The RBC Canadian Open won’t be the only national golf competition taking place this coming week at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.
CN, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada will play host to twenty-two competitors from across Canada at Glen Abbey on Saturday, July 18 for the seventh annual CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event.
The event will be delivered in the same format as the qualifying events. As determined by their standing on the National Leaderboard, the competitors will compete in a four-part skills challenge (putting, chipping, driving and iron play) with one overall winner per age-group (9-11; 12-14; and 15-18) and gender.
A total of 22 competitors who achieved the highest skills challenge scores from events across Canada during the 2015 golf season will travel to Glen Abbey with the hope of becoming a CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge national champion.
| Girls | Boys |
| Emily Zhu, – Copper Creek Golf Club, Ont. |
Jordon McDonald, – Breezy Bend Country Club, Man. |
| Taylor Long, – Brian Affleck Academy, N.S. |
Mathis Lessard, – Club de Golf Beauceville, Que. |
| Nicole Hogan, – Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club, N.B. |
Eric Collier, – Copper Creek Golf Club, Ont. |
| Kathy Yao, – The Academy at Braeben, Ont. |
Preston Lightle, – Glacier Greens Golf Course, B.C. |
| Theodora Jucan, – Copper Creek Golf Club, Ont. |
Andre Zhu, – Copper Creek Golf Club, Ont. |
| Mackenzie Morrison, – St. George’s Golf & Country Club, Ont. |
Nathan Hogan, – Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club, N.B. |
| Hayley Barclay, – Golf Performance Centre at Whistle Bear Golf Club, Ont. |
Thomas Picard Beaudoin, – B2Golf, Que. |
| Laura Wong, – Seymour Golf & Country Club, B.C. |
Ben Callaghan, – Brian Affleck Academy, N.S. |
| Alexandra Jucan, – Copper Creek Golf Club, Ont. |
Ben MacDonald, – Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club, N.B. |
| Elizabeth Blier, – Club de Golf La Vallée du Richelieu, Que. |
Liam Pickerell, – Seymour Golf & Country Club, B.C. |
| Matthew Bonnell, – Blomidon Golf & Country Club, N.L. |
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| Tyler Leclair, – Seymour Golf & Country Club, B.C. |
The day will begin with a practice and warm-up session from 10 to 11:45 a.m. before the competition’s opening address. The competitors will take centre stage for the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event from noon until 2 p.m. before the afternoon concludes with a complimentary BBQ and an awards presentation. The champions in the boys and girls 15-18 age groups will receive an exemption into their local CN Future Links Championship in 2016. All other attending participants of the CN Future Links Junior Skills National Event will receive prizing courtesy of Titleist Footjoy.
The competition format:
- Driving: Each competitor receives three drives. Points are awarded and dependent on distance and aim of the drive. The drive must land within the 30-yard width to qualify for points. The number of points is dependent on the distances completed.
- Chipping: Each competitor receives three shots from their distance. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the chip shot from the target.
- Putting: Each competitor receives two putts each from each distance of 3, 5 and 8 feet. Points are awarded for holing the putt.
- Iron Play: Each competitor receives three shots from their distance. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the iron shot from the target.
In celebration of the event being hosted for the first time in the lead-up to the RBC Canadian Open, junior participants will also have the opportunity to test the storied Glen Abbey layout in an exciting match play format on Sunday, July 19 prior to tournament week. Junior participants will be provided weekly grounds passes, as well as, opportunities to be involved in Monday’s Pro-Am and Wednesday’s CN Future Links Walk with a Pro event during the Wednesday Pro-Am.