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)

Three Men’s Amateur Squad members punched their ticket to the NCAA Championship on Wednesday by advancing at their respective regional events.

Leading the way for Team Canada was Kimberley, B.C., native Jared du Toit, who finished at 4-over (72-73-75) to tie for fifth at the Albuquerque Regional hosted at the University of New Mexico Championship Course. The Arizona State junior opened the tournament with an eagle, setting the tone early to help the Sun Devils finish first overall as a team. The Sun Devils were led by World No. 1 ranked John Rahm, who repeated as medalist at 4-under par (69-71-72).

Team Canada veteran Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., posted a final score of 2-over par (78-68-72) at the Franklin Regional to close at T51. The University of Houston senior was part of a Cougars squad that finished at 25-under par to tie for third place, earning one of the Top-5 spots to move on to the championship.

Rounding out the trio of Team Canada members to advance is Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald, who closed at T52 with a score of 24-over par (88-75-77). Despite his individual struggles, Macdonald and the Purdue Boilermakers captured the fifth and final spot at the Stillwater Regional with a two-stroke advantage over Augusta University.

All three Canucks will tee-it-up at the NCAA Div I Championship from May 27–June 1 at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oreg.

—

Albuquerque Regional scoring (Jared du Toit)

Franklin Regional scoring (Blair Hamilton)

Stillwater Regional scoring (Stuart Macdonald)

Muirfield was removed from the list of courses that can host the British Open golf tournament, after the Scottish club voted against admitting female members in a move Thursday that provoked sharp criticism from players and lawmakers.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, announced its decision to retain the club’s male-only policy following a ballot of its 750 members. A two-thirds majority was required for a change to take place, but 36 percent of members voted against allowing women.

The Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said Muirfield has been taken off the list of courses that can host golf’s oldest major championship.

“Going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement. “If the policy at the club should change, we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future.”

Muirfield is one of 10 courses on the British Open rotation and has staged the event 16 times, most recently in 2013. Royal Troon, which hosts this year’s tournament from July 14-17, is the only other club on the rotation to still exclude women.

British sports minister David Evennett said the decision by Muirfield’s members was “extremely disappointing” and “sends out completely the wrong message.”

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, voiced her disappointment on Twitter.

Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life. It is 2016. This is simply indefensible. https://t.co/qrULGuFG8v

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 19, 2016

Speaking after finishing his first round at the Irish Open, two-time British Open champion Padriag Harrington backed the R&A’s decision to remove Muirfield from the list of hosts.

“We love playing the golf course but there’s more to modern golf than just the course,” Harrington said. “Gone are the days where you can discriminate in a club. The R&A have a bigger responsibility to society, and they’ve done the right thing.”

Henry Fairweather, captain of Muirfield, said the club had to follow the rules set by its members.

“Women will continue to be welcome at Muirfield on the course and in the clubhouse as guests and visitors, as they have been for many years,” Fairweather said.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, the spiritual “Home of Golf,” opened its membership to women in 2014 for the first time in 260 years. Royal St. George’s, another British Open host, ended its male-only membership last year.

Augusta National, home of the Masters, decided in 2012 to invite women to join.

On the last occasion Muirfield hosted the British Open, when Phil Mickelson lifted the claret jug, the R&A was heavily criticized for allowing Muirfield to stage the event given its opposition to having female members.

A consultation exercise with members was opened as a result.

Scottish newspaper The Scotsman reported Wednesday that a group of members at Muirfield – leading a “No” campaign against women joining the club – had canvassed fellow members, saying “it is accepted that we may have to change, but we should not do so now on the basis suggested.”

“A traditional resistance to change is one of the foundations of our unique position in golf and our reputation,” the members wrote in the letter, according to The Scotsman.

Troon has separate men’s and women’s clubs and is consulting members over whether to alter that arrangement.

The Golf in Schools Professional Visitation Program was established to provide another avenue for CN Future Links instructors to further engagement with junior golfers—Canada’s future body of membership.

Developed by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada, the latest national grassroots initiative offers $150 grants to CN Future Links instructors to conduct a personal lesson to students (and teachers) at Golf in Schools sites.

The initiative is an extension of the CN Future Links Field Trip Program, which provides grants for a class of students to experience a golf facility first-hand through field trips.

Click here to apply for a grant.

TROON, Scotland – Royal Troon Golf Club, the host of this year’s British Open, is consulting members on whether its male-only membership policy should end.

Troon says it has written to its 800 members “seeking views on the issue of the admission of women members.”

Troon official Martin Cheyne says “we care very much for the reputation of Royal Troon Golf Club and it is important that the club, much like the wider game, reflects the modern society in which we exist.”

Royal Troon, formed in 1878, is sharing the responsibility of hosting next year’s British Open with The Ladies Golf Club in Troon that uses its facilities.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews decided in 2014 to open its membership to women after 260 years of male exclusivity.