VICTORIA, B.C. – Golf Canada’s first regional junior golf championship of 2018 is set to take place this week as the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship gets underway at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, B.C., from May 11-13.

With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship is the first of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on May 10 before the tournament gets underway with round one action on May 11.

Established in 2009, Bear Mountain Golf Resort is home to the Official Training Center for Golf Canada’s Team Canada program. Designed by Nicklaus Design Group Inc., the Valley Course meanders through forest, borders lakes and traverses creeks throughout its 18 holes, while offering spectacular views of Vancouver Island’s beautiful landscape.

“We are looking forward to opening the 2018 championship season in Victoria,” said Susan White, the Tournament Director and Senior Manager of Field Operations for B.C Golf. “The Future Links, driven by Acura Championships, are fantastic opportunities for Canadian junior golfers to demonstrate their skills. We look forward to seeing this substantial field of juniors challenge the Valley Course.”

The field will consist of 88 junior golfers in the junior boys’ division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 30-Aug. 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta.

The junior girls’ division will consist of 32 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Five additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer.

• May 25-27 – Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario – Otterville, Ont. – Otter Creek Golf Club.
• June 1-3 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – High River, Alta. – Highwood Golf & Country Club.
• June 8-10 – Future Links, driven by Acura Québec – Lachute, Que. – Club de golf Lachute.
• June 15-17 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Portage la Prairie, Man. – Portage Golf Club.
• July 17-19 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Port Blandford, Nfld. – Twin Rivers Golf Course.

Additional information regarding the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

NOTABLES
Jeevan Sihota of Victoria, B.C.
At just 14-year-old, Sihota comes in as the event’s defending champion. He finished tied for 25th at the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont.
Team Canada Development Squad member ranked No. 2 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Girls Order of Merit. Won both the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship and 2017 Junior Spring Classic.
Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont.
The Team Canada Development Squad member finished T8 at last year’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Won the 2017 New Era Junior Championship and the 2016 Ontario Junior Boys Championship.

FAST FACTS
In 2018, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top six finishers in the boys’ division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the girls’ division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Canadian LPGA Tour star Brooke Henderson won the Future Links Pacific Junior Girls title in 2013.

Defending champion Jeevan Sihota went wire-to-wire in his 2017 victory.

Mary Parsons won the junior girls tournament in 2017.

Friday’s opening-round pairings.

More information on the event can be found here.

Admission to the event is open to the public at no charge.

ABOUT THE COURSE
Bear Mountain’s Valley Course opened in 2009 and was designed by Nicklaus Design Group Inc.

The signature features of the course are elevated tee-boxes, large undulating greens and striking views of Vancouver Island.

Junior Boys: 6,691 yards, Par 71
Junior Girls: 5,985 yards, Par 72

As I was growing up, my friends and I were always outside playing games. Most revolved around sports but at times there were some very intense imagination games played. The one constant were the rules but the wildcard was how to play under those rules and that’s what amped up the fun level.

When it comes to the game of golf, players can apply the same logic and make that Saturday/Sunday morning round a touch different from the 18 hole, play your own ball format.

Craig Loughry, with Golf Canada, suggests trying something other than stroke play and see how that fits into your regular tee time. You might get more than just your foursome playing along.

“Any version of that where you’re partnering and just taking the best shot of yours or your partner’s that obviously helps in including more people in I guess what you might call a social competition. It can get serious but allowing the higher handicap players be part of a team, they will be more likely to say yes to that competition than on their own where they might feel a little intimidated.”

Match play is the simplest alteration to you just playing your own ball. You go one on one with another player using your handicaps to level the playing field. You can also use match play as a foursome to partner up with another player and use a best ball format to go hole by hole.

He says partnered events are starting to creep into courses around Canada more often these days as one-off events and he’d like to see it become more of an every-day play type of thing in our country.

“Countries like Scotland and Ireland, they play most of their golf partnered. They do play a lot of match play but they do a lot of partnered events,” he said.

A popular version over seas is the alternate shot format with both partners teeing off and from there you choose which ball to play and alternate shots until you hole out.

“You can imagine what that does for pace of play there. They play fairly quickly over there for a lot of reasons but one of them is because they are playing foursome type events and that’s just for normal, everyday play.”

There are plenty of versions of scrambles to choose from and it can be a full field of players taking part or Loughry says take one day and make a change to how you play your round. For some high handicap players, it might take away some of the pressure they might feel playing with lower handicap golfers.

“When you introduce the concept of a partner, you have someone to lean on. The neat thing about partnered events is it also works the other way,” he said. “So, if your partner hits a bad shot, they may leave you in a bad spot and you might feel a little more pressure but at least you’re able to have a better chance of being in a better spot on the golf course when you do have a partner.”

Loughry says the partner style of golf is not something you see in North America for the most part and he’s not sure why it doesn’t pop up on a more regular basis amongst foursomes out for their daily or weekly round.

“It’s still golf. Why not try something a little bit different?”

Another foursome competition called Wolf is another option. At the start, the teeing order is decided by flipping a tee and the order is rotated (on the first hole 1,2,3,4, on the second hole 2,3,4,1, on the fifth hole 1,2,3,4, again and so on).

The Wolf is always the last player teeing off each hole and then he selects a player to be his partner for that hole or he can go it alone against the other three. If the Wolf and partner win the hole, each gets two points. If the non-wolf partners win they get three points each. If the Wolf wins the hole playing alone he/she gets four points and if another player beats the lone Wolf then all players except the Wolf get a point.

Another version is having partners chosen by the two shots which are left of the fairway and the two which are right. Then you can play a best ball or alternate shot with the lowest score getting the point.

No matter how you slice it (pun intended), shaking up that regular round of golf can be fun, interesting and challenging.

Other than a golf ball and maybe some pocket change, what have you go to lose?

The R&A is currently doing some research to find out about use of the www.randa.org website and what could be done to improve its website in future.

They are asking golfers, from Canada and abroad, to take a few minutes of their time to share their thoughts. It doesn’t matter if you have visited The R&A website in the past or not.

Please bear in mind they are seeking feedback specifically on the www.randa.org website rather than The R&A app, other publications or The Open website.

Please click here to start the survey.

This survey is being administered by SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC. on behalf of The R&A. Any responses you give will be anonymous and confidential and will only be used in aggregate form for research purposes. No personally identifiable information is collected as part of this survey.

TORONTO – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith fired a 3-under-par 69 on Monday to win medallist honours in Canada’s only U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Weston Golf and Country Club.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., birdied two of his opening three holes to find some early breathing room on a beautiful spring day at Weston. The 26-year-old went on to card two more birdies on the day to finish with a one-stroke victory, earning one of four spots available into the next stage of qualifying.

“I hit a lot of greens and my speed was good today… I kept it in front of me and if I missed a green I was in a spot that I was able to get up-and-down,” said Pendrith, greenside at No. 18.”

The win marks a promising sign for the Team Canada veteran, who’s looking for things to go his way following injury problems his last couple seasons.

“I feel good – it’s really nice to finally hit a ball without pain,” added Pendrith. “I feel almost 100 per cent and my game feels really good, I’m confident for the summer.”

#TeamCanada Young Pro Squad’s @TaylorPendrith is your #USOpen Qualifier medallist with a 3-under-par 69 ??? pic.twitter.com/Rox5MOKDPA

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 7, 2018

Trailing Pendrith was co-runner-up Tyson Turchanski, a Calgary, Alta., native and junior at Waterloo University. Turchanski posted a steady 2-under 70, with a total of 14 pars on the day.

“Just kept it really simple out there… swung as easy as I could,” said Turchanski, the lone amateur to advance to sectional qualifying. “The course [Weston] was solid – it sets up nice for my game. Makes you think a little and if you hit in the right spots, you get rewarded.”

Stephane Dubois of Brantford, Ont., punches his ticket for the second consecutive year. His round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole, one of two eagles posted on Monday at Weston. Dubois advances with his mother (and caddie) by his side, a relationship which continues to pay dividends.

Rounding out the four men to advance was Nick Kenney of Toronto. Kenney, an assistant PGA of Canada professional at The National, began the day 4 under through five holes, before eventually cooling off on the back nine to close at 1 under for the day.

The four to advance are among 100 that will play in 36-hole sectional qualifying events at 12 locations across the United States on June 4 (except for Japan sectional on May 21).

James Seymour of Aurora, Ont., is the first alternate and Thomas Code, an amateur from Dorchester, Ont. is the second alternate.

Designed by Willie Park, Jr., the storied Weston Golf and Country Club was home to Arnold Palmer’s first PGA TOUR victory – the RBC Canadian Open in 1955.

Click here for full results.

More information on local qualifying can be found here.

THE TOP-4 ADVANCING TO SECTIONAL QUALIFYING

1. Taylor Pendrith, Richmond Hill, Ont. | 69 (-3)
T2. Tyson Turchanski (a), Calgary, Alta. | 70 (-2)
T2. Stephane Dubois, Brantdord, Ont. | 70 (-2)
4. Nick Kenney, Toronto, Ont. | 71 (-1)

Long-time executive director of Golf Manitoba, Dave Comaskey is moving onto a new chapter in his career.

Originally from the northern community of Thompson, Manitoba, he started his career at the Southwood Golf and Country Club working as an assistant golf professional from 1995 to 1999. Comaskey returned to the University of Manitoba and followed up his Bachelor of Arts degree with a degree in Recreation Studies. He went on to become the assistant executive director at Golf Manitoba under Dave Morison in 2002. After almost 13 years as the executive director, Comaskey said working in golf is a privilege.

“It’s in me, I’ve grown up around golf and loving it. It’s always been my passion, I feel very fortunate to be working in the industry. Golf has always been a major part of my life,” he said.

Comaskey took over for Morison in 2005 when the former executive director retired. The amalgamation of men’s and women’s golf associations was an initiative Comaskey is proud of. He said the 100^th anniversary of golf in the province a couple years ago was another.

“We launched some player development initiatives, a celebratory tournament, some marketing stuff, that was a really neat and challenging year,” Comaskey said.

The development of games programming (Manitoba, Western Canada and Canada Games) is also among Comaskey’s highlights.

He will continue to work in the golf industry. Comaskey is the new golf course operations coordinator for the City of Winnipeg’s Golf Services. The city has three courses that will operate with Comaskey’s management. He said the timing is right for both him and Golf Manitoba.

“It’s a good time for me and Golf Manitoba. It’s healthy for someone else to come in here and bring some new ideas and initiatives,” he said.

Comaskey is looking forward to the new opportunity. He said the choice was a difficult one to make but staying within the sport was important.

“It wasn’t an easy decision by any means to move on to a new opportunity, but it certainly made it easier having it be in golf,” he said.

The board will begin their search for Comaskey’s replacement this week. His last day will be May 11.

UXBRIDGE  – The annual Ontario Golf Hall of Fame ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 2, from Wooden Sticks Golf Course in Uxbridge, Ont.

This year, three deserving inductees entered the Hall and one member of the Ontario golf media was honoured with the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

Also a group of Posthumous individuals with golf accomplishments pre-dating the 1950’s were inducted. The emcee for the evening was Bob Weeks, a senior reporter and TSN’s golf analyst.

The evening began with the presentation of the posthumous individuals being inducted into the hall of fame, followed by the Inductions of Wayne Redshaw (with the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award), Terrill Samuel, Dave Bunker and Warren Crosbie.

Wayne Redshaw is a veteran sports writer and sports editor whose career began as a sports beat writer in 1962. Redshaw is also a member of the Sabres Hall of Fame and life member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Terrill Samuel, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Amateur Golfer category. Samuel has captured many titles both provincially and nationally throughout her career. Provincially she has won the Ontario Women’s Amateur twice, Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur three times and the Ontario Senior Women’s. Samuel also represented Canada on the international stage multiple times.

Another inductee in the Amateur Golfer category is Brampton’s Dave Bunker. Bunker, has amassed an almost immeasurable amount of championships and accolades. Just some highlights of his career include capturing 15 provincial titles including three Ontario Mid-Master titles, countless course Championships and 8 Canadian titles including The Canadian Mid-Master and Mid-Amateur for three straight seasons.

Crosbie has been a Golf Professional for 49 years including 33 years at Bayview Golf and Country Club. One of the remarkable aspects of Warren’s career is the number of Golf Professionals who he trained and mentored. Further Warren supports the junior program at Bayview and continues to teach young aspiring Golf Professionals.

Golf Ontario would like to extend their congratulations to the 2018 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Class, and thank all those who attended, including Golf Ontario partners who make events like the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame possible. Also, a big thank you to Wooden Sticks for their continued support in hosting the ceremony and housing the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

VICTORIA, B.C. – Team Canada’s Development Squad boys and girls teams both finished atop the leaderboards in Thursday’s qualifying event at Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa to secure a spot to play in the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

In the boys division, Canada traded shots with Mexico through the 54-hole event but found themselves trailing heading into the final stretch. A late push by the four-man Canadian squad saw the contingent force a tie for the lead after going 5 under collectively on the final three holes. The two teams netted out tied at 23 over par, each grabbing one of two qualifying spots available on the boys side.

Canada was led by rookie Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., who closed with a 1-under-par 70 to finish in solo second. The 17-year-old’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 18th, which helped lift Canada into the eventual tie with Mexico.

Medallist honours was won by Mexico’s Mauricio Figueroa, who concluded the event with a three-stroke cushion over the field at 1 over par (77-69-68).

In the girls division, Quebec’s Céleste Dao paced the Canadians to victory with a collective score of 5 over par (73-74-71). The Canadian trio finished nine strokes clear of runner-up Mexico, earning the one available spot in the girls division.

“My putting game was really good this week – I rolled the ball like I wanted to,” said Dao, who was quick to credit the new centralized program at Bear Mountain. “It’s a great program, going to the gym, being with the team and practicing, also learning so much preparing for college – it’s great.”

Not far behind was teammate Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., who posted a total score of 8 over par (76-72-73) to finish solo second.

Canada will be among 23 other nations to compete in the upcoming Toyota Junior Golf World Cup which takes place June 10-15 at the Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City, Japan. Canada’s most-recent finish at the event was in 2016 with an 11th place result in the boys division.

Click here for full scoring.

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Toyota Junior Golf World Cup Qualifier makes its return to Canadian soil on Tuesday, with four nations competing for a spot in both the Boys and Girls divisions at Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Team Canada’s National Training Centre.

The 54-hole stroke play tournament is comprised of teams from host nation Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico. The Boys division consists of four athletes per team, each submitting a cumulative total from the three lowest scores per round (omitting the highest score). The two lowest team scores after Thursday’s final round will qualify for the 2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

Canada will be represented by Development Squad members Nolan Thoroughgood (Victoria, B.C.), Johnny Travale (Stoney Creek, Ont.), Christopher Vandette (Beaconsfield, Que.) and Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.).

The Girls Division is made up of three athletes per squad, each submitting a team score counted from the lowest two per round, with the lowest team score moving on. Flying the flag for Canada are Team Canada Development Squad members Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-lîle-Perrot, Que.), Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.).

The squad is a couple months into the new centralized program at Bear Mountain, providing athletes an immersive, focused centre of excellence, surrounded by world-class technical coaching staff and experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition.

All teams will be competing for a spot to play in the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, taking place from June 10-15 at the Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City, Japan. The event features 24 international teams from around the world competing over 72 holes of stroke play. In 2016, the Canadian boys team finished 11th.

The first round gets underway on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Click here for pairings.

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2018 championship schedule which includes a record-30 amateur and professional competitions plus qualifiers hosted at golf facilities in communities across Canada.

The 2018 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships—the RBC Canadian Open from July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., and the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask. from August 20-26.

The 2018 competition calendar includes eight National Amateur Championships, six Future Links, driven by Acura regional junior competitions and the World Junior Girls Championship.

Golf Canada will also host 11 qualifying events in 2018 including qualifiers for prestigious international competitions such as the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup and the U.S. Open (Local Qualifying), as well as the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur.

As the National Sports Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition.

“Competing in a national championship is an incredible accomplishment for each of the more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers who take part in our competitions,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The depth of talent, engagement among thousands of volunteers, the quality of our host venues and the committed support of corporate partners who have aligned their respected brands with our properties have been core to our competitions for more than a century. We are excited to welcome the next wave of Canadian golf champions.”

#GolfCanada is proud to announce our 2018 competitions schedule, with 30 events taking place from coast to coast ??⛳️ • • • #CDNAm #CDNWAm #CDNJrBoys #CDNJrGirls #CDNMidAm #CDNWMidAmSr #CDNUniCollege #CDNSr #FutureLinks #golf

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Apr 9, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off April 9-12 with the Toyota Junior Golf World Qualifier at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C. (home to Golf Canada’s National Training Centre) and concludes in September with the World Junior Girls Championship at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

“We’re proud to be working with many of Canada’s most renowned golf clubs from coast to coast,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “Our 2018 venues are set to showcase an exciting season of competitive golf in communities across Canada and we thank our host clubs for their support.”

To view Golf Canada’s 2018 championship schedule including all host venues, registration requirements and volunteer opportunities please click here.

Golf Canada’s Championship Season at a Glance…

British Columbia will be a hotbed for Canadian golf in 2018, with the province hosting 11 Golf Canada events including the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian University/College Championship and the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

The 114th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be contested at Duncan Meadows Golf Course in Duncan, B.C. and Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., August 4-9. A field of 240 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes, with the final two rounds contested at Duncan Meadows. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an invitation to the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive an exemption into local qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open, and if applicable, the U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur or USGA Senior Amateur Championships.

The 105th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship takes place July 23-27 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive exemptions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.

The 16th Canadian University/College Championship will be held May 28 to June 1 at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C. The national championship features both a team and individual component and will serve as the Canadian team qualifier for the 2018 FISU World University Golf Championship.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be held August 20-24 at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. with the champion earning entry into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

On Saturday, July 21, as a kick-off event to the 2018 RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey will also open its fairways to junior competitors from across Canada for the 10th annual Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event. Click here for qualifying info.

The 2018 RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR will be contested July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. and will mark the 109th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. As part of a two-stage qualifying process, a trio of RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers will take place in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. The regional qualifying event in B.C. will be held at Ledgeview Golf Club, home course of Canadian PGA TOUR stars and Team Canada alumni Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.

The CP Women’s Open will make its first-ever stop in Saskatchewan as Wascana Country Club in Regina will host the stars of the LPGA Tour from August 20-26.

At the junior level, the 80th Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be contested from July 29 to August 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta., with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. That same week the 64th Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship September 3-7 with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Amateur. The Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship will be held August 27-30 at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ont., with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ottawa’s Camelot Golf & Country Club will open its fairways to elite talent from across the globe when it plays host to the World Junior Girls Championship from September 9-14, 2018. This year marks the fifth playing of the annual event. Camelot has previously hosted the Canadian Junior Girls Championship as well as qualifying for the CP Women’s Open. Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

For the second straight year, Golf Canada, in collaboration with the USGA, will host a U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont. The 18-hole event conducted on May 7 will be one of 112 local qualifiers across 45 states and Canada which serve as the first of a two-step process to qualify for the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Local Qualifier will run June 27 at the Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, while the U.S. Amateur Local Qualifier will take place July 16 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

The Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event will be held at The Thornhill Club on September 24. The one-day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru events held nationwide during the 2018 season. To date, the fundraising efforts of thousands of golfers have totaled more than $6 million for breast cancer research since the program’s inception in 2003. The program’s goal is to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Click here to learn more about Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts championships nation-wide which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships, as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist and FootJoy. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions.

FUTURE LINKS, driven by Acura
Future Links, driven by Acura is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. Proudly supported by Acura, Puma, The R&A, NGCOA Canada, ClubLink and Sport Canada, the program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. The program features three core areas of focus—in-school programming, facility programming and community outreach—including elements such as Golf in Schools, Learn to Play, Girl’s Club, Mobile Clinics, Junior Skills Competition and Community Golf Coach, along with six regional Future Links Junior Championships.  Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 1.3 million young Canadians have taken part in Future Links. For more information, visit golfcanada.ca/futurelinks.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The mantra of practice makes perfect was the storyline for Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos on Sunday at the Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Augusta National.

Borovilos, playing in her third championship, won the Girls 10-11 age division by the slightest of margins with a one-point victory in the 10-player field.

“You have to practice a lot to win or to do well here,” said Borovilos in a greenside interview with Golf Channel.

Practice makes perfect – what a champion! RT to congratulate Vanessa ???pic.twitter.com/AkYXIdgThq

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 1, 2018

Borovilos finished 5th in 2016 and 4th in 2015. She plays out of Credit Valley Golf & Country Club and credits Brooke Henderson and Jordan Spieth as her favourite athletes.

With the win, Borovilos becomes the second Canadian to win a division at the Drive Chip & Putt finals—Savannah Grewal captured the 2017 Girls 14-15 division.

Local qualifying began in May, June and July, held at more than 260 sites throughout the United States. The top-three scorers per venue, in each of the four age categories in separate boys and girls divisions, advanced to 50 subregional qualifiers in July and August. Two juniors in each age and gender division then competed at the regional level in September and October, held at some of the top courses in the country, including several U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues.

The top finisher from each regional site’s age/gender divisions – a total of 80 finalists – earned a place in the National Finals.

The Canadian equivalent—Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event— will be contested on July 21 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Borovilos finished 2nd in the 2017 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Learn more here.