Max Sekulic defends Alberta Match Play Title
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – A long day of Match Play competition at Jagare Ridge Golf Club in Edmonton saw Max Sekulic defend his Match Play Title. The Grande Prairie raised product now living in Calgary had a tough match in the semi-finals against U19 Champion Hunter Thomson of Calgary but eventually won 3 and 2.
Max Sekulic (L) and Hunter Thomson (R)
The other semi-final saw Tommy McKenzie of Calgary beat Red Deer’s Chandler McDowell with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Tommy McKenzie (L) and Chandler McDowell (R)
Sekulic had a hot start in the finals against McKenzie with birdies on the first two holes and a 4UP lead after 9. But McKenzie who plays out of Priddis Greens hung tough on the back nine and after winning the 14th, 15th and 17th holes he was only 1 Down heading to 18. McKenzie hit his tee shot right on 18 and after a short lightning delay could not find the ball and led to a double bogey. Max Sekulic, who plays out of The Glencoe Club in calgary, defends his Alberta Match Play Title with a 2UP victory.
VIDEO RECAP AND INTERVIEWS HERE
Golf Canada partners with First Tee to establish First Tee – Canada
OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada and First Tee announced today a new partnership to launch First Tee – Canada. First Tee’s Board Chairman, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, shared the news during a global announcement that Presidents Cup will return to Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2024.
Together, the partnership will bring First Tee’s youth development emphasis to strengthen Golf Canada’s junior golf activities – previously conducted under the Future Links brand – that reach kids in schools and at golf facilities. The innovative First Tee curriculum will focus on empowering young people to build their strength of character through the game of golf. Golf Canada will serve as the national headquarters of First Tee – Canada.
“Partnering with First Tee towards the 2021 launch of First Tee – Canada will provide Canadian youth and especially those in underrepresented groups access to affordable and meaningful character education programs through golf,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada have developed a strong foundation for junior golf programming over the past twenty plus years through Future Links. We are excited going forward to partner with the globally recognized First Tee brand and work collaboratively with the Golf Canada Foundation to strengthen our youth development activities.”
“Golf Canada has made a significant impact on the growth of the sport in Canada through their multi-faceted junior golf initiatives and was a natural fit for us to partner with the launch of First Tee – Canada,” said Greg McLaughlin, CEO, First Tee. “Together, we will bring the First Tee youth development program nationwide and build on Golf Canada’s impressive grassroots success with programming that reaches kids via nearly 600 golf facilities and 4,100 participating schools.”
The PGA of Canada will play a leading role in the training of coaches who will serve as mentors to the kids and teens in the program. Coaches will help bring the curriculum to life by introducing youth to fun and active experiences that help them build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that can carry to everything they do.
“We are proud that PGA of Canada professionals will play an important role in utilizing golf to teach First Tee core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, judgement and courtesy,” said Kevin Thistle, CEO of PGA of Canada. “We look forward to supporting the development of youth and junior golfers through the coaching and mentorship of PGA of Canada professionals in alignment with the National Coaching Certification Program.”
First Tee – Canada will target to launch multiple chapters in 2021 with a growth strategy to establish First Tee chapters in markets across Canada through 2023. The inaugural First Tee – Canada chapter launching in 2021 will be located in Victoria, British Columbia at the Bear Mountain Golf & Tennis Resort Community which is also home to Golf Canada’s National Training Centre. This was made possible by the support of the Matthews and Kusumoto families. Dan Matthews is a global Trustee and a member of the Board of Governors of the First Tee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Golf Canada Foundation. A First Tee chapter in Quebec will also be launched shortly thereafter, continuing the incredible legacy of past Presidents Cups. With support from the Presidents Cup, First Tee has successfully launched global chapters in Australia (2019) and Korea (2015).
Through its deep network of donors and trustees, Golf Canada Foundation will be a critical partner in supporting the launch and advancement of First Tee – Canada through its fundraising and philanthropic efforts. Canada’s Provincial Golf Associations will also play a role in the advancement of First Tee – Canada as chapters begin to form in markets across Canada. In addition, Golf Canada will continue to work with the NGCOA Canada (National Golf Course Owner’s Association) and other key industry stakeholders towards a more inclusive golf experience for Canadian youth.
Since its inception in 1997, First Tee has impacted more than 15 million young people through its character-building programs on golf courses, in schools and at youth-serving locations.
The First Tee network has grown to over 150 chapters and more than 1,200 program locations across the United States as well as six international chapters—Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco and Canada—delivering programs that help young people build character and develop life skills through the game of golf. A First Tee chapter out of Vancouver is operating independently out of Vancouver, and previously out of Montreal, prior to the launch of First Tee – Canada.
To learn more about First Tee, visit thefirsttee.org.
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Semi-Finals set at Alberta Match Play Championship
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – A sunny day in Edmonton saw 16 Match-Play competitors narrowed down to 4 on the tough Jagare Ridge Golf Club in South West Edmonton.
Defending champion Max Sekulic held off teenager Alex Gerrard from Red Deer 1 UP.
Sekulic will face 2020 U19 Champion Hunter Thomson of Calgary in the semi-finals who defeated Will Holan from Blackhawk in Edmonton 3 & 2.
On the bottom side of the bracket, Tommy McKenzie held off Brandon Markiw, the 2 Calgarians battled to the 18th hole with Mckenzie winning 1 UP.
McKenzie will take on Chandler McDowell of Red Deer who defeated Ethan de Graaf of Edmonton 3 & 1.
Hunter Thomson wins Match Play Qualifier. Round of 16 matches set.
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – Alberta U19 Champion and Alberta Mens Amateur runner-up Hunter Thomson from Calgary won Sunday’s Match Play Qualifier at Jagare Ridge Golf Club in Edmonton shooting a 4-under 67. 32 players competed in stroke play to determine the round of 16 Match Play competitors starting Monday morning at Jagare Ridge Golf Club.
Here are the Round of 16 match-ups.
Monday will see the round of 16 and Quarter-Finals played with the Semi-Finals and Finals going Tuesday.
Grant Oh captures first Alberta Senior Mens Title
Alberta Golf (Olds) – The final round of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship from Olds Golf Club started in the rain but finished in glorious sunshine especially for Grant Oh of Calgary. The Silver Springs golfer started the day with a 2-shot lead over James Varnam of Edmonton. Varnam birdied 5 holes in a row to close out the front nine and tie Oh at 4-under par heading to the back nine. When Varnam drained a 50-footer on 15 he briefly tied Oh again ay 5-Under par but minutes later Oh made birdie as well on 15 and never looked back. Grant Oh birdied 17 and 18 to shoot 32 on the back nine, 68 on the day and a 3 shot victory over Varnam for his first ever Alberta Senior Mens Championship victory.
“My first time winning this event, it feels awesome,” Oh admitted. “I wanted to come today and have a good solid round and not feel like I gave it away, and I accomplished that so it feels really good.”
2020 Alberta Senior Mens Champion Grant Oh
WATCH VIDEO RECAP OF FINAL ROUND ACTION AND INTERVIEW WITH GRANT OH
Frank Van Dornick of Camrose finished third, won the Super Senior Championship and made Team Alberta that also includes Grant Oh and Brian Laubman of Edmonton.
Grant Oh leads Alberta Mens Senior Championship heading to final round
Alberta Golf (Olds) – Calgary golfer Grant Oh had a special back nine going during the second round of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship from Olds Golf Club. The Silver Springs product was 4-under par on the back nine as he hit his approach shot from under a hundred yards on the fast greens at Olds Golf Club, the approach slipped off the back of the green, a chip on and 3 putts later Oh signed for a 69 after a double bogey at the last. But Oh was is good spirits after the round with a 2 shot lead heading to Friday’s final round and a chance to win the title.
Grant Oh’s scorecard that included 6 birdies
WATCH 1 on 1 with leader Grant Oh
Ist round leader James Varnam shot a 1-over 73 and sits 2 shots off the lead. Varnam is from New Zealand and has traveled the world playing golf all of his life and runs a golf travel business. Varnam’s wife is Canadian so he’s been in Covid Quarantine in Alberta this summer playing Alberta Golf Championships. Watch this video on his life story from street kid in New Zealand to playing professional golf to his life now as an amateur dividing his time between New Zealand, Mexico and Canada.
Golf Canada tees up new all-in-one Golf App with innovative enhancements
The new Golf Canada app sets the stage for a greatly enhanced digital experience
Canada’s largest golf community is about to become more connected with the launch of the new Golf Canada app.
The user-friendly app launched August 5 is now available to all golfers nationwide to record and track their scores, trace where they have played and provide detailed game statistics as a game improvement tool. The app is free to download and can be used by golfers at any level of skill.
“The app is designed to connect individual golfers and their friends with the more than the 1,400-member golf courses we have in Canada,” says Vanessa Morbi, Senior Director of Marketing at Golf Canada. “Among the many exciting features, golfers will be able to follow their favourite golf courses to stay connected and up to date. The app will also provide additional value to our member clubs as a platform to engage with golfers.”
All golfers will be able to enter their scores on the app as they play hole-by-hole or at the end of a round. They can track a variety of stats including driving accuracy, greens in regulation, putting strokes, sand saves and up & downs. Golfers will also be able to add friends, follow their favourite courses and track their scores throughout the round. As the app rolls out this summer, additional features will be added to enhance the user experience for Golf Canada members.
“We are proud to launch the new Golf Canada app with an enhanced user experience that anyone who plays golf in Canada can enjoy,” says Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Senior Director of Golf Services. “It has been developed with a fresh look and feel to allow app users to better understand their individual game and connect with other golfers and their favourite clubs across the country.”
With heath and safety being top of mind during COVID-19, the digital scorecard on your Smartphone replaces the need for a traditional scorecard and pencil. It may be a way of the future as many clubs across Canada have limited printed scorecard usage this year to reduce physical touchpoints at golf courses during the pandemic.
While enhancing the current benefits of being a Golf Canada member is a key component of the app, it has also been designed with the non-member, public player in mind to increase their engagement with the sport.
Golf Canada members will be able to enjoy a unique package of additional features that will be part of a three-stage rollout throughout the summer including, golf games like Wolf or Skins, as well as real-time Course GPS and Shot Tracer technology.
“What I think sets the new Golf Canada app apart from anything else in the marketplace is our ability to combine scoring, stats, Course GPS, Shot Tracer, and golf games, in one app. You won’t find that anywhere else in the world, so it truly is leading edge digital technology,” added Morbi.
Canada’s go-to golf app has been in development since the fall of 2019. It is a key component of Golf Canada’s digital marketing strategy designed to draw more people to the sport, improve the in-game experience and increase membership. It has also been developed in consultation with the provincial golf associations across Canada to ensure a grassroots connection.
The Golf Canada app has been designed in partnership with Mirego, a Quebec City-based company that is an expert in the app development space. It replaces the original Golf Canada app, a member-only app that featured handicapping and scoring as its primary function. Member profiles and previous scoring is being transferred to the new app, so there will be no loss of information for long-time members.
“Apps are commonplace today—all of us have our favourite apps and the majority of golfers bring a Smartphone to the golf course,” Morbi says. “We’re hoping golfers will fall in love with all of the great features of the new app and have a lot of fun with it. It will give us an opportunity to connect with more golfers and create a deeper connection to the sport they love.”
The app is available for download for both IOS and Android operating systems from both the App Store and Google Play at no cost.
An annual Golf Canada membership sells for $49.95. The benefits of being a Golf Canada member include handicapping, incident protection, personalized equipment labels, discounts on tickets for the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open savings from partners like Avis, Hilton and RBC, and some of the soon to be released features on the new app.
Golf Canada member features
Golf Canada members will enjoy a suite of additional features in the app as part of a three-stage rollout throughout the summer including golf games like Wolf or Skins, real-time course GPS and Shot Tracer technology.
James Varnam shoots 69 to lead Senior Mens Championship in Olds
Alberta Golf (Olds) – Gorgeous day at Olds Golf Club in Central Alberta for the first round of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship. James Varnam shot a first round 69 including 5 birdies to hold the first round lead.
Varnam, originally from New Zealand, would usually be traveling the world golfing this time of year but due to Covid travel restrictions he’s been living in Edmonton with his Canadian wife and competing in all the Alberta Golf Championships with players half his age. Now he has the lead after round one in the Championship he really wants to hold the trophy in come Friday evening.
WATCH: 1 on 1 with James Varnam
Players coming off 18 today couldn’t stop talking about how great the course conditions were especially the greens.
WATCH 1 on 1 with Director of Golf at Olds Golf Club, Wade Bearchell
On Thursday we will have a full feature on James Varnam, from growing up as a street kid in New Zealand to competing against Arnold Palmer and Seve Ballesteros and finally living in Canada and traveling the world golfing.
Alberta Golf partners with belairdirect
Alberta Golf (Calgary) – Alberta Golf and belairdirect have teamed up to provide Alberta Golf Members and their families living in the province with a special discount on insurance.
Preview: Alberta Senior Mens Championship
Alberta Golf (Olds) – 
The 2020 Alberta Senior Mens Championship is set to begin Tuesday with a field of 116 players competing for the provincial senior crown. The 54-hole stroke play tournament field is made up of competitors who are over the age of 55. This is the 7th Alberta Golf Provincial Championship this summer and so far all have been succesful at social distancing and competing under thoughtful AHS Covid-19 protocols.
SENIOR MENS COVID-19 PROTOCOLS HERE
KEY INFO
Dates: August 5-7, 2020
Course: Olds Golf Club
Maximum Yardage/Par: 6,354 yards/72
Field: 116
2019 Champion: Ken Griffith
2019 Super Senior Champion: Frank Van Dornick
Format: 54 holes of stroke play
Social: #absrmens
LOOKING BACK
The final hour of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship at The Derrick in Edmonton had the type of drama fitting for a provincial title. Edmonton’s Brian Laubman birdied the 16th hole and drained another birdie putt on 17 to tie Red Deer’s Ken Griffith heading to the final hole at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club. Both Laubman and Griffith had makable birdie putts on 18, Laubman missed his attempt setting the stage for Griffith who drained the winning putt to take his first Alberta Senior Mens title.
“I was still expecting Brian to make his putt on 18, that’s what you have to do.” said Griffith ” I just said gotta do it and rolled it in. I loved it, it’s a real honour to compete with so many good friends I have and I feel very fortunate to come out as the winner.”
HISTORY
The Alberta Senior Mens Championship was first contested in 1946.
2010 – Tom Skinner
2011 – Jim Russell
2012 – Frank Van Dornick
2013 – Floyd Kilgore
2014 – Frank Van Dornick
2015 – Floyd Kilgore
2016 – David Schultz
2017 – Frank Van Dornick
2018 – John Festival
2019 – Ken Griffith
NOTABLES
- Ken Griffith – 2019 Champion
- John Festival – 2018 Champion
- David Schultz – 2016 Champion
- Frank Van Dornick – Four time champion (2009, 2012, 2014 and 2017)
- Brian Laubman – 2017 & 2019 Runner-up
- Peter Major – 1989 Canadian Mens Amateur Champion
- Floyd Kilgore – Two time champion (2013 and 2015)
FAST FACTS
- There are multiple contests up for grabs this week including The Senior Championship for those aged 55 & over and the Super Senior for those aged 65 & over.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Information on the Olds Golf Club can be found here.
MEDIA