of the players, is a sound course for the juniors.

“This is the second year in a row we’ve been there, and I’ve played it fairly well so I will go in with some confidence,” said Hogan, adding that he sees room for improvement in all aspects of his game.

Covered Bridge will also host the Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship later this summer.

“A lot of the boys, especially the out of province players, are coming to have extra rounds at the course, hoping they are fortunate enough to be a team member for their provincial squad or receive an exemption from their province,” Gourley said.

Golf New Brunswick uses the East Coast juniors as a qualifier for the Golf Canada Future Links, driven by Acura, scheduled for July 16-18 at a site in New Brunswick to be determined.

Holt is also anticipating a good showing in Hartland.

“With a strong game plan and a straight shot, this course will do your game a favour,” she said.

“Not to mention the beautiful view of farmlands from the 18^th green is guaranteed to make any bad round just a bit better.”

For more information on the 2019 East Coat Junior Championships, including first round pairings & tee times, please CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club please CLICK HERE.

When dropping in taking free relief or penalty relief, your ball must be dropped in and come to rest in the defined relief area.

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TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., carded an 8-under 63 on Wednesday at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup, moving himself into sixth place in the individual boys competition heading into the final round.

Vandette’s 63 is tied for the lowest round of the tournament thus far. He was bogey-free in round three, with an eagle on the par-5 6th highlighting a scorching moving day at Chukyo Golf Club. He sits five shots back of leader Samuel Simpson of South Africa.

Sihota also shot in the 60s in round three, shooting a 3-under 68. The Victoria, B.C., product is in a tie for 37th after 54 holes.

Desmarchais carded even-par 71, holding steady in 33rd at 1 over on the tournament, while Duquette shot 8 over and is in 58th.

The Canadian quartet features Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, Jeevan Sihota and William Duquette. The players are competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Canada ranks ninth of 15 teams in the team competition at 6 under par, having gained three spots in the third round. South Africa are the leaders at 38 under, nine shots clear of Japan in second.

In the girls division, Japan holds a three-stroke lead over the United States and Mexico. Cassie Porter of Australia and Siwoo Chung of South Korea are leading the individual competition at 8 under par.

Full scoring can be found here.

When taking relief from a penalty area for one penalty stroke, one of your relief options in the 2019 Rules is going “Back-on-the-Line.”

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que. shot even-par 71, but Canada fell to 12th place in the team competition during the second round at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup.

The Canadian quartet features Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, Jeevan Sihota and William Duquette. The players are competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Coming off an opening-round 69, Vandette was sitting at 4 under for the tournament heading into the final four holes of round two. The 17-year-old struggled after posting two bogeys on the par-5 16th and the par-4 18^th^, bringing him back to even par on the day. The bogey on No. 16 was uncharacteristic for Vandette, who had made birdie on each par 5 in the tournament to that point.

Vandette is T16 after 36 holes, eight shots back of leaders Abel Gallegos Caputo of Argentina and Gustav Andersson of Sweden.

Desmarchais shot 1-over 72 and is T28, while Sihota is 6 over in a tie for 43rd .

William Duquette is 57th at 14 over.

Canada ranks 12th of 15 teams in the team competition at 5 over par. South Africa are the current leaders at 19 under.

In the girls division, the United States hold a one-stroke lead over Japan. Rose Zhang of the United States and Siwoo Chung of South Korea are leading the individual competition at 5 under par.

Full scoring can be found here.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) announced today a 10-year agreement making the Los Angeles-based, global organizational consulting firm the Umbrella Sponsor of the newly named Korn Ferry Tour.

In replacing Web.com, Korn Ferry’s sponsorship takes effect June 19 and extends through the 2028 season. The Korn Ferry Tour will continue to award PGA TOUR membership to the Tour’s 50 leading players, including the top 25 from the Regular Season points list and the top 25 from the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals points list.

The announcement was made jointly by PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, Korn Ferry Chief Executive Officer Gary Burnison, and Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin on Wednesday morning in New York City.

“We welcome Korn Ferry to the PGA TOUR family with today’s announcement,” said Monahan. “Our thanks to Gary Burnison and his team for a partnership that will promote Korn Ferry’s mission of helping people and organizations exceed their potential, collaborating with a Tour that has proven to identify the next generation of PGA TOUR talent over the last 30 years.”

Korn Ferry also becomes a PGA TOUR Official Marketing Partner as the “Official Leadership Development Firm” of the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and Korn Ferry Tour. Additionally, Korn Ferry will assume sponsorship of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in Evansville, Indiana – the third and final event in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

“We’re excited to partner with the PGA TOUR. Our organizations are both all about talent – getting players and people to that next level and advancing their careers. People will never discover their full potential until they are provided an abundance of opportunity. Korn Ferry and the Korn Ferry Tour provide that opportunity,” said Burnison. “This sponsorship will further elevate our brand as a global organizational consultancy and extend awareness of our firm to new audiences around the world.”

Korn Ferry develops and coaches 1.2 million people a year, puts someone in a new job every three minutes and has worked with companies to evaluate and assess nearly 70 million professionals. The firm has offices in more than 50 countries and 8,500 employees.

Korn Ferry works with clients to design their organizational structures, roles and responsibilities. The firm helps them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward, develop and motivate their workforce. Korn Ferry also helps professionals at all levels navigate and advance their careers.

“This is a tremendous day for our organization, and we are eager to work with Gary and his team as we continue to build the Korn Ferry Tour from the strong foundation already in place,” said Baldwin, the first female to be named president of one of the PGA TOUR’s six global Tours earlier this year. “Korn Ferry has an impassioned desire to enhance the careers and brands of our players through this incredibly competitive Tour. This partnership will allow us to further those goals while elevating the Tour and our tournaments for our partners and fans.”

With 50 available PGA TOUR cards for the following season (since 2013), the Korn Ferry Tour is the path to the PGA TOUR. Twenty-five TOUR cards are reserved for the leading points earners at the end of the 24-event Regular Season. Another 25 are up for grabs at the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals that follow the Regular Season in August and September.

During the PGA TOUR’s 2017-18 season, eight players from the Korn Ferry Tour Class of 2017 won titles, including Aaron Wise, whose victory at the 2018 AT&T Byron Nelson was the 500th by a former Korn Ferry Tour player – a list which includes 23 major championships and eight PLAYERS Championships.

Four players from the Class of 2018 have won on the PGA TOUR this season – Cameron Champ (Sanderson Farms Championship), Adam Long (The Desert Classic), Martin Trainer (Puerto Rico Open) and Max Homa (Wells Fargo Championship).

Other notable PGA TOUR players who got their start on the Korn Ferry Tour include major champions Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson.

For more information on the Korn Ferry Tour, please visit PGATOUR.com.