THORNHILL, Ont. – Cougar Collins of Toronto and Jackson Bowery of London, Ont., earned exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship at the Qualifier held at The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., on Monday.

Collins earned medallist honours by carding rounds of 69 and 67 during the 36-hole competition. The 20-year-old clinched the exemption with an eagle on the par-5 No. 17 during his second round.

“I had my dad on the bag today and it means a lot to both of us that we’ll be able to go back to the U.S. Am,” said Collins. “I came into the day wanting to be committed to every shot I hit. When it came to the back nine today, the two par-5s were really the turning points.”

Collins is entering his junior season at Eastern Michigan University and advanced to sectional qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open. He played the U.S. Amateur in 2018, failing to make the cut.

A playoff was needed to determine the second automatic exemption, with Bowery and Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) finishing at 5 under. Bowery won with a par on the second playoff hole (the par-4 No. 18) after Whalen lipped out his putt to save par.

Bowery will be playing the U.S. Amateur Championship for the first time. He finished runner-up at the 2019 Canadian University/College Championship.

It was a breathtaking turnaround for Whalen, who looked out of contention at 2 over following the first round. A 7-under-par-64 in his second round – the lowest round of the day – earned him the playoff with Bowery.

Whalen earns the first alternate spot from the Qualifier. Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., earned the second alternate spot. Rank and Zack Mason (Toronto) finished at 4 under and Rank clinched the spot with a par on the sixth playoff hole (the 18th).

Monday’s qualifier was one of 96 being held across North America from July 1-24 and the only such qualifier in Canada.

Nine Canadians have now qualified for the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship; Julien Sale (Reunion Island), Colwyn Abgrall (Niverville, Man.), Étienne Brault (Mercier, Que.), Calvin Ross (Fredericton, N.B.), Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.), Tristan Mandur (Mill Bay, B.C.), Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.), Collins and Bowery.

Seven additional Canadians are alternates for the event; Jacob Presutti (Brampton, Ont.), Etienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.), Tyson Turchanski (Calgary), Kade Johnson (Yorkton, Sask.), Jeevan Sihota (Victoria), Whalen and Rank.

The 119th U.S. Amateur Championship is being held at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C., from August 12-18.

Full results can be found here.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., fired a 3-under-par 68 in the final round to finish third in the individual boys division at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup. Canada finished sixth in the team competition.

Vandette’s score of 68 was his third round in the 60s this week. A bogey on the par-4 13th was the lone blemish on the 17-year-old’s scorecard. His score of 63 on Thursday was tied for the lowest round of the competition, helping him finish five shots back of winner Samuel Simpson of South Africa.

Laurent Desmarchais saved his best round for last, as his 4 under performance brought him to 3 under for the tournament. The Longueuil, Que., native was bogey-free on the back nine and finished in a tie for 20th.

Jeevan Sihota of Victoria, B.C. also shot under par, with his 1 under earning him a 34th place finish.

William Duquette of Laval, Que., withdrew from the competition before the final round and finished in 60th.

The quartet of Vandette, Desmarchais, Sihota and Duquette were competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Canada ranked sixth of 15 teams in the team competition at 14 under, having gained eight shots in the final round. South Africa won the event at 41 under, 11 shots clear of Japan in second.

In the girls division, Japan won the team event with a score of 18 under, three strokes ahead of the United States. Cory Lopez of Mexico, Rose Zhang of the United States and Cassie Porter of Australia finished tied for first in the individual competition at 11 under.

Full scoring can be found here.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., carded an 8-under 63 on Wednesday at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup, moving himself into sixth place in the individual boys competition heading into the final round.

Vandette’s 63 is tied for the lowest round of the tournament thus far. He was bogey-free in round three, with an eagle on the par-5 6th highlighting a scorching moving day at Chukyo Golf Club. He sits five shots back of leader Samuel Simpson of South Africa.

Sihota also shot in the 60s in round three, shooting a 3-under 68. The Victoria, B.C., product is in a tie for 37th after 54 holes.

Desmarchais carded even-par 71, holding steady in 33rd at 1 over on the tournament, while Duquette shot 8 over and is in 58th.

The Canadian quartet features Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, Jeevan Sihota and William Duquette. The players are competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Canada ranks ninth of 15 teams in the team competition at 6 under par, having gained three spots in the third round. South Africa are the leaders at 38 under, nine shots clear of Japan in second.

In the girls division, Japan holds a three-stroke lead over the United States and Mexico. Cassie Porter of Australia and Siwoo Chung of South Korea are leading the individual competition at 8 under par.

Full scoring can be found here.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que. shot even-par 71, but Canada fell to 12th place in the team competition during the second round at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup.

The Canadian quartet features Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, Jeevan Sihota and William Duquette. The players are competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Coming off an opening-round 69, Vandette was sitting at 4 under for the tournament heading into the final four holes of round two. The 17-year-old struggled after posting two bogeys on the par-5 16th and the par-4 18th, bringing him back to even par on the day. The bogey on No. 16 was uncharacteristic for Vandette, who had made birdie on each par 5 in the tournament to that point.

Vandette is T16 after 36 holes, eight shots back of leaders Abel Gallegos Caputo of Argentina and Gustav Andersson of Sweden.

Desmarchais shot 1-over 72 and is T28, while Sihota is 6 over in a tie for 43rd .

William Duquette is 57th at 14 over.

Canada ranks 12th of 15 teams in the team competition at 5 over par. South Africa are the current leaders at 19 under.

In the girls division, the United States hold a one-stroke lead over Japan. Rose Zhang of the United States and Siwoo Chung of South Korea are leading the individual competition at 5 under par.

Full scoring can be found here.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – The Team Canada boys are sixth of 15 teams following the opening round of the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup. Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., is the top-ranking Canadian in a tie for 8th at 2 under par.

The Canadian quartet features Vandette, Laurent Desmarchais, Jeevan Sihota and William Duquette. The players are competing individually, with each nation’s three lowest scores counting towards the team competition.

Vandette made birdie on all three par 5s in the opening round, en route to carding a 2-under-par 69. The 17-year-old sits three strokes back of leaders Abel Gallegos Caputo of Argentina, Gustav Andersson of Sweden and Albert Boneta of Spain.

Desmarchais shot even-par 71 in his first round. The Longueuil, Que., product made a seven on the par-5 ninth, but recovered by carding a bogey-free back nine to finish T16.

Sihota sits T24 after the first 18 holes. His 1-over par 72 is six shots behind the leaders.

Duquette shot 6-over par and is T55.

Canada ranks sixth in the team competition at 1 under par. Spain are the current leaders at 9 under.

In the girls division, Mexico holds a 3-stroke lead over Sweden and the United States. Spain’s Carla Tejedo is leading the individual competition at 3 under par.

Full scoring can be found here.

YORKTON, Sask. – Josh Nagy came from behind, while Hyeji Yang maintained her second-round lead to win the boys and girls division, respectively, at the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course.

Yang, from Langley, B.C., moved into the lead during the second-round and topped the field by seven strokes at 11-over par 227. Birdies were at a premium throughout the tournament in the girls division, but Yang’s two back-nine birdies on Sunday helped her secure the victory.

“I think I played not bad overall this week,” said Yang. “Today my game was struggling on the front nine and I couldn’t make some birdies when I had a chance. On the back nine I was pushing myself. On 13 my shots started coming back and on No. 15 I made a 15-foot birdie putt which helped me get more confidence and momentum.”

Sherri Yang finished in second at 18-over. The Richmond, B.C. product held the lead following the first-round, but was unable to withstand the charge from Hyeji Yang. She finished a stroke ahead of Calgary native Brooke Frerichs, who put in three consistent rounds to end up 19-over.

Autumn Neiszner of Regina and Kaitlyn Wingnean of Edmonton round out the top-five earning exemptions to the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29-August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

In the boys division, Josh Nagy cemented himself atop the leaderboard with a tremendous final round. The Saskatoon native made a double bogey on the par-4 second hole, but went on to make eight birdies to finish the day at 6-under par 66 and 3-under par 213 for the tournament.

Ranked No. 2 on Golf Saskatchewan’s Order of Merit, Nagy shot only the third under-par round of the tournament. The other rounds belonged to Calgary’s Richard Dou, who carded a 2-under 70 during the opening round, and Winnipeg’s Jordon McDonald, who shot a 1-under 71 in the final round.

“It’s an honour,” said Nagy. “I came in playing alright, and it was really nice to be able to turn the week around in the last round. I had a little hiccup on No. 2, and then I was able to bear down on the greens.”

Finishing seven strokes behind Nagy was second-round leader Tae Kyoung (Eric) Yun of Richmond Hill, Ont. Yun shot even-par on Saturday, finishing 4-over for the tournament.

An even-par final round from Neel Soni secured T3 for the Winnipeg product, tied with fellow Winnipegger Jacob Armstrong at 6-over.

Dou rounded out the top-five at 7-over.

Each of the top five finishers received an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.

Full results can be found here.

YORKTON, Sask. —  The Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship is set to take place June 14-16 at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course.

With support from Golf Saskatchewan, the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship is the fifth of eight regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on June 13 before the tournament gets officially underway with the opening-round June 14.

Regarded as one of Saskatchewan’s top-ranked 18-hole golf courses, Deer Park Municipal Golf Course’s already challenging terrain is dotted with numerous water and sand areas.

“Golf Canada and Golf Saskatchewan are delighted to present the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at such a terrific venue,” said Steve Ryde, the tournament director and Sport Development and Championships Manager with Golf Saskatchewan. “We are confident Deer Park Municipal Golf Course will challenge Canada’s premier junior golfers as they showcase their skills.”

The field will consist of 46 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division, with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. Should there be a tie for the fifth position, a playoff will be conducted following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division consists of 17 golfers, with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship July 29–August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Additional information about the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship can be found here.

Results from the previous 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec.

NOTABLES
Josh Nagy, Saskatoon, Sask.
Nagy won the Golf Saskatchewan U19 Men’s Order of Merit event in Estevan, Sask. in early May and is ranked No. 2 on said Order of Merit. He also won the 2018 Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Championship.

Carey McLean, Deer Valley, Sask.
No. 1 on the Golf Saskatchewan U19 Women’s Order of Merit, McLean finished T3 at the 2018 Saskatchewan Junior Women’s Championship and competed at the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Cort Tunall, Kindersley, Sask.
Currently No. 4 on the Golf Saskatchewan U19 Men’s Order of Merit, Tunall finished in the top-10 of both Order of Merit events he has entered this season, including a T4 in early May.

FAST FACTS
In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its eight regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top five finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top five finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Wesley Hoydalo went wire-to-wire to earn the victory last year in the Junior Boys Division.

Sydney Scraba shot a tournament-low 1-under par 71 in the second round, en route to winning Junior Girls Division at the event in 2018.

More information on the event can be found here.

LEWISTON, NY – Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que. and Mary Parsons of Delta B.C. each shot rounds in the 60s, finishing third and fourth, respectively, at the Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston, NY.

Thibault, a member of Team Canada National Amateur Squad, finished at 5-under par 211 over the 54-hole tournament. A final round 69, aided by four birdies on the front nine, helped her to a third-place finish. Thibault finished three shots back of leaders Jackie Rogowicz of Yardley, Penn. and Australian Isabelle Taylor.

Parsons was leading after the first round after carding a 69. Three birdies on her final five holes catapulted her into first place after 18 holes, but she would ultimately finish four-strokes back of the leaders.

Strathroy, Ont.’s Taylor Kehoe finished T8 at 1-over par for the tournament. Kehoe won the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship.

A total of 33 Canadians were among the 75 competitors, including Team Canada National Junior Squad members Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.), Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.).

Full results can be found here.

The National Junior Golf Development Centre (NJGDC) initiative was established to recognize facilities that offer a first-class experience for children aged 5-18. NJGDC support and run nationally endorsed programs, having trained and certified PGA of Canada golf coaches, they are also linked to schools in their surrounding communities.

All facilities meet the minimum national standards for the delivery of junior golf programs, coaching, and instruction. All of the parties involved are dedicated and committed to making these locations state-of-the-art facilities that offer a welcoming atmosphere for juniors of all levels.

This year there are 35 sites, up from 32 in 2018, established in seven different provinces – all of which were supported by PGA of Canada coaches, certified in the Coach of New Competitors or the Coach of Developing Competitors context.

Each centre has full access and use of National, Long-Term Player Development compliant programming and are recognized as a leading junior golf development facility in Canada.

To find a location near you click here.

PONOKA, Alta. – Calgary natives Annabelle Ackroyd led wire-to-wire, while Tommy McKenzie was clutch in the final round to win their respective divisions at the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on Sunday.

held the lead entering the final day at Wolf Creek, but had to overcome three bogeys on the front nine to close out the victory. The 17-year-old flipped the script on the back nine, notching four birdies and no bogeys to finish at 1 over par for the 54-hole tournament, four shots ahead of runner-up Grace Bell.

“I didn’t play as well on the front nine as I wanted to,” said Ackroyd. “I stayed patient out there. I was in the same situation last year; having the lead heading into the back nine. I think that helped me just staying calm out there.”

A Calgary native, Bell trailed Ackroyd by one stroke heading into the final round, and briefly led on the front nine. She finished in second at 5 over par.

In addition to Ackroyd and Bell, top-five finishers Stephanie Chelack (Calgary), Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver) and Brooke Brezovski (St. Albert, Alta.) earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 29 to Aug. 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

In the junior boys’ division, McKenzie was clutch in the closing stages of the final round. The Calgarian worked around a double bogey on the first hole to finish the day with a 72 (+1), 5 over par for the tournament.

McKenzie made par-or-better on each of his last 13 holes, securing his victory with a par putt on the 18^th hole.

“I had a double-bogey on the first hole when I hooked it right into the trees,” said McKenzie. “I just made sure I stayed calm and stayed focused. I wanted to play my game and not worry about anybody else.”

Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta., led for the majority of the final round, but ultimately finished in second place at the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship for the second consecutive year. He finished 6 over par during the 54-hole tournament, tied with Carter Graf (Sylvan Lake, Alta.), Brady McKinlay (Lacombe, Alta.) and Dustin Franko (Delta, B.C.).

As the top five finishers, McKenzie, Choi, Graf, McKinlay and Franko earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.

Full scoring and results can be found here.