The 2026 Women’s Senior Championship wrapped up yesterday at The Ranch Golf & Country Club. It was a week filled with friendship, competition, and sunny weather.

Round one proved tough for competitors due to the elevation change throughout the course as well as the wet conditions considering the rain from previous days. The competitors battled, but Sandra Turbide took the lead at +5 following day one. Celina Lam was not far behind with +7, and Connie Evans, Daniela Pacheco, and Lynn Kuehn followed at +9. Turbide’s lead was in both the Senior and Super Senior divisions, with Kuehn being the closest behind in the Super Senior.

In the Diamond division, Jo-Anne Schiller and Jean Nitchke both shot 94 to put them at T1 going into day two.

Heading into day two, the course had dried up compared to day one and competitors had a better grasp on the course which was apparent in their scores. Turbide remained focused, finishing day two with a 75, putting her at +9. Lam followed at +12 and Evans at +14. These scores set up for a close and competitive final round. Turbide also maintained her lead in the Super Senior division.

Day two was another close one in the Diamond division with Schiller shooting 92 while Nitchke shot 93, giving Schiller a one-stroke lead heading into day three.

Day three turned the heat up both temperature and score wise. Turbide and Lam both pared the first hole, but Lam hit a rough spot with three bogies in a row to follow. Despite this, Lam managed to par the remaining five holes on the front nine. Turbide finished the front with two bogies, heading into the back with a 4-stroke lead. During the back nine, Turbide hit her own rough patch with three bogies and one double bogey in five holes. Lam pared four and bogied on 15 leaving the pair tied heading into 16. In the end it all came down to what happened on the 18th green. Turbide made an impressive putt for birdie that allowed her to capture the win without even realizing she had won. When asked about being tied with Lam after 15 Turbide said, “I thought I was a shot behind,” and she did not realize she had won until one of her friends told her she did so.

On the Diamond division side, Nitchke turned up the heat and shot 89, while Schiller remained consistent with 94. Nitchke captured the win with her sister, who caddied for her all week, by her side. When asked about how it was having her sister caddy for her Nitchke said, “It’s awesome. It’s very comforting to have someone you know with you, and it’s our bonding time, so it’s great.”

The interprovincial team will comprise of Andrea Kosa, Daniela Pacheco, and Gisselle Willimus. These three competitors will head to Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House to represent Team Alberta this September.

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

Women’s Senior Leaderboard

Notable Highlights

• This double crown was Sandra Turbide’s first Alberta Golf win.

• The final spot of the interprovincial team spot went to a playoff where Gisselle Willimus was able to secure her spot as the third member of the team.

• Hall of famer Cathy McMillan came out on the final day to watch her daughters Erin and Allison compete.

This week, the Women’s Senior Championship heads to The Ranch Golf & Country Club for three days of exciting competition. Not only are these women ready to compete, but they are also ready for the camaraderie the event brings due to the high number of returning competitors. The event goes from July 29-31 at The Ranch Golf & Country Club with straight tee times starting at 7:30am. Take a closer look at the event before they tee off tomorrow morning.

The Event

The Women’s Senior Championship began back in 1964 with Harriett Watson becoming the inaugural champion. This event is open to women over the age of 50 as of the first day of the Canadian Women’s Senior. Additionally, this event has a Super Senior Division for competitors aged 60+ and a Diamond Division for players 70+. Competitors are also divided into flights based on their Handicap Index ensuring they compete against competitors of similar skill levels. There are no qualifiers for this event, so when registration opens on April 1 females over 50 with a Handicap Index of 30.0 or less are eligible to register.

There are 74 competitors this week who will play a total of 54 holes all vying for the trophy as well as three interprovincial team spots to represent Alberta in September at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.

The Course

The Ranch Golf & Country Club is a top facility in Alberta being rated as the course offering the best value in Edmonton and the 2nd best value in the province by Score Golf Magazine in 2021. According to their website, The Ranch’s three pillars of success are their “premier conditions, top notch service and unmatched value.” While they have hosted multiple Canadian Tour events, they most recently hosted the 2024 Alberta Men’s Super Senior Championship. The Ranch is a full-length, par-71 course that provides challenges and delights to golfers of any level.

To read the full preview from the 2026 Alberta Golf Yearbook, written by Todd Saelhof, click the link below:

Alberta golf yearbook: Women’s Senior Preview

The Players

This tournament brings back talented competitors every year, and this year is no different with the field featuring the defending champion, past champions, and emerging talent in the field.

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

Women’s Senior Rounds 1 & 2 Tee Times

The Alberta Women’s Senior Championship is largely seen as the most consistent group of competitors, as every year the championship brings together many of the same golfers every year. The women always show up for three days of competition, but most importantly the camaraderie. The group cheers each other on, stay for food after each round as they wait for other players to finish, and are always excited for the next year. This year the group will be treated to a trip up north from July 29-31 to The Ranch Golf & Country Club, one of Alberta’s premier tournament facilities.

The Ranch Golf & Country Club is a top level facility within the province, famed for its commitment to player experience. The course has hosted multiple Canadian Tour events in its time, but most recently hosted the 2024 Alberta Men’s Super Senior Championship and before that hosted the 2019 Alberta Women’s Amateur. The Ranch features a full-length, par-71 course that will challenge and delight even the most experienced golfer. In 2021, Score Magazine ranked The Ranch Golf and Country Club #1 Best Value Public Golf Course in Edmonton,
and #2 in Alberta. Designed by Western Golf Projects to offer the golfer variety, the course features traditional challenges that test your skills with mature natural forest, ponds, and stone creek beds. For a little taste of Scotland, the architect has interwoven numerous links style holes.

THe Ranch G&CC Website

As the course still lays under the recent snowfall that hit most parts of Alberta, the competitors are surely still gearing up for the event. In 2025, Daniela Pacheco won her first Alberta championship with an impressive final day score of 71 to rocket up the leaderboard. Alberta Golf Hall of Fame Jackie Little won the Super Senior Championship in 2025, continuing to add to her trophy case, while Ena Spalding won the Diamond Division for the second time in three years. This year, those same names will look to repeat their success but there will be a long list of players looking to play the role of spoiler. Kim Carrington returned to the event after a long stint of injuries, now with a year under her belt the killer instinct is undoubtedly back. Gisselle Willimus returned to competitive golf after an extended period away. Other favourites include the consistent Lynn Kuehn, Lisa Hall, Connie Evans, two-time champion Celina Lam, and plenty more. The eventual winner will have to navigate a tough test at The Ranch with so much variety to the course players will need to stay on their toes.

2025 Women’s Senior Championship Leaderboard

The Women’s Senior Championship is for females aged 50+ as of the first day of the Canadian Women’s Senior. The event also has the Super Senior Championship, for players aged 60+, and the Diamond Division for those aged 70+. The event also places the competitors into flights based on their Handicap Index, ensuring players are competing with and against similar skill levels ensuring an enjoyable experience. As mentioned, this event is much bigger than just a trophy. The energy at the Women’s Senior Championship is always one of excitement and happiness with everyone seeing old friends after long cold winters. The event is open to any females with a Handicap Index of 30.0, with registration opening on April 1st at 9am.

CHampionship Calendar