Denmark, with John Axelsen shooting 8-under 64 and Rasmus Hojgaard firing 4-under 68, posted a 12-under-par 132 to slide past host Ireland for a two-stroke first-round lead.
The Danish pair, playing the Montgomerie Course, combined to tie for the second-lowest first-round score in Eisenhower Trophy history, just one behind the record of 131 set by the USA in Turkey in 2012.
“Everything just worked today,” said Axelsen, a University of Florida sophomore, who won the Danish Amateur in 2017 and 2018. “I was going up to the ball and just feeling like this is going to be close.”
Host Ireland, playing in the first group of the morning off the second nine, made a home-course statement with a 10-under par total of 134.
India and Switzerland shared third place at 9 under, followed by New Zealand and Japan in fifth at 7 under and Thailand, Spain, England, Portugal and Republic of Korea tied in seventh at 6 under.
Canada’s team, comprised of Hugo Bernard, 23, of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., Joey Savoie, 24, of La Prairie, Que., and Garrett Rank, 30, of Elmira, Ont., sit T12 at 141.
Rank sits as the leading Canadian in individual play. The full-time NHL referee is T12 after firing a 4-under par 68.
MAYNOOTH, Ireland — After a rough start in the first round, Team Canada’s trio of women battled back to finish seventh on Saturday’s final round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championships at Carton House.
The Canadian squad posted a final-round 137 (-7) to continue their ascension up the leaderboard with a 7 under par finish, climbing back from an opening-round score of 10 over par that saw them in an early tie for 39th.
After struggling in the opening round, the Canadian women paced the field at 17 under par in the final three rounds to get back into contention in the biennial competition. They were led by Calgary native Jaclyn Lee, who finished at 8 under par in a tie for 5th (76-69-72-65).
London, Ont., product Maddie Szeryk closed the event at 4 over par to share 46th place. Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., rounded out the squad with a score of 9 over par.
The American team ran away with the competition, collecting a 10-stroke victory with a score of 29 under par. Pacing Team U.S.A. was former Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, Colo., who finished at 15 under par, two back of Korean medalist Ayean Cho.
“We have the strong bond already from the beginning, especially yesterday when we were all struggling we all fought for each other,” said Kupcho, who won the NCAA Women’s individual title in 2018. “We all wanted to win for each other, and I think that was a big thing coming out of yesterday. And, I think that’s how we got our big lead coming into today.
Japan won the silver with a score of 19 under par, while the Republic of Korea captured the bronze at 18 under, which is their fifth consecutive medal-winning performance.
Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).
In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.
The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.
Click here for full scoring.
The men’s World Amateur Team Championship will follow the women’s event, running from Sept. 5-8. Canada will send Hugo Bernard, 23, of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., Joey Savoie, 24, of La Prairie, Que., and Garrett Rank, 30, of Elmira, Ont., to compete for the Eisenhower trophy.
Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six individuals selected to represent Canada at the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship, conducted by the International Golf Federation.
The World Amateur Team Championship—featuring both a women’s (Aug. 29 – Sept. 1) and men’s (Sept. 5-8) competition— will be contested at Carton House (Montgomerie and O’Meara Courses) in Maynooth, Ireland, located 30 minutes west of Dublin.
Representing Canada on the women’s side will be Maddie Szeryk, 22, of London, Ont., Jaclyn Lee, 21, of Calgary, Alta., and Naomi Ko, 20, of Victoria, B.C. The trio will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Montgomerie and O’Meara courses at Carton House.
The men’s team selected to represent Canada consists of Hugo Bernard, 23, of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., Joey Savoie, 24, of La Prairie, Que., and Garrett Rank, 30, of Elmira, Ont. Also contested on both at the Montgomerie and O’Meara courses at Carton House, the men will compete for the Eisenhower Trophy.
“The World Amateur Team Championships are an excellent benchmark to monitor our players’ performance and development globally,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “Our participation in this premier golf competition is a reflection of our commitment to supporting and developing world-class talent in Canada, and we hope to demonstrate that again this year with the remarkable group of athletes chosen to represent our country.”
Team Canada Men’s and Women’s National Team coaches Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and Tristan Mullally (Ireland native) will accompany their respect squads.
WOMEN’S TEAM BIOS
Maddie Szeryk
A member of Team Canada’s National Squad for the past four years, Szeryk will lead the women’s squad into competition as the top-ranked Canadian at No. 16 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Szeryk will make her second World Amateur appearance after being selected in 2016. She finished a strong 2018 collegiate campaign at Texas A&M with two NCAA wins en route to earning All-SEC First Team honours for the fourth consecutive season. Szeryk’s senior year featured 11 top-ten finishes in fourteen events including four runner-up finishes. She would add another runner-up finish at the prestigious Women’s Porter Cup in June and finished T22 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. Currently the No. 1 ranked golfer on the National Women’s Order of Merit, the 22-year-old has prior experience representing Canada on the global stage, finishing tied for 15th at the 2014 Youth Olympics and helping Canada to win the team competition at the 2017 Mexican Amateur. She has also competed in three CP Women’s Opens as an amateur.
Jaclyn Lee
Jaclyn Lee is in her fifth year as a member of Canada’s National Team and is currently ranked No. 21 on the WAGR. The Ohio State Buckeye enters her final collegiate season with three NCAA wins including the 2018 Big Ten Championship as well as a pair of runner-up finishes. Lee made a splash on the international amateur scene in 2018, making it to the semi-finals at the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship and quarterfinals of the US Women’s Amateur. The former Alberta Ladies Amateur champion also boasts LPGA experience, making the cut at the 2016 CP Women’s Open and competing in the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, where she finished tied for 35th.
Naomi Ko
Naomi Ko is in her sixth year with the Team Canada program and will make her second World Amateur appearance. The 20-year-old spent three years with the Development Squad before graduating to the Amateur Squad in 2016. Ko, a three-time CP Women’s Open competitor who will be heading to her final year at N.C. State, won her first NCAA championship in 2017 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Her 2017 season also included third-place finishes at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship and Women’s Porter Cup.
MEN’S TEAM BIOS
Hugo Bernard
A four-year member of Team Canada, Hugo Bernard is the top-ranked Canadian on the WAGR at No. 78 and will compete in his second World Amateur. The 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion recorded three top-10 finishes this season, including a runner-up at the Azalea Invitational and a ninth place finish at the Australian Men’s Amateur. In 2018 he also finished T41 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur and played in his third RBC Canadian Open. His 2017 season was highlighted by earning medalist honours at the U.S. Amateur Qualifying in Maine alongside top-five finishes at the 2017 Canadian Men’s Amateur and the French Open – Coupe Murat. In 2016, Bernard posted six top-5 finishes in eight events with the Division II Saint-Leo Lions, including medalist honours at the NCAA Division II Championship to earn him a Freshman of the Year title to go with being named as a first-team all-American.
Joey Savoie
Team Canada Amateur Squad rookie Joey Savoie is ranked No. 84 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and currently leads the National Men’s Order of Merit thanks to seven top-five finishes this season. Internationally, Savoie has a win at the Grant Clements Memorial Tournament in New Zealand, co-medalist honours at a U.S. Amateur Qualifier and a fifth-place finish at the prestigious St. Andrews Links Trophy in Scotland. The Middle Tennessee State graduate also led Team Canada to victory at the 2017 Tailhade Cup in Argentina with his first-place finish and competed in his first RBC Canadian Open.
Garrett Rank
Team Canada graduate Garrett Rank made the most of his amateur season to secure a spot on his second career World Amateur team. Rank, a three-time RBC Canadian Open competitor, has been balancing a professional career as an NHL referee with a busy summer competing at high-level amateur golf events. The 30-year-old made headlines when he earned co-medalist honours to qualify for the U.S. Open. His 2018 season has been highlighted by a win at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship and a third place finish at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship where he earned low-Canadian honours. The three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion also boasts international experience from representing Canada in the 2015 Pan-American games, where he finished 15th, as well as the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship, where he finished tied for 36th.
About the World Amateur Team Championships
A biennial competition, the Men’s World Amateur Team Championship has been played since 1958, with the winner taking home the Eisenhower Trophy while the winner of the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, conducted since 1964, earns the Espirito Santo Trophy.
In 2016, the Canadian men’s trio of Hugo Bernard, Garrett Rank and Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.) finished tied for 9th in Riviera Maya, Mexico, while the women’s trio of Maddie Szeryk, Naomi Ko, and Josée Doyon (St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que.) finished in 9th place.
In 2014, The United States won the 2014 title in Karuizawa, Japan, by two strokes over the Canadian contingent of Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.). In the women’s division, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).
In 29 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986) and earned runner-up honours five times. In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.
The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.
The World Amateur Team Championships are conducted by the International Golf Federation, which was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship. The IGF is comprised of 146 National Federation Members in 141 countries and 22 Professional Members. The IGF serves as the International Olympic Committee’s recognized International Federation for golf.
Greg Strong/ Canadian Press
REGINA – Celeste Dao wanted her first appearance at the CP Women’s Open to be an experience she’ll always remember.
Her first hole at the Wascana Country Club on Thursday was one she’ll likely never forget.
Battling nerves in her tournament debut, the 17-year-old developmental squad player nearly sent her opening drive out of bounds. Faced with a terrible lie under low-hanging tree branches, she whiffed on her second shot and later found the rough and the bunker before settling for a double-bogey six.
But showing remarkable mettle for a youngster not used to playing on the LPGA Tour, Dao responded with a birdie on the second hole.
“I turned the page,” Dao said. “I was ready to make birdies after.”
Dao bogeyed the seventh hole and had three birdies on the back nine for a solid 1-under-par 71.
“Being patient – that’s my big thing to play well,” she said. “I knew on the back nine there were par fives and par fours waiting for me.”
Dao, from Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., is considered one of Canada’s top young prospects. She won her first international title at the 2018 Mexican Junior Girls Championship and also qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Open.
Dao uses a slow backswing and comes down on the ball with a seemingly effortless motion. Her crisp ball striking and impressive short game were on display Thursday and she’ll be a good bet to make the cut if she keeps it up in the second round.
“All the skills are there,” said Golf Canada junior squad women’s coach Matt Wilson. “She just needs to keep chipping away at it. The more experience and exposure that she can get against the best competition possible, the better it is for Celeste.”
Dao, one of 16 Canadians in the field, was seven shots behind clubhouse co-leaders Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.
Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was the low Canadian in the early going at 2-under 70. Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. joined Dao at 71 while amateur Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., was at even-par 72.
Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., had a 73 and Augusta James of Bath, Ont., was at 74. Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., shot a 75 and Saskatoon native Bobbi Brandon had an 83.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was one of several Canadian players with afternoon tee times. Jocelyne Bourassa was the last Canadian to win this tournament, taking the 1973 title in Montreal.
Dao said she also whiffed a shot in the fescue at last week’s Girls British Open Amateur in Northern Ireland.
This time, the ball settled under a large pine tree. She was forced to use a five-wood because her irons weren’t long enough due to the overhanging branches.
After the miss, her third shot found the long grass and fourth shot landed in the sand. Dao managed a nice save and hit the short putt.
She drank some water and quickly focused on the second hole, forgetting all about her opening struggles. Wilson said Dao knows she’s fully capable of recovering and putting a rough hole aside.
“It’s not common among teenagers especially when they would likely mostly panic in that situation,” he said. “But again, she’s a very resilient kid and just hyper-competitive.”
Play continues through Sunday at the US$2.25-million event.
OAKVILLE, Ont. – Chris Crisologo was on the driving range earlier this week when he looked over and realized Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty was taking some practice swings of his own just a few steps away.
A lifelong Vancouver Canucks fans, Crisologo asked for a picture with the former Norris Trophy winner – a smiling shot of a golfer and hockey player.
Crisologo will soon be the one getting stopped by strangers if he keeps up his stunning play at the RBC Canadian Open.
The 22-year-old amateur from Richmond, B.C., sits at 7 under in a tie for 23rd after wrapping up his rain-delayed opening round Friday morning with a tidy 68 before battling to a 69 on his second trip around Glen Abbey Golf Club.
“There are nerves,” Crisologo said. “But with the hometown crowd you can feel the energy.
“It’s not too hard to (turn) that into a positive.”
Crisologo sat at 7 under through six holes of the second round, but bogeyed three of his next four before picking up birdies on the back nine’s three par-5s.
“It’s just kind of managing your emotions,” he said. “There’s going to be momentum swings.”
Slight in stature and generously listed at five foot nine, Crisologo crushes the ball off the tee. One of his drives Friday measured 364 yards.
“He’s got speed like a Rory McIlory,” Golf Canada men’s coach Derek Ingram said. “You’re like, ‘He couldn’t have hit that.”’
A Golf Canada national team member since last fall, Crisologo competed four years in the NCAA with Simon Fraser University. He won B.C.’s amateur championship two weeks ago, but arrived at his first Canadian Open minus any expectations.
“He was excited to be here,” Ingram said. “He’s taking advantage.”
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian at 9 under in a tie for 10th after a roller-coaster Friday that included eight birdies and three bogeys.
The last Canadian crowned national championship was Victoria’s Pat Fletcher, who bested the field at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club in 1954.
“If I play well and I’m low Canadian, that’s great,” Taylor said. “But I’m trying to win a golf tournament.”
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., followed up his first-round 73 with a 10-shot improvement to sit at 8 under in a tie for 15th. He had an eagle putt on No. 18 that could have tied the course record, but his 40-foot effort just missed.
Kevin Tway, whose father Bob captured the Open in 2003, tops the leaderboard of the US$6.2-million PGA Tour event at 13 under.
Roger Sloan (69) of Merritt, B.C., joined Crisologo at 7 under, while Mackenzie Hughes (69) of Dundas, Ont., is a stroke back.
David Hearn (72) of Brantford, Ont., who finished third in 2015, and Calgary’s Ryan Yip (72) just made the cut at 4 under as seven Canadians will play this weekend, the most since 2008 when eight qualified.
But Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin isn’t one of them after a 71 that left him at 3 under.
The 55th-ranked player in the world described his frustration level afterwards as “100 out of 10.”
“You come here with the highest of expectations and want to play well,” Hadwin said. “I just can’t seem to get it done.”
Jared du Toit (69) of Kimberley, B.C., carded an eagle on No. 16, but pushed a 10-foot birdie putt to the right on the final hole to also just miss the cut.
Michael Gligic (77) of Burlington, Ont., was 3 under after the first round, but struggled Friday and wound up 2 over.
Mike Weir (71) of Brights Grove, Ont., headlined the other 11 Canadians in the field heading home.
Crisologo said he will seek out du Toit, who played in the final group in 2016 as an amateur before finishing tied for ninth, on what to expect this weekend.
“It’s nice having that connection with previous amateurs, previous players that have played well at this tournament,” said Crisologo, who isn’t eligible for any of the Open’s prize money. “There’s no way to prep for it.”
One thing Crisologo can expect is bigger crowds and a lot more attention as the microscope sharpens further into focus.
“You never know what to expect,” he said. “I’m just out here to enjoy the moment and make the most of this opportunity.”
One that, if all goes well, will include a lot more picture requests.
The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship didn’t have any Canadian entries at last year’s tournament. The entire women’s national amateur squad is making the trip this time around.
Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain and Naomi Ko of Victoria will lead Canadian hopes starting Tuesday at the Hillside Golf Club.
“They all have the appropriate game to come and play well here,” said Canadian women’s head coach Tristan Mullally.
The tournament’s first stage includes two rounds of 18-hole stroke play on the championship links course. The field of 144 will be trimmed to 64 for the match play stage.
Each round of match play will consist of 18 holes leading up to Saturday’s final. The tournament shares top billing with the US Women’s Amateur as the premier events in women’s amateur golf.
“With match play, it’s always a bit of a challenge because you can play well in stroke play, play great golf and still get beat,” Mullally said from Southport, England after walking the course with the Canadians during their practice rounds. “But (we’ll) worry about that in a couple of days.”
The picturesque course features several elevated tees with many holes overlooking the Irish Sea. The early weather forecast is calling for warm, sunny conditions with little wind.
Szeryk is the top Canadian on the women’s world amateur golf ranking list at No. 16 while Lee, who finished tied for 35th at this month’s Meijer LPGA Classic, holds the No. 40 position. Ko is at No. 176 and St-Germain is ranked 247th.
Szeryk closed out her college career with a tie for 17th at last month’s NCAA Championship. The Texas A&M player won four tournaments during her time with the Aggies and set an NCAA career record with 91 rounds of even-par or better.
“Maddie has been the most consistent performer in Canada over the last couple of years,” Mullally said. “She’s up to 16th in the world based on just playing well all of the time.”
Lee finished tied for fifth at the NCAA playdowns for the best individual finish in Ohio State Buckeyes history. She won three individual titles during her junior year and is slated to return for her final collegiate campaign next season.
“Jaclyn has had a great run of form,” Mullally said. “The way she hits the ball, she can really (use) different trajectories. I can see her having a really good run this week.”
St-Germain is off to the University of Arkansas in the fall while Ko played at North Carolina State last season. Ko had to borrow clubs for Monday’s practice round after the arrival of her usual set was delayed.
Marlene Stewart Streit was the last Canadian to win the Ladies’ British Open Amateur. She posted a 7-and-6 victory over Philomena Garvey in 1953.
The Pam Barton Memorial Salver is awarded to the winner of the championship. An international team award is presented after the stroke play qualifying rounds.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire beat Spain’s Ainhoa Olarra 3 and 2 to win last year at Pyle & Kenfig in Bridgend, Wales.
The tournament was founded in 1893.
TOYOTA CITY, Japan — Canada finished the 2018 Toyota Junior World Cup with a tie for third in the girls division on Friday thanks to Team Canada Women’s Development Squad members Celeste Dao, Monet Chun and Ellie Szeryk.
Rookie Celeste Dao led Canada at the event, which took place from June 12-15 at Chukyo Golf Club Ishino Course in Tokyo, Japan. The seventeen-year-old, who won the event’s Bear Mountain Qualifier in April, finished in fifth, four strokes behind the champions Lee Sujeong and Yuka Yasuda, with a total score of 1 under par (70-74-68-71).
Alongside her win at the qualifier, the Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., is reminding everyone of her young, bright talent. In addition to her playoff victory at the Mexican Junior Girls Championship, Dao earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open after being crowned champion at the U.S Women’s Open Qualifying – Cape Cod National just one month ago.
Korea’s Lee Sujeong and Yuka Yasuda of Japan tied for the Girls Division individual trophy at 10-under. The other two Japanese participants – Yuna Nishimura (-9) and Ayaka Furue (-6) – finished third and fourth – respectively.
Team Japan won the Girls Team Division at the championship – finishing 10 strokes clear of second place Korea (-12) – at 22-under. No other team finished below par. Canada and Sweden tied for third at plus-2 – one stroke ahead of two-time defending champion United States (+3).
“We were very calm today,” Japanese captain Gentaro Hashida said. “We played well all four days and expected to do so. We have a very strong team and are proud to win the championship. The icing on the cake was all three players birdied their final hole.”
Colombia finished in sixth place at 9-over while New Zealand checked in seventh (+17). South Africa (+27) and Italy (+33) closed out the girls’ field.
Dao’s fellow teammates — Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont. — also paved the way for Canada’s share of third at 11-over and 13-over, respectively.
Denmark (-23) shot a 10-under 203 to come from seven strokes back and win the Boys Division. It is Denmark’s first title in the 26-year history of the event. Third-round leader Spain finished as the runner-up at minus-21 and Thailand (-19) came in third.
“We’ve been really looking forward to this week and knew we had a strong team coming in,” Denmark coach Martin Raal Kold said. “We had a bit of a rough day yesterday but the boys came back today and performed as well as we’d hoped. It was just enough to pull it off.”
Host Japan (-11) claimed the fourth spot while South Africa (-8) and Argentina (-1) also finished in the red.
Canada’s most-recent finish at the event was in 2016 with an 11th place result in the boys division.
STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Ohio State standout Jaclyn Lee recorded a 4-under 284 to end the 2018 NCAA Championship in a tie for fifth, the best individual finish in Buckeye history.
Lee, a member of the Team Canada Women’s National Amateur Squad, went into the final day one-stroke behind the lead after recording a 6-under 66 during the third round.
The Calgary, Alta. product kicked off the final round with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes, scoring 1-under 35 across the front-nine.
After 13 holes, the 21-year-old was at the top of the leaderboard. Bogeys at 15 and 16 and a double bogey at 17, however, dropped her from first position. After closing with a birdie from the greenside bunker on 18, Lee finished four-strokes behind the tournament medallist Jennifer Kupcho.
Kupcho, the reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, posted 8-under 280 to capture the title and become the first Wake Forest woman to win an NCAA golf title. The reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion overcame two bogeys and a double bogey across the front-nine with five birdies over her final eight holes.
Lee’s stellar junior season with Ohio State saw her winning three individual tournament titles, including a record-tying performance at the Big Ten Women’s Championship and an overall scoring average of 71.14, the lowest in Buckeye history. She will have another chance at winning the NCAA next year in her final collegiate season.
Lee’s fellow Team Canada member Maddie Szeryk closed out her outstanding collegiate career with a tie for 17th after scoring a 2-over 290. The Texas A&M Senior won four tournaments in her collegiate career and leaves with career records for stroke average, birdies, eagles and rounds played. She set the NCAA career record with 91 rounds of even-par or better and an SEC record with 32 Top-10 finishes.
Full tournament results can be found here.
Having recorded some impressive results, Monet Chun is proving herself to be a promising and talented young golfer with a bright future ahead.
Among the highlights for the second-year member of the Team Canada’s Development Squad are three victories at Future Links, driven by Acura Championships: Quebec, Ontario and Pacific, winning this past May by a two-stroke margin.
Other highlights of her impressive 2017 season include a win at the Investors Group Junior Girl’s Spring Classic, a top-10 finish at the prestigious Porter Cup along with a 3rd and 4th place finish at the Junior Orange Bowl and Canada Summer Games, respectively.
Looking back on her humble beginnings, the Richmond Hill, Ont. native says she got started at the age of five with the encouragement of her mom, Elena.
“My mom looked for a sport with limited possibilities of injuries. I started taking lessons once a week and participated in my first tournament at the age of seven,” she recalled.
Growing up, Chun would dabble in other sports—but after committing herself to golf at the age of 10, she has not looked back.
“I played other sports like volleyball and basketball for fun, but never competitively,” she pointed out.
“I realized I wanted to play at a high level since I was 10. Playing at an international golf event made me want to continue to play at that level and I want to compete with the best players.”
After a number of runner up finishes, Chun’s first big victory came at the 2015 Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play championship where she defeated Alyssa Getty 5 & 4 in the championship match. In 2016, Chun would win the Golf Quebec Junior Spring Open and finish in a tie for second at the Ontario Women’s Amateur.
Having spent some time working with Chun, 2007 Ontario Women’s Amateur champion, coach Rebecca Lee-Bentham sees a lot of potential in the young golfer.
“I see a lot of myself in Monet because I can see that she’s really disciplined and works really hard; and is really dedicated to getting better each day,” said Lee Bentham, a retired LPGA pro and current PGA of Canada Class “A” coach.
“She’s consistent off the tee and has a good long game and her short game is sound also,” added Lee-Bentham. “Overall, she’s very talented and has a promising future ahead.”
The 17-year-old golfer is quick to credit her mom and her dad, Peter, for their unconditional support over the years.
“I would not be able to play the sport without the support of my parents and their dedication in driving me to practices and taking me to tournaments. I think their commitment to my game has been a key factor to my improvement over the years,” said Chun.
She is also quick to credit her time on the women’s development squad for her progression as a player.
“The program has helped improve not only my techniques, but has helped me improve physical strength and my mental game,” she said.
Currently Chun is part of the first group of golfers who have relocated to Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C. as part of the revamped development squad program.
The change in program structure and commitment to a centralized training environment over four and a half months of the year are designed to better support emerging talents as part of Golf Canada’s next generation strategy.
“The training facility in Victoria is well equipped and suited for our practices. I think it is a great idea for the team to be centralized in Victoria,” said Chun.
“It will help to improve my game since I will be receiving better support, more time with the coaches, better weather and facilities, and programs that fit our needs including schooling.”
The Richmond Hill, Ont. native was chosen to represent Canada—for the second year in a row—at the World Junior Girls Championship this past September in Ottawa.
“The field has many strong players and I was able to meet new people from all over the world. Being able to take part in a team is a different experience to other competition which I think makes the World Junior Girls Championship a wonderful experience. Also, I was able to get to know my new teammates better. It was a fun tournament,” said Chun about the event which was held at the Marshes Golf Club.
Looking ahead, the talented and promising young golfer is clear on both her short and long-term goals.
“My goals over the next year are to play consistently during (and outside) of tournaments; and commit to a school in the States,” said Chun.
“And my goals over the next five years is to win a national title, play in the NCAA representing a college team, and play in an LPGA Tour event.”
KEMPTVILLE, Ont. – National Amateur Squad member Josh Whalen claimed third at the 2018 Flagstick Open Champion at eQuinelle Golf Club this weekend.
22-year-old Whalen, who earned top spot in the men’s National Order of Merit in 2017, started the final round in fourth after scoring an even-par 72 on Saturday.
Though the final round began with dark clouds, the sun eventually shone as the Napanee, Ont. native shot eight birdies across the 36-hole event. He finished the tournament with a 4-under, one-stroke shy of co-leads Noah Steele and Robert Mustard.
Two-time defending champion Steele went into the final round at the top of the leaderboard. The 20-year-old carded a 5-under 67 in round one, with Mustard only one-stroke behind. The two players battled throughout the final round for the lead, ending 36 holes tied at 5-under. A two-way playoff would decide the result.
Mustard, a native of Brockville, Ont., ultimately defeated Steele with a 20-foot birdie for the one-hole playoff victory.
Full results can be found here.
