Mike Lohner and Rusty Strawn share lead heading into the final round of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship
Clear skies over Red Deer Golf and Country Club set the stage for a picturesque day in Red Deer, Alta. as the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, wrapped up its third day of play in the Energy Province.
For the third consecutive day, Mike Lohner continues to hold prime real estate at the top of the leaderboard, firing even par 72 to share the lead with fellow countryman Rusty Strawn. A resident of Southlake, Tex., Lohner finished second in the Carlton Woods Invitational earlier this year and is in the hunt for his first victory north of the border.
Strawn finished the first round tied for the top spot with Lohner, but dipped down to second place after navigating three bogeys during yesterday’s second round. After a steady performance today where the McDonough, Ga. resident made birdie on five holes, Strawn holds a share of the lead once again and will look to keep the momentum going after securing a victory at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship last week.
Occupying the third spot, local golfer and Red Deer Golf and Country Club member Ken Griffith came in at one-under par today. Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. (4), and Dave Bunker of Ridgeway, Ont. (5) round out the top five with an even score.
In addition to sitting fourth for the overall tournament, Van Dornick also leads the 65-and-over Super Senior division that runs concurrently throughout the week. The Super Senior champion will be crowned tomorrow and awarded the Governor’s Cup.
Tomorrow promises to be an exciting battle of top amateur talent with an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship on the line. Not only will the winner etch their name into the historic John Rankin Memorial Trophy, but also into Canadian golf history as the field of 156 top senior golfers comes down to one champion.
The final round is set to commence at 8:10 a.m. MT tomorrow with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place at approximately 3:00 p.m. MT at Red Deer Golf and Country Club.
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 LEADERS
T1 | Mike Lohner | Southlake, Tex. | 69-70-72—211 (-5) |
T1 | Rusty Strawn | McDonough, Ga. | 69-71-71—211 (-5) |
3 | Ken Griffith | Red Deer, Alta. | 71-69-75—215 (-1) |
4 | Frank Van Dornick | Camrose, Alta. | 73-70-73—216 (E) |
5 | Dave Bunker | Ridgeway, Ont. | 74-70-73—219 (+3) |
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION ROUND 3 LEADERS
1 | Frank Van Dornick | Camrose, Alta. | 73-70-73—216 (E) |
T2 | Michael Mealia | Aurora, Ont. | 76-75-75—226 (+10) |
T2 | David Schultz | Calgary, Alta. | 73-79-74—226 (+10) |
4 | Jim Russell | Calgary, Alta. | 77-75-75—227 (+11) |
Additional information, including a full list of competitors and scores can be found here.
Team Alberta defends Inter-Provincial competition title; American Mike Lohner leads individual competition after 36 holes
Prevailing winds continued to challenge competitors at Red Deer Golf and Country Club as the 60th edition of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, wrapped up the second day of play in Red Deer, Alta.
Host squad Team Alberta ran away with the lead to win the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition in an impressive 11-stroke victory over runner-up Team British Columbia. Ken Griffith (Red Deer Golf & Country Club), Senan Foley (Public Player – Alberta), and Kelly Risling (Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club) shot a collective one under to give Team Alberta the back-to-back victory as they defended their 2019 title and claimed the Phil Farley Memorial Trophy (the Inter-Provincial competition wasn’t contested the past two years due to complications caused by the Covid-19 pandemic). Rounding out the top 3 was Team Ontario carding a consolidated score of +12.
In the individual competition, American Mike Lohner extended his stay at the top of the leaderboard, earning sole possession of first place after Rusty Strawn (McDonough, Ga.) fell one shot back after a seesaw round of four birdies and three bogeys at Red Deer Golf and Country Club. Lohner, a resident of Southlake, Tex. carded five birdies to remain steady and set himself up well after the halfway point of the tournament.
Strawn and Red Deer Golf and Country Club member Ken Griffith share second place, coming in at 4-under after Wednesday’s round.
In the 65-and-over Super Senior Championship division, which runs concurrently throughout the tournament, Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. shot a 70 today to extend his lead after 36 holes of play. Aurora, Ont. native Michael Mealia moved up four spots to claim solo second, with a two-way tie for third including local golfers Jim Russell (Calgary, Alta.), and David Schultz (Calgary, Alta.).
Following the conclusion of round two today, the field was reduced to the low 70 players and ties with 72 competitors advancing to bid for the 60th Canadian Men’s Senior Championship title and a coveted spot on the John Rankin Memorial Trophy. The individual champion will also receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 LEADERS
1 | Mike Lohner | Southlake, Tex. | 69-70—139 (-5) |
T2 | Rusty Strawn | McDonough, Ga. | 69-71—140 (-4) |
T2 | Ken Griffith | Red Deer, Alta. | 71-69—140 (-4) |
4 | Frank Van Dornick | Camrose, Alta. | 73-70—143 (-1) |
5 | Robert Funk | Canyon Lake, Calif. | 74-70—144 (E) |
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION ROUND 2 LEADERS
1 | Frank Van Dornick | Camrose, Alta. | 73-70—143 (-1) |
2 | Michael Mealia | Aurora, Ont. | 76-75—175 (+7) |
T3 | David Shultz | Calgary, Alta. | 73-79—152 (+8) |
T3 | Jim Russell | Calgary, Alta. | 77-75—152 (+8) |
Round three is set to commence tomorrow at 8:10am MT.
Additional information, including a full list of competitors and scores can be found here.
Golf Fore the Cure raises $327k+ for breast cancer research in 2022
Through the efforts of over 10,000 women, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru raised over $327k for breast cancer research in 2022 at 112 events held across the country.
With another 10 Golf Fore the Cure events to come in the remainder of the golf season, we are looking forward to seeing this number build even higher.
Since the program’s inception in 2003, upwards of 130,000 women have raised over $7 million to date with all proceeds donated to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation.
Over 100 women celebrated this year’s success at the 16th annual Golf Fore the Cure National Event at Lionhead Golf and Conference Center in Brampton, Ont.
The National Event included 18 holes of golf featuring raffles, prizing, and games, followed by an awards dinner to thank the 13,000 Golf Fore the Cure participants across Canada this year.
The 18th annual Golf Fore the Cure event is underway!??@GolfLionhead @SubaruCanada pic.twitter.com/YmM3KSeQFB
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) September 6, 2022
TOP 20 FUNDRAISING SITES IN 2022
Le Club Laval-sur-le-lac | $45,000.00 |
New Brunswick Provincial | $40,627.39 |
Vancouver Golf Club | $20,431.18 |
Sussex Golf & Curling Club | $19,000.00 |
Candle Lake Golf Resort | $17,511.00 |
Oakville Golf Club | $16,623.00 |
Glencairn Golf | $15,989.05 |
Club de Golf de L’Epiphanie | $15,000 |
Westwood Plateau Golf | $9,567.50 |
Seven Spruce Golf Course | $9,457.00 |
Westfield Golf and Country Club | $6,331.30 |
Jasper Park Lodge | $6,090.00 |
Twin Willows Golf Club | $5,785.50 |
Antigonish Golf Club | $5,000.00 |
Mission Golf & Country Club | $4,000.00 |
Oakridge Golf Course Port Perry ON | $3,913.00 |
Edmonton Riverside Golf Club | $3,833.50 |
Golf Mentor Ladies League | $3,548.00 |
Cedar Glen (Williamsburg) | $3,548.00 |
Highland Pacific Golf | $3,506.92 |
Hardisty Lakeview Golf Course | $3,435.00 |
We would also like to thank our Provincial Golf Associations for their continued support in encouraging clubs to participate in Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru. Below is a breakdown of all the funds raised by province:
Totals Raised Per Province
ON | $61,413 |
BC | $43,285 |
NB | $65,121 |
AB | $24,737 |
QC | $76,890 |
SK | $20,891 |
PEI | $1,100 |
NS | $5,000 |
MB | $9,186 |
NL | $832 |
NT | $9,457 |
Total | $327,774 |
Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru was created in 2003 by Golf Canada to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation), the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for a cause close to Canadian hearts—the fight against breast cancer.
Canada holds over 37,000 charity events at golf courses across the country which raise approximately $533 million annually for charity.
Subaru Canada has been a proud partner of Golf Fore the Cure since 2007.
To learn how to get involved with Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, visit golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure.
Rusty Strawn & Mike Lohner lead after opening round of 2022 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship
Red Deer, Alta. – Red Deer Golf & Country Club proved to be a solid test for the top senior competitors from Canada and the United States with only six golfers out of a field of 156 finishing under par after Tuesday’s opening round at the 2022 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO.
Rusty Strawn of McDonough, Ga., carded a 3-under 69 that included two birdies and an eagle to share possession of the lead with fellow American Mike Lohner.
Strawn is fresh off a victory last week at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Kittansett Club in Marion, Mass. This week, the Peach State resident will look to add another accolade to his impressive 2022 season collecting titles at the Trans-Mississippi Senior Championship and the Florida Senior Azalea Amateur Championship earlier this year.
Mike Lohner of Southlake, Tex. countered three bogeys with six birdies to fight for his share of the lead this afternoon. Lohner, who calls Vaquero Club home, finished second in the Carlton Woods Invitational earlier this year and is in the hunt for his first victory north of the border.
Hometown competitors Grant Lee and Ken Griffith share a four-way tie for third place along with Dave Terry of Langley, B.C., and Neil MacLeod of Burnaby, B.C.
A 65-and-over Super Senior Championship will run concurrently throughout the tournament, crowning a champion and awarding the Governor’s Cup after 72 holes of play. After round one, David Schultz of Calgary, Alta. and Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. are tied for the lead at one-over.
The inter-provincial team competition, which returns for the first time since 2019, is also being contested over the championship’s first 36 holes.
Defending champions Team Alberta, consisting of Ken Griffith (Red Deer Golf & Country Club), Senan Foley (Public Player – Alberta), and Kelly Risling (Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club) posted a score of +4 to edge a one-stroke lead over Team Quebec. The team title will come down to the wire Wednesday afternoon with Teams Saskatchewan, Ontario, and British Columbia also in hot pursuit at +7.
Defending champion Darren Ritchie currently sits T9 at just four strokes back.
Following the conclusion of round two tomorrow, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties as competitors vie for the 60th Canadian Men’s Senior Championship title and a coveted spot on the John Rankin Memorial Trophy. The individual champion will also receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 LEADERS
T1 | Rusty Strawn | McDonough, Ga. | 69—(-3) |
T1 | Mike Lohner | Southlake, Tex. | 70—(-2) |
T3 | Grant Lee | Red Deer, Alta. | 71—(-1) |
T3 | Ken Griffith | Red Deer, Alta. | 71—(-1) |
T3 | Dave Terry | Langley, B.C. | 71—(-1) |
T3 | Neil MacLeod | Burnaby, B.C. | 71—(-1) |
2022 CANADIAN MEN’S SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION ROUND 1 LEADERS
T1 | David Schultz | Calgary, Alta. | 73—(+1) |
T1 | Frank Van Dornick | Camrose, Alta. | 73—(+1) |
T3 | Brian Coston | Calgary, Alta. | 74—(+2) |
T3 | Thomas Skinner | Red Deer, Alta. | 74—(+4) |
5 | Brent Wotypka | Swift Current, Sask. | 75—(+3) |
Additional information, including a full list of competitors and scores can be found here.
Red Deer Golf and Country Club set to host Canadian Men’s Senior Championship
RED DEER, Alta. – The 60th installment of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, tees off this week with 156 amateur golfers taking the stage in Red Deer, Alta.
Conducted since 1962, the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship has grown to become one of the most popular amateur golf events in Canada. In 1995, the 65-and-over Super Senior division was introduced, which runs concurrently with the existing 55-and-over age group.
One of nine national championships conducted by Golf Canada for the 2022 season, the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship will consist of 72 holes of stroke-play with a cut after 36 holes. The Super Senior Championship is contested concurrently over the four rounds of the championship, and the Senior Inter-provincial Team Championship, established in 1977, also runs concurrently with the first 36 holes of the tournament.
Practice rounds are scheduled for Monday, September 5th, before the tournament officially kicks off on Tuesday, September 6th.
The tournament will be conducted at Red Deer Golf & Country Club in Red Deer, Alta. who is celebrating their centennial season this year. Five of the club’s members have qualified to play in the Championship including Ken Griffith, Grant Lee and Peter Innes, Tom Skinner and Joe Gascon.
Over 100 volunteers from both the Red Deer Golf & Country Club and the community will be on hand to host the National and International competitors and their families.
“Golf Canada is proud to host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship and bring together a field of top senior competitors to play in this prestigious championship,” said Adam Cinel, Senior Manager, Rules and Amateur Championships. “Red Deer Golf and Country Club is in excellent shape, and we congratulate the staff and volunteers on their significant 100-year milestone.”
Defending champion Darren Ritchie will return once again to defend his title and vie to see his name on the John Rankin Memorial Trophy for the second consecutive year. In 2021, the St. John, N.B. native from Hampton Golf Club held the lead for the majority of the tournament and finished 2-over par 72 to claim his first Canadian Men’s Senior title.
Additional notables in the field include Robert Funk (Canyon Lake, CA.), John Crowther (London, Ont.), Jim Lehman (Minnetonka, MN.), and Rusty Strawn (McDonough, GA.) who recently claimed the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship title at The Kittansett Club in Marion, Mass. this past week.
The champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.
More information about the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship can be found here.
Stouffer’s triple triumph in Manitoba adds to historic summer
HEADINGLEY, Man. – The summer of Shelly Stouffer rolled on at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship, presented by BDO, at Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingley, Man.
After winning the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in early August, the Nanoose, B.C., native added a Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title and a second consecutive Canadian Women’s Senior Championship to her trophy case. The hardware didn’t end there, though. Stouffer was crowned champion of the Mid-Master division, to boot.
“That’s the first time I won the Mid-Am, so [I’m] pretty excited about that,” said Stouffer. “Last year I won just the Mid-Master and the Senior, so, yeah, it was exciting.”
Stouffer says this win is “right up there” with the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and so is the Ada Mackenzie Trophy.
“This gives Big Bertha a run,” Stouffer laughed as she hoisted one of three trophies she was awarded on Thursday, bringing her week total to five after winning both the Katherine Holleur and Crockett trophies as part of Team British Columbia in the Interprovincial Team competitions.
Opposite to the 52-year-old’s triumph in Anchorage, AK., the odds were against Stouffer coming down the stretch in Thursday’s final round. Terrill Samuel and Christina Spence Proteau lead by one over the former professional golfer with just five holes to play, but in came the wind that blew Stouffer into the lead.
With a one-stroke advantage on No. 18, Stouffer guided an iron onto the green and two-putted for par to secure the one stroke victory over Samuel.
“I’m just kind of going with the flow here,” admitted Stouffer. “I was hitting the ball well down in, well, everywhere, but the last place I was at was Dayton at the U.S. Open, so I just kind of kept that going and my ball striking was actually really, really good this week. I can’t even express how awesome it is.”
Stouffer becomes only the second Canadian in history to win both the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in the same year, joining World Golf Hall of Famer, Marlene Streit, who accomplished the feat in 1995.
“It’s amazing; it’s so great,” said Stouffer on being in the same company as Streit. “She sent me messages when I was over in Anchorage, being encouraging and everything like that and, you know, it’s phenomenal – it’s awesome.”
With the win, Stouffer earns an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, N.S. The B.C. native’s win in the Senior division earns her direct entry into the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Open and 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, where she will look to defend her title.
Samuel, the 2022 British Senior Women’s Amateur Champion, carded a final round 73 to win the Super Senior division. The Etobocoke, Ont., native also finished as the runner-up in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior divisions.
In the Mid-Amateur section, six-time champion, Christina Spence Proteau, earned the bronze medal, finishing just two strokes back of Stouffer. Helene Chartrand of Sallabery-de-Valleyfield, Que.; 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champion, Judith Kyrinis; and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Mary-Ann Hayward all posted T4 results at 8-over-par for the tournament.
On Thursday, Golf Canada announced the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship would act as a stand-alone event in 2023 and beyond. The national championship will be held at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ont., July 24-27.
The 2023 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship is moving to the Maritimes. It will take place at Mill River Golf Course in O’Leary, P.E.I.
For full results of the 2022 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship click here.
Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship earns autonomy in 2023
(AUGUST 31, 2022) – Golf Canada announced today format changes to the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Effective 2023, the national championship, currently held in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, will act independently as a stand-alone event.
“The decision to proceed with format changes to our Women’s Mid-Amateur aligns with the growth of golf in Canada,” said Golf Canada’s Director of Amateur Championships and Rules, Mary Beth McKenna. “We feel that this championship deserves its own spotlight and we’re confident that the talent displayed in 2023 and beyond will reflect that.”
Since 2007, the Women’s Mid-Amateur has a provided women over the age of 25 a chance to compete on a national stage. From its inaugural year to 2014, the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship ran in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. In 2015, the tournament shifted gears and joined forces with the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, but Breezy Bend Country Club will serve as the final joint venture for the two events.
In 2023, the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will take place at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ont., July 24-27. The field size will cap at 90 players and an Interprovincial team competition will also be incorporated into the reformatted event. As in years past, the Mid-Master division – a division for players 40 years or older – will remain a part of the national championship.
The winner of the 2023 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Past winners of the event include 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champion, Judith Kyrinis; six-time champion Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion, Christina Spence Proteau; and 2022 British Women’s Senior Amateur Champion, Terrill Samuel.
Stouffer, Samuel on verge of joining elite company ahead of final round at Breezy Bend
HEADINGLEY, Man. – Regardless of what happens on Thursday afternoon at Breezy Bend Country Club, Shelly Stouffer and Terrill Samuel can look back on this year’s golf season and be proud of what they’ve accomplished.
Nonetheless, the duo will have a chance to add to their impressive resumes at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, presented by BDO.
Stouffer, winner of the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, and Samuel, champion of this year’s British Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, are one-stroke back of Nonie Marler in the Mid-Amateur division and tied atop the leaderboard in the Senior division with just 18 holes left to play in Manitoba.
Samuel, 61, was born in England, but moved to Canada when she was three months old and though she already has multiple Canadian titles to her name, she isn’t taking this week’s championship for granted.
“The national amateur is always a big deal,” said Samuel. “Because you are Canadian, right, so, yes, it would be a very proud moment for sure.”
Now a member of Weston Golf Club, Samuel won’t soon forget the triumph at Royal Dornoch in Scotland.
“I said I could retire after that because that’s my best win ever,” Samuel laughed.
“I have played in some British [tournaments], so that’s helped, right; it’s not like it’s foreign to me, so I know how to keep the ball low,” said Samuel. “I only hit 3-wood off the tee all the time, but I hit it low, so it helps over there.”
Well, hitting it low will help over here tomorrow, too. Though the heat will once again descend on the golf course, the forecast calls for gusts of wind up to 50km/h, adding an extra variable to the challenging test of a final round at a national championship.
If Samuel sails to victory, she will join Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Alison Murdoch, as the only Canadian golfer in history to win both the British Senior Women’s Amateur and the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in the same year. Murdoch completed the feat in 2007.
Stouffer joked on Wednesday she “still might be in shock” about her victory in Alaska less than a month ago, but on Thursday, Breezy Bend will require all of the 52-year-old’s focus as she looks to recapture the Ada Mackenzie Trophy.
With a win on Thursday, Stouffer would join World Golf Hall of Famer, Marlene Streit, as the only Canadian to have won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in the same year. Streit did so in 1995.
Wednesday afternoon struck a moment of déja vu in the mind of Nonie Marler.
For the second consecutive year, the Vancouver, B.C. native will take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, presented by BDO, only this time Marler will hope fate and fortune is on her side.
When the final putt dropped at Domaine Château Bromont in 2021, it was Christina Spence Proteau celebrating the national title – not Marler. On Thursday, however, the 38-year-old will have a shot at redemption, and she’ll count on last year’s experience to guide her to the winner’s circle.
“I’ve been there and done that now, right,” said Marler. “Last year, I hadn’t, so it was new to me and, it’s just you kind of have to feel the situation and now that I know, I know obviously the outcome and how to play through that and what happened from it, so, obviously, I just got to play within my own game tomorrow.”
“I’m happy that I’ve now had the experience because I can take that experience to tomorrow and it’s actually given me a lot of, like, a much cooler head… today too,” she said.
British Columbia claimed both the Katherine Holleur and Crockett trophies as champions of the Interprovincial Team competitions in both the Mid-Amateur and Senior divisions. The B.C. team composed of Marler, Stouffer and Proteau, won by 14 strokes over Ontario in the Mid-Amateur division, while Stouffer, Jackie Little and Sandrine Turbide were 15-stroke winners over Quebec in the Senior division.
The final round is set to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. The awards ceremony will follow the conclusion of play, around 3:00 p.m. Champions will be crowned in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, Senior, and Super-Senior divisions.
Quick Links:
Leaderboard
Tee times
Course statistics
Championship history
Richardson tops crowded leaderboard after round one in Manitoba
HEADINGLEY, Man. – Breezy Bend Country Club stayed true to its name in the opening round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Champonship, presented by BDO. Leanne Richardson withstood the gentle, but lively wind, to pace the field in Manitoba.
Richardson, the 2022 New Brunswick Women’s Senior champion, made birdies on holes No. 8 and 15, contributing to a round of even-par 72 and a one-stroke lead over a trio of players from B.C. tied for second place. The Indian Mountain, N.B., native holds the lead in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and the Senior division through 18 holes.
In the Super Senior division – a subdivision for players 60 and above – Procter B.C.’s, Jackie Little is ahead by one stroke following a 1-over-par 73. A double bogey on No. 12 moved Little to 3-over-par on the day, but she responded with birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 to take control of the lead.
Defending champion, Christina Spence Proteau, is in the mix after round one, as she typically is in the Women’s Mid-Amateur division. The six-time winner opened her tournament with a 1-over-par 73 to position herself T2. Proteau was lights out through the opening bakers dozen at Breezy Bend, but ran out of steam finishing with two bogeys and a double bogey to surrender the lead.
“I started off very solid and committed, so I think overall I just struck the ball really well and was nice and tidy with [my] short game, and that carried through most of the back nine until 16,” said Proteau.
The Port Alberni, B.C., native says she’s dialed back the amount of which she plays the game for various reasons, but a few stops on her road trip through western Canada en route to the national championship allowed her to tighten some screws in the bag.
“This year, it’s been a bit of a different year for me. I haven’t played any major events until this event, and this will be my only major event this year, so I knew there would be some rust, I just didn’t know in what form it would show up,” said Proteau. “Overall, if someone would have told me, ‘Would you have taken 1-over today,” I’d probably take it; and I’ve always said, generally speaking, even-par, if you look at the history books over the years, that’s always done well for me.”
Joining Proteau and Little at 1-over-par for the tournament and T2, is Nonie Marler. The 2021 runner-up got as low as 2-under on the day with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, but, Malter was swallowed by the final three holes, as so many were on Tuesday. The Vancouver, B.C., native made three consecutive bogeys on the home stretch, which, statistically speaking, ranked the hardest three holes on the golf course in the first round.
Shelly Stouffer, the reigning champion in the Senior division, and Helen Chartrand carded rounds of 2-over-par 74 to round out the top-5 in the Mid-Amateur division. The 52-year-old Stouffer is coming off a T29 showing at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Kettering, Ohio last week and is looking to build off her solid play south of the border.
“I think it’s going to be great,” said Stouffer of this week’s tournament. “I got some good momentum from that because I made the cut and I played pretty well the last few days, so I was pretty happy with my game,” said Stouffer.
British Columbia owns healthy advantages in both the Mid-Amateur and Senior Interprovincial Team competitions, leading by 12 strokes and nine shots, respectively. Champions will be crowned in each of the two divisions following Wednesday’s second round which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m.
Quick Links:
Leaderboard
Tee times
Course statistics
Championship history
Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship renews in Manitoba
HEADINGLEY, Man. – Canada’s best female golfers 25 years or older will descend on Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingley, Man., August 30 – September 1, for the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, presented by BDO.
“There is a lot of anticipation around this year’s Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, and we’re thrilled to get the competition started,” said Tournament Director, Daniel Suppa. “A competitive field of players are slated to tee it up this week, so we’re expecting a high calibre of talent at Breezy Bend.”
After a rainy start to the day, practice rounds resumed as scheduled on Monday ahead of the official start to the national championship on Tuesday. The 54-hole tournament is scheduled to wrap up on Thursday, with champions being crowned in four divisions: Mid-Amateur (25 and up); Mid-Master (40 and over); Senior (50 and above); and Super-Senior (60-plus).
Returning to the event is the Interprovincial Team competitions, for the first time since 2019. The Mid- Amateur and Senior teams will compete over the first 36 holes of the tournament.
97 players will tee it up at Breezy Bend Country Club, located about 20 kilometres west of Winnipeg, Man. The Club is widely considered one of the premiere private golf courses in its region and has previously hosted the 2004 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship as well as the 1979 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
“Over the last six months, our volunteers, staff and Board have worked tirelessly to prepare the course and our facilities to host this special event,” said Shannon O’Brien, President of Breezy Bend Country Club. “We are very excited to have this opportunity to showcase our Club to some of the best golfers from across the country.”
“When we were first approached to host this prestigious tournament some four years ago, we jumped at the opportunity; this would be our chance to recognize, support and celebrate women’s golf in Canada,” added Cory Johnson, General Manager and COO. “Our club members, staff and enthusiastic team of volunteers look forward to providing a world-class championship event for our competitors and spectators alike.”
CANADIAN WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Since 2007, the Women’s Mid-Amateur has a provided women over the age of 25 a chance to compete on a national stage. From its inaugural year to 2014, the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship ran in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. In 2015, the tournament shifted gears and joined forces with the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
Defending champion Christina Proteau will look to protect her title as Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur champion after knocking off Nonie Marler in last year’s championship at Domaine Château Bromont in Bromont, Que. Proteau, of Port Alberni, B.C., has won the Mid-Amateur division a record six times, including four consecutive titles from 2011-2014. Marler, out of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, B.C., is back in the field again this year.
The winner of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will receive an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
CANADIAN WOMEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Conducted since 1971, the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship has featured many of the country’s top senior golfers. Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Marilyn O’Connor and Margaret Todd all own senior championship titles. In the past, this competition has also featured a strong contingent of international players, particularly from the United States – most notably Nancy Fitzgerald. The Canadian Women’s Senior Championship has also been referred to as the CLGA National Senior Championship.
The 51st playing of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship will feature a star-studded field, headlined by none other than the defending champion, Shelly Stouffer. The 52-year-old is the fourth highest ranked woman on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and will look to successfully defend the Ada Mackenzie Challenge Trophy. The Nanoose Bay, B.C., native made headlines throughout Canada and the United States earlier this summer when she won the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championship in Alaska, becoming the fourth Canadian to conquer the national title.
Judith Kyrinis, who is among the four Canucks to have completed the aforementioned feat, will challenge Stouffer in Manitoba. The Thornhill, Ont., native is no stranger to winning the championship, having previously done so twice before, with her most recent triumph in 2019.
2012 and 2015 champion, Terrill Samuel, is another name to lookout for this week in the Senior division. Samuel, a member of Weston Golf Club in Toronto, won the 2022 R&A Women’s Senior Amateur Championship in July, becoming the third Canadian behind Alison Murdoch and Diane Williams to win the coveted amateur event.
The winner of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship will gain entry into the 2023 United States Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Interprovincial Team championship will return this year following two years of cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Team Ontario are the reigning champions, having bested Alberta by 15 strokes in 2019 to claim the Katherine Helleur Trophy. The team competition, featuring eight of Canada’s provinces this year, has been won a record 28 times by Ontario, including six in a row dating back to 2015.
For more information on the 2022 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship click here.
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