It took a little extra time Tuesday at Deer Ridge Golf Club, but the round-of-16 matches are set at the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

A five-man for the final three-spots playoff, that lasted three holes was needed to determine the PGA Championship of Canada match play bracket. Kevin Senecal, Nick Kenney and Ed Maunder outlasted Oliver Tubb and Lee Curry.

With their playoff victories, Senecal will play first-seeded Wes Heffernan, while Kenney meets the No. 2 seed Sonny Michaud, and Maunder squares off versus Brian Hadley, who holds the course record at Deer Ridge (a 59 in 2013 during the PGA of Ontario Championship).

After his round Tuesday, Heffernan said he’s playing confidently which he believes is the recipe for success in match play.

“I’m playing pretty well right now and my game today was in a good spot,” he said. “I’ve got some confidence heading into the match play portion of this tournament and that’s the sort of thing you need if you want to win.”

The other matches include:

• Marc Hurtubise & Alf Callowhill
• Bryn Parry & Gordon Burns
• Colin Murray & Dan Greenwood
• Marc-Etienne Bussieres & Philippe Gariepy
• Craig Hocknull & Jean-Philip Cornellier

For the full leaderboard, click here.

Both Parry and Bussieres are past PGA Championship of Canada winners. Bussieres, however, looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Knudson won in 1976 and 1977. In 2016 at the Victoria GC, the 29-year-old from Club de golf Longchamp bested Billy Walsh 3&1 on the 1893 A.V. Macan-designed, seaside links gem in the championship’s final match.

The only other player who remains at Deer Ridge with a national championship to his name is Craig Hocknull, who claimed last year’s PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada.

The winners of the morning matches Wednesday qualify for the afternoon quarterfinal matches. The eventual champion will win four match play rounds, adding his name to the historic P.D. Ross Trophy.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of this week earns an exemption into this year’s RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Designed by Canada’s Thomas McBroom, a designer known for his indelible golfing concepts that have resonated with players the world over, Deer Ridge is unlike any other creation in the architect’s canon. Opened in 1990, Deer Ridge was ranked the 69th best golf course in Canada by SCOREGolf in its 2016 rankings.

Attendance to the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

To follow the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf online throughout tournament week, go to pgaofcanada.com, or visit the PGA of Canada on twitter, instagram.com and facebook.com

Brian Hadley is no stranger to posting low numbers at Deer Ridge Golf Club and Monday was no different seeing him shoot a first-round 4-under-par 68.

The 36-year-old head professional from Thames Valley Golf Club leads the field at the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

“This golf course is always in such perfect shape with fabulous greens,” Hadley said. “I feel really comfortable out here and it’s really a treat to be able to play this golf course.”

Hadley holds the course record at Deer Ridge, shooting a remarkable 59 in the first round of the 2013 PGA of Ontario Championship.

A pair of first time PGA Championship of Canada players—Wes Heffernan of Calgary and Quebec’s Sonny Michaud—trail Hadley heading into Tuesday’s second round by just a shot after opening-rounds of 3-under-par.

“This event has a long, storied history and it’s very cool,” Heffernan said about teeing it up this week. “There are not many national championships that have the type of names who have won like the PGA Championship of Canada does.”

And he’s right with past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada including Moe Norman, George Knudson, Danny King, Dave Levesque, Eric Laporte, Bryn Parry, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

Vancouver’s Parry, who won his PGA Championship of Canada in 2013 at Magna Golf Club, is in a group that includes fellow British Columbia resident Lindsay Bernakevitch and Jean-Philip Cornellier of Quebec at 2-under, T4. Deer Ridge’s own James Skrypec, Oliver Tubb, Philippe Gariepy, last year’s PGA Club Pro Championship of Canada winner Craig Hocknull and Kevin Senecal round out the top 10 at 1-under-par.

For the full leaderboard and second-round tee times, click here.

The 71-player field will be whittled down to the top-16 players following tomorrow’s second round. The final 16 will fill out the match play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

Currently Mike Belbin, Lee Curry, Gordon Burns, Alf Callowhill, Colin Murray and Kevin Stinson would all be involved in a six-for-five sudden death playoff to determine the match play brackets.

Designed by Canada’s Thomas McBroom, a designer known for his indelible golfing concepts that have resonated with players the world over, Deer Ridge is unlike any other creation in the architect’s canon. Opened in 1990, Deer Ridge was ranked the 69th best golf course in Canada by SCOREGolf in its 2016 rankings.

The PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf takes place next week at the superb Deer Ridge GC in Kitchener, Ont.

Sixty-nine of the of the PGA of Canada’s best players tee it up June 12-15 all vying for the association’s most prestigious championship and the historic P.D. Ross trophy.

“It’s quite the understatement, but the field for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada sponsored byMr.Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is unbelievably deep,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “With the entire top 10 and 42 of the top 50 teeing it up at Deer Ridge, we’re bound to see a compelling championship.”

The top 10 include:

• Dave Levesque, Golf Chateau Bromont
• Bill Walsh, Fairtree Golf Centre
• Oliver Tubb, University GC
• Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Club de Golf Longchamp
• Bryn Parry, Point Grey G&CC
• Danny King, The Performance Academy at Magna
• Brian McCann, Brampton G&CC
• Lee Curry, Ottawa Athletic Club Golf School
• Mike Belbin, Royal Mayfair GC
• Brad Kerfoot, Maple Downs GC

Additionally, 16 players in the field at Deer Ridge have won at least one PGA of Canada national title. This impressive list includes Levesque, Bussieres, Parry, King and Eric Laporte, all of whom are past winners of PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

For the full field and first round tee times, click here..

Designed by Canada’s Thomas McBroom, a designer known for his indelible golfing concepts that have resonated with players the world over, Deer Ridge is unlike any other creation in the architect’s canon. Opened in 1990, Deer Ridge was ranked the 69th best golf course in Canada by SCOREGolf in its 2016 rankings.

“The board of directors and management team at Deer Ridge are thrilled and honoured to host one of Canada’s most storied championships, the PGA Championship of Canada,” said Deer Ridge Golf Club’s head PGA professional Rich Morel. “This is a great opportunity to showcase our fantastic facility to many who are unfamiliar with it both locally and nationally.”

Deer Ridge is also home to a piece of Canadian golfing lore. Brian Hadley of Thames Valley GC shot 59 at Deer Ridge in the first round of the 2013 PGA of Ontario Championship. Hadley is in the field for this year’s PGA Championship of Canada.

Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event thru 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the P.D. Ross trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 64 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

This year’s championship at Deer Ridge will follow the same format.

Marc-Etienne Bussieres looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Knudson won in 1976 and 1977. In 2016 at the Victoria GC, the 29-year-old from Club de Golf Longchamp bested Billy Walsh 3 and 1 on the 1893 A.V. Macan-designed seaside links gem in the championship’s final match.

It’s an honour and a privilege to have your name on a trophy that’s as historic as the P.D. Ross,” Bussieres said. “To be beside names like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and George Knudson is really something.”

In addition to Bussieres, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, King, Levesque, Laporte, Parry, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer. For the full list click here.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24-30.

Attendance to the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

To follow the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf online throughout tournament week, visit pgaofcanada.com,  or follow the PGA of Canada on twitter, instagram and facebook.

Another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has been added to the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company’s already impressive list of experiences.

The winning team from this year’s national final at Cabot Links in Inverness, N.S., will receive an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to the 2018 RBC Canadian Open. The winners can expect all-out VIP perks, including:

– Return flights and car rental from hometown to host city.
– Accommodations at a partner hotel near golf course.
– Valet parking on the grounds of the RBC Canadian Open.
– RBC Clubhouse Suite passes.
– Access to player dining, practice area and media centre.

“Team experiences are some of the fondest of my career—whether it was in college or as a professional,” said Team RBC’s Adam Hadwin. “Building a team, travelling together, and competing for a championship are memories I cherish,” he said, adding, “the 2018 RBC Canadian Open VIP experience to relive the victory at Cabot Links will only make it that much sweeter.”

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country.

“We’re thrilled to add this experience to the winners of the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice President, Brand Marketing RBC. “The RBC Canadian Open is a celebration of golf in Canada and we are excited to give these champions a unique opportunity to attend the tournament with VIP access.”

All RBC PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final later this year with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at one of Canada’s greatest golf courses.

Taking place Oct 12-14, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs will see teams from across the country—comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada professional—playing in the 54-hole national final.

Cabot Cliffs ranked No. 1, while Cabot Links ranked No. 4 on SCOREGolf’s 2016 Best Golf Courses in Canada list. Cabot Cliffs also debuted 19th on the World’s Top 100 Courses list by Golf Digest.

While the RBC Canadian Open experience wasn’t a carrot for last year’s RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company winners, the Angus Glen Golf Club squad—PGA of Canada professional Terry Kim, Patrick O’Leary, Dan Mesley, Mike Asselin, David Fotheringham—have been awarded the opportunity to experience the VIP treatment at this year’s RBC Canadian Open in July.

Participants in The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada presented by The Lincoln Motor Company must have a registered handicap index with Golf Canada, with winning teams of four joined by a PGA professional in the regional and national finals. All rules and regulations can be found at rbcpgascramble.com.

The PGA of Canada is proud to announce The Lincoln Motor Company as new presenting sponsor of the RBC PGA Scramble.

The RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national this October with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at the incredible Cabot Links in Inverness, N.S.

“We are absolutely thrilled to add a company and brand like The Lincoln Motor Company as the presenting sponsor of this unique grassroots golf program,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Their commitment takes the excitement for the everyday golfers in this event up another notch now with the opportunity to interact and potentially win one of their fantastic vehicles.”

As part of the partnership, The Lincoln Motor Company will interact and engage with golfers at local events, regional finals and the national championship giving golfers a chance to win impressive prizing along the way. At the 10 regional finals and the national championship there will be unique Lincoln activations and events to elevate each golfer’s experience.

“The Lincoln Motor Company is extremely excited to partner with the RBC PGA Scramble at golf courses across Canada. This golf initiative aligns well with our brand,” said Terry Erb, Director – Lincoln Marketing Sales and Service.  “We are also proud to become the Official Vehicle of the PGA of Canada, touching the almost 3,700 PGA of Canada members.”

The Lincoln Motor Company also becomes the Official Vehicle of the PGA of Canada and will provide all PGA Professionals and all participants in the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company with special opportunities to get into one of their vehicles.

All RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams, in addition to special activations throughout the day as well.

To find a local event near you for the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, please click here.

The country’s most talked-about golfing destination will play host to this year’s RBC PGA Scramble National Final.

Taking place Oct 12-14, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs will see teams from across the country—comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada professional—playing in the 54-hole national final.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be heading to Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs for the RBC PGA Scramble National Final,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “It’s widely known the golf at both Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are world-class, however, the entire Cabot Links resort experience—lodging, dining, east coast charm—is also truly exceptional.”

Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Links is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort.  Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion.  With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offering an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional linksland golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape. The Cabot Cliffs course, designed by the decorated team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is the newest addition to Cabot. Exquisitely carved out of the breathtaking Cape Breton landscape, with postcard-worthy panoramas vying for your attention and every hole calling out to the sea, this is linksland golf at its best.

Cabot Cliffs ranked No. 1, while Cabot Links ranked No. 4 on SCOREGolf’s 2016 Best Golf Courses in Canada list. Cabot Cliffs also debuted 19th on the World’s Top 100 Courses list by Golf Digest.

“We here at Cabot are thrilled to host the RBC PGA Scramble National Final,” said Cabot Links’ general manager Andrew Alkenbrack. “We plan on putting on a fantastic show for the winning amateurs and their PGA professionals from around the country.”
In addition to the 54-hole championship, the RBC PGA Scramble National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime and will include a festival of special events, prizing, meals, activations and much more.

The Angus Glen team of amateurs Patrick O’Leary, Dan Mesley, Mike Asselin, David Fotheringham and PGA of Canada professional Terry Kim won by a mere 0.2 shots over the team from Lookout Point to capture the inaugural edition in 2016.

Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada, has announced early retirement plans starting later this summer the association’s President announced in a news release Tuesday.

“It is with a strong sense of impending loss that I inform you of the decision by our Chief Executive Officer to take early retirement. Effective July 31, 2017, Gary Bernard will leave his post as Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada to focus on his health, his family, and to pursue lifestyle dreams,“ Steve Wood, President of the PGA of Canada wrote in an email to members released Tuesday.

“Gary has been with us 14-years, and has been CEO since 2010. During that time, he has significantly strengthened our financial position, our education program and our brand. He has brought the PGA of Canada to a position where it is regarded as being among the most respected in the world.”

Wood, Director of Golf Operations and Head Professional at St. Boniface Golf Club in Manitoba, said that the CEO’s departure is not related to, nor would it alter, the association’s current evolutionary process. “We have been in a change process for several years and we are confident that we will emerge from this process better equipped to serve our members and drive our brand. Gary is leaving us in a strong position financially, with a healthy and vibrant membership base, one of the best training programs and insurance packages in the business and a trained and experienced national office team capable of maintaining operations.”

“The golf landscape is shifting dramatically due to lifestyle realities that have the potential to impact every organization in the channel. We are looking at those shifts, at our operations, at our professional skill sets and assets to implant a business model that will best meet those realities and enable us to better serve our members.”

“Gary is an energetic and strong leader and a loyal and committed friend to the PGA of Canada and he will be missed,” Wood said.

Established in 1911, the PGA of Canada is the second oldest and third largest professional golf association in the world. The PGA of Canada is a non-profit Association comprised of 3,700 golf professionals across the country.

Since joining the PGA of Canada as a National Education Learning Facilitator in 1995, Gary Bernard moved up the education ranks to become the association’s Chief Executive Officer in 2010. He took over operational management of the PGA of Canada following the 2009 recession and embarked upon a significant financial turn-around, guiding the PGA of Canada to record seven consecutive years of surplus.

His Masters degree in Education has heavily influenced his management style. Staff training and development and Board development and leadership training have been hallmarks of his management. Turning his training skills to membership performance, he increased the conversion rate of ELITE Cohorts into “Class A” designation. He introduced a new professional development platform, which has received strong support from golf teaching professionals. He is a strong believer in the use of technology to deliver operational efficiencies.  Under his tenure, his team implemented the PGA of Canada digital magazine; became the first to use drones to enhance the broadcast of PGA of Canada events and has maximized the use of social media to strategic advantage.

He is a past Chairman of the National Allied Golf Association.

ACTON, ON. —The PGA of Canada is proud to announce RBC as the new title sponsor of the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada.

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country. All RBC PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final later this year with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at one of Canada’s greatest golf courses.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than RBC for this national grass-roots series of events,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Their commitment to the game of golf in this country is fantastic and we look forward to growing the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada in communities across Canada.”

As part of the partnership, RBC staff will interact and engage with golfers at the local events, market the scramble with in-branch advertising at select RBC locations across the country and utilize Team RBC autographed merchandise for giveaways all season.

“We are thrilled to support grassroots golf initiatives like the RBC PGA Scramble in communities across the country, providing thousands of amateur players the opportunity to compete at a higher level,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice President, Brand Marketing RBC. “This is just another example of how RBC works together with the PGA of Canada to create exceptional events to support the growth of golf in Canada.”

RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp, Nick Taylor and Brandt Snedeker.

For those qualifying to play out of their regional qualifier, the RBC PGA Scramble National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime. The 54-hole championship at one of Canada’s premier venues will be part of a festival of special events, prizing, activations and a chance to interact with celebrities.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada, please click here.

Update: Gordon de Laat passed away at the age of 100 in November of 2017

Canada’s oldest golf professional, Gordon de Laat, turns 100 this year, a milestone as remarkable as the legends he’s encountered.

Not only is July 1st a historic day in Canada but it’s also an historic day in the career of Gordon de Laat.

On that day in 1927, the young Dutch boy ventured over to Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto eager to make a buck. He came away with only 20 cents but it was still his first paid job in the game, having carried a member’s bag for nine holes while all the other kids were off celebrating the jubilee.

Slowly but surely the hardworking immigrant climbed the ranks at Lambton and beyond. He learned the game, the rules and how to conduct himself with class and dignity at all times.

As he approaches his 100th birthday on April 11th, Canada’s oldest golf professional still embodies those same qualities. He’s friendly, courteous and eager to regale in the stories of his past. And boy, are there many.

Like the days he spent shagging balls at the Lambton range for George S. Lyon. Like when he met Bobby Jones at the Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta. Like when he sat and watched Ben Hogan hit balls for an hour and a half in 1960. Like when he played with Sam Snead or Bob Hope, just a few of the many iconic figures he rubbed shoulders with through the years.

The tales extend beyond golf too. De Laat skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs practice squad for a few years as well, playing alongside Punch Imlach and Stafford Smythe, and was part of the Aurora Army’s 1943 Ontario Hockey Association championship team. The 5-7, 145-lb. right-winger was a speedy sniper, once potting nine goals in a game and leading the team in scoring for four seasons.

Golf was his true passion though. He paid close attention to the club professionals who had come over from Scotland at the time and soaked up every word they said.

“They taught the game and there was no fooling around,” he explained. “Do it his way or get going.”

Having graduated from a B caddie to an A caddie thanks to his hustle and tenacity, Lambton’s head pro Willie Lamb took de Laat under his wing. Lamb, who had been mentored by Percy Barrett, who himself was mentored by Harry Vardon, showed de Laat the ropes of club cleaning, club repairing and instruction. He developed de Laat into a valuable junior assistant pro and an improving player too.

De Laat never possessed the natural ability of his counterparts but was, and still is, committed to practising. It’s the key to his exceptional, creative short game and what helped the PGA of Canada’s longest serving member capture the Toronto District assistants’ championship in 1938 and a spot in the first of his 15 Canadian Opens in 1941.

Always one to pave his own way, de Laat moved on from Lambton after that. He enjoyed a brief stint as an assistant at Lakeview Golf Club and then some time out of the golf industry during the Second World War. But the 1944 Millar Trophy Match-Play Championship was arguably the turning point in his career.

He pooled all his money together just to compete, entering as a huge underdog in the match play bracket. One by one, de Laat defeated all the higher seeds he faced — earning the nickname “The Giant Killer” — until the final, which he lost 6&4 to his friend Bill Kerr.

That run to the Millar Trophy final got him noticed, and he accepted a head professional position at Pine Point Golf Club. Then in 1948, three seasons into his tenure there, he agreed to take over as head professional at nearby Weston Golf and Country Club, a post he would remain at for 30 years.

Gord de Laat (second from left) engaged with many golf icons during his career, including Sam Snead (far right), winner of 82 PGA TOUR events

He was the consummate club pro, always treating the game and members with respect. It earned him countless friends, like Arnold Palmer, who won the 1955 Canadian Open at Weston, and Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to tee it up on the PGA Tour. De Laat was good enough to play with them, but he was just a little bit short of what it took to be a tour pro and beat them.

Something else was also nagging at him: The idea to establish his own club. Twenty-three years after putting $15,000 down on a piece of land in Caledon, Ont. — which he did on the Monday after the ’55 Open in which he played all four rounds — the longtime club professional founded Mayfield Golf Club in 1978.

“I had nine children and we had to keep them busy, so we built a golf course!” he laughed. “And one day on the first of April we started, then got the farmers to help us, working in teams. Land was ploughed and developed and in the first year we had nine holes going.”

Growing up as an immigrant, de Laat didn’t have any access to the game. Mayfield, which grew to 27 holes in 2004, was always intended to be a public facility and still remains so.

Three of his kids — Christopher, Gregory and Paul — have taken over the day-to-day operations of the family business but dad still likes to interact with people in the clubhouse and sit in on the odd management meeting, when he’s not practising on the range.

His kids say he’s always been active and busy, which has likely contributed to his resilient health. But his achievements after sailing into Halifax’s Pier 21 in 1924 are just as unparalleled. Gord de Laat has given golf in this country nearly 90 years of service. Asked what golf and Canada have given to him, he simply says, “A way of life.”

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

The final round of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship saw numerous lead changes, but a birdie on the last hole gave American Chris Ward the win.

Standing on the tee of the final hole, Ward was tied with fellow American and clubhouse leader Jimmy Lytle at 4-under. Ward’s tee shot sailed over the flag, setting up the birdie opportunity from about six feet.

“I had a pretty good idea that putt on the last was for the win,” Ward said. “For a six-foot putt I had to play it outside of the hole, so luckily I hit it at the right pace and it turned at the end to fall in the hole.”

With the win, Ward will take home not only the champion’s first place prize money of $10,000 (USD), but a ton of confidence and experience as well.

“I was fortunate enough to play in the final group today with Chip Beck and learned so many invaluable things just from watching him,” Ward said. “I actually thought I was going to be more nervous today, but Chip’s such an easy-going guy that it made it really easy for me to stay calm.”

Beck, the four-time PGA Tour winner and three-time American Ryder Cup member, lead heading into Saturday’s final round, but slipped on Satuday to T8 for championship.

Lytle finished just one-shot back, while PGA of Canada member Oliver Tubb rounded out the top-three at 3-under. PGA Tour veteran Tom Gillis, 19-time Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson, former PGA Tour member David Morland IV and American Michael Murray all finished T4.

For the full leaderboard, click here.

With radiant sun and little-to-no wind, conditions were ideal for Saturday’s final round and players definitely appreciated it.

“This golf course is just awesome and the greens are about as pure as any that I’ve putted on in many years,” Tubb said.

Fellow PGA of Canada member Mark Kitts, who tied the course record Saturday with a 4-under-par 50, agreed with Tubb’s thoughts of Turtle Hill Golf Club.

“This is just a gem of a par-3 golf course,” Kitts said. “You’re staying at the Fairmont, the weather is perfect and it’s way better than being back home in the cold.”

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

Spencer Wideman of Bermuda captured the men’s amateur championship, while Tariqah Walikraam, also of Bermuda, won the women’s amateur championship. A third Bermudian, Craig Christensen took home the senior men’s championship.

Past champions of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour, Thomas Curtis and last year’s winner from Brazil, Rafael Becker.