OAKVILLE, Ont. – Dustin Johnson pulled away from the field after a nearly two-hour rain delay to win the RBC Canadian Open for the first time.

Johnson shot a 6-under 66 to finish the only Canadian stop on the PGA TOUR at 23-under par.

The world No. 1 tied for second in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in 2013 and 2016.

Byeong Hun An (69) and Whee Kim (69) finished as runners up at 20-under in the US$6.2 million event, with Keegan Bradley (64) placing fourth at 19-under.

Mackenzie Hughes (68) of nearby Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth at 15 under overall to claim the Rivermead Cup.

A Canadian has not won the national title since Victoria’s Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.

Johnson entered the day in a four-way tie for the lead with Kim, Hun An and Kevin Tway but had seven birdies and a bogey to pull away from the group.

A nearby lightning storm delayed play for an hour and 45 minutes and shrunk the massive crowd that usually trails Johnson from hole to hole.

Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. It is also shifting forward in the PGA TOUR’s schedule, moving to early June in the week before the U.S. Open.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – One sport involves hurdling off snow-covered jumps as music blares in front of rabid fans. The other is played on manicured grass.

Still, Canadian Olympic snowboarder Mark McMorris sees a lot of similarities between his craft and the golfers he’s been watching this week.

“The littlest adjustments can make the biggest difference,” McMorris said Friday as he took in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open. “If you tuck a little bit too much in snowboarding, you might start spinning or flipping faster. I feel like we might have a little bit more room for error than the golfers.

“Our errors are a little bit more consequential to our well-being, but there can be some big financial errors for these guys.”

Speaking just off the 17th tee at Glen Abbey Golf Club, McMorris knows more than he cares to about consequential errors.

The 24-year-old from Regina was nearly killed in a March 2017 snowboarding accident in British Columbia’s backcountry when he crashed into a tree.

McMorris suffered breaks to his jaw and left arm, a ruptured spleen, a stable pelvic fracture, rib fractures and a collapsed left lung – 17 broken bones in all.

He had to be airlifted off the mountain before spending 10 days in a Vancouver hospital and was on a liquid diet for six weeks.

But McMorris somehow rebounded in time to capture bronze in men’s slopestyle at the Pyeongchang Winter Games for his second Olympic medal.

The echoes of those horrific injuries, however, continue to linger.

“I’m still not normal,” he said of the pain that remains nearly 16 months later. “I have plates in my face, plates in my arm, plates in my leg. My main focus is on mobility because it tightens up on me.

“It’s pretty impressive what the human body can do, given the circumstances.”

McMorris, who is sponsored by RBC, said he chatted with world No. 1 golfer Dustin Johnson and Canada’s Adam Hadwin at the US$6.2-million tournament, just the latest stop on what has already been a whirlwind summer.

He got to ride a horse as marshal of the Calgary Stampede Parade earlier this month and helped give away a car at a recent music festival.

“All these neat opportunities that you’d never think riding a piece of wood down a mountain would bring to me,” said McMorris, who plays about five or six rounds of a golf a summer. “I live a pretty strange life with the weird things I get to do because of snowboarding, but it is nice to be around an event like this and to see all the world’s best coming up to Canada.”

Stuck rehabbing injuries the last two summers, including from the accident that nearly took his life, McMorris is happy to let things come his way when he’s away from the mountain.

That might not have always been the case in the past.

“I don’t think I ever took anything for granted, but I definitely don’t now,” he said. “I wake up every day and go, ‘OK this is way better than when I was almost dead.’ I try to take things at a slower pace now. I don’t need to rush to get back to snowboarding. I really appreciate my time in it, but I love my time off.

“I’m very thankful for the life I lead, and I’m more thankful than I’ve ever been.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. – No. 7 at Glen Abbey Golf Club has become the featured hole at the RBC Canadian Open the past two years. With hockey boards surrounding the tee, goalie masks being used as tee blocks, and officials wearing referees’ stripes, it’s a distinctly Canadian experience.

But with the RBC Canadian Open moving to Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019 and Glen Abbey possibly slated for redevelopment by course owner ClubLink, there were questions about the fate of the so-called Rink.

“The rink is on wheels, the rink’s going to go where we go,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum on Sunday. “The rink’s going to move with us. We’ve already got those officials from that hole, they want to go with it. The players love it.”

In particular, Applebaum loves how fans pound their fists on the boards after players tee off. Although it caused some confusion among players in 2017 when the Rink was first unveiled, they’re now on board with it too.

“Bring the noise, bring the thunder,” said Applebaum from the media centre in the bowels of Glen Abbey’s clubhouse.

Glen Abbey was the first course designed solely by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and was completed in 1976. It’s become the home of Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, which holds its induction ceremony the same week as the Canadian Open, as long as the tournament is being held at Glen Abbey that year.

Applebaum thinks this year’s RBC Canadian Open – which saw a four-way tie atop the leaderboard between world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Whee Kim, Byeong Hun An and Kevin Tway heading into the fourth round – is the perfect sendoff for the storied course.

“Beer sales are up, food sales are up, merchandise sales are up and attendance will be up,” said Applebaum, who predicted that total attendance for the week would be over 80,000. “For me, it’s a win across the board. Spectacular.”

Hamilton will host the 2019 and 2023 events, with Applebaum believing the host for 2020 will be announced within the next two or three months. His intention is to keep the men’s national championship in the Greater Toronto Area, while the CP Women’s Open will continue to move back and forth across the country.

In addition to changing locations, the RBC Canadian Open will occupy a new spot on the PGA TOUR’s calendar beginning in 2019.

Historically, the RBC Canadian Open was held in September, but starting in 2007 it was played in late July, the prime golf season. But starting in 2019 it will be held in early June, the week before the U.S. Open, essentially turning it into a tune-up event for some of the biggest names in golf.

“The guys that have traditionally played our event seem like they will continue, but all the new people that haven’t played in the past, are talking about it,” said Applebaum. “The Phil Mickelsons, the Rory McIlroys, the Rickie Fowlers, it’s great to have that grouping of players who haven’t played it.”

Don’t miss your chance to play in two fantastic events for golfers of any handicap. See the details below and register today!

EVENT: Alberta Ladies Team Classic

LOCATION: Stewart Creek G&CC (Day 1) and Canmore G&CC (Day 2)

DATE: August 7th and 8th

TIME:

Day 1 – Registration at Noon; Shotgun at 2:00 PM
Day 2 – Shotgun at 10:00 AM

FORMAT: Two-person Net Best Ball; Ladies only

ENTRY FEE: $400 per team

INCLUDES: Welcome gift, 36 holes of golf, meals and prizes

Register

EVENT: Alberta Net Amateur Championship

LOCATION: River Bend Golf & Recreation Area

DATE: August 29th and 30th

TIME:

Day 1 – Registration at 12:15 PM; Shotgun at 1:30 PM
Day 2 – Shotgun at 9:00 AM

FORMAT: Net Stableford Scoring; Open to men and women

ENTRY FEE: $200 per player; $240 with a cart

INCLUDES: Welcome gift, 36 holes of golf, meals and prizes

Register

Alberta Golf was pleased to support the 2018 AGSA Challenge Cup as a hole sponsor July 23-24. Thank you to the Superintendents and Professionals at all of the facilities across the province!

At last November’s Alberta Golf Property Managers Conference one of the first questions was what the dates for this year’s Challenge Cup were going to be.

Dennis McKernan, the executive director of the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association (AGSA) and the organizer of both the Property Managers Conference and the Challenge Cup wasn’t surprised.

“Here it was November and they wanted to know when a tournament was going to be played eight months away in July,” McKernan said of the event which has taken place annually since the mid 1980s.

“But it’s just that popular. They look forward to it that much.”

The Challenge Cup, you must understand, is not just another tournament.

Bringing together Alberta golf course general managers, club presidents, head pros and superintendents, the Challenge Cup is one of the most unique tournaments anywhere.

“I don’t know of any other association in Canada that has something like this,” continued McKernan.

“For sure it is the largest gathering of the golf management teams in Alberta. You might get events where the club managers and head pros play together. But to have all four of those groups – the brain trusts of golf clubs that make all the major decisions – come together is very rare.”

The brainchild of the AGSA, McKernan said the Challenge Cup is a great social event but also a venue for business development and professional management development all centered around a couple of rounds of golf.

“They praise this tournament to the skies.”

Apparently so.

“The presidents that preceded me told me it was one of the best things about being a president,” said Lynn Booth, past-president of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club.

“They were right. It was a great experience and very well run. They looked after us great. We pretty much just live in our own little bubble but this event gave all presidents a chance to talk to other presidents which doesn’t happen very often,” said Booth, who will sit on the board of directors this year.

“It also gave us a chance to meet with course superintendents, head pros and general managers – which hardly ever happens – over an extended period of time.

Questions get asked. Answers are given. Ideas are generated. New friends and contacts are found and meshed. Communication is opened.

“It’s a great opportunity to understand what challenges there are at other courses, what their solutions were and how they approach things,” said Booth. “I constantly found myself saying ‘I didn’t know that, or I didn’t know this.’ You get to ask technical questions in a relaxed situation.”

Don McFarlane, Red Deer’s general manager and PGA of Canada Executive Professional, said “We wouldn’t miss it. From my perspective, it’s all positive. There’s not a reason not to go.

“It’s a really good networking deal for us. You can put a face to a name so that if you have an issue you know people and can knock on their doors for information.”

A two-day tournament with net stableford scoring, the Challenge Cup originally rotated primarily between Calgary and Edmonton.

But for golf course personnel who lived in one those cities it wasn’t a chance to get away. And, as more and more clubs came on board it was also impossible for one 18-hole course to hold.

So, seven years ago, they moved it to Windermere Valley where Eagle Ranch and Radium Springs hosted it; five years ago Copper Point became the tournament site where they could play 18 on the fantastic main course and 18 on the decidedly underrated Ridge layout.

Last year they had 42 teams which means 168 golfers. “A nice reasonable number,” said McKernan.

“Nice and close to get to and an away site for everyone,” added McFarlane. “As well as meeting new people, it’s just really good for team building. We drive down together, spend three days together in an informal setting, stay at the same hotel, share breakfasts and dinners and we’re all there to talk about the industry and have a few laughs.”

Trevor Goplin, head pro at the Derrick, another club that has made an annual point of participating, said the Challenge Cup is good for everyone.

“No. 1 it’s great to see other colleagues in-season, have a few laughs and a few chats sharing stories and comparing how things are going at the other courses in Alberta. But it’s especially good for the presidents who, by and large, probably don’t know the lengths the superintendents go through to make this whole thing work: how they deal with problems, how their courses are doing and things like how they put their courses to bed in the fall.”

Keith Blayney, the superintendent at the Edmonton Petroleum Club, couldn’t agree more.

“It’s a good way to get the management club from the various clubs together but I think it’s a real eye opener for the presidents, who probably never get another chance to play with the superintendents. They talk to us about just about everything. From bunkers, to mowing patterns, green speeds, how they trim their course… It all comes up,” said Blayney, who is also chairman of the Challenge Cup committee.

“The pros get quite a few chances to get together when they play in tournaments together. But the managers generally don’t, the presidents don’t and we superintendents don’t. This way we all get to know people from other clubs, quiz them about their operations and what issues they are dealing with. We’re all in the same boat – trying to provide a product for the members or guests or if it’s a public course the general public.”

“In the current economic environment, one of the biggest issues is costs,” said Blayney. “It’s all about keeping expenses under control and maintaining the conditions that the golfers are expecting.”

Also often discussed are issues like green speeds, water, aeration, the use of pesticides and air flow.

“Everybody cuts grass, fertilizes and waters their greens. We mostly do the basic things the same. But there are so many other issues that are part of the package of keeping the clientele happy and everybody wants to know what everybody else is doing to achieve that.”

As well as being a team building and brainstorming event, the Challenge Cup comes by its name aptly because every club goes looking for other clubs to challenge.

“I remember one year someone came up to me and told me they had made 41 challenges,” said McKernan.

“I said ‘Geez, you’ve challenged just about every team,’ and the guy responded ‘Yeah, we still have to find three other teams.’

“They wanted to challenge everybody and in the end they did just that. It’s all part of what makes this such a fun event.”

The Challenge Cup

This article was originally published in the 2018 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club will welcome the nation’s premier young golfers for the 2018 Canadian Junior Boy Championship. The 80th playing of the tournament will take place between July 30-Aug. 2 and will consist of 156 junior golfers, including all five members of Team Canada’s Development Squad.

Founded in 1913, Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club is a par-72 championship golf course located on the cliffs of the South Saskatchewan River.

“Our tremendous staff has worked very hard and the course is in fantastic shape. The community of Medicine Hat is extremely excited to host an event of this calibre,” said Cam Jacques, General Manager at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club. “We look forward to hosting this strong field through what is sure to be a great week of golf.”

The Canadian Junior Boys Championship has served as a significant milestone in a number of professional and amateur careers. Before playing on the PGA TOUR, Abbotsford, B.C., native Nick Taylor captured the 2006 Canadian Junior Boys title. Other champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowan and Doug Roxburgh.

“Golf Canada is pleased to head to Medicine Hat to hold our annual Canadian Junior Boys Championship,” said Tournament Director Adam Cinel. “We have received a very warm welcome here and truly appreciate the support and commitment of the staff, volunteers and community. Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club will be a great platform to showcase the talents of Canada’s best junior golfers.”

In 2017, Calvin Ross became the first New Brunswick golfer to win the Canadian Junior Boys Championship after the Fredericton native set an amateur course-record 62 during the third round, eventually securing a seven-stroke victory. Team Canada’s Christopher Vandette won the under-16 Juvenile title.

In order to be eligible to participate in the championship, all entrants must be under 19 years of age as of August 1^st, 2018. This year’s field will consist of the defending Canadian Juvenile Junior Champion, Team Canada Development Squad members, the current Junior Club Champion, the top six finishers in all Future Links, driven by Acura regional championships and those players earning a spot through their respective provincial championship.

NOTABLES
Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que.
The 16-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member finished third at the event last year, the highest of any returning player. Vandette, who was ranked No.1 on the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit, is coming into the tournament with two top-ten finishes, including a solo second at the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship. 

Cam Kellett of London, Ont.
The 18-year-old, who will be competing in his first ever Canadian Junior Boys Championship, is currently ranked No.1 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit. Kellett finished in the top-10 in six of the seven events he has competed in this year so far, including a win at Golf Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship and second place finishes at Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship and Golf Ontario Investors Group Junior Spring Classic.

Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont.
The 18-year-old member of Team Ontario is currently ranked No.3 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit and is coming into the tournament with a win at Golf Ontario Investors Group Junior Spring Classic and four top-ten finishes.

Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.
The 16-year-old is currently ranked No.4 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit and finished T5 at this event last year. Choi has four top-five finishes in 2018 so far, including a win at PGA of Alberta Junior Masters.

Nolan Thoroughgood of Victoria, B.C.
The 17-year-old rookie member of the Team Canada Development Squad finished in fourth at the event last year T3 at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship at Bear Mountain Resort – Valley Course in May and has finished in the top-ten in nine out of the 10 tournaments he competed in during 2017.

FAST FACTS

• The first championship was held in 1938, which was won by James Hogan.
• Current Canadian Golf Hall of Famers who won the championship include: Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowan and Doug Roxburgh.
• In 1970, the 16-and-under Juvenile Championship was added to the Championship, which runs concurrently with the competition, with the winner receiving the Jack Bailey Trophy.
• Nine golfers have won both the Juvenile and Junior titles: Jim Rutledge, Jeff Makahon, Rob McMillan, Jesse Collinson, Dustin Risdon, Gord Scutt, Rafael Lee, Mitch Sutton and Charles-Eric Belanger.
• There is a Junior Inter-Provincial Team championship that is held in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the tournament, which has been held since 1959.
• The Junior champion earns an exemption into the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
• 2017 Junior Champion: Calvin Ross.
• 2017 Juvenile Champion: Christopher Vandette.
• 2017 Inter-Provincial champion: Alberta
• Current PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor captured the title in 2006.
• London, Ont., product Mitch Sutton was the last player to win the event in back-to-back years in 2008 and 2009.
• More information on the event including tee times can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

• Established in 1913.
• Course was redesigned during 1984-1986
• The 9^th & 10^th holes were just recently redesigned and rebuilt during the fall of 2017. These two greens will open for play in May of 2018.
• Hosted the Alberta Ladies Amateur, Alberta Men’s Amateur and 2016 CN Future Links Western Championship
• Assistant Professional Jesse Florkowski is the reigning 3-time One Arm World Champion Golfer
• Course tournament record: 65 by Kelly Risling in 2016
• More information can be found here.

OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA – The PGA TOUR announced that Facebook has been added to an already impressive viewing schedule for fans within Canada to watch the RBC Canadian Open July 26-29 at Glenn Abbey Golf Club. Facebook will join Golf Channel, PGA TOUR LIVE, Twitter, Global TV, TSN, RDS (French only) and DAZN to offer a tournament record 235 hours of live coverage available on virtually any device, radio or television in Canada.

“Fans are consuming golf across more platforms than ever,” said Bill Paul, Golf Canada’s Chief Championships Officer. “We’re excited to be taking advantage of new and innovative technologies to help bring the RBC Canadian Open to additional viewers and encapsulate an exciting new, young demographic.”

Facebook will distribute exclusive live coverage of featured groups on Saturday and Sunday morning of the RBC Canadian Open in the U.S. and Canada on a free basis. To access, users can follow the PGA TOUR LIVE Page at www.facebook.com/pgatourlive. The PGA TOUR will uniquely produce this coverage for Facebook’s social video platform, with interactive elements aimed to engage fans.

While PGA TOUR Canadian broadcast partners TSN, RDS, Global TV and Golf Channel will deliver extensive RBC Canadian Open action to television sets across Canada, they will each stream coverage that can be accessed via Golf Channel Live (www.golfchannel.com/livegolf), TSN Go (www.tsn.ca/live), RDS Direct (www.rds.ca/emissions/en-direct) and Global TV (www.globaltv.com/watchlive)

PGA TOUR LIVE, the PGA TOUR’s global, Over-The-Top subscription service is available iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones and tablets, Windows 10, Xbox, as well as PGATOURLIVE.com. PGA TOUR LIVE Featured Groups coverage of the RBC Canadian Open will begin at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday and Friday and will feature Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Canadian star Adam Hadwin. PGA TOUR LIVE Featured Groups coverage is available for $5.99 per month or $39.99 for a year. The PGA TOUR LIVE Featured Groups on Thursday and Friday can also be accessed via the DAZN Over-The-Top sports subscription service at www.DAZN.ca.

Finally, Twitter’s preview window of PGA TOUR LIVE will be available globally to its audience and can be found at www.live.twitter.com/pgatourlive and via @PGATOUR.  The Twitter preview window of PGA TOUR LIVE will begin at 7am ET on both Thursday and Friday, concluding after the Featured Groups finish their second hole.

RBC Canadian Open Coverage Schedule (all times ET):

Thursday, July 26
7-8:30 a.m.                            Preview – Featured Groups             Twitter
7 a.m. – 3 p.m.                       Featured Groups                               PGA TOUR LIVE, TSN and DAZN
3-6 p.m.                                  Featured Holes                                 PGA TOUR LIVE
3-6 p.m.                                  Broadcast                                           TSN, RDS and Golf Channel

Friday, July 27
7-8:30   a.m.                          Preview – Featured Groups             Twitter
7 a.m. – 3 p.m.                       Featured Groups                               PGA TOUR LIVE, TSN and DAZN
3-6 p.m.                                  Featured Holes                                  PGA TOUR LIVE
3-6 p.m.                                  Broadcast                                           TSN, RDS and Golf Channel

Saturday, July 28
8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.              Featured Groups                                   Facebook (U.S. and Canada)
1-6 p.m.                                 Featured Holes                                    Facebook and PGA TOUR LIVE
1-2:45 p.m.                           Broadcast                                               Golf Channel
3-6:00 p.m.                           Broadcast                                              Global TV and RDS

Sunday, July 29
8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.              Featured Groups                                   Facebook (U.S. and Canada)
1-6 p.m.                                 Featured Holes                                     Facebook and PGA TOUR LIVE
1-2:45 p.m.                           Broadcast                                               Golf Channel
3-6:00 p.m.                          Broadcast                                               Global TV and RDS

Fans can also listen to the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio channel on SiriusXM radios (Sirius channel 208, XM channel 92). For more information, visit www.SiriusXM.com/SiriusXMPGATOURRadio.

Barbara Flaman entered the final round with a two stroke lead over a decorated champion in Jackie Little.

The 56-year-old from Sherwood Park looked to be on cruise control early on by making all pars and a single birdie through the first seven holes.

That consistent play ended when she got in trouble on the par four eighth. She struggled to a quadruple-bogey.

At the turn, Flaman and Little were all knotted up at four over par for the championship.

Flaman, a member at Windermere G&CC, bounced back strongly with birdies on ten and eleven, followed by a string of pars.

She bogeyed 16 and 17 with Little knocking right on the door.

Flaman executed perfectly on the closing hole making a clutch par four to win by a single stroke over Little.

Earlier this summer, Flaman won the the Mid Master contest at the 2018 Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship. She also won the 2018 Edmonton Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur.

During the awards presentation Flaman credited her mentor, an eight-time Alberta Senior Ladies Champion, Diane Williams for providing sage advice that helped calm her nerves during the final round.

Alison Murdoch of the Victoria GC successfully defended her Super Senior title for those aged 65 & over.

Susan Plum of Springbank Links won the championships overall low net contest.

Team Alberta at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ontario – August 28-30th is Barbara Flaman, Kim Carrington (Cottonwood G&CC) and Gail Barros (Edmonton Petroleum G&CC).

Final Results Leaderboard

Super Senior Results

Special thanks to the Woodside Golf Course, their membership, staff and volunteers for hosting the 2018 edition of the Alberta Senior Ladies.

Barbara Flaman will enter the final day of competition looking to etch her name on the Alberta Senior Ladies trophy for the first time. After an even par round two, she holds a 2 shot lead over Jackie Little (shown above). Flaman and Little find themselves in the final group along with last year’s champion Kim Carrington.

A day that promised rain in the forecast, was met only with overcast skies and a gentle mist. With sunshine scheduled for tomorrow, the ladies will have one less thing to worry about.

The Super Senior leaderboard has become a little more crowded at the top, as Lynda Palahniuk has closed the gap to one stroke after tying the tournament low round of 71 (E). Palahniuk and fellow B.C. native Alison Murdoch will be going head to head in the second last group of the day.

The field of 53 will play their final round of the tournament starting at 7:30 a.m., with the day two overall leaders beginning their rounds at 10:20 a.m.

Leaderboard