The 40th edition of the Men’s Mid-Amateur concluded yesterday after returning to Wolf Creek Golf Resort where it all began back in 1986. It was a week full of excitement, with three hole-in-ones, low scores, and lot’s of movement following round two. Despite the smoke, there was nearly a full field of players ready to compete.

Round one began with a bang as Clay Brunette managed an ace on his first hole of the day. Additionally, eight players put up rounds at even or below par. Ryan DenBraber took the solo lead after firing a 67 with Alex Large, Jesse Galvon, and Jordan Clemens following close behind at 68. Larry Kennedy also left his mark on the tournament with a hole-in-one near the end of day one.

Round two opened with sunny skies that remained consistent throughout the day. Two players remained just as consistent: DenBraber and Large. DenBraber fired a 68 while Large shot a 67 to finish the day sharing the lead.

As the final day began with DenBraber and Large tied at -5, it was anyone’s guess who would come out on top. After the front nine, DenBraber dropped to -3 whereas Large jumped to -7, despite a double bogey on hole 9. Large made a nice recovery birdieing both 10 and 11 allowing him to continue widening the gap between him and Denbraber. Denbraber could not make the same recovery and finished the tournament T3 with Chase Broderson at +2. Galvon shot a 69 to finish in second at +1. Large’s back nine contained three birdies, five pars and a bogey to finish with 66 for the day and -9 for the tournament. Round three also included a hole-in-one coming from Allan Pruss on hole 10.

When asked about his putting seemingly being his biggest strength during the final day Large said, “I came down last night, and I worked on the putting green for…I think I was the last person here last night, and it kinda put the time in there, it helped with the putting and I putted really well today.” This is Large’s second Alberta Golf Mid-Amateur win, with his first coming in 2020. Additionally, Large was the only player to finish under par for all three rounds of the tournament.

Alex Large, Jesse Galvon, and Ryan DenBraber will represent Team Alberta at the 2026 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at the end of August at the Brantford Golf & Country Club in Brantford, Ontario. All three players put up a strong performance this week keeping it consistent on the course.

The full leaderboard can be found at the link below, including all scoring data from the week.

Men’s Mid-Amateur Leaderboard

Notable Highlights

• This was the 40th Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and it was hosted at Wolf Creek Golf Resort, the same course it started at in 1986.

• There were three hole-in-ones this week: Clay Brunette (hole 10, 197 yards), Larry Kennedy (hole 3, 199 yards), and Allan Pruss (hole 10, 197 yards).

• Next week, Alberta Golf heads to The Ranch Golf & Country Club in Acheson for the Women’s Senior beginning on July 29th.

It’s a milestone year for both Alberta Golf and the Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship as the event celebrates its 40th edition. Fittingly, the championship returns to where it all began, with Wolf Creek Golf Resort hosting the event from July 21-23, just as it did four decades ago. Take a closer look at the championship, the course, and the field before the opening tee shots get underway tomorrow at 8 a.m.

The Event

The Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship was first contested in 1986, with Ken Tamke becoming the inaugural champion. Originally created for players aged 40 and older, the championship has since evolved into an event for golfers aged 25 and above. The field consists of exempt players alongside those who earned their place through one of three qualifying events held earlier this spring.

A total of 120 competitors have secured their spot at The Wolf and will begin with 36 holes of stroke play before the field is reduced to the low 60 players and ties. Those advancing will battle not only for the provincial championship, but also for 16 qualifying spots into the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. In addition, the top three Albertans will earn the opportunity to represent the province in the interprovincial team competition during the opening two rounds of the national championship.

The Course

To earn a national championship berth, secure an interprovincial team position, or hoist the provincial trophy, players will need to conquer The Wolf. A familiar venue for Alberta Golf, Golf Canada, and numerous championship events, Wolf Creek’s renowned Old Course presents a demanding test with its blend of links-style features, tree-lined fairways, and the ever-present Central Alberta wind. It has proven time and again to be one of the province’s premier championship venues, and this week will be no exception.

Read the full preview from the 2026 Alberta Golf Yearbook, written by Jim Claggett, by clicking the link below.

Alberta golf yearbook: Men’s Mid-Amateur Preview

The Players

With plenty of talent including the back to back defending champion, this year already looks like anyone’s tournament. Take a look at some of the notable names in the field below:

For tee times and the full player list, click the link below:

Men’s Mid-Amateur Rounds 1 & 2 Tee Times

The Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026—an ironic milestone given that the event was originally established for male golfers aged 40 and over, prior to the creation of the Mid-Master Championship. Today, the Men’s Mid-Amateur is open to the province’s top male players aged 25 and older as of the first day of the national championship. Fittingly, the provincial championship will return in 2026 to the course that hosted the inaugural event in 1986: Wolf Creek.

The first championship was won by Alberta Golf Hall of Famer Ken Tamke, and over the years the event has been captured by many of the province’s standout players, including Frank Van Dornick, Floyd Kilgore, Senan Foley, David Schultz, and numerous others. In more recent editions, Edmonton Country Club’s Neil Thomas has claimed back-to-back titles and will be seeking to become the first player to win three consecutive Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships. Among the challengers is Alex Cartwright, who recently relocated to Calgary and earned a spot on Alberta’s interprovincial team in his first year in the province. A Canmore native, Cartwright previously spent five years competing on the University of Victoria golf team. Michael Valk, a member of the 2025 interprovincial team, will also be in pursuit of his first Mid-Amateur title as one of the newer competitors in the field. Meanwhile, established regulars such as Galvon, Markiw, DenBraber, Werre, Lefaivre, and Hollman will no doubt look to play spoiler to the emerging contenders.

2025 Men’s Mid-Amateur Recap

Whoever ultimately prevails in 2026 will be tested not only by the field, but by the venue itself. Known to many Albertans as “The Wolf,” Wolf Creek presents a formidable challenge regardless of which course hosts the championship, a decision yet to be confirmed. The Old Course, the original Rod Whitman design, is described on the club’s website as “a pure inland links course winding in and out of the Wolf Creek bed.” Tour-tested and strategically demanding, it places a premium on creativity, precision, and thoughtful shot-making. Across the road, the Links Course represents an evolution of classic design principles. With wider fairways and striking natural beauty, the course is carved through expansive natural sand dunes and features rolling contours that reward both power and finesse.

Wolf Creek has long been a premier championship venue in Alberta, hosting a wide range of prestigious events. It served for many years as the home of the Alberta Open during its Canadian Tour era, has welcomed multiple Golf Canada events including NextGen tournaments, and has hosted the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Championship. Most recently, Wolf Creek earned widespread praise from competitors after hosting the Alberta Men’s Senior Championship.

Regardless of the course selection or the final field, the 2026 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will need to outduel a deep roster of talent and successfully tame the teeth of the Wolf over three demanding days, from July 21–23. In doing so, the winner will not only join the distinguished list of past champions of one of Alberta’s most popular events, but also secure a lasting place in the history of one of the province’s finest golf courses.

Wolf Creek Golf Resort Website