Highlights from the GAO’s 2014 Investors Group Mid-Amateur Championship, June 23-25, at Taboo Resort in Gravenhurst.

UXBRIDGE, ON— The best female golfers in Ontario will be teeing it up next week, July 8-11, at the Brampton Golf Club for the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) 2014 Investors Group Women’s Amateur Championship.

The first two rounds of the 99^th edition of the tournament, which was also played at Brampton in 1985, will see the field of 87 cut down to 54, plus ties for the final two rounds.

The field will have numerous big names taking part, including 16-year-old Smiths Falls native and Canadian National Team member Brooke Henderson. Henderson is coming off a T-10 at the Women’s U.S. Open, June 22, where she also was the low amateur. In addition, Henderson won the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario event just days later on June 25.

Henderson’s first and second round group will include the two most recent champions as she will play along side Seaforth’s Robyn Doig, the 2013 champion who is coming off of a win at the Match Play Championship earlier this season, and fellow Team Canada member Mono’s Brittany Marchand, the 2012 winner.

Five-time champion, Mary Ann Hayward, from Aurora, will also be part of the field, as will 2011 champion and current Team Canada member Bath’s Augusta James and 2004 champion Etobicoke’s Terrill Samuel.

The field also features two members of the GAO’s Team Ontario with Oakville’s Annika Haynes and Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun taking part. At 13-years-old, Chun is one of the youngest competitors only older than 12-year-old Isabella Portokalis from London.

Portokalis is part of the GAO’s Team Waterloo U17 regional team. In addition to her participation, four other regional team members will compete. Joining her from Team Waterloo is Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk, from Team York are Thornhill’s Ellice Hong and Hornby’s Alexandra Naumovski, and Lilian Klekner-Alt is the lone representative from Team Ottawa.

Marchand and Naumovski are part of the local contingent in the field from the Brampton Golf Club that also includes: Sandy Byckowski, Meredith Fairbairn, Kayrn Lee Ping, Katelyn McMahon and Melissa Ramnauth.

Participants will be gunning for one of the qualifying spots for the Canadian Women’s Amateur, July 22-25 at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock. The top three finishers will comprise Team Ontario for the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship’s inter provincial competition.

First round tee offs will begin on July 8 at 7:30 a.m. To stay up to date on the entire tournament visit the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1416/index.htm

About the Women’s Amateur

The Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship was first contested in 1904. Past champions include: 1968 LPGA championship winner Sandra Post (1964), LPGA Tour player Alena Sharp (1989), Jennifer Kirby (2009, 2010), and World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit, who holds the record for the most number of titles with 11.

UXBRIDGE, ON— 2013 champion Brantford’s Stephane Dubois will lead a field of 156 golfers when the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) 2014 Investors Group Men’s Amateur Championship kicks off on July 8 at the Club at North Halton in Georgetown, the first time the club has hosted the event.

The field made their way through the various GAO qualifiers and exemptions and will hit the Club at North Halton for the first two round before the field is cut to the 60lowest score, and ties, for the final two rounds.

In addition to the title itself, the golfers will be looking to claim one of the Canadian Amateur Championship qualifying spots and the top three finishers will earn the right to represent Ontario in the inter provincial competition at the Canadian Amateur, Aug. 4-7 at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club/Southwood Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It is a star-studded field to say the least. In addition to Dubois, other past champions participating include: Listowel’s Corey Conners (2010), who was a First-Team All-MAC selection during his 2013-14 season at Kent State, Woodbridge’s Dave Bunker (2008) who is fresh off his win at this season’s Investors Group Mid-Amateur Championship, and Georgetown’s Bill Swartz (1982).

Conners will be one of three Canadian National Team members to tee it up at the event. Kitchener’s Chris Hemmerich and Richmond Hill’s Taylor Pendrith will also be in the field. Team Canada Development Team members Vaughn’s Tony Gil, who captured this season’s Investors Group Junior Spring Classic, and Sutton West’s Carter Simon will also take part.

GAO U19 Team Ontario members will also be in the pack. As Hamilton’s Chad Watts Denyes, Unionville’s Max Sear, Waterloo’s Trevor Ranton, and Port Perry’s Sam McNulty all earned entry.

The youngest competitors in this year’s event are Toronto’s Mathew Suarez, who is a member of Team York, one of the GAO’s three regional U17 teams, and Oakville’s Damon Crane who both enter at just 15 years of age.

In addition to Swartz, there are six other players in the field that call North Halton their home course, including: Jeff Beedham, Thomas Hunt, David Kotsos, Mike Kotsos, Gary Potter and Adam Salisbury.

Round one tee time begin at 7:30 a.m. For up to date information about the tournament including leaderboard and pairings see the tournament website at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1413/index.htm

About the Investors Group Men’s Amateur Championship

First played in 1923, the Investors Group Men’s Amateur Championship past champions include 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir (1990 & 1992), Jon Mills (2001), Gerry Kesselring ( ’49, ’51, ’52, ’53) and Gary Cowan, who holds the record for the most Ontario Amateur Championships with nine (’64, ’68, ’71, ’74, ’74, ’75, ’77, ’78, ’81 & ’84). 

UXBRIDGE, ON— As we all know, a golf course can be a very relaxing, tranquil place. Yet in the blink of an eye, dark clouds can roll in and a thunderstorm can turn the course into an unsafe environment, especially if you are far from the clubhouse. Add to the fact that golf is a game played with metal implements and things even more dangerous.

The first thing golfers should do when they hear the horn is stop playing and head for the club house or shelter.  You should avoid high ground, water, tall, isolated trees and metal objects such as fences.  It is extremely important not to stand under lone trees as that is where the most people are injured or killed. You should move away from your clubs and golf cart.

When seeking an on course shelter, it needs to be a building with four sides and electricity or plumbing or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows up.  Open-sided buildings do not provide protection from lightning even if they have a lightning rod.

A good rule for everyone is: “If you can see it (lightning), flee it; if you can hear it (thunder), clear it.” Environment Canada offers a 30-30 rule as well. They say if you can count 30 seconds or less between seeing a lightning flash and hearing the thunder, take shelter and stay there until 30 minutes after you last hear thunder.

If someone is struck by lightning it is important to call 911 immediately as the person has received an electrical shock and may be burned or have other injuries. It is ok to handle the person as lightning strikes do not leave an electrical charge in the victim. Give first aid and if their heart has stopped beating a trained person should give CPR.

All GAO championships and multi-day events have a course evacuation plan in place prior to the beginning of the practice round.

The tournament director will monitor the online weather systems in the event that there is any potential of dangerous weather.

If there is dangerous weather, rules officials will be advised of an impending suspension and the officials with air-horns will be located at positions on the course such that all players will be able to hear the signal.  Suspensions for a dangerous situation are signalled with one prolonged note.

Rule officials will assist in the evacuation process and conduct a sweep of their zone to ensure that all players, caddies and volunteers are off the golf course.

When play is suspended for a dangerous situation, all practice facilities on the premises are included in the suspension. All facilities remain closed until the committee reopens the practice areas.

Follow these tips to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable season on the golf course.

A big congratulations to Braeben Golf Course for a great field trip! A letter the Golf Association of Ontario recently received  from McBride Avenue Public School after taking part in a learn and play initiative at Braeben Golf Course on June 12. A great example of the work being done to grow the sport!

Niagara Falls, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson kept the momentum going after the U.S. Women’s Open by winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

With six birdies in Wednesday’s round Henderson fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 to claim her second Canadian Women’s Tour title – she won the Canadian Women’s Tour Quebec stop in 2012 at age 14.

Henderson finished the tournament with a final score of 9-under-par 135, five strokes ahead of Stephanie Connelly after rounds of 69-66.

“Yesterday I was tied for the lead, so I knew I had to get a good round together.” Henderson said. “Coming in through nine I was 3-under and the girl ahead of me was 4-under for the day. I realized I needed to get in gear and was able to get four more birdies on the back nine.”

Henderson, 16, of Smiths Falls, Ont. is coming off of a successful month of play, finishing T10 in the U.S. Women’s Open and claiming the Porter Cup Champion title earlier in June.

Her win at this week’s event earns her an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, taking place at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. in August.

“It’s definitely cool to get the exemption, I know I deserve it now instead of someone just giving me one, which I’m very grateful for too and I’ll take those anytime,” Henderson said. “I’m looking forward to going to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and seeing Lorie Kane as well as some other Canadian professionals out there.”

At the end of yesterday’s opening round, Henderson shared first place with Connelly of Fleming Island, Fla. Connelly finished at 4-under-par 140 to claim first place prize money. Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. finished in solo third at 3-under 141, with Samantha Richdale of Kelowna B.C. at 2-under. Emily Childs finished in a tie for 5th at 1-under 143 with Australia’s Emma de Groot.

GRAVENHURST, ON— Make it a hat trick for Woodbridge’s Dave Bunker at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Mid-Amateur Championship. The Brampton Golf Club member was able to hang on to his lead from round two to claim the 2014 title at two-over for the tournament (70-70-75), June 25 at Taboo Resort in Gravenhurst.

The 49-year-old Bunker came into the final round at two-under for the tournament, one shot ahead of North York’s Charles Fitzsimmons and two better than Peterborough’s Michael Farrugia. However, Bunker got out to a tough start as he bogeyed the first hole and then doubled the second. He would end up three-over at the turn. He was able to settle down on the back nine and only bogeyed the 17^th hole. He tapped in on 18 for par, four-over for the day, and a three-shot win. Bunker also took home the Mid-Masters Championship (40-years and older division).

“It feels good to win three times. To win the match play earlier this season and now here is pretty special,” said Bunker.

Bunker knew that he didn’t begin the way he would have liked but explained how he overcame that to end the day on top. “It didn’t start the way I wanted it to. I struggled on the green on one and then hit a poor tee shot on two and it snowballed. But I settled down after that and played ok.”

Luckily for Bunker, the others around him also had their troubles. First round leader, Fitzsimmons (67-74-80), finished the front nine at eight-over and while he did regain his earlier form on the back nine, he still ended the day nine-over and eight-over for the tournament in a tie for eighth.

“I was really surprised when I bogeyed 17 and asked what the leaderboard looked like to find out I had a three-shot lead,” said Bunker. “I didn’t know that everybody else was doing the same thing as our group. It gave me a little relaxation on 18 that I didn’t have to worry too much about somebody being right there with me.

One member of the final group, Farrugia (72-70-76), had his difficulties as well but finished the day five-over and was able to hang on for a share of second place at five-over for the tournament.

The story of the day turned out to be Wasaga Beach resident Dean Henry (73-72-73). Henry entered play at three-over for the tournament, but after shooting one of the lower rounds during the final day, two-over, he ended in the tie for second with Farrugia at five-over for the championship.

Throughout the championship, weather was another story with delays and even minor suspensions in play occurring on day two. Bunker talked about how he battled through that. “I played really well in round one and two just staying out of trouble, hitting fairways and greens in regulation and putting really well. The weather was frustrating but everyone had to deal with it.”

Bunker, Farrugia and Henry will now move on to the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship as the Team Ontario representatives for the inter-provincial team competition. The event is scheduled for Sept. 16-19 at the Barrie Country Club.

“I am really looking forward to the Canadian Mid-Am at Barrie,” added Bunker. “Mike and Dean are really good players so we should have a very competitive team.”

As for his preparation for his upcoming events, Bunker isn’t going for anything out of the norm. “I’m just going to keep playing and practicing. I plan to play Barrie this weekend to just check out the course and will probably play it a few times during the summer.  I’m also looking forward to the Amateur at North Halton, I played well there last year and I’ll hopefully have a good week.”

The Investors Group Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur championship is a 54-hole competition featuring Ontario’s best golfers age 25 and older that have gained entry into the event through one of eight qualifying tournaments or through an exemption. Competitors age 40 and over also compete for the Ontario Men’s Mid-Master division trophy. Contested annually since 1993, past champions of the event include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member Stu Hamilton and Kelly Roberts, Graham Hill and Drew Symons.

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the volunteers, staff and members from Taboo Resort for hosting the event as well as Investors Group for their continued support of amateur golf in Ontario.

LONDON, ON — Bolton’s Dan Partland was the man to beat at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Senior Men’s Champion of Champions on June 23 at the Riverbend Golf Community in London. Partland finished the day six-under (66) for a comfortable three-shot win.

The 60-year-old, who is a member of The National Golf Club of Canada and six-time course champion, topped the field of 64 senior men’s club champions from across the province with his dominant round.

The closest competitors to Partland were Bradford’s Tom Hodgins (Meadowbrook Golf and Country Club) and Stoney Creek’s Greg Adoranti (Glen Abbey Golf Club) who finished the day in a tie for second at three-under 69.

Just three other players finished the round under par as Pickering’s Christopher Kertsos and Listowel’s Robert Greer tied at two-under 70 and London’s Stephen Brodie ended the day one-under 71. Defending champion Rich Parsons, from St. Mary’s, was one of three players to finish at even par.

With the win, Partland earned an exemption into the GAO’s 2014 Investors Group Senior Men’s Amateur Championship Aug. 12-14 at Hunters Pointe in Welland.

The Ontario Senior Men’s Champion of Champions was first contested in 1970 and features senior men’s club champions age 55 and over from Golf Association of Ontario member clubs across the province. The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank The Riverbend Golf Community for hosting the event and for their support of amateur golf in Ontario.

TORONTO, ON – There’s something about turning a negative into a positive that strikes architect Ian Andrew’s fancy.

Actually it is two negatives – the summer flood from 2013 and the coldest winter in decades in 2014 – that wreaked havoc on the course that Stanley Thompson designed for Islington Golf Club in 1922 and many others in Ontario.

While it’s easy to blame the double-whammy on Mother Nature’s mean streak, it’s the membership’s positive and timely response to the adversity that energizes the noted Canadian golf course architect when it comes to the renovations and repairs that have taken place and that will continue throughout the summer.

“These are challenging situations for memberships to deal with, nobody wants to lose their golf course for an entire summer, but in this case the membership has planned for the long-term viability of the golf club,” says Andrew, who was disheartened by the dramatic winterkill when he first saw the course in April.

In December, a winter storm first covered Islington GC with a blanket of four to six inches of ice that didn’t melt until well into March. Extensive amounts of turf on its poa annua greens and fairways died due to the harsh winter conditions that included three freeze/thaw cycles. In response, on May 26^th, the membership voted 86 per cent in favour of rebuilding all greens to USGA standards, renovating the majority of the green side bunkers and revamping the practice area to include a netted practice range and short game area with two bunkers and two greens.

The one green that isn’t being rebuilt this spring, No. 11, was rebuilt with Luminary creeping bentgrass last summer after the flood. It came through the winter with barely a scratch, said Superintendent Ian McQueen. Reconstruction of the greens and bunkers started the day after the vote and Andrew expects to have all greens rebuilt and seeded by July 31^st. The clubhouse remains open for business, but the range is also closed for renovations until at least the fall, while members continue to play golf on temporary greens. The renovated course is slated to open for play in May 2015.

As a very early Thompson layout, Andrew says the original routing of the course demonstrates Thompson’s innate ability to make the most of the land and its features, but overall it was understated – with little drama when it came to bunkers. Over time, several architects left their finger prints on the course adding bunkers and altering tees and greens here and there. As a result, the work Andrew is doing at the club is not purely a restoration of Thompson’s original design. It’s a renovation that preserves some of Thompson’s original work and also builds upon the various evolutions of the golf course over the years.

“When push comes to shove, you must solve issues of ice and drainage and that too has brought about a few alterations designed to protect the club from going through this again,” says Andrew, who has been the Club’s consulting architect since 2010. “There is some pure restoration, but with nine greens previously renovated by other architects and superintendents, there are also some changes being made to have those greens become more appropriate for a Thompson course.”

Last summer, Islington GC was ravaged by a July rainstorm that dumped five inches of water throughout the course in the span of two hours. It devastated the course and Andrew was enlisted to rebuild the 11^th green after half of it went missing. He also rebuilt the greenside bunkers on holes No. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 as a result of severe washouts and contamination. The Club also approved rebuilding the par-3, 15^th hole. This spring they moved the green 30 yards away from Kipling Avenue and raised it into a better growing environment. The result is a striking new hole that will add more challenge to the closing stretch of holes. That work was completed in mid-June and No. 15 will reopened this fall.

When it comes to greenside bunkers, Andrew is taking out a total of three on No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6; he’s adding two on No. 5 and renovating 16 others. It’s interesting to note that there are no bunkers whatsoever on the three closing holes at Islington and that’s the way Andrew will leave it.

Over a two-to-three week period Andrew spent an excessive amount of time sketching in his office or doodling on his front porch to find a solution for the troubling sixth green. In the end, after 11 doodles and three fully worked out concept designs, an out of the box answer he had never dreamed of in the beginning of the process finally came. “Every once in a while a solution comes and you can say to yourself, “That was clever, I earned my keep today.” and that’s what happened with No. 6 when I drew it without the left front bunker,” Andrew says.

Creating something exciting, new and positive out of two game-changing blows from Mother Nature reenergizes the Club for growth and renewal. As one of the premier, private Club’s in the Greater Toronto Area, Islington is charging forward as a confident membership continues to foster a solid foundation upon the gem Thompson first designed over 90 years ago.

By: Terry Lenyk/ Golf Canada

PINEHURST, N.C. – There’s no doubting Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson knows how to rise to the occasion.

She’s won major amateur events like the Porter Cup and the Spirit Invitational. She’s the youngest golfer ever to win a professional golf title. And now, in perhaps her biggest feat to date, the 16-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont. native captured low amateur honours at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 – where she finished tied for 10th at 5-over 285 on the devious track.

“There’s a lot of great amateurs here that qualified this week,” said Henderson following her round Sunday in North Carolina. “It’s very exciting, that’s for sure. The best players in the world are here and to know that I’m right up there, it’s really awesome. I still have a long way to go to where I want to be in the next couple years, but it’s really exciting to know that I have the potential and it was a great finish here this week.”

Henderson, who had her sister Brittany as her caddie this week, improved on the tie for 59th she recorded in her first Women’s U.S. Open last year at Southampton, N.Y. She credited her ball striking in the final round for part of the improvement.

“Ball striking was really big for me today,” she added. “I made two mistakes off the tee which cost me a double and a bogey, but other than that, I was hitting it really well and had a couple tap-in birdies, which is really nice.”

She had five birdies, two bogeys and a double on Sunday to be exact for a 69, her lowest round of the week. A round she likely didn’t see coming a week ago.

“When I first got here I was like, wow, this is an extremely tough course and it’s going to take four really solid rounds to even make the cut and then to climb up the leaderboard like I did,” Henderson admitted. “But I was almost intimidated the first couple days and then as I got playing and I started to hit the ball really well, I knew where to hit it on the fairways and where to hit it on the greens and I became much more confident. And today, right now, I sort of wish there was another round to go back out there, but I’ll have to wait until next year.”

Thanks to her finish at Pinehurst, Henderson automatically qualifies for the 2015 U.S Women’s Open being contested at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pa.

Henderson outlasted the world’s top women’s amateur golfer in Australia’s Minjee Lee, who finished 3-shots back of Henderson at 8-over 288, to claim the low amateur title.

“Well, Minjee is an amazing player,” explained Henderson. “She’s ranked No. 1 in the world as amateurs and she’s been at a lot of pro events and she always plays really well. Coming in that (winning low amateur) wasn’t necessarily my goal, but it’s nice that it happened.”

Brooke and Brittany will have little time to relish in the moment. The pair took an evening flight north Sunday eventing as they will face off against each other, and others, at the Canadian Women’s Tour event at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont. which gets underway Tuesday. For more details on that event – which offers an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – and the Canadian Women’s Tour, click here.

And, click here to watch an interview with Brooke following her final round at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.