Three women’s pairings among those set to compete for the inaugural
BDO National Golf League Championship as part of the
2024 RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton
The inaugural season of the BDO National Golf League welcomed over 1,500 women competitors in 2023, and three women-only pairings are among the fifty-two teams of two (104 golfers total) who qualified to compete at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club for the chance to be crowned the first ever BDO National Golf League champions.
The BDO National Golf League Championship takes place on Saturday, May 25, just days before the start of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club layout.
Among those set to compete in the national final are Donna Manning and Deborah Delaney from the GlenDenning Golf Club in St. John’s, Nfld. The pair secured their spot after finishing atop the leaderboard in qualifying from their regional playoff at the Twin Rivers Golf Club at Terra Nova in Port Blandford, Nfld.
“We arrived at the regionals with no expectations, both of us were pretty nervous, and then realizing we were playing against mostly men. We ended up playing some of our best golf and as a result, captured that first spot.
“I feel very honoured to be representing GlenDenning Golf Club and Newfoundland. The staff at GlenDenning are very proud and excited for our accomplishment and wish us good luck in Hamilton. I’m beyond excited and I can’t wait for May. This event will be awesome and one of my proudest moments,” said Donna Manning.
Delaney echoed her teammate that a mix of excitement and nerves came about during qualification. Added incentive for Delaney was competing against her brother, who also advanced to the regional playoffs in Port Blandford, Nfld.
“Donna and I didn’t calculate our course handicaps for Terra Nova so we didn’t keep track of the Stableford points. We decided that we would just play our game as best we could and see how it all played out with no pressure. Fortunately, we played well and won the tournament. We are beyond excited to represent Newfoundland in Hamilton this coming May and hopefully play some fantastic golf.”
Across the country, Karen Cairns and Lynne Godfrey are one of three teams from the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C. that qualified in the regional playoff.
“It will be terrific to share the experience and to meet other players from across the country, no matter the outcome,” said Cairns.
“We were stunned. We knew we played good ham and eggs but didn’t think we would tie for first place. We are so excited to attend,” added Godfrey.
La Belle Province will be represented by Martine Dusault and Sylvie Desroches from Le Maître de Mont-Tremblant in Mont-Tremblant, Que. who were among the eight teams to qualify from Quebec.
“Very proud to have qualified for this tournament. We’re the only women in Quebec. We can’t wait to play this magnificent golf course,” said Dusault.
“My teammate and I are very proud of our performance, being the only two women in Quebec to qualify for the final. We didn’t think we’d make it playing the men’s tees, so we played for fun! What a nice surprise! We’re very proud to represent our club, Le Maître de Mont-Tremblant! Thank you NGL!” added Desroches.
In addition to the national finals taking place at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in the leadup to the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, the winning team will receive an expenses-paid trip to represent Canada at The R&A 9 Hole Challenge at Royal Troon in Troon, Scotland, one-week prior to the 152nd Open Championship. This will mark the first time that Canada will participate in the 9 Hole Challenge. For more information on the R&A 9 Hole Challenge, please visit randa.org/en/nine-hole-challenge.
The BDO National Golf League was launched by Golf Canada ahead of the 2023 season as a nationwide, season-long competition to enhance weekly recreational league experiences for men, women, and junior golfers. Scoring follows a 9-hole net stableford format that takes place during a six-week period of a club’s league season. Within those six weeks, the best four scores are used to determine the individuals that would advance to the next stage of the competition – the provincial championships. The BDO National Golf League points system is designed to level the playing field for players of all skill levels. The competition is about making golf fun as the first priority.
Registration is now open for the 2024 BDO National Golf League, to sign-up or for more information, please visit nationalgolfleague.ca.