Alberta Golf (Entwistle)– During this week’s Alberta Open Championship at Trestle Creek Golf Resort, UBC amateur Ethan De Graaf is using an app called “Shot by Shot” after every round to help improve performance. De Graaf and Alberta Golf technical advisor Randy Robb discuss the benefits of using the program.

VIDEO: 

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – The 2019 Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR lawyers is set to begin on Tuesday at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alberta.

The Alberta Open was first contested in 1935. Legendary Canadian golfer Stan Leonard won the event a record 9-times between 1937 and 1955. The event was a regular stop on the Canadian Professional Tour at Wolf Creek Golf Resort for 13 years in the late 1980’s and 1990’s.

This year a field of 105 amateur, junior, PGA of Alberta professionals as well as veteran professionals on various developmental tours will compete for a purse of $18,000 with $5,000 going to the champion.

6-time champion Wes Heffernan is back to defend the title he won last spring at River Spirit Golf Club.

Full story on Wes Heffernan's victory at the 2018 SVR Alberta Open ?️: https://t.co/7Osf7vfN1N pic.twitter.com/0qwVBBhFP4

— Alberta Golf (@Alberta_Golf) June 22, 2018

KEY INFO

Dates: June 11-13th, 2019

Course: Trestle Creek Golf Resort

Yards/Par: 7,212 /72 (Jackpine and Creekside nines)

Field: 105

2018 champion: Wes Heffernan

Format: 54 holes of stroke play with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties

Social: #abopen

VIDEO PREVIEW:

HISTORY

The Alberta Open Championship began in 1935. There was a brief pause in the tournament from 2000–2002 which ended with the next Open champion being awarded in 2003. The distinguished Championship continues to bring together some of Alberta’s most outstanding touring professionals, club professionals, amateurs and juniors vying for the coveted “Alberta Open Champion” title.

2008 – Wes Heffernan

2009 – Ryan Yip

2010 – Jamie Kureluk

2011 – Wes Heffernan

2012 – Wes Heffernan

2013 – Riley Fleming

2014 – Riley Fleming

2015 – James Love

2016 – Brett Hogan

2017 – Dustin Risdon

2018 – Wes Heffernan

NOTABLES

• Wes Heffernan– 6-time Alberta Open champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2018) is back to defend his title.
• AJ Armstrong – The 2018 Alberta Amateur Champion has recently turned pro after a stand out career at Washington State University.
• Riley Fleming – The 2-time Alberta Open champion (2013, 2014) has settled into his teaching career but still has the game to compete at the highest level.
• Dustin Risdon – The 2017 champion is back in the field after missing last year’s event.
• Max Sekulic – The amateur from Calgary won last week’s Alberta Match Play championship.
• Patrick Murphy – Recent graduate from UCLA making his pro debut this week.
• Tyler Saunders – Former Alberta Amateur champion and Alberta Open runner-up

FAST FACTS

• The low amateur at this year’s Alberta Open will earn a team position for the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. They will also be joined by the Match Play Champion (Max Sekulic) and the champion of the 2019 Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship.
• The are 88 amateurs in the field.

• The 17 professionals will be competing for the $18,000.00 total purse.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Trestle Creek Golf Resort offers a spectacular 27 hole championship golf course and a innovative 9 Hole Par 3 course both designed by Brad Dupuis of Dupuis International Golf Design. Brad has built golf courses for Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Peter Dye and Von Hagge Design, around the world for over 35 years. You’ll find all the essential amenities and more, including an 11 acre, elevated two tier driving range with six target greens at GPS distances that will help you refine your golf game. The range has a combined 11,000 square feet of practice green and separate chipping green with practice bunkers.

More information on Trestle Creek Golf Resort can be found here.

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP is a multi-service law firm based in Calgary, Alberta. Since its establishment in 1986, Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP has become one of Calgary’s leading legal service providers, focusing on delivering high quality, efficient solutions for clients. The partners, associates and staff of Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP come from a wide range of backgrounds, and this experience enables us to offer responsive, effective and creative legal solutions to our clients.

MEDIA

• Championship Leaderboard

• Flickr Albums

Alberta Golf (Calgary) – 2-time defending Alberta Match Play champion Brendan MacDougall pulled out some heroics in his semi-final match winning on the second playoff hole over Chandler McDowell after being 3 down with 3 holes to play while Max Sekulic had an easier go of it, defeating Jace Oullette 5 & 4.

The Thursday morning semi-final victories by MacDougall and Sekulic pitted the two Glencoe Golf and Country Club standouts together in the Thursday afternoon final at River Spirit Golf Club.

MacDougall birdied the 2nd and 5th holes to go 2up, but Sekulic went on a run taking 5 of the next 7 holes to go 3up through 12 holes.

MacDougall hit the par 4 15th hole on his tee shot and drained the eagle putt to be only 2 down with three to play, but Sekulic hit his tee shot on the par 3 17th hole to 4 feet and the match ended there with a 2 and 1 victory for Max Sekulic.

The victory gives Sekulic a spot in the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

Alberta Golf’s Kevin Smith has a full video wrap on the Match Play finals.

Photos of the 3-day event here MATCH PLAY FLIKR PHOTOS

Alberta Golf (Calgary) –

2-time defending Alberta Match Play champion Brendan MacDougall pulled off serious magic on the first playoff hole in his round of 16 match against Michael Valk, jugging a flop shot to snatch victory from a match that could have gone the other away.

WATCH:

MacDougall will face Chandler McDowell in one semi final while upstart Jace Oullette, who beat big lefty Tyler Saunders 2 &1, will square up with Max Sekulic in the other semi final.

Check out the semi-final match play bracket here:

Kevin Smith has a full video recap of Wednesday’s action

Semi-final action starts Thursday at 7am at River Spirit Golf Club with a champion crowned after the finals match Thursday afternoon.

CALGARY – The 2019 Alberta Match Play Championship is set to begin on Tuesday at River Spirit Golf Club just west of Calgary. A field of 50 competitors will battle it out over an 18-hole stroke-play round on Tuesday morning for a lucrative spot in the 16 player match play bracket Wednesday morning.

2019 sees defending champion Brendan MacDougall look for his third straight title after back to back wins in 2017 at the Sundre Golf Club and 2018 at Silver Springs Golf and Country Club.

KEY INFO

Dates: June 4-6^th

Course: River Spirit Golf Club (Millburn/Cattails)

Yards/Par: Up to 7,200 / 72

Field: 50

2018 champion: Brendan MacDougall (@thedooogs), 1up over Brady McKinlay

Format: 18 hole stroke play qualifying round for 16-player match play bracket

Tuesday Tee Times: Stroke play pairings

Social: #abmatchplay

LOOKING BACK

The 2018 Alberta Match Play Championship saw Brendan MacDougall of the Glencoe Golf & Country Club successfully defend his title after defeating Brady McKinlay of Lacombe Golf & Country Club 1 UP in the final match. McKinlay brought the match back to all square heading to the eighteenth tee. But after an errant fairway bunker shot left him in a tough green side position MacDougall was able to close out the match with a solid bunker shot and a conceded putt for victory.

MacDougall beat opponents Andrew Harvie, Matt Bean, Tyler Saunders and the young gun Brady McKinlay en route to the title. He was down early in three of the four matches but clawed his way back with consistently strong play throughout the closing holes.

Back to Back as rising junior @thedooogs completes his title defense at the @Alberta_Golf Match Play Championship and is exempt into the 2018 & 2019 @PacificCoastAm!!! #HPUGolf #RollPoint #GetTheHardware ???

Photo Credit: @Alberta_Golf pic.twitter.com/IX1c2Sz0WL

— High Point Golf (@HPUmensgolf) June 9, 2018

HISTORY

First contested in 2004, the Alberta Match Play Championship took a six year hiatus beginning in 2009. It was re-launched in 2015 and has a history of crowning worthy champions:

2004 – Ryan Swelin
2005 – Barrett Jarosch
2006 – Kris Wasylowich
2007 – Michael Knight
2008 – Darren Hupfer
2015 – Patrick Murphy
2016 – Jack Wood
2017/2018 – Brendan MacDougall

NOTABLES

• Brendan MacDougall – 2017 and 2018 Alberta Match Play champion
• Max Sekulic – 2017 Alberta Junior champion
• Carter Graf – 2017 Alberta Willingdon Cup team member, 2018 MJT national champion
• Kai Iguchi – 2018 Future Links Western champion
• Chandler McDowell – 2018 Alberta Junior & Juvenile Boys champion
• Brandon Markiw – 2018 Alberta Mid Amateur champion
• Tyler Saunders – 2014 Alberta Amateur champion, 2018 Edmonton Amateur champion

ABOUT THE COURSE

Located 15 minutes west of Calgary, the layout at River Spirit Golf Club is a true gem. The Elbow River and Millburn Creek provide a breathtaking backdrop to many of River Spirit’s signature holes. River Spirit Golf Club boasts three different 9-hole layouts for a total of 27 holes that can be combined into many interesting outings. All courses at River Spirit feature four different sets of tees to ensure an enjoyable round for every caliber of golfer. No matter how you choose to play River Spirit, you will find yourself among some of the most picturesque scenery in all of golf. River Spirit website here.

MEDIA

• Qualifying round pairings and times

• Flickr albums

Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – The third qualifier for this summer’s Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship was held Wednesday at the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club.

Dale Watamaniuk from the Glendale Golf and Country Club fired a sparkling 6 under 66 to take low medalist honours.

In all 25 qualifiers and 3 alternates emerged from the 85 player field.

Full field scores here…

The Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship will be held at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort from July 16th-19th.

Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – The second qualifier for this summer’s Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship was held Tuesday at the Ponoka Community Golf Club.

Jace Ouellette from the Innisfail Golf and Country Club fired a 1 under 71 to take low medalist honours.

In all 11 qualifiers and 3 alternates emerged from the 37 player field.

Full field scores here…

The 3rd qualifier is set for Wednesday May 29th at the Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club.

The Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship will be held at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort from July 16th-19th.