WINDSOR, Ont. – The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is set for Aug. 2-5 at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont., for the 116th installment of the event.
The 72-hole tournament returns for the first time since 2019, after the pandemic caused the cancellation of Golf Canada’s 2020 competitive season.
The 156-player field include all eight of the Team Canada National Amateur Squad members; Brendan MacDougall (Calgary, Alta.), Cougar Collins (Caledon, Ont.), Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué.), Henry Lee (Coquitlam, B.C.), Johnny Travale (Hamilton, Ont.), Laurent Desmarchais (Longueuil, Qué.), Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), and Noah Steele (Kingston, Ont.).
Forty-one of the top 50 Canadians on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) are in the field including the highest ranked Canadian amateur, Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., who is currently ranked 36th. Rank became the first Canadian to win the Western Amateur since 1977 when he won it in 2019. The field also includes Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., who won the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship and became the first back-to-back champion since 2009.
“The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is one of Canada’s longest running amateur championships and we couldn’t be happier to have it back in 2021,” said tournament director Adam Cinel. “The golf course is in great condition and will serve as an excellent test for Canada’s top players.”
The winner will receive an exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open from June 6-12 at St George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont. and the 2021 U.S. Amateur from August 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club & Longue Vue Club in Oakmont & Verona, Pa.
The 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion was William Buhl from Norway.
Ambassador Golf Club was designed by architect Thomas McBroom. It is a par-71 public golf course that has hosted many previous provincial, national, and professional championships including the Windsor Championship on the PGA TOUR Canada – Mackenzie Tour in 2018 and 2019, the Golf Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship in 2017, the Golf Ontario Ladies Amateur Championship in 2016, and the OUA Golf Championships in 2016.
The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut for the low 70 players and ties. In the event of a tie at the end of four rounds, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following completion of 72-holes.
The practice round will be conducted on Sunday, Aug 1.
Previous winners of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship include PGA TOUR winner and Olympian Mackenzie Hughes (2011-12), PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor (2007), and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Moe Norman (1955-56).
Click here for the full field and tournament information.
NOTABLES
Garrett Rank
The 33-year-old from Elmira, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian men’s golfer on the World Amateur Golf Rankings at 36th. In addition to winning the Western Amateur in 2019, he finished runner-up at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, tied for fifth at the Men’s Porter Cup, and seventh at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship. He won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship three years in a row between 2014-2016.
Brendan MacDougall
The 23-year-old from Calgary is in his third year as a part of the National Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won The Challenge at The Concession and finished tied for fifth at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate, both NCAA events. He finished tied for 10th at the 2020 Alberta Amateur Championship and finished tied for 16th at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Cougar Collins
The 22-year-old from Caledon, Ont., is in his second year as a part of the National Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship and finished tied for ninth at the Colleton River Collegiate (NCAA). In 2019, he finished tied for 10th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Étienne Papineau
The 24-year-old from St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Qué., is in his fourth year as a part of Team Canada. He was a member of the Junior Squad in 2014 and 2015, and previously a member of the Amateur Squad in 2020. In 2019, he finished tied for 10th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and finished 6th and 7th at the Old Town Club Collegiate and Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational, both NCAA events, respectively.
Henry Lee
The 23-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C. is in his first year as a member of the Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Arizona Intercollegiate, an NCAA event, and finished fifth at the Bandon Dunes Championship, also an NCAA event. In 2019, he won the Georgetown Intercollegiate, also an NCAA event, and in 2018 he finished ninth at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Johnny Travale
The 20-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., is in his second year as a member of Team Canada. Previously, he was a member of the Junior Squad in 2018. In 2019, he won the Tavistock Collegiate Invitational and finished tied for fourth at the Hartford Hawk Invitational, both NCAA events. In 2018, he finished tied for 14th at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Laurent Desmarchais
The 20-year-old from Longueuil, Qué., is in his third year as a part of Team Canada. He previously spent two years as a part of the Junior Squad in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, Desmarchais won the Canada Life Series Championship at TPC Toronto, and in 2019 won the Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship. In 2018, he won four events, including the Future Links Ontario Championship and the Québec Junior Boys Championship. In 2019, he finished tied for fourth at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Matthew Anderson
The 21-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is in his first year as a part of the Amateur Squad. In 2019, he won the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, and finished second at the Oregon State Invitational (NCAA). Also in 2019, he finished in a tie for fourth at the Carpet Capital Collegiate, and tied for sixth at the Orange Co. Collegiate Classic, both NCAA events.
Noah Steele
The 23-year-old from Kingston, Ont., is in his second year as a part of the Amateur Squad. In 2020, he won the Border Olympics (NCAA) and finished third at the 2020 The All American (NCAA). In 2019, he won both the Southland Conference Championship and The Sam Hall Intercollegiate, both NCAA events. He also finished fourth at the 2019 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship.
FAST FACTS
Currently ranked 36th on the WAGR, Garret Rank of Elmira, Ont., is also an NHL referee.
T.M. Harley of Kingston Golf Club won the inaugural Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 1895.
George S. Lyon won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship eight times and was runner-up twice. Lyon won the Gold Medal for Canada in the 1904 Olympic Games.
Sandy Somerville was a match play finalist 10 times and won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship six times.