LONDON, Ont. – Canadian Pacific (CP) and Golf Canada have announced a significant extension of CP’s golf sponsorship program that will help fund and enhance high performance golf in Canada.
Already the title sponsor for Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship – the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open which is being held this week at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. – CP has also partnered with Golf Canada in support of the National Amateur Team program – Team Canada – as well as Canada’s National Amateur Championships.
“We are proud to support Golf Canada’s vision to drive excellence in competitive amateur golf,” said Mark Wallace, CP’s Vice President, Corporate Affairs. “CP is committed, through our role as title sponsor of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, to extending our investment in the rising talents of Team Canada as natural extension of our commitment to Canadian golfing excellence.”
As part of its investment, CP has also aligned its brand with the Golf Canada Foundation in becoming a Founding Partner of the Team Canada Young Pro program which launched in May.
The Young Pro program, developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada, is intended to extend the success of Team Canada’s amateur program to help the top young professional players bridge the gap between successful amateur and professional performance on the international golfing stage. The program provides coaching, sports science support, mental and physical training, season planning, and financial support for golf expenses.
In all, five athletes – three female and two male – have been selected to the inaugural Team Canada Young Pro squad. The squad is comprised of LPGA Tour players Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. on the women’s side as well as Web.com Tour players Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. and Albin Choi of Toronto.
“We applaud CP for their vision in supporting an environment that will build competitive golf excellence across Canada,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “From high performance amateur golf to CP’s support of emerging professional talents and the Golf Canada Foundation, we are thrilled with this extended investment to help Canada’s most promising golfers develop their competitive potential.”
In addition to CP as a Founding Partner, the Golf Canada Foundation also welcomed Citi Canada as a Supporting Partner of the Team Canada Young Pro Program through donations to the Foundation.
“We are pleased to support Golf Canada’s young pro program in its inaugural year, and it’s five impressive members,” said Citi Canada Chairman and CEO John Hastings. “Citi aspires to enable the progress of these young athletes from ambition to achievement, just as we do for our clients around the world.”
On Monday, August 18th, during tournament week at the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, a Pro-Am was held in support of the Golf Canada Foundation with proceeds directed to the Team Canada Young Pro program.
Canadian Pacific deepens commitment to Canadian golf
