Choi posts 7-under 65 as Korea completes wire-to-wire win

OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario) – As the temperatures cooled and fall was ushered in, the golf season drew to a close with the conclusion of the World Junior Girls Championship, Sept. 25 at the Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. Team Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory and claimed both the team and individual titles at the second playing of the competition for the world’s best 18-and-under female golfers.

Hye-Jin Choi of Paju-si saved her best performance for last, posting seven birdies in a bogey-free round to finish 7-under 65 for the lowest round of the tournament.

“Through the first three rounds I was focused on improving my putting, but today I sank a birdie on the first hole and with it, gained a boost of confidence for the round,” said the individual champion. “I felt better out there today than during any other round. I knew I could do it and at the same time, I trusted that my teammates would get it done, as well.”

The 16-year-old credited her competitors for challenging her across the course. “On the 14^th hole I made a birdie and followed it up with a difficult par on the 15^th.  At that point, I had a good feeling that I was going to be the individual winner. Up until then, I was still worried because my playing partners from Sweden and Denmark are great players and they could have made a charge and caught up.”

“Team competition is not very common in golf,” added Choi, whose squad was making its debut in the championship. “So when I get a chance to play as a team and represent my country, my focus is always on the team. When I saw their scores, I was so relieved and was then able to turn my attention to winning the individual title. I am so happy and proud of us.”

The remaining two members of the Korean contingent completed the competition tied for fourth at 1-under 287. Eun-Soo Jang of Chang Hyung shot a final-round of even-par 72 to count towards her team’s winning total of 22-under 554. The final member of the squad, Shin Hye Kim of Icheon, carded a 73.

“This is a really big win for us,” said head coach Sang-Won Ko, whose trio was the only team to all finish with under-par rounds. “Coming into the tournament, we never expected that we would win. Our top priority was to learn since the environment and course would be so different to us. I am so happy with the result. It is an added bonus to win because we learned so much during the week. I am really proud of all of my players.”

“Hye-Jin was crazy today!” said Ko, when asked about the World Junior Girls champion. “I have mentioned during the week that she struggled with her putting, but today it was simply amazing.”

Finishing second in the individual competition was Cecilie Bofill of Denmark. The native of Silkeborg began the day tied for third, but tallied five birdies en route to a 3-under 69. The 17-year-old moved to 5-under 283 in the competition to trade places in the standings with Filippa Moork of Sweden. The native of Karlstad was 2-over on the day and finished 2-under overall to claim sole possession of third.

Bofill’s performance coupled with Frederickshavn native Puk Lyng Thomsen’s 1-over 73 propelled Denmark into the runner-up position in the team competition at 4-under 572. Four strokes shy of second was Team Sweden, which counted identical rounds of 2-over 74 from Moork and Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil to finish even-par 576.

Kathrine Chan led the Canadians in the field with a 3-over 75 performance. The native of Richmond, B.C., finished the championship at 15-over 303.

Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna echoed the sentiments of all those involved when asked to reflect on the competition. “In speaking with the players and coaches this past week, I think this event was a tremendous success. From the coaching summit and the skills clinic to an entertaining and exciting tournament – I truly believe this was a very positive experience for not only the golfing community in Ottawa, but also the development of junior girls’ golf on the international stage.”

Additional information on the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the tournament’s official website at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

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.

Sweden’s Filippa Moork jumps to second with third-round 4-under 68

 OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario)— The team representing the Republic of Korea continued its strong play in the third round of the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa.

The trio’s depth was again on display – for the third time in as many days, a different player led the team. The unit finished the day 6-under and now sits at 15-under 417 for the competition – 11 shots clear of second. Icheon native Shin Hye Kim led the way with six birdies and a bogey-free 3-under across the back nine. She finished the day at 4-under 68 to move into a tie for third at 2-under 214.

“I am extremely happy with my round. I was very lucky with my putting today. There were times when I made six or seven footers and that is something that rarely happens for me.”

Teammate, Hye-Jin Choi, a native of Paju-si, fired a 2-under 70 to reach 5-under in the tournament and reclaim the lead she held following the first round. Round two leader Eun-Soo Jang of Chang-Hyung finished the day 4-over 76 and sits alone in fifth for the tournament at 1-under.

“Even though this competition has an individual component, all three of us are only focused on the team competition,” added Kim when asked about her relationship with her squad. “The first day I was worried because I shot a 4-over. Throughout the round, I thought about what my teammates were doing, when I finished and found out what they had shot, I was instantly relieved. It felt like I had shot a 3-under myself.”

Filippa Moork began the round in third-place at even-par, but a 4-under performance propelled the native of Karlstad, Sweden into second. The 18-year-old is one-shot off the individual lead at 4-under.

“It felt really good to tie for the low round. I played my own game,” said Moork. “It was fun out there today. It feels nice that my putts were going in.”

Team Sweden, consisting of Moork, Gothenburg’s Elin Esborn and Fiskebackskil’s Frida Kinhult, sits alone in second at 4-under 428 following a combined score of 3-under on the day. Esborn completed the round at 3-over 75 to sit T20 in the tournament at 223. Kinhult ended the day with a 74 and is currently alone in sixth.

“We did really well today,” said Sweden’s head coach Malin Thorberg.
“Filippa putted really well today and made a lot of birdies. Frida, as well. It was a very good day on the greens. We are all really happy with today.”

Despite some difficult circumstances, Thorberg reflected very positively on the importance of this competition. “This is a really good learning experience for the girls. For Frida and Elin, it is their first time playing in this championship. We were without our clubs for the first two days (due to travel issues), but that was a good thing for the girls to learn – that these things can happen. They took it really well. From there, we just tried to be happy and do our best and learn as much as we could, both from other players and the course.”

Rounding out the top three is Team Denmark. The squad members made a move early in the round and found themselves just one back of Korea for the lead. However, they would fall back and sit at 2-under heading into the final round.

Silkeborg’s Cecilie Bofill, who is tied for third, led Denmark on the day. Bofill got off to a fast start with three birdies on the first five holes, but would end the round at 2-over 74 to sit 2-under for the tournament. Teammate Puk Lyng Thomsen, a native of Frederickshavn, was 1-over for the day and sits T8 at 2-over. The third member of the team, Gilleleje’s Line Toft Hansen, is T13 at 4-over after an even-par third round.

Team Canada Two’s Kathrine Chan of Richmond, B.C., posted a 2-over 74 on the day – her lowest round of the competition. Tied for 27^th, she is the top Canadian in the individual standings at 12-over.

The final round of the World Junior Girls Championship will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additional information regarding the tournament, including tee times and full results, can be found at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

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.

Jang reaches 5-under as Team Korea builds a five-stroke lead

OTTAWA (Golf Canada/ Golf Association of Ontario) – Clear skies and brilliant sunshine provided an ideal backdrop for the second round of the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa. The team representing the Republic of Korea took full advantage of the ideal conditions to expand its lead atop the standings.

“I am very satisfied with both the scores and details of today’s performance,” said Korean coach Sang-Won Ko. “Yesterday the scores were fine, but the details weren’t where we wanted them to be. Today everything went well.”

Ko credited hard work and increased familiarity with the course for his team’s play. “The players are getting used to the course and are getting more comfortable playing it. Their putting was much better. We worked on it after yesterday’s round and it helped a lot today. To continue to lead, we just need to keep putting well.”

Leading the Korean side was Eun-Soo Jang who tallied six birdies en route to a 5-under 67. The 17-year-old, who has been battling a cold, is finally feeling more like herself. “Yesterday, I was struggling. Today, I got back to my game and gave myself more chances to make birdies. My wedge play was the strongest part of my game today. My shots from 80-yards-in were really good. I stuck many of them to within a foot or two on many of the holes.”

Cecilie Bofill of Silkeborg, Denmark ascended the leaderboard with five birdies, including three across a bogey-free back nine. The 17-year-old finished the first day of competition tied with 10 other players in fourth-place at even-par; her round of 4-under 68 has vaulted her into second.

The 18-hole leader – Hye-Jin Choi – followed her opening round of 2-under 70 with a 71. She carded two birdies on the day and despite sitting third in the competition, the 16-year-old’s tally will not count towards her team’s total on the day.

The Korean trio extended its lead from two to five strokes on the strength of performances from Jang and the team’s final member – Shin Hye Kim. She collected four birdies on the front nine before a pair of bogeys saw the 18-year-old finish at 2-under 70. The team is now 9-under 279 through two rounds.

Led by Bofill, Team Denmark rose two spots to claim sole possession of second place. Puk Lyng Thomsen’s even-par round also counted towards her squad’s combined total of 4-under 285, while Line Toft Hansen’s 75 on the day completes the trio’s scores.

Team Sweden – comprised of Frida Kinhult of Fiskebackskil, Gothenburg’s Elin Esborn and Karlstad native Filippa Moork – holds third place at 1-under 287. Kinhult, who sits T5, posted a round of 1-under 71 to count alongside Moork’s 72. Esborn was 3-over 75 for the round.

Toping the Canadian contingent is Alisha Lau. The 15-year-old carded one birdie and completed the round at 2-over 74. The national team Development Squad member is T24 at 6-over for the competition.

Head Coach of Team Canada One, Ann Carroll, provided some insight on her squad’s second-round performance. “I think they tried a little too hard today. I think some of them got off to a not-so-great start and after that, they started to force things instead of letting things come to them. I tried my best to get them in the right frame of mind and back to where they could control things.”

Carroll remains positive on the experience as a whole. “I think playing in an international event like this excels their learning and gives them confidence that even though they may not have played their best, they still know they can play against other girls from around the world.”

The third round of the World Junior Girls Championship will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Additional information regarding the tournament, including tee times and full results, can be found at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

Two teams of three Canadians among 48 players and 15 countries set to compete at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa

OTTAWA (Golf Canada) – The world’s top female junior golfers will gather in Ottawa for the second playing of the World Junior Girls Championship from September 20-25 at The Marshes Golf Club. Six Canadians will represent the host nation in team and individual competition as Canada vies for the title of World Junior Girls champion.

“The Marshes Golf Club is in great shape and we are excited to once again bring the world’s talented players to Canada,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “It is a true honour to be selected to represent your country and we know that all the athletes from across the globe will want to perform their best in this event.”

Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., will return to the competition looking to improve upon Team Canada’s third-place result in 2014. The national team Development Squad member has had a banner year in 2015. St-Germain tallied a third-place result at the Golf Quebec Junior Spring Open before beginning Golf Canada’s championship season with a victory at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. The 17-year-old repeated as the Golf Association of Ontario’s Junior Girls’ Match Play champion and closed the campaign with victories at the Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) Mizuno National Junior Golf Championship and the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational – it was her third consecutive victory at the tournament named after the Canadian Golf Hall of Famer.

Playing alongside St-Germain is Hannah Lee of Surrey, B.C. The 15-year-old has demonstrated a great deal of consistency this summer, finishing runner-up at the British Columbia Juvenile Championships, third at the B.C. Junior Girls and T7 at the B.C. Women’s Amateur. She captured the 16-and-under Juvenile Division at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and finished second overall in the national championship. The lessons she learned this summer culminated in Lee claiming the gold medal in the girls’ competition at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games in Wood Buffalo, Alta.

Rounding-out the Team One contingent is 14-year-old Tiffany Kong. The Vancouver native’s second-place standing at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) Season Opener began a string of six events where she finished no lower than a tie for sixth-place. Kong finished fourth at the B.C. Junior Girls before capturing the silver medal in the individual competition at the Western Canada Summer Games. The highlight of Kong’s season would come at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., where she competed in the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open after earning a spot through the Monday Qualifier.

As the host nation, Canada will field two teams in the World Junior Girls Championship. Euna Han of Coquitlam, B.C., will be a member of Canada’s second team in the competition. The 13-year-old notched five top-six finishes this summer, including a runner-up result at the MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Championship, a third-place finish in the juvenile division of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and a T6 at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship.

Alisha Lau will play in the World Junior Girls Championship for a second time. The product of Richmond, B.C., emerged victorious at the 2015 CN Future Links Prairie Championship at Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., and finished tied for third at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship. Lau claimed the bronze medal at the Western Canada Summer Games to complete a sweep of the podium for Team B.C. The trio of Lee, Kong and Lau’s combined score of 435 over two rounds earned them gold in the team competition – 58 strokes clear of second-place.

Completing the second team will be fellow British Columbian Kathrine Chan of Richmond. The 15-year-old’s 11th place standing at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship was her lowest result this season. Chan finished second in the juvenile division of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and fourth overall while also registering a T5 finish at the B.C. Juvenile Championships.

“These six athletes have been selected to represent Canada based on some fantastic results achieved throughout the season,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The growth that these players have shown this year is a direct result of the support they have received from their home clubs, their skilled coaches and the provincial golf associations.”

Thompson credited the strength of competition in Canada as being a key component in the development of these players.

“The performances of Canada’s junior female athletes have been very strong this year. While that level of competition has made this selection process far from simple, it has provided excellent opportunities for the players to hone their skills against Canada’s best. The wealth of resources available to our athletes, beginning at the grassroots level and extending to the provincial and national levels, has resulted in a tremendous amount of golfing talent across the nation. We look forward to seeing this group proudly represent all of Canada as they learn and grow on the international stage.”

National team Development Squad women’s coach Ann Carroll will return to lead the Canadian teams in the competition. Assisting her will be Mike Martz, coach of the New Competitors team at the Golf Performance Centre at Whistle Bear.

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 take place in Ontario for a second consecutive year. The inaugural tournament in 2014 was held at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., where Team USA claimed team honours and Beverly Hills, Calif., native Mika Liu finished atop the leaderboard in individual competition.

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

Additional information regarding the 2015 World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website: http://www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

OTTAWA (Golf Canada) – The 2015 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will be held at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa from September 20-25. In addition to showcasing a number of the world’s most talented 18-and-under female golfers, the event will focus on the continued development of the sport.

“The World Junior Girls Championship is about more than this year’s participants and their opportunity to learn through international competition,” said Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “It is also about the sustainable development of golf in Canada and strengthening the relationship between the national golf associations around the world.”

Mike Kelly, Interim Executive Director of the Golf Association of Ontario, mirrored Thompson’s sentiments. “The chance to gather a number of elite coaching minds from around the world to share their knowledge and experiences is an invaluable opportunity. Through the junior girls skills development clinic and the junior-amateur fundraiser, we hope to leave a lasting imprint on the golfing community in the Ottawa area.”

A coaching summit is set to take place on Sunday, September 20 at The Marshes Golf Club. During the competitors’ practice rounds, PGA of Canada coaches will be paired with international coaches to exchange ideas and share in coaching methodology. Following the practice rounds, the PGA of Canada coaches will gather with Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally and PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari in a round-table discussion.

A junior girls skills development clinic will be conducted with PGA of Canada coaches introducing and developing golf-specific skills with junior golfers invited from the community. The junior-amateur fundraiser will see World Junior Girls Championship competitors play with local golfing enthusiasts to raise funds towards the development of golf in Ontario.

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.

When the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, and specifically the golf competition, begin on July 16, four golfers will don the maple leaf to represent Canada. The veteran of the squad will be 50-year-old, Charlottetown, P.E.I. native Lorie Kane.

Kane, fourth ranked professional in Canada, has been a fixture on the Canadian golf scene since the early 1990s. In 1996 she made her LPGA debut and has gone on to win four tournaments on the tour including: the 2000 Michelob Light Classic, 2000 New Albany Golf Classic, 2000 Mizuno Classic and 2001 LPGA Takefuji Classic.

Kane also has two wins in the Hyundai Team Matches and two wins on the Legends Tour. As an amateur, Kane captured the 1992 Espirito Santo Trophy,.

This will not be the first time that Kane has represented Canada. She represented her country at the World Cup in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and was also part of the World Team for the 2010-13 Handa Cups.

Perhaps one of the greatest honours Kane has received is the Order of Canada, which she was awarded in 2006. On the LPGA Tour, she has also received the 1998 Heather Farr Player Award, which represents hard work, dedication and love of the game. In 2000 she received the William and Mousie Powell Award, an honour given to the player whose behavior and deeds best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA.

Team Canada will undoubtedly lean on Kane’s leadership and experience as they search for Pan Am gold.

Don’t miss your chance to see the legendary Kane and the rest of Team Canada at the Pan Am Games. For more information visit: http://www.toronto2015.org/golf

Comprehensive report developed in partnership with the National Golf Foundation provides a definitive snapshot of golf facilities and development in Canada 

[OAKVILLE, ONT.]—Golf Canada, in partnership with the PGA of Canada, has released Golf Facilities in Canada 2015—the definitive report on golf facilities and development in Canada.

Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 is the result of a collaborative effort between Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the National Golf Foundation (NGF), a golf industry knowledge research firm which delivers independent and objective market intelligence, insights and trends.

The report identifies all existing public and private facilities in the country; and defines supply by province, type and number of holes. The report also includes information on facility openings and closings, as well as the number and type of facilities currently in development.

“Canadian golf facilities are the foundation for major sport participation, economic impact, tourism, charitable giving and environmental stewardship and the Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report provides a comprehensive breakdown of the golf courses and projects that form that Canadian golf landscape,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “Canada represents 7 per cent of the total world’s supply of golf courses and this first ever Canadian report offers an in-depth summary of national and provincial data.”

“The PGA of Canada in partnership with Golf Canada is excited to present this captivating study of golf facilities in Canada compiled by one of the world’s leading research firms, the National Golf Foundation,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard.  “As the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world, the PGA of Canada and its 3,700 members are proud to be a driving force at golf facilities from coast to coast.”

A snapshot of data captured in Golf Facilities in Canada 2015:

• Canada is home to 2,346 public and private golf facilities; ranking it third in the world in total supply.

• Seventy-seven per cent of the total golf supply is located in Canada’s four most populated provinces—Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.

• While course construction has slowed during the past several years (a trend mirrored in many mature and developed golf nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom) golf remains extremely accessible in Canada. A little more than 90 per cent of the country’s supply is open to the public.

• Of the 2,126 public facilities in Canada, half are located in Ontario and Québec, which together account for 61 per cent of the country’s total population. Furthermore, the two provinces are also home to 73 per cent of Canada’s 220 private clubs.

• Nine-hole golf accounts for almost 37 per cent of Canada’s total supply, which outnumbers

18-hole supply in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, 18-hole courses are outnumbered 3 to 1 by 9-hole courses.

• Canada features nine 12-hole facilities (six of which are in Ontario) and three 6-hole facilities.

• Resort golf, though a small segment of Canada’s overall supply, is a significant contributor to tourism in several provinces. Countrywide, 167 facilities (or approximately 7 per cent) of total supply are connected to a resort or a resort/real estate operation.

• Course construction peaked in the 1960s with the opening of more than 420 facilities. A second significant growth spurt occurred in the period between 1990 and 1999, when more than 310 courses—13 per cent of total supply —opened. The growth was highlighted by the opening of 257 facilities in the four largest provinces: Ontario, Québec, Alberta and British Columbia.

• Since 2010, 29 facilities have opened in six different provinces. In recent years, Canada has seen only moderate growth, and currently has 31 18-hole equivalent facilities in various stages of development.

• Of those facilities in various stages of development, 17 have broken ground including seven in Alberta and four in Nova Scotia. Nearly 60 per cent of new projects are tied to a real estate development.

• In the past five to 10 years, 158 facilities have closed. One in five of those closures were located in Ontario, which is home to 35 per cent of the total supply of Canada’s facilities. Three of Canada’s 10 provinces have seen fewer than five facility closures during the past decade.

The complete Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report including national and provincial data is available for download here.

The Golf Facilities in Canada 2015 report aligns with the Canadian data featured in the World Facilities Report released earlier this year by the R&A in partnership with the NGF. The world report revealed by the end of 2014, there were 34,011 golf facilities in 204 countries around the world. It shows that nearly 80 per cent of these facilities are located in 10 countries: the United States, Japan, Canada, England, Australia, Germany, France, Scotland, South Africa and Sweden. The world report also revealed by the end of 2014, Canada ranked third* in total number of golf facilities by country behind only the United States and Japan (*The UK combined has the third-most course in the world overall, however when viewed as separate countries, Canada is third and England is fourth). For more on the world report, visit www.randa.org.

The golf industry is worth more than $14.3-billion to the Canadian economy and represents more than 1 per cent of our nation’s total GDP. The $5-billion in direct revenues generated by Canada’s 2,346 facilities are more than the revenues generated by all other participation sports and recreational facilities combined ($4.8 billion). The numbers reinforce the massive financial, charitable, and environmental impact that golf has in communities across Canada including hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions in taxes, and a major tourism driver both domestic and international. Canadian golf facilities are a channel for major charitable giving with close to 37,000 events at Canadian courses raising more than $533-million annually for worthwhile causes. Canadians are passionate about the game of golf with a participation base of 5.7-million Canadians who enjoy more than 60-million rounds annually. For more information about the robust impact of golf in Canada visit www.canadagolfs.ca.

He was born in Irving, Texas but Austin Connelly also calls Nova Scotia home. The dual citizen made his debut on Team Canada in 2015 and now he will be one of the four members to represent Canada in golf at the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, July 16-19.

Connelly, the top ranked Canadian Amateur and ninth ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, will enter the Games with an impressive 2015 resume to date. Earlier this year he captured the Jones Cup and was a finalist at the U.S. Four-Ball Championship. He has continued to build momentum off his 2014 season that was highlighted by a win at the FJ Invitational, along with top three’s in the Argentine Amateur, Tailhade Cup, Jones Cup, Junior PGA Championship and Ping Invitational. Connelly was also part of the team that took home top honours at the 2014 Tailhade Cup. In addition, Connelly was part of two winning American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Wyndham Cup Teams and has also been named a two-time AJGA Junior Rolex All-American.

At just 19-years of age, the Pan Am competition will be one of the biggest events he has played in. Something he will be able to take with him as he begins his career as a member of the University of Arkansas golf team this fall.

However, this will not be the first time Connelly has participated in an international team event. In 2014 he was a member of the U.S. Jr. Ryder Cup team that won the event in Scotland. That experience will be crucial for Connelly as he hopes to help propel Canada to gold.

Don’t miss your chance to see the up and coming Connelly and the rest of Team Canada at the Pan Am Games. For more information visit: http://www.toronto2015.org/golf

It was a hot day in Bromont, Que., for the final round of the CN Future Link Quebec Championship hosted by Golf Château-Bromont. Alyssa Getty and Jason (Chan Young) Chung fired off the day’s low rounds in their respective divisions to capture the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship titles.

Before Alyssa Getty of Ruthven, Ont., teed off this morning, she was tied for fifth place and sat two strokes out of the lead. After nine holes, she found herself three back, but remained focus on the task at hand.

“My game plan was to be more aggressive today than I was the other two days and I definitely got some momentum going,” said Getty of her round today.

She played the back nine at even par, bouncing back with a birdie after a bogey on 14. Her par putt on 18 secured her third CN Future Links Championship victory in two years, including back-to-back wins at this event. Earlier this season, Getty captured the CN Future Links Ontario Championship.

Getty added that there was a little extra pressure coming into this tournament as the defending champion, but she stayed calm with her sights set on the victory. “It’s crazy. I’m so excited, especially since it’s my last year of junior golf and playing well in the CN Future Links Championships has been one of my goals. I’m really happy about having won this week and at CN Future Links Ontario this season.”

Getty’s score of 2-over 74, was the lowest in the Junior Girls division on Sunday. Her 224 total for the competition put her one stroke ahead of runner-up Sarah-Ève Rhéaume. The 36-hole co-leader and Québec City, Que. native made the turn this morning with a 1-over 37, but could not hold on for the win. She concluded the tournament with a 5-over-par round of 77.

Finishing T3 at 228 were Noémie Paré of Victoriaville, Que., and Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., who carded rounds of 78 and 79, respectively.

In the Junior Boys division, Jason (Chan Young) Chung posted the low round for the second consecutive day. The Thornhill, Ont., native’s final round of 6-under 66 earned him the CN Future Links Junior Boys Quebec title with a three-day score of 11-under 205.

“It’s very surreal, I haven’t won in a couple of years,” shared Chung of the win today. “It’s really been a good past few days and I feel I’ve finally broke through with my game. It is a boost of confidence that I can hopefully take into the next couple of tournaments I will be playing. I’d like to think of it as a new chapter because I’ve never gone this low.”

Chung noted that his game plan coming into the final round was to focus on hitting fairways and greens to set him up for as many birdie chances as possible. He was able to follow though, notching eight birdies on the day. He credited his work around the greens for the victory. “I made most, if not all, of my putts from inside eight feet, so I think that’s what made the difference today.”

Finishing two strokes back in second place was Charles-Éric Bélanger with a final round 67. The Québec City, Que., product made a determined attempt to catch the leader, notching four birdies on the front nine for a 3-under 33 before adding three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15. Third-place finisher Maxime Laoun matched Bélanger’s front nine score of 33 and went on to sign for a final round 4-under 68. The Montréal, Que., native finished the competition at 209.

Jason (Chan Young) Chung will return to the province of Quebec from August 3-6 to compete in the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion. Also receiving exemptions into the field were the five runners-up from this competition determined in a playoff.

Similarly, Alyssa Getty and the five finishers and ties in the Junior Girls division of the CN Future Links Quebec Championship were awarded direct entry into the field at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship to be contested from August 4-7 at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. Alyssa Getty has also earned entry into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The CN Future Links Championships are a series of six tournaments presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN in support of the development of junior golf. The 2015 series’ first winners were Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) who found the podium at the championship’s Pacific edition at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Ontarians Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) captured the Ontario titles in their home province at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. At Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and Development Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.) joined the winners circle at the Prairie Championship.

For full results from the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, please visit the tournament website here.

Elmira, Ontario’s Garrett Rank is coming off a great 2014 both personally and in his golf career. The 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion and now NHL referee, gets to add another accomplishment in 2015 by being part of Team Canada’s golf squad for the Pan American Games, July 16-19.

The 27-year-old Rank has always had a close relationship between golf and hockey. Growing up he played both, including Jr. B hockey in his hometown. When he moved on to the University of Waterloo, he was a member of the Warriors golf and hockey teams. In 2010, he captured the Ontario University Athletics Golf Championship.

Rank is currently the second ranked Canadian Men’s Amateur and is 56th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. In addition to his Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship, he is coming off a win at the Ontario Mid-Amateur Championship, June 23-25.  He is also a past winner of the Toronto Star Men’s Amateur in 2011. In 2014, Rank was second at The Players Amateur Championship and third at the Monroe Invitational. He has also been runner up at the U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur in 2012, runner up at the 2013 Canadian Mid-Amateur and Ontario Amateur and runner up in the 2009 Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship. Rank also represented Canada in 2011 during the Spirit International at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Texas.

This past winter, Rank made his NHL officiating debut on January 15 in Buffalo. Rank has also officiated AHL and OHL games along with the IIHF World Under 17 World Championships.

The Pan Am Games will not be the only time that Rank tees it up at a high-profile event this summer. Thanks to his win at the Canadian Mid-Amateur, he will be part of the field for the Canadian Open, July 20-26, at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville.  

Don’t miss your chance to see the inspirational Rank and the rest of Team Canada at the Pan Am Games. For more information visit: http://www.toronto2015.org/golf