Pitt Meadows set for Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship
PITT MEADOWS, B.C. – Golf Canada’s first regional junior golf championship of 2019 is set to take place this week as the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship gets underway at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C from May 10-12.
With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship is the first of six regional junior championships across the country, presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on Thursday, May 9 before the tournament gets underway with round one action on Friday, May 10.
Designed in 1963, Pitt Meadows Golf Club is a member-owned facility. With the picturesque Golden Ears Mountains as a backdrop, the course boasts a 25,000 sq. foot clubhouse, and has hosted numerous nationally and provincially recognized championships.
“The Future Links, driven by Acura Championships are great opportunities for our best junior golfers across Canada to showcase their talent,” said Adam Cinel, the Rules and Competitions Coordinator with Golf Canada. “Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf are looking forward to hosting an exceptional field at Pitt Meadows Golf Club. The course is in immaculate condition and will provide a fair but tough test for all athletes.”
The field will consist of 87 competitors in the junior boys’ division with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.
The junior girls’ division will consist of 33 golfers with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 29-August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.
Five additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer:
- May 24-26 – Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario – Thornton, Ont. – Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club
- May 31-June 2 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – Ponoka, Alta. – Wolf Creek Golf Resort
- June 7-9 – Future Links, driven by Acura Québec – Joly, Que. – Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly
- June 14-16 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Yorkton, Sask. – Deer Park Golf Course
- July 16-18 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Fredericton, N.B. – Mactaquac Golf Course
Additional information regarding the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Champion, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.
Since 2016, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada have partnered to host Special Olympics athletes at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific and Ontario Championships. On Wednesday, May 8, 12 athletes and their caddies from the British Columbia region participated in a 9-hole event to kick off the championship. Golf Canada is committed to providing opportunities for all golfers to participate and compete and are continually looking at ways to enhance the experience for these athletes in the future and our partnership moving forward.
Special Olympic athletes on Wednesday, May 8 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.
NOTABLES
Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont.
Last year’s Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific winner looks to defend her title. Chun also won the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship.
Cole Wilson, Kelowna, B.C.
The defending champion also returns on the boys side, as Wilson won last year’s Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific championship.
Céleste Dao, Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Qué.
A member of Team Canada, Dao recently qualified for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. She is currently No. 1 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Girls’ Order of Merit.
FAST FACTS
In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.
The top five finishers in the boys’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
The top five finishers (including ties) in the girls’ division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Canadian LPGA Tour star Brooke Henderson won the Future Links Pacific Junior Girls title in 2013.
Defending champion Cole Wilson rallied in the final round of last year’s tournament to finish in top spot.
Monet Chun is a three-time Future Links Championship winner.
Friday’s opening-round pairings and more information on the event can be found here.
Admission to the event is open to the public at no charge.
Ball in motion accidentally deflected
For all accidental deflections after a stroke, including when the ball hits the player or opponent or their equipment or caddies.
Click here to learn more about the Modernized Rules of golf.
Quick look at the host of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open
Canadian golf journalist Adam Stanley takes us through a quick overview of Hamilton Golf & Country Club, site of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open from June 3-9.
Replacing damaged golf clubs
During a round, you are limited to no more than 14 clubs and generally must not replace damaged or lost clubs.
Click here to learn more about the Modernized Rules of golf.
World No. 4 Rory McIlroy ready to take on RBC Canadian Open
ANCASTER, Ont. – Rory McIlroy has only been to Canada once, but he’s looking forward to possibly writing his name in the history books when he plays in the RBC Canadian Open this summer.
McIlroy’s one visit to Canada was a brief stop that featured a round at The National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ont., with friend and former One Direction member Niall Horan in 2015.
“All of these national opens that you can play in are important,” said McIlroy on Monday, calling in to a media conference at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. “I think the older a tournament is the more prestigious it is.
“To hear that the Canadian Open is 115 years old, one of the oldest events not just on tour but in the world, that makes it pretty prestigious.”
The fourth-ranked golfer in the world also got his eye on adding another trophy to his case.
“I’ve won a couple of national opens that I’m pretty proud of,” said the Northern Irishmen. “The Irish Open, the Australian Open, the U.S., it would be nice to add the Canadian to that list also.”
Although he’ll be focused on winning the only PGA Tour event in Canada, McIlroy does hope to take in some of the local sights.
“I hear the Canadian side of Niagara Falls is better than the U.S. side, so I might have to take a trip over there,” said McIlroy, to laughter. “Apart from that, it’ll be a work week. It’ll be a work I’m practising and playing hard and trying to win the tournament.”
It won’t be an easy tournament to win, with arguably the deepest field in the tournament’s storied history.
World No. 3 Brooks Koepka and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson were officially added to the RBC Canadian Open’s lineup on Monday, joining McIlroy and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson.
“Winning a national open, one that is part of my family now, would be a big deal,” said Watson, whose wife Angie is from outside of Toronto. “We’ve got two flags up at our house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honour.”
PGA Tour players Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer, Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker have also confirmed they’ll be playing at Hamilton Golf and Country June 3-9.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., who won the Valero Texas Open on April 7, are two Canadians who are officially in the field.
Golf Canada, RBC and the PGA Tour have made a concerted effort in the past 18 months to raise the prestige of the Canadian Open by increasing the purse and changing the date of the tournament to the first week of June.
Historically, the Canadian Open was held in September, but starting in 2007 it was played in late July, the prime golf season. Unfortunately, it was also the week after the British Open, causing many of the PGA Tour’s top players to miss the tournament as they recovered from the challenging major.
This year’s event is in early June, the week before the U.S. Open, essentially turning it into a tune-up event for some of the biggest names in golf.
McIlroy acknowledged on Monday that the date change is partly what drew him to the Canadian Open.
“June was looking like it was going to be sort of quiet for me, so I wanted to play a bit,” said McIlroy. “One of my goals this year was to play more and to be more competitive and that’s really what it’s down to.
“Part of the reason I wanted to play was that I wanted to play my way into the U.S. Open the following week.”
Major champions Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson to return to RBC Canadian Open
Two-time defending U.S. Open champion Koepka will play Hamilton Golf & Country Club looking to build momentum leading into the defence of his U.S. Open title;
Watson, a two-time Masters champion and 12-time PGA TOUR winner, joins star-studded field competing for Canada’s National Open Championship
HAMILTON – Today, RBC and Golf Canada announced that world ranked No. 3 Brooks Koepka and world ranked No. 18 Bubba Watson will compete in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Koepka, the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, has claimed three major championship titles including the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open championships as well as the 2018 PGA Championship. The 28-year old star has already notched one PGA TOUR victory in 2019, and is coming off a recent T2 finish at The Masters.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Canada to compete in the RBC Canadian Open,” said Koepka, who has played the tournament in 2015 and 2018. “I’ve heard really great things about the course [Hamilton Golf and Country Club] and for me, it’s an opportunity to play well and build momentum leading into the U.S. Open.”
Watson, 40, is a two-time major champion with wins coming at The Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. The popular, big-hitting lefty from Bagdad, Florida has two top-5s this season on the PGA TOUR, with a pair of T4 finishes coming at the Valspar Championship and Waste Management Phoenix Open. Watson has a deep connection to Canada as his wife, Angie, is from just outside Toronto.
“Winning a National Open, one that is part of my family now, would be a big deal,” Watson explained. “We’ve got two flags up at our house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honour.”
The pair join a world-class field of players including world no. 1, defending champion and Team RBC Ambassador Dustin Johnson, world No. 4 Rory McIlroy, and Team RBC members including Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Hadwin and recent first-time PGA TOUR winner, Corey Conners.
“Having Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson, both big hitters and Major winners, competing at Hamilton Golf and Country Club this summer is really exciting,” said Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Three of the top-four world ranked golfers are now competing in our Open, so it’s going to be one to watch, and will give golf fans another reason to get excited about the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.”
“We have a strong field competing at the RBC Canadian Open this June, and we’re excited to welcome Brooks and Bubba back to Canada,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “Adding the pair to an impressive roster that includes Rory McIlroy, our Team RBC ambassadors including our defending champion Dustin Johnson, and a growing list of Canadian talent will make it a memorable week.”
Koepka and Watson’s commitment to the 2019 RBC Canadian Open builds on an earlier announcement that introduced a two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series at the tournament. The concerts will feature Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed duo Florida Georgia Line on Friday, June 7, and JUNO award-winning homegrown rock band The Glorious Sons on Saturday, June 8.
In the coming weeks, additional players, including Canadians and tournament exemptions will be announced. PGA TOUR players have until Friday, May 31 to commit to the field of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Brooks Koepka’s results include:
- Three-time Major Champion (U.S. Open 2017 & 2018; PGA Championship 2018)
- Five-time PGA TOUR winner
- One-time European Tour winner (Turkish Airlines Open, 2014)
- 2018 PGA TOUR Player of the Year
- Former World No.1-ranked golfer
Bubba Watson’s results include:
- Two-time Major Champion (The Masters Tournament, 2012 & 2014)
- 12-time PGA TOUR winner including 3 in 2018 (Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, Travelers Championship)
- Four-time Ryder Cup Team USA member (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018)
- Represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing T8
Tickets for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open are on sale at rbccanadianopen.com/tickets2019/.
Pushing the pace of play
The Rules encourage prompt pace of play by all players as it has a huge impact on your group and everyone on the course.
Click here to learn more.
Golf NB Membership Raffle Returns
Play in the spirit of the game
All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration for others and taking care of the course.
Click here to learn more on the Modernized Rules of golf.
Golf in Schools tallies 66 adoptions during Adopt a School Week
Golf Canada is proud to celebrate the 66 adoptions that occurred during Adopt a School Week thanks to the efforts of golf enthusiasts and industry partners across the country.
In total, the figure translates to an additional 7,920 students being introduced to the sport through the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program. The coast-to-coast campaign was elevated by support from Canadian industry partners—the Provincial Associations, PGA of Canada, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), Canadian Society of Club Managers and Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
A matching program for the first 30 adoptions was made possible by the Canadian Seniors Golf Association, who continue to be a leader in supporting Adopt a School Week. In the campaign’s four years of running, the CSGA has helped to adopt over 100 schools in Canadian communities from coast-to-coast.
Since the program’s inception in 2009, adoptions have accounted for close to 50% of over 3,800 registered schools delivering the curriculum. For Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer, that number presents a great opportunity to build community relationships.
“The vision is to help establish a connection between golf facilities and schools in respective communities across Canada through the Golf in Schools program,” said Thompson. “Nurturing these relationships will enhance the delivery of the program and build a connection that will last for many years to come.”