Strong local and Canadian contingent headlines exemptions for 2016 CP Women’s Open
CALGARY (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) are pleased to announce the names of 14 players who have received exemptions into the 2016 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22–28 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.
Calgary natives Jaclyn Lee and Jennifer Ha will have a home crowd advantage as they compete at the 44th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.
Lee, 19, is enjoying a stellar year on the course. The Ohio State University sophomore won the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship, tied for third at the Women’s Porter Cup and finished as a quarter-finalist at the PNGA’s Women’s Amateur Championship.
Ha, 22, is playing her first full year as a professional. She earned her first pro win in April at a National Women’s Golf Association (NWGA) event in Florida. The Kent State graduate won another NWGA title the following month at another event in Florida.
Both Lee and Ha play out of Glencoe Golf & Country Club, which is approximately 40 kilometres north of Priddis Greens.
Naomi Ko of Victoria is also enjoying a banner year. The 19-year-old N.C. State sophomore claimed the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last week in Nova Scotia at the Links at Penn Hills. The CP Women’s Open will be the third LPGA event of 2016 for Ko. In May, she claimed medallist honours at a sectional qualifier to earn entry into the U.S. Women’s Open. A month later she won the Portland Classic Amateur Championship to earn a spot in the Portland Classic, where she would play the weekend after making the cut.
Maddie Szeryk, 20, a dual-citizen of Canada and the United States is currently ranked No. 41 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Szeryk, who plays collegiate golf for Texas A&M, will be competing in her second CP Women’s Open.
Lee, Ko and Szeryk are members of the Team Canada’s National Amateur Team, while Ha is a program alum.
Seven Canadians who primarily compete on the Symetra Tour – the LPGA’s developmental circuit – have also been granted CP Women’s Open exemptions, including Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C.
Other Canadian Symetra Tour players granted exemptions include Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C., Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-sur-le-lac, Que., Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City.
Hannah O’Sullivan, a former World No. 1 now ranked No. 3 in the world, will also be competing in Calgary. The 18-year-old Arizona native competed in both the 2016 U.S. and British Women’s Opens.
The 14 players earning exemptions into the CP Women’s Open will join a world-class field at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club that features the Top-3 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings: No. 1 and three-time champion Lydia Ko; No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand; and No. 3 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.
Other LPGA Tour stars confirmed to compete include international fan favourites Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Suzann Pettersen, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull, Stephanie Meadow and Morgan Pressel.
The Canucks receiving exemptions will join a Canadian contingent led by Henderson, Canadian Pacific ambassador Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, as well as fellow LPGA Tour players Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.
Sharp and Henderson are representing Canada at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 17-20.
In total, 16 Canadians will compete at Priddis Greens.
“The CP Women’s Open is not only set to feature arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, but also the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf,” said Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “Golf fans are sure to be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf.”
A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club for the first time since 2009 and the third time in tournament history.
On Monday, August 22, the LPGA Tour will conduct an 18-hole stroke play qualifier at The Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary to determine the final four exemptions directly into the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
Free Admission for Juniors…
Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17-and-under. In addition to free admission for juniors, parents can take advantage of discounted tickets by using the promotional code JUNIOR and clicking here.
Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under Free
Early Week (Mon-Wed) $10.50
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun) $31.50
Weekly (Mon-Sun) $78.75
First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.
Lynn Kuehn goes wire-to-wire to win the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
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Lynn Kuehn maintains her lead in the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
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Lynn Kuehn maintains her lead in the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
Lynn Kuehn takes the early lead in the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
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Lynn Kuehn takes the early lead at the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
Pictured: Lynn Kuehn
Olympic Revival | The Alberta Golfer
Written by Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer, Golf Canada
Olympic Revival
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Golf makes its return to the Olympic Games after a 112-year hiatus. There is great excitement surrounding golf ’s return to the Olympics – and rightfully so. With the Olympic dream now a reality, it is important to remember a Canadian legend – the story of defending Olympic gold medalist George Seymour Lyon.
Canada has held the title of Olympic golf champion for 112 years since the trophy was last hoisted at the St. Louis Games in 1904. Lyon, 46 at the time of his victory, defeated American H. Chandler Egan 3&2 in the 36-hole match play final. You can make a case that had his accomplishments happened against today’s sport and media landscape, we would be talking about one of Canada’s iconic athletes.
At the time, golf enthusiasts could not have predicted that 1904 would be the last time the Olympic golf competition would be contested for more than a century. As time went on and pro golf tours like the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour made their way to the forefront, golf slowly faded from the Olympic landscape.
Fast forward to 2009, when the International Golf Federation (IGF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) collectively agreed to reintroduce golf to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as a 72-hole stroke play event.
How will Canada fare at the Games in Rio? Our team is well positioned to defend its title – thanks in part to Mr. Lyon paving the way for golf in Canada.
Golf Canada is extremely excited to have a very talented group of professionals in line to fill the four spots (two male, two female) that we expect to receive based on the qualification process. On the women’s side, Brooke Henderson (currently ranked No. 5 on the Olympic rankings) and Alena Sharp (No. 36) hold Canada’s best female rankings and both have very good chances of being on the women’s squad come the July 11th cut off date.
At just 18 years of age, Brooke has vaulted herself amongst the world’s elite through her amazing talent and work ethic. She has shown poise beyond her years and is eager to represent Canada on the global stage.
Sharp had her best season in 2015 with five Top-25 LPGA finishes and continues to impress as the Games get closer.
On the men’s side, PGA Tour stars David Hearn and Graham DeLaet are currently positioned to fly the flag for Canada. Hearn (No. 40), wowed Canadians this past summer in his bid to win the RBC Canadian Open – eventually finishing third.
Rounding out the squad if the selection were made today would be DeLaet, (No. 38), who has been a leading Canadian figure on Tour and is primed for a strong return following last year’s injury plagued season.
The selection of the men’s team could come down to the wire as a pair of rising stars – Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor – could very well make a run at one of the top-two rankings. Hadwin currently sits 14 world ranking spots out of the second Olympic spot.
Canada’s golf Olympians will be leaning on the expertise of Team Canada coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally who will lead the men’s and women’s squads respectively in Rio. They will provide support to the players leading up to and during the event.
Ingram and Mullally will both have made a site visit to the golf course in advance of the Games to gain some insight into how they can best support the players.
The global exposure will be huge for our sport and for Golf Canada’s high performance program. Will we see Canada defend George S. Lyon’s gold medal in Rio? Our athletes and our coaches are determined to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. The 2016 Games will be two of the most exciting weeks in golf’s storied history.
Olympic Revival
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
The Champions, Senior Ladies Champion | The Alberta Golfer
Written by Wes Gilbertson, The Calgary Sun
The Champions, Senior Ladies Champion
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
KIM CARRINGTON
SENIOR LADIES CHAMPION
Calgary’s Kim Carrington had a good feeling about the 2015 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship.
After all, she had fond memories of a previous trophy celebration at The Glencoe Golf & Country Club. “I had a won a city amateur event there a number of years ago,” Carrington said. “So I knew it was a great golf course for me. I like Glencoe and I’ve had success there before.”
Carrington captured her first provincial senior title, posting a three-day tally of 5-over 218 en route to a six-stroke victory. She sealed the deal with a 2-under 69 in the final round, ending a streak wherein five of the six previous years the winner had come from BC.
“That just makes it even more special to get a win, knowing that there were lots of top players coming into our territory to compete for the title.”
The Champions, Senior Ladies Champion
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
What’s New, Shaw Charity Classic | The Alberta Golfer
Shaw Charity Classic
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
The Shaw Charity Classic continues to earn accolades as one of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour Champions schedule. For the third year in a row, the Shaw Charity Classic broke its own record for charitable donations by raising $3.9 Million for 99 youth- based charities in Alberta. Those efforts did not go unnoticed by PGA Tour Champions as the tournament earned its second consecutive President’s Award in recognition of those achievements.
Miller Brady, PGA Tour Champions Chief Operating Officer, presented the award to tournament executive director Sean Van Kesteren at the PGA Tour’s annual meeting held in Miami, FL in December. Van Kesteren said, “I didn’t think we had a chance to win this award two times in a row. We are very happy for all the charities we support. The Calgary community has really embraced this event.”
The golf fans in Calgary and area aren’t the only ones who have taken notice of the great things going on with the Shaw Charity Classic. The 2015 tournament had one of the strongest fields of the PGA Tour Champions season and it will only get stronger this year. The tournament recently announced that Tom Watson will be making his first tournament visit to Calgary at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club from August 31 – September 4.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Watson, with 39 PGA Tour wins, including eight major championships on his resume spoke about his desire to come to Calgary at a media conference in April. “I heard about the success of the Shaw Charity Classic and there was no way I was going to miss it this time around,” commented Watson, who made his final appearance at The Masters this year. “I have heard nothing but positive things about the Shaw Charity Classic, and the record amount of money they raise for children’s charities.”
Shaw Charity Classic
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Golf Fore the Cure | The Alberta Golfer
Written by Gord Montgomery
Golf Fore the Cure
This article was originally published in the 2016 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Golf in the truest sense is an individualistic sport. But when it comes to raising money on the golf course for worthwhile causes, teamwork comes into play in a very big way.
Golf Fore The Cure is an annual event that sees thousands of participants team up for a day on golf courses all across the country in order to raise funds for much needed research into helping to cure breast cancer. Alberta is annually one of the top fund raising provinces in the Canada in support of this program.
Golf Fore The Cure’s national coordinator, Whitney Gorges of Golf Canada, explains the rationale for creating the platform. “The purpose initially was to get more women involved in golf, both as participants and by adding a fund raising component in support of breast cancer research,” said Gorges.
“Over the course of 13 years we’ve had well over 100,000 women participate in the program,” Gorges continued, describing the largest grassroots program of its kind in the nation. “I get calls all the time from women who aren’t necessarily golfers, but who are really invested in the cause and who want to participate.”
As for the growth in the game this particular day has helped generate, Gorges said, “I don’t have a specific number but I do know that a large number of women who participate are new to golf. That’s how they got introduced to the sport and now many of them have stayed involved in golf.”
In Alberta, as many as 24 clubs have held this event in a single year with RedTail Landing GC in Edmonton showing great returns on its time and energy. In 2014, RedTail Landing led the nation in Golf Fore The Cure fundraising with over $22,000, and then followed that up by being fourth overall in 2015, despite the downturn in the Alberta economy.
Joshua Davison, the head professional at RedTail said his course has seen the event grow substantially over the past seven years to the point where there is now always a field of 120 players of more in attendance.
“The women do all kinds of amazing things,” Davison continued, ranging from decorating the power carts to dressing up in costume. “This began out of our ladies’ league and it’s hosted every year on the last Tuesday in July.”
Nationally, Golf Fore The Cure takes place at anywhere from 150 to 200 golf courses across the country. Gorges proudly boasted, “We usually get between 10,000 – 15,000 women involved in the program.”
The research dollars raised by the ladies come through a variety of means, including not only full 18-hole events, but nine-hole competitions, mini-putt tournaments, and driving range swing clinics. “It can be anything involved with golf as long as it involves swinging a club.” Gorges claimed.
The Golf Fore The Cure event is a very special day at RedTail Landing. Davison pointed out that the course does as much as possible to aid in the fund raising activities.
“The entry fee here for this event is the least expensive we offer all year for a tournament,” claimed Davison, “We want to make it affordable for the ladies, but also so we can raise the most money possible for the charity. It’s really not about making money for the club that day. We are really committed to making this an important event for a great charity.”
One big part of the day’s activities at RedTail Landing is the involvement of the tournament organizer, PGA Class A Professional, Matt Truong. He noted that while the event started simply, it has grown immensely in popularity.
“This event is something that allows us to give back to the community,” said Truong. “The first few years were a learning process for us, trying to come up with new ideas, but once we got things going, we have raised much more money than we ever have.”
One of those money making ideas, explained Truong, is to “Pink The Day,” including having pink flags on the greens and Truong going “all-in” for the cause by dressing up in a bright pink unitard for what’s called the “Pink Man Fund.”
“I’m in a pink body suit and nothing else,” Truong explained, not having to add that his attire is greeted with great enthusiasm by the ladies. “It’s just having fun and helps make the day more successful at the same time. The ladies appreciate it, even though it’s not the most flattering thing to see!”
“I think the event itself does help grow the game, too,” said Truong. “We offer it to our ladies club members first and they can invite friends. It is such a good cause.”
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2015, the Golf Fore The Cure website recognized both RedTail Landing GC and Alberta Springs GC in Red Deer for their fundraising by naming national breast cancer impact funds in the courses’ honour.
Golf Canada partners with both the Canadian Cancer Society and the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation to ensure that all the money raised stays within the country. A total of more than $5.4 million has been raised since the program’s inception thirteen years ago.
The women who participate all share a common goal of defeating breast cancer. Their hard work and dedication has had a tremendous impact on the scientific world and on the lives of thousands of Canadian women, their families, friends and caregivers in communities across the country. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients now stands at 88 per cent, a significant improvement over the 70 per cent survival rate from the 1980s.
And that’s largely thanks to teamwork in what is normally viewed as an individualistic sport.
Team Alberta captures team title at Canadian Junior Boys Championship
JOHN’S, N.L. – Brisk temperatures and grey skies set the stage for Team Alberta emerging victorious in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship’s inter-provincial team competition. Brendan MacDougall was even-par on the day in leading the prairie province to victory.
“It’s kind of cool,” reflected the 18-year-old when asked about the provincial win. “You don’t see many team events in junior golf. For us to come together as a team and play well is pretty interesting. The two guys on the team are great. Chandler and Matt are great guys, fun to have around and fun to hang out with and they’re good golfers, too.”
Joining MacDougall were Chandler McDowell of Springbrook and Matt Bean of Canmore. The team earned a 2-under 286 result for a nine-stroke victory. Team British Columbia consisting of Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, Adam Veenstra from Smithers and Team Canada Development Squad member A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam claimed runner-up honours in the 36-hole team competition.
MacDougall began the day in third, but with today’s 72, climbed into a three-way tie atop the leaderboard at 3-under. The Calgarian notched four birdies on the day, but a penalty on the par-5 17th hole prevented him from claiming sole possession of the lead.
“The round today was pretty good. I was playing well. I started off a little rough, but I found a way to get back. I made a mistake on 17 which cost me two shots, but I’ll get over it,” said the resilient MacDougall.
When looking ahead to the final two days of competition, the High Point University commit remains focused on the process of competing rather than achieving results alone.
“My goal this year was just to come in and a Top-10 would have been awesome. A Top-5 would have been unreal. So that goal still stands right now. It’s pretty good to keep improving every year and see that I’m doing better each year that I’m playing.”
Knotted alongside MacDougall are fellow Albertan Max Sekulic of Rycroft who was 1-over on the day and Callum Davison who carded a 67 for the day’s low round. A native of Duncan, B.C., Davison also leads the Juvenile competition. Thomas Critch of Cedar Park, Texas finished with a 74 and is three strokes off the lead in the 16-and-under division.
In addition to the title of Canadian Junior Boys champion, the winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be co-hosted by The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club from August 8 to 11.
A total of 74 players finished 154-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The third day of competition will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. NST.
Additional information from the tournament can be found here.
David Schultz puts together a clutch final round to win the 2016 Senior Men’s Championship
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Pictured: David Schultz
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