Taylor Craig/ Golf Canada

BROMONT, Que. – Clear skies and mountain winds at Golf Château-Bromont welcomed competitors to the first round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. At 5-under 67, Montréal’s Jacob Peterson holds a one-stroke lead alongside Jordan Irwin of Banff, Alta.

Peterson took off from the 10th tee with the morning wave and moved into quick possession of the lead with three birdies through holes 12 to 15 and an eagle on the par-5 17th.

“It was a pretty windy morning, but I managed pretty well,” said Peterson. “It honestly helped me at some points. I got some good breaks, I made some good putts and I holed-out from a bunker.”

The 25-year-old Concordia University Stinger, who is competing for the first time at this national championship, birdied No. 2, but settled for a bogey on the par-4 5^th hole. A birdie on his final hole solidified Peterson’s 67.

“I was pretty lucky to get the morning draw today, so hopefully it’s not too windy tomorrow afternoon. 5-under is hard to beat, but there are a lot of golfers out here, so I’ll just try to do the same thing tomorrow.”

The 31-year-old Irwin also began his round on the back nine, collecting a birdie on the 14th hole followed by a trio across holes 16 to 18. A final push with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 nudged Irwin into his share of the lead.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., put himself in good position to defend his 2015 40-and-over Mid-Master title with a 4-under 68. The 51-year-old sits T3 in the overall competition with Vaughan, Ont., native Philip Arci, Brandon Markiw of Edmonton and Calgary’s Dustin Yeager.

The team representing Ontario – consisting of Charles Fitzsimmons (London), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Matthew Sim (Oakville) – lead the inter-provincial team competition which takes place concurrently with the first two rounds of stroke-play. The trio combined for a two-stroke lead at 6-under 138 as they look to defend their province’s 2015 title.

Team Quebec’s Sebastien Levasseur (Nicolet), Alain Dufresne (Deux-Montagnes) and Dwight Reinhart (Renfrew, Ont.) follow closely in second at 4-under 140.

In addition to the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will see the first wave tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m., followed by the second wave from Nos. 1 and 10 at 12:30 p.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

For Immediate Release

July 14, 2016

NEWS RELEASE

Kenna Hughes wins the 2016 Junior Girls Championship, while Taylor Stone captures the Juvenile Girls title

Hughes finishes -2 through 54 holes, three strokes ahead of the field 

De Winton, Alta. (Alberta Golf) – Kenna Hughes won a hard-fought battle on Thursday to edge out the defending champion, Katy Rutherford, who finished three shots back. Hughes carded 6 birdies en route to her victory, including three in a row on the back nine.   

When asked to comment on her win, Hughes replied, “I hit my driver and irons well all week. It feels great to win considering I was struggling with my game earlier this season. I’m pleased to say I put together three solid rounds of golf.”

Taylor Stone of Pinebrook Golf & Country Club shot +21, 234, claiming victory in the Alberta Juvenile Girls Championship. 

Kehler Koss, who recently won the 2016 CN Future Links Western Championship, finished third in the Alberta Junior Girls Championship, granting her a position on the interprovicial squad with Hughes. The final spot was claimed by Alicia Easthope, who finished in 4th. The Alberta Junior Girls Interprovincial Team will move on to compete in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia.   

TOP 10 – JUNIOR GIRLS FINAL LEADER BOARD

For the full leader board, click here.

TOP 10 – JUVENILE GIRLS FINAL LEADER BOARD

For the full leader board, click here. 

The third round of the Alberta Junior & Juvenile Boys Championship finished with Jaxon Lynn out in front for the Junior Boys and Chandler McDowell leading the Juvenile Boys. Lynn and McDowell shot -3, 68, and -5, 66, respectively in today’s round.  

TOP 10 – JUNIOR BOYS LEADER BOARD

For the full leader board, click here. 

TOP 10 – JUVENILE BOYS LEADER BOARD

Pictured: Kenna Hughes

For the full leader board, click here.

The final round of the junior and juvenile boys championship will commence at 7 a.m. on Friday, July 15. 

Alberta Golf would like to extend thanks to the staff at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club for their efforts in accommodating the 2016 Alberta Junior & Juvenile Championship.

For photographs from the championship, click here. For final round pairings, click here.

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Taylor Craig/ Golf Canada

Written by Kevin Smith, Global TV

Team AB TAPS into Talent

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

The last time I heard the word “TAPS”, I was a kid watching the 1981 movie of the same name starring Sean Penn and Tom Cruise. It was the movie debut for both actors and it certainly tapped into their potential that has since made both superstars. How does this relate to Alberta Golf 35 years later? Two coaches for Team Alberta have devised a new scorecard called “TAPS” to help Team Alberta junior golfers mature more quickly in both their golf games and in life.

Randy Robb, Alberta Golf’s manager of high performance sport, has been a Team Alberta coach for over a decade while Pinebrook Golf and Country Club junior coach, Luke Workman, joined Team Alberta last year. Robb and Workman have devised a program for their Alberta juniors unlike anything we’ve seen in Canada. “TAPS” or “Team Alberta Performance Scorecard” has 18 specific categories on a unique scorecard that helps each player assess areas of strength and weakness in his or her golf game.

The “TAPS” scorecard focuses on different aspects such as long game, short game, putting, tactical and technical skills, as well as physical and mental skills. If a category is an area of strength, the player earns a birdie or an eagle. If it’s an area of weakness, then the player chalks up a bogey. If it’s average, then the player gets a par.

Workman, Team Alberta junior girls coach, says he and Robb wanted to devise a more objective measuring tool for the juniors and their parents in the Team Alberta program. “It’s a feedback tool,” said Workman. “It helps us identify where players are excellent and areas where players need improvement to help them lower their scores. It will also help them become more well-rounded athletes and people for that matter.” The scorecard helps provide an individualized practice plan for each player and shows them how best to spend their time.

Robb points out that college golf programs often have as many players sitting on the sidelines each week as they do competing in tournaments. His objective is to help develop juniors that not only make college golf teams, but are leaders on them. “Our goal is to have them be successful at college, both in the classroom and on the golf course,” Robb said. “We’re trying to set it up so they have a better college experience.”

The eight girls and nine boys on Team Alberta will be the first golfers in the province using the “TAPS” system. Kehler Koss, 17, plays out of Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary and is one of the eight junior girls on Team Alberta. Koss sees the benefit of this scorecard as a learning tool.

“I love it,” Koss raves.

“It sets goals for you and everyone wants to be under par on the scorecard. It really helps athletes who want to take this sport seriously and to know exactly where they need to improve. This really sets the benchmark for athletes in Alberta.”

Koss has already found out she gets lots of birdies in categories such as school work and fitness, but some bogeys in her short game. She is already working harder on her 60-70 yard wedges and lag putting. “It’s really an honour to be a part of that program and be supported by Randy and Luke,” she said. “They really have their hearts set on the juniors developing into the best they can be. The “TAPS” program is one of the main keys that they use.”

Randy Robb has used many coaching techniques in his years with Alberta Golf, but he’s very excited to see if the “TAPS” scorecard becomes one of the best.

“We are just starting to use the “TAPS” program with the players this year, but in the future we’d like to see more and more kids use this concept.”

Robb and Workman will assess the effectiveness of the “TAPS” program once the golf season has ended to see if it did indeed ‘tap’ into the talent of these junior golfers.

Team AB TAPS into Talent

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

March 12-14, 2016
Coquitlam, BC

Ironman Conditions for MJT Srixon Series Season Opener

Vancouver, B.C. (March 14, 2016) – A wait-listed field of junior golfers from four different provinces as well as the USA played through three tough days of competition and difficult weather during the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s (MJT) Srixon Series Season Opener in the lower mainland of British Columbia which ran on March 12th through 14th. Rounds one and two played out at University Golf Club and the final round on The Vancouver Golf Club (VGC), with players competing for titles in six age divisions on the Boston Pizza-presented program.  Gusting winds and freezing rain shortened the junior and juvenile boy’s divisions to nine holes on day two.

“Toughest conditions that any junior will play in, in my opinion, with extreme wind and rain – the scores shot were outstanding when it was a feat just to finish,” said Neil Bidewell, MJT Tournament Director.  “The greens at University Golf Club were fantastic, which helped.  And a huge thank you to Vancouver Golf Club Superintendent Dave Kennedy and Assistant Pete Rodriguez who did an incredible job of clearing debris off fairways from the storm and prepping the course which was almost closed due to rain saturation.”

Susan Xiao, 14, of Surrey, BC, shot 68 at VGC (Par 73) to lap the field and claim Low Overall for the Girls Division along with her MJT Girls 14 and under title with an impressive five-under-par total score of 73-71-68=212.  “I had four birdies in a row on Vancouver Club!” she said afterwards. “I feel happy, proud, excited – my goal is to win more tournaments and shoot under 65.” Second in the division was Jennifer Gu, 13, of West Vancouver, BC, (83-86-80=249) followed by Tillie Claggett, 12, of Calgary, AB (91-84-84=259).

The MJT Girls 15-19 trophy was won by 2015 MJT National Girls Champion Mary Parsons, 16, of Delta, BC, who fired solid rounds of 76, 73, 70 (219) to beat Team Canada’s Alisha Lau, 16, of Richmond, BC (79, 72, 70=221), by two strokes. “I feel great about winning my title especially with it being my first tournament of the year and considering the weather. Everyone contributed to make the tournament run smoothly,” said Parsons, whose goal is to make the Canadian Development Team. There was a tie for third at 22 total score between Esther Subin Lee, 16, of Maple Ridge, BC (77, 72, 73) and Sharon Park, 17, of Surrey, BC, (74, 74, 74).

Team Alberta’s Brendan MacDougall, 18, of Calgary, played phenomenal golf, shooting solid scores of 69-37-73 (179) to claim Overall Low Honours and the MJT Junior Boys title.  “The win feels fantastic! The highlight for me was shooting 69 on day one in tough conditions,” said MacDougall, who was an alternate to get into the event. “My biggest goal this season is to play well and prepare for University in the fall.” Matthew Kettleson, 18, of Vancouver, BC, shot a stunning 69 from the tips at VGC on day three (78-39-69=186) to gain massive ground on the field but couldn’t beat the consistent play of MacDougall, Rounding out the top three was Christian Zalli, 17, of Vancouver, (75-40-73=188).

Samuel Su, 16, of Surrey, BC, (72-36-72=180) won the MJT Juvenile Boys trophy after edging out defending champion Khan Lee, 16, of Surrey, BC, (72-41-69=182) in a tough match where Su showed supreme sportsmanship in his speech, acknowledging Lee’s brilliant 69 on the final day in difficult conditions and that the rain-shortened second round was the difference in his win.  Third place went to Perry Xin, 16, of Vancouver, BC, who shot 73-37-78=188.

Ilirian Zalli, 13, of Vancouver, BC, cited his tournament highlight as shooting 33 on the back nine at VGC – “putting the cherry on top of this great event” – and shot 77-75-72 (224) to win the MJT Bantam Boys 13-14 title by six shots ahead of his closest rivals who finished in a three-way tie for second place.  William Tindle, of Coquitlam, BC, (81-80-69=230), Michael Crisologo, 14, of Richmond, (72-84-74), and 13-year old Josef Koznek of Marysville, WA, (76-79-75=230) all finished deadlocked at 230.

A close race in the MJT Peewee Boys 12 and under division saw Bailey Bjornson, 12, of Surrey, BC, (84-68-70=222) shoot a brilliant final round of 70 to edge out MJT National Peewee Champion Brycen Ko, 12, of Richmond, (75-78-71=224) by two strokes. “My eagle putt on 13 on VGC was key to my victory,” said Bjornson, “and chipping in for birdie at University Golf Club was a highlight. I feel very satisfied to have won and played well.”  Finishing in third place was 9-year old Ryan Vest of Vernon, BC, (87-79-81=247).

For full tournament details including the list of 18 Long Drive, Closest-to-the-Pin and Comeback Award winners, please visit the MJT website.

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in British Columbia is the MJT Prodigy Series at Morgan Creek Golf Club in Surrey on April 9th and 10th.  For more information or to register, please visit  www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About the MJT:
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour presented by Boston Pizza is Canada¹s number-one played Junior Golf Tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is generously supported by Boston Pizza and Premier Partners Ford of Canada, Cleveland Golf, Srixon, Aquafina and TuGo, in addition to valued Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts more than 60 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 7-12 year olds, and multi-day events for competitive players which also qualify juniors for international competitions. The program offers annual awards, scholarships, and frequent player incentives to help reward player’s performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many Professional Tour players and PGA of Canada Professionals, as well as Canadian Amateur, National and Provincial Junior Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to provincial, national, university and professional level. For more information, please visit www.maplejt.com.
ABOUT Cleveland® Golf, Srixon® and XXIO®:Canada

Cleveland® Golf, Srixon®, and XXIO® are all part of the DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD family and each brand enjoys a strong presence on competitive tours worldwide. Their professional staffs include players such as Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, Inbee Park, as well as many others. Cleveland® Golf, founded in 1979, is a leading equipment manufacturer specializing in short game technologies and solutions that benefit all golfers.  Srixon®, with more than 80 years of golf ball manufacturing experience, is committed to producing the highest quality, technically innovative golf balls which offer maximum performance to golfers of all levels of ability. XXIO®, with their long standing tradition of premium golf clubs in Japan, brings the #1 golf brand in Japan to America. Cleveland® Golf, Srixon®, and XXIO® remain steadfastly committed to providing “Tour proven, premium golf equipment to passionate golfers seeking to improve their performance while enhancing their experience playing the game of golf.” Visit them online at www.clevelandgolf.com, www.srixon.com, and www.xxiousa.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour: Elaine Denton, Director of Marketing and Administration

edenton@maplejt.com 1-877-859-GOLF