Ever since he traded in his hockey stick for a set of golf clubs, Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. hasn’t looked back.

With an pending transition to the professional ranks later this autumn, the national team member recently took a moment to reflect on his journey.

“I played hockey for two years but wasn’t really good at it, so I decided to give golf a try,” he recalled with a smile about his humble beginnings.

“My dad introduced me to the sport of golf when I was nine years old.  We played at this small par three course down in my hometown,” noted Bernard, who is the youngest of three kids.

“I just remembered it was a lot of fun; and I basically taught myself from the age of nine to 16.”

The now 23-year-old says he scored breakthrough results at the age of 17 that opened his eyes to his true potential.

“When I was 17, I won the Quebec Junior Boy’s title. Then, after I came fifth at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.  After that, I was invited to join the national development team,” he pointed out.

“So from there, I was thinking if I can continue to improve my game I could be pretty good at it,” added the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Champ.

Today, as Canada’s top ranked amateur on the men’s side, Bernard credits his time on the national team program for taking his game to the next level.

“From the coach, Derek (Ingram) to the physio, and the mental coach, the program gives us everything we need to be successful. There’s also a nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach; and so it’s been great to have all these amazing resources and have that support,” pointed out the 23-year-old amateur standout.

“Also, through the program we have the opportunity to travel and compete around the world which has been a great experience and that’s done a lot to help me improve my game.”

National team head coach Derek Ingram is quick to speak about Bernard’s development during his time with the team.

“About three years ago Hugo was ranked in the 2000s and over the last three years he’s moved up into the top 30s; and is today he’s one of the best amateurs in the world,” noted Ingram.

“He’s made small refinements in every area of his game over the years that has allowed him to flourish,” he added.

“Hugo’s still got the U.S. Amateur and most likely the World Amateur; and then after that he’s going to turn pro and try to get his Web.com card……I think he’s got a bright future ahead and he’s got a chance to be a very successful PGA TOUR player one day.”

Bernard recently finished T41 at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Course & Pheasant Glen Golf Resort. He’s one of 10 Canadians in the field this week at the U.S. Men’s Amateur at Pebble Beach.

Having recently completed an online degree at the University of Montreal with a major in business, Bernard says he is both inspired and encouraged by the success of recent graduates of the national team program.

“I look up to someone like Mackenize Hughes who went from the development program to the national amateur team program to the young pro program; and now he’s a winner on the PGA TOUR…….It just proves that if you follow the plan then you are going to have success,” said Bernard.

“Mackenzie is a super nice guy and always gives me a lot of good tips when I talk to him.   And as well, I’ve played play golf with Corey Conners down in Florida and he’s a great player and learned so much from him each time we play together.”

Both Conners and Hughes are pleased to know that their success as professionals have inspired the next wave of Canadian amateurs.

“It’s nice to be able to support one another,” Conners noted.

“I personally give a lot of credit to Golf Canada and their development programs and helping us get to this level; and there’s a lot of guys following kind of behind Mackenzie and I who will hopefully add more Canadians to the PGA TOUR in the coming years.”

Hughes echoes his the sentiments of his long-time teammate.

“I was lucky enough – and Corey as as well – to be part of those teams; and to think the resources that we have on those teams are second to none in terms of the quality and what you’re getting out of it,” said Hughes who won the RSM Classic in 2016.

“I don’t think that Corey or I would be here as fast as we got here without their help,” he added.

“So we owe a lot to that for all the Canadians coming through right now and the surge of Canadian talent.”

Besides the tips and encouragement from the recent graduates of the program, Bernard says he’s also received words of wisdom from 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir.

“I’ve talked with Mike Weir also – I mean, he won the masters – so I just pay close attention to what he tells me,” said Bernard.

“Mike went to Q-school eight times before he got his card  – he wasn’t the best junior and he wasn’t the best amateur – but through working hard, he got there and did something no other Canadian has done.  So seeing what he’s accomplished is very inspiring,” said Bernard.

When asked about his own game, the 6 foot 3 left hander believes he’s got the skill set to achieve a smooth transition into the pros.

“I’m a long hitter, I hit it pretty far.  My approach game is solid and my wedge game has been improving a lot since last year.  I can roll my putt pretty good…..So, I like my chances when everything comes together,” he said.

As he looks forward, the former hockey player turned golfer is clear about his future goals.

“In five years, I see myself on the PGA TOUR for sure.  My goal this year is to do Q-school and try to get my Web.com Tour card. Ideally, play one or two years on the Web.com Tour and then get onto the PGA TOUR,” he said.

Having received a lot of sound advice from the likes of Hughes, Conners and Weir, Canada’s top ranked amateur was asked what his advice would be for the young junior golfers aspiring to get to his level.

“Just learn from each experience and have a positive attitude and see where it takes you because that’s basically what I did,” he replied.

“As well, you have to have a plan and put in the work; and if you do that then you are going to have success.”

New in 2018, the National Development Squad program will feature a centralized component, which will be based out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.—Team Canada’s official training centre since 2015.

Former Golf Canada National Amateur Team member Blair Hamilton has been awarded the 2018 Mackenzie Investments-GJAC Player Bursary.

Hamilton, 24, was given the $3,000 award after a vote of the membership of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, an organization that represents the majority of Canada’s golf media.

“I feel very honoured and blessed to be awarded the 2018 GJAC bursary, and to have received the nomination from some of the most respected individuals in the sport means a great deal,” Hamilton said. “Competing full time as a pro carries a significant financial burden and this bursary will go a long way for me this season. I am truly humbled and grateful for the support.”

“Canadian golf has a number of strong young players in the mix, and Blair Hamilton is certainly among them,” added GJAC President Robert Thompson. “One of the goals of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada is to support young talent in this country, and we are thrilled to help Blair on his journey in the professional ranks.”

Hamilton turned pro in 2016 following three years experience with Team Canada’s Amateur squad and four with the University of Houston, where he graduated with a degree in Corporate Communications. Last year was the Burlington, Ontario native’s first full season on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada. He had three Top 25 finishes in 11 events; his best finish was a T19 at the 2017 National Capital Open to Support Our Troops. This season he plans to compete on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica with his sights set on making the Web.com, and eventually the PGA TOUR.

Hamilton ended his amateur career with a stellar campaign in 2016 that featured a runner-up finish at the Jones Cup, four Top-10 NCAA finishes, and cracking the Top-20 in both the prestigious Monroe Invitational and the Porter Cup.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the Golf Journalists Association of Canada for this award and continue our support of golf in Canada,” said Court Elliott, Vice President Sponsorships, Mackenzie Investments. “Congratulations to Blair! We hope winning this award gives him the confidence he needs to strive to the next level.”

In 2019, the player bursary will be awarded to a member of the Symetra Tour. The bursary will be awarded to Symetra Tour/Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada members in alternating years. Last year’s winner was Brittany Marchand, who is playing on the LPGA Tour in 2018.

“The dream is to turn pro.”

Comfortably settled in the team bus that is taking the WVU golfers to the next tournament in their journey, Étienne Papineau, a Saint-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu native and ex-member of the National Development Squad, shares the passion that inhabits him.

Papineau is in his second year with West Virginia University’s golf program and is still floating on his third-place finish at the Furman Intercollegiate. We wanted to talk to him and find out how he was handling his “after-career”, following his experience with the national squad, and how he was enjoying being a full-time athlete and student.

“It was difficult at the beginning, for sure. During the first year, there’s a certain period of adaptation. I had a bit of a hard time during the second semester. Living in the U.S., it’s really different than Québec. But it’s fun. The atmosphere at school is super,” he says. “You only live this once in your life!”

Étienne truly enjoyed his experience with Canada’s national development program.

“To playing with the best and against the best every day, that really helped me. It gave me the thirst to become better than the others!”

As a result, Étienne was approached by several NCAA academic institutions and was able to obtain a full-ride scholarship at West Virginia for the four years that he expects to compete at the collegiate level. He sometimes encounters other graduates of the national squad in various competitions and believes that there is a certain camaraderie between them.

“Of course, when I run into a Tony Gil (who was a close friend and member of the squad) or any other ex-team member, it’s something special to see each other again. I mean, we travelled the world together and competed in places like Japan, Argentina and Colombia, we got to know each other pretty well. There is a bond that we created that will last a lifetime.”

So, after the happy-ending third position at Furman, it is now time for the UNC /Charlotte-hosted Irish Creek tournament and for Étienne to get to work for the weekend. He seems quite down-to-earth and ensures us that he’s in the right frame of mind for the coming challenge. “In my head, there are no distractions. Even if there are always some on the campus, which is known to be a little bit of a party town, me, I’m on a mission. I’m focused on golf,” he concludes.

WOODBRIDGE, Ont.  – adidas Golf, a worldwide leader in golf apparel and footwear, announced today the signing of Brittany Marchand as she is coming off her most successful season as a professional. Marchand’s contract includes her wearing the 3-Stripes’ industry-leading performance apparel, footwear and headwear as she takes her game to the next level.

Since turning pro in 2015, Marchand has had five top-ten finishes on the Symetra Tour and picked up her first victory at the 2017 PHC Classic. The Team Young Pro Squad member enters 2018 with conditional status on the LPGA and will play a mixed schedule between Symetra Tour and LPGA events. Marchand was one of two Canadians to play through the weekend at the 2017 CP Women’s Open and provided much excitement at the Manulife Classic, where she was tied for 9^th heading into Sunday.

#TeamCanada Young Pro Squad member @Britt_Marchand signs with @adidasGolfca ????

Read ➡️ https://t.co/6kh523EXbV pic.twitter.com/hrlj75V0e5

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 14, 2018

“I’m very excited to join team adidas for the upcoming season! I’m proud to be amongst the best players in the world and to wear such an iconic brand. I wore adidas in college at NC State, I know the brand well and I’m thrilled to wear it again. It feels great to have the support of adidas Canada and the global team as I start my career on the LPGA tour!”

“We are very excited to have Brittany join team adidas, and we look forward to supporting her journey as a professional,” said Lesley Hawkins, general manager, adidas Golf. “Brittany joins a marquee roster of adidas Golf LPGA Tour athletes, which includes Paula Creamer, Jessica Korda, and 2017 Major Winner Danielle Kang”.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Canadian professional golfer and former Team Canada member Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Que., has joined the organization in the role of assistant, Development Squad and Next Generation Performance.

Juneau—who played on both the LPGA and Symetra Tours during her career—will work closely with the 10 Development Squad athletes (five girls, five boys) as well as Golf Canada’s National Team coaches and Sport Science consultants to execute on Next Generation initiatives, all of which will lead to building a stronger Team Canada program.

“Sara-Maude brings a unique combination of skill and hands-on experience which we feel is critical to the success of developing our top-level juniors,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada chief sport officer. “She was also a member of the Amateur Squad for two years, adding a valuable new perspective to our coaching staff.”

Juneau will help in leading the new centralized component of the Development Squad based out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.—Team Canada’s Official Training Centre. The program will send Development Squad athletes to Bear Mountain from February through to early June to be immersed in a centre of excellence. In addition to being billeted and going to school locally, the athletes will be surrounded by world-class technical coaching staff and experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition.

“Sara-Maude is very familiar with life on the road as a touring professional, which will pay dividends in helping to guide our young athletes through proper training and competitive scheduling,” said Thompson. “We are also confident that her leadership will contribute to an ideal training environment for our Development Squad.”

The Team Canada graduate boasts 16 top-10 finishes on the Symetra Tour alongside a full season on the LPGA Tour in 2013. Prior to turning professional, Juneau played collegiate golf at the University of Louisville where she was named the 2010 Big East Conference Player of the Year while adding a win at the Quebec Women’s Amateur that same year.

Excited to welcome @smjuneau_3 back to the national team as Assistant, #TeamCanada & Next Generation ???

Read ➡️ https://t.co/qMkVUIl1g3 pic.twitter.com/ifvYFO6uY8

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) February 13, 2018

Why is it that we always seem to make the six-foot putt right after missing it? Equally frustrating is when we make the same mistake repeatedly, such as missing every tee shot to the right during a round and not being able to fix it.

While both are common, the first example demonstrates the learning effect — the benefit of knowing precisely what to do differently to get a successful outcome. The second example on the other hand shows what can occur when we do not understand why an outcome happened.

Being able to right the ship quickly is a hallmark of great players. But much like consistently hitting the ball on the centre of the face, it is also a skill that can be developed by all golfers. How? By learning how the feedback resulting from each shot relates to your performance using these steps.

1. Work with a coach to learn why the ball flies the way it does. For the most part, the ball will tend to take off in the direction the clubface points at impact. Curvature (fade or draw, hook or slice) is the result of a difference between the direction the clubface points and the direction in which the path of the club is travelling at impact.

2. With your coach, learn how your movements influence your delivery of the club to the ball. This is where the most important information lies.

3. With your coach, learn to detect error. What do the clues, provided by contact and ball flight, give you as a hint to what happened?

4. With your coach, learn to self-correct. Based on the information you gathered in Step 3, and your knowledge of ball flight and your swing from Step 2, what do you need to do differently?

By developing your ability to detect — and correct — performance errors, you put yourself in a much better position to achieve success and avoid frustration.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Wednesday, Nov. 8 marked the day where the majority of early national letters of intent are signed to attend collegiate golf programs both in the United States and Canada.

Among those to sign were Team Canada Amateur and Development Squad athletes Grace St-Germain, Peyton Callens, Johnny Travale, Nolan Thoroughgood and Thomas Critch:

Grace St-Germain (Ottawa) ­ – after two years with the Daytona State Falcons, St-Germain will join the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

Officially signed to join @RazorbackWGolf for Fall 2018. Thank you to my family, friends, coaches, supporters and everyone who helped get me to this point. I would not be who I am without all of you. I am so grateful! pic.twitter.com/WztxJMWtIo

— Grace (@gracestgermain) November 8, 2017

Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.) – set to join the Texas A&M Aggies alongside senior and Team Canada Women’s Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk.

Nolan Thoroughgood (Victoria, B.C.) – will stay on the west coast, set to join the Oregon State Beavers.

Johnny Travale (Stoney Creek, Ont.) – signed with the Kent State Golden Hawks, set to follow in the footsteps of program graduates Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.

Thomas Critch (Cedar Park, Texas) – signed to join St-Germain and the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

A crucial component of generating power in the swing is ankle mobility. More specifically, dorsiflexion mobility, which is the bend in the ankle where your foot flexes towards your head. From the top of your downswing the ankle progressively flexes more and more until maximum ankle dorsiflexion occurs just before impact. The greater dorsiflexion you have the more you can impart muscle force into the ground and thereby create a reaction force from the ground. The reaction force is what enables you to generate maximum power from the glute muscles and the rest of the leg. It is what produces club speed and, therefore, distance.

Our demands on the ankle don’t end there though. In addition, we require the ankle to be dynamically stable and not collapse in the downswing into what’s commonly known as pronation. A muscle called the tibialis posterior (A) is your chief stabilizer here. So it’s very important that this muscle is strong but flexible.

The other variable to consider is that a lack of mobility in the ankles — or asymmetry in ankle mobility — leads to swing problems, such as coming out of one’s posture early in the downswing. This often leads to nasty habits, like topping the ball or big sweeping slices.

However, spend three weeks performing these two exercises and watch your ankle compression improve and your golf ball soar.

Calf Massage
Very straightforward: use the shaft of an iron to work out and massage the calves at the back of your leg. Do this for three minutes on each leg before hitting the first tee box.

Ankle Strength

Wrap a rubber band around the ball of your foot while holding the opposite end of the band with your hand. On the count of two seconds, push your ankle down and in towards the other foot. Hold for another second before returning to the start position for three seconds. Repeat until fatigue.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

When I analyze a golf swing I do so with a number of objectives in mind. Helping to create the desired shot is a very important one but also allowing enough variability to create a number of shots as required. Oftentimes I will suggest an adjustment in setup rather than alter an athlete’s swing mechanics. This is both easier to manage (as long as comfort is not the priority) and delivers almost immediate results.

Let’s focus on two parameters that change the resulting impact of ball flight dramatically: shoulder alignment and ball position.

Successful athletes like Alena Sharp, an Olympian with Team Canada at the 2016 Rio Games, know how to match these positions up to their desired result. She demonstrates here two different setup positions to deliver two different-shaped shots.

DRAW
Shoulder alignment to the right of target, ball position closer to the centre of your stance. This allows your path to move to the right of the clubface and encourages right-to-left shape to the shot.

FADE
Shoulders aligned to the left of the target with the ball position closer to your lead foot. This allows your path to move to the left of the clubface and encourage a left-to-right shape to the shot.

At first these positions may feel uncomfortable and contact may be inconsistent. But stick with it and try both address positions. At some point you may need both shapes to be successful on the golf course.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.