Alberta Set to Host Two National Events

When competitors in this year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship arrive in Alberta, they will not only be playing for history, they will be playing on it.

Red Deer Golf and Country Club plays host to the Amateur from July 23 to 26 and Lethbridge Country Club welcomes the Junior Girls the following week, July 30-Aug. 2.

The Amateur, first played in 1901, boasts an impressive list of champions with World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit topping the list. Other winners include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Jocelyn Bourassa, Ada Mackenzie, Dawn-Coe Jones, Alberta’s own Marilyn O’Connor, and several others. Brooke Henderson won the Amateur in 2013 prior to embarking on a phenomenal pro career on the LPGA Tour.

While the Junior Girls Championship is comparatively young, dating back “only” to 1955, its roster of winners also includes some of our finest female golfers such as Sandra Post who won the title in three consecutive years: 1964, 1965 and 1966. Unbelievably, her accomplishment was outshone by Heather Kuzmich who won four straight from 1981 through 1984. Henderson won it in 2012 and other Canadian girls who went on to the pro ranks with a Junior Girls victory on their resume include Maddie Szeryk, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, and Alena Sharp among others.

Like the championships themselves, this year’s venues have impressive histories of their own.

Red Deer G&CC can trace its roots (literally) to a rudimentary six holes laid out on leased land in 1919 before moving to its current location in 1922. Similarly, Lethbridge CC was founded in 1913 before moving permanently in the mid-1920s. Each has welcomed prestigious professional and amateur events throughout the years.

Photo: Red Deer Golf and Country Club

In fact, says Brian Huculak, General Manager and PGA of Canada Executive Professional at Lethbridge CC, it was the gratifying experience of playing host to the 2012 Canadian Women’s Amateur that motivated his club to invite another national championship. Current LPGA star Ariya Jutanugarn, then 16, was the winner.

“It was a great experience,” he says. “Everyone from the players to the spectators to our members enjoyed it thoroughly. That’s why we reached out to Golf Canada for another tournament.”

Photo: Lethbridge Country Club

Don McFarlane, General Manager and PGA of Canada Executive Professional at Red Deer G&CC, says his club eagerly anticipates welcoming the Women’s Amateur for a number of reasons. The club loved hosting the Alberta Ladies Amateur a couple of years ago, for one. Showcasing their historic, beautiful and challenging golf course is another, but there is a more altruistic motive, he says.

“It’s a matter of giving back to grow the game,” says McFarlane. “In our opinion, every club is obligated to help in any way they can, so when we host any event, we feel we are doing just that. It’s not just about hosting a tournament. It’s about doing our part for the game.”

Huculak agrees, having seen promising signs of growing interest among girls and women recently.  “It was tough there for a while, but we’re seeing an improvement.”

His observation is reflected by recent research by the World Golf Foundation which reports that the percentage of junior golfers who are female has doubled over the past 10 years. This increase is due to a number of factors including not only more focus on girls by forward-thinking golf facilities, but provincial and national initiatives such as Golf Canada’s Girls Club, part of the Future Links program.

“Girls Club was designed to provide a welcoming atmosphere in which girls can excel at developing their skills and interest in the sport with their female peers,” says Golf Canada. “Developed for girls ages seven to 18, Girls Club hopes to bridge the gap between the high number of boys playing golf in comparison to girls.”

Then, according to Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, there’s the ‘Brooke Effect’.

“Certainly, from a participation standpoint, we are seeing a bump in girls interested in golf in our country because of the Brooke Henderson factor and I am sure that will surge as she continues to succeed on the LPGA Tour,” says Thompson.

So, if the trend of more girls taking up the game continues, we can thank forward-thinking clubs such as Red Deer and Lethbridge, along with progressive initiatives from Alberta Golf and Golf Canada. But golf can’t progress with just them “growing the game.” It will take a commitment from everyone who cares about the future of the game.

Alberta Set to Host Two National Events 

This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.

Alberta Golf board of directors member Tom Zariski has been chosen as Head Golf Rules Referee for a world class junior event in Japan.

“I was asked and agreed to be the Head Golf Rules Referee at the Toyota Junior World Cup of Golf Championship in Japan, in June,” said Zariski. “Should be quite an interesting event. Literally some of the best junior golfers in the world.”

Zariski, who is also on the Golf Canada Rules Committee, has been a Rules Referee for the past number of years with Alberta Golf and is also one of the dedicated Councilors for the Town of Drumheller.

For more on Zariski’s exciting honour and adventure read this article in Drumheller Online by Colette Pettis.

https://drumhelleronline.com/local/tom-zariski-heading-to-japan-for-the-toyota-junior-golf-world-cup

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 10 athletes—six female and four male—who have been selected to the 2019 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Golf fans in Alberta will have 3 players of their own on the squad to watch and cheer for on various professional tours this year. Jared du Toit returns as a Young Pro Squad member along with Jennifer Ha. Glencoe Club dynamo Jaclyn Lee makes her first appearance on the talented team. Lee, 21, makes the transition from the Amateur Squad after turning professional in December and will tee it up on the LPGA Tour this season starting early February in Australia.

http://albertagolf.org/article/calgarian-jaclyn-lee-earns-lpga-tour-status-for-2019

Comprising the 2019 Women’s Young Pro Squad is Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.) , Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.) Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary) and Jaclyn Lee (Calgary).

The Men’s Young Pro Squad will be represented by Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver).

The Team Canada Young Pro Squad—now in its sixth year—helps bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 35 wins across various professional golf tours including LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR wins by Young Pro graduates Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners, respectively.

“The quality of talented athletes is a strong representation of the future of Canadian golf competing on the world’s major tours in the years to come,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “Golf Canada continues to support athletes who are demonstrating the capacity to compete at the highest levels of golf in an effort to cultivate heroes for our sport. We are proud to extend the world-class services of the Team Canada program which include coaching support, sport science and financial assistance as this group strives for success in the professional ranks.”

Men’s and Women’s National Squad coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally—both PGA of Canada members and Ben Kern Coach of the Year past recipients—will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. In addition to funding and coaching support, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood along with Physiotherapist and Strength Coach Greg Redman.

Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort—the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.

“The Young Pro program has achieved tremendous success with Canada’s up-and-coming stars and their ascension through the pro ranks,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “Fundraising for Canada’s top athletes will remain a priority for the Foundation as we continue to mold and support the future of Canadian golf.”

Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.

Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.