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.

Written by Glenn Campbell

Women and The Wolf

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

The fine people of Ponoka are hoping that the wind howls and “The Wolf” bares its teeth in late August. Wolf Creek Golf Resort will be the site of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship from August 24-26.

Mary Beth McKenna, manager of rules and competitions at Golf Canada, claims that Wolf Creek is the perfect site for this tournament.

“Wolf Creek has hosted numerous Alberta Golf and Golf Canada championships in the past and director of golf Ryan Vold has always been a great supporter of amateur golf,” McKenna said. “The course is one of the best in the province and will provide an excellent test for all the competitors.”

Kim Carrington won the 2015 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Ladies Championship at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club and she’s excited that Wolf Creek is hosting this year’s national championship. You see, the Carrington name is pretty well known at Wolf Creek.

“My dad, Bill Carrington, is a 50-year lifetime member of the PGA of Canada and was actually a golf professional at Wolf Creek for six years in the late 1990s,” Carrington proudly stated. “I was fortunate enough to play the course many times.”

Competitors will play Wolf Creek’s Old Course in the championship. There will be three competitions underway simultaneously: the Mid-Amateur for women aged 25 and over, the Mid-Master for those 40 and up, and the Senior Championship for women aged 50 and over as of the first day of the tournament.

Favourites in the senior division will likely include some of the past champions such as Terrill Samuel, Mary Ann Hayward, Jackie Little, Helene Chartrand and Alison Murdoch. Christina Proteau will be a strong contender in the Mid-Amateur division, having previously captured five national titles in that category.

“Both Hayward and Murdoch are members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and both have numerous championships on their resumes,” said McKenna.

You can also throw Carrington’s name into that list of contenders, as she finished in eighth place at the 2015 Canadian Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. With this year’s event being held in Alberta – and with her knowledge of the course – Carrington may just have an advantage. Kim isn’t so sure about that.

“It’s been long time since I played Wolf Creek,” Carrington noted. “I’m in golf sales and Ryan Vold is a great customer, so maybe I’ll have to make a few more calls to the course! I hope to play it as much as I can before the championship.”

Carrington says it’s a fantastic golf course and it should attract all of the best players. “Wolf Creek has proven itself to be an outstanding venue for men’s events. Hosting a Canadian [Women’s Mid Am and] Senior Championship will be fantastic for not only the players, but also for Wolf Creek. It will provide great exposure for women’s golf.”

Carrington has been competing in national golf events for over 30 years and has a Canadian Mid-Amateur title and two provincial Mid-Masters Championships to show for it. She says winning the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship would be icing on the cake. “To add a national senior title in my own province would make it that much more special.”

Carrington’s 2015 win at The Glencoe GCC gives her a ton of confidence heading into this season. “I played with Jackie Little of Vernon, BC in the last group last summer at The Glencoe. Jackie has been a great friend for years,” Carrington said.

Maybe the pair will find themselves in the final group on a bigger stage at Wolf Creek.

Women and The Wolf

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

CP Women’s Open Returns to Priddis Greens

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

The CP Women’s Open is returning to Alberta this summer for the fifth time in the last decade. Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary will host 156 of the best women professional golfers in the world from August 22-28th in what is always one of best-attended and most prestigious events on the LPGA Tour schedule. Priddis Greens has hosted Golf Canada’s flagship women’s tournament twice previously, in 1999 and 2009, and the club is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase their spectacular course again this summer.

Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson will be one of the favorites at the 72-hole event, which will be the first tournament on the LPGA Tour immediately after the women’s golf competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Will Brooke have a gold medal around her neck when she steps off the plane in Calgary?

Defending champion and world #1-ranked player Lydia Ko of New Zealand will also be in the field at Priddis Greens. Top stars of the LPGA Tour from around the world such as Ha Na Jang, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson as well as Canada’s Alena Sharp and Lorie Kane are all expected to be in Calgary to compete for the winner’s share of the $2.25M USD purse.

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is the official charity beneficiary of the 2016 CP Women’s Open. All funds raised through the tournament will support pediatric cardiac care and research at the hospital.

CP Women’s Open Returns to Priddis Greens

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

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.

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.

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.