The She Swings She Scores Girls’ Club hockey program registration is now open! See below for full details and click to sign up!

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

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.

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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.

Brooke Henderson, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sue Kim, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes and
Albin Choi will comprise the 2015 Team Canada Young Pro Squad

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes – three female and three male – who have been selected to the 2015 Team Canada Young Pro Squad for the program’s second year of operation.

Comprising the team for 2015 is: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.); Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Toronto); Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.); Albin Choi (Toronto); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.).

Developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and supported by founding partner Canadian Pacific, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund, the Young Pro Squad program bridges the gap for top graduating amateurs transitioning into professional golf.

“We are very proud of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad initiative,” said Scott Simmons, Golf Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re well ahead of where we were just a couple years ago in terms of helping to make the transition from elite amateur to the professional ranks as seamless and successful as possible.”

Headlining the female contingent is Team Canada National Amateur Team graduate Brooke Henderson. The 17-year-old declared herself as a professional golfer in conjunction with signing on with IMG as her management group in December of 2014.

In September 2014, Henderson made history by becoming the first Canadian to occupy the world’s No. 1 spot on the Women’s World Amateur Ranking. Henderson earned spots in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2015 ANA Inspiration Championship (formerly the Kraft Nabisco Championship) as a result of her tie for 10th at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. In addition, Henderson is able to accept up to a maximum of six LPGA sponsor exemptions and is also eligible for Monday qualifiers.

“It’s been an unbelievable journey the past few years and now I’m excited for what lies ahead as a professional,” said Henderson, who won her first event as a professional (Suncoast Series Tour) and this past week qualified for the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic where she finished T-33. “I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the National Team program during my amateur career and now I’m proud to continue representing Team Canada as a pro.”

Joining Henderson are two returning members of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad – Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Sue Kim. Both Lee-Bentham and Kim are also graduates of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team and maintain conditional status on the LPGA Tour for the 2015 season.

Lee-Bentham, 22, was the second-highest earning Canadian on the LPGA Tour last season. She played 18 events on tour, highlighted by a tie for 12th at the Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I. She earned conditional status on the LPGA Tour in 2015 by finishing inside the top 125 on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe. 

“I’m grateful to be back with a program that is undoubtedly working and continues to be dedicated to developing players,” said Lee-Bentham. “Golf Canada has been with me for most of my golfing career and I am honoured to represent Canada each week on the LPGA Tour.”

Sue Kim, 23, finished as No. 120 on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe to earn conditional status for 2015. Her best finish, a tie for 35th, came at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

“The ongoing support from Golf Canada is a huge boost for me and my goals to improve my game and results on Tour,” added Kim. “I’m thankful to Head Coach Tristan (Mullally) and the rest of the support staff and really excited for what the future holds.”

Mackenzie Hughes and Albin Choi return as members of the Team Canada Young Pro Men’s Squad. They will be joined by newly turned professional Taylor Pendrith. 

All three athletes will attend PGA TOUR Canada qualifying school in April with hopes of earning full status. Hughes, 24, is a two-time former Canadian Amateur champion. This year he hopes to repeat the success he had in 2013, when he captured the No. 1 spot on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit.

“I’m thrilled to be back on the Young Pro squad and getting the support from those who share a passion for helping me become better,” said Hughes. “The program is a huge deal; it’s helped me to focus on my goal of being successful at the highest level.”

Choi, 22, is also a former Canadian Amateur champion. His 2014 season on the Web.com Tour was highlighted by four top-30 finishes and a tie for 19th at the United Leasing Championship presented by TPI. 

“Being with the Team Canada program for seven years now, it almost feels like a family,” said Choi. “Derek (Ingram), the coaching staff, and the other members of the squad are all so supportive of each other. Having that backing is a huge lift for the many challenges of competing professionally.”

Pendrith, 23, will look to hit the ground running after a successful amateur career which included winning the prestigious Monroe Invitational in 2014, as well as earning the Gary Cowan trophy (low amateur honours) at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open. 

“This is a big honour for me,” said Pendrith. “I have high goals and aspirations for my career and I couldn’t think of a better team to support me in my journey. The National Team program has done a lot for my amateur career and I’m excited to transition that success over to the professional ranks.”

Men’s National Squad coach Derek Ingram and Women’s National Team coach Tristan Mullally will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro players. In addition to funding as part of the program, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, Nutritionist Nicole Springle and Physiotherapist & Strength Coach Greg Redman.

“I’m excited to see these young athletes take the next stops as professional golfers,” said Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada. “Golf Canada has shown great commitment in collaborating with the PGA of Canada in our world class teaching and coaching certification programs.”

Golf Canada’s ability to offer this program is due in large part to a focused fundraising effort on the part of the Golf Canada Foundation.

“Now in its second year, the board of the Golf Canada Foundation is excited to continue supporting these young athletes in their pursuit of golfing excellence,” said Golf Canada Foundation Chief Executive Officer Martin Barnard. “We are very proud to be behind this program and look forward to the future success of the Young Pro Squad.”

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 for Team Canada bios.