FRIGATE BAY, ST. KITTS — It has been a busy start to the year for Golf Ontario. Partnering with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA), Golf Ontario recently sent the Junior (U19) Provincial Team to the island for a training camp, followed by a group of guests for the second annual St. Kitts Invitational.

“Having the junior team here was a main event for St. Kitts,” said Raquel Brown, SKTA CEO. “You had Canadian teenagers interacting with kids from St. Kitts, explaining golf and giving them a different perspective on the sport. It was a great way for us to start off the year!”

“I am glad to see that there were even more persons this year for the Invitational. It means that we are growing,” said Lindsay Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce. “I believe that over the years the Invitational will continue to grow. We have a wonderful partnership with Golf Ontario.”

The Ontario contingent on the island began on Dec. 31 with the junior team traveling to St. Kitts for their first winter training camp of the season. The junior team, led by Reggie Millage, Head Provincial Coach, took part in a seven-day camp, which saw them play and train at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club.

“The experience was great,” said Millage. “We received first-class treatment from the moment we got off the plane and the rooms at Royal St. Kitts Hotel were great accommodations for the team.”

Each day the team utilized the nearby beach for their morning training, something that was a big hit with the players. Afterwards, the team took to the course for morning rounds, followed by training at the club’s practice facilities in the afternoon.

“It was refreshing to have the junior Ontario team here in St. Kitts,” said Bruce Wilson, Director of Golf at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. “They are very disciplined and some of the most respectful and courteous juniors that I have had the pleasure of working with. I wish them the best of luck in their golf careers.”

As part of Golf Ontario’s goal of helping the island to grow the game of golf, the team took part in a two-hour junior golf skills clinic. Thirty local kids from the island took part in the clinic, run by the Team Ontario players.

“It was awesome to see our kids interact with the team. It helps them realize that with some time and effort, they have the potential to reach that level of golf. The St. Kitts kids haven’t had the expose to other young golfers to see what they can become. It was really nice for them to see and it gives them a challenge to work towards,” added Wilson.

As the team departed the island on Jan. 7, the next group of Ontarians arrived ready for the second annual St. Kitts Invitational. The two-day event made its debut in December of 2015. The 2017 tournament saw 22 individuals (11 teams) compete, doubling the field of the inaugural event. They were joined by a pair of teams from the island.

Defending champion Dave Ramsumair, with teammate Sylvia Jones, won this year’s event. Ramsumair, a Canadian now living on the Island, and Jones accumulated 96 points to win the two-day net stableford competition.

Receiving the award for Top International Team were Hamilton’s Jim and Sheila Drury who scored 88 points in the two-day event.

In addition to the tournament, the group enjoyed the accommodations of the St. Kitts Marriott, who hosted the annual awards banquet. During their stay on the island, the group experienced dining at some of the island’s best restaurants, which gave them a true taste of St. Kitts. The trip also included a visit to sister island Nevis for a round at the Four Seasons Nevis Golf Course.

In all, the guests seemed to enjoy what the island had to offer. “The trip has been great!” said London’s Paul and Anita Pouliot. “Lots of nice people, beautiful golf courses and lovely weather. We have had a really good time and are happy we came.”

“It has been seamless!” added Jim and Sheila Drury. “Going from the airport to hotel to golf course it has been a very good experience. The courses and people have been really nice.”

As the group departed on Jan. 14, it was clear that the relationship between Ontario and St. Kitts is helping to grow the game on the island. “I want to say thank you to Golf Ontario for 2017. We want this event to grow and we think golf is the perfect avenue to get Canadians to St. Kitts. Visitors come to golf but get to see the destination in its truest form. The fact that the junior training camp and Invitational did so well gives St. Kitts a different perspective for golf,” added Brown.

Golf Ontario would like to thank the SKTA for their efforts in organizing the trips. Thanks to the Royal St. Kitts Hotel and Marriott Resort for providing accommodations and Royal St. Kitts Golf Club and Four Seasons Nevis Golf Course for use of their facilities. Stay turned for the announcement of the 2018 St. Kitts Invitational.

To vie photos from Team Ontario’s training camp and the St. Kitts Invitational visit our Facebook Photo Gallery Page.

To open their first training camp as a full squad, Golf Ontario’s U19 Team Ontario visited Variety Village in Scarborough on December 3. The team had a fun morning of team bonding and adaptive games lead by Archie Allison, Director, Access and Awareness at Variety Village.

In addition, the group experienced a special treat as they got to learn the basics of wheelchair basketball by surprise guest Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s Head Coach Steve Bialowas.

“It was an awesome morning that brought the team closer together as they shared experiences they will remember for a long time,” said Team Ontario Head Coach Reggie Millage. “Hopefully it also gave them some perspective on some of the obstacles that other athletes in ParaOlympic sports have to overcome.”

UXBRIDGE — Six players are returning to Team Ontario in 2017 and will be joined by 10 new faces as Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the newest installment of the squad. The 2017 team will see an even split of eight boys and eight girls.

After the 2016 season, the provincial team program was pleased to hear that a pair of team members had been selected to move up to Golf Canada’s National Development Squad. Golf Ontario is proud to see Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun and Langton’s Peyton Callens take the next step in their playing careers. Chun had been a member of the team since 2013, while Callens was a 2016 team member. Chun had numerous top finishes in 2016 including a win at CN Future Links Quebec. As for Callens, he too had a great season, highlighted by a win at the Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship.

Returning to the team in 2017 are: Dunrobin’s Jake Bryson, Long Sault’s Ty Celone, Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play Champion Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin, CN Future Links Ontario winner London’s Isabella Portokalis and Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion Maple’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio. Also rejoining the team is Toronto’s Tyler Nagano who was a member in 2014.

New to the team in 2017 on the boys’ side will be: Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Champion Stoney Creek’s Johnny Travale, Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson, Mississauga’s Robbie Latter, Toronto’s Zack Mason and Guelph’s Anthony Occhiuto. As for the girls, new to the squad are: Ontario Peewee Champion Markham’s Victoria Zheng, Niagara Falls’ Emily Ward, Tilbury’s Hailey Katona, Toronto’s Cynthia Zhao and Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj.

Once again Reggie Millage will coach the team, his fourth season as Head Provincial Coach. He is joined by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko, Athletic Therapist Andrew Hoermann, and Mental Skills Coach Charles Fitzsimmons.

The team will once again be training throughout the winter at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. They will have a pair of fall camps, followed by winter warm weather camps and will conclude their off season with the Can/Am Matches, during March Break with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

“Golf Ontario is excited to put forward this year’s Team Ontario squad,” said Andrew Moss, Golf Ontario Director of High Performance. “Our expanded support of junior golf through Team Ontario activities builds on the ongoing local development being delivered by home PGA Professionals and personal coaches.”

2017 Team Ontario

About Team Ontario

Golf Ontario’s Team Ontario program is a high performance training program for the top junior aged golfers in Ontario. Athletes are selected in the fall each year and the program runs during the winter into the Ontario golf season. Team Ontario athletes receive the very best in coaching services, training/competitive opportunities, and sport science support. Being selected to Team Ontario is a tremendous accomplishment and offers unparalleled support and guidance to the participating athletes and their families.

Taylor Craig/ Golf Canada

Meet Golf Ontario’s 2016 U19 Team Ontario.

NIAGARA FALLS — Some decent spring weather greeted 65 junior golfers at the second annual Golf Ontario Team Ontario Cup. The event, held April 22-24 at the Grand Niagara Golf Club in Thorold, concluded with Ottawa’s Jake Bryson capturing the boys’ Overall and Juvenile division, while Windsor’s Shawn Sehra took the Bantam title. On the girls’ side, the Overall and Juvenile divisions were won by Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun and London’s Isabella Portokalis while Maple’s Alyssa DiMarcantonio took top honours in the Bantam division.

In addition to the individual awards, the competition awarded team trophies to the best regional teams. Five regional teams (Ottawa, York, Waterloo, Niagara and Essex-Kent) along with Team Ontario players contested a two-round individual stroke-play format competition, with the top four boys, and top three girls, contributing to their team standing. The team competition was only open to the five regional teams. Taking the boys’ team trophy was Team York, and the girls’ team trophy went to Team Essex-Kent.

Final Girls Team results:

Essex-Kent    491 (+59)

York                499 (+67)

Niagara        525 (+93)

Waterloo     537 (+105)

Ottawa         596 (+164)

Final Boys Team results:

York                606 (+30)

Essex-Kent    623 (+47)

Ottawa         628 (+52)

Waterloo     636 (+60)

Niagara        650 (+74)

In the individual competition, 16-year-old Bryson, battled tough conditions and an erratic driver on day one and finished with an even-par 72. He went head-to-head with teammate Ty Celone, from Long Sault, on the second day, and shot a two-under 70, to win the Overall and Juvenile divisions by one stroke.

Taking the Bantam boys division was Team Essex-Kent member Shawn Sehra with two steady rounds of five-over 77 to finish 10-over for the tournament.

On the girls’ side, Chun of Team Ontario, took the early lead with a steady even-par 72 to take a three-stroke lead after day one. Day two saw some exciting action as her Team Ontario teammate Portokalis went out on the front nine and shot a blazing six-under and closed for a personal best five-under 67. Portokalis held a two-stroke lead as Chun played the closing hole, but after two shots to the side of the par-five 18^th green, Chun proceeded to chip in for an eagle to tie Portokalis for the Overall and Juvenile titles.

Winning the Bantam girls division was Team Ontario’s DiMarcantonio with a two-day total of seven-over 151.

Most Valuable Contributor

In addition to the on course championship, the event also featured a banquet on April 23, at the Marriott Gateway on the Falls hotel, where each team presented their Most Valuable Contributor (MVC) award.

The MVC award goes to the male and female on the team that best exemplifies: leadership, integrity, sportsmanship, team spirit and work ethic. Award winners are voted on by their teammates. Winning the awards for their squads were:

Team Essex-Kent – Brooke Mackinnon (Chatham), Shawn Sehra (Windsor), presented by Head Coach Randy McQueen

Team Niagara – Taylor Simoneau (St. Catharines), Matthew Gibson (Jordan), presented by Head Coach John White

Team Ottawa – Karianne Lefebvre (Ottawa), Tyler Read (Brockville), presented by Head Coach Adam Holden

Team Waterloo – Jillian Friyia (London), Dylan Henderson (Waterloo), presented by Head Coach Mike Martz

Team York – Madelin Boyd (Oshawa), Zack Mason (Toronto), presented by Head Coach Jeff Overholt

Team Ontario – Alexandra Naumovski (Brampton), Sam Meek (Peterborough), presented by Head Coach Reggie Millage

Ontario Summer Games Exemptions

Based on the results from the Team Ontario Cup, 15 exemptions were awarded for the upcoming Ontario Summer Games, August 9-12, in Mississauga. Gaining exemptions through their results at the Team Ontario Cup were, for girls: Karianne Lefebvre, Vaijayanti Bharkhada, Kyra Vandervoort, Shannon Coffey and Taylor Simoneau. As for boys, the following earned exemptions: Cameron Belanger, Ethan Johnston, Zack Mason, Eric (Joohyung) Byun, Eli Mathew, Carter Snowden, Luc Warnock, Shawn Sehra, Jason Maloney and Mathew Gibson.

Golf Ontario would like to thank our volunteer officials – Ian and Ruth Giles and Randy Millage, and the staff at both the host club Grand Niagara and Marriott Gateway on the Falls, for all of their efforts in pulling off this great event. For full individual and team results click here: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao16221/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Coral Springs, Florida— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Team Ontario was in Coral Springs, Florida, Feb. 4-8, for their second winter training camp of 2016. The team took part in on course, physical and psychological training at the Heron Bay Golf Club before participating in the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) Junior Golf Open (Feb. 6-7) also at Heron Bay.

The event turned out to be a good one for Team Ontario as they took four out of the six medals including a clean sweep of the podium on the girls’ side. Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun walked away with the gold, London’s Isabella Portokalis took the silver and Halton Hill’s Alexandra Naumovski earned the bronze. On the boys’ side it was Langton’s Peyton Callens who picked up the bronze medal.

“We were pleased with the approach Team Ontario athletes took in this FCWT event, given the time of the year, and the challenging weather conditions on day two,” said GAO Director of High Performance Andrew Moss. “Seeing where our athletes are at in the middle of winter provides great feedback to the players, and their personal coaches.  The strength of our girls’ team was very evident, and sends a great message to young female athletes across Canada.  With the strength of our golf development programs, there are great opportunities for young female athletes to access great sport experiences and education opportunities, through golf.”

Chun, 15 from the Summit Golf & Country Club, got out to an early lead during the opening round and never looked back. She finished round one at four-under (68) notching five birdies on the day. She took a one-shot lead into the second round and finished the day at even-par (72) to win the tournament by six strokes at four-under (140).

Portokalis, 14 from West Haven Golf & Country Club, also had a strong opening round finishing at three-under (69). She did fall back on the second day with a four-over (77) but her first round had given her enough of a cushion that she was able to hang on for second at two-over (146).

As for Naumovski, 18 from the Brampton Golf Club, she had a consistent tournament finishing the opening round one-over (73), which included a hole in one at the par 3 11^th, and a second round of two-over (74) to finish third with a total of three-over (147).

For Callens, 16 from the Delhi Golf & Country Club, he posted two steady rounds of 72 to card an even par (144) over the two-round event.  Callens was the only player to break par in round two, with unusually cold, wet, and windy conditions.

“A big thanks to our Head Coach Reggie Millage, and our support team of Nick Martichenko and Judy Goss, for the work they did with our team members throughout the training sessions and competitive rounds,” added Moss.

Team Ontario will now prepare for the Can-Am Junior Team Matches (March 13-20), an annual competition with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association, in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina— Three members of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Team Ontario will be heading south to compete in the inaugural Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship. The event takes place February 13-15 at TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

Peyton Callens, Ty Celone and Jake Bryson will be part of the Canadian contingent that will compete in the three-day competition, an event that has juniors from China, Japan, Philippines, Sweden, United Kingdom along with representation from eight different US states.

Celone, a resident of Long Sault, Ont. captured the CJGA Mizuno National Junior Golf Championship defeating fellow member Callens in a playoff. Both finished the four-day tournament at five over-par (293). Celone, also finished runner-up at the winners-only Nike Golf Junior Championship. In addition, Celone notched a fifth-place finish in the Ontario Juvenile Championship.

Callens, of Langton, Ont. was the winner of the CJGA PING Canadian Junior Match Play Championship defeating Mitchell MacLeod in the finals, 2&1. Entering the match play portion as the fourth seed, Callens defeated the 13th, fifth, and eighth seed before knocking off the second seeded MacLeod in the finals. Callens recently captured a bronze at the Future Collegians World Tour Junior Golf Open at Heron Bay Feb. 6-7.

Bryson, of Dunrobin, Ont. is a second year member of Team Ontario. Last season he was fifth at the Canadian Juvenile Boys’ Championship.

Also in the field, from Port Lambton, Ont., is former Team Ontario member Brendan Seys.

“Dustin is thrilled with the quality of the field we have attracted to TPC Myrtle Beach,” said Allen Terrell, Director of Coaching/Managing Partner of the Dustin Johnson Golf School. “Dustin wanted to ensure we had a high quality international field, and we have met that goal. The experience for the players, from the time they check-in until the final putt drops, will be as good as any in junior golf.”

The first round begins this Saturday at 9 a.m. For complete tournament details including tee times, schedule of events and results please visit www.worldjuniorgolfchampionship.com.

With files from CJGA

The GAO’s Team Ontario is taking part in their first training camp of 2016 in Coral Springs, Florida. The team arrived on Saturday and will be there for five days. The first and last day they will train at Heron Bay GC and the middle three days will be at TPC at Eagle Trace.

The team will train for half the day and play 18 holes each day as well. Both physical training and technical training are emphasized at the camp.

The team had a cool surprise yesterday when they ran into LPGA pro Lexi Thompson – as she was on the course trying out a few new drivers. Each group got to sit and chat with her and she hit a few shots for each group. 

This was the second year the team got to meet Thompson as she was hanging out at Eagle Trace last year and played a few holes with each group. It was an unexpected but great surprise for the team.

Below: Team Ontario members Isabella Portokalis, Alyssa DiMarcantoinio, Sam Meek and Ty Celone pose with Thompson.

UXBRIDGE—The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), is proud to announce the seven boys and five girls that will make up Team Ontario for 2016. The team met in full for the first time, Oct. 2-4 in Foot’s Bay, for their kickoff camp held at OviinByrd Golf Club.

The team is set for a full winter of training, which will include two camps in Florida, along with a camp/the Can-AM Matches during March Break in South Carolina. The camps will all be leading up to the start of the 2016 season, which will begin with the Team Ontario Cup in late April.

“The coaching staff and I are very excited to begin training with this very talented group of young athletes,” said GAO Manager of Sport Performance Mary Ann Hayward. “Several of the players already hold national and age category provincial titles and we are looking forward to raising their games to the next level and hopefully putting more Ontario players onto the National Development Team.”

This year’s team again highlights the quality of the GAO’s high performance programs as eleven members of the team are either returning to Team Ontario or are products of the GAO’s Regional (U17) Team Program.

With each new installment of the team, there are departures. Three 2015 members have graduated from the program and are furthering their career in the ranks of the NCAA. Unionville’s Max Sear is attending the University of West Virginia; Ruthven’s Alyssa Getty is at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk is at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The 2016 version of team Ontario will feature five returning players:

• Jason Chung, 16, from Thornhill and Thornhill Golf & Country Club, coached by Charlie Woo.

• Monet Chun, 14, from Richmond Hill and The Summit Golf & Country Club, coached by Don Lee.
• Jackson Bowery, 17, from London and Greenhills Golf Club.
• Jake Bryson, 16, from Dunrobin and Eagle Creek Golf Club, coached by Kevin Haime.
• Isabella Portokalis, 14, from London and West Haven Golf & Country Club

Joining the returnees, are the following graduates of the GAO Regional Team Program:

• Lachlan O’Hara (Team York), 15, from Mississauga and Credit Valley Golf & Country Club, coached by Jeff Overholt and Jon Roy.
• Ty Celone (Team Ottawa), 16, from Long Sault and the Upper Canada Golf Course.
• Peyton Callens (Team Waterloo), 15, from Langton and Delhi Golf & Country Club, coached by Ralph Bauer.
• Sam Meek, (Team York – 2014), 17, from Peterborough and Kawartha Golf & Country Club, coached by Henry Brunton.
• Hailey McLaughlin (Team York), 14, from Markham and Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club, coached by Gord Burns.
• Alexandra Naumovski, (Team York – 2014), 18, from Halton Hills and Brampton Golf Club.

Rounding out the team is: Alyssa DiMarcantonio, 12, from Maple and Station Creek Golf Club, coached by Thomas Youn.

GAO Head Provincial Coach Reggie Millage, a Class ‘A’ PGA of Canada professional from Milton, leads the Team Ontario coaching staff. Millage enters his third season with the team. Also returning this year are Athletic Therapist Andrew Hoermann, Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Judy Goss.

The team is already an accomplished group and they will look for even more success in 2016. Some highlights from the 2015 season included: Chung – CN Future Links Quebec Champion and silver in the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Championship; Callens – AJGA Junior All-Stars at Ravenwood Champion; Celone – CJGA Mizuno National Champion; McLaughlin – Ontario Bantam Girls and Women’s Four-Ball Champion; DiMarcantonio – Ontario Peewee Girls’ Champion, Bantam Tour Hidden Lake Champion and silver at the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Championship; Chun – Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play Champion, silver at the Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Championship and bronze at the Spring Classic; Naumovski – silver at the Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship; Meek – Bronze at the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship; Bowery – Bronze at the Spring Classic; and Portokalis – bronze at the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Championship.

Looking ahead Team Ontario will train indoors during the winter months at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. ClubLink’s TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Florida will host Team Ontario training camps in January and February. During March-break, the team will head to the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina for a training camp as well as to take part in the Can-Am Matches, an annual team-match event between the top junior golfers from Ontario and South Carolina.

About Team Ontario

The GAO Team Ontario program is a high performance training program for the top junior aged golfers in Ontario. Athletes are selected in September each year and the program runs from October through August. Team Ontario athletes receive the very best in coaching services, training/competitive opportunities, and sport science support as they strive to make Golf Canada’s National Development Team. Being selected to Team Ontario is a tremendous accomplishment and offers unparalleled support and guidance to the participating athletes and their families.