Written by Dunc Mills, Executive Director, The McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour

Tour Talk

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

When the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour, Presented by Crowe MacKay, was founded twenty years ago, one of the main goals of the Tour was to help grow the game of golf in Alberta by providing a platform for aspiring young Albertans to start to get their feet wet in the world of tournament golf. As the Tour enters its 21st season this year, I think it is fair to say that the Tour has more than accomplished that goal as tens of thousands of juniors have entered tournaments over the last two decades and many of them are now introducing their own children to our wonderful sport.

One of the most unique and heart- warming ‘grow the game’ initiatives in Alberta golf circles came to light last summer after receiving a phone call from Jim Fraser, the CPGA Head Golf Professional at Eagle Point GC in Wabasca. Eagle Point is a terrific new nine-hole course located about a two- hour drive north of Athabasca and serves the hamlet of Wabasca/Desmarais and the entire Municipal District of Opportunity, Alberta’s third-largest M.D.

Fraser has been the head pro at the tree-lined Puddicombe Golf designed layout since the course opened in August, 2013. Fraser said in his call that he had some very enthusiastic, but inexperienced young juniors. All were from the aboriginal community of Wabasca/Desmarais and had been learning golf over the past couple of summers. He felt they were now ready to expand their horizons by entering a junior golf tournament.

“It has been very interesting and very rewarding working with these boys and girls the past couple of years,” said the personable Fraser, who had previously been the head pro at the Smoky Lake GC for five years. “In 2013 when the course opened, we started out from ground zero. We had a brand new golf course and a fabulous clubhouse, but no members and no juniors.”

Fraser tirelessly went about the task of building a membership base, both by recruiting kids from the school system in the community and introducing adults to golf as well. The club offered very affordable family passes designed to get youth and adults alike interested in taking up golf.

“We have a small, but very dedicated core of volunteers here in the community who were already golfers, and they helped tremendously in both getting these youngsters involved and encouraging adults to learn the game as well,” Fraser said. “It was a steep learning curve for these kids, and for some of the adults,
too. We had to coach them in everything from basic swing mechanics to things like keeping up a proper pace of play, course etiquette and even learning to play from the appropriate tees!”

Once the juniors started to improve, Fraser thought it was time for them to spread their wings, and last August, he and some volunteers accompanied ten budding stars to the McLennan Ross Tour event at Blackhawk GC in Edmonton. Talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool to get your golf careers started!

The kids were nervous of course and needed some help at first with things like how to use a tournament scorecard, which other more experienced juniors perhaps take for granted. But they behaved beautifully, competed hard, and made many new friends among the other competitors. Fraser said the kids and the entire community couldn’t stop talking about the experience afterwards.

“The kids had a great time,” he continued. “It was a fantastic experience for them and a nice reward for all the hard work they have put in learning to play.” This summer, Fraser hopes that the Eagle Point juniors will be competing in several McLennan Ross events over the summer.

We have a full slate of 25 Tour events on the 2016 schedule leading up to the 21st annual Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on August 29, 2016. Our corporate partners in the Tour, led by the law firm of McLennan Ross, our Presenting Sponsor Crowe MacKay, and the rest of our roster of partners, have been critically important to the ongoing success of the Tour. Thanks must also go to the clubs that host Tour events as well as the parents and families who support their kids’ participation. See you on Tour this summer!

Tour Talk

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

NEWS RELEASE

Ethan Choi wins the Bantam Boy’s prize in spectacular fashion, shooting a 12 under, 59

Annabelle Ackroyd’s hard fought round earned her the top spot as the repeat Bantam Girl’s Champion

Okotoks, Alta. (Alberta Golf) – It was a wild event from start to finish. With winds so strong at River’s Edge Golf Club that golf balls were being blown across the greens, there was no choice but to cancel play on day one. The tournament format was converted to an 18 hole championship to be started and finished on Wednesday, August 24. On day two, the young competitors certainly came to play. Notably, Ethan Choi shot a phenomenal 12 under, 59, to win the Bantam Boy’s title, and Annabelle Ackroyd claimed the Bantam Girls title shooting a 4 over, 75.  

Choi credited his success to a great start. “I made two long putts on the first two holes, and that got me going.” A 59 is not an easy score to come by, and Choi achieved this impressive feat by keeping a calm demeanour. “I didn’t think about my score that much, I just talked a lot with the boys,” Choi explained. “It started to get pretty intense on 16, when I made a twenty foot putt.” When asked whether he had realized what kind of a score he was on the verge of shooting, he replied “I did, but I didn’t really think about it, and then it happened.” 

Ackroyd’s day started off a little differently, sending two balls into the water on the front nine and adding a 4 putt. It was her determination however, that lifted her to a great back nine and leading her to victory for the second year in a row. This repeat clearly meant a lot to Ackroyd, she stated, ” I just wanted to repeat last year and win twice in a row, because thats something I’ve been dying to do.”

Belle Brezovski won the Novice Girls Championship and Luke Quanson won the Novice Boys Championship, scoring 29 points and 59 points in the stableford format, respectively.

TOP 10 – BANTAM BOYS LEADER BOARD

For the full leader board, click here.

TOP 10 – BANTAM GIRLS LEADER BOARD

For the full leader board, click here.

For photographs from the championship, click here.

Alberta Golf would like to extend our appreciation to River’s Edge Golf Club for hosting the 2016 Alberta Bantam & Novice Championship.

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.

After a 112 year hiatus, Golf is back in the Olympics. The men’s tournament has already wrapped, so Canadian’s turn their attention to the young phenom hoping to lead Canada to victory, Brooke Henderson.

This July, Henderson was announced as a member of the Canadian Olympic Golf team heading to the games in Rio. The conference was held in Ontario, while Henderson was live streamed via satellite from the Golf Canada Calgary Centre where she was hosting a junior girls golf clinic for other young golf hopefuls. We had the opportunity to attend this fantastic event, please enjoy our video recap.

This year, Edmonton’s CN Future Links Girl’s Club celebrated their 10^th anniversary. Girl’s Club is an initiative to encourage more girls to experience the benefits of golf in a comfortable environment.

The Edmonton Girl’s Club gets together regularly throughout the summer at various golf courses in the city. The girls that participate range from ages 7 to 18, with graduates of the program returning to mentor the girls.

The success of the program would not be possible without the hard work of the organizers and site leaders, who volunteer their time for this great cause. Special recognition goes to Deb Keller (CN Future Links Site Leader), Dawn Stengel (Organizer), Enid Botchett (Assistant Site Leader), Dory Reich (Treasurer), Linda Sharpe (Advisor) and Dani Perl (Recruiter) for starting the Edmonton Girl’s Club from the ground up and watching it grow.

Congratulations, girls!