UXBRIDGE — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to announce the 2015 roster for Team Ontario.
The announcement comes on the heels of the GAO’s recent partnership with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, who will provide Team Ontario athletes with Adidas clothing and access to TaylorMade equipment.
The team, which began training in October, is set for a full winter of work as they prepare for the official start to the competitive season at the GAO Investors Group Junior Spring Classic in May.
“Overall the team looks very good, with many of the players already having achieved bench mark successes in their junior golf careers,” said Mary Ann Hayward, GAO Manager of Sport Performance. “All of the players are highly motivated to make the national development team and our coaching staff is prepared to work very hard to help them get there.”
This year’s team highlights the quality of the GAO’s high performance programs as 11 of the squad’s 13 golfers are either returning Team Ontario members or graduates from the GAO’s Regional (U17) Team Program.
With a pair of Team Ontario players, Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain, moving up to the National Development Team, the 2015 roster features five returning players:
- Markham’s Max Sear, 17, from York Downs Golf and Country Club (coached by Ian Crebbin)
- Port Lambton’s Brendan Seys, 16, from Maple City Country Club (coached by John Dengel)
- Ruthven’s Alyssa Getty, 17, from Kingsville Golf and Country Club (coached by Reggie Millage)
- Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun, 13, from The Summit Golf and Country Club (coached by Ian Leggatt and Don Lee)
- Thornhill’s Jason Chung, 15, from Pheasant Run Golf Club (coached by Charlie Woo)
Joining the returnees, are the following graduates of the GAO Regional Team Program:
- London’s Jackson Bowery (Team Waterloo), 17, from Greenhills Golf Club (coached by Len Foran)
- Burlington’s Kyle MacDonald (Team York), 16, from Rattlesnake Pointe Golf Club (coached by Rich Storey)
- Dunrobin’s Jake Bryson (Team Ottawa), 15, from Eagle Creek Golf Club (coached by Kevin Haime)
- Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk (Team Waterloo), 17, from Bridgewater Country Club (coached by Mary Kraus)
- Kingston’s Diana McDonald (Team Ottawa), 17, from Loyalist Country Club (coached by Chris Barber)
- London’s Isabella Portokalis (Team Waterloo), 13, from London Hunt and Country Club
Rounding out the team are:
- Thornhill’s Kelvin Lim, 13, from Station Creek Golf Club
- Mississauga’s Chloe Currie, 15, from Mississauga Golf and Country Club (coached by Nick Starchuk)
“It is great having six of our new players coming out of regional programs,” added Hayward. “They are accustomed to the team training environment and come with a good base in their technical and physical training.”
GAO Head Provincial Coach Reggie Millage, a Class ‘A’ PGA of Canada professional from Milton, leads team Ontario’s coaching staff. Millage enters his second season with the team after taking over the position last November.
Also returning to the 2015 squad are Athletic Therapist Andrew Hoermann and Mental Skills Coach Judy Goss. New to the coaching staff this year is Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko.
“This year’s team is obviously a very different group, especially with the make up of seven boys and six girls,” said Millage. “Most of them are already well established and are willing to work hard to reach the next level. The coaches have already been working one-on-one with them, making the changes we feel are necessary as we work towards the spring.”
Millage also spoke about the very experienced coaching staff.
“We are very excited to have Andrew back as Athletic Therapist. He is the longest serving member of the coaching staff and very good at what he does working with the athletes. Adding Nick to the team is also exciting because he is a very qualified and dedicated Strength and Conditioning Coach. Nick is very committed to working with golfers and he and I have worked together in the past and have enjoyed good success in taking athlete’s golf games to the next level.”
Already an accomplished group, the squad will look for even better results in 2015.
Some highlights from the 2014 season included Getty capturing the CN Future Links Quebec Championship, Marck-Sherk taking the gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games (Juvenile Girls’ Championship) and Currie winning the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Championship and the Ontario Junior Tours Championship.
Additionally, Lim was victorious at the CN Future Links Quebec Championship, while Sear successfully defended his Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) individual championship title.
Looking ahead, Team Ontario will train indoors during the winter months at The Golf Lab in Vaughan. ClubLink’s Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla. will be the new host venue for Team Ontario training camps in January and February. During March Break, the team will head to Myrtle Beach, SC for a training camp as well as take part in the Can-Am Matches which is 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.
About the Golf Association of Ontario
The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 450 member clubs, the GAO is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact, to growing the game at the grassroots level and getting the game of golf into our school systems, to keeping the Ontario golf community aware of all relevant issues and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, the Golf Association of Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to making golf better for everyone in Ontario. We share a love and passion for golf, while preserving its past, fostering its future, and championing golf’s best interests for everyone who enjoys the sport.
For more information, please contact:
Darren Matte, Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Golf Association of Ontario
905-852-1101 ext. 234