On January 22, the PGA of Canada honoured it’s 2014 national award winners at the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show, in Orlando, Florida, as part of Canada Night. Congratulations to Jeff Overholt, Liam Mucklow and Henry Brunton who were all honoured at the event.

Jeff Overholt 2014 Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year Award Winner

Liam Mucklow 2014 George Knudson Teacher of the Year Award Winner

Henry Brunton 2014 Ben Kern Coach of the Year Award Winner

The Kingston Whig-Stangard

Jenny Ellis, a native of New South Wales, Australia, who emigrated to Kingston in 1963, excelled in three sports: tennis, squash and golf, which she only started playing in her 30s.

A rough first outing — a dozen shots needed to get off the first tee at Glen Lawrence — soon gave way to summers of splendid play.

Ellis, now 73, copped the women’s title at her Garrison course six times and for 15 years was a member of the team that represented the city at the Ontario championship.

It was during the latter event, in the late 1980s, that Ellis recorded her first hole-in-one. She carded another last year with a perfect wedge shot on No. 11 at Garrison. That makes — get ready for this — 11 career aces.

Golf she learned in this country. Tennis she knew well from her youth Down Under. The family backyard featured a full-sized court.

She captured the Kingston singles and doubles titles in 1979 and replicated that double-barrel feat six more times in the 1980s.

“I know it’s a short season, but I couldn’t believe how often they played over here,” said the retired physiotherapist. “In Australia, we played once or twice a week. Here they played every day.”

Ellis was the GAO’s 2008 District Volunteer of the Year, she is a past District Coordinator and was involved with the Kingston District Women’s Training Program.  She currently volunteers as a Course Rater.

Ellis joins four others who will be honoured on May 1 in Kingston. The other inductees are: George Richardson, Athlete (hockey), Bob Storring, Athlete (fastball), Jack Aldridge, Builder, and Don Dennee, Builder.

UXBRIDGE — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to begin the countdown to the 2015 competition season with this week’s release of the 2015 Provincial Championships schedule. Once again, the schedule features some of the best courses in the province that are sure to challenge all competitors.

The season will kick off on May 14, with the Men’s Better Ball Championship, hosted annually by Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

After the Men’s Better Ball is the first junior event: the Investors Group Junior Spring Classic, May 16-18. The boys return to play Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge, while the girls’ event will be held at Grey Silo Golf Club in Waterloo.

One of the highlights of this year’s schedule will be the Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship, July 7-11 at St. Thomas Golf & Country Club in Union. The 2015 tournament will mark the 100^th anniversary of the event. Following a very successful tournament in 2014, which saw now professional golfer Brooke Henderson capture the crown, the 2015 event should be even more of a celebration of women’s golf in Ontario.

The Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship will be played the following week, July 14-17 at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club. The 2014 Men’s Amateur Champion, Chris Hemmerich, is also now pursuing a career among the professional ranks, meaning 2015 will crown new men’s and women’s Ontario amateur champions.

New on the schedule for 2015 is the Ontario Pee Wee Championship. This two-round tournament will be open to boys and girls under 13-years old. Puslinch Lake Golf Course in Cambridge will be the host for the inaugural event, Aug. 5-7.

Lastly, the Investors Group Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will team up with the Investors Group Senior Women’s Championship and both will be played July 21-23 at Loyalist Country Club in Bath.

A full schedule and tournament registration information can be found on the GAO’s tournaments site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao/mo/15fullschedule.htm

TORONTO –  The Golf Journalists Association of Canada [GJAC] is proud to announce Adam Hadwin, Alena Sharp, Corey Conners, and Brooke Henderson are the 2014 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country.

“We at GJAC are delighted to honour this remarkable foursome, and the runners up who in other years could have won handily,” said Hal Quinn, GJAC President. “The skill levels and accomplishments of the winners and all the nominees heralds a new and very promising era in Canadian golf.”

Adam Hadwin was named the Male Professional of the Year in a tight vote with Graham DeLaet and Nick Taylor. Hadwin won twice on the Web.com Tour, finished first on the Tour’s money list, and earned full status for the PGA Tour in 2014-15. He already has one top-10 finish this season. DeLaet, who earned over $2.6 million on the PGA Tour in 2014, is Canada’s highest-ranked pro golfer, while Taylor became the first Canadian in five years to win on the PGA Tour.

Alena Sharp was named the Female Professional of the Year for the second time in the past four years. Sharp had two top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour in 2014 and was Canada’s highest-ranked female professional golfer, prior to Brooke Henderson turning professional in December.

Henderson was voted Female Amateur of the Year for the third year in a row. The 17-year-old vaulted to the top of the world amateur rankings with six tournament wins in 2014. Henderson was runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and was low amateur with a T-10 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open.

Corey Conners is another repeat winner as Male Amateur of the Year for the second year in a row. Conners, a member of Canada’s national team, finished second at the U.S. Amateur earning a chance to participate in the 2015 Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open. Conners won three NCAA Division I individual titles in his graduating year from Kent St. University, and is Canada’s highest-ranked male amateur golfer.

MISSISSAUGA— The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) and the She Swings She Scores (SSSS) program is pleased to announce that Program Ambassador Gillian Apps will be on site for the SSSS event at the Mississauga Chiefs Christmas Classic Tournament Dec. 27-28.

The three-day tournament will be held at the Iceland Arena (705 Matheson Blvd. E, Mississauga).  The GAO’s SSSS booth will be set up from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Dec. 28.

Apps is a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and three-time World Champion with Canada’s Women’s Hockey Team. Originally from North York, Apps currently plays for the Brampton Thunder in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Apps was named Program Ambassador in September.

SSSS is a program that targets female athletes currently participating in hockey and introduces them to golf at community hockey tournaments across Ontario.

The program, which began this past fall, will visit 20 tournaments across the province during the 2014/15 hockey season and will expose more than 6300 girls to the game of golf.

The program represents a partnership between the GAO and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association that is made possible by the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund.  The partnership between the two complementary sports will provide opportunities for these girls and their teammates to participate in sport all year round.

The Winter Issue of Ontario Golf News is now available. Click here to read your digital copy:

http://www.flagstick.com/digitalissues/ogndigi_2014/ogndigiwinter2014/index.html

TORONTO – Brooke Henderson, the No. 1 ranked female amateur golfer in the world, has turned professional and signed with IMG for worldwide management and marketing representation.

A native of Smiths Falls, Ont., Canada, Henderson was assisted by her hometown Ottawa Senators hockey team and defenseman Mark Borowiecki in making today’s announcement. Video link: http://ottsens.com/brooketurnspro

Henderson has signed with PING and will continue to be supported by Golf Canada’s young professional program.

“I am really excited to begin my professional career in 2015 and proud to represent Canada along the way,” said Henderson. “I realize what a big step it is to play professionally and I think IMG and their partners at WME give me a competitive advantage on a global level.”

The 17-year-old was an integral member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team across the past three years. She won the individual title at the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and led Canada to a silver medal. As a 16-year-old, she was runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur and tied for 10th at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

She boasts more than 50 victories as an amateur and has also won three professional tournaments including two Canadian Women’s Tour events and the 2014 PGA of Canada Women’s Championship. Henderson’s Canadian Women’s Tour victory in 2012 at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 3 days made her the youngest player (male or female) ever to win a professional golf event.

Guy Kinnings, Global Head of Golf at IMG, commented, “Brooke’s tremendous talent on the golf course is exceeded only by her positive and engaging personality. We are delighted to help Brooke make the transition into professional golf and very much look forward to helping her achieve all of her goals both inside and outside the ropes.”

Henderson joins former No. 1 amateurs Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee as recent IMG signees. Ko most recently earned 2014 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year honors, while Lee was co-medalist at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament earlier this month.

“Through outstanding competitive results and a commitment to excellence, Brooke has proven herself to be a special talent, demonstrating all of the necessary characteristics to make a successful transition to the professional golfing ranks,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “She has been a huge part of the Team Canada program which is designed to challenge our top athletes through exposure to the highest levels of training and competition. We are proud to have played a role in her development and will continue to support her in this next exciting stage of her career.”

Following today’s announcement, Henderson is now the top-ranked Canadian professional. 

UXBRIDGE —  The GAO (Golf Association of Ontario) is very pleased to announce the rosters of the five regional teams that will comprise Ontario’s under-17 high performance program in 2014-15. After a very successful regional team pilot program in 2013-14, the GAO is expanding the number of regional teams as well as adding more content to the training programs.  The team members were selected based on their 2014 tournament scores and testing results from Skills Combines held during the month of September.

“We were thrilled with the progress of the 36 athletes that were part of regional team pilot program last season,” says Mary Ann Hayward, GAO Manager of Sport Performance. “Six of those players have advanced to our Team Ontario program for the upcoming season. With the addition of Niagara and Windsor, we will have 60 promising young athletes in our under-17 training program for 2014-15. A new addition to the program this year is a 36-hole regional team competition to be held in the Niagara area in late April. With our skilled personal coaches, dedicated regional coaches and the support of TaylorMade-adidas Golf Canada as our new high performance sponsor, the future of golf in Ontario has never been brighter.”

Team Ottawa

Team Ottawa is made up of athletes from Ottawa and surrounding areas in Eastern Ontario. Adam Holden coaches the team and Allen Hicks is the team’s strength and conditioning coach. They will train out of the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata and the Ottawa Athletic Club.

Players

• Cameron Belanger (Stittsville, Ont.)
• Christopher Carwardine (Kanata. Ont.)
• Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.)
• Logan Henry (Kemptville, Ont.)
• Keenan McPhail (Ottawa, Ont.)
• James Parsons (Almonte, Ont.)
• Tyler Read (Brockville, Ont.)
• Nick Valiquette (Cornwall, Ont.)
• Dylann Armstrong (North Gower, Ont.)
• Sarah Cushing (Brockville, Ont.)
• Isabella Landry (Nepean, Ont.)
• Kiley Rodrigues (Kingston, Ont.)

For more information on the team and its players visit the Team Ottawa page at: https://gao.ca/team-ottawa/

Team York

Team York covers Toronto and the GTA. Jeff Overholt coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Katie Robinson. Team York will train out of The Golf Lab in Vaughan and Carrying Place G & CC in Kettleby.

Players

• Kevin Doran (Sharon, Ont.)
• Brendan Dunphy (Whitby, Ont.)
• Jeffery Fang (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
• Zachary Katzenstein (Thornhill, Ont.)
• Lachlan O’Hara (Mississauga, Ont.)
• Jacob Presutti (Brampton, Ont.)
• Luke Sear (Stouffville, Ont.)
• Dee Xie (Toronto, Ont.)
• Amanda Kerr (Brampton, Ont.)
• Hailey McLaughlin (Markham, Ont.)
• Cynthia Zhao (Toronto, Ont.)
• Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players visit the Team York page at: https://gao.ca/team-york/

Team Waterloo

Team Waterloo is made up of players from the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding area. Mike Martz coaches the team and their strength and conditioning coach is Angella Lee. They will train out of the Golf Performance Centre and Whistle Bear GC in Cambridge.

Players

• Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.)
• Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ont.)
• Lucas DeCorso (Guelph, Ont.)
• Michael Dubois (Brantford, Ont.)
• Jarrett Fitzpatrick (Caledonia, Ont.)
• Dylan Henderson (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Michael Rizzo (Brantford, Ont.)
• Carter Snowden (Kitchener, Ont.)
• Haley Barclay (Strathroy, Ont.)
• Taylor Kehoe (Strathroy, Ont.)
• Kristen Giles (Georgetown, Ont.)
• Grace Mitchell (Kitchener, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players visit the Team Waterloo page at:

https://gao.ca/team-waterloo/

Team Niagara

Team Niagara is comprised of golfers in the Niagara region, which includes Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and surrounding area. John White coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Wayne Oliver. They will train out of the Legends on the Niagara, in Niagara Falls and winter training will be at TurfNet and Fourth Quarter Fitness in Welland.

Players

• Michael Athoe (Ridgeway, Ont.)
• Justin DiCienzo (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Vincent Dicosimo (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Vince Friyia (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Sparky MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Jason Maloney (St. Ann’s, Ont.
• Ethan Siebert (Beamsville, Ont.)
• Brett Warkentin (Ridgeway, Ont.)
• Sukriti Harjai (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Susan Leone (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
• Taylor Simoneau (St. Catharines, Ont.)
• Emily Ward (Niagara Falls, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players visit the Team Niagara page at: https://gao.ca/team-niagara/

Team Essex-Kent

Team Essex-Kent is made up of golfers from the Windsor and South Western Ontario area. Randy McQueen coaches the team and the strength and conditioning coach is Ryan Carlone. They will train out of Roseland Golf Club and On The Green Indoor Golf in Tecumseh.

Players

• Spencer Ferguson (Windsor, Ont.)
• Brett Harrison (Essex, Ont.)
• Curtis Hughes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• Adam Nunes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• David Nunes (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• Shawn Sehra (Windsor, Ont.)
• Marcus Slipchuk (Amherstburg, Ont.)
• Ethan Stewart (Windsor, Ont.)
• Shannon Coffey (Windsor, Ont.)
• Rachel Cote (Windsor, Ont.)
• Jasmine Ly (Windsor, Ont.)
• Brooke MacKinnon (Chatham, Ont.)

For more information on the team and it’s players visit the Team Essex-Kent page at: https://gao.ca/team-essex-kent/

ABOUT THE REGIONAL TEAM PROGRAM

The Regional Team Program is designed for golfers under the age of 17. Players participate in regional skills combines and those results, combined with tournament results and Order of Merit standings, determine the 12 players that are selected for each team. Team members take part in an eight-month training program with a PGA of Canada registered head coach and strength and conditioning consultant. They participate in 11 three-hour sessions before a spring training camp and Regional Team Competition to be held in Niagara at the end of April.

Bronze

Champion – Colleen Gibbs
A Flight Low Gross – Maureen Scullion
A Flight Low Net – Joan Bannan

Amateur
Champion – Judith Kyrinis A Flight Low Gross – Sarah-Ann Smurlick
A Flight Low Net – Janelle Fairgrieve

4 Ball
Jan Vandusen Crowe and Lori Pynn

Seniors
Champion – Judith Kyrinis

Super Seniors
Champion
Jane Kirkpatrick

UXBRIDGE— The Golf Association of Ontario is pleased to welcome the four new members who will be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony taking place on May 6, 2015 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge. Bob Breen, Doug Carrick, Edith Creed and Bill Kerr will become the 69th, 70th, 71st and 72nd members of the Hall.  In addition, Garry McKay will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario Media for “major contributions to golf.”

The Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of extraordinary contributions and accomplishments in the game of golf in Ontario. Founded in the year 2000 by the Ontario Golf Association and the Ontario Ladies’ Golf Association, the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame is housed at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge.

2015 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

Bob Breen

Robert Breen was born in Guelph, Ont. in 1939, before moving to Brampton. Breen quickly excelled at golf capturing the Ontario PGA Hunt Trophy as a junior, a feat he would go on to do again three times as a senior.

He turned pro in 1960 and went on to have tremendous success. He captured 15 victories on the Ontario PGA Tour and another three on the Canadian Tour. Breen also participated in the Canadian Open on 10 occasions, played on the American Tour, where he won the Bahamas International, the Florida tour, where he was a four-time winner, the South American Tour and events on the PGA Tour.

Success followed Breen when he began competing on senior tours. He captured 17 Ontario Senior PGA Tour wins and won the Canadian Super Senior Championship three times (2001, 2005 and 2007). In 2010, he was the Canadian Diamond Division Canadian Champion. Breen also had the opportunity to play in a pair of USGA Senior U.S. Opens.

In addition to his individual success, Breen also represented Ontario, 23 times in the Ontario/Quebec Titleist Cup Matches. He was also a 10-time member of the Bobby Orr Nabisco Team.

Breen’s contributions to the game of golf go beyond his playing career. He began working in the industry in 1961 as an Assistant Professional at Kleinburg GC and Pine Valley GC (now The National). He moved on to become the Head Professional at Malton GC (now Castlemore) a position he would also hold at Glen Abbey GC, Erin Heights GC and Derrydale GC. Breen passed away in August of 2014. At the time, he was serving as ambassador and teaching Professional at Brampton GC and Mississaugua GC.

Doug Carrick

Don Mills resident, Doug Carrick, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category. A renowned course designer, Carrick has designed 25 courses in Canada and another four internationally. In addition, he has been involved in the renovations of 45 courses.

His work has earned him numerous awards including: Best New Course in Canada (six times), Best New Course in Ontario (three times), Best Golf Development (2005, Humber Valley River Course) and Best International Golf Resort (2007, Humber Valley River Course).

Carrick’s courses have hosted multiple professional events including two PGA Tour Canadian Opens (2002, Angus Glen South Course and 2007, Angus Glen North Course), two LPGA Canadian Women’s Opens (2000, Angus Glen South Course and 2004, Legends on the Niagara Battlefield Course) a European Tour event and European LPGA event.

A past president of the Summit GC, Carrick has also served in a variety of roles with the American Society of Golf Course Architects, including president in 2009-10.

In 1985, Carrick established his own golf course design firm Carrick Design Inc.

Edith Creed

Edith Creed was born in Toronto in 1928 and now resides in Schomberg Ontario.  A member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, Creed had tremendous success as an amateur golfer.

Her list of accomplishments is long and includes being a 37-time Club Champion at Oakdale. Creed also won the York District Championship in 1982.

It was as a senior competitor though where Creed made her mark on the game. She captured the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship three times (1979, 1981 and 1982). Her victories were also seen at the provincial level as she won the Ontario Senior Women’s Championship five times (1978, 1981-83 and 1986). Creed also added two York Senior Women’s District Championships (1978 and 1985).

Creed represented Ontario in 1966 as a member of the provincial team and then 10 times as a member of the senior provincial team.

She has given back to the game by helping to organize national competitions at Oakdale, along with being a supporter of their junior program.

Bill Kerr

Born in Lisburn, Ireland in 1911, Bill Kerr immigrated to Ontario soon after his birth.  He had numerous affiliations to Ontario courses between 1928 and 1946, before becoming the head professional at Beaconsfield Golf and Country Club in Quebec.

While a resident of Ontario, Kerr captured the 1945 CPGA Championship, a feat he would go on to replicate in 1960. He also won two Miller Trophy Match Play Championships in 1944 and 1945, another feat he would duplicate while in Quebec in 1947 and 1950.

Throughout his career, Kerr played in six Canadian Opens and the 1961 Masters Championship. He was a five-time winner on the Quebec PGA Tour, the 1956 Bermuda Goodwill Champion, and the 1963 and 1964 CPGA Senior Champion.

In addition to his contributions to the game as a head and touring professional, Kerr also served as a two-time President of the Quebec Golf Association and President of the CPGA from 1955-1958.

Kerr passed away in 1997, but his legacy lives on through his family who have continued his work with contributions to the golf industry in Ontario and Quebec in various capacities.

Garry McKay- Lorne Rubenstein Award

Sports journalist, Garry McKay, has been covering golf for more than 40 years. The Hamilton, Ontario resident has written for the Hamilton Spectator along with all of the major Canadian golf magazines as well as periodicals in the U.S. and Germany. In 2009, he also moved into radio hosting the Canadian PGA Golf Radio Show.

He’s a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the past-president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. McKay is a voting member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. He also sits on the Score Golf Top 100 and the Ontario Golf Magazine Best New Course and Top 50 Course panels.