In the mere 24 months Christopher Doyle has worked at Twitter Canada’s modern office in Toronto, he’s seen a lot.

A Canadian election, a bat-flip (heard ‘round the world), numerous award ceremonies and playoff runs, and last year, a partnership with Golf Canada and RBC at the Canadian Open, just to name a few.

“Fans can really get the most of their sports experience with Twitter,” states Doyle. “It’s such the platform for ‘live.’ When you’re following along with sports, you can have an equally amazing experience with Twitter.”

Christopher Doyle, Twitter’s Director of Media Partnerships

As Twitter Canada’s first-ever Head of Media Doyle works with some of Canada’s top brands and sporting events to “make the platform essential” and to make sure talent – whether it is individual athletes, networks, news outlets or sports teams, “maximize their use of the platform.”

Now more than ever – despite rumours of the networks’ demise – audience engagement through Twitter is important.

“I think it’s because it’s a very conversational platform and it can connect you instantly with others,” Doyle, who has also held communications gigs at both TSN and CBC, recently told CTV News.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle brought the very popular Twitter mirror to Glen Abbey, where golfers like Bubba Watson and eventual champion Jason Day took pictures throughout the practice rounds, and after competition had completed from Thursday through Sunday.

“Fans were able to see some really entertaining shots,” says Doyle, “(Day) took an amazing selfie with fans in the background, and we got this really rich content that’s also personal. Fans can enjoy it even though they’re not on the course.”

Nice way to finish the round @JDayGolf #RBCCO #TeamRBC pic.twitter.com/M1TyEnMcej

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 25, 2015

That ability to feel like you’re really at a sporting event is key for the platform’s success, explains Doyle.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle also installed Twitter TV – basically a television version of the handheld mirror – where fans could see all the tweets coming in from around the course, and also dress up in an official Canadian Open caddie outfit for a picture.

“Fans could easily share their experience,” says Doyle.

For Brian Decker, the media official for Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada, Twitter has been a huge priority.

“There’s a direct relationship with people who choose to follow you, so you speak to them and provide them with content a little differently than you would in other areas of marketing,” explains Decker. “When there’s a tournament going on or other messaging to share, seeing and reading that engagement in real time is an incredibly useful tool.”

And for the golfers that fans are used to seeing every week, Doyle says they already use Twitter very well.

“This young crop of amazing players is embracing Twitter. They’ve grown up with it and it’s naturally part of who they are,” he says. “It’s a great way for guys to connect to fans.”

One example of this is Graham DeLaet.

The Canadian has nearly 85,000 followers on Twitter, and his feed is filled with quips about his home and native land or life on the tour. He’s also not afraid to back down from a troll, especially when it comes about his beloved Calgary Flames.

“I love following (Graham). You’ll see him tweeting along to a hockey game just like you or I would,” explains Doyle. “You have this shared experience with him.”

The PGA Tour has embraced sharing video on the platform, which Doyle states will become even more important. For example, he says 90 percent of all videos consumed on Twitter are done so from a mobile device.

“It’s that ‘snackable’ content that’s live and in the moment,” says Doyle. “It allows you to follow action from anywhere, at anytime.”

For Decker, video sharing is a huge part of the Mackenzie Tour’s content strategy.

“Anything you can do to make it easier for people to follow along is really important, and being able to share (video) helps a lot,” he says. “With golf particularly, there’s so much interesting visual content to share.”

Twitter is an ever-evolving tool, and Doyle – who was recently named to Golf Canada’s communications committee – is excited to see where it goes, especially in terms of golf in Canada.

“It brings a real interactive element to a tournament. That’s a big part of it,” he says. “Golf Canada has embraced it, and we’re just happy to be involved and to help.”

Follow Golf Canada @TheGolfCanada
Follow Christopher Doyle @ChrisDoyle
Follow Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada @PGATOURCanada
Follow Adam Stanley on Twitter @adam_stanley

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) and COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada have announced a new partnership which sees COBRA PUMA GOLF become the official clothing provider of the Association.

“The NSGA is excited to be partnering with COBRA PUMA GOLF as they are one on the top companies in the golf industry,” said David Campbell, Executive Director of the NSGA. “It is wonderful to have such a strong brand like Cobra Puma supporting the game here in Nova Scotia.”

As part of the partnership, COBRA PUMA GOLF becomes the Title Sponsor of the NSGA Bantam and Junior Championship and the Player of the Year Program.  In return, they will be the official clothing supplier for Provincial Teams that will represent Nova Scotia at National Championships including the Junior Development Program team members.

“We are excited and honored to associate our brands with the NSGA,” said Adam Cox, VP of Sales & Marketing of COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada.  “The efforts of the NSGA to grow the game are tremendous and we cannot be happier to bring our message of game enjoyment to the Nova Scotia golf community”.

The COBRA PUMA GOLF Junior Championship will take place at Chester Golf Club from July 18-21, 2016. The field will consist of 156 of Nova Scotia’s top junior golfers and serves as qualifying for Golf Canada’s Canadian Junior Boy’s Championship.

After being the king of the mountain at BraeBen Golf Club for seven years, Bradlee Ryall is increasing his domain as the new Head of Instruction for the Kaneff Golf Academies.

Ryall, who has a database of over 4,000 students, will expand his brand with the introduction of Kaneff Golf Academies at Lionhead GC, Royal Ontario GC, Royal Niagara GC, Streetsville Glen GC, Century Pines GC and Carlisle Golf & Country Club.

“It’s a huge undertaking, but I’m really exciting about the opportunity to work with great people and I am thankful that I have a job that I love to come to every day,” says Ryall, who started with Kaneff Golf in February as a new management team came on board and set a new direction for the properties. “Our vision is to offer an incredible experience and build the biggest and most respected academy brands in Canada.”

Ryall, who was named PGA of Ontario Junior Leader of the Year at the end of 2015, is looking to take the junior learning pyramid that his Bradlee Ryall Golf Enterprises team developed at the BraeBen Golf Academy and customize it for adult programs at the Kaneff Golf properties. Students work their way up through classes similar to karate and swimming. Instead of receiving belts or badges for graduating from one level to the next, they receive rubber bracelets to identify their progression.

“We have in excess of 1,000 youngsters who annually go through our junior programs and now we will be able to grow that number by leaps and bounds,” says Ryall who is hiring a head teaching professional for each facility and upwards of 10 more PGA of Ontario teaching professionals as the academies takes shape this spring. “We’re looking to grow our adult business too, with programs and clinics for beginners, ladies, and for adults looking to break 80, break 90 and break 100 and much more.”

In 2012, the GAO recognized Ryall and BraeBen as the Junior Facility of the Year and in 2014 they were a “Finalist” for the national Future Links Facility of the Year. Ryall, who will be based out of Lionhead, will also have an administration team of three people working behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of all learning programs. They’re going digital in a big way with specialized on-line portals at each facility where students will be able to access a Kaneff Golf Academy iPad and book their upcoming lessons or communicate with their teacher.

“I think we have been successful because we try to ensure that our students are getting more than just a golf lesson. It’s like school, where they are part of a larger group and we try to educate their parents so students and parents understand where their child is headed and that there is always a direction to where they are going next,” says the Toronto native who started playing golf with his uncle, and childhood friends, as a 12-year-old at Lakeview GC in Mississauga, but he didn’t play competitive amateur golf.

After earning a BA in Sociology at the University of Western Ontario, Ryall turned professional in 2001 with a burning passion to make a career out of either playing or teaching golf. A year later, he graduated with a Business Diploma in Golf Management from Humber College and headed out to Fairmount Jasper Park Lodge to spend his first summer learning the ins and outs of being a golf professional. Since that time, he has taught around the world in Punta Cana and Portugal, gaining valuable insight into how people learn. He also trained for five years at two David Leadbetter Golf Academies – IMG and Champions Gate in Florida. After playing professionally for two seasons on the Great Lakes Tour, Ryall landed at Lionhead as a teaching professional in 2008 and prepared for his next adventure. A year later his entrepreneurial spirit took root and he founded Bradlee Ryall Golf Enterprises and set up camp at The Academy at BraeBen.

“All along my main goal has been to help my students build on their passion for the game, while creating a fun atmosphere where they can flourish,” says Ryall who is looking forward to taking that passion to the Kaneff Golf Academies so they can continue to grow the game and create a love for it among all the students. Bradlee will also be trying to find a balance between family life with his wife Courtney and their two children, Harlowe who is two years old and Hudson who is three months, in what should be a summer of fun and hard work!

BANDON, Oregon — Utah Valley Wolverine sophomore Blair Bursey carded a 2-under-par 69 in Tuesday’s final round to claim the Bandon Dunes Championship individual title at Bandon Dunes Resort with a three-round score of 5-under-par 208 (71-68-69).

Bursey finished first ahead of 68 other golfers at the tournament to claim his first-ever collegiate tournament victory. He finished two strokes ahead of Clemson’s Austin Langdale to secure medalist honors. Bursey was one of just three golfers to finish the tournament under par.

“I’m so proud of Blair,” Utah Valley head coach Chris Curran said. “This is a huge win. He’s been so close several times and broke through today. His putting was clutch down the stretch, birdieing two of his last five holes.”

Bursey registered four birdies and 12 pars during his final round on Tuesday. He led the field with 13 birdies over his three rounds. The first place finish marks Bursey’s third top-3 performance of the season.

As a team, Utah Valley finished sixth in the 12-team field with a three-day total of 41-over-par 893 (305-289-299).  The Wolverines finished ahead of Boise State, Washington State, Gonzaga, Denver and San Jose State. Clemson claimed the team title with a 2-over-par 854 (290-274-290). Washington finished second at 871 (+19) and UAB was third at 879 (+27).

“As a team, we once again failed to finish strong,” Curran said. “We are a young team but I like where we are heading.”

Next up for Bursey and Utah Valley will be the Redhawk Invitational hosted by Seattle U at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington, April 4-5.

Listen to the announcement by clicking below.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to announce that Canadian LPGA Tour legend Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion Warren Sye of London, Ont., and renowned golf journalist Bob Weeks, of Toronto, Ont., have been elected as 2016 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Kane and Sye are being inducted under the player category, while Weeks will be inducted as a builder. With their inductions, the trio will become the 75^th, 76^th and 77^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“For over 40 years, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame has recognized the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and their tremendous impact on the game of golf in Canada,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “Each member of our 2016 class of inductees has demonstrated passion, dedication and excellence in shaping the place of golf within the Canadian sporting landscape. It is with great pride that we welcome them to stand alongside the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame’s honoured members.”

LORIE KANE

Lorie Kane started playing the game of golf at the age of five. As her interest and talent grew, she came under the tutelage of Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Jack McLaughlin, whom she still credits as an inspiration and major influence in her career.

Provincially, she won the P.E.I. Junior Girls Championship twice and was the P.E.I. Women’s Amateur Champion nine times between 1983 and 1992. Her extraordinary amateur career saw her represent Canada on several occasions, including as a member of the Canadian Commonwealth Team and the Canadian World Amateur Team, as well as taking part in the World Cup. In 2015, Kane represented Canada in the first-ever golf competition at the Pan Am Games.

Kane turned professional in 1993 and three years later earned exempt status on the LPGA Tour. Over the next several years, she accumulated 34 Top-10 finishes, nine of which were runner-up results. In 2000, Kane captured her first professional win at the Michelob Light Classic in St. Louis and also won three more times on the LPGA Tour that same year. Nationally, she captured the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship from 1996-1999 and again in 2001.

Throughout her career, Kane established herself as one of the most popular LPGA Tour players with players and spectators. Her accomplishments garnered her the Heather Farr Player Award in 1998 and the Mousie Powell Award in 2000. In 2006, Kane was presented with the Order of Canada.

She is known for her generosity and dedication to charitable organizations, having been the Kidsport P.E.I. official spokesperson since its inception in 1997 and currently serves as the ambassador for the CP Has Heart charity campaign.

With her induction, Kane becomes the first native of P.E.I. to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

WARREN SYE

Warren Sye’s outstanding amateur career took off in 1986 when he represented Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship; that year, Canada captured the World Amateur title and won the Canadian Sport Council (formerly known as the Sports Federation of Canada) “Sport Team of the Year” award. Sye went on to represent Canada three more times at the World Amateur Championship.

Sye excelled provincially, capturing the Ontario Amateur Championship five times between 1988 and 1996. He also claimed the Ontario Champion of Champions title in 1983 and again in 1991.

His success nationally includes a pair of victories at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship (1990 and 1994). During that time, he was also a member of four Willingdon Cup teams representing Ontario. He captured the Ontario Senior Championship title in 2012.

His extraordinary accomplishments as an amateur golfer were recognized by SCOREGolf Magazine, winning their “Male Athlete of the Year” award in 1985, 1990, 1994 and 1996. In 2003, Warren Sye was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

BOB WEEKS

Bob Weeks is a golf analyst and senior reporter for TSN, where he provides coverage of the sport from across the globe. During his time as a journalist, he has covered more than 60 major golf championships, as well as hundreds of top Canadian and international championships.

Weeks began his career in golf media with SCOREGolf in 1987 and rose to the position of editorial director in 2012, overseeing all content at the media company. He hosted SCOREGolf TV for 16 years and spent 20 years as the voice of the SCOREGolf Show – a daily 90-second golf radio program heard in more than 70 markets across the country.

In 2009, he was recognized on the National Post’s list of the most influential people in Canadian golf and ranked sixth overall. An award-winning writer, Weeks has written for GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, Golfweek, the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, as well as countless other publications throughout the world.

Weeks, who began playing golf at the age of 11 in P.E.I., has been a proud member of Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto for more than 40 years.

He is a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and a winner of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada’s Dick Grimm Award. In 2015, Weeks was presented with a Distinguished Service Award by Golf Canada for outstanding contributions to the game. In addition to golf, Weeks is a respected curling journalist who in 2016 will also be inducted to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.

OTTAWA – Canada may be a sport-loving nation, but when it comes to access to sport for Canadian women, it has a long way to go for the win. So say the findings from a new research publication, unveiled today by Canada’s dairy farmers and the Canadian Association for Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).

The report, entitled Women in Sport—Fuelling a Lifetime of Participation, highlights the severe gender inequality for Canadian women in sport, and is the first of its kind, pairing data and research from academic journals and peer-reviewed articles, with primary research obtained from national surveys and the analysis of four years of female sports media coverage.

Among its key findings:

• 41 per cent of girls between the ages of 3-17 years do not participate in sport—and this jumps to 84 per cent in adult women.
• Only 24 per cent of all Athletic Director positions and 17 per cent of all head coaching spots in the CIS are female.
• Only 38 per cent of senior staff and 29 per cent of board members are female, among national and multi-sport organizations.
• A review of programming data from Canada’s primary national sports networks, concluding that of approximately 35,000 hours in programming in 2014, only 4 per cent went towards the coverage of women’s sports, with over half of that percentage due to women’s professional tennis coverage and the Sochi Olympics.
• Only 5 per cent of the total area of top national print media sports coverage researched was dedicated to women.

The representation of women in sport commonly centres around femininity, rather than highlighting their athletic accomplishments.

With the purpose of the research publication being to inform, educate and inspire action across Canada, the study brings much-needed attention to the realities for women in sport and the challenges they face. To guide the research process, the publication aims to explore and uncover what principle hurdles impact female participation in sport.

The study was funded by Canada’s dairy farmers as part of their Fuelling Women Champions movement, which focuses on advancing female sport so that all women and girls, regardless of age or ability, can access and experience the benefits of sport.

What you can do:

• Schedule time for sport and recognize its importance for physical, mental, and social health;
• Help girls’ confidence in sport by focusing on fundamental movements such as kicking, running, jumping, and catching before introducing sport-specific skills;
• Encourage girls to join and continue to play, coach, and officiate a variety of sports from youth into adulthood;
• Support elite female athletes by attending and watching events and by following them on social media;
• Promote female sports news stories that focus on athletic skills, healthy living champions, accomplishments, and profiles positive role models;
• Encourage the “next generation” of female sports enthusiasts by supporting an environment that is diverse, welcoming, and fun.

For more information, to obtain a copy of the study, or to get involved in the initiative, visit www.womenchampions.ca.

HOUSTON – Team Canada member and University of Houston Men’s Golf senior Blair Hamilton was honoured Thursday morning as the 2015-16 American Athletic Conference (AAC) Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Hamilton will receive a $4,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. His selection was made by the Conference’s Academic Affairs Committee.

A four-year member of the Men’s Golf program, led the Cougars with a 72.03 scoring average as a junior during the 2014-15 season. The Burlington, Ontario, Canada, native earned eight top-20 finishes in 12 tournaments with three top-10 showings.

With scores of 68-69-68, he captured a share of the individual title at the NCAA Lubbock Regional a year ago, becoming the third Cougar to earn medalist honors at an NCAA Regional and the first to record three straight rounds in the 60s in the NCAA postseason.

Hamilton drained a birdie on the 17th hole of the NCAA Lubbock Regional and led the Cougars into a tie with Purdue for the fifth and final sport to advance to the NCAA Championships. On the first playoff hole, the Cougars broke the tie and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season..

Competing at the nation’s top collegiate event, Hamilton tied for 27th with a score of 292 and received PING All-America Honorable Mention after being named to the All-Central Region Team.

He qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship last summer after advancing to the Round of 32 in match play in 2013. In addition, he received the Gary Cowan Award – given to the top amateur player – at the 2015 Canadian Open, where he finished in a tie for 71st.

In 2015-16, Hamilton has picked up where he left off a year ago. He ranks second among the Cougars with a 72.43 scoring average and nine rounds of par or better. Hamilton has posted six top-20 finishes in seven tournaments to date and enjoyed three top-10 finishes in a 4-tournament stretch at the end of the fall and start of the spring seasons.

Hamilton was named to the Dean’s List twice in seven semesters and earned a place on the American Athletic Conference All-Academic in each of the last two seasons. Holding a 3.25 grade-point average, he will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

A member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, he has volunteered for several service projects at Houston, including the annual Canned Food Drive, the Generation One Volunteer program (an elementary school program for underprivileged children), the Halton Women’s Place Shelter (for victims of domestic violence) and the annual Christmas Charity fundraiser.

The American Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is one of a number of scholarships presented by the conference during the 2015-16 academic year. One male and one female from each of the conference’s 11 member institutions may be named as the winners of the conference’s Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarships. The conference also names male and female Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year and a Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

MONTGOMERY, Texas – An 11-year-old from Texas had a day he’ll never forget on the golf course – and it happened with Tiger Woods watching.

Woods was on hand for the opening Wednesday of The Playgrounds at Bluejack National, which he helped design.

Taylor Crozier stepped up to the first tee and knocked in the inaugural shot on the 81-yard, par 3. The crowd went wild.

Woods posted the YouTube video on his Twitter page. He ran over to the boy and gave him a big bear hug, smiling and laughing.

Woods shouted to the crowd, the “inaugural shot and he holes it!”

Woods has been taking time off from competitive golf as he recovers from back operations.

For the second straight year, the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event will be held at Glen Abbey Golf Club—site of the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

The top-24 qualifiers (12 male, 12 female) from the National Leaderboard will look to be crowned a national champion come Jul. 16—the Saturday prior to RBC Canadian Open tournament week. Competing in putting, chipping, driving and iron play, the boys and girls will vie for the title of their respective age group (9–11; 12–14; 15–18).

The event will be conducted in the same format as the qualifying events held across the country at CN Future Links facilities.

PGA of Canada instructors are encouraged to submit scores by this season’s cut-off date of June 14^th.

Click here to learn more about the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge.

Click here to view pictures from last year’s National Event.

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Fla. – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard recorded a final-round 75 (+3) on Tuesday at the South/Southeast Regional Preview to finish alone in fourth—his first Top-5 collegiate result.

The 21-year-old freshman from Mont-St-Hilarie, Que., led the Division II Saint Leo Lions with a 2-over par finish (73-70-75) at the Mission Inn Resort & Club’s El Campeón course. Chico State’s Lee Gearhart took home medalist honours at 2-under par, one stroke ahead of co-runner-ups Alistair Docherty (Chico State) and Manuel Torres (Lynn).

Fellow Canadian and Saint Leo teammate Joey Savoie of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., climbed three spots on Tuesday to finish T15.

Collectively, Lynn University won the team title with an 880 (+16), two strokes ahead of Chico State.

Bernard, last year’s Canadian Amateur runner-up, will look to keep things rolling with the Lions from Mar. 13–15 at the Southeastern Intercollegiate.

Click here for full scoring.