UXBRIDGE, ON— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) will have another strong entry in the 2015 combined event in Lima, Peru: The Manuel Prado Cup (Team) and Carlos Raffo A. Cup (Individual), April 6-11. This year, Ontario will be represented by Dave Bunker, playing in this event for the seventh time, and Rob Cowan, who will make his fifth appearance.

Bunker, 49, who ranked second in the GAO’s Mid-Am Order of Merit standings, for 2014, resides in Woodbridge and is a member at the Brampton Golf Club. Last season was a particularly good one for Bunker as he captured the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship, along with the Investors Group Mid-Amateur Championship.  Bunker already sports a long list of provincial championships including: the 2008 Amateur; 2003 and 2010 Match Play; 2007 and 2010 Mid-Amateur; 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 Mid-Master; and 2009 and 2010 Public Player. His best finish in Peru was in 2007 when he finished second in the individual competition and in 2010 when his team finished seventh.

“It’s always a great opportunity to represent the province and Peru is an awesome place to start the competitive season,” said Bunker. “I’m feeling really positive. I’ve had a good winter, spending a lot of time on my golf fitness. I’ve worked a bit with my coach on a couple of swing mechanic modifications as well. I was in Florida for a vacation two weeks ago and the golf results were showing.”

As for Cowan, 50, he ranked third this past season in the Mid-Am Order of Merit standings and earned an invitation after the top ranked Mid-Am, Garrett Rank, was unable to commit due to his schedule as an NHL referee. However, this will not be a new experience for Cowan, the Wellesley resident and Westmount Golf and Country Club member, is also a veteran of the event. Cowan brings even more experience to the team as they tackle the Lima Golf Club.  Cowan is coming off a strong season of his own in which he captured the Ontario Champion of Champions title. That was his second Champion of Champions title (2010) but he is also a former Ontario Mid-Masters Champion (2008) and Match Play Champion (2002).

“Having Rob as my partner again makes the trip very comfortable,” added Bunker. “We’ve traveled and played together so many times, it’s almost like a well rehearsed routine. Rob is a great player and we’ve had a lot of success as teammates, so both of us are really looking forward to next week.”

The event, sanctioned by the Peruvian Golf Federation, is hosted by the Lima Golf Club and has been running since 1988. The tournament is open to players with three or less handicaps and draws amateur golfers from all across the Americas and Europe. The players will have two practice rounds (April 6-7) before the first of the four rounds begin on April 8.

The team competition takes the two members scores over the four days and the lowest aggregate is the winner. For the individual competition, the lowest score after 72 holes is declared the winner.

For more information on the event and round by round results see: www.limagolfclub.org.pe.

Looking at The GAO’s newest program She Swings She Scores. A program designed to get females currently playing hockey to take up the game of golf in a team environment.

MURRELLS INLET, SOUTH CAROLINA – It was almost like déjà vu from 2014 as soggy conditions greeted the players at Wachesaw Plantation Club on the final day of the Can-Am Junior Team Matches.  The American team, consisting of juniors from the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, earned 147 of 288 possible points to defeat the Canadian squad, from the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), 225 to 207 to earn the 2015 title of Can-Am Champions.

The competition got underway on March 21 with best-ball team matches. While the event was played in a match-play format, the scoring was slightly different than a traditional match-play. Each match played the full 18-holes and a point was awarded for each hole with tied holes counting for half a point.

After the first day, the American team held a 12-point margin over the Canadian juniors 78 to 66. Ontario’s lone win came from Grace St-Germain and Monet Chun who took their match 11.5-6.5. Brendan Seys and Kelvin Lim managed a 9-9 split in their match, as did the team of Madeline Marck-Sherk and Alyssa Getty.

The young men led off the Can-Am singles matches, during the final round on March 22, with Ontario posting one win, by Jake Bryson, and one halved match by Trevor Ranton. However, the American team captured the other six boys’ singles matches.  After the eight boys matches had concluded, the Americans extended their first day lead by an additional 20 points and were seemingly all but out of reach.

However, the lady Canadians came out firing with Grace St-Germain defeating Savanah Goodman by a 13.5 to 4.5 margin and Alyssa Getty handing a loss to Jodee Tindal 12.5 to 5.5, cutting the two-day lead in half after just two matches. The rest of the afternoon remained tight with Ontario’s girls winning two matches and the South Carolina team earning three.  Chloe Currie was a winner in her match, 10-8 over Victoria Huskey, and Isabella Portokalis defeated Morgan Cox 10.5 to 7.5. In the end, the South Carolina team held on for the 225-207 win.

It was a challenging final day on the course as wet conditions impacted the players and the course.  At the conclusion of play, it was a great weekend of golf for both GAO and South Carolina Junior Golf Association players.  It was also the closest that the Can Am Matches have been since 2010, when the Golf Association of Ontario youngsters last hoisted the Joseph T. Simons Can-Am Trophy.

“The highlight of the event was the impressive performance by the girls in the singles matches: the dominant wins by St-Germain and Getty along with the solid wins by Currie and Portokalis,” said Mary Ann Hayward, Manager of Sport Performance. “Although Bryson was the only boy to post a win in the boys’ singles matches, many of the boys played extremely well. All of the team members fought hard for every point gained on the last day and we are extremely proud of everyone for their performance in the matches.”

Team Ontario took advantage of the trip to include a training camp leading up to the matches. Thanks to the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, the Ontario team had the opportunity to train and play at three other courses in the area: True Blue Plantation, The Reserve Golf Club and the Debordieu Club.

“The week of the Can-Am Matches are always an important one for the team as we transition from our preparation phase into competition,” added Reggie Millage, Head Provincial Coach. “The team trained hard during the week leading up to the matches and we had some really positive results heading into the event. Overall, the team played well and we had some outstanding performances that got us as close to the trophy as we have been in years. The real benefit of the week though is how it will help our athletes get a jumpstart on our competitive season. If this week is any indication we should see some great results from our Ontario athletes in 2015.”

It should be noted that the matches are less about the competition and more about building relationships and celebrating the growth of junior golf in both Ontario and South Carolina.  The Wachesaw Plantation Club members and staff make this a truly unique event.  The 2015 Can-Am Matches were a success in terms of showcasing the game of golf and the relationships that have been built between the two countries, as well as the membership of Wachesaw Plantation Club. The Canadian team was hosted by the Wachesaw membership in a Member-Am event on March 18 consisting of a shotgun scramble team event followed by a luncheon.

Overall Results

USA – 225, Canada – 207

Day One Results

USA – 78, Canada – 66

Goodman / Huskey – 6.5, St-Germain / Chun – 11.5

Hough / Burkhardt – 9, Getty / Marck-Sherk – 9

Twitty / Cox – 10, Currie / Hong – 8

Bovender / Tindal – 11, McDonald/ Seys – 7

Nimmer / Orischak – 10.5, Ranton / Sear – 7.5

Salzer / Phillips, Trv. – 9.5, Chung / Bowery – 8.5

Self / Bishop – 9, Seys / Lim – 9

Phillips, Trn. / Proveaux – 12.5, Mac Donald / Bryson – 5.5

Day 2 Results

USA – 147, Canada – 141

Bryson Nimmer – 9, Trevor Ranton – 9

Christian Salzer – 11, Jason Chung – 7

Trevor Phillips – 9.5, Max Sear – 8.5

Caleb Proveaux – 11.5, Jackson Bowery – 6.5

Trent Phillips – 10, Brendan Seys – 8

Coleman Self – 11.5, Kelvin Lim – 6.5

Zachary Bishop – 8, Jake Bryson – 10

Andrew Orischak – 11.5, Kyle MacDonald – 6.5

Savanah Goodman – 4.5, Grace St-Germain – 13.5

Jodee Tindal – 5.5, Alyssa Getty – 12.5

Annika Bovender – 9, Monet Chung – 9

Carly Burkhardt – 9.5, Madeline Marck-Sherk – 8.5

Victoria Huskey – 8, Chloe Currie – 10

Morgan Cox – 7.5, Isabella Portokalis – 10.5

Anne Taylor Hough – 10, Diana McDonald – 8

Jacqueline Twitty – 11, Eunice Hong – 7

Canadian Team Members

Coaches: Reg Millage, Andrew Hoermann, Judy Goss, Mary Ann Hayward, Liz Hoffman, Mike Kelly.

South Carolina Team Members

Coaches: Joe Quick, Bennett Jordan, Ellen Miller, Ali Byrd

By: Brent Long

BURLINGTON, ON – For an eight-year-old, Vanessa Borovilos has an impressive collection of trophies and medals, but the one that earned an invite to Augusta National Golf Club and the 2015 Masters is extra special.

The Grade 3 student from Toronto is one of three Canadians, among a total of 80 participants, 40 boys and 40 girls between the ages of seven and 15, who will tee it up in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship on the Sunday before the Masters at Augusta National.

“It’s pretty amazing to be going to the Masters. We’re flying in an airplane which should be fun and I’m really looking forward to the competition,” says Borovilos, who started working with Coach Doug Lawrie from Focus Golf Group in Burlington, last summer and will play and train out of Trafalgar Golf & Country Club in 2015.

She is proving to be a fierce little competitor as she made it through three stages of qualifying in Michigan to punch her ticket. “There’s a lot of standing around and waiting for this one, but to be going to Augusta during the Master and staying for a practice round it very cool,” says Borovilos, who started mini-putting at the age of two-and-a-half and had her first set of clubs by the time she was three.

Vanessa will not be the only Canadian competing in the girl’s 7 to 9 age division. Jayla Kucy from Camrose, AB won local qualifying in Dupont, Washington, a sub-regional event in Lacey, Washington, and then a regional final in Park City, Utah to qualify for the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship. Ryan Blair from Oakbank, MB also won the regional finals of the boy’s 10 & 11 age bracket in Minneapolis, Minnesota to earn his spot in the championship.

Borovilos won two qualifiers at different courses in Michigan in June and August to advance to the regional final in September at Prestwick Village GC in Highland Michigan. There she won the overall title, with victories in chipping and putting – and she’s working on the driving for the Masters.

“It’s a lot of driving around to get to the different qualifiers. When you’re there, it’s a lot of waiting because they get two drives and you wait for everyone else, next it’s three chips and you wait again and finally they get three putts and that’s it, but for a trip to the Masters and to compete against the best from across the United States, it’s worth it and I think she’s going to have a great time at Augusta,” says her father Dino who will accompany Vanessa along with her mother and brother. There’s also a players’ dinner to attend at Augusta National the evening before the championship.

At only eight years of age, Vanessa is a seasoned competitor and traveller. She started playing the Canadian Junior Golf Association tours at age five against eight and nine-year-old, has played twice at US Kids World Championship including a trip to Pinehurst Resort, she has been to the Callaway World Junior Golf Championship in San Diego where she finished sixth in the six and under division and teed it up at Doral and PGA National as part of the First Tee Program in the United States.

To prepare Vanessa trains three hours each Saturday with Coach Lawrie including some ping pong to work on her eye-hand coordination. Dad takes his daughter to the Golf Dome three nights a week to practice what they worked on during the coaching session. “We have made some pretty big changes to her swing over the winter and I’m excited to see how it plays out at Augusta and into the summer,” says Lawrie who is the Head Coach for the Golf Association of Ontario NXTee Youth Golf Program. “She doesn’t like losing and she has that calmness and confidence around her when she’s competing that you don’t see in every youngster.”

When she grows up, Vanessa would like to be just like American LPGA star Lexi Thompson, who turned pro at the age of 15. “I would like to jump into that pond, just like Lexi,” Vanessa told her father after watching Thompson win the Kraft-Nabisco Championship in 2014.

Regardless of how she does at Augusta in April, Vanessa has signed up for the 2016 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship.  If she’s successful at the sub-regionals in Buffalo, she’ll advance to the regional final at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania and perhaps a return trip to the Masters in 2016.

World’s best female juniors will battle for world supremacy at The Marshes Golf Club from Sept. 20-25, 2015

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The stage has been set for the world’s top female junior golfers to put their talent and skill on display at the second annual World Junior Girls Championship.  The Marshes Golf Club in the nation’s capital is set to host the event from September 20-25 as the world’s premier 18-and-under players descend upon Ottawa to compete in both team and individual competition.

“We are thrilled to announce The Marshes Golf Club as hosts of this year’s World Junior Girls Championship. The challenging course and the scenic backdrop of Ottawa will showcase the game’s proud tradition in Canada,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna.

Situated among wetlands and forests with the Gatineau Hills in the distance, The Marshes is a prime example of the craft and care that Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Sr. put into their course designs. The venerable club has been home to several local and provincial amateur competitions and has hosted five PGA of Canada Senior Championships, most recently in 2009.

Conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario and supported by the International Golf Federation, the 2015 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will bring together 48 of the top 18-and-under female golfers from 15 countries. As hosts of the event, Canada will once again feature two contingents vying for the competition’s top prize.

When asked about having the championship in Ontario again, Golf Association of Ontario’s Executive Director Steve Carroll spoke to the tournament’s ability to grow the game. “It is an honour to host this event in our province for a second consecutive year and we greatly appreciate the support of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Ottawa Valley Golf Association for this world class championship. It provides us the opportunity to not only develop our athletes on home soil, but to also showcase our great sport and display the amazing golf skills of these incredible athletes.”

The inaugural tournament held last year at Markham, Ont.’s Angus Glen Golf Club saw Team USA claim team honours while Beverly Hills, Calif. native Mika Liu finished atop the leaderboard.

Team Sweden took home silver while Canada One comprised of Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C. and Grace St-Germain of Ottawa captured bronze. Canada Two, made up of Calgary native Jaclyn Lee, Thornhill, Ont.’s Selena Costabile and Richmond, B.C.’s Alisha Lau finished the tournament in 13^th place.

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Golf Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a specific focus on developing the game. Before the tournament gets underway, Golf Canada will host a Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO) coaching summit and a girls skill development clinic.

“As much as this Championship is about competition, it also serves to strengthen the game and increase the profile of golf in Canada,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “Conducted in partnership with Ottawa Tourism, this tournament marks the first of many Golf Canada championships to be hosted in our nation’s capital over the next four years.”

The competition’s first round will begin on Tuesday, September 22; the tournament’s closing ceremonies will wrap-up the event on Friday, September 25 with one team and one player being crowned world champions.

ABOUT THE WORLD JUNIOR GIRLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

The World Junior Girls Golf Championship is an annual event conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario. The international competition features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition.

In 2015, the competition will be hosted at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The second edition of the tournament will see a 16-team field compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours.

The event receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund); and Ottawa Tourism.

Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

NIAGARA FALLS— It turned out to be a very successful evening on Feb. 27, for Team Niagara, one of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) five regional under-17 teams, as they hosted a spaghetti dinner fundraiser to raise funds for their upcoming training trip.

The team was able to bring in more than 300 members of the community through tickets sales to the event that took place at the Niagara Falls Hilton. The evening managed to raise close to $6,000 for the team to use towards a trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, during March Break, March 16-20.

Vince Dicosimo, owner of the Niagara Falls Hilton and father of Vincent, one of the members on the team, donated the room and food, along with the staff for the event.

The evening was a total team effort as in addition to selling the tickets, each of the players’ families brought a desert and members of the team even served up the meal.

Team Niagara Coach John White expressed his appreciation for his team and their families’ efforts. “I am so proud to be a part of Team Niagara! The fundraiser was a huge success, mostly due to the players and their families. The players sold more than 300 tickets and gathered many prizes. They worked very hard at the event. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of Joy and Vince Dicosimo from the Niagara Falls’ Hilton who donated the room and food and all the staff. The hotel is beautiful and the venue was fantastic. I also appreciate that Mary Ann Hayward and Mike Kelly of the GAO took the time to attend the event. Also, thanks to my friend Ken Tarling who spoke to the players with advice from a world class player.”

“It’s hard to put into words how proud the GAO is, that this community rallied around these great kids to support them in achieving their golfing dreams,” said Mike Kelly, GAO Managing Director Sport. “From parents to grandparents to local businesses and politicians, these Niagara residents took on this initiative themselves illustrating that they all play for Team Niagara.”

UXBRIDGE – The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to announce the 2015 team for the annual Can-Am Matches, March 21-22, against South Carolina at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, just south of Myrtle Beach.

The 2015 matches will mark the 17^th playing of the event. The matches feature 16 of the top ranked junior golfers from Ontario taking on 16 of the top junior players from the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.

Representing Ontario at the matches will be all of the current Team Ontario members. Joining them will be Golf Canada National Development Team members, and former Team Ontario players, Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain. Rounding out the girls’ side will be Eunice Hong, who finished the 2014 season 10^th on both the Golf Canada and GAO Junior Girls Orders of Merit.

The Team

–       Trevor Ranton, 17,  Waterloo and Whistle Bear Golf Club

–       Max Sear, 17, Markham and York Downs Golf and Country Club  

–       Jason Chung, 15, Thornhill and Pheasant Run Golf Club

–       Brendan Seys, 16, Port Lambton and Maple City Country Club

–       Jackson Bowery, 17, London and Greenhills Golf Club

–       Kyle MacDonald, 17, Burlington and Rattlesnake Pointe Golf Club

–       Jake Bryson, 15, Dunrobin and Eagle Creek Golf Club

–       Kelvin Lim, 13, Thornhill and Station Creek Golf Club

–       Grace St- Germain, 16, Orleans and Hylands Golf Club

–       Alyssa Getty, 17, Ruthven and Kingsville Golf and Country Club

–       Monet Chun, 14, Richmond Hill and The Summit Golf and Country Club

–       Madeline Marck-Sherk, 17, Ridgeway and Bridgewater Country Club

–       Diana McDonald, 17, Kingston and Loyalist Country Club

–       Isabella Portokalis, 13, London and the London Hunt and Country Club

–       Chloe Currie, 15, Mississauga and Mississaugua Golf and Country Club

–       Eunice Hong, 17, Thornhill and the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto

This year’s team is filled with players who will make their Can-Am Matches debut. Only six of the 16 team members have taken part in the Can-Am Matches before with Ranton, St. Germain, Sear, Seys, Getty and Chun playing in the past.

Joining the team will be the coaching staff of Reggie Millage, Head Provincial Coach; Andrew Hoermann, Athletic Therapist; Mike Kelly, GAO Director of Sport Development; Mary Ann Hayward, GAO Manager of Sport Performance; Liz Hoffman, GAO Sport Committee Chair; and Judy Goss, Mental Performance Consultant.

The opening day features team best-ball matches followed by singles matches on day two.  The scoring format for the matches is slightly different than a traditional match play event. In each match, there are 18 points available, one for each hole, ensuring that all 18 holes are played. If a hole is halved, each player or team receives half a point. The format stresses the importance of each player focusing on one hole at a time.

Reggie Millage, GAO Head Provincial Coach, is looking forward to the matches, “This event is always a highlight on our schedule. It is traditionally the first competition for our 2014/15 Team Ontario athletes. It is great to be able to compete as a team and to be joined by Trevor, Grace and Eunice.”

Prior to the start of the matches, the team will have an opportunity to train in the Myrtle Beach area at courses arranged with the help of the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.

By: Brent Long

HAMILTON, ON – Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and Nevada Bob’s Golf at Sport Chek are partnering with the City of Hamilton to take its youth F.O.R.E. Golf program to the next level.

The City of Hamilton launched Fun, Organized, Recreational, Enjoyment (F.O.R.E.) Golf in February 2014. The initiative of the Recreation Department is designed to engage at risk youth between the ages of 10 to 15, who would not otherwise have the financial resources, to learn to play through a series of free indoor and outdoor lessons at the city’s two golf clubs; King’s Forest Golf Club and Chedoke Civic Golf Club.

Organizers promoted the new program through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington and a few neighbourhood schools. Before they knew it 40 youngsters were swinging golf clubs for the very first time in their lives and having fun learning.

“With the addition of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and Nevada Bob’s Golf at Sport Chek at Eastgate Mall as partners, the program will be expanded to 60 at risk youth this year,” says Jesse Williamson, Recreation Development Consultant with the City of Hamilton. “The boys and girls who took part in the program last year had a wonderful time. You could see the joy of learning to hit a ball in their smiles. I’m delighted we now have the relationship with Jumpstart and Nevada Bob’s in place that will allow us to grow the program and perhaps allow it to go national down the road.”

From January through March 2014, the F.O.R.E. Golf team conducted a community wide equipment drive that collect over 1,000 used golf clubs at the Chedoke Civic GC golf shop and produced 85 full sets of clubs. Each child who completed one of the programs received a free set of used clubs so they could continue to learn and play.

Three sessions are available this winter/spring starting on Tuesday evenings in February and March at King’s Forest GC and on Tuesday evenings in March and April at Chedoke Civic GC where the youngsters will have the opportunity to use the city’s new Multi-Sport Simulator, followed by an outdoor experience at Chedoke from April 28^th to May 19^th.

“Canadian Tire Jumpstart is proud to be a partner with the City of Hamilton for its F.O.R.E. Golf program.  Golf is one of those sports that can be out of reach for a lot of families due to cost, so to be able to introduce more youth to this sport, whom would otherwise not have a chance to try it, is a perfect fit for us.  Hopefully some of these kids will go on to enjoy the game of golf for the rest of their lives, and who knows, maybe there is another Mike Weir amongst them!” says Harry Bell, Regional Manager of Jumpstart Charities for Hamilton-Niagara and South Western Ontario.

“We are really looking forward to introducing the game of golf to a whole new group of children this spring and hopefully they’ll be able to spend their summer playing golf and making friends,” say PGA of Canada Head Professional Mark Arnett who leads the teaching team along with Associate Professional Kyle Gibson. “This truly is a grassroots initiative that will open doors and get kids off their electronic screens and into a natural setting where they can play and learn the traditions of this great game,” Arnett added.

Register for the NXTee Pee Wee Preview May 2 at Puslinch Lake Golf Course in Cambridge, ON!

CORAL SPRINGS, FL – Team Ontario got a big surprise on February 14, at their second winter training camp at TPC Eagle Trace Golf Club in Coral Springs, Florida, when LPGA star Lexi Thompson dropped by.

It was a truly unique experience for the team who took the opportunity to talk to the four-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Thompson even took to the course and played nine holes with members of the team. Team coaches said that Thompson was great with the team and thanked her for stopping by.