In one of the hardest-conditioned days in PGA of Canada Championship history, with winds at 40 KM/h, gusting up to 60 KM/h, Mitchell Fox somehow carded a bogey-free 70.
Playing in the 8th last group of the day, he finished at -1 for the championship. 21 players were still on the course, all beginning their day with a better score than him – including Nigel Sinnott, who began leading at -7.
All of those players, apart from Yohann Benson, finished worse than -1.
Benson, one of the few survivors of the Rockyview winds, carded an even-par 72 – one of only four players to do so during the final round.
Benson and Fox watched on as Sang Lee had a 25-foot birdie putt on 18, needing a two-putt to win the title. Lee left his birdie try five-feet below the hole and, as many did throughout the day, fell victim to the difficult Mickelson National greens, missing two more to fall one-stroke shy of a playoff.
In the playoff, Fox left his approach short of the green and made bogey, while Benson nestled his 30-foot birdie try next to the hole, earning the 2024 PGA Championship of Canada title and $13,000 first-place cheque.
“It feels awesome because I really had no clue until I signed my scorecard that I had a chance,” said Benson, who also won the 2023 PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf. “I said, ‘see you guys in Vancouver’ when I signed my card [to the scoring staff] and they said, ‘hang on a minute, you might want to hang around’. I was very happily surprised and went to the playoff and pulled it off.”
With a tight leaderboard that saw 10 players within two strokes of the lead on the back nine, Benson made back-to-back birdies on holes 10 and 11, and held on through the rest of the day as many of the remaining hole were straight into the strong wind.
“What a golf course this is, it was quite the test all three days,” said Benson, who teaches out of Le Mirage (Club de Golf). “When you look at the names on the trophy it is really an honour to put my name next to the greats that have won the PGA Championship of Canada.”
Arriving on Sunday, the opening round was the first time Benson saw the golf course.
“I played it blind during the first round, but the conditions were nice, so I thought it was a scorable course,” said Benson, who carded a first-round 70. “Yesterday, I didn’t complete round two, so I came back at 6:15 AM to play three holes and I didn’t finish well. I made bogey on the last two holes, and I plotted along this afternoon.”
“Thank God it is a wide golf course, so hitting the ball in play off the tee wasn’t so difficult, but hitting the right areas on the greens that were running fast was a grind. I did my best, and I generally have a good attitude. I don’t get to play competitive golf much, so I truly enjoyed it.”
All three players who finished in a tie for third, as well as runner-up Mitchell Fox, have roots in Calgary. Wes Heffernan and Chris Horton both call Calgary home, while Lee grew up in the city, learning under Randy Robb at Edge High School.
One of the activations taking place during the week was the E-Z-GO “It’s Good to Go” hole of the week. The three players who made eagle on the drivable par-4 were Ben Boudreau, Katy Rutherford and Steven Lecuyer.
All three were put into a draw for a $250 cash prize. After the random draw, Rutherford earned the bonus.
A huge thank you to local partner Flint Energy, who offered meals to players each of the first two rounds, Stony for supplying staff clothing, Golf Avenue for supporting the full championship schedule, Golf Away Tours for their support of our championship previews, National Partner Wesko Locks and local partner Harmony Developments.
Also special shoutout to Miles Motensen and the entire Mickelson National Golf Club team – what a host venue!
Full leaderboard can be found here.
Acton, ON – The PGA of Canada is seeking nominations for two at-large positions on its Board of Directors. A historic moment in the organization’s history, the volunteer positions are open to both members and non-members. This change to the PGA of Canada National Board composition is a cutting-edge governance practice and achieves a key objective in the organization’s strategic plan, to diversify the leadership
The addition of these two at-large members is the result of the PGA of Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce Report, as the association strives to create an inclusive and representative Board that reflects the diversity of Canada. The elected individuals, who will serve a three-year term as full voting members on the Board, will be essential in the governance of the organization, ensuring the implementation of the organization’s strategic plan and that the needs of the 3,800 PGA of Canada members across Canada are at the forefront of conversation and decision making.
Recently, the PGA of Canada’s Board of Directors completed a skills and competency matrix to identify the needs for the two new positions based on the current composition of the Board. Based on the outcomes of this exercise and the need to diversify the perspectives and personnel on the Board to ensure that equity, diversity, and inclusion is at the forefront of the governance of the organization, the nominating committee is looking to solicit gender balance and/or traditionally underrepresented groups who have experience, skills and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Environment, social responsibility, governance
- Nonprofit governance experience
- Risk management
- Legal
- Regulatory (fiscal, governmental, funding, legal regulatory)
Nomination application deadline – September 1, 2023
More information can be found on the nomination form, which can be found here.
The nominating committee will review all submissions and by September 11, an email will be sent to all Class ‘A’ members with the committee’s recommendation, but Class “A” voting members may vote for any two candidates they choose if an election is necessary. A bio will be provided for each candidate before the September 11-15, 2023 election.
The elected candidates will be responsible for attending one in-person meeting each year, as well as one virtual meeting each quarter. Depending on circumstances, there may be other virtual meetings called throughout the year, and the opportunity to join various committees may arise.
The strength of the PGA of Canada comes from the expertise of those trusted with seats at the decision-making table. As a board member, the elected candidates will be trusted to use their knowledge and passion to help lead important discussions and make decisions that will drive the industry forward for both colleagues and future generations.
NOMINATION FORM
(Kingsville, ON) – Golf is well known for its adages/figures of speech/euphemisms/cliches – whatever you want to call them.
While some (or many) of them would induce groans from even the most esteemed khaki-bearing New Balance-wearing dads, the phrase about having to keep your foot on the peddle when you have the lead in a golf tournament rings true. That is exactly what Alena Sharp did out of the gate today at the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
Entering the final round three strokes ahead of Min-G Kim, the now four-time champion made five birdies in her first seven holes to extend her lead to five at Kingsville Golf & Country Club. She never looked back, firing 69 to finish five ahead of runner-up, amateur Laren Zaretsky.
“This is an amazing feeling, coming here and playing Kingsville again after so long and having such a good two days,” said Sharp, who has found her form this year, currently sitting within the top-10 of the Epson Tour’s Player Rankings. “I had a good warmup; I feel like my win a month ago helped me be more relaxed coming into today.”
The win gives her the second-most ORORO PGA Women’s Championship titles in history. Lorie Kane, who the tournament trophy is named after, has won five times.
“Lorie (Kane) was an inspiration to all of us and it’s great to hold a trophy with her name on it,” said Sharp, who shot 66-69 to finish at 9-under par. “I still have a couple more years of playing full on, so if in the future there is an off week and I can make it, I would definitely love to come back and compete in this tournament again.”
Receiving an exemption into the LPGA Tour’s CPKC Women’s Open thanks to the win, Sharp will head to Vancouver August 24-27 following a stretch of four Epson Tour events.
Playing alongside Sharp was Caroline Ciot, the low PGA of Canada professional from 2022. Though a double bogey on the final hole took her out of sole possession of that spot this year, her rounds of 71-74 were good enough to give her co low PGA professional honours alongside Silver Springs Golf & Country Club Class “A” Professional Katy Rutherford.
“I know how hard it can be for PGA of Canada Professionals because a lot of their job (in the summer) is to teach or run a golf club and you rarely get to play, so it was awesome to see so many PGA pros play at a high level,” said Sharp. “It was nice to play with Caroline (Ciot), she has a good game and a great future so it’s great that she can (play and teach) at such a high level.”
Throughout the week, players raved about the course conditioning and how welcoming the golf course staff and members made everyone feel. The volunteers at the event were truly next level.
“Everybody here was so welcoming,” said Sharp, who picked up $7000 with the victory.” A lot of volunteers helped get this tournament off the ground and they were out watching, and it was so delightful. We can’t have tournaments without volunteers, so I’m thankful they showed up and helped Kingsville Golf and Country Club and the PGA of Canada.
“I love coming back home, everyone is so kind, so it was nice to be here,” she said.
ORORO Heated Apparel was a tremendous supporter of the event, giving away heated vests and jackets to top finishers of the championship.
Each day, a hole was deemed the NoSweat Hardest Hole of the Day, with the player who made the low score winning $150 courtesy of NoSweat. The 13th hole was the hardest hole on Wednesday, where three players managed to make birdie: Belinda Lin, Diana McDonald and Casey MacNeil.
After a random draw, Diana McDonald joined Valerie Tanguay as our NoSweat champions of the week.
Huge thank you to PGA of Canada professionals Katy Rutherford and Emma de Groot for being featured on our On The Bag content segments this week.
Photos from the tournament can be found on our Flickr page here.
Content from the event can be found on our Instagram page, here.
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
It’s human nature to be attracted to the best-of people.
Quickly proven but no-less surprising, a Class ‘A’ Specialization from the PGA of Canada can help enhance profile, service offering, and in turn, help drive more revenue and awareness to a club’s facility.
The introduction of Specializations continues to enhance a commitment to members, employers, and hiring managers to ensure that PGA of Canada pros are trained to the best of their ability based on their role and desired personal and professional growth. You don’t have to look too far to find the best of the best.
“Clubs and facilities want the best teachers, coaches and the best operations people to help the golf community,” says Nelson Inacio, the career development manager at the PGA of Canada. “Pros with Specialization add an extra layer of expertise, making them that much better and that much more connected to the golfing community they serve.
“They bring (facilities) stronger, world-class operations from end-to-end, and at the end of the day, that translates to more profitability for these clubs.”
There are four umbrellas for Specializations – Golf Operations, Management & Leadership, Teaching, and Coaching. With a tighter hiring marketplace, candidates that are looking to differentiate themselves would do well to acquire these badges of distinction, according to Inacio.
Potential candidates can acquire more than one Specialization and, with PGA of Canada pros believing in themselves and broadening their personal value proposition, an employer can reap the benefit of that expertise and what it brings to them and their club or facility at the end of the day. With a Class ‘A’ professional that has one or more Specializations, there is now an added layer of professionalism to their craft.
“As with any professional, subject-matter experts are highly acclaimed – whether it be Golf Operations or Teaching/Coaching or Management Leadership – earning that badge of distinction, not only have they achieved something academically, but they have a real-world understanding of what it takes to be a stellar professional and support those niches,” says Inacio.
There are plenty of professionals who have accelerated their efforts through the PGA of Canada thanks to Specializations, including Ann Carroll – a 32-year member of the PGA who is a teaching specialist. Carroll has a junior girls’ golf academy, is the head coach at the Ann Carroll Golf Academy, and works with over 100 clients at Toronto’s Lambton Golf Club.
She’s been able to see a direct correlation from her in-demand teachings to club revenue. Carroll says she sells upwards of 20 sets of clubs per year to students – money that goes directly to the pro shop. There’s also been people who have joined the club after spending so much time there with a family member taking lessons from Carroll.
“With my experience […] I found people will travel very far – two or three hours in the car – spend a couple hours with me and tee it up on the course, have some drinks after, maybe buy some things at the golf course. People just want to use the whole facility,” says Carroll. “The trickle-down effect is incredible.”
Another PGA of Canada National Award Winner, Doug Lawrie, says “influence” is a key thing that comes out of seeing a PGA of Canada pro with a Specialization at a club. The person members or the public sees first and foremost is likely that teaching professional on the driving range, because they are out there for nine or ten hours per day, “helping people love the game.”
That person is an authoritative figure – in the best of ways.
“We influence buying, memberships, spending, it’s something that is a major value because if people are trying to improve their game, I’m going to recommend they get fit and improve their equipment,” says Lawrie. “The other cool part is if you get people taking up memberships, you get a bigger membership and more dollar value. Parents will invest more in their kids because they want them to prosper and learn and be the best at the sport that they love. So, it spreads out like cracks on the ice, and it really does ripple.
“You get a bigger buy in, people hear about it and they see the bags with the crest on it and people ask, ‘where is that?’”
It doesn’t take long to bare witness to how a specialized pro can help drive success at a club. Look at Dean Manz and his effort at Red Deer Golf and Country Club. Manz, a Class ‘A’ Member since 2007 and who has a
Specialization in Golf Operations, helped drive pro shop revenue at his Alberta club by 200 percent over a three-year span.
As a long-time PGA of Canada pro himself, Manz says getting to know his members is key. Building a relationship with them means a good chance to earn their business.
He encouraged the club to invest in another PGA of Canada pro on his team who had a specialized skill set, laser-like on promoting and growing the game. He couldn’t recommend hiring a PGA of Canada pro more.
“It’s the only way to go,” Manz says, “if you are looking to take your club to the next level.”
The PGA of Canada is pleased to announce the national championship schedule for the 2023 season.
The 2022 season saw five players from four provinces win events – Wes Heffernan at the BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada, amateur Sarah-Eve Rheume at the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, Jim Rutledge at the PGA Seniors Championship of Canada presented by GOLFTEC, Kevin Stinson at the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and Craig Gibson at the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.
Four impeccable venues have been selected in three provinces for the 2023 national championship season, while the date and location for next winter’s Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf will be announced at a later date.
The season will open with the 101st playing of the BetRegal PGA Championship at Bigwin Island Golf Club in Baysville, Ontario from June 11-14. The flagship event will feature 75 of the top professionals in the country competing over the course of 54-holes, looking to join the likes of Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino on the P.D. Ross Trophy.
From there, we will move to Canada’s southern-most city, Kingsville, Ontario, where Kingsville Golf & Country Club will host the top professional and amateur women in the country from July 3-5 for the 36-hole ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
One month later, Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford, British Columbia will host the top senior players in the country at the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada presented by GOLFTEC. All eyes will be on reigning champion Jim Rutledge, who can tie Moe Norman’s record of eight senior championship titles.
The fourth national champion will be crowned September 18-21 just outside Edmonton, Alberta, as The Ranch Golf & Country Club will host the top assistants in the country at the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.
Women are eligible to compete in all National Championships and will play at a course length slightly shorter than the men’s yardage.
“We are heading into this year’s national championships with so much momentum after a terrific tournament season last year, which included the historic 100th BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada,” said PGA of Canada president Gord Percy. “Some incredible venues have stepped up to host our professionals this year which will surely lead to the crowning of worthy champions.”
“We are thrilled to welcome back all our tournaments’ supporters. To Callaway Golf, BetRegal, ORORO Heated Apparel, GOLFTEC, G&G Brands, Golf Away Tours and NoSweat, thank you for your continued support of our professionals and golf in Canada.”
Registration for the championships are now open. Refer to the events page on PGAofCanada.com to register. Contact PGA of Canada Championship Manager Matt Mueller via email at matt.m@pgaofcanada.com for more information.
*Note – the PGA of Canada Championship staff are working to finalize a location for the Head Pro Championship and will provide an update prior to May 1. The target dates are December 6-9.
Eight talented PGA of Canada coaches to receive in-depth career development and bring a stronger gender balance to high-performance coaching in Canadian golf
Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are excited to announce the names of eight talented coaches who will receive critical education to advance their careers as top golf coaches in the country.
The eight participant coaches from the Women in Coaching program will receive in-depth career development focusing on four main areas: individualized learning plans with monthly one-on-one check-ins, virtual and in-person coaching education and hands-on training experience.
Launched in 2021, the Women in Coaching program aims to strike a stronger gender balance with high-performance coaches that better reflects the Canadian golf community.
“We are thrilled to be supporting female coaches who have a deep desire to develop their skillsets,” said Beth Barz, the Women in Coaching Program’s Coach Developer. “Their continued growth supports all athletes in the player development system who will work with coaches involved in the Women in Coaching program for years to come.”
Application information was posted publicly on Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada’s websites, where applications were accepted this past winter.
“I am proud to be part of the Women in Coaching program and have an opportunity to learn from top educators and other female coaches from across Canada,” said Kat Kennedy, Assistant Golf Coach at Simon Fraser University and one of the eight Women in Coaching participants. “As a current collegiate coach, I prioritize professional development to gain the tools and skills to provide support and guidance to help student-athletes realize their full potential.”
The eight PGA of Canada members were selected based on prior coaching experience and current coaching or volunteer coaching positions. Past competitive playing experience was also considered an asset.
The eight chosen participants for the Women in Coaching program include:
- Shannon Raina – Calgary, Alberta
Earl Grey Golf Club, Apprentice Professional and Junior Development Leader
- Kat Kennedy – Richmond, British Columbia
Simon Fraser University, Men’s and Women’s Assistant Coach
- Megan Ratcliffe – Victoria, British Columbia
Bear Mountain Resort, Assistant Golf Professional
- Michelle Waters – Vancouver, British Columbia
Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, Apprentice Golf Professional
- Winnie Yun – Langley, British Columbia
Lago Golf Academy (Westwood Plateau Golf Club), Junior Instructor
- Anne Rogerson – Dorval, Quebec
Golf Le Champêtre, Head Golf Professional
- Leila Harman – Surrey, British Columbia
Morgan Creek Golf Course, Saunders Performance Golf Academy Instructor
- Nicola Greaves – Calgary, Alberta
Willow Park Golf & Country Club, Associate Professional & Junior Leader
To date, 17 PGA of Canada professionals have received training through the Women in Coaching program. This year’s first in-person session kicks off Monday, February 13th in Phoenix, AZ.
The PGA of Canada will induct three long-serving members into its Hall of Fame during Canada Night at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.
Dick Borthwick, Jack Bissegger and Adrien Bigras were all PGA of Canada members for more than 50 years, growing the sport through most of the 21st century. The three individuals are being inducted posthumously.
“Dick, Jack and Adrien exuberated a deep passion for golf and we are very excited to honour them with well-deserved spots in our Hall of Fame,” said PGA of Canada President Gord Percy. “Each of these three men worked throughout their entire lives to grow the game. The association is revered today because of the efforts of members like Dick, Jack and Adrien.”
The Hall of Fame, launched in January 2014 as part of Canada Night at the PGA Merchandise Show, celebrates PGA of Canada members—both past and present. In total, there are 46 individuals honoured with a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Dick Borthwick
Dick was a PGA of Canada member from 1927 to 1978 and engaged in many philanthropic efforts throughout his career, which included stints at some of the top golf clubs in Ontario, including Oakdale and Hamilton Golf and Country Club. In addition, he was the PGA of Canada’s president from 1960 to 1961.
Beginning in 1971, the Dick Borthwick Memorial Charity Golf Tournament is still conducted annually and just celebrated its 50th anniversary. The event has been so successful that it has raised 3-Million Dollars for local Hamilton charities.
Dick’s son, Bob, is attending Canada Night to accept the honour.
Jack Bissegger
Jack was a member of the association for 57 years, with over 40 of those years spent at Club de Golf La Vallée du Richelieu. He was also a member of the PGA of Quebec Board of Directors for nine years.
Jack always had time for juniors learning the game, running a summer camp for two months each summer. Despite how busy he was at the club, the Golf Quebec Hall of Fame member maintained quite the golf game, winning more than 75 events in his life.
One of Jack’s sons, Thomas, is attending Canada Night to accept the honour.
Adrien Bigras
Adrien, who is a member of both the Quebec Golf Hall of Fame and the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame, was a PGA of Canada member for 59 years, serving as an Assistant Professional at the Cardinal Golf Club and at Golf Malborough, before he became Head Professional for eleven years at the Rosemère Golf Club. Later on, his dream came true, and he became owner of the Manoir Golf Club.
Adrien was always helpful and ready to attend fundraising events, which could be counted by the hundreds. All through his career, Adrien preserved a certain nobility and prestige that was remarkable.
Over the years, his achievements include six victories at the Spring Open, seven at the Québec Senior Championship, twelve participations in the Canadian Open, and a victory at the 1965 Québec Open. He also participated in the 1962 US Open in Oakmont, PA, for which he had qualified with the lowest score ahead of 2,000 competitors.
One of Adrien’s long-time colleagues, Gilles Gareau, is attending Canada Night to accept the honour.
When Sirocco Golf Club Head Professional Craig Gibson stood on the 16th tee on Thursday afternoon, he trailed by four strokes.
That left just three holes to make up those four strokes on his playing partner, Rob Tadey, who entered the day with a one-stroke lead at the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and supported by G&G Brands.
Oh yah; he also trailed Stephen Cox by four strokes; who was about to tee off on No. 18 at about the same time Gibson was hitting his tee shot on the par 3 16th at Verrado Golf Club just outside of Phoenix.
Peeking at the leaderboard around this time, Gibson knew he needed something special to happen if he was going to stamp his name in PGA of Canada championship history.
The next half hour you almost had to see to believe:
2:34 PM: Gibson nails 30-foot birdie putt on 16 to move to -9, trialing Cox and Tadey by 3.
2:45 PM: Cox hits his second on the par-5 18th short left of the green into the desert, takes an unplayable lie, moving backwards on-line with the pin up a 30-foot, 45-degree grade hill to take a drop in (less dense) desert, ending up with a bogey to finish at -11, one back of Tadey.
2:47 PM: Gibson hits it to an inch on No. 17 to move to -10.
2:55 PM: With a one-stroke lead, Tadey hits his approach shot left, losing his ball in the desert, and makes a double bogey with his provisional to finish at -10.
3:05 PM: Gibson hits a tidy chip to kick-in length for birdie on 18 to finish at -11.
Gibson vs. Cox playoff.
Four playoff holes later, Gibson fought back tears on the 18th green after making his fourth birdie of the day.
The six-footer he made on his 22nd hole of the day wasn’t just for him – not this time – but also for his wife and baby daughter at home, 2,500 km away.
“I can’t wait to take a picture of Georgia [his daughter] and the trophy,” said Gibson, who celebrated Georgia’s first birthday alongside his wife Courtney just weeks before making the trek to Verrado Golf Club. “It’s special. I started to kiss my ball marker with her name on it, so this one, it is awesome.”
Gibson was stellar all week long, firing 66-68-71 to finish on top at the final PGA of Canada national championship of the season.
“This came out of left field, I haven’t played well in 2022,” said Gibson. “To have three rounds like this and to make six birdies in the final seven holes including the playoff, it’s crazy and I didn’t expect this to happen. I’m at a loss for words.”
In addition to the win, which netted him a cool $9,000, Gibson also takes home an additional $500 as the low club professional.
Finishing in a tie for third behind Gibson and Cox was first-round leader John Cochrane and Rob Tadey at 10-under, while Nathan Leonhardt and Sam Kirkness finished in a tie for 5th at 9-under.
FULL LEADERBOARD
Click here to apply
Together with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada is excited to announce the continuation of the Women in Coaching program and formally open applications for the 2023 cohort.
The Women in Coaching program is an initiative that launched in 2021 with nine inaugural participants, that strives to deliver a stronger gender balance among high-performance coaches. Each participant receives in-depth career development support focused on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, and hands-on training experiences with coaches and top players.
The Golf Canada Foundation continues to be a key financial contributor to the program, including through the new Jocelyne Bourassa Scholarship.
“The Women in Coaching program gives women in our industry an opportunity to network with likeminded, talented, and strong leaders to help increase the female representation in the sport.” said Jennifer Ha, 2022 program participant and assistant coach of Team Canada – NextGen. “This program is led by women who are driven to make coaching in this country more equal and equitable.”
The 2023 Women in Coaching cohort will kick off with an in-person session at a national team training camp in Phoenix, Ariz., where participants will shadow national team coaches and engage in activities including technical skill development and women in sport leadership.
“The Women in Coaching program presents an opportunity for some of Canada’s most-accomplished female leaders as well as up and coming coaching talents to further their career developments together,” said Jennifer Greggain, associate coach of Team Canada – Women. “The strong collection of PGA of Canada members will continue to drive the initiative through knowledge and experience sharing on the way to building a foundation for the future.”
Now in its third year, the Women in Coaching program is led by Greggain, Emily Phoenix (Manager, High Performance Sport, Golf Canada) and new for 2023, Beth Barz joins the team. Barz brings over 20 years of coaching experience from rugby, is a coach developer and advisor with COACH+, and is currently pursuing her PhD at Queens University.
PGA of Canada professionals interested in the National Women in Coaching program can click here to apply and are encouraged to reach out to Emily Phoenix (ephoenix@golfcanada.ca) with any questions.
Applications close on Monday, Dec. 5 at 11:00pm EST.
Teams from Canada, USA, Australia, Great Britain & Ireland, South Africa, and Sweden are set to head to Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico from October 24-29 for the second PGA Women’s Cup, where Canada will look to build on their runner-up finish from the 2019 event in Texas.
Two new players, Caroline Ciot and Katy Rutherford, will join second-time competitors Emma de Groot, Casey Ward and Christine Wong at Twin Warriors Golf Club. Wong was the top player on the Canadian squad in 2019, firing the team’s low score two out of three days in the form of a 70 and 71.
“I am so excited to head to New Mexico with this talented team of Canadian women to represent the PGA of Canada as playing captain,” said Emma de Groot. “The inaugural event in 2019 was such an amazing experience, and after a COVID hiatus we are excited to head to New Mexico and proud to represent the PGA of Canada. This event showcases women in the industry and provides an opportunity for collaboration, networking and competition against likeminded women with a desire to grow the game.”
Each of the five players will play their own ball each day, with the low three scores on each team counting for that round. The low aggregate score following the third round will determine the champion.
The players:
Emma de Groot
Playing Captain
Age: 34-years old
(Modern Golf Teaching Professional)
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Holds the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s golf school records for tournament wins (6) and lowest career scoring average (74.5). She has notched 20-career top-5 finishes at the NCAA level. Since turning professional, the Modern Golf Director of Women’s Development has placed in the top-25 at the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship six times.
Katy Rutherford
Age: 23-years old
Silver Springs Golf and Country Club Apprentice Professional
Received an exemption into the 2021 ATB Financial Classic on the PGA TOUR Canada. Finished as the runner-up at the Glencoe Invitational in 2021, won the Calgary Ladies Amateur and finished 42nd in the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur in her final summer as an amateur. Was the runner-up to Christine Wong at the 2021 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada. Most recently, won the PGA of Alberta Women’s Championship by nine strokes last month.
Casey Ward
Age: 32-years old
(Credit Valley Golf and Country Club Professional)
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Prior to turning professional, won the 2015 Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur, firing 3-under par over the three-day event. Was named the 2021 PGA of Ontario Teacher of the Year as the Head Teaching Professional at Credit Valley Golf Club and was also nominated for Canadian Teacher of the Year.
Caroline Ciot
Age: 31-years old
(Golf Chateau Bromont Apprentice Professional)
Held status on the Symetra Tour in 2019, playing in two events. Finished as the low PGA of Canada professional at the 2022 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship in Bromont, Quebec and finished fourth at the event in 2021. Also won the professional division of the 2022 Glencoe Invitational earlier this summer in Calgary, Alberta.
Christine Wong
Age: 30-years old
(University Golf Club Apprentice Professional)
Member of the 2019 Canadian Women’s PGA Cup Team. Alumnae of the Golf Canada National Women’s Amateur Squad (2011-2013) and National Junior Squad (2010), and represented San Diego State University from 2009-2013, winning four individual titles. In addition, Wong is a two-time BC Women’s Amateur Champion and was the second-lowest amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open held at Oakmont Country Club in 2010. Most recently, Wong claimed the PGA of B.C.’s Women’s Championship in 2020 and claimed the 2021 ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
The first round is set to begin on October 27. More information and scoring can be found here.
