RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador) carded a 2-under, 70 on Sunday to earn medalist honors at Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament with a four-day total of 10-under, 278. She was the only player, in a field that started at 347, to post four straight under-par rounds. Princess Superal (Dasmarinas City, Philippines), the 2014 U.S. Junior Girls’ Amateur champion and Sarah Schmelzel (Phoenix, Ariz.), a Golfweek Honorable Mention All-American at South Carolina, finished in a tie for second at 9-under, 279. The youngest player in the field, 17-year-old Nasa Hataoka (Japan) finished fourth at 8-under, 280.

A total of 92 players advanced out of Stage I and the cut was made at 6-over, 278.

Darquea, a senior at the University of Miami, tallied three birdies against just one bogey in the final-round. She made just five bogeys over the four rounds.

“I was really focused on getting to the second stage and I had a really good week here,” said Darquea. “I always thought my game was on point and it is probably the best golf I’ve played in my life.”

Darquea, a Golfweek Third Team All-American in 2016, intends to try and reach the LPGA Tour for the start of the 2017 season. She would forego the second half of her senior season if she makes it through Stage II and III and decides to turn professional.

“I had a really good year at Miami and this summer I went home to Ecuador and I started practicing a lot,” said Darquea. “I had surgery in January (to clear wrist inflammation) and I am just getting more and more comfortable.”

Darquea will now gear up for Stage II.

“I feel I am one step closer to my dream,” said Darquea. “I think I now need to focus on Stage II because that is a very important step.”

There are currently no players from Ecuador on the LPGA Tour.

Three Canadians have made the cut at 294 to advance to stage II of Qualifying School. Anna Kim of Toronto posted a final-round 74 to finish the tournament with a share of ninth at 4-under 284. Taylor Kim is T58 following a 4-over 292 performance, two-strokes ahead of fellow Surrey, B.C., native Aram Choi who ended the weekend tied for 78th.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Stanford All-American and match play wizard Mariah Stackhouse (Riverdale, Ga.) carded a 4-under, 68 on the Arnold Palmer Course Saturday to move into a five-way tie for the lead at 8-under, 208 after three days of Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament. Madchen Ly (Fresno, Calif.), Savannah Viluabi (Downey, Calif.), Sarah Schmelzel (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador) are also 8-under with one round left.

Ly, Vilaubi and Darquea have each posted three under-par rounds. Only six other players in the field have been under-par all three rounds (Olafia Kristinsdottir, Chorphaka Jaengkit, Chirapat Jao-Javanil, Maia Schechter, Lauren Kim and Lindsay Weaver).

The 54-hole cut was made at 6-over, 222 and 135 players will tee it up on Sunday on the Dinah Shore Course, which is host to the ANA Inspiration on the LPGA. The low 90 and ties after final-round play on Sunday will advance to Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament, the week of October 17-23 in Venice, Florida.

Stackhouse, 22, made six birdies on the day.

“I hit my irons the best I’ve hit them this week,” said Stackhouse. “I was able to capitalize on good iron shots. Today was definitely the best day if you looked at the quality of golf. It was textbook golf, nice and simple.”

Stackhouse, who has a laser focus this week, is not resting on her success into Sunday.

““My goal tomorrow is to continue to work on my irons,” said Stackhouse. “I needed to get rid of the pull. I want to give the Dinah Shore course a better run. I need to keep getting better, better in competition. This week is just another week and another opportunity to learn what I need to work on.”

Stackhouse will head to the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, a Symetra Tour event, on Monday afternoon.

Vilaubi, 22, has won four times as a professional this year including the Texas Women’s Open.

“I couldn’t be happier to have strung together three solid days of golf during a potentially career-determining tournament,” said Vilaubi, who graduated from UC-Riverside in 2015. “I’m thrilled to be going into tomorrow with such good momentum. The game plan is to have as much fun as possible in the final-round.”

Madchen Ly (Fresno, Calif.) posted a bogey-free 3-under, 69 on the Gary Player Course on Saturday at Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament to move into a 5-way tie for the 54-hole lead with one round to play.

“This is one of the best scoring weeks I’ve had,” said Ly, who is a rookie on the Symetra Tour. “This is my first time shooting three straight rounds under-par. The first few months on Tour were tough, knowing where to stay and all that, but I kept telling myself that it is all about the process and journey.”

Ly, 23, was a three-time All-Mountain West Conference selection at Fresno State. She has a ton of familiarity at Mission Hills because the last three years of her career, the conference championships were played on the Dinah Shore Course, where she finished sixth as a senior in 2015.

“When I come to the desert, I feel very familiar,” said Ly. “I have a comfort and am staying right on the golf course with my parents.”

Ly has made just one cut in nine starts on the Symetra Tour. She earned Tour status by advancing all the way to Final Stage in 2015.

Ly has made 15 birdies through three rounds.

Five Canadians made the cut into the final day of competition, lead by Toronto’s Anna Kim who stayed even to claim a share of seventh at 6-under. Taylor Kim is T39 at even-par, one-stroke ahead of fellow Surrey, B.C., resident Aram Choi and Anna Young of Saskatoon. Maya Parsons of Whitby, Ont., completes the Canadian contingent at 6-over through 54-holes.

PONOKA, Alta. – Beaming sunshine and a mild breeze provided a picturesque backdrop for the final round of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. Judith Kyrinis carded a 4-under 68 to claim a trio of titles at Wolf Creek Golf Resort.

“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of for a very long time, so I’m pretty proud,” said the 52-year-old.

The native of Thornhill, Ont., opened the day with the 36-hole lead in the 25-and-over Mid-Amateur, 40-and-over Mid-Master and 50-and-over Senior divisions. A 5-under 31 performance across a bogey-free front nine that included three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 6^th hole secured her a five-stroke victory. Steady play down the stretch held off the advances of 2014 Senior champion Hélène Chartrand.

“I just tried to stay in the process that I’ve been working on all year,” reflected Kyrinis. “Playing the golf course has been a big part and my key is the fairways and the greens…and par is always your friend. I rolled in a lot of really nice putts today – that can never hurt.”

In 2015, Kyrinis finished runner-up in the three divisions to Etobicoke, Ont., native Terril Samuel. Two years ago, she claimed third in the Senior division. After holding the lead following two days of competition, she was determined to close-out the victory and learn from her near-misses.

Her attention now shifts to building upon today’s experience in hopes of finding future success. When asked about her takeaways from the victory, she flatly responded, “that you can get the job done when you’re under pressure.”

“To shoot a final-round 68 is pretty cool – you feel really good. It’s great for that memory bank and going forward, I just hope I keep drawing on that again…coming up, I’ve got the U.S. Mid-Am and U.S. Senior.”

With the victory, Kyrinis has earned entry into the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to be played at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass., from September 17-22.

Hélène Chartrand from Pincourt, Que., finished the day with three birdies in an even-par round to claim runner-up honours in all three divisions. Port Alberni, B.C., native Christina Proteau was 7-over 223 in her attempt to capture a sixth Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title. Terrill Samuel earned third in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions.

Kyrinis’ trio of national titles adds to a victory in the inter-provincial team championship which was played concurrently over the competition’s first 36 holes. Alongside teammates Ivy Steinberg from Stouffville and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas, Team Ontario claimed a three-stroke victory over Team Quebec.

Holly Horwood of Vancouver completed a wire-to-wire victory to win the 36-hole, 60-and-over Super Senior division with a 9-over 153 showing. Heath, Texas product Anna Schultz trailed the champion by two strokes to claim second, while Dartmouth, N.S., native Ruth Maxwell finished third.

The 2017 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship will be contested at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, N.L., from August 22 to 24.

Additional information from the competition is available here.

BROMONT, Que. – Garrett Rank conquered strong winds at Golf Château-Bromont to claim his third consecutive Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title with a 19-under 269 final score to earn entry into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.

The product of Elmira, Ont., surged up the leaderboard, beginning with a 7-under 65 showing on moving day. That momentum carried into the final round of competition with Rank carding three birdies on the front nine to quickly separate himself from third-round co-leader Jordan Irwin.

“I got off to another nice start,” said Rank. “I hit a close shot on 6 and missed a three-footer for eagle which would have been a dream. I got a little sloppy through 8 and 9, but started to play really well again on the back nine – great last two days.”

The 28-year-old NHL referee bogeyed the 8th hole, but rebounded with four birdies across the back nine en route to a 5-under 67. The win is Rank’s third Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur victory in as many years, and it has earned him an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

“It’s always special winning a national championship and to win it three times in a row is a huge honour,” said the Team Canada National Amateur Squad alumnus. “My goal for this week was to come here and win and get back into the [RBC] Canadian Open and I accomplished that. No matter the score, no matter what happened this week, I’m really pleased with how it went. I’m happy to be a national champion again and get the privilege of playing in the Open.”

Rank finished with a T77 result at the 2016 edition of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey.

Ryan Sevigny of Stittsville, Ont., who began the day in a tie for 15th, shot 8-under 64 to match Golf Château-Bromont’s course record and catapult into a share of second. The 27-year-old carded seven birdies across his first 16 holes before an eagle on the par-5 17th moved Sevigny into the runner-up position alongside 54-hole leader Jordan Irwin.

Irwin of Banff, Alta., made consecutive bogeys on his first two holes, but birdied Nos. 6 and 9 to move within two strokes of Rank heading into the turn. Despite an additional birdie on the final stretch, the 2016 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur champion finished at 13-under 275.

Rob Couture made a push for the Mid-Amateur title after matching the course record during the third round of competition. The 41-year-old was 2-over through his first 15 holes, but a trio of birdies to end the day earned the Dallas native the 40-and-over Mid-Master title at 8-under 280.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., looked to reclaim his 2015 Mid-Master title after leading the division through 54-holes, but was disqualified for signing the wrong score card.

Matthew Sim (Oakville), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) combined to finish 15-under 273 in the inter-provincial team competition – contested over the first 36-holes – to claim a second consecutive victory for Ontario.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

After four years as a member of Team Canada’s National Team, and a full collegiate career at the University of Florida, Eric Banks has decided to turn professional.

Banks, who turns 24 in November, will begin his journey as a professional golfer at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada’s Cape Breton Open at Bell Bay Golf Course from Sept. 1-4, not too far home. A native of Truro, N.S., Banks felt that the timing to turn professional was right.

“I’ve been an amateur for a while and I picked up a couple of good results along the way and I just think the timing is right,” Banks told the Truro Daily News.

During his time as a Florida Gator, Banks tallied five Top-10 finishes to go alongside winning the David Toms Award—given to the collegiate golfer who most overcomes adversity. He recovered from successful open-heart surgery in 2012 that repaired a hole in his heart.

“I’m very excited for Eric to embark on his professional career,” said Derek Ingram, Team Canada Men’s Head Coach. “He is a very good young player with excellent habits that knows how to handle adversity. I look forward to watching him progress and assisting in any way I can.”

The two-time Nova Scotia Junior champion will also be attending qualifying school for the Web.Com Tour in search of playing status for the 2017 season. The first stage of qualifying runs from Sept. 27-30 at various locations in the United States.

“No matter where I go I’m just going to try and do the things that I’ve been working on with Team Canada coaches and my other coaches and just try and put some numbers on the board.”

PONOKA, Alta. – Gusty morning conditions at Wolf Creek Golf Resort set the stage for Team Ontario’s victory at the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. Led by a 2-over 74 performance from Judith Kyrinis, Team Ontario claimed its third straight victory in the inter-provincial competition.

“We’re very proud of representing Ontario and Golf Ontario,” said the 52-year-old. “It’s always such a fun competition. It’s always great to have some bragging rights amongst the provinces.”

The team of Kyrinis (Thornhill), Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Ann Hayward (St. Thomas) and Ivy Steinberg (Stouffville) finished with a combined total of 12-over 300. They are the same trio which began Ontario’s string of consecutive victories in 2014, while only Hayward represented her home province on all three occasions.

“It’s great,” said Kyrinis, when asked to reflect on the team. “We’re very supportive of each other. Mary Ann and I, we battle it out back home in Ontario all the time, but we’re good friends. Competition is just a part of what we do. Ivy – we’ve done a lot together this year. We share the same swing coach, so we practice a lot together. It’s been great having them both as teammates.”

Team Ontario claimed a three-stroke victory over the squad representing the province of Quebec. The contingent from British Columbia claimed third at 18-over 306.

At 2-over 146, Kyrinis leads the 40-and-over Mid-Master and 50-and-over Senior divisions and is tied atop the 25-and-over Mid-Amateur leaderboard alongside Margo Dickinson of Hartland, N.B. Kyrinis has seen success at this competition, having finished third in the Senior Championship in 2014 and runner-up across the three divisions in 2015.

“You certainly hope to draw on it,” she said of her past experience in this competition and in her career. “Just the feeling like you can get the job done and just believe in yourself.”

Kyrinis stressed the need for focus and composure when looking ahead to the final day of the national championship.

“It’s one shot at a time,” she noted. “I really do say that a lot in my head as I go out there. And I just try to stay patient. I think I did that well yesterday and today. I had a little rough patch today in the middle of the round. I just stayed patient and a couple of birdies came my way.”

First-round leader Hélène Chartrand from Pincourt, Que., is 3-over and sits third in the Mid-Amateur competition and second in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. The 2014 Senior winner is four-strokes clear of defending champion Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont., who claimed the three division titles last year.

Holly Horwood of Vancouver completed a wire-to-wire victory to win the 36-hole, 60-and-over Super Senior division with a 9-over 153 showing. Heath, Texas product Anna Schultz trailed the champion by two strokes to claim runner-up honours, while Dartmouth, N.S., native Ruth Maxwell finished third.

A total of 83 players finished 178-or-better to advance to the third and final round of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. The number of players advancing to the final round includes 12 players who are not eligible for the Senior division, but registered scores equal to the final qualifier in the 50-and-over category. The finale of the national championship will commence at 8 a.m.

Additional information from the competition can be found here.

BROMONT, Que. – Winds gave way to a light drizzle at Golf Château-Bromont as defending champion Garrett Rank shot a third-round 7-under 65 to claim a share of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur lead alongside Jordan Irwin.

Rank of Elmira, Ont., began his climb from fourth place following a consecutive trio of birdies on holes 2 to 4 to make the turn at 3-under.

“I played really well today. My putter was hot really early,” said Rank. “I missed three chances on 6, 7, and 8 which cooled the round down, but I finished with an eagle and a birdie, so that was fun.”

The 28-year-old collected birdies on holes 11 and 13, but lost the lead with a bogey on No 15. An eagle on the par-5 17th followed by a birdie on No. 18 pushed Rank into a share of the lead at 14-under 202. The University of Waterloo alumnus won this event back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, and is determined to earn his third-straight exemption into the RBC Canadian Open.

“I’m going to be really aggressive again tomorrow. For me in this event, I’m either first or I’m last. You get the [RBC] Canadian Open exemption if you win, so finishing second or sixth, it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, I’ll be playing for first place.”

Coming off a commanding second-round 7-under performance, Irwin faltered early with bogeys on holes 2 and 8. The 36-hole leader from Banff, Alta., carded four birdies through the back nine to finish the day 2-under.

A six-birdie day propelled Mattoon, Ill., native Derek Meinhart into sole possession of third, while Nashville’s Joseph Deraney registered a bogey-free 66 to follow in fourth at 9-under alongside Woodbridge, Ont., native Dave Bunker.

In addition to his three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur titles, Bunker was also crowned the 2015 Mid-Master champion at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S. The 51-year-old currently leads the 40-and-over division by one stroke.

Matthew Sim (Oakville), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) combined to finish 15-under 273 in the inter-provincial team competition – contested over the first 36-holes – to claim a second consecutive victory for Ontario.

The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

BROMONT, Que. – The second day of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship saw Team Ontario capture the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy after reclaiming their province’s 2015 team title with a 15-under 273 showing. Team Alberta’s Jordan Irwin carded a 65 through persistent winds at Golf Château-Bromont to sit alone atop the leaderboard.

Matthew Sim (Oakville) led the Ontario contingent – including Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) – with a 5-under 67 performance.

“It’s my first time on Team Ontario and it’s just been so much fun. It’s nice to bring this title back,” said Sim, a University of Waterloo alumnus. “Playing with a team is different because there’s a little more pressure behind it that you definitely feel, but it’s just like university golf.”

The 29-year-old recorded a single bogey through his six-birdie day to sit T2 at 8-under in the individual standings alongside 18-hole co-leader Jacob Peterson of Montréal.

Kings carded a bogey-free 68 to claim a share of fourth at 7-under alongside Philip Arci (Vaughan, Ont.) and two-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.). The 39-year-old Kings enjoyed the novelty of representing his home province alongside the people against whom he typically competes.

“I’ve never played on a golf team before so it’s nice to form some camaraderie with the guys. I loved representing Ontario and I hope I can do it again next year.”

First-round co-leader Jordan Irwin (Banff) shot 65 to lead Team Alberta to a runner-up result. Irwin and teammates Paul Briske (Calgary) and Gerry MacDonald (Chestermere) finished five strokes behind the leaders with a combined 10-under 278.

Irwin recovered quickly from a bogey on his first hole with a trio of birdies through Nos. 3 to 8 and an eagle on the par-5 9th. A 3-under back nine vaulted the 2016 Alberta Mid-Amateur champion into a four-stroke advantage in the overall standings at 12-under 132.

“I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked, but my putter was solid and my misses were pretty good,” said the 31-year-old. “I didn’t think about the cut all day, which is rare. I’m just going to keep trying to play well, work hard at every shot and enjoy it.”

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., and Darren Shaw of Stoney Creek, Ont., lead the 40-and-over Mid-Master division at 6-under 138. Bunker claimed the Mid-Master title in 2015 at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S.

The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

A total of 70 players finished 149-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The third round will see the first groups tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

BROMONT, Que. – Clear skies and mountain winds at Golf Château-Bromont welcomed competitors to the first round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. At 5-under 67, Montréal’s Jacob Peterson holds a one-stroke lead alongside Jordan Irwin of Banff, Alta.

Peterson took off from the 10th tee with the morning wave and moved into quick possession of the lead with three birdies through holes 12 to 15 and an eagle on the par-5 17th.

“It was a pretty windy morning, but I managed pretty well,” said Peterson. “It honestly helped me at some points. I got some good breaks, I made some good putts and I holed-out from a bunker.”

The 25-year-old Concordia University Stinger, who is competing for the first time at this national championship, birdied No. 2, but settled for a bogey on the par-4 5^th hole. A birdie on his final hole solidified Peterson’s 67.

“I was pretty lucky to get the morning draw today, so hopefully it’s not too windy tomorrow afternoon. 5-under is hard to beat, but there are a lot of golfers out here, so I’ll just try to do the same thing tomorrow.”

The 31-year-old Irwin also began his round on the back nine, collecting a birdie on the 14th hole followed by a trio across holes 16 to 18. A final push with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 nudged Irwin into his share of the lead.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., put himself in good position to defend his 2015 40-and-over Mid-Master title with a 4-under 68. The 51-year-old sits T3 in the overall competition with Vaughan, Ont., native Philip Arci, Brandon Markiw of Edmonton and Calgary’s Dustin Yeager.

The team representing Ontario – consisting of Charles Fitzsimmons (London), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Matthew Sim (Oakville) – lead the inter-provincial team competition which takes place concurrently with the first two rounds of stroke-play. The trio combined for a two-stroke lead at 6-under 138 as they look to defend their province’s 2015 title.

Team Quebec’s Sebastien Levasseur (Nicolet), Alain Dufresne (Deux-Montagnes) and Dwight Reinhart (Renfrew, Ont.) follow closely in second at 4-under 140.

In addition to the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will see the first wave tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m., followed by the second wave from Nos. 1 and 10 at 12:30 p.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It wasn’t meant to be for Canada’s two remaining competitors at the 116^th playing of the Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., came up just short in a comeback bid against Denver, Colo., product Kyler Dunkle, losing by a hole. The 28-year-old journeyman was down 3 holes heading to the 15^th, and managed to cut the deficit to 1 hole with two to play. Rank failed to capitalize on a bogey from Dunkle on the par-4 18^th, matching his score to remain 1 hole back for the loss.

Rank will look to rebound next week as he tries for three consecutive wins at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Golf-Château-Bromont from Aug. 22-26 in Bromont, Que.

Fellow Canadian and Team Canada Amateur Squad member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., came up just short in a back-and-forth affair with Brad Dalke of Norman, Okla. The pair duelled with nine lead changes in the match, with the nod eventually going to Dalke following back-to-back wins on the final two holes for a 2-up victory.

Hamilton won’t leave with any hardware, but he did manage an eagle on the par-5 2^nd hole today to add to his hole-in-one in yesterday’s Round of 64 match.

Click here for full scoring.