The 2026 Alberta Golf High Performance Program athletes were announced on December 1 based on the set 2025 Performance Criteria. The 98 players who made the list among Tiers 2 and 3 are some of the top players within the province and we’re looking forward to watching their continued development in 2026. 

Identified players can be viewed using the link below.

High Performance Program

About the Program

The objective of the High Performance Program is to support identified players reach their developmental and competitive goals while providing guidance in securing the most appropriate post-secondary golf scholarship. 

The program aims to achieve this through supporting athletes, coaches, parents, and facilities through a tiered identification program that provides developmental training opportunities, competition guidance, and funding support for players who qualify. 

Alberta Golf is committed to developing well rounded individuals as well as high performing athletes. The core values of the program are inclusiveness, respect, ethical practices, and support. Ensuring these values are in place is critical to the success of Alberta golfers. 

This year’s program has some minor changes including the naming of the tiers and adjusted age eligibility for players. We’re pleased to announce the 2026 criteria that will be used to identify the 2027 high performance athletes next fall.  We’ve also created documents that will help parents, players, and coaches to better understand how players achieve tier status. 

Performance Criteria: Explained

The performance criteria established for each tier are meticulously selected based on a range of predetermined requirements. These criteria ensure alignment with the Alberta Golf Competitive Roadmap and incorporate identified and ranked WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) and JGS (Junior Golf Scoreboard) events. The focus is on providing athletes with opportunities at the local, provincial, national, and international levels, with an emphasis on Alberta Golf and Alberta-based competitions, alongside regional and national Golf Canada championships.

The accompanying spreadsheet details the factors influencing the selection of placement requirements at the chosen events for each tier level. A primary focus in establishing the result criteria is the WAGR ranking of the event and the total field size. Based on these parameters, a specific finish, defined as a percentage of the overall field, is established for each tier, outlining the precise required placement to meet the criteria for that event.

For Alberta Golf events and selected NextGen events, the required results have been ‘boosted’ to create additional opportunities for players to achieve these standards. For example, in the Alberta Girls U19 event, which features a field of 30 players, the top 30% are recognized for achievement. This initial 30% would require a top 9 finish, however the boost increases the required result to a top 15 finish, thereby enhancing opportunities for participants to succeed and encouraging broader participation in provincial and regional events.

The performance criteria events and placing requirements are reviewed each season and required or necessary changes are made and communicated accordingly. 

Female Performance Criteria Breakdown

Male Performance Criteria Breakdown

Tier Names and Criteria

Tier 1 – International
Tier 1 players are those who excel at the national level, consistently achieving winning results. They are well-acquainted with national championships, regularly finishing in the top 10, and have celebrated victories in provincial championships. These players are on the brink of reaching their full potential as golfers and receive high-level coaching support to refine their skills.

2026 Female Tier 1 Criteria

2026 Male Tier 1 Criteria

Tier 2 – National
Tier 2 players consistently compete at the national level, successfully making the cut in national championships. At the provincial level, they are strong contenders in provincial championships and often represent Alberta on inter-provincial teams during national competitions. While they are still in development, these players possess well-defined golf games and focus on specific, actionable areas for growth, backed by substantial coaching support in most cases.

2026 Female Tier 2 Criteria

2026 Male Tier 2 Criteria

Tier 3 – Provincial
Tier 3 players primarily participate at the provincial level, successfully making the cut in provincial championships. They are in the developmental stage of their golfing journey, working on building their overall games and gaining competition experience at various local and provincial levels. They benefit from the mentorship of club professionals and junior leaders for guidance in their development.

2026 Female Tier 3 Criteria

2026 Male Tier 3 Criteria

Tier 4 – Club
Tier 4 players are juniors competing at the club level, participating in club events and junior mini-tours, while receiving guidance from their local PGA Professionals. They are focused on honing their skills and gaining valuable experience in a supportive environment.

Age Eligibility

To ensure alignment with the program’s objectives, Tier 3 is now a U19 category which is split into 4 age identified categories: U19, U17, U15, & U13. These players are in the key development stages, and this age eligibility adjustment ensures the appropriate resources are applied to Alberta junior golfers.  

Tiers 1 and 2 are now reserved for those who are active university golfers or younger to continue the support of players who’ve come through the program and are currently on post-secondary golf scholarships. 

High-Performance Summits

With the 2026 identified athletes being named, Alberta Golf is pleased to announce the first two developmental opportunities for the athletes, the 2026 High-Performance Summits.

The summits aim to provide valuable insights into the Alberta Golf High Performance program, as well as opportunities for parents and players to engage with esteemed guest speakers. Past speakers have focused on crucial topics such as mental performance, fitness, game development, and past experiences as professional athletes. 

The summit details are below. Both summits begin at 11:30am and finish at 4:30pm with lunch being provided to parents and athletes. 

Calgary Region Summit – Saturday, January 10th at the Heritage Pointe Golf Club

 CALgary region hp summit registration

Edmonton Region Summit – Saturday, January 17th at the Windermere Golf & Country Club

EDmonton region hp Summit Registration

If you have any questions about the 2026 Alberta Golf High Performance Program, please connect with John Deneer, john@albertagolf.org 

Alberta Golf is proud to announce the names of the 108 gifted athletes named to the 2025 High-Performance program, as part of the Tier player rankings.

 Alberta Golf’s High-Performance program is designed to support Alberta’s top golfers reach their competitive goals in the sport and assist in securing post-secondary scholarships. The program provides financial support for the players that can be distributed to coaches, facilities, fitness trainers, nutrition specialists or any other support professional the athlete identifies. Additionally, the High-Performance Program offers developmental initiatives including teaching summits, scheduling guidance, recruiting support, and training opportunities for all identified athletes.

 The High-Performance program identifies players based on set performance criteria achieved in the previous season, players earn their tier ranking according to the criteria achieved. The tiered system acts as a roadmap for players and their parents to follow, refer to for guidance and identify the next steps in their competitive golf journey.

 Tier 1 encompasses all junior players at the club level. There is minimal travel for this player, playing most of their golf at their home course. Players at this level should play club level events such as junior leagues, interclub, play McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour events and eventually can graduate to the Alberta U15 & U13 Championships.

 Tier 2 is for the established club players and emerging provincial players, who are working on coordinating a travel schedule, while playing locally and at the club level. This is a very broad tier with the skill levels upon entry and exit varying extensively. This tier has additional opportunities granted to them including potentially playing at Canada Summer Games or the Alberta/Montana Ryder Cup. Players identified as Tier 2 will also receive invitations to development prep camps and an invitation to participate in the Tier Developmental Training trips.

 2025 Tier 2 Players

Tier 3 athletes are established provincial players and emerging national players, who are likely to make the cut at a national competition. These players are actively competing at the highest levels including AJGA events, Golf Canada events, and Alberta Amateur Championships. Players in this tier are eligible to apply for financial support, as part of the Alberta Golf Athlete Support program.

 2025 Tier 3 Players

 Tier 4 is the highest level within the program and is reserved for international level players, who are competing on the international stage and in some cases are members of Team Canada. Players in this tier are also eligible for financial support from the program.

 In 2024 Eileen Park was the first player since Jaclyn Lee to achieve this standard. In 2025 she has once again has been named to Tier 4. Eileen’s 2024 accolades consist of:

• 2024 Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship – Champion
• Named to Golf Canada’s NextGen Squad for the second year
• 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship – 6^th
• 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship – 9^th
• 2024 Golf Canada NextGen Pacific – Champion
• 2024 World Junior Girls Championship – T34^th
• WAGR Ranking: 367
• AJGA Ranking: 101

 In 2025, look out for the Alberta Golf High-Performance bios, highlighting each of the players in Tier 3 and Tier 4!