Alberta Golf is pleased to announce an expanded high performance athlete development offering in 2018. In all, five tiers of programs will provide a circle of support for golf athletes in the province.

“Supporting athletes who intend on competing at the highest levels in their chosen sport begins with the establishment and management of an organization-wide commitment to high performance,” said Phil Berube, Alberta Golf’s CEO. “These athletes, from the introduction to competition to the compete to win stages of Long-Term Player Development, are a product of a circle of support that includes personal instructors, coaches, parents and club programs and will proudly represent Alberta as they compete on the provincial and national stages.”

Alberta Golf invests $280,000 annually in sport development programs and services. The goal is to support 100% of athletes who make an application to enter the program at any tier, with the superior level of coaching they desire and the resources to assist them succeed in their journey.

2018 PLAYER, COACH AND CLUB SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Alberta Golf provides investment to players, clubs and coaches in support of our athlete development programs. Our objective is to ensure that all athletes who have been identified on world golf rankings have access to High Performance Coaching. Alberta Golf monitors ranking systems from around the globe as well as our National Golf Canada Rankings and invites players to apply to our tiered support programs.

PLAYER SUPPORT

If you are interested in pursuing a pathway to becoming an elite golfer, speak with your local golf professional about Alberta Golf’s Player Support Program. Our staff work with athletes by providing funding and resources to assist individuals in reaching their performance objectives. This includes: skills assessment, performance planning, sports psychology, nutrition, strength & conditioning, travel, equipment, grants and scholarships.

CLUB SUPPORT

If your club is interested in Alberta Golf’s High Performance strategy, please contact us to learn how we can work together to grow your facility’s development programs. Our Get-Linked granting program provides facilities with co-operative funding to complement existing golf programs and our Future Links, driven by Acura resource library outlines a pathway to help golf facilities initiate and promote a successful program.

COACH SUPPORT

If you are interested in pursuing a career in coaching and developing local athletes in your region, contact us to find out more about Alberta Golf’s High Performance strategy. Our staff work with coaches by providing funding and resources to assist individuals in reaching their career objectives. This includes: coaching requirements, training, career planning, team support, travel, equipment, contract fees.

Alberta Golf will be inviting identified athletes and interested clubs and coaches to apply to the High Performance Athlete Development programs throughout the remainder of 2017. For more information please follow the links below:

2018 High Performance Athlete Development Program Outline
2018 Application Form

2018 PLAYER SUPPORT TIERS

TIER 1: NextGen Local Program

• The NextGen program is a local club level program designed by Alberta Golf to initiate a relationship between athletes showing interest in developing their skills and the local golf professional. Resources are made available by Alberta Golf to assist the local golf professional in showcasing golfers at their facility and provide athletes with a roadmap to success. This includes available competitions, clinics, training programs and shadowing opportunities.

• Athletes registered for the NextGen local program are invited (along with their parents) to two optional team competitions throughout the year (spring and fall) which are followed by an information session about Alberta Golf’s High Performance Athlete Development Program.

TIER 2: Regional Player Development Program

• The Regional Development program introduces coaching on a regional basis to individuals registered for selected camps which are offered four times throughout the season.

• Players in the Regional Development program are invited to participate in provincial team challenges and competitions organized by regional coaches.

• All players who have qualified for an interprovincial team at any time in their playing career are invited to participate in the Regional Player Development program.

• This program is ideal for individuals looking for additional coaching without the time commitment of Team Alberta, or those who are over the age of 19.

TIER 3: Team Alberta Provincial Program

• The Team Alberta Provincial program is the marquee component of Alberta Golf’s Player Support Program. 2018 marks the program’s tenth year with a proven track record of success enjoyed by athletes currently on the post-secondary circuit.

• Alberta Golf’s stable of world class coaches meet with all qualifying athletes on a regular basis to provide performance plans and review feedback during camps, competitions and at practice sessions on a year-round basis.

TIER 4: Alberta High Performance Squad Program

• The High Performance Squad program aims to support athletes who have met or surpassed the Tier 3 requirements but are ineligible for the support category based on age restrictions.

• Access to coaching, equipment, apparel and grants is made available to athletes who are invited to participate in this program.

TIER 5: Alumni Program

• The High Performance Alumni program aims to support athletes who have qualified for an interprovincial team during their playing career with Alberta Golf and/or have been in the top 50 on Golf Canada’s Order of Merit.

• High Performance Alumni Athletes will be invited to events throughout the season, as well as training camps at various locations in the province.

• Access to coaching, equipment, apparel and grants is made available to athletes who are invited to participate in this program.

Global Golf Post (GGP) publication named their selections to the fifth annual All-Amateur teams. GGP named 195 players in total from 25 countries, based primarily on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

Among those selected were nine Canadian standouts:

Also making the list were Jennifer Kupcho (Westminster, Colo.), Sue Wooster (Australia) and Gene Elliot (West Des Moines, Iowa) — winners of the Canadian Women’s Amateur, Women’s Senior, and Men’s Senior championships, respectively.

Click here for the full listing.

HOUSTON, Texas – Three of four Canadians advanced in Monday’s opening round of match play in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur on Cypress Creek Golf Course at Champions Club.

Reining U.S. Women’s Senior champion Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., defeated fellow countrywoman Patti Hogeboom of Kingston, Ont., 2 up. She drew No.53 seed Eleanor Tucker of Savannah, Ga., in Tuesday’s second round, starting at 8:33 a.m.

Julia Hodgson of Unionville, Ont., defeated Courtney Stiles of Pinehurst, N.C., 3 and 1. She’ll square off against No. 4 seeded Shannon Johnson of Norton, Mass., at 8:06 a.m. local time.

Rounding out the Canadians to advance was Etobicoke, Ont., native Terrill Samuel, who won her match 1 up over Susan Roh of Denver, Colo. Samuel will take on No. 10 seed Hayley Hammond of Mooresville, N.C. beginning at 9:18 a.m.

The USGA relocated the championship from Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Fla., to Champions Golf Club due to extensive flood damage from Hurricane Irma. The Women’s Mid-Amateur was originally scheduled to be played Oct. 7-12.

Click here for full scoring.

HOUSTON, Texas – Four Canadians are among the 64 competitors to advance to Monday’s first round of match play in the 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship on Cypress Creek Course at Champions Golf Club.

The reigning U.S. Women’s Senior champion Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., along with friend and runner-up Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont., lead the Canadian contingent as seed Nos. 21 and 23, respectively. They are joined by Unionville, Ont., product Julia Hodgson and Patti Hogeboom of Kingston, Ont.

Kyrinis and Hogeboom drew each other in Monday’s opening match, beginning at 10:15 a.m. local time.

Lauren Greenlief shot a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to share medallist honours with Katie Miller and Marissa Mar in the 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship on the par-72, 6,022-yard Cypress Creek Course at Champions Golf Club. All three players posted 36-hole scores of 2-under 142.

It is the third time in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur history that three or more players were co-medalists. In 2009, four-time champion Meghan Stasi was among four players who ended up tied following two rounds of stroke play. Ellen Port, who has also won four Women’s Mid-Amateurs, and two other players shared medalist in 2002.

Greenlief, who won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, matched the lowest 18-hole score in championship history. Dawn Woodard shot a 68 in the first round at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas, in 2005. Greenlief, who is competing in her 15th USGA championship, also eclipsed the competitive course record that was equaled yesterday when the first-round leaders each fired a 69.

“The game plan today was to be aggressive,” said Greenlief, whose bogey-free round included three of her four birdies on the inward nine. “Fire at pins and see if I could make some putts.”

Greenlief, 27, of Ashburn, Va., jump-started her record round with the putter by draining a 35-footer for birdie on No. 7. She later punched a 6-iron approach from the trees that ran up onto the green on the par-4 10th to within 20 feet to set up another birdie. Greenlief, the youngest winner in Women’s Mid-Amateur history, added birdie putts of 10 and 15 feet, respectively, on holes 14 and 16.

“I always want to play well and get a better seed,” said Greenlief, who offered that she is more clearly focused this year than when she was defending her title. “It makes match play a little easier, at least in the earlier rounds.”

The USGA relocated the championship from Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Fla., to Champions Golf Club due to extensive flood damage from Hurricane Irma. The Women’s Mid-Amateur was originally scheduled to be played Oct. 7-12.

The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Nov. 16, starting at 9 a.m. CST.

Miller, 32, of Jeannette, Pa., and Mar, 25, of San Francisco, Calif., took different paths in earning medalist honors. Miller, who shared the first-round lead with Shannon Johnson, rallied on her second nine for a 1-over 73. She made a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth and stuck a gap wedge to within 3 feet on the par-4 sixth.

Mar, who was a member of the Stanford University team from 2010-14 and opened with a 72, birdied both par 5s on the inward nine. She delivered a 4-hybrid to within 20 feet to set up an eagle attempt on No. 11 before holing a 10-foot putt at No. 13. After making bogey on the following hole, she regrouped with a birdie by hitting an 8-iron approach to within 15 feet on 15.

“It’s been a few years since college golf,” said Mar, who works in corporate development for a financial services company. “I have a whole new perspective on life. The expectations are way lower. I go to a 9-to-5 job every day. Getting to be out here is really fun.”

Eight players tied for 58th place at 16-over 160, resulting in a playoff for the final five match-play berths. The playoff will start on Monday at 7 a.m. on Cypress Creek’s 10th hole. The Round-of-64 matches begin at 8 a.m.

The U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs. Live scoring and updates are available throughout the championship on usga.org.

Federal Way, Wash. – The Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) announced its 2017 Players of the Year for the region and among those winners is Susan Xiao of Surrey, B.C., who topped the Junior Girl’s category.

In 2017, Xiao captured the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, the AJGA UA Canadian Championship and the MJT Vancouver Season Opener. She had top-5 finishes in four other events.

The PNGA Player of the Year candidates are nominated by the various state and provincial golf associations that comprise the PNGA (Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington), and are selected by a vote of the PNGA Championship Committee and members of the Northwest Golf Media Association. The Mid-Amateur category was created in 2012. The awards are officially presented at the PNGA Annual Meeting in the spring.

Other 2017 PNGA winners include Men’s Player of the Year, Cole Madey of West Linn, Ore.; Women’s, Gigi Stoll of Tigard, Ore.; Men’s Mid-Amateur, Reid Hatley of Hayden Lake, Idaho; Women’s Mid-Amateur, Amanda Jacobs of Portland, Ore.; Senior Men’s, Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash.; Senior Women’s, Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore.; Junior Boys’, and Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash.

UXBRIDGE — Six players are returning to Team Ontario (U19) in 2018 and will be joined by eight new faces as Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the newest installment of the squad. The 2018 team will see an even split of seven boys and seven girls.

Leading the returning players for 2018 is Markham’s Victoria Zheng who captured the 2017 Ontario Juvenile Girls’ title at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie. Zheng will be joined by fellow returnees: Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj, who represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games, Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson, Mississauga’s Robbie Latter, Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin, and Tillbury’s Hailey Katona.

The new members of the squad bring some impressive credentials from this past season. Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud won the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, Fonthill’s Freddy D’Angelo was the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Champion, Aurora’s Vanessa Chychrun captured the Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play title, and Caledon’s Raesa Sheikh was the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion. Also new to the team are: Waterloo’s Dylan Henderson, Windsor’s Shawn Sehra, Waterloo’s Bennett Ruby, and Windsor’s Jasmine Ly.

Entering his fifth season as the Head Provincial Coach is Milton resident Reggie Millage. Millage is joined by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Charles Fitzsimmons. Delaney Howson will act as the Team Coordinator.

“The start of a new season is always exciting but this year even more so,” said Millage. “This group is filled with talented, young athletes that are striving to be better and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. I expect one of the hardest working teams this year and I have no doubt that they will show their off-season work next spring.”

The team will train throughout the winter at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. They will have a pair of local camps, followed by three winter warm weather camps including the Can/Am Matches, during March Break with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

Springfield, N.J.– Canada’s golf course superintendents cruised to victory over their American counterparts at the inaugural Can Am Cup, earning a 73-point victory at the rain-shortened event.

The Cam Am Cup is a Ryder Cup-style golf and educational event that sees golf course superintendents from Canada square off against their colleagues from the United States.

The Canada contingent built an early lead on day one of the event, which took place at Baltusrol Golf Club. The advantage held up when day two at Canoe Brook Country Club was plagued by heavy rains. Most groups had finished about 13-14 holes before play was suspended and eventually cancelled.

Participants from both sides of the border were the real winners at the Can Am Cup, who mixed golf at a pair of world-class, 36-hole facilities with a series of equally stellar educational sessions.

During Monday’s activities at Baltusrol, attendees had the opportunity to choose between a tour of Baltusrol’s maintenance facility, guided by director of grounds Mark Kuhns, CGCS, and a session with golf course architects Rees Jones and Douglas Carrick on what superintendents need to know about golf course design and renovations.

And then on Tuesday at Canoe Brook, consultant Laura Katen led a presentation on communications and maximizing your professional potential.

To learn more about the Canadian Golf Superintndents Association, visit www.golfsupers.com. And, for more info from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, visit www.gcsaa.org.

OSHAWA, Ont. – For just the fourth time in 17 years, the same school won both the men’s and women’s team titles at the PING Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) Golf National Championships as the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades won double gold at Royal Ashburn Golf Club on Friday afternoon.

The 2013 Cascades were the last team to accomplish this feat to join the ranks of the Humber Hawks in 2007 and 2003.

The Cascades also took home the men’s individual title as CCAA All-Canadian Daniel Campbell led wire-to-wire, beating out silver medalist James Casorso of University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBC-O) by eight strokes.

“It’s pretty exciting (having the team win gold alongside him),” said Campbell. “It’s a good group of guys. They’re fun to play with on and off the golf course. They keep it light and it’s always fun playing with them.”

Charles-Eric Bélanger of Champlain St. Lawrence rounded out the podium ending up one stroke behind Casorso. Bélanger edged out Thomas Code of Fanshawe and Zach Olson of UFV who were named championship all-stars.

For the first time in CCAA history, the women’s individual title came down to a playoff as Sarah-Eve Rheaume of the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions and Madison Kapchinsky of UFV were tied at 23-over after four rounds. On the playoff hole, Rheaume’s downhill putt from about 30 yards out would set her up for a short putt for par to win the title as Kapchinsky would record a bogey after having her drive go into the sand.

Madison Kapchinsky & Daniel Campbell (@UFVCascades) talk about their team's titles and individual medals at @RoyalAshburn. pic.twitter.com/z8gDQ86W4q

— CCAA/ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) October 20, 2017

Addison Wallwin of the Georgian Grizzlies, the defending CCAA individual champion, won the bronze medal finishing 14 strokes back of the leaders and three strokes ahead of Shaye Leidenius of Red Deer.

For both UFV teams, it was their second team title in program history with the other two coming in 2013.

The women’s team ran away with the title finishing at 59-over, 21 strokes better than Georgian and Champlain St. Lawrence who ended up in a tie. Champlain St. Lawrence would end up winning silver after the tie-breaker with Georgian claiming bronze. Humber would place fourth, 11 strokes back of a podium finish.

On the men’s side, UFV had the low round of the day at seven-over to win gold by 16 strokes. UBC-O would win silver, their first team medal on the men’s side in program history. Humber edged out Champlain St. Lawrence by three strokes to earn bronze, picking up their first medal on the men’s side since 2013.

Winning the team gold and an individual silver medal, Kapchinsky will overjoyed with her championship experience.

“Our team performance was everything we could ever ask for,” said Kapchinsky. “It’s my first national championship. I think we all played great and am proud of all three of us.”

The host Durham Lords moved up one spot and finished in sixth place overall in the team standings. Josh Taylor would crack the top 20, shooting four-over on Friday and ending up at 23-over for the tournament.

As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament.

Through the championship the field recorded 450 birdies, or 450 pounds of food that will be donated to the Salvation Army.

The final round of the 2017 CCAA PING Golf National Championship at Royal Ashburn Golf Club is set up to be an exciting finish as medal hopes remain alive for a number of teams and individuals in the 19-team field.

In the men’s team competition, the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) Heat cut into the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades’ lead by three strokes on Thursday, as the deficit is just two strokes heading into the final round. The leading Cascades shot 23-over in round three while the Heat combined to go 20-over.

Unlike the previous two days, it was the third and fourth place teams with the best rounds of the day. Humber, who sits in third place, is now seven strokes behind the leader as they shot 14-over but the best round of the tournament came from the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions who were three-over, to get within three strokes of the Hawks of a podium finish.

Charles-Eric Bélanger led the way for the Lions as he had the low round of the day at three-under. Taking off a triple bogey on the 12th hole, Bélanger was six-under the rest of the round as he posted the only score under 70 over the course of the three days.

It all goes down tomorrow at @RoyalAshburn ???? pic.twitter.com/avY9QFbliD

— CCAA/ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) October 20, 2017

Bélanger sits in third place overall, trailing Daniel Campbell of UFV and James Casorso of UBCO by five and two strokes respectively. Casorso and Jonathan Vermette of Champlain St. Lawrence joined Bélanger as the only golfers under par in round three as they shot one-under and two under respectively.

The top golfer from Ontario is Thomas Code of the Fanshawe Falcons, who is tied with Olivier Ménard of André-Laurendeau for fourth place at eight-over, two strokes back of a podium finish.

In the women’s draw, UFV has a stranglehold on first place as they lead the defending national champion Georgian Grizzlies by 22 strokes. As their men’s team did, Champlain St. Lawrence closed the gap on day three as they had a six-stroke edge on the Grizzlies, putting them in third place just three strokes back. Humber is also within striking distance of the medals as they are three strokes back of the Lions.

In the individual competition, Sarah-Eve Rheaume of Champlain St. Lawrence and Madison Kapchinsky of UFV enter the final round in a deadlock at 21-over. The pair have been even all week long with all scores being within two strokes of one another, with Rheaume holding a one-shot advantage in round three at three-over.

Emery Bardock of UFV sits in third place, six strokes back of the leaders while Emilie Tyndall of Georgian and Sonia Nagindas of Humber are tied for fourth place, six strokes back of a medal position.

“We could not ask for more,” said Mike Duggan, chair of the PING CCAA Golf National Championships. “If the final round is anything like the previous three, we are in for a great finish.”

The host Durham College Lords did not make a move on moving day as they remained in seventh place in the team standings, with Josh Taylor of Barrie in a tie for 22nd place overall. He has been consistent all week with rounds of 79, 78 and 78 to sit at 19-over.

As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament.

Through three rounds the total sits at 330 birdies, or 330 pounds of food. The teams have improved their total each day, including going from 116 to 117 from round two to three.

The final round opens at Royal Ashburn at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

Click here for full scores.

Despite improved scores nearly across the board by team and individuals alike, the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades continue to hold first place on all four leaderboards at the PING CCAA Golf National Championships at Royal Ashburn.

“I think we played well yesterday (Tuesday) given the course was tough and it was windy, but I think it got a little bit better today and more scoreable,” said UFV head coach Chris Bertram. “I think overall we’re playing well. I don’t think we’re playing our best yet. I think at this point it’s good enough, but we’re only at the halfway point and we’ve got some work to do still.”

The only change at the top was in the women’s individual standings. Emery Bardock, who led after the opening round dropped to second place, but her teammate Madison Kapchinsky moved into the top spot with the best round of the day at one-over par to keep the Cascades in the lead at 17-over. Hannah Dirksen, also of the Cascades is tied with Bardock for fourth at 21-over after two rounds, trailing Bardock’s and Sarah-Eve Rheaume of the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions at 18-over.

Defending individual champion Addison Wallwin of the Georgian Grizzlies is also tied with Dirksen at 21-over, while her teammate is in sixth at 22-over.

The strong presence of Cascades and Grizzlies at the top of the individual leaderboard has their teams in the same position as yesterday, sitting 1-2 respectively. Georgian currently trails by 11 strokes after two rounds. The entire team leaderboard saw no changes for the women as the Humber Hawks and Champlain St. Lawrence Lions sit third and fourth, 18 and 20 strokes back of Fraser Valley.

On the men’s side the team standings also didn’t change for the top four as Fraser Valley continued to hold first place over PACWEST rival UBC-Okanagan by five strokes. The top team from the host conference (OCAA) continued to be the Humber Hawks, who are 16 strokes back of the Cascades, but only lead fourth-place André-Laurendeau by five strokes.

Thomas Code of the Fanshawe Falcons had the low round of the day for the men at one-under par, moving him into sixth place overall on the individual leaderboard. That wasn’t enough to shuffle the top three though as they all stayed in medal spots midway through the championship.

Daniel Campbell and Zach Olson hold first and second place again for Fraser Valley, while Olivier Ménard of the André-Laurendeau Boomerang still sits in third after Round 2.

James Casorso passed his UBC-Okanagan teammate Nik Federko for fourth place, but Federko only dropped to fifth after a round of four-over.

The host Durham College Lords struggled on the second day of play and dropped from fifth to seventh in the team standings. This also puts them 25 strokes out of a podium position.

Defending champion @GeorgianGrizz speak about their opening two rounds of @PingTour CCAA Golf National Championships at @RoyalAshburn. pic.twitter.com/78eVrQHDEv

— CCAA/ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) October 18, 2017

As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament.

Through two rounds the total sits at 213 birdies, or 213 pounds of food. The teams improved their total of 97 from the opening day to 116.

Round three opens at Royal Ashburn at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.