PETERBOROUGH— After being a member at the Kawartha Golf & Country Club for more than three-quarters of a century, 99-year-old Fraser Dunfield received a special honour on September 23, as the club unveiled a Verdin Clock commemorating Dunfield and his late wife Jean’s contributions to the club. Dunfield, who can still be found teeing it up multiple times each week, was part of a special ribbon cutting ceremony that saw a great turn out of friends, family and members.

Dunfield, who was born in Toronto, came to Peterborough when he took a job with General Electronics (GE) in 1936. After a meeting with GE Manager Carl Salmonsen, during a round of golf at Kawartha G&CC, Dunfield fell in love with the course.

Before joining Kawartha, Dunfield had success as a competitor winning the Humber Valley Junior and Weston Men’s titles. That success continued at Kawartha G&CC as he won numerous Midland League Championships, Club Championships (1937, 1940, 1943,1952), and City Championships (1947, 1949).

Dunfield also contributed to the game off the course as a director and governor with the Ontario Golf Association (Golf Ontario). He also spent 14 years as a Board Director, 33 years on executive committees, and 1965 as Club President at Kawartha G&CC.

In 1977, the club recognized him with an Honourary Life Membership and in 1993, Dunfield was inducted into the Peterborough Sports Hall of Fame. Dunfield has always been an important part of the club, something that can be seen annually as the club’s Men’s Match Play Championship awards the winner the Dunfield Cup. With the latest addition to the club, the clock in his honour, it serves as just another piece of recognition for a member whose presence has added to the rich history of the Kawartha G&CC.

Saso shoots 70 to claim individual medallist

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The sun beamed through at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to crown the Philippines as World Junior Girls team champions. Yuka Saso battled through a gusty day to claim individual medallist honours at the third edition of the annual event.

“I feel happy and honoured to win this trophy and this tournament,” said the 15-year-old Saso. “I feel happy [to be the gold medalist] because I was not expecting it, with this being [the Philippines’] first time in this tournament. Winning with this group is special because we have known each other since we were kids, so it makes me really happy.”

The native of Santa Rosa put forth another steady showing with a trio of birdies en route to a 2-under 70 final round. With a four-day total of 2-under 286, she completed the competition as the lone player to finish under-par. Alongside teammates Harmie Nicole Constantino of Taguig and Sofia Angela Legaspi from Quezon City, the trio combined to total 2-over 578 across the championship’s four rounds.

“This is the best feeling,” said Constantino, when asked about the team victory. “It is unexplainable to me, because no one expected it. We played our games and it turned out really well. We never had any doubts, we came here to win and we did.”

The significance of the tournament and the victory was not lost upon the 15-year-old Legaspi.

“It really means a lot to win this big event. It gives us a lot of experience and confidence. It also helps to get us college scholarships, so it is a big deal. The win could also inspire younger golfers in the Philippines to work hard and travel to events like this.”

The contingent representing last year’s winners, Team Korea, finished second – nine-strokes shy of the Philippines. The winners of the inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014, Team USA, claimed third.

Jennifer Chang of Cary, N.C., opened the day with a share of sixth alongside Caterina Don of San Pietro Val Lemina, Italy. A 2-under performance propelled the 17-year-old Chang into the runner-up position, while a 71 moved the 15-year-old Don into third.

Céleste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., and Richmond Hill, Ont., native Monet Chun shot identical 75s to finish with shares of 18^th as the top Canadians.

“Despite some difficult weather, we have had an exciting and memorable week,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “From our Junior Girls Skills Clinic and Coaching Summit with the PGA of Canada to a fantastic Junior-Amateur event with the Mississauga community and the tournament itself – we have showcased our sport in a positive light. I know all of our players have learned and grown through this competition and have gained some invaluable international experience.”

Additional information on the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the tournament’s official website at www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

Philippines stays atop leaderboard in team competition

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Threatening skies cast over Mississaugua Golf and Country Club during the second day of competition came to pass during the third round. Howling winds and waves of rain wreaked havoc throughout a tough day at the World Junior Girls Championship. Yuka Saso of the Philippines conquered the difficult conditions to retake sole possession of the lead in the individual competition.

A steady 1-over 73 showing with a pair of birdies has Saso at even-par 216. The 15-year-old holds a three-stroke advantage over teammate Harmie Nicole Constantino of Taguig, Du Mohan of Fujian, China and Hee-Jung Lim of Paju, Korea.

“I am happy and honoured to have the lead,” said Saso, a native of Santa Rosa. “I wasn’t expecting it though.”

For a third consecutive day, Saso, Constantino and teammate Sofia Angela Legaspi of Quezon City, hold the lead in the team competition at a combined 1-over 433.

“It wasn’t anybody’s expectation for us to be on top at the moment,” said Constantino, mirroring her teammate’s sentiments. “It was a challenge being an underdog coming into the tournament, [and proving] that you are more than that.”

While team competitions can offer a different dynamic in golf tournaments, Constantino appreciates the opportunity to not only play with teammates, but also familiar friends.

“It feels good,” said the 15-year-old. “I have known Yuka since I was eight and we have been together since, so it feels good to be with her now.”

The trio representing Korea – the defending team champions – holds second at 9-over, while 2014 winners Team USA sit third at a combined 13-over.

Jennifer Chang of Cary, N.C., reiterated the importance of past experience when looking ahead to the final round.

“They have played this event before, so I definitely want to get some tips and learn from them and see what I can do to make the team better,” explained the 17-year-old, in reference to her teammates – 2014 individual champion Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., and Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., who played in 2015. “[A podium finish] is very important to us. To come out and represent the United States is big, so we want to make our country proud.”

Leading the Canadians in the field with shares of 15^th at 11-over are Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Céleste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.

The final round of tournament play will see players tee off at 8 a.m. Additional information from the competition is available here.

The Philippines remains ahead in the team competition

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Cloud cover and blustery winds set the backdrop for the second round of the World Junior Girls Championship at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club. China’s Du Mohan carded a 2-under 70 to climb into a share of the lead alongside first-round leader Yuka Saso of the Philippines.

Du from Fujian, China, collected five birdies on the day, including a back-to-back pair on Nos. 15 and 16, to move to 1-under in the competition. Saso of Santa Rosa, Philippines, opened the day at 6-under, but the 15-year-old relinquished her lone hold of the lead following a 5-over showing.

“I putted very well today,” said the 14-year-old Du. “I had a lot of long downhill putts, but my distance control was very good. I was able to get the feeling [of the greens] very well and got five birdies.”

“I am very proud to be representing China,” she added. “I hope I can do my best and finish the week under-par.”

A second consecutive even-par round has San Pietro Val Lemina, Italy, native Caterina Don tied with Hee-Jung-Lim (Paju, Korea) and Harmie Nicole Constantino (Taguig, Philippines) in third.

The trio representing the Philippines – Saso, Constantino and Sofia Angela Legaspi of Quezon City – maintained its lead in the team competition at 3-under 285. Teams USA, Korea, Sweden and China are tied for second at 4-over 292.

The unique opportunity to play for her homeland is not lost upon Constantino.

“I’m really proud to play here and represent my country,” said the 15-year-old. “Of course, not all kids can play in this tournament, so being a part of it is really good for me.

“We are one of the [smaller] countries, we don’t have many players, so I’m really proud to say that I’m from the Philippines. We didn’t have much confidence coming here because there were bigger countries, so it’s really nice to be here and play this [well].”

Matching 73s from Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., and Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee have given the pair of Canada Two members a share of 18^th to lead the Canadian contingent.

The third round of tournament play will begin at 8 a.m. Additional information from the competition can be found here.

BRAMPTON — The final event of the Golf Ontario season took place on September 22 at the Brampton Golf Club. It may have been the first official day of fall, but conditions were excellent for the 2016 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship.

When all of the scores were entered, after the shotgun, 18-hole competition, the team of Oakville’s Larry Cooper, from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, and Lars Melander, from Hidden Lake Golf Club, saw their names at the top of the leaderboard. The duo had an outstanding day and finished with a five-under (66) to claim the title. While this was the first provincial title for the 64-year-old Melander, Cooper, 59, has found provincial success in the past, as he was the 2014 Ontario Senior Men’s Champion.

Afterwards, both players had different reasons to celebrate, as the win meant something to each of them on another level. “This is the first time in 10 years as a senior competitor that I have won a gold-coloured medal,” said Melander. “I have come second a number of times, but never been able to win one until now!”

The win was also a special one for Cooper as his name will now go on the trophy, that his father, David, won in 1992 and 1997.

Second place was shared by a trio of teams who all finished the day at three-under (68). The tie included the 2015 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Champions Toronto’s Robert Gibson (Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club) and Stoney Creek’s Colin Grieve (Glendale Golf & Country Club); Fenwick’s Jim Briggs (Peninsula Lakes Golf Club) and Toronto’s Mark Bennett (Bayview Golf and Country Club); and Toronto’s John Mealia and Richmond Hill’s Michael Mealia (both from Bayview Golf and Country Club).

Golf Ontario would like to thank the staff and volunteers from Brampton Golf Club, along with the Golf Ontario volunteers, for their support of amateur golf in Ontario. For complete tournament information visit the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao1613/index.htm

About the Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship

The Ontario Senior Men’s Better Ball Championship was first contested in 1982. It is open to players aged 55 and older as of the date of the tournament. The championship trophy was donated by the Oakdale Golf & Country Club, who annually host Golf Ontario’s Men’s Better-Ball Championship. Notable champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Famers Nick Westlock and Stu Hamilton.

Scott MacLeod – Ontario Golf News

It’s already been a busy summer for Thornhill’s Judith Kyrinis but we’re betting there is still enough room for another trophy on her mantle.

The Thornhill Golf & Country Club member is the leading threat at this week’s United States Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

She will be the #1 seed as the event turns to match play on Monday after two rounds of stroke play qualifying at the Wellesley Country Club just outside Boston.

During stroke play Kyrinis was the only player to match par, doing so with back to back rounds of even par, 74.

The 52 year-old registered nurse has been having quite a year so far. She won the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior Championships, as well as repeating as champion at the Senior Women’s North & South Championship at famed Pinehurst Resort.

On Monday the top seed will face American Jen Holland in match play.

Other Canadians advancing to match play include Marie Torti and Helene Chartrand of Quebec, Sandra Turbide of British Columbia and Ivy Steinberg and Mary Ann Hayward of Ontario.

Highlights from the 2016 Ontario Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championships contested as part of the Mississauga Ontario Summer Games Aug. 10-12 from BraeBen Golf Club.

ORILLIA— Golf Ontario and Golf Barrie unveiled a new concept on September 11 with the first Golf Jam, hosted by Hawk Ridge Golf & Country Club in Orillia. The day, geared at junior golfers under 14 years of age, was a huge success as 64 players comprised 16 teams to take part in the day’s events.

“Golf Jam is a program that we’ve partner with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport to create and provide to kids across the province. It aims to engage local golf clubs and promote fun family, friends and fitness all in a team environment,” said Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario Executive Director.

The day broke down into two components: a CN Future Links Skills Challenge and a nine-hole alternate shot team golf competition. Half of the teams took to the course, while the other half competed in the skills challenge, before swapping after lunch.

“I believe we continue to create and inspire new ways for kids and families to get into golf but this just blew my mind,” added Kelly. “Based on the reaction from coaches, kids and parents, I see this as a home run! I see it going to different communities across Ontario in future years because it is a great way to bring the province together.”

Kelly’s optimism was echoed by coaches and parents who attended the day. “Golf Jam is a great introduction for players who have participated in our camps, clinics and leagues to be involved in potentially their first tournament,” said Ryan Star, Coach at Geared to Golf. “There are a lot of players who haven’t crossed paths with one another so we hope that there are a lot of new friendships by the end of the day.”

“The day has been fantastic!” Remarked Kevin Potter, a parent attending the event. “What Golf Ontario is doing for the kids is awesome! It is great to see the team sprit and everyone has a smile on their face today! The team competition was a lot of fun. It was well put together and we had a great time playing the alternate-shot format.”

Those sentiments also trickled down to the young golfers themselves who not only enjoyed the golf and skills challenge, but also the fun and games that made up the rest of the day.

“Today has been great especially since we just started school and have been really busy,” said Abigail Dove, 11-years-old from Brooklin. “To have all of these fun things to do like golf with friends, bouncy castles, and play games has been great to enjoy!”

“My favorite part of the day was golfing on the course. I played awesome and so did the rest of my team. Golf Jam has been good and lots of fun. I like it!” Added Aiden Hodgkinson, 8-years-old from Brooklin.

While the emphasis on the day was squarely around fun the teams did want bragging rights as the inaugural Golf Jam champs. When all of the scores were tallied there was a three-way tie between Whistle Bear GC (Peyton Costabile, Andreas Diogenous, Owen Lipskie and Aiden Shan), Barrie CC (David Simon, Andrew Laurin, Olivia Stoggart and Matthew Simon), and TTGA (Alissa Xu, Sopia Xu, Arthur Wang and Joline Truong) who all finished with a score of 21 Stableford points to share the gold medal.

Golf Ontario/Golf Barrie would like to thank all of the golfers, teams, coaches and parents who participated in the event and hopes to see everyone next year, as the event gets bigger and better.

TORONTO — Two Golf Ontario championship veterans claimed their first provincial titles as the team of Mississauga’s Debbie Court and Etobicoke’s Marion Reid captured the 2016 Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship. The event, September 7 from Weston Golf & Country Club, was the final Golf Ontario women’s event of 2016.

Court, from the Toronto Golf Club, and Reid, from the Islington Golf Club, had a stellar day. The pair battled the hot, humid temperatures and finished with a team total of three-under (69). That turned out to be good enough for a two-shot victory.

The pair of Court and Reid also captured the net division title, scoring a net score of seven-under (65).

Finishing in second place was the team of Stouffville’s Ivy Steinberg, from Granite Golf Club, and Toronto’s Kelly Koselek, from Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club. The team carded a one-under (71) to earn the silver medal.

Rounding out the medals, with the bronze, was the team of Etobicoke’s Joanne Noble, from the host club of Weston, and Thornhill’s Judith Kyrinis, The Thornhill Club. Noble and Kyrinis shot a team total of even par (72).

Golf Ontario would like to thank the staff of Weston Golf & Country Club for hosting the 2016 event, along with the Golf Ontario volunteers for their continued support of amateur golf in Ontario.

About the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship

First played in 1953, the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship is contested annually and features two-woman teams competing in a better-ball format. In total, 40 teams and 80 players took part in the 2016 event.