Team Canada’s du Toit collects NCAA win at The Prestige
Golf Canada/ Bernard Brault
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Kimberley, B.C., product Jared du Toit has been knocking at the door for some time with the Arizona State Sun Devils, before finally breaking through on Wednesday with a victory at the Prestige at PGA WEST.
The Team Canada Amateur Squad member finished the 54-hole event at 9-under par (67-67-70), four strokes clear of runner-up Sam Burns of LSU. The 21-year-old posted 13 birdies en route to the victory—his first with the Sun Devils. The team’s captain came up just shy of earning medallist honours earlier this month, where he finished tied for first after falling in a playoff.
Prior to his time at Arizona State, du Toit collected a pair of first place finishes playing for the Idaho Vandals. He captured a T1 finish in his sophomore season at the Wyoming Southern Dunes before capping off his year in stellar fashion with a victory at the Big Sky Championship.
du Toit will lead the Sun Devils into action next on Feb. 27-28 at the NIT Invitational.
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Team Canada’s Naomi Ko had a day to remember on Tuesday, hoisting her first collegiate trophy after a playoff victory at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.
Ko, a sophomore at N.C. State, closed the 54-hole event at the Rio Mar Country Club with a score of 1-under par (74-71-70) to enter a five-way tie for first. The Victoria, B.C., product went on to capture medallist honours by way of a scorecard playoff.
“Naomi is very dedicated to her game and the results continue to prove that,” said Tristan Mullally, Team Canada Women’s Head Coach. “She’s already accomplished so much in her amateur career and this win is another great sign of her development and commitment.”
The reigning Canadian Junior Girls’ champion and Order of Merit winner also paced the N.C. State Wolfpack to their first team victory of the season with an aggregate score of 877 (+13).
Team Canada’s Szeryk collects runner-up finish at Florida State Match-Up
Maddie Szeryk (Golf Canada)
Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk posted a final-round 70 (-2) on Sunday to share a three-way tie of second place at the Florida State Match-Up.
Szeryk’s performance was underlined by an opening-round, seven-birdie effort en route to carding a tournament-low 66 (-6). The Texas A&M junior went on to finish the event at 8-under par to lead the Aggies to a third place team result. Individually, the reigning Canadian Order of Merit winner came up three strokes short in her bid to defend the Seminole Invitational title; she took home the honours in 2016. Morgane Metraux of host Florida State went on to earn the title this year.
Thanks in part to Szeryk’s play, the Aggies were also able to break a 54-hole record by carding a new team-low 14-under par at the Don Veller Seminole Golf Course. Szeryk, a London, Ont., resident, also collected her 12th top-5 NCAA finish in the process.
Szeryk and the Aggies will tee-it-up next at The Dixon from Feb. 27-28 in the Woodlands, Tex.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic golf club facing scrutiny over membership policy
Chris Condon (PGA TOUR/IGF)
Canadian Press
TOKYO _ Board members at the club that will host the 2020 Olympic golf tournament failed to make a decision about changing their policy of excluding women as full members.
The Kasumigaseki Country Club came under scrutiny recently when the International Olympic Committee inquired about the club’s membership practice. The issue surfaced in mid-January when Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike urged Kasumigaseki to admit women as full members.
The club’s board of directors convened a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss the issue but didn’t reach any conclusions.
All 15 board members have to agree to change the club’s by-laws. Kiichi Kimura, the chairman of the board, expressed bewilderment at the predicament.
“We discussed how we should respond after we ask our members how they feel,” Kimura said. “It’s extremely annoying the situation has evolved into what it is so quickly. Right now, we’re confused.”
Founded in 1929 as a private club funded by about 300 wealthy men, Kasumigaseki is one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in the country and has hosted more top level tournaments than any other Japanese course.
To join Kasumigaseki, an applicant needs to obtain a reference from a current member and pay 8 million yen ($70,800) to become a regular member first, then pay additional 4 million yen ($35,400) to be a full member.
The club does not allow women to become full members or play on Sundays. Only full members can play any day of the week.
Adam Hadwin’s solid play of late has propelled him to the top of the Canadian golf rankings. The Abbotsford, B.C. native ended Mackenzie Hughes’ nine week reign as the No. 1 ranked pro in Canada. Hadwin finished tied for 49th at the PGA’s Farmers Insurance Open, which was good for 1.30 world ranking points – his fifth consecutive points paying finish on the PGA Tour. Hadwin has picked up 79 places in the world rankings since the start of the year.
The only other player having a better start to the year, rankings wise, is Corey Conners. The Team Canada Young Pro squad member posted his second straight top-10 result on the Web.com Tour, finishing tied for 7th at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. The result was worth 2.38 world ranking points and vaulted him 58 places in the rankings. Coupled with his tie for 5th a couple of weeks ago, the No. 7 ranked Canadian has gained 126 spots in the world rankings since the start of the year.
Other notable results: No. 2 Mackenzie Hughes, No. 4 Graham DeLaet and No. 5 Nick Taylor all finished tied for 54th at PGA Farmers Insurance Open; No. 6 Brad Fritsch finished tied for 67th at PGA Farmers Insurance Open; No. 8 Roger Sloan and No. 9 Adam Svensson both missed the cut at Web.com Tour event in the Bahamas; No. 10 Richard T. Lee finished tied for 34th at Asian Tour/Japanese Tour event in Myanmar.
Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.
WOMEN’S TOP-10
Brooke Henderson lost a spot in the world rankings, falling to No. 9 behind South Korean So Yeon Ryu. Henderson, who was as high as 7th after shooting a second round 64, finished in a tie for 21st in the season opening LPGA event in the Bahamas.
Maude-Aimee Leblanc was the biggest mover inside the Top-10, picking up five spots after finishing in a tie for 24th at the LPGA event in the Bahamas. After rounds of 72-71, the Quebec golfer posted a pair of sub-70 rounds to finish out the weekend, going 68-69.
Two changes in the Top-10 as Augusta James takes over No. 4 ranking in Canada by climbing one place while Brittany Marchand moves up to No. 8.
Outside Top-10, Jennifer Ha made her LPGA rookie debut, missing the cut at the event in the Bahamas. The Golf Canada Young Pro squad member did manage to climb three places in the world rankings and moved up to No. 14 in Canada.
Other Notable Results: No. 2 Alena Sharp finished tied for 47th at Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic; No. 5 Anne-Catherine Tanguay missed the cut at Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic;
Stuart Macdonald made the biggest gain among the Top-10 following his tie for fifth at the Avondale Amateur in Australia. The result saw the Vancouver golfer climb 41 places in the world rankings, moving him up to No. 8 in Canada. The Team Canada Amateur Squad member was coming off a round of 16 result at the Australian Amateur and will look to continue his strong play at the upcoming New South Wales Amateur.
Positive gains all around for the rest of the Top-10 as the collegiate golf season gets set to resume this month.
Hugo Bernard climbed three places to reach No. 99 in the world, giving Canada three amateur players now ranked inside the top 100 in the world.
Biggest move: Henry Lee gained 282 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 29th at the Arizona Intercollegiate, helping the University of Washington to a third place finish at the event.
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
There were no significant changes in the women’s rankings over the past seven days.
Biggest Move: Four golfers tied for this honour the past week as Kim Carrington, Emily Romkey, Daria Leidenius and Alexandra LeBlanc all gained 10 places in the world rankings.
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
Next Gen: The next opportunity for high performance golf
Matt Wilson (Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
PGA of Canada pro Matt Wilson named Golf Canada’s Director, Next Generation Performance to lead strategy to strengthen Canadian golf development system
Six months after golf made its historic return after 112 years to the Olympic Games, Golf Canada is adding a new layer to its high-performance programming to improve its support of its next generation of Canadian golfing talent.
What is “Next Generation” programming? Simply put, it’s about improving the support for, and taking an aligned approach to, players demonstrating performance characteristics, as well as recognizing and supporting the coaches working with those players.
Depth of talent can have a direct impact on success at the highest levels of international competition. Ensuring we have stronger alignment in our development strategy across the country is critical. It is important for Golf Canada to have line of sight to upcoming performance players—ensuring they are getting the support required to make the best decisions possible with respect to their training and competition.
The focus of Golf Canada’s Next Generation strategy is to grow the number and improve the quality of players moving through the Canadian golf development system, ultimately strengthening the pipeline of athletes considered to represent Team Canada at every level.
For Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson, strengthening the competitive talent pipeline with a depth of strong, capable athletes requires a closer connection to provincial high performance programs as well as identified golfing ‘hotbeds’ across the country.
“We have identified a gap that exists when we look at the level of our junior golfers versus international benchmarks,” said Thompson. “A greater focus on next generation activities provides the ability to build a stronger pool of performance coaches, enhance dialogue amongst coaches and share best practices. The end goal is a deeper roster of athletes capable of success against the world’s best at every level of international competition.”
As part of Golf Canada’s commitment to Long-Term Player Development, Next Gen activities add a new layer of junior development to a National Golf program that features a Development Squad, Amateur Squad and Young Pro Squad in addition to Canada’s quadrennial Olympic Golf Team.
LPGA Tour and PGA Tour respective champions Brooke Henderson, Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes are leading the charge among a new wave of Canadian talents experiencing success at the highest levels of competitive golf.
Strongly supported by Own the Podium, Next Generation is about identifying high potential athletes earlier in their competitive path—developing champions more often by design and not by chance.
The process involves working in lock step with the provincial high performance programs as well as PGA of Canada coaches supporting aspiring talent in communities across the country.
PGA of Canada professional Matt Wilson tapped to lead Golf Canada’s Next Gen Performance…
Following a comprehensive national and international search, PGA of Canada member Matt Wilson of Newmarket, Ont. has been hired by Golf Canada as Director, Next Generation Performance.
Wilson, who has garnered coaching and high performance experience both in Canada and the United States, will work closely with provincial golf associations and PGA of Canada professionals as well as Golf Canada’s National Team Coaches and Sport Science consultants to further develop and execute on Next Generation initiatives, all of which will lead to building a stronger Team Canada program.
“Matt brings a unique skill set to this newly created position, which we feel will be critical in ensuring Canada continues to fill the pipeline with high performance athletes,” said Thompson. “He is an experienced PGA Class A professional and one of few PGA of Canada members to have received his certification in both Coach of New Competitors and Coach of Developing Competitors. With Matt’s experience and skill set, Next Generation activities will play an important role in strengthening both the depth and level of Canada’s high performance players, whether that is at the club, provincial level and ultimately through to our National Team programs.”
Wilson is familiar with Golf Canada’s National Team program having captained Team Canada at both the 2015 and 2016 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan and assisted Team Canada coaches at various training camps as well as the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
He is the recipient of numerous teaching and coaching recognition awards, most recently being named by Golf Digest as one of the Best Young Teachers in America and by US Kids Golf as a Top-50 Kids Teacher (2014 & 2015; honorable mention in 2011 & 2012).
“I am thrilled to be joining Golf Canada. The opportunity to have a positive impact on Canadian golf and continue to build on the tradition and history of excellence that has been established is incredibly exciting. As a coach, I’ve stressed to athletes that growth stems from the pursuit of incremental improvement and the aggregation of marginal gains. To me, the Next Generation initiatives and focus on supporting a broader pool of athletes and coaches, represent a way for Golf Canada to continue to improve the quality of our international performances and ensure long-term success.”
As an accomplished golf coach, Wilson has an established track record of successfully elevating the performance of developing competitors as well as facilitating personal-best performances at the Junior, NCAA, Amateur, and Professional levels.
He has most recently served as Director of Instruction at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, California (June 2014 to present) where he managed a junior golf development program that supports eight national, 14 regional level athletes and 30 club level athletes with holistic, year-round programming. He has also coached multiple athletes competing full-time on the LPGA and Symetra Tours, and has been a volunteer assistant coach with the Stanford University men’s golf team since January 2015.
Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from Long Island University in Brooklyn and was a NCAA athlete and captain on the men’s golf team. He is currently working towards a Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership from the University of British Columbia.
Wilson assumes his role as Director, Next Generation Performance beginning February 7, 2017.
Team Canada’s Macdonald collects T5 finish at Avondale Amateur
Stuart Macdonald (Graig Abel/ Golf Canada)
Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada
NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Stuart Macdonald continued his Australian swing in strong fashion on Thursday, collecting a T5 result at the Avondale Amateur, a 72-hole stroke-play event.
Macdonald—a Vancouver product and Purdue University graduate—leaped eight spots up the leaderboard at the Avondale Golf Club with a final round 68 (-3) to hold a two-way share of fifth at 6-under par for the tournament (75-65-70-68).
The 22-year-old trailed host nation’s Joshua Armstrong, who closed with a final score of 11-under par (67-69-66-71). Armstrong currently sits as the No. 370-ranked amateur on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).
For Team Canada’s Macdonald, the Avondale Amateur marks the second consecutive event played Down Under. He made the round of 16 earlier at the Australian Amateur, and will look to continue his strong play at the upcoming New South Wales Amateur from Jan. 29 – Feb. 2 at the Terrey Hills Golf Club.
Golf Canada selects 2017 Team Canada Young Pro Squad
Corey Conners, Augusta James
Golf Canada
Augusta James, Jennifer Ha and Anne-Catherine Tanguay will comprise the women’s squad while Taylor Pendrith, Albin Choi and Corey Conners return to the men’s squad
OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes—three female and three male—who have been selected to the 2017 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.
Comprising the team for 2017 is Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary), Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Albin Choi (Toronto), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.).
The focus of the Young Pro Squad—now in its fourth year—is to bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 26 wins across various professional golf tours including LPGA Tour and PGA Tour wins by program graduates Brooke Henderson and Mackenzie Hughes respectively.
“These dedicated athletes are a strong reflection of Canada’s commitment producing winners at all levels of golf and we are proud to continue supporting these aspiring professionals,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson. “The support we’ve received from our sponsors and partners has helped the Young Pro initiative achieve remarkable results in a relatively narrow time frame and we look forward to further strides in 2017.”
Heading up the female contingent is long-standing Team Canada member Augusta James, who enters her sixth year as part of Team Canada. The 23-year-old looks to continue her ascension through the professional ranks as she embarks on a third consecutive Symetra Tour campaign. The former Canadian Women’s Amateur champion finished just outside the top-10 on the money list for a second straight year to narrowly miss out on qualifying for full status the LPGA Tour. James enters 2017 with partial status on the LPGA Tour and full playing rights on the Symetra Tour where she won the 2015 Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial Classic.
“Team Canada has been a huge supporter of my career since the beginning and I’m thrilled to return to the squad,” said James, who currently ranks fifth among Canadians on the Women’s Rolex World Golf Rankings. “I’ve developed very close relationships with Tristan (Women’s Team Coach Tristan Mullally) and the support staff and I’m looking forward to more success in 2017.”
Joining James on the Women’s Young Pro Squad is Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, the lone Canadian to earn full LPGA Tour status via qualifying school. The 22-year-old recorded a T8 result at Daytona Beach to earn priority LPGA Tour status for the entirety of the 2017 season. She joins the LPGA Tour on the heels of a Symetra Tour season highlighted by T7 finish at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. Ha is also no stranger to the Team Canada program; she was member of the Amateur Squad from 2014-15 and Development Squad in 2013.
“I’m grateful to officially have Golf Canada back in my corner once again,” said Ha, a graduate of Kent State. “I’m taking on some new challenges in 2017 and the support of the Young Pro program will be a huge boost in helping to achieve my goals.”
Rounding out the women’s team is Quebec City native Anne-Catherine Tanguay, also a graduate of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad program. Tanguay, 26, joins the team on the strength of a season that featured five top-20 finishes, good for No. 61 on the Volvik Race to the Card money list. The Oklahoma State alumna joins Ha as first-year members of the Young Pro Squad.
On the men’s side, all three members make their return to the Young Pro Squad in 2017.
Taylor Pendrith, 25, earned two top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2016 to finish at No. 107 on the money list. The Kent State alumnus is a season removed from finishing third on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit as one of five athletes to graduate onto the Web.com Tour. Pendrith will look to make strides on the Web.com circuit in 2017 where he holds conditional status.
“Having the Young Pro program so invested in my future success is very humbling,” said Pendrith. “I’m so happy to have all the guys back and am thankful for the continued coaching and advice from Derek (Men’s Team Coach Derek Ingram) and the sport science team.”
Albin Choi, a member of the Young Pro Squad since its inception, will return for a fourth year representing Team Canada in the professional ranks.
Choi recorded three top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2016 to finish the year at No.69 on the money list. Entering his eighth year with the Team Canada program, the 24-year-old former Canadian Men’s Amateur champion has full status on the Web.com Tour this season.
“I’m thrilled to have been involved with the Team Canada program for most of my career—it’s almost like a family now,” said Choi. “The Young Pro Squad has been such a huge help for my maturity as a professional athlete and I can’t wait to make great strides once again in 2017.”
Rounding out the male contingent is Listowel, Ont., native Corey Conners. In 2016, the 25-year-old recorded eight top-10’s on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica to finish inside the top-10 (No. 6) on the money list, granting him partial Web.com Tour status. Conners also added a runner-up finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event.
“Knowing that I always have that strong support system in place for me when I need it is a very reassuring thought,” reflected Conners, who recently finished T5 at Web.com Tour’s Bahamas Great Exuma Classic event. “I’m extremely excited for this upcoming season and to reconnect with the Team Canada family for my seventh year.”
Men’s National Squad coach Derek Ingram and Women’s National Team coach Tristan Mullally—both PGA of Canada Ben Kern Coach of the Year recipients—will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. In addition to funding and coaching support, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood and Physiotherapist & Strength Coach Greg Redman.
“I’m proud to see these young athletes further their progress through the professional ranks as they build upon their careers,” said Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada. “The commitment Golf Canada has shown in collaborating with the PGA of Canada in our world class teaching and coaching certification programs is another example of the organization’s overall commitment to the game of golf in Canada.”
The program was developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and is funded in large part by the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada, Bear Mountain Golf Club and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund.
“On the verge of our fourth year of support, driving funds for the Young Pro Squad program will continue to be very high on the Foundation’s priority list,” said Golf Canada Foundation CEO Martin Barnard. “We’re very proud of what the program has been able to accomplish thus far, and we anticipate future success in developing the next generation of professional Canadian golfers to inspire our youth.”
Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.
Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.
Hugo Bernard cards 67 to finish T7 at South American Amateur
Hugo Bernard (Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
PILAR COUNTY, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard saved his strongest play for Sunday’s final round of action at the South American Amateur, carding a 5-under par 67 to jump into a three-way tie for seventh place.
Bernard, a Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., native, recorded six birdies at the Martindale Country Club en route to finishing as the low Canadian at 6-under par. The 22-year-old trailed men’s champion Paul Chaplet of Costa Rica, who secured a two-stroke victory at 14-under par.
Team Canada’s Development Squad duo of Peyton Callens and A.J. Ewart also played some of their best golf on Sunday. Callens, a Langton, Ont., product, posted a 1-under 71 to squeeze inside the top-20 with a share of 17th at even-par for the tournament (73-74-70-71). Coquitlam, B.C., native Ewart followed with an even-par 72, his lowest score at the event (75-75-77-72).
Richmond Hill, Ont., native Monet Chun continued her steady play to lead the way for the Canadian women. Chun, 16, closed with a 1-under 71 to also record her strongest round at the event, lifting her to a solo 16th finish.
Teammate Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., also followed suit with the strong Canadian play on Sunday, carding a 2-under 70 to jump nine spots up the leaderboard into solo 32nd at 15-over par.
The women’s field could not keep up with the surging medallist Isabella Fierro of Mexico, who ran away with a 10-stroke victory at 14-under par (68-71-67-68). Fierro adds yet another impressive result to her resume; she recently took home medallist honours at the Mexican Amateur earlier this month.
Bernard remains tied for 14th with 18 to play at South American Amateur
Hugo Bernard (Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
PILAR COUNTY, Buenos Aires, Argentina – Amateur Squad’s Hugo Bernard held onto his share of 14th place with an even-par 72 on Saturday at the Martindale Country Club to lead all Canadians.
Bernard, the reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, posted a steady 16 pars to remain 1-under for the tournament (75-68-72). The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product now trails Costa Rica’s Paul Chaplet, who leapfrogged the competition with a 66 (-6) to build an outright lead of two strokes over second place.
Team Canada teammate Peyton Callens had his strongest day yet, recording a 2-under 70 to move the Langton, Ont., native up nine spots into a tie for 23rd at 1-over par for the tournament. Fellow Development Squad member A.J. Ewart’s struggles continued on Saturday, with the Coquitlam, B.C. resident posting a 5-over par 77. Ewart, 17, holds a share of 50th heading into tomorrow’s final round.
Richmond Hill, Ont., native Monet Chun continues to lead the way for the Canadian women. The Development Squad rookie climbed three spots with an even-par 72 to bring the 16-year-old into a tie for 16th. Chun is chasing the leading Isabella Fierro of Mexico, who recently took home medallist honours at the Mexican Amateur. Fierro holds the outright lead at 10-under par, four shots clear of runner-up Delfina Acosta of Argentina.
Development Squad teammate Mary Parsons showed signs of a recovery, posting a 2-over 74—her best score for the tournament. Through 54 holes, the Delta, B.C., product sits T41 at 17-over par.
The final round of action gets underway at 7:30 am local time on Sunday.
