Eight talented PGA of Canada coaches to receive in-depth career development and bring a stronger gender balance to high-performance coaching in Canadian golf

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are excited to announce the names of eight talented coaches who will receive critical education to advance their careers as top golf coaches in the country.

The eight participant coaches from the Women in Coaching program will receive in-depth career development focusing on four main areas: individualized learning plans with monthly one-on-one check-ins, virtual and in-person coaching education and hands-on training experience.

Launched in 2021, the Women in Coaching program aims to strike a stronger gender balance with high-performance coaches that better reflects the Canadian golf community.

“We are thrilled to be supporting female coaches who have a deep desire to develop their skillsets,” said Beth Barz, the Women in Coaching Program’s Coach Developer. “Their continued growth supports all athletes in the player development system who will work with coaches involved in the Women in Coaching program for years to come.”

Application information was posted publicly on Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada’s websites, where applications were accepted this past winter.

“I am proud to be part of the Women in Coaching program and have an opportunity to learn from top educators and other female coaches from across Canada,” said Kat Kennedy, Assistant Golf Coach at Simon Fraser University and one of the eight Women in Coaching participants. “As a current collegiate coach, I prioritize professional development to gain the tools and skills to provide support and guidance to help student-athletes realize their full potential.”

The eight PGA of Canada members were selected based on prior coaching experience and current coaching or volunteer coaching positions. Past competitive playing experience was also considered an asset.

The eight chosen participants for the Women in Coaching program include:

• Shannon Raina – Calgary, Alberta
  Earl Grey Golf Club, Apprentice Professional and Junior Development Leader

• Kat Kennedy – Richmond, British Columbia
  Simon Fraser University, Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach
• Megan Ratcliffe – Victoria, British Columbia
  Bear Mountain Resort, Assistant Golf Professional
• Michelle Waters – Vancouver, British Columbia
  Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, Apprentice Golf Professional
• Winnie Yun – Langley, British Columbia
  Lago Golf Academy (Westwood Plateau Golf Club), Junior Instructor
• Anne Rogerson – Dorval, Quebec
  Golf Le Champêtre, Head Golf Professional
• Leila Harman – Surrey, British Columbia
  Morgan Creek Golf Course, Saunders Performance Golf Academy Instructor
• Nicola Greaves – Calgary, Alberta
  Willow Park Golf & Country Club, Associate Professional & Junior Leader

To date, 17 PGA of Canada professionals have received training through the Women in Coaching program. This year’s first in-person session kicks off Monday, February 13th in Phoenix, AZ.

Registration for Golf Canada’s competitions is opening soon.  The 2023 schedule features a total of 35 competitions including:

• 10 National Amateur Championships, presented by BDO
• 8 NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards
• 5 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers, culminating at the Final Qualifier on Sunday, June 4
• CP Women’s Open Final Qualifier on Monday, August 21
• Various USGA Qualifiers in May, June and July

Registration will open on the following dates for each category of championships and qualifiers:

NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards will continue to provide a high-performance training ground and championship experience across Canada, which showcases the next wave of elite junior golfers.

Registration will open on Wednesday, February 15^th at 12:00pm EDT.

NextGen Championships Registration

RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers

Join the world’s best amateur and professional golfers and attempt to qualify for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. Registrants are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis, as long as each applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

Registration will open on Wednesday, February 22^nd at 12:00pm EDT.

RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifers Registration

National Amateur Championships, presented by BDO

True to the life-long sport that golf is, Golf Canada will be conducting 10 national amateur championships for golfers of all ages, genders and abilities.

Registration will open on Wednesday, March 15^th at 12:00pm EST.

National Amateur Championships Registration

Calgary – February is Heart Month, and Canadian Pacific (CP) is proud to announce today that BC Children’s Hospital Foundation has been chosen as the primary charity partner for the 2023 CP Women’s Open, to be held Aug. 21-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

“The team at BC Children’s Hospital provides expert care, research and support for children with heart conditions, and CP is grateful to have another opportunity to contribute to the critical work they do,” said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO. “The 2023 CPWO marks the third time BC Children’s Hospital Foundation has been selected as the charity partner during CP’s title sponsorship of this exceptional LPGA Tour event, helping raise more than $4 million so far. We’re honored to continue building this legacy.”

This year’s goal is to raise more than $2.5 million for BC Children’s Hospital. Those funds will be dedicated to enhancing the physical spaces of the Heart Centre to create a comfortable and healing environment for patients and their families. Funds will also help to create improved workspaces for cross-functional collaboration amongst the dedicated and talented cardiac team at BC Children’s.

“Kids with heart conditions can be some of the sickest children in BC, and the Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital is there to provide care for every one of them,” said Malcolm Berry, President and CEO of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “That’s why we’re so grateful to once again be the CP Has Heart charity of choice. CP’s support helps elevate the incredible care BC Children’s is able to provide to kids and their families across the province.”

In recognition of Heart Month, CP and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation are pleased to hold a month-long fundraising campaign with CP matching all donations up to a total of $300,000. Visit www.bcchf.ca to help make a difference for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation cardiology patients.

“Families of children with heart conditions put their trust in us,” said Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, Head, Division of Cardiology. “In turn, we help to carry the burden of their child’s health with them. That’s the essence of what our team does at the Heart Centre at BC Children’s Hospital, and CP has been a part of our team for many years. With CP’s steadfast support, we can continue to improve the healing environment for our patients and their families.”

The Tournament Partners of the LPGA awarded the CP Women’s Open with Tournament of the Year in 2022. Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Sponsor Activation in 2019 and 2022 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

“We are so proud to witness the incredible impact of CP Has Heart on the lives of countless youth in the host communities of the CP Women’s Open,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “There is a real excitement among golf fans and event enthusiasts in the celebrated return of the CP Women’s Open to Vancouver, highlighted by world-class golf, a week-long festival experience and a meaningful legacy gift in support of the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

CP has helped raise more than $16 million to support children’s heart health in Canada during the nine years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open.

Beginning with the 2023 SONY OPEN in Hawaii, TSN has announced the acquisition of rights to PGA TOUR LIVE, featuring exclusive coverage from PGA TOUR events throughout the season.

The acquisition of PGA TOUR LIVE supports the launch of TSN+, a new direct-to-consumer streaming product available on TSN.ca and the TSN app.

PGA TOUR LIVE features more than 4,300 hours of exclusive PGA TOUR coverage, including the TOUR’s Hawaii events in January all the way through the FEDEXCUP PLAYOFFS and into the fall. It includes four full days of coverage and four simultaneous live feeds each day from PGA TOUR events. Coverage includes Featured Groups, Featured Holes, and the new Marquee Group, showcasing every shot from each player in one select group. PGA Tour Live was previously available as part of PGA TOUR’s paid subscription service GolfTV.

In addition to PGA TOUR LIVE, TSN+ includes coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES; new world-exclusive augmented NFL feeds for every playoff game and the Super Bowl; and the re-launch of the XFL, beginning Feb. 18.

TSN+ is available now for a limited-time free preview and is ready to stream exclusively on mobile devices, tablets, and is available on connected TVs, including Android TV, Apple TV, Xbox One, Roku TV, LG Smart TV, Samsung SmartTV, and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Direct-to-consumer pricing and subscription options will be announced in the coming weeks.

TSN+ provides Canadians access to marquee live games and events that are incremental to the premium sports content delivered across TSN’s leading platforms.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON TSN+

Breaking: TSN has acquired the rights to PGA Tour LIVE and will broadcast it on all-new streaming product TSN+ You can watch the SONY Open right now!!! TSN will stream every PGA Tour event, start to finish. Four days of coverage and four simultaneous live feeds. Free trial is on

— Bob Weeks (@BobWeeksTSN) January 12, 2023

Montreal – Two professional golf tours in Canada have announced a strategic merger. The East Coast Pro Tour (ECPT), based in Montreal and the Great Lakes Tour (GLT), based in Hamilton have agreed upon terms to merge schedules and events under one umbrella effective immediately.

The new tournament schedule will offer professional golfers and elite amateurs a full set of events across Ontario, Quebec and even the USA and feature one season long point list. Additionally, each event in 2023 will feature a minimum purse amount of $25,000 and an average first prize of $7,500.

The merger will ultimately see all events on both tours in Ontario and Quebec fall under the ECPT brand. The GLT and ECPT will share resources.

Massimo Roch and Luca Greco will remain in Tour Director roles as President and Vice-President of the ECPT and will be based in Montreal. Whereas, Jim Kenesky of the GLT will assume the role as a Tournament Director in Ontario strategically overseeing the operations in key markets of Ontario along with other duties being carried out to assist in tour and tournament operations. Colin Murray, also of the GLT, will be stepping away to focus on his professional senior golf career.

‘’The strategic partnership was formed with one goal in mind; design a national platform for Canadians to access the next level in professional golf.’’ States Massimo Roch. ‘’We both agreed that the unification of both entities under a single banner is the best thing we could’ve done for the players. We’re confident Jim’s previous experience and extensive wealth of knowledge will allow us to collectively reshape professional golf in the north and provide our players with greater playing opportunities.’’

The Great Lakes Tour was established in 2001 and tour alumni inclide David Hearn, David Morland IV, Brad Fritsch, Matt McQuillan, Michael Gligic and Taylor Pendrith.

The ECPT was established in 2019.

The tentative 2023 ECPT schedule will be available in early January. It will feature six events in Ontario, five events in Quebec and one event in Connecticut. Players will gain points at events throughout the season toward the GolfIn Cup Standings where the leader at the end of the season will earn an all expense paid trip and entry fee into the DP World Tour Q-School. Max Gilbert of Saint-Georges, Que., won the inaugural GolfIn Cup in 2021 and Ty Celone of Long Sault, Ont. is the reigning GolfIn Cup Champion.

Visit www.eastcoastprotour.com for the tour’s 2023 schedule and membership options.

The 2022 edition of Golf Canada’s successful campaign for #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards features personalized achievements and countless golf stories from across the country

OAKVILLE (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada’s #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is back, and the 2022 edition is loaded with more achievements, more milestones and more fun for every member who logged their scores this year.

Building on the success of the 2021 campaign and the hugely popular Spotify Wrapped, Golf Canada has enhanced this year’s #MyGolfYear experience with a snapshot from golf scores posted during the season. In addition to total rounds, best round, total holes played, total distance played, users will now have more personalized insights in the form of Achievements.

“Last year we saw how much Golf Canada members loved sharing their #MyGolfYear stats on social media,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Marketing Officer, Lisa Ferkul. “So, this year we really wanted to step up our game and give members even more personal achievements to be proud of when posting to social media channels.”

The full list of achievements for 2022 include:

• Top Golfer: You’re in rarefied air; your handicap ranks you as one of the top X% golfers in Canada.

• Every Day I’m Golfing: You played golf every day of the week this year; something you and 106,943 other Canadians did in 2022.
• Golfer for All Seasons: You played at least one round in each of April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
• Have Clubs, Will Travel: You and XX,XXX other Canadians ventured out and played golf in Y different cities in Canada in 2022.
• #MyGolfDay: You play golf on Sundays and only on Sundays. That’s your day. No ifs, ands or buts.
• Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: You managed to play at least a round of golf five weeks in a row this year.
• Peak Summer: Canada’s warmest day in 2022 was July 28th; on that day, you and another 56,894 Canadians played golf.
• Hole in One: The highest of achievements; you and just 3,089 other Canadians got a hole-in-one in 2022.
• From Sea to Sea: You really get around; you and just X,XXX others played golf in Y different provinces of Canada this year.
• I Am Canadian: You and 109,718 others celebrated Canada Day weekend in the best possible way: Getting in a round of golf.
• Giving Thanks: An ideal Thanksgiving may or may involve turkey, but for you and 32,704 other Canadians, it definitely involved a round of golf.
• Golf Supporter: You’ve been a supporter of Golf Canada and golf in Canada for more than five years—thank you!
• Golf Protector: You’ve supported Golf Canada for over 10 years and helped us grow the game—thank you!
• Breaking Not Bad: You scored a round under 100 / 90 / 80 / 70 this year—congrats!
• New To The Club: You’re new to the Golf Canada community for 2022—welcome!

“We want Golf Canada members to see their achievements from score posting as badges of pride and measures of participation and improvement,” Ferkul said. “We also think it will be great when they receive validation of those achievements from their friends when they post their #MyGolfYear roundup on social media.”

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With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting scores in 2022, the marketing team at the national sports organization started digging into the data that would eventually lead to #MyGolfYear months ago. Sully Syed, Golf Canada’s Senior Director of Digital Experience and Technology said that once his team started exploring the data behind the posted scores, several things caught his attention.

“Once we started getting through the score posting data, we really started learning about Golf Canada members,” Syed said. “We learned about the days of the week they play, what golf courses they play most, how far they will travel to play golf, and so much more about their golfing habits in 2022.”

The data also revealed several amazing individual member stories, like that of Jeff Forgrave—whose posted scores indicated he did a few things no one else in Canada did in 2022. Forgrave played golf in all 10 provinces, played 103 different golf courses and played in 50 different cities in 2022.

“I’m an overly avid golfer,” Forgrave admits. “I’ve previously played in all 10 provinces, but never in the same year. This year was one of extensive travels and a lot of golf.”

While Forgrave is a longtime golfer, there were other stories from brand new Golf Canada members like Kathryn McCully of Petitcodiac Valley Golf and Country Club in New Brunswick. As a new Golf Canada member in 2022, McCully logged 89 rounds of golf for the year.

“I plan to play as much, if not more in the coming seasons,” McCully says. “My goal is to get technical with my game and do regular lessons with hopes of becoming more consistent, confident and competitive,” she says, adding, “it’s addicting to add your scorecard into the Golf Canada App and watch your handicap hopefully improve.”

With more than 270,000 Golf Canada members posting nearly 10-million scores in 2022, there is no shortage of stories from #MyGolfYear fueled by JOURNIE Rewards. What’s your 2022 #MyGolfYear story?

To learn more about Golf Canada and the benefits of membership, visit join.golfcanada.ca

PGA TOUR Canada announced it will hold six Qualifying Tournaments to determine Tour membership for the 2023 season – five in the U.S., beginning in late-February and concluding with a final qualifier in Canada a week before the Tour’s regular season begins.

PGA TOUR Canada completed its season in September, crowning the Fortinet Cup Points List leader – Edmonton’s Wil Bateman – as Player of the Year. Bateman became the inaugural winner of the Fortinet Cup after winning twice in 2022 and is now a fully exempt member of the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2023 season. Players hoping to follow in Bateman’s footsteps can begin by earning PGA TOUR Canada membership, with playing spots available at the six Qualifying Tournaments. 

“We are coming off a remarkably successful season, and we will continue to build on that momentum in 2023. The first steps are at our Qualifying Tournaments, where players can get on the path that will take them to their ultimate destination, which is the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “Through the years, we’ve been fortunate that so many players are interested in pursuing their professional dreams by playing on PGA TOUR Canada. We anticipate there will be strong demand by players to come to our Tour, as players know about the quality of courses, the cities we visit and the caliber of competition PGA TOUR Canada offers.”

The qualifiers begin with two tournaments in Florida (Weston and Howey-in-the-Hills) on consecutive weeks in late-February, early March. The action starts February 21-24 at The Club at Weston Hills’ Tour Course, as it hosts a Qualifying Tournament for a second consecutive year. The Howey-in-the-Hills tournament is at historic Mission Inn Resort and Club, a long-time host of both PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournaments. It has hosted six previous PGA TOUR Canada qualifiers. The following week, the RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Alabama, is the site for a third consecutive year.

A month later, the qualifiers move west, with events at Wigwam Golf Club in the Phoenix suburb of Litchfield Park, Arizona (April 4-7) and at Soboba Springs Golf Course in San Jacinto, California (April 11-14).

Notable PGA TOUR members to emerge from these sites in recent years include Cameron Young (medalist at Dothan in 2020), Will Zalatoris (runner-up at Wigwam Golf Club in 2019), Alex Smalley (T3 at Howey-in-the-Hills in 2020), Hayden Buckley (T4 at Wigwam Golf Club in 2019), Carson Young (T7 at Howey-in-the-Hills in 2020) and Philip Knowles (T9 at Howey-in the-Hills in 2019).

Bateman finished T5 at the Wigwam Golf Club site in 2021, retained membership for 2022 via the points list and won the Fortinet Cup with his two-win season.

The final Qualifying Tournament is set for June 6-9 in Courtenay, British Columbia. Crowne Isle Resort and Golf Club has previously hosted seven Qualifying Tournaments. PGA TOUR Canada’s season begins the week after this Q-School.

Here is a look at the six tournaments that will all be 72-hole, Tuesday-to-Friday, no-cut events:

Date	Course	Location
February 21-24	The Club at Weston Hills (Tour)	Weston, Florida
February 28-March 3	Mission Inn Resort and Club (El Campeon)	Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
March 7-10	RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands/Marshwood)	Dothan, Alabama
April 4-7	Wigwam GC (Gold)	Litchfield Park, Arizona
April 11-14	Soboba Springs GC	San Jacinto, California
June 6-9	Crowne Isle Resort and GC	Courtenay, British Columbia

“This is a great lineup of tournaments that will test players’ skills and abilities. Those who emerge with Tour cards will have another strong PGA TOUR Canada schedule to play in 2023, with a chance to continue progressing in their professional careers,” Pritchard added.

Among player benefits available, a three-time winner on the Tour would earn automatic promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour. Additionally, the top five players on the 2023 Fortinet Cup Points List will receive 2024 Korn Ferry Tour membership, with the player finishing first earning fully exempt status. The top five players will also be exempt into the Final Stage of the 2023 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, competing for a PGA TOUR card, which will be awarded to top-five finishers and ties. Those in the sixth-through-25th Fortinet Cup positions are exempt into the Second Stage of the 2023 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. In addition, the top 60 players on the final Fortinet Cup standings will retain their PGA TOUR Canada playing privileges for 2024.

PGA TOUR Canada will announce its complete regular season schedule in early 2023.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation (IGF) has announced DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley has been elected as its new Chairman.

The announcement was made following an IGF Board Meeting which was conducted December 7, 2023.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Annika Sörenstam was also reelected as IGF President.

“We are grateful for the leadership of Keith Pelley and Annika Sörenstam as we continue to encourage the international development of the sport of golf,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “As two prominent members in the international golf landscape, Keith and Annika will bring extensive experience and knowledge to our overall strategy and we are thrilled to have them in these key roles. I also want to thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his tenure as the IGF Chairman and we’re delighted to have him continue on the Board moving forward.”

Pelley, from Canada, became the fourth CEO in the DP World Tour’s history in August 2015, will serve as the Chairman of the IGF from 2023-2027.

Prior to joining the DP World Tour, Pelley was President of Rogers Media in Toronto. Before that, he was Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning at CTVglobemedia, President of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club and President of The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada.

Sörenstam, who has 97 worldwide professional victories during her prestigious playing career, was reelected for a second two-year term as IGF President, which she’ll serve from 2023-2024.

Mississauga, ON – The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) announced Brian Youell of Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. as its John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2022. 

The CGSA John B. Steel Award commemorates the CGSA’s first President, who was also the first superintendent to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. This award is presented annually to an individual, chosen by the CGSA Board of Directors, who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent. The recipient is presented with an original soap stone carving designed and carved by Bill Fach, retired Master Superintendent, and a past CGSA President.

“Brian Youell is one of the most devoted and respected colleagues in the turf industry and a mentor to many,” said Pierre Vezeau, CGSA President. “He has overcome many challenges over the years and continues to give back to the industry and his community. He is a dedicated husband and father to two daughters. His successful career and leadership in the industry is truly inspirational. Congratulations on this well-deserved award Brian.”

Youell has been a CGSA member since 1993 and has held the association’s Master Superintendent (MS) designation since 2002. He is in his 42nd year at Uplands Golf Course which was established in 1922 and celebrated their centenary on December 1st, 2022. His career in the industry spans almost 45 years.

He was the CGSA Environmental Achievement Award winner in 2017, the 2016 CGSA Gordon Witteveen winner and the CGSA Superintendent of the Year Award winner in 2012.

“What an honour to win such a prestigious award,” added Youell. “I’ve had an amazing 42 years with Uplands Golf Club, and I’ve been very fortunate to host 20 PGA Tour Canada events. I’m so happy to have chosen this career path and networked with amazing people.”

The 49th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship is set for August 21-August 27, 2023 in Vancouver

(Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), is pleased to announce tickets for the 2023 CP Women’s Open in Vancouver are now on sale.

The 2023 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be held at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club August 21-27, marking the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

The 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club was recently named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA. The tournament, which set an attendance record of more than 73k fans, also received Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement, as well as Best Sponsor Activation.

As the only Canadian stop across 33 official LPGA Tour events, the week-long event will draw the world’s best players including 10-time LPGA Tour winner and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson. 

Title-sponsor Canadian Pacific will once again be making a charitable donation to the host community through its CP Has Heart campaign. Since CP assumed title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open in 2014, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This is the third time in the last four years the awards were handed out that the CP Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver for Best Community and Charity Engagement.

The week-long national championship features something for everyone including The Rink, Golf Canada’s signature Canadian themed hole that has grown in popularity at both national opens, a premium food experience at the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way, as well as partner activations, photo-ops, terrific golf and more.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has enabled the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and has inspired the nation’s next generation of female golfers. 

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
for the 2023 CP Women’s Open 

Join us to witness world-class LPGA Tour golf, activities for all ages, outstanding food and patio experiences and more. Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Golf Canada’s signature events.