Florida’s Tyler McCumber and New York’s Dan McCarthy reached 10-under par through 36 holes at Point Grey Golf and Country Club on Friday to share the second round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the opening event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

McCumber, a two-time winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2014, birdied the 18th hole for one of his six birdies in a round of 68 on Friday to match the lead set earlier by McCarthy, who was bogey-free with six birdies on the day.

“It was nice to get a shot back coming down the stretch. There were so many good shots today, but those are the ones to focus on for me,” said McCumber, a University of Florida graduate and the son of 10-time PGA TOUR winner Mark McCumber.

McCarthy, a veteran of 39 Mackenzie Tour starts, credited a more conservative approach to Point Grey’s tree-line layout than his last two starts in Vancouver, both of which resulted in missed cuts.

“I hit a ton of greens, so I wasn’t grinding out pars out there,” said McCarthy. “The pins are challenging, so you kind of have to make decisions to not go after them and play towards the fat part of the green, and that’s something I’ve learned over the years.”

One shot behind McCarthy and McCumber was Florida’s Taylor Hancock, a recent University of North Florida grad making his pro debut this week.

“Surprisingly, I was just really calm. I don’t know why. It was just fun to be able to say I’m a professional,” said Hancock. “A couple of holes down the stretch, I started to feel it a little bit, but you live for that and that’s what you enjoy.”

Devin Carrey of Burnaby, B.C., and Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill lead the Canadian contingent at T10.

National Team member Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., is tied for 32nd at 2-under. Team Canada Development Squad members Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) and A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam, B.C.), who finished 2-over and 8-over, respectively, will not head into weekend play.

MIDLAND, Ont. – The nation’s junior golfers were treated to a healthy dose of sun during the first round of the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Midland Golf & Country Club. Team Canada Development Squad member Grace St-Germain took the lead in the Junior Girls division after shooting 2-under 68. Louis-Alexandre Colgan, Jake Bryson, and Thomas Giroux carded even-par rounds to share the Junior Boys lead.

St-Germain, a native of Orleans, Ont., shot four birdies on the day, including two back-to-back on holes 11 and 12 en route to the day’s only score below-par.

“It was a very good round, I was hitting the ball really well today,” said the 17-year-old. “The greens were really fast, so I’m just going to take it one shot at a time tomorrow.”

Isabella Portokalis of London, Ont., notched a birdie on No. 18 to move into second at 1-over-par, while fellow Ontarian Monet Chun of Richmond Hill and Mary Parsons of Delta B.C., are T3 after matching 72s. Parsons, the 2016 CN Future Links Pacific champion, collected three birdies across a bogey-free back nine.

St-Germain’s quartet of Women’s Development Squad teammates are all within the Top-15, led by Surrey, B.C., product Hannah Lee who sits fifth at 3-over-par. Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong and Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., each tallied three birdies on the back nine to reach T6. Kathrine Chan, of Richmond, B.C., is T14 after opening with a 77.

In the Junior Boys division, three players hold a share of first at even-par. Québec City’s Louis-Alexandre Colgan and Jake Bryson of Dunrobin, Ont., each made five birdies on the day. Georgetown, Ont., native Thomas Giroux completes the trio of leaders, having tallied four birdies – including three across holes 6 through 9 – for a 1-under 33 on the front nine.

Three Ontarians are one shot behind the leaders. Johnny Travale (Stoney Creek), Sam Meek (Peterborough) and Eric (Joohyung) Byun (Richmond Hill) sit T4 on the crowded leaderboard. Aurora, Ont., product Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson – the lone Men’s Development Squad member in the field – holed two birdies and is T14.

The top six finalists in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4. Exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff in the case of ties. All competitors in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The tournament will be held August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls division tee-off at 7 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:50 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring is available here.

BEAUCEVILLE, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville, founded in 1990 in Beauceville, Que., will host a field of 121 junior athletes from June 3-5 for the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship. A total of six CN Future Links Championships are presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. These championships provide opportunities for junior golfers across Canada to develop their games in a safe and encouraging environment.

“Golf Canada is thrilled to work with Club de golf Beauceville for our third CN Future Links Championship this season,” said Justine Decock, Tournament Director. “The course will be a great test for a strong field. We look forward to seeing these athletes learn and grow through this competition.”

Charles-Éric Bélanger will represent the National Team Men’s Development Squad at the competition. The native of Quebec City collected second- and third-place finishes at last year’s Quebec and Ontario editions of the CN Future Links Championships. The 2015 CN Future Links Junior Boys Order of Merit winner is coming off a season in which he claimed the Canadian Junior Boys title.

Club de golf Beauceville member Louis-Michel Guay will make his debut on the CN Future Links circuit. The 18-year old from St-Isidore, Que., who was fifth on the Quebec Garçons Juniors Order of Merit in 2015, will try to translate his familiarity with the course into championship success.

The Junior Girls field will see the return of four of the top five finishers from the 2015 championship held at Golf Château-Bromont in Bromont, Que. Reigning Quebec Junior Match-Play Champion Sarah-Ève Rhéaume looks to improve upon last year’s runner-up result. Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., native Céleste Dao – the 2015 Quebec Junior Girls Champion – and Noémie Paré of Victoriaville, Que., will attempt to best their T3 finishes, while Rosemère, Que., product Brigitte Thibault seeks to build upon a 5^th-place showing.

Three more CN Future Links Championships will be played this season:

• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

The top six in the Junior Boys division will gain exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, held August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. A hole-by-hole playoff will determine exemptions in the case of ties. Those who make up the top six in the Junior Girls division, including ties, will earn entry into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Additional information on the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, including a full list of competitors and tee-times, is available here.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON – Niagara College’s Professional Golf Management (PGM) program celebrated their continued support of Golf in Schools with a donation exceeding $1,900 to three schools in the Niagara region (with additional funds to follow).

The donation marks the sixth consecutive year students in the PGM program have donated to Golf Canada’s in-school program. Since 2010, over $10,000 has been raised resulting in 14 Niagara schools adopted into the Golf in Schools program. Funds are generated through the program’s PGM Invitational Golf Tournament, an annual fundraising event conducted by the 3^rd year PGM class that attracts 80 participants including students, alumni, faculty, and industry supporters.

With the funds, Niagara College adopted three intermediate schools in the St. Catharine’s region. Each school received the intermediate kit (valued at $635), which comes equipped with age-appropriate equipment and a teacher-friendly learning resource that was developed in conjunction with PHE Canada and the PGA of Canada.

“On behalf of Golf Canada, I’m very proud of the continued dedication of the professional golf management students at Niagara College and their support of junior golf in their community,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “Their investment in the Golf in Schools program represents an important link between education, community and junior golfers—the future of our sport.”

Grant Fraser, Coordinator of the PGM program at Niagara College, continues to see the benefits of this initiative for the community, the college and his PGM students.

“I believe that it is important for the golf community to support the Golf in Schools program and to do all we can to help grow the game. The professional golf management students at Niagara College are part of that community,” said Fraser. “One of the key topics we discuss in our Event Management class is the importance of giving back and doing what we can to introduce the game to students at schools throughout the Niagara region. Supporting Golf Canada’s Golf in Schools program helps us do this.”

Niagara College’s generous contributions have added to the national total of over 2,900 schools delivering the best-in-class program. Offered at the elementary, intermediate and high school level, Golf in Schools has instilled the fundamental values and life skills associated with golf to over 300,000 Canadian students.

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – Canada’s Garrett Rank and American Patrick Christovich, a pair of mid-amateurs who are the lowest remaining seeded team in the match-play bracket, won two matches in dramatic fashion Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship on the par 70, 6,728-yard East Course at Winged Foot Golf Club.

Rank, a professional hockey referee, made a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to hand his team a 1-up quarterfinal victory over David Kocher, 20 of Charlotte, N.C., and Connor Tendall, 23, of North Potomac, Md. Earlier in the day, Christovich, 37, of New Orleans, La., set up a winning birdie in the third round on the 21st hole, the par-3 third, by striking a 157-yard 9-iron to close range.

“This is why you practice and this is why you play,” said Rank about the excitement of advancing to the semifinals. “It makes that long drive to Hershey (to referee) and back (to this championship) feel good along with the grind of taking clubs to the airport and practicing during the winter.”

Connor and Tendall, who are former University of Maryland teammates, won the opening two holes, but Christovich made a sweeping long-distance birdie putt on No. 7 and Rank sank a 24-footer for another birdie to square the match on No. 10. The teams went back and forth on the inward nine. Connor and Tendall regained the lead with a conceded birdie on the par-3 13th before Rank and Christovich won No. 15 with a par.

“Every time we got one back, next hole they put one right back on us,” said Christovich, a realtor who has won three Louisiana Mid-Amateur Championships.

Rank, 28, of Elmira, Ont., and the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up, kept the match all square on the par-4 16th when he sank a ticklish 20-foot birdie putt.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play, 18 each on the East and West Courses of Winged Foot Golf Club, followed by five rounds of match play on the East Course. Fox Sports 1 (FS1) will televise Wednesday’s semifinals and championship, scheduled as an 18-hole final, from 3-5:30 p.m. EDT.

Christovich and Rank will meet Ben Baxter, 20, of Flower Mound, Texas, and Andrew Buchanan, 21, of Los Altos, Calif., in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, the Southern Methodist University teammates dispatched the No. 1 seed and stroke-play medalists, Brandon Matthews, 21, of Dupont, Pa., and Patrick Ross, 24, of Dunmore, Pa., 2 and 1

Semifinal sides, which must remain intact, are exempt from qualifying for the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

View www.usga.org for scoring info.

About the team:

Garrett Rank, 28, of Canada

• Born Sept. 5, 1987 in Kitchener, Ontario (Hails from Elmira, Ont.)
• No. 1,111 in World Amateur Golf Ranking™
• He and partner Patrick Christovich played in the longest match (21 holes) in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball history during their Round-of-16 win
• Competing in his 11th USGA championship
• Runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached match play in last year’s U.S. Amateur
• 2014 and 2015 Canadian Mid-Amateur champion
• American Hockey League and National Hockey League referee

Patrick Christovich, 37, of New Orleans, La.

• Born July 18, 1978 in New Orleans, La.
• No. 500 in World Amateur Golf Ranking™
• He and partner Garrett Rank are the lowest remaining seed (No. 4) in the championship
• Competing in his 11th USGA championship
• Quarterfinalist in the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur
• Advanced to 2016 U.S. Open sectional qualifying
• Works as a real estate agent

To mark the arrival of the golf season, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are pleased to launch the new website for PGA Junior League delivered by CN Future Links.

Structured in a team vs. team format, PGA Junior League builds on the fun, social aspect of golf through its welcoming environment. Led by team captains, each squad hosts 9-hole matches against neighbouring facilities in their community throughout the summer.

Each match is conducted using the scramble format, encouraging juniors to strategize their shots together while limiting the stress of individual performance. Teams consist of two competitors at a time, with substitutes to be rotated under the direction of the team captains. Parents, adults and Community Golf Coaches are also encouraged to join as scorers and match monitors.

A highly successful program in the United States, PGA Junior League joins the CN Future Links suite of programming with many years of success and a strong track record.

To register a team at your facility, visit the brand new website at www.pgajrleague.ca

PARKSVILLE, B.C. – Student athletes from the nation’s top university and college golf teams will measure their mettle at the 2016 edition of the Canadian University/College Championship. The 14^th playing of the championship will be held May 31 to June 3 at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C.

Conducted by Golf Canada, the event was created to provide Canada’s best university and college golfers with the opportunity to compete in a national event. The University of Victoria Vikes will play host as the country’s student athletes gather at Morningstar Golf Club. The Les Furber design founded in 1991 has been home to the 2009 and 2012 CN Future Links Pacific Championships, the 2010 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and the B.C. event on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour.

“We are delighted to host this national championship and to welcome the teams and Golf Canada to the city of Parksville,” said Mike Loftus, Host Club Tournament Chair and Vice-President of Sales at the club. “The course is in excellent condition and this competition will add another exciting chapter to the history of our club. We look forward to the challenge it will provide these young men and women.”

“The Canadian University/College Championship is an excellent stage to showcase the talents of the country’s best collegiate golfers,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “It is an honour for these players to represent their schools. This championship is a culmination of their year-long efforts both in the classroom and on the course. I know they will each make their schools proud.”

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds men’s team looks to defend its national title following a decisive wire-to-wire win at the 2015 championship at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont. Jack Wood, 2014 individual champion Scott Secord and Evan Holmes will return in an effort to recreate the success which saw the team register a 12-stroke victory last year. Holmes of Calgary finished two strokes clear of the competition to claim individual honours.

Julie Brossoit, Caroline Ciot, Veronique Fortin-Latreille and Sarah-Andréa Landry of the Université de Montréal Carabins women’s team hung on to capture team honours in 2015. The quartet will return as the school chases a third national collegiate championship. Brynn Tomie of Bedford, N.S. – now graduated after having completed her studies at the University of Victoria – won last year’s individual title.

The 2016 competition will feature 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the country vying for the national championship titles. Following the third round, the field will be reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and the top six women’s teams, in addition to any individuals within 15 shots of the lead.

Additional information regarding the 2016 championship, including full team rosters, can be found here.

2016 UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP – MEN’S TEAMS:

• Camosun College Chargers
• Concordia University Stingers
• École de technologie supérieure Piranhas
• Georgian College Grizzlies
• Niagara College Knights
• Queen’s University Gaels
• Université du Montréal Carabins
• Université Laval Rouge et Or
• University of Alberta Golden Bears
• University of British Columbia Thunderbirds
• University of Calgary Dino’s
• University of Guelph Gryphons
• University of Lethbridge Pronghorns
• University of Manitoba Bisons
• University of the Fraser Valley Cascades
• University of Toronto Varsity Blues
• University of Waterloo Warriors
• University of Western Mustangs
• University of Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
• University of Victoria Vikes

2016 UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP – WOMEN’S TEAMS:

• Humber College Hawks
• Queen’s University Gaels
• Université du Montréal Carabins
• Université Laval Rouge et Or
• University of Alberta Pandas
• University of British Columbia Thunderbirds
• University of Lethbridge Pronghorns
• University of Toronto Varsity Blues
• University of Victoria Vikes
• University of Waterloo Warriors
• University of Western Mustangs
• University of Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

MIDLAND, Ont. – Canada’s junior golfing talents will gather in Midland, Ont., for the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario Championship from May 27-29. Players will test their skills during a practice round on May 26 before the 54-hole stroke play tournament gets underway.

The CN Future Links Ontario Championship is the second in a series of six junior competitions played across the nation in partnership with CN. Midland Golf & Country Club boasts a rich history of tradition and has challenged local golfers in the Georgian Bay area since its founding in 1919.

“Golf Canada is proud to bring this year’s edition of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship to Midland Golf & Country Club. This picturesque course will provide an excellent opportunity for these fine athletes to test their games in the early part of the season,” said Justine Decock, the competition’s Tournament Director.

Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson will return in an attempt to defend his CN Future Links Ontario title. Last year, the Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member chipped in for eagle on the first extra hole to capture a thrilling playoff victory.

The full complement of the National Team Women’s Development Squad will be in attendance at Midland Golf & Country Club. Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., will look to improve upon last year’s third-place result at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont., where Alyssa Getty finished 6-over 219 to claim victory.

Joining St-Germain are Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee and Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., who will attempt to take lessons learned in the past year to build upon their respective fifth and T15 finishes from a year ago. Squad members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Kathrine Chan (Richmond, B.C.) will complete the Team Canada contingent.

Four additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will gain entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via hole-by-hole playoff. All players within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will each earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Prior to the championship on Wednesday, May 25, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold the second of two regional competitions in support of Special Olympics golf. The first event was held at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club before the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. A field of 24 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, PGA of Canada professionals will conduct a clinic for Special Olympics coaches and athletes with a focus on improving skills and leadership within the sport.

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

DENVER, Colo. – Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard capped off his impressive freshman season by winning medalist honours at the NCAA Division II Championship on Thursday at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Course.

The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product jumped out to an early lead with an opening-round 65 (-7) and never looked back, carding 17 birdies in total to lead the field en route to securing the two-stroke victory. The Saint Leo Lion finished at 13-under par (65-66-72) ahead of runner-up Calum Hill (Western New Mexico). The win marks the first NCAA championship win (individual or team) in Lions history.

The 21-year-old ended his freshman year where he spent most of his time this season—atop the leaderboard. Bernard finished inside the Top-5 in five out of seven events this season with Lions, including a win at the Argonaut Invitational.

The lefty’s efforts were further recognized by the NCAA on Thursday, being named as the Division II recipient of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year Award (won by Team Canada graduate Adam Svensson in 2013). Bernard also earned a nod as one of eight members named to the GCAA/PING First Team All-American squad.

Teammate and fellow Quebec native Joey Savoie struggled in the final-round, carding a 2-over 74 to slip nine spots to a T11 finish.

Bernard will lead the No. 1-seeded Lions into the eight-team match-play portion of the NCAA Championship Friday morning against Wilmington University.

Click here for full scoring.

National champion, freshman of the year, all-american team! Thanks to @dingramgolf to help me to get there! #dragons pic.twitter.com/GYF3KBP6qu

— hugo bernard (@Hbernard63) May 20, 2016

John (Johnny) Johnston, a former Canadian Amateur champion who is a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at the age of 91.

Johnston, known as J.J. to his many friends, was a longtime member of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver.

Johnston’s long list of achievements as an amateur golfer include a B.C. Amateur title in 1966. He won the B.C. Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967 and that same year also won the Mexican Amateur.

He played on B.C.’s Willingdon Cup team on multiple occasions and represented Canada in the America’s Cup, World Amateur and Commonwealth competitions. “He was a guy who was one of the legends at Marine Drive,” said Dick Zokol, a fellow Marine Drive member and two-time PGA Tour winner. “I looked up to him. He flew bombers in World War Two and I loved to hear his stories.”

Johnston was renowned for his short game. He and Ron Willey defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in an America’s Cup match. “He was a very gregarious guy,” Zokol said. “He was really good friends with George Knudson. He came from that era. He wasn’t a great ball-striker, but he could putt.”

Johnston became a member of Marine Drive in 1952. His Canadian Amateur win came in 1959 at his home course, where he beat Ontario’s Gary Cowan in the final. “John was a real character,” said fellow Marine Drive legend Doug Roxburgh.

“I heard so many stories from him about playing against the best of his era. His passing is very sad, but he is in a better place. Perhaps Stan (Leonard) and him will be teeing it up against each other again soon.”

Johnston, who received invitations to play in both the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby tournaments, was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. He joined the B.C. Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Career highlights include:

• Won the Canadian Amateur, defeating Gary Cowan at Marine Drive in 1959
• Won BC Amateur in 1966
• Won BC Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967, won Mexican Amateur in 1967
• Made BC’s Willington Cup Team 9 times from 1958-1967
• Represented Canada in America’s Cup 4 times, World Amateur twice and Commonwealth Competition twice
• Inducted into BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1971
• Won Marine Drive Golf Club’s Championship 6 times
• Teamed with Ron Willey, defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in match play competition (America’s Cup)