MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – After starting the day in a four-way tie for the lead, Brady McKinlay posted a 71 during the second round to move into solo-first at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club on Tuesday.

The Lacombe, Alta., talent carded an even-par 71, recovering from a double bogey on the back-nine with an impressive eagle fired on the 18th hole.

London’s Cam Kellett was one of four players to earn a low-round 69. The 18-year-old started the day strong with three birdies on the front-nine, recording only one bogey on his final hole to share a piece of second alongside yesterday’s co-leader Bennett Ruby of Waterloo, Ont.

Five golfers ­ — Olivier Ménard (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.), Cole Wilson (Kelowna, B.C.), William Duquette (Laval, Que.), Ryan McMillan (Winnipeg, Man.)  and Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.)— sit in fourth at even-par.

For the third consecutive year, McDowell led the way for Team Alberta to win the inter-provincial championship, tying for a low score of the day 2-under-par 69. McDowell and his team members Ty Steinbring and Korbin Allan shot a combined 2 under on Tuesday to pass Team Ontario by one stroke. Team British Columbia finished in third at 7 over.

In the juvenile division, 15-year-old Gerry Mei from North York, Ont., claimed top spot on the leaderboard after he recorded a 1-over-par 72. Team Canada Development Squad’s Christopher Vandette is tied for second alongside Toronto’s Luca Ferrara, one stroke behind at 2 over.

The cut was set at 8 over par and 72 golfers will advance to the final two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday.

In addition to the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows and Pheasant Glen from Aug. 6-9.

For full results click here.

CALGARY – While iconic golfer Phil Mickelson is currently having a stellar season, making birdies isn’t the only thing on his mind: Mickelson is also heavily involved in creating a championship golf course of his own in Calgary, Alta.

Phil Mickelson Design has teamed up with Windmill Golf Group to build a remarkable golf course: Mickelson National Golf Club. The new course is located just west of Calgary at Harmony, a roughly 1800-acre real estate development by Qualico Communities and Bordeaux Developments.

Seeding at Mickelson National Golf Club began in August 2017 and the course’s construction will be completed by the end of August this year. After construction is complete, the course will mature for a period-of-time, so it can be in world class condition when it opens. Some of the first holes, however, are nearly ready to play.

Barry Ehlert, President of Mickelson National Golf Club and Managing Partner, commented, “The community of Harmony is outstanding, and the golf course is looking fantastic. People ask all the time when it will open. Our opening-date goal remains the same as it has always been: to open the course for some golf in 2019 with an official grand opening in 2020. Additionally, construction on the clubhouse will begin in 2019. There’s a lot of progress and work ongoing.”

Because the Mickelson National Golf Club will be a completely private club, many people will have limited opportunities to actually play the course. To allow more people the chance to get out on this unique course, Ehlert and his team have decided to open four holes to anyone who tours this one-of-a-kind course between August 1 and September 19. People can visit tourandplaymickelsonnational.com to register. Then in September they’ll get to play it with the chance to win some great prizes too.

Ehlert continues, “Because of the overwhelmingly-positive responses of people touring the golf course to-date, we have decided to do something that I don’t believe a private course of this magnitude has ever done before: give the public the chance to play a few holes of the course well before the grand opening.”

The opportunity to participate in this exclusive event is limited and is a unique chance for golf enthusiasts to sample this amazing course before opens.

TURNER VALLEY– The 2018 Alberta Senior Mens Championship is set to begin Wednesday with one hundred and twenty 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 as of the first day of the Canadian Senior Mens Championship.

John Burns, Alberta Golf’s Field Manager of Membership & Competitions is this week’s Tournament Director for the Alberta Senior. Burns says that “competitors can look forward to a championship course in fantastic condition. Turner Valley will welcome Alberta’s best seniors from across the province and we are confident that the course will provide a strong test of playing ability.”

KEY INFO

Dates: August 1-3, 2018

Course: Turner Valley Golf Club

Maximum Yardage/Par: 6,794 yards/72

Field: 120

2017 Champion: Frank Van Dornick

2017 Super Senior Champion: Frank Van Dornick

Format: 54 holes of stroke play

Social: #absrmens

LOOKING BACK

With a heat warning in effect and temperatures hovering in the mid-30 degrees at the Henderson Lake GC, the final round of the 2017 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Men’s Championship needed two extra holes to name a champion. Frank Van Dornick of the Camrose GC outlasted Brian Laubman and Ken Griffith over the course of two playoff holes to capture his fourth Alberta senior crown.

Frank Van Dornick captured his 4th ???? #ABSrMens crown in a playoff over friend & senior-rookie Laubman❗️

?: https://t.co/RYlGVH2JQR pic.twitter.com/qp5DnAgUy3

— Alberta Golf (@Alberta_Golf) July 28, 2017

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

Past Champions

NOTABLES

• David Schultz – 2016 champion
• Frank Van Dornick – Four time champion (2009, 2012, 2014 and 2017)
• Brian Laubman – 2017 Runner-up
• Jim Russell – 2011 champion; Ten time Bearspaw Club Champion
• Floyd Kilgore – Two time champion (2013 and 2015)

FAST FACTS

• There are multiple contests up for grabs this week. The Senior Championship for those aged 55 & over, the Super Senior for those aged 65 & over and an overall contests for age groups (55-59, 60-64 and 65+)
• The top three competitors at weeks end will make up Team Alberta at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, New Brunswick, September 4-7th.
• Alberta has 23 senior quota position available for the national championship along with 2 super senior quota positions.

ABOUT THE COURSE

The Turner Valley Golf Club dates back to 1930, when it was created by the employees of Royalite Oil, the company that was responsible for the development of local oil reserves. Originally a 9-hole course with sand greens, the Turner Valley Golf Club now boasts an 18-hole layout that spans between 4227 and 6856 yards, depending on which of the 6 tee options you choose to fit your game.

The course is characterized by its challenging and tree-lined fairways with small, well protected greens, all amongst breathtaking views in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains. Turner Valley Golf Club is a semi-private facility which caters to members and public players alike.

More information on the Turner Valley Golf Club can be found here.

MEDIA

• First Round Pairings

• Championship Information

• Flickr Albums

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.”

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

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.

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

Jackie Little finds herself with a one shot lead after the completion of the first round at the Woodside Golf Course in Airdrie, AB.

Little posted a card with two birdies and two bogeys leaving her at even par 71. She will look to replicate her steady performance tomorrow, with tee times beginning again at 7:30 a.m.

Course and weather conditions cooperated nicely on day one with uncharacteristically low winds in Airdrie allowing the ladies to bring their “A” game. Tomorrow’s round may prove more challenging as the weather forecast calls for cooler temperatures and rain.

Barbara Flaman (pictured above) from the Windermere G&CC finds herself in second place thanks to the six “3’s” found on her card.

The Super Senior (65+) leader is none other than last year’s Super Senior Champion Alison Murdoch, who currently holds a 6 shot lead heading into day two.

Leaderboard