A Thrilling Finish for Brett Hogan Earns Him the Win at the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open

For Immediate Release
June 22, 2016

NEWS RELEASE

A THRILLING FINISH FOR BRETT HOGAN EARNS HIM THE WIN AT THE 2016 SCOTT VENTURO ALBERTA OPEN

Heffernan establishes an early lead, Hogan chips-in on 18 to win by two strokes

EDMONTON (Alberta Golf) –  Brett Hogan of The Glencoe Golf & Country Club took the win with a tournament total of 134 (-10) for the Scott Venturo Alberta Open Championship at RedTail Landing Golf Club. After losing the lead to Calgary’s Wes Heffernan early in the round, Hogan chipped-in on the 18t to win by two strokes.

Hogan started his front nine with off two bogey’s and two birdies giving Heffernan the early lead. Not knowing of Heffernan’s lead, Hogan proceeded to make five more birdies on the back nine, finishing with his one-hop chip in on the 18th green. “I knew I had to do something special” Hogan Explained “I hit it a lot harder than what I wanted to, and it one-hopped into the pin. Crazy thing’s happen I guess”. With this win, Hogan earns him spot an exemption into the Mackenzie Tour 2016 Syncrude Oil Country Championship.

Wes Heffernan finished his round with a tournament total of 136 (-8), two strokes behind Hogan. Heffernan had a strong start with four consecutive birdies on the first four holes giving him the early lead. “It was pretty flawless for 15 and a half holes, one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in a tournament.” said Heffernan. “To get back into contention at the Alberta Open was awesome”. After a double bogey on the difficult par 3 17th hole, and a bogey on 18, Heffernan lost the lead to Hogan in what he called a “Choke finish”. Heffernan comments “I guess I’ll have to try to win an Alberta Open again”.

Wes Heffernan is awarded $5000.00 for being the low professional.
 
Top 10:

For the full leader board, click here.

Photos from the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open Championship will be available here.

Following the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open Championship, the top 16 amateur contenders will move on to compete in the Alberta Match Play Championship from June 23-24. For more details on the 2016 Alberta Match Play Championship, click here. Follow the action all week long on Twitter using the official hashtag #ABOpen.

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About Alberta Golf:
The Alberta Golf Association was incorporated as a society in 1912 and continues today as a not for profit Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) operating as Alberta Golf. As the PSO, we are committed to realizing the positive impacts of golf on individuals and communities across Alberta. Our vision is that through golf, Albertans will enjoy a high quality of life, improved health and wellness, a strong sense of community, economic benefits and personal fulfillment.About Scott Venturo LLP:
Scott Venturo LLP is a multi service law firm based in Calgary, Alberta. Since its establishment in 1986, Scott Venturo LLP has become one of Calgary’s leading legal service providers, focusing on delivering high quality, efficient solutions for clients. The partners, associates and staff of Scott Venturo LLP come from a wide range of backgrounds, and this experience enables us to offer responsive, effective and creative legal solutions to our clients.For more information:

Landon Jones
Manager, Communications & Digital Media
Alberta Golf
(c) 519-504-4314
(e) landon@albertagolf.org

Play Suspended Overnight in Round One of the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open

For Immediate Release
June 21, 2016

NEWS RELEASE

PLAY SUSPENDED OVERNIGHT IN ROUND ONE OF THE 2016 SCOTT VENTURO ALBERTA OPEN

 Hogan leads by two, Risdon, Heffernan, Beaupre and Stiles tied for second at -4 with a competitive field close behind

 

EDMONTON (Alberta Golf) – With overcast skies, ninety-six of Alberta’s best professionals and amateurs contend in a low-scoring battle in the first round. Brett Hogan of The Glencoe Golf & Country Club establishes a two-stroke lead to finish round one. The second and final round will continue tomorrow at RedTail Landing Golf Club.

Hogan, the 2015 Sun Life Financial Alberta Amateur Champion proved to have excellent ball striking in the first round, hitting 16 of 18 greens. Finishing with a 66, Hogan delivered six birdies with a bogey free round. Crediting the low winds early on, Hogan was able to attack the pins leaving him with short four to six foot putts for birdie. Speaking after his round, Hogan said “I made a lot of putts when I had the opportunity, but it was a really good ball striking day for me”.

After a second place finish in the 2015 Alberta Open, Dustin Risdon finds himself in a four-way tie for second, heading into round two. “Started off a little slow, had a few good looks on the first few holes, couldn’t get one to fall, then I made a couple quick ones.” explained Ridson

Wes Heffernan joins Risdon, Stiles and Beaupre in the second place battle. Heffernan of Silver Springs Golf & Country Club had a strong front nine with three birdies. With one bogey and two birdies on the back nine Heffernan looks strong headed into the final round.

PLAY SUSPENDED!

After a two hour delay due to lightening, play has been suspended overnight. Round 1 of the 2016 Alberta Open will resume at 6:30am tomorrow morning. In an effort to try and finish the Championship tomorrow, the 2nd round format will be a crossover from 9:30am-11:45am. The 2nd round pairings will not be posted until completion of the 1st round.

The top 48 players heading into tomorrow’s final round will tee off #1, with players positioned 46th, 47th & 48th teeing off at 9:30am and the leaders teeing off last around 11:45am. The bottom 48 players will tee off of #10, with players positioned 49th, 50th, and 51st teeing off at 9:30am and the highest scores teeing off at 11:45am.

The top professional of the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open will be awarded $5000.00.
 
Top 10:
Pos Player Today Thru Total R1 R2 Total
1 Brett Hogan (a)  Glencoe Golf & CC -6 F -6 66 66
T2 Dustin Risdon (p) -4 F -4 68 68
T2 Wes Heffernan (p)  Silver Springs Golf & CC -4 F -4 68 68
T2 Tyson Beaupre (p)  The Dunes GC -4 F -4 68 68
T2 Scott Stiles (p)  Bearspaw -4 F -4 68 68
T6 Tyler Saunders (a)  Glendale Golf & C C -3 F -3 69 69
T6 Jeff Murdoch (a)  Stony Plain -3 F -3 69 69
T6 Alex Large (a)  Stewart Creek -3 F -3 69 69
T6 Riley Fleming (p)  Collicutt Siding -3 F -3 69 69
T10 Daniel Pow (p)  Glencoe Golf & CC -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Scott Smith (p)  Bearspaw -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Craig Gibson (p)  Sirocco Golf Club -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Nicholas Vandermey (p)  The Links at Spruce Grove -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Brett Pasula (a)  Red Deer Golf & C C -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Matt Williams (a)  Glencoe Golf & CC -2 F -2 70 70
T10 Todd Halpen (p)  RCGA Golf Learning Centre -2 9 -2 34 34
T10 Troy Butterfield (p)  Pheasantback -2 9 -2 34 34

For the full leader board, click here.

Photos from the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open Championship will be available here.

Following the 2016 Scott Venturo Alberta Open Championship, the top 16 amateur contenders will move on to compete in the Alberta Match Play Championship from June 23-24. For more details on the 2016 Alberta Match Play Championship, click here. Follow the action all week long on Twitter using the official hashtag #ABOpen.

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About Alberta Golf:
The Alberta Golf Association was incorporated as a society in 1912 and continues today as a not for profit Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) operating as Alberta Golf. As the PSO, we are committed to realizing the positive impacts of golf on individuals and communities across Alberta. Our vision is that through golf, Albertans will enjoy a high quality of life, improved health and wellness, a strong sense of community, economic benefits and personal fulfillment.About Scott Venturo LLP:
Scott Venturo LLP is a multi service law firm based in Calgary, Alberta. Since its establishment in 1986, Scott Venturo LLP has become one of Calgary’s leading legal service providers, focusing on delivering high quality, efficient solutions for clients. The partners, associates and staff of Scott Venturo LLP come from a wide range of backgrounds, and this experience enables us to offer responsive, effective and creative legal solutions to our clients.For more information:

Landon Jones
Manager, Communications & Digital Media
Alberta Golf
(c) 519-504-4314
(e) landon@albertagolf.org

A Resilient Love | The Alberta Golfer

Written by Wes Gilbertson, The Calgary Sun


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A Resilient Love

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

THERE WAS NO RECAP IN GOLF DIGEST AND NO HIGHLIGHT PACKAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL’S MORNING DRIVE, BUT IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR WORD OF JAMES LOVE’S EMOTIONAL WIN AT THE 2015 ALBERTA OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TO SPREAD AMONG SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BIRDIE-MAKING BUSINESS. WANT PROOF? CHECK HIS IPHONE.

There was an incoming call from Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet, a close friend and arguably Canada’s brightest star on the PGA Tour. Love also received shout-outs from B.C. buddy Nick Taylor, who just months earlier had joined the exclusive list of guys from the Great White North to triumph on the PGA Tour, and from Ontario’s David Hearn, who a few weeks later would come oh-so-close to ending the lengthy home drought at the RBC Canadian Open.

There were many more messages, too.

“Just the texts and the emails that I got from guys around golf that I hadn’t talked to in a long time… It’s nice to know that I still have people in my corner that follow me and still care about me doing well,” Love said.

“Golf is definitely a lonely game and sometimes you feel like the game has passed you by or all your peers have moved on to bigger and better things. So when you can win any professional event, it means a lot when world-class players shoot you a text or call to say ‘congrats’ and ‘keep it up’”

Truth be told, it had been a long while since Love had received any congratulatory texts from his pin-seeking pals. The past couple of seasons have been a struggle for the Calgary-raised, Denver- based golfer. He was bothered by a nagging neck injury and his tournament results were often painful, too.

But during Alberta Golf’s marquee event last summer, Love proved he’s again healthy and still capable of leaving a lot of circles on a scorecard. He mixed three birdies and a bogey en route to a 2-under 69 in the opening round of the Alberta Open at Carnmoney Golf & Country Club in De Winton, leaving him two shots off the pace at the midway mark of the 36- hole shootout.

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His only blemish during the final round was a double bogey on the second hole. He erased that damage – and then some – with seven birdies, including a string of five in a row, registering a grand total of 15 strokes from the tee box at No. 9 until he scooped his ball out of the cup at No. 13.

Just as important, Love drained a 60-yard shot to save par – he pulled his drive into a bunker and then chunked his second from a horrible lie into the water – on No. 16.

He had to sweat for a few minutes after missing a short birdie putt on the finishing hole at Carnmoney, but the contenders in the last group couldn’t force a playoff . Strathmore’s Dustin Risdon and Tyler Saunders of Glendale shared second, one shot shy of matching Love’s two-day tally of 7-under 135.

“It was a really good, fun couple of days,” Love said. “It was nice to win, obviously. It’s been a while since I had had a win. The one thing that just sticks out is that it was really cool to win an event in Calgary and have some family there to share it with.”

Unfortunately, his personal cheering section at Carnmoney didn’t include his biggest fan – his father. Rod Love, a prominent political strategist and right- hand man to long-time premier Ralph Klein, passed away in October, 2014 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

His son choked up outside the clubhouse at Carnmoney when a TV reporter asked how Rod would have reacted to his triumph. James later admitted, “He would have enjoyed it more than I would.” The 2005 Sun Life Financial Alberta Amateur champion is certain his proud pops would have enjoyed the victory party, too – a low-key family gathering at a nearby watering hole.

“We just went to a pub and had some beers and talked about the shots and talked about the tournament and how it transpired. That’s exactly what my dad would have wanted to do,” Love said. “He was my biggest fan. He never missed an event that I played in anywhere close to Calgary, and he was the first guy that I would call or email after any round – good or bad – anywhere in the world.”

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Love called his parents, Rod and Charlene, immediately after working overtime to win the 2009 Canadian Tour Championship in St. Catharines, ON, defeating Brazil’s Lucas Lee in a playoff. Other notable names in his rear view mirror that week included DeLaet and James Hahn, all now regulars on the PGA Tour. Love, who turns 33 in July, is determined to join them.

It was great to hear from his pals and peers after his victory at the Alberta Open Championship at Carnmoney, but he would prefer to be chatting with them on a weekly basis on the practice range or in the locker room at Colonial, Harbour Town or Torrey Pines.

“I think I struggled a little bit over the last few years, especially the years after everybody kind of moved on. I wasn’t really sulking but I was also not necessarily looking at it from the best perspective,” admitted Love, who made a dozenWeb.com Tour starts in 2012 but has mostly teed it up on what’s now known as the Mackenzie Tour- PGA Tour Canada.

“I should have looked at it as, ‘That’s how close I am.’ I wasn’t resentful, by any means, that they were there and I wasn’t. It was more like, ‘I should be there, too.’

“To be honest, it’s hard at times keeping the faith,” he added. “You’re only as good as your last round, but I know how well I can play. For whatever reason, over the last little while, it hasn’t happened for me in the events in which I needed it to. I’m still enjoying trying to get better and doing the things I need to do on and off the course to make it.

“The desire hasn’t gone away at all. It’s just a matter of doing it at the right time.”


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A Resilient Love

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

An Early Start | The Alberta Golfer

Written by Jefferson Hagen


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An Early Start

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

It’s a bit of a twist on the old playground mantra: ‘Everything I learned, I learned in phys-ed class.’

Thanks to a burgeoning Golf Canada program, administered by Alberta Golf, students are getting exposed to the game at a young age in their classes. Launched in the province in 2007, the Golf in Schools program has since grown to include more than 320 elementary schools, more than 10 junior high schools and more than 35 high schools.

Matt Rollins, former executive director/CEO of Alberta Golf, spearheaded the program in the province. “All these other sports that were in physical education classes had a huge advantage over us. Kids were learning those sports at a young age and the teachers controlled the environment. We figured ‘why can’t we do that with golf?’

“As we improve the Golf In Schools program every year, students are going to continue to get introduced to golf in a positive way.”

In the village of Amisk, AB, with a population just north of 200, a number of youngsters have already hit the links at the nearby Hughenden Golf Club. Principal Colette Johnson, who is also the phys-ed teacher, set up the Golf in Schools program three years ago and now puts about 55 kids from Grades 1-3 through golf instruction each year.

“We teach them how to hold the club and we show them the swing and the stance,” she said. “We give them the basic skills and let them have a little bit of fun.”

The pay off came when the Hughenden Golf Club sponsored their classes for a field trip to the course.

While it’s tough for kids in the farming community to get to the course regularly, Johnson notes some former students have continued playing golf.

“A few of them have said they’ve talked their parents into taking them golfing.” Johnson claimed.

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Jeff Thompson, chief sport officer for Golf Canada, noted that approximately 325,000 students are being exposed to golf every year in roughly 2,700 schools across the country. While the exact number of kids who go on to play the game regularly is tough to quantify, there are encouraging metrics to study.

“When a school comes to visit a facility on a field trip program or when a facility sends a golf pro into a school, we have provided our Golf In Schools passes to give out to the kids. The passes are redeemable for free buckets of range balls,” Thompson added, referring to last year’s pilot project.

“Just over 10 per cent of those passes were redeemed, and in most cases, the students coming back to the club weren’t by themselves but came with their entire family. That was really encouraging information.”

There are also options for schools to take field trips to local golf courses to learn more about the game. Golf clubs can apply for a grant, which allows them to invite a school in their area out for a tour, which may include practice time on the range, chipping and putting lessons.

Arlene Buchan, learning leader at Dr. E.P. Scarlett high school in Calgary, notes they’ve long been taking their classes out to area courses under sponsorship from the Calgary Board of Education. Most recently their classes went to Blue Devil Golf Club.

“They loved it,” Buchan said. “Some of the students had previously played golf, but there are a lot of students who had never held a golf club in their hands. It’s awesome.” Many Dr. E.P. Scarlett students are continuing on with golf after taking the program in high school.

“We see that because that’s the whole premise of our phys-ed program now,” said Buchan. “The Golf in Schools program really sparks their interest. One of our focuses is to foster lifelong learning and being active for life. Golf is one of the perfect sports for that.”

At the high school level the Golf in Schools program is primarily about skill development. The elementary school curriculum introduces the game much more through fun activities.

“The elementary kit is about physical literacy, basic motor movements and games,” said Tyler McConachy, Alberta Golf’s manager of youth development.

The kit and curriculum includes all the equipment and a learning resource full of lesson plans to teach golf. “It’s a lot more unstructured, including exercises such as hopping on one leg or using the putter and a ball to wind their way through an obstacle course. It’s a lot more of a game.

“From there, the program transitions into the fundamentals of the sport, including more technical and structured play and practice,” McConachy added.

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Golf Canada has added a new ‘Life Skills’ component to the program, in which students are taught skills such as perseverance, emotional regulation, teamwork, respect, honesty and goal setting. “We felt that the addition of life skills to the program was really important to demonstrate some of the core values of golf and what it delivers as a sport,” said Thompson.

“The first schools that took on the program were mostly ones that had teachers who were golfers or who had some affinity towards golf. We felt the addition of the life skills component could help attract other schools that were undecided about the program,” Thompson added. “We think that will resonate with the schools.”

“Our goal is to have one of these kits in every school at some point,” said McConachy. “Some schools haven’t been able to afford even the subsidized kit, so, starting this year, we’ve gone into full adoptions to make the program affordable for any school.

“We’ve been fortunate to receive a very generous fund allocation from the Shaw Charity Classic each year,” he added of $5,000 annually they receive from the PGA Tour Champions event in Calgary. These funds help Alberta Golf to provide subsidies or underwrite the full cost of the program to interested schools.

Alberta Golf sent a kit to Deer Meadow School in Olds, which has proven to be a big boost to the school’s golf program, said Principal Carey Collin.
“We have an academy program here with 42 different course offerings, including golf,” Collin explained of the junior high school.

“What we find is those life sports like curling and golf start to bolster some of the junior golf leagues and junior curling leagues in town. The membership increases at the golf course and at the curling rink,” he said.

Thompson noted that 60 per cent of schools that enter the program now obtain full subsidies from donations from individuals, corporations or even the local golf course itself.

“We see that as a good investment in the future of a facility,” Thompson said. “It helps cultivate the next generation of golfers.

“We’re excited with the solid numbers now in the Golf in Schools program. With more and more facilities delivering the Future Links program as well, wecan create golf communities where golf facilities have a relationship with the school,” Thompson added. “They keep getting the students from the school to the golf course — that’s the critical piece.”


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An Early Start

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

She Swings She Scores | The Alberta Golfer

Written by Ryan Laverty


UntitledShe Swings She Scores

This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

When the final buzzer sounds on a National Hockey League season, the players, almost to a man, trade in their skates and composites for a pair of soft spikes and a set of stiff shafts and begin their off-season pilgrimage to the local golf course.

And while that might be a bit of a cliché or a stereotype, it’s one that Alberta Golf is hoping to build on since launching its newest program in January.

After months of planning, the She Swings She Scores program officially began its campaign to turn more of Alberta’s hockey players into golfers, focusing on females and visible minorities, such as First Nations, between the ages of six and 12.

SSSSOlds

“Our goal, as an association, is to create as much awareness as possible and to grow the game,” said Tyler McConachy, manager of youth development with Alberta Golf. “We think She Swings She Scores is one program that will do both of those things.”

Following the lead of the Golf Association of Ontario, which started the SSSS program in that province in January 2013, Alberta Golf is making a concerted effort to target a demographic that has historically been under-represented in its own membership. While golf participation numbers have dwindled across the board over the past five years, female youth golfers has been an area that has been particularly hard hit – especially on the competitive side of the sport.

In 2001, Alberta Golf had 66 girls registered in the provincial championship tournament, but by 2015 that number had fallen to just 32.

“Part of the idea behind the program was to get athletes who are already competitive in hockey and expose them to golf,” explained Angela Cooke, SSSS program coordinator for Alberta Golf. “Doing it this way, in a team setting, makes it easier for girls to get exposure to the game and to make sure they are comfortable while they learn.”

The foundation of the SSSS program is a grassroots marketing initiative. Cooke and her colleagues from Alberta Golf have worked with their peers from Hockey Alberta to identify hockey tournaments, where competing teams were primarily girls and to directly market to that crowd.

Armed with pink toques, swag bags full of goodies and a pop-up driving range net, Alberta Golf representatives set up camp in arena lobbies in Olds, Camrose and St. Albert in February and March 2016. Despite benefiting from the insights of her counterparts at the GAO, Cooke said she wasn’t entirely sure how well the first few events would go, but the reception turned out to be even better than she could have expected. Players, siblings, coaches and parents alike all seemed to gravitate to their booth, she said.

“Defining success will probably be how we transition from the hockey tournaments to the golf course, but so far everyone has been really enthusiastic about it,” said Cooke.

The second phase of the program is to recruit a few teams, or at least a majority of those teams, to organize field trips to local courses for a more fulsome introduction to the world of golf. McConachy said he’d budgeted for three or four trips for the 2016 golf season, but based on interest it appears there could be many more requests than he could have hoped for, so he will be directing some interested parties to apply for additional field trip funding from Golf Canada, which typically provides $500 grants for these types of activities.

Burgeoning programs, such as this, can often stumble in the face of immense growth because of a lack of funding, but SSSS appears to be off to a good start. The collaboration between Alberta Golf and Hockey Alberta was a key driver in the decision by Alberta Sport Connection and Sport Canada to fund SSSS for its first four years of existence. From 2016 through 2019, Alberta Sport Connection and Sport Canada will provide $32,500 per year to the program with Alberta Golf funding an additional $10,000 through its own sources.

Aaron Lavorato, sport consultant at Alberta Sport Connection, said he expected there would be no shortage of corporate donors and other community supporters that would be interested in partnering with the program down the road, but his association was excited to help get the program off the ground for Albertans.

“For us, that collaboration was very important, but so was return on investment and sustainability,” explained Lavorato. “One of the biggest challenges for a new program is to find development dollars to get it off the ground, but all of the programs we funded have a great opportunity to align with other sources of funding in the future.”

Based on the overwhelming response to the program in Ontario, it appears likely Lavorato’s predictions should come true, but the support and collaboration will need to play a big role in the success of the program.

The GAO has benefitted from two years of learning at this point and has started to mature into a broader scale offering thanks to support at the local golf club and community level. Mallory Dayman, manager of sport development for GAO, said her association purposely partnered with local golf courses and professionals when attending hockey tournaments in Ontario and the results have been remarkable. In two full years of operations, the SSSS program in Ontario has led to the creation of 22 Girls Clubs golf programs in communities around the province adding close to 200 new female golfers to the game. Going forward, the plan within the GAO is to provide support to local communities with marketing collateral and equipment as required, but to allow their community ambassadors to more readily target hockey players in their areas with the SSSS brand.

“What we’ve found is that it hasn’t just been hockey players that have joined the Girls Clubs, because the hockey players are going home and getting their friends who play soccer or their friends who do gymnastics to come out and join them,” Dayman remarked. “The idea behind She Swings She Scores was just to grow participation in the game as a whole, but selfishly we’re looking for girls who are competitive, because if it can grow into more girls playing in our competitive tournaments then all the better.”

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For Alberta, at least for now, the program will take baby steps in the direction of improving participation numbers and promoting physical literacy in our youth.

“A number of sports are looking at how, as national associations, we can cross-promote our sports,” explained Jeff Thompson, chief sport officer at Golf Canada. “The concept of physical literacy is something that everyone is very focused on and I think She Swings She Scores is a good example of organizations working together to promote that.

“The more kids we can get introduced to more sports, the better off we will all be down the road.”

In its first year of operation, the SSSS team set up shop at hockey tournaments in Olds, Camrose, St. Albert, golf shows in Calgary and Edmonton, and finally at Exshaw School where Alberta Golf team members provided girls between Grade 3 and Grade 8 with their first exposure to golf. The plan for next year, said McConachy, is to keep building the momentum.

“As of right now, it’s the more the merrier for the number of girls involved,” said McConachy. “The interest we’ve seen has been great and the girls we’ve reached already have that competitive spirit, so hopefully we can get that transitioned into golf as well.”

For more information on the program or to have the She Swings She Scores attend your hockey tournament, event or school next year contact Angela Cooke at (403) 236-4616 or by email at angela@albertagolf.org.


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This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

UBC Thunderbirds Make History In Sweeping Team and Individual Titles at Canadian University/College Championship

Thunderbirds Kat Kennedy and Scott Secord claim individual honours

PARKSVILLE, B.C. – The University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds claimed team and individual honours on both the men’s and women’s sides at the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship at Morningstar Golf Club. All four titles have never been captured by the same school in the competition’s 14-year history.

UBC Coach Chris MacDonald who was named the Golf Coaches Association of Canada’s Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s teams, reflected positively on his team and the state of Canadian collegiate golf. “This means a lot. It’s an exciting time and we’re going in a better direction. It’s just nice to see consistent golf and to see how much this tournament has grown – not just from our team, but the entire field.”

For the second time since this tournament’s inception in 2003, UBC earned both team titles – a feat that has not been match by another school. UBC came just shy of sweeping the four honours in 2009, only missing out on the women’s individual title. Kat Kennedy of Okotoks, Alta., ensured this year’s team would not suffer the same fate, carding a 1-over 73 en route to a four-stroke victory.

“Before we went out today, as a team, we talked about staying in our own bubble and taking it one shot at a time,” said the 21-year-old. “I think I went out there with that mindset and it helped me today. I’ve put in a lot of time and practice after some injuries this year. This was a big win for me and to see my hard work pay off is a big push for next year and for the rest of my golf career.”

The significance of the victory was not lost on the third-year science student. “Golf Canada has been a big part of my life. I have played a lot of junior golf with Golf Canada. This is a big title to have and I’m not used to it yet. It’s great to be a national champion.”

Alexandra Pelletier of the Université Laval Rouge et Or claimed runner-up honours. The Montréal native tallied two birdies and finished the competition at 16-over-par. UBC’s Barbara Neto Bradley, of Porto, Portugal, claimed third-place with a four-day total of 22-over 310.

The UBC women claimed a 19-stroke victory over the defending champions, the Université de Montréal Carabins, and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who tied for second at a combined 79-over-par.

Kennedy beamed when asked about wearing the blue and gold of the UBC Thunderbirds. “It is a big honour. We have a great team. I feel like everyone is very supportive. We help push each other to be more competitive. Everywhere I go, I wear the T-bird with pride. I couldn’t be more proud of both the women’s and men’s teams.”

For the second straight year, UBC’s men’s team claimed a wire-to-wire victory. It was the fifth team title for the men’s side and their third in the past four years. The fivesome finished 2-over on the day to complete the tournament at 18-under 1134 – 45-strokes clear of the competition. The University of Victoria Vikes were 1-under on the day and placed second, while the Queen’s University Gaels finished third.

The men’s Thunderbirds were again led by Scott Secord, who registered a wire-to-wire win of his own. The Calgarian finished with rounds of 67-67-73-70 to reach 11-under 277 in the competition. All five members of the quintet finished in the Top-10 with Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., taking 9th, Victoria’s Nate Ollis finishing T7, Evan Holmes of Calgary claiming 6th and fellow Albertan Jack Wood of Banff placing 4th.

Secord spoke of the tight-knit group when asked about his tenure as ad Thunderbird. “It’s meant a lot. I’m glad I could finish (my career with UBC) like this and as a team, as well. I’ve known Jack since he was a little tyke. We’ve had a different kind of relationship – like brothers. But that’s what it’s like with everyone. We’re such good friends with each other.”

Despite gusty conditions at times, Secord tallied four birdies on the day, including two back-to-back in a bogey-free back nine. “I was kind of steady throughout the front,” commented the champion. “It was pretty windy and it was shifting. The trees were playing tricks on us and we weren’t really certain which way it was going.”

The 23-year-old withstood the impressive play of Lawren Rowe of the University of Victoria Vikes. The Sophomore who hails from Victoria notched four birdies on the day to finish 2-under – four shots shy of the champion. Taking third was Connor McLellan of Chilliwack, B.C., who carded the day’s low round – a four-birdie 4-under 68 showing – to finish 5-under in the competition.

Additional information regarding the championship can be found here.

A selection of images from the championship is available for download here. When making use of the images, please credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada.

2016 CANADIAN UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
– WOMEN’S DIVISION

  • 1. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *237-225-232-230-924 +60
  • 2. Université de Montréal Carabins, *242-225-239-237-943 +79
  • 2. University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *242-238-232-231-943 +79
  • 4. Université Laval Rouge et Or, *234-236-247-233-950 +86
  • 5. University of Victoria Vikes, *236-248-241-241-966 +102
  • 6. Queen’s University Gaels, *259-256-249-263-1027 +163

DID NOT ADVANCE

  • MC. Western University Mustangs, *256-266-246-0-768 +120
  • MC. University of Waterloo Warriors, *255-262-257-0-774 +126
  • MC. Humber College Hawks, *268-244-265-0-777 +129
  • MC. University of Alberta Pandas, *262-267-262-0-791 +143
  • MC. University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *274-284-277-0-835 +187
  • MC. Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *291-272-291-0-854 +206

2016 CANADIAN UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

– INDIVIDUAL WOMEN

  • 1. Kat Kennedy, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *80-70-77-73-300 +12
  • 2. Alexandra Pelletier, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *71-72-85-76-304 +16
  • 3. Barbara Neto-Bradley, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *79-72-78-81-310 +22
  • 4. Laura Upenieks, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *77-79-79-76-311 +23
  • 4. Caroline Ciot, Université de Montréal Carabins, *75-73-83-80-311 +23
  • 6. Sarah Dunning, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *82-77-76-80-315 +27
  • 7. Veronique Fortin-Latreille, Université de Montréal Carabins, *83-78-80-75-316 +28
  • 7. Sarah-Andréa Landry, Université de Montréal Carabins, *84-74-76-82-316 +28
  • 9. Elizabeth Asselin, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *84-79-79-75-317 +29
  • 10. Quinn Fitzgerald, University of Victoria Vikes, *76-81-82-80-319 +31
  • 11. Avril Li, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *78-84-84-76-322 +34
  • 12. Ana Peric, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *83-83-82-75-323 +35
  • 12. Kelsey Fuchs, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *83-82-77-81-323 +35
  • 14. Eunice Hong, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *80-83-77-85-325 +37
  • 15. Cadence Hellmann, University of Victoria Vikes, *87-81-81-80-329 +41
  • 15. Melissa Ramnauth, Queen’s University Gaels, *84-81-83-81-329 +41
  • 17. Laura Ferreira, University of Victoria Vikes, *77-91-82-81-331 +43
  • 18. Michaela Abey, University of Victoria Vikes, *83-86-78-86-333 +45
  • 19. Robyn Campbell, Queen’s University Gaels, *82-84-80-91-337 +49
  • 20. Julie Brossoit, Université de Montréal Carabins, *85-98-85-86-354 +66
  • 21. Marianne Gagnon, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *93-94-87-88-362 +74
  • 21. Samantha Gold, Queen’s University Gaels, *93-92-86-91-362 +74
  • 23. Jennifer Kates, Queen’s University Gaels, *103-91-93-95-382 +94

DID NOT ADVANCE

  • MC. Claire Konning, University of Waterloo Warriors, *79-82-82-0-243 +27
  • MC. Samantha Coates, Carleton University Ravens, *86-78-83-0-247 +31
  • MC. Sheila McKeen, Humber College Hawks, *83-80-84-0-247 +31
  • MC. Kristen Lee, University of Alberta Pandas, *78-88-83-0-249 +33
  • MC. Jordon Newlands, Western University Mustangs, *84-83-83-0-250 +34
  • MC. Lorelle Weavers, Niagara College Knights, *84-96-74-0-254 +38
  • MC. Sara Holland, Western University Mustangs, *82-95-79-0-256 +40
  • MC. Lisa Reid, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *84-85-87-0-256 +40
  • MC. Tasha MacDonald, Western University Mustangs, *90-88-84-0-262 +46
  • MC. Kristyn Kurio, University of Alberta Pandas, *85-89-89-0-263 +47
  • MC. Michaela DiMarcantonio, Humber College Hawks, *92-82-89-0-263 +47
  • MC. Laura Luna, University of Waterloo Warriors, *84-90-92-0-266 +50
  • MC. Sonia Nagindas, Humber College Hawks, *93-82-92-0-267 +51
  • MC. Elanna Lachaine-DeMarchi, University of Waterloo Warriors, *95-93-83-0-271 +55
  • MC. Skylar Turkiewicz, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *89-92-94-0-275 +59
  • MC. Alex Garcia, University of Waterloo Warriors, *92-90-94-0-276 +60
  • MC. Brianna Bruni-Bossio, University of Alberta Pandas, *99-90-90-0-279 +63
  • MC. Sarah Geurten, Western University Mustangs, *95-96-94-0-285 +69
  • MC. Kaitlyn Benoit, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *94-100-93-0-287 +71
  • MC. Jamie Wood, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *103-92-94-0-289 +73
  • MC. Aly Medeiros, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *99-88-103-0-290 +74
  • MC. Emma Degenhardt, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *96-99-97-0-292 +76
  • MC. Lindsay Voogt, Humber College Hawks, *106-98-93-0-297 +81
  • MC. Kathleen McLean, University of Alberta Pandas, *112-114-109-0-335 +119
  • MC. Erin Lee, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *122-115-114-0-351 +135
  • DQ. Catherine Gariépy, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *79-85-83-82-329 +41

2016 CANADIAN UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

– MEN’S DIVISION

  • 1. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *278-280-286-290-1134 -18
  • 2. University of Victoria Vikes, *303-291-298-287-1179 +27
  • 3. Queen’s University Gaels, *298-294-295-306-1193 +41
  • 4. University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *300-301-290-310-1201 +49
  • 5. Camosun College Chargers, *298-308-298-299-1203 +51
  • 6. Niagara College Knights, *301-300-299-315-1215 +63
  • 7. University of Waterloo Warriors, *301-309-302-304-1216 +64
  • 8. University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *301-316-300-307-1224 +72
  • 9. Concordia University Stingers, *302-302-309-323-1236 +84
  • 10. University of Alberta Golden Bears, *318-304-295-307-1224 +92

DID NOT ADVANCE

  • MC. Georgian College Grizzlies, *307-307-305-0-919 +55
  • MC. Université de Montréal Carabins, *308-303-309-0-920 +56
  • MC. University of Manitoba Bisons, *305-303-312-0-920 +56
  • MC. Western University Mustangs, *313-300-307-0-920 +56
  • MC. Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks, *310-310-301-0-921 +57
  • MC. Université Laval Rouge et Or, *309-314-306-0-929 +65
  • MC. University of Guelph Gryphons, *310-307-312-0-929 +65
  • MC. University of Calgary Dinos, *308-309-313-0-930 +66
  • MC. École de Technologie Supérieure, *315-314-314-0-943 +79
  • MC. University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *320-325-328-0-973 +109

2016 CANADIAN UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

– INDIVIDUAL MEN

  • 1. Scott Secord, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *67-67-73-70-277 -11
  • 2. Lawren Rowe, University of Victoria Vikes, *71-69-71-70-281 -7
  • 3. Connor McLellan, University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *76-73-66-68-283 -5
  • 4. Jack Wood, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *69-73-69-74-285 -3
  • 5. Chris Crisologo, Simon Fraser University Clan, *68-76-71-71-286 -2
  • 6. Evan Holmes, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *72-71-72-72-287 -1
  • 7. Brady Stead, Camosun College Chargers, *69-74-74-72-289 +1
  • 7. Nate Ollis, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *72-71-72-74-289 +1
  • 9. Andrew Harrison, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, *70-71-73-79-293 +5
  • 10. Ryan Tsang, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *72-76-70-77-295 +7
  • 11. Alexander Cartwright, University of Victoria Vikes, *77-73-74-72-296 +8
  • 11. Josiah Dixon, Niagara College Knights, *71-76-73-76-296 +8
  • 11. Charles Fitzsimmons, Western University Mustangs, *75-72-75-74-296 +8
  • 14. Arthur Heinkele, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *76-75-70-76-297 +9
  • 14. Chris Murray, Queen’s University Gaels, *74-75-73-75-297 +9
  • 14. Jason Martens, University of Alberta Golden Bears, *74-73-71-79-297 +9
  • 17. Andrew Funk, University of Victoria Vikes, *79-74-77-69-299 +11
  • 17. Evan Littlefield, Niagara College Knights, *73-72-78-76-299 +11
  • 17. Jordan Gregoris, Queen’s University Gaels, *72-69-82-76-299 +11
  • 17. David French, University of Waterloo Warriors, *71-76-72-80-299 +11
  • 21. Eric Flockhart, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *77-73-72-79-301 +13
  • 21. Connor O’Dell, University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *78-70-71-82-301 +13
  • 21. Jake Adams, University of Waterloo Warriors, *76-78-72-75-301 +13
  • 24. Bruce Tomie, University of Victoria Vikes, *76-75-76-76-303 +15
  • 24. Zach Olson, University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *71-76-76-80-303 +15
  • 26. Matt Matheson, Camosun College Chargers, *73-79-75-77-304 +16
  • 26. Ian Wilson, Queen’s University Gaels, *76-76-77-75-304 +16
  • 26. Matt Lemay, Georgian College Grizzlies, *73-71-74-86-304 +16
  • 26. Trevor Corner, Queen’s University Gaels, *76-74-74-80-304 +16
  • 26. Rodney Morgan, Concordia University Stingers, *78-73-75-78-304 +16
  • 31. Truman Tai, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *78-81-75-72-306 +18
  • 32. Grant Maskiewich, Camosun College Chargers, *76-80-74-77-307 +19
  • 32. Jeremy Rose, Queen’s University Gaels, *79-76-71-81-307 +19
  • 34. Devin Bartlett, University of Waterloo Warriors, *76-80-80-72-308 +20
  • 34. Ryan Mitchell, Concordia University Stingers, *72-77-77-82-308 +20
  • 36. Mac Keats, Camosun College Chargers, *80-81-75-73-309 +21
  • 37. Scott Merriam, Camosun College Chargers, *81-75-75-80-311 +23
  • 37. Thomas Fuhr, University of Alberta Golden Bears, *76-73-74-88-311 +23
  • 39. Dylan Cave, University of Waterloo Warriors, *82-75-78-77-312 +24
  • 39. Jacob Peterson, Concordia University Stingers, *75-77-81-79-312 +24
  • 41. Marcus Lam, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *79-85-79-73-316 +28
  • 42. Gordon Gibson, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *75-76-79-87-317 +29
  • 43. Nick Schepens, Niagara College Knights, *80-80-76-82-318 +30
  • 43. Zackery Secord, Concordia University Stingers, *79-75-80-84-318 +30
  • 45. Quinn Bunten-Walberg, University of Alberta Golden Bears, *84-78-72-85-319 +31
  • 46. Tyler Miehe, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, *76-83-76-85-320 +32
  • 47. Mitchell van Gameren, Concordia University Stingers, *77-83-77-84-321 +33
  • 47. Sam DiPinto, University of Alberta Golden Bears, *84-80-78-79-321 +33
  • 49. Nathan Bahnman, University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *75-82-82-83-322 +34
  • 50. Michael Griffin, University of Victoria Vikes, *80-83-79-82-324 +36
  • 51. Kaleb Fisher, University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, *84-85-77-80-326 +38
  • 52. Logan Lammerant, Niagara College Knights, *83-85-80-81-329 +41

DID NOT ADVANCE

  • MC. Kyler Bourgeault, Vancouver Island University Mariners, *80-69-74-0-223 +7
  • MC. Mackenzie Dasti, UOIT Ridgebacks, *73-75-76-0-224 +8
  • MC. Jack Werhun, University of Manitoba Bisons, *76-74-75-0-225 +9
  • MC. Olivier Daneau, Université de Montréal Carabins, *76-76-74-0-226 +10
  • MC. Devon Schade, University of Manitoba Bisons, *73-69-84-0-226 +10
  • MC. Austin Ryan, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *77-76-74-0-227 +11
  • MC. Robbie Potesta, Vancouver Island University Mariners, *80-69-78-0-227 +11
  • MC. Scott Banks, University of Guelph Gryphons, *77-74-76-0-227 +11
  • MC. Daniel Gosselin, École de Technologie Supérieure, *76-79-73-0-228 +12
  • MC. Étienne Dumas, Université de Montréal Carabins, *78-74-77-0-229 +13
  • MC. Jake Hamilton, University of Victoria Vikes, *76-74-79-0-229 +13
  • MC. Mac Carter, Western University Mustangs, *81-74-75-0-230 +14
  • MC. Joshua Polisuk, University of Guelph Gryphons, *75-80-76-0-231 +15
  • MC. Christian McCullough, Humber College Hawks, *75-78-78-0-231 +15
  • MC. Greg Billingsley, University of Calgary Dinos, *76-76-79-0-231 +15
  • MC. Josh Neufeld, University of Manitoba Bisons, *80-78-74-0-232 +16
  • MC. Brady Zordan, Georgian College Grizzlies, *78-78-76-0-232 +16
  • MC. Jean-Simon Ross, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *85-75-73-0-233 +17
  • MC. Baptiste Mory, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *75-79-79-0-233 +17
  • MC. Gabriel Trempe, Université de Montréal Carabins, *75-74-84-0-233 +17
  • MC. Jonathan Collins, Georgian College Grizzlies, *75-80-78-0-233 +17
  • MC. Peter Slade, University of Calgary Dinos, *78-78-77-0-233 +17
  • MC. Callum Biehn, Western University Mustangs, *78-77-79-0-234 +18
  • MC. John Shoreman, University of Guelph Gryphons, *78-74-82-0-234 +18
  • MC. Philippe Sauvageau, École de Technologie Supérieure, *79-78-78-0-235 +19
  • MC. Michael Forbes, University of Ottawa Gee Gee’s, *78-76-81-0-235 +19
  • MC. Scott McNichol, University of Calgary Dinos, *75-82-78-0-235 +19
  • MC. Curtis O’Reilly, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *78-77-81-0-236 +20
  • MC. Mathieu Caron, École de technologie supérieure Piranhas, *77-80-80-0-237 +21
  • MC. Matthieu Kennis, Université de Montréal Carabins, *82-79-76-0-237 +21
  • MC. Adam Migur, Western University Mustangs, *79-80-78-0-237 +21
  • MC. Matt Kadatz, University of Calgary Dinos, *85-73-79-0-237 +21
  • MC. Ben Whiteside, Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks, *78-84-76-0-238 +22
  • MC. Jeff Bleue, University of Manitoba Bisons, *76-83-79-0-238 +22
  • MC. Trevor Whiton, University of Guelph Gryphons, *82-79-78-0-239 +23
  • MC. Matthew Ritchot, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *73-78-89-0-240 +24
  • MC. Denver Dafoe, Georgian College Grizzlies, *81-78-82-0-241 +25
  • MC. Marc-Olivier Cyr, École de technologie supérieure Piranhas, *83-77-83-0-243 +27
  • MC. Christopher Lao, Western University Mustangs, *86-77-81-0-244 +28
  • MC. Alex Gagnon, Université de Montréal Carabins, *79-84-82-0-245 +29
  • MC. Connor Wilks, Wilfred Laurier University Golden Hawks, *83-84-79-0-246 +30
  • MC. Mitchell Taylor, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *82-82-82-0-246 +30
  • MC. Gabriel Gingras, University of Ottawa Gee Gee’s, *78-95-73-0-246 +30
  • MC. Daniel Knapp, Georgian College Grizzlies, *83-86-77-0-246 +30
  • MC. Alexis Rispal, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *78-86-84-0-248 +32
  • MC. Matthaus Taylor, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *85-83-80-0-248 +32
  • MC. Frédéric Matthey, Université Laval Rouge et Or, *80-85-85-0-250 +34
  • MC. Noel Ngo, University of Manitoba Bisons, *84-82-84-0-250 +34
  • MC. Nicholas Striker, University of Guelph Gryphons, *80-89-82-0-251 +35
  • MC. Benjamin Taylor, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *91-82-80-0-253 +37
  • MC. Brett Sheridan, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, *80-87-86-0-253 +37
  • MC. Jeremy Parisien, École de Technologie Supérieure, *86-86-83-0-255 +39
  • MC. Drew Dougherty, University of Calgary Dinos, *79-84-92-0-255 +39
  • DQ. Alex Rakowski, University of Alberta Golden Bears, *93-99-87-101-380 +97

– 30 –

ABOUT CANADIAN PACIFIC

Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is a low-cost provider that is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit www.cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

TITLEIST

From the game’s top Tour players to PGA and LPGA teaching and club professionals to accomplished amateurs everywhere, Titleist is committed to providing golfers worldwide with golf equipment of superior quality and performance. The industry leading Pro V1 and Pro V1x, NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT SoLo golf balls provide real performance differences to meet the wide range of golfers’ needs. From tee-to-green, Titleist golf clubs are also performance driven. The 915 D2 and D3 drivers, 915 F and Fd fairway metals and 915 H1 and H2 hybrids along with the Vokey Design SM6 wedges and Scotty Cameron putters can be found at the top of the leaderboards and in the bags of serious golfers across the globe. In addition, the 716 AP1 and AP2 irons are the most technologically advanced irons ever produced by Titleist, and are complemented by the CB and MB Forged series. PGA of Canada Club Professionals devote their careers to helping you play better golf. And when it comes to choosing the highest performing equipment for their own games, more choose Titleist. It’s the brand they recommend and the brand they trust themselves. www.titleist.ca

FOOTJOY

FootJoy. It’s about comfort. It’s about performance. It’s about tradition. For nearly 150 years, FootJoy has been committed to creating superior golf footwear, gloves, apparel, socks and accessories that will enhance your on-course experience. Second to none, FootJoy is the choice of those who love the game, from young to old, from amateur to top professional. For more than 55 years, FootJoy has been the leading golf shoe on the PGA Tour. This proves, when given a choice, the best golfers in the world choose the best golf shoes in the world. www.footjoy.ca

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Organization and governing body for golf in Canada representing close to 310,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

For more information:

Herb Fung

Coordinator, Media and Public Relations

Golf Canada

(t) 1-800-263-0009 x 258

(c) 647-709-3167

(e) hfung@golfcanada.ca

Kraft Heinz and TSN Inspire Communities Across Canada to Build Better Places to Play With The Return Of Kraft Heinz Project Play

– Partnering for an 8th consecutive year, Kraft Heinz and TSN encourage Canadians to nominate a local recreation project at KraftHeinzProjectPlay.comfor a chance to win infrastructure upgrades –

– The Grand Prize winner will receive $250,000 towards a recreational facility upgrade, and the three second-prize winners will each receive $20,000 

– TSN’s James Duthie, Jennifer Hedger, Jason deVos, Milt Stegall, and Tessa Bonhomme rally behind this year’s Kraft Heinz Project Play campaign as new program ambassadors –

TORONTO (May 2, 2016) – Vibrant communities start from the ground up. From soccer fields to basketball courts to playgrounds, the places where Canadians play bring communities to life. That’s why Kraft Heinz Project Play, together with Bell Media’s TSN and RDS, are encouraging Canadians to start building a better future by building better places to play. Kicking off today, Kraft Heinz Project Play invites Canadians nationwide to nominate a local recreation project – be it new or existing – at KraftHeinzProjectPlay.com for a chance to win infrastructure upgrades. The Grand Prize winner will receive $250,000 towards a recreational facility upgrade, and the three second-prize winners will each receive $20,000.

“With crumbling facilities, fields, and equipment, combined with growing financial pressures, our country’s places to play are in desperate need of upgrades,” said Joanna Milroy, Marketing Director, Kraft Heinz. “Kraft Heinz Project Play is a wonderful opportunity for us to rally behind communities, and leave a lasting impact on the vital places we play in our local cities and towns.”

Kraft Heinz Project Play is once again partnering with Bell Media’s TSN and RDS, marking the eighth consecutive year of their partnership. TSN and RDS will amplify Kraft Heinz Project Play by integrating the program across their industry-leading platforms, with TSN showcasing Kraft Heinz Project Play on SPORTSCENTRE – Canada’s most-watched sports news and information show, on TSN.ca, as well as on TSN’s official Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts.

New this year, TSN’s James Duthie is joining the Kraft Heinz Project Play team as a Program Ambassador, alongside SPORTSCENTRE hosts Jennifer Hedger and Tessa Bonhomme, TSN soccer analyst Jason deVos, and CFL ON TSN analyst Milt Stegall. Through their passion for sport, TSN’s roster of Program Ambassadors will encourage Canadians to build better places to play in their communities, and will also be featured in a series of testimonial videos that will debut at KraftHeinzProjectPlay.com and on TSN’s social media in the coming weeks.

“It’s an honour to join this year’s Kraft Heinz Project Play as a Program Ambassador alongside my friends Jen, Jason, Milt, and Tessa,” said James Duthie. “As a dad of some very active kids, there’s nothing better than seeing them play outside. Kraft Heinz Project Play is all about building more places to play for our kids and for our communities, and that’s something I’m proud to be a part of.”

Over the past eleven years, Kraft Heinz has supported 157 communities, contributing more than $4.5 million dollars to play-based infrastructure projects across Canada.

Nominate Your Community Today!

Beginning today (May 2) through June 12, Canadians can nominate the places, spaces, and projects that keep our communities playing, active, and united at KraftHeinzProjectPlay.com.

The top four Kraft Heinz Project Play finalists will be announced July 8 on TSN. Canadians can then vote for their favourite community project at KraftHeinzProjectPlay.com beginning July 25 at 12 p.m. ET through to July 26 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The Kraft Heinz Project Play grand prize winner will be announced in August (date TBC) on TSN, winning a quarter of a million dollars ($250,000) for a recreation facility upgrade. Three second-prize winners will each receive $20,000.

Learn more, share your story, and encourage others to nominate their own towns and cities on Facebook and Twitter using #PLACETOPLAY.

Team Alberta, The Game Before the Game

On the score card, the game begins at the first tee box. For the players however, it starts long before that. Team Alberta has been performing phenomenally well to start the 2016 season. The CN Future Links Pacific Championship in Kamloops turned out to be one of the best all-around tournaments in recent history for Alberta players, and the PGA Junior Masters was won by Team Alberta members on both the girls and boys sides. All of this considered, it is easy to get lost in the magic that seems to be happening on the course during tournament play. Although, if you asked the players, they’d tell you that magic has nothing to do with it.

openinground-38
Brendan MacDougall (left) and

Christopher Horton (right) take a minute to read the green on 9 during the practice round at The Dunes at Kamloops.

Tournament preparation for the budding Alberta Golf Team starts long before tee time, days before in fact. Competing in national events means extensive travel, often times all over the country. For the CN Future Links Pacific Championship in Kamloops, it was an eight hour bus ride through the Rockies that brought Team Alberta to the tournament. Once the team arrives at their destination, their pre-competition routine has all but begun. The day before official play begins, the team is up with the sunrise and on course for an early shot gun start. During their practice round, players need to fine tune their game, discuss strategy with their coaches, and familiarize themselves with a course that is miles from home.

practiceround-15
Team Alberta Coach

Randy Robb discusses strategy with two of his players during the practice round at The Dunes at Kamloops.

Team Alberta’s day is far from over when they step off the course. Team meetings, healthy meals, and an evening yoga session are awaiting them upon arrival back at the hotel. Amongst this extensive routine, the players find support in each other in order to relax and mentally prepare for the busy few days of competition ahead of them. Finally, last minute adjustments are put in place at early driving range and putting green sessions the morning of the opening round. With that, the game before the game comes to an end, and the competitors make their way to the tee box with the hope that all their hard work will translate to low scores for themselves and their teammates. The video (below) chronicles the events discussed above, providing a behind the scenes look into Team Alberta’s early success so far this season.

 

 

 

The 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine is now available!

maglaunchWEB
The Alberta Golfer Magazine is the official magazine of Alberta Golf. Originally published in 1986, The Alberta Golfer is an annual print and digital magazine that is distributed to all member facilities and individual members. It is Canada’s premier provincial golf publication that has educated, informed and highlighted the game of golf in Alberta and across Canada for over three decades. The Alberta Golfer offers something for everyone whether you’re a golf professional, a proud member, or just getting into the game. Expect to find the latest industry news, feature stories, profiles on the people that contribute to golf in this province, provincial, national and international achievements of our top athletes and much more. The Alberta Golfer aims to enhance your enjoyment of the game and bring you closer to golf in Alberta.

The Official Magazine of Alberta Golf  2016 is now available, please click here to enjoy the 2016 edition!

In this issue…

FEATURES

* Innisfail Hosts Men’s Amateur
* Take The High Road
* Whitville
* She Swings She Scores
* Social Media Growing Golf
* Stepping Up The F&B Game
* The Life Of A Course Rater

* The Year In Pictures

PEOPLE 

* Heffernan Changes Focus
* Riley’s Green
* Veteran Bests The Young Guns
* The Champions
* Jennifer Ha Becoming Her Own Team
* The Real Boss Of The Moss
* Legends In Their Own Time
* A Resilient Love
* Albertan’s Abroad

* The Return Of The Ashdown Cup

TRAVEL 

* Golf The North

* International Sport Exchange Diary

WHAT’S NEW

* Shaw Charity Classic
* New Clubhouse In Innisfail
* Mackenzie Tour Returns To Edmonton
* Fort McMurray GC
* Alberta Net Amateur

* CPWO Returns To Priddis Greens

INDUSTRY

* Message From Alberta Golf CEO
* The Rules Have Changed
* Junior Golf Development Centres
* Tournament Schedule
* Olympic Revival
* Golf Fore The Cure
* Going The Distance
* Team Alberta ‘TAPS’ Into Talent

Visit your local member facility to pick up a hard-copy print version of The Alberta Golfer Magazine l 2016. Do you have a question, comment or concern? Write to us via email at info@albertagolf.org.

CN Future Links Pacific Championship Kamloops Recap

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This past weekend, Team Alberta competed at the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes in Kamloops, British Columbia. This early season event carried with it a lot of opportunity for the young competitors. This tournament, as well as the upcoming Prairie and Western Championships later this summer, provide players with the opportunity to earn an invite to the 2016 Canadian Junior Championships. The Canadian Junior Boys Championship takes place in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador from August 1-4, and the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia August 2-5. Those who finish in the top six positions on each of the girl’s and boy’s sides will land themselves an exemption into Nationals. Each year, Alberta is awarded a limited number of spots into the Canadian Championship. With a win at one of the three aforementioned tournaments, the individuals who have already been given a spot in the Canadian Junior Championships can secure an extra place for another Alberta-based player. It is an accomplishment when the players are able to secure a spot, or an extra spot, in a CNFL championship, as every player dreams of attending Nationals at some point in their junior career. If Alberta can represent the province like they did this past week in Kamloops when they attend the Prairie and Western Championships, they will be able to send a higher than average number of players to the Canadian Junior Championships to help represent Alberta.

Team Alberta member Ethan Choi blasts out of a fairway bunker on the 18th hole at The Dunes. Choi’s impressive play throughout the the tournament is an indication of great things to come from the young Pincher Creek golfer.

Team Alberta member, Ethan Choi, blasts out of a fairway bunker on the 18th hole at The Dunes. Choi’s impressive play throughout the the tournament is an indication of great things to come from the young Pincher Creek golfer.

The 2016 Pacific Championship in Kamloops was one that won’t soon be forgotten. Having already secured spots in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship due to their affiliation with Team Alberta, a third place finish and a tie for fifth by Brendan MacDougall and Chandler McDowell, respectively, secured two more entries into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Team Alberta coach, Randy Robb, described the tournament as being monumental in terms of the positive connotations this has for his young players. “There hasn’t been a tournament in recent memory where Alberta golfers and Team Alberta members have had such a rounded display of success.” Robb reiterated that “With the Team Alberta boys having secured two more spots with their top six finishes, it gives other deserving individuals the chance to play in the Junior Championships.”

Chandler McDowell, surrounded by his coaches, teammates, and spectators, tees off on his playoff hole where he secured a spot in the top six, earning one of his teammates a position to compete with him in the 2016 National Championship this August.

Chandler McDowell, surrounded by his coaches, teammates, and spectators, tees off on his playoff hole where he secured a spot in the top six, earning one of his teammates a position to compete with him in the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship this August.

All of the Team Alberta members showed great potential over the three-day event in Kamloops. Personal best scores in a national event, Kehler Koss (71) and Annabelle Ackroyd (72),  highlighted the Team Alberta girl’s play at the tournament. The Prairie Championship in Neepawa, Manitoba running June 10-12, and the Western Championship in Medicine Hat, Alberta on July 4-6, are the next opportunities for the Team Alberta hopefuls to tighten up their game and potentially earn more spots for their ready and waiting fellow Albertans.

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Brendan MacDougall proudly accepts his third place plaque after the final round of play this past Sunday. MacDougall’s 68 in the final round helped Team Alberta earn another entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship this August.

 

2016 CN Future Links Pacific Championship Results

Click here to see photos from the event