Team Canada NextGen member Anna Huang has announced that she has decided to turn professional.

Huang 16, of Vancouver, B.C. has been a member of the Team Canada NextGen program the previous two seasons. She was part of Team Canada’s victory at the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in Brampton, Ont., the first gold medal for Canada at the tournament since its inception in 2014. She also finished second individually at 4-under.

“This milestone would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my incredible family, team, and coaches who have guided and encouraged me every step of the way. I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Golf Canada for providing me with the opportunities and resources to grow as both a person and a player. Thank you to Jen Ha, Jeff MacDonald, and my amazing teammates for the lifelong memories that I will cherish forever,” said Anna Huang. “Competing as a professional golfer has always been a dream of mine, and I am so excited to embark on this new chapter of my journey.” 

Last season, Huang earned a number of top finishes including a T2 finish at the Mizuho Americas Open, a tournament that allows the top 24 ranked junior girls on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Tour to compete alongside a full field of LPGA stars. Huang also earned a T2 finish at the Nike Junior Invitational, a second-place finish at The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series which earned her an exemption into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. She also finished T7 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and a T4 at The Elite Invitational. Huang has two additional wins from the Toyota Tour Cup at Oak Valley (2022) and the Stacy Lewis Junior All-Star Invitational (2023).

“Since Anna joined the Team Canada – NextGen squad two years ago she has always carried herself in a professional manner and has impressive skills beyond her years. Anna’s ability to excel under pressure is notable and has led to remarkable finishes including her second-place result at the World Junior Girls Championship, which secured the first ever gold medal for Team Canada in the event,” said Jeff MacDonald, Head Coach, Team Canada – NextGen (Girls). “We are excited to continue our support of Anna as she embarks on her professional career and will be cheering her on as she represents Canada on the Ladies European Tour.”

Last month, Huang competed in the 2024 Lalla Aicha Q-School in Marrakech, Morocco where she earned status to compete on the Ladies European Tour for the 2025 season.

Huang will be making her professional debut on the Ladies European Tour in the coming weeks.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju, of Mississauga, Ont., took a major step toward his PGA Tour dream on Wednesday by winning the second event of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, golf’s premier feeder circuit.

The 23-year-old won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club by five shots over runners-up Russell Knox and Kensei Hirata. Yellamaraju fired a final-round 64 — the lowest score of the day — and shattered the tournament scoring record by seven shots.

He became the third Canadian to win the event, following Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., in 2018 and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., in 2023. Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, Yellamaraju pulled away to secure the biggest win of his career.

“It feels great. It feels good that the hard work and all the hours I’ve put in, me and my parents, has paid off,” Yellamaraju told reporters in the Bahamas. 

Yellamaraju was born in India and his family immigrated to Winnipeg when he was four. He moved to the Greater Toronto Area when he was 11. Yellamaraju won the Ontario Amateur at 16 but did not go to college in the United States, saying Wednesday he didn’t get enough money via scholarships to make it work. He instead turned pro immediately after finishing high school. 

Yellamaraju, part of Golf Canada’s National Team, is the second Canadian in three weeks to capture a men’s golf title after Nick Taylor won the Sony Open in Hawaii, the second event of the 2025 PGA Tour season. Taylor took to social media to congratulate his countryman, while fellow Canadian Korn Ferry Tour pros Matthew Anderson and Etienne Papineau were greenside in the Bahamas for a big celebration. 

Golf Canada men’s national team head coach Derek Ingram describes Yellamaraju’s game as “really consistent” from tee to green. Coupled with a solid short game, a deep passion for golf, and a “tremendous work ethic,” Ingram believes Yellamaraju has the makings of another Canadian PGA Tour star.

Yellamaraju played on PGA Tour Americas in 2022 and 2023 before earning Korn Ferry Tour status in 2024. He finished 99th in the season-long points list last year. 

He had to return to the first stage of the tour’s qualifying school in the fall after falling short in the season-long points race. However, he battled his way to the final stage, where he finished tied for 36th. Placing inside the top 40 earned him eight guaranteed starts on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.

It only took him two to take full advantage. 

“There’s tension, there’s pressure, but I just kept my head down, kept playing. One shot at a time. I wanted to play good shots,” Yellamaraju said. “I wasn’t completely calm obviously. Once I saw the scoreboard and I saw I had a five-shot lead heading into the last hole I knew I was fine.” 

Yellamaraju didn’t miss a green or fairway in his tidy final-round effort, going 5-under on his first nine holes before settling into a groove and bringing the trophy home.

“I just wanted to play good shots. I just wanted to shoot as low as possible and I think I did a pretty good job,” Yellamaraju said with a laugh. 

With only 20 PGA Tour cards on the line this year — there were 30 available the last two seasons — Yellamaraju knows that every shot counts this year more than ever. 

It’s been a non-traditional journey for Yellamaraju, who is largely self-taught. He learned the game by watching YouTube and golf on TV, with his father, Suresh, serving as his watchful second set of eyes.

Wednesday, Yellamaraju said, was his father’s birthday. 

“It’s rare to have a tournament, in January, where we play a final round, on his birthday. It just all fell into place,” Yellamaraju said.

“I guess it was just all meant to be.”    

About Sudarshan Yellamaraju

• Captures first career Korn Ferry Tour victory in his 29th start on Tour
• Fourth time the 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
• Becomes the 20th Canadian to win on the Korn Ferry Tour; third to win The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club (Adam Svensson/2018; Ben Silverman/2023)
• At 25-under 263, breaks the previous 72-hole tournament scoring record of 270; shared by Jared Wolfe (2020), Brandon Harkins (2022) and Zecheng Dou (2022)
• Moves to No. 2 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• Sixth winner under the age of 24 years old to win on the Korn Ferry Tour since the start of the 2023 season
• Secured guaranteed starts in the first eight events of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour season with a T36 finish at Final Stage of 2024 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry
• As a rookie, finished No. 99 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, logging 13 made cuts and one top-10 finish (T7/NV5 Invitational) in 25 starts
• Finished T14 at Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time
• Previously competed on PGA TOUR Canada (2022, 2023); where he made 12 cuts in 18 total starts with four top-10s
• Turned professional in 2021 and plays from Mississauga, Ontario
• Born in Visakhapatnam, India

Liu starts and ends strong to win by six

Team Canada NextGen member Shauna Liu has started the new year with a win, firing a four-day total of 8-under to win the 61st Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.

Liu of Maple, Ont. fired rounds of 64-74-72-66-276 to win by six strokes over Alexa Takai of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fellow Team Canada NextGen member, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished T14 at 11-over. On the Boys side, Canadians Emile Lebrun (Montreal, Que.) finished T7, Eric Zhao (Toronto, Ont.) finished T11 and Spencer Shropshire (Ramara, Ont.) finished T27.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Ding goes the distance to win by five

Team Canada NextGen member Clara Ding also opened 2025 in the winners’ circle, firing a three-day total of 3-under to win the Women’s Orlando International Amateur 2025 at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Ding of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 70-68-74-212 to win by five shots over Sofia Cerif Essakali of Morocco. Fellow Team Canada NextGen members, Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.) finished T3, Aphrodite Deng (Calgary, Alta.) finished sixth, Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) finished T17 and Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.) finished T38.

Other Canadians to make the cut were, Bridget Wilkie (Toronto, Ont.) who finished T20, Angela Cai (Oakville, Ont.) finished T23 and Luna Lu (Burnaby, B.C.) finished T55.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

As 2024 draws to a close, Golf Canada reflects on the stories that captivated our readers throughout the year. Here are the top 10 most-read articles that highlighted significant moments and achievements in Canadian golf:

1. Final Field released for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2. Pendrith, Conners, Hughes named to International Team for upcoming Presidents Cup

3. Golf Canada announces professional athletes named to 2024 Team Canada

4. Golf Canada releases 2024 championship schedule

5. Golf Canada announces amateur athletes named to 2025 Team Canada

6. LaunchPad Golf expands across Canada with six new locations

7. Built For This: TPC Toronto to host RBC Canadian Open in 2025

8. Canada’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open on second playoff hole

9. Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

10. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to host 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our readers and the incredible Golf Canada community. Thank you for your passion, engagement, and unwavering support throughout the year. Your love for the game inspires everything we do, and we’re honoured to share these stories with you.

Here’s to another year of unforgettable moments on the course and beyond. Thank you for being an essential part of the Golf Canada family—see you in 2025!

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) has announced its Golf Story of the Year, along with various Player of the Year awards for the 2024 season.

“GJAC is pleased to recognize Canadian professional and amateur golfers again this year with our year-end Player and Canadian Golf Story of the Year awards,” said Mike Johnny, president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. “The competitive golf landscape in Canada continues to thrive, with successes across multiple tours and levels of competition. At home, participation in the game remains high, and grassroots initiatives to expand engagement in golf are flourishing. From the Presidents Cup to the World Junior Girls Championship, to name just two, Canada is always proud to showcase the best players coming to compete on the world stage.”

Here are the Story of the Year and Players of the Year for the 2024 season:

Presidents Cup Return to Royal Montreal Named GJAC Story of the Year

The Presidents Cup returned to the Royal Montreal Golf Club, the site of Canada’s first time hosting the event in 2007. Under the leadership of International Team captain Mike Weir, two Canadians—Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith—were selected to join Canadian qualifier Corey Conners.

The Americans won the biennial competition 17–10 for their 10th straight victory.

While hosting this event in Canada was significant, it was Weir’s leadership and the numerous storylines of Canadian player participation that created positive energy among Canadian golf fans.

Taylor Pendrith Named Male Professional of the Year

Pendrith’s most successful year on tour was capped with his first PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, along with seven top-10 finishes in 2024. Advancing to the Tour Championship, Pendrith finished tied for 14th in the season-long FedEx Cup standings.

Pendrith was named to his second Presidents Cup team, playing in all five sessions and tying for the International Team lead with two points.

He ended the year ranked 47th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Brooke Henderson Named Female Professional Player of the Year

Canada’s most accomplished professional golfer was named Female Professional Player of the Year for 2024. With nine top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and her selection to Canada’s Olympic golf team, Henderson continued to lead as Canada’s top female golfer. She ended the season ranked 13th in the CME Race to the Globe standings on the LPGA Tour.

Henderson finished the year ranked 25th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.

Ashton McCulloch Named Male Amateur of the Year

McCulloch, a sophomore at Michigan State University and a member of Team Canada, had a standout season. He did not finish lower than tied for seventh in all 2024 competitions, including a victory at The Johnnie-O at Sea Island. He also qualified for the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the round of 16, while finishing second at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

McCulloch competed in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, shooting 75-75.

Lauren Kim Named Female Amateur of the Year

Kim, a sophomore at the University of Texas, capped off a successful season with a collegiate victory at the Glencoe Invitational, earning an exemption to compete in the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. She also finished tied for third at the Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship and fifth at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Kim, a member of Team Canada, is currently ranked 25th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

For more info about GJAC, visit www.gjac.ca.

Trinity, Texas – Team Canada won the bronze medal in the combined men and women’s team competition along with another bronze in the women’s team competition at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship (The Spirit) at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas on Saturday.

Team Canada was represented by Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. and coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach, Salimah Mussani of Vancouver, B.C.

In the combined team championship, Canada finished T4 at 36-under (196 women’s and 200 men’s) with Denmark. England won the combined competition firing a 44-under to take the gold medal. The Republic of Korea (Korea) and Spain finished tied for second at 39-under. Due to the ties, Korea and Spain shared the silver medal, while Canada and Denmark shared bronze.

Borovilos and Kim combined to shoot 20-under (66-63-67-196) to earn the bronze medal in the women’s team competition. Denmark finished at 23-under to win with Spain taking the silver medal at 21-under. On Friday, Canada was led by Borovilos carding six birdies and an eagle. Kim was equally as strong in Thursday’s opening round with five birdies.

In the women’s individual competition, Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain finished first with 21 points, 2024 World Junior Girls team and individual champion, Soomin Oh of Korea finished second with 20 points and Marie Madsen of Denmark finished third with 17 points. Borovilos finished T5 with 14 points and Kim finished T11 with 12 points.

McCulloch and Matthews combined to shoot 16-under (66-66-68-200) to finish 10th in the men’s team competition. Mexico and England finished tied for first at 28-under with Australia finishing third at 25-under.

Individually, Josiah Gilbert of Australia won the men’s gold medal finishing with 21 points. Omar Morales of Mexico finished second with 19 points and Gerardo Gomez (Mexico) and Dominic Clemons (England) finished tied for third with 18 points. Both McCulloch and Matthews finished T18 with 11 points.

The 11th playing of The Spirit was contested over 54-holes of stroke-play competition that brought together 20 countries. In addition to the combined team component, competitors battled in individual championships as well as men’s and women’s team competitions. In the individual competition, players were awarded points based solely on birdies and eagles during their round with one point for a birdie and two for an eagle.

For the final leaderboards from The Spirit, please click here.

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Team Canada earned a second place finish at the 52nd Copa Juan Carlos Tailhade (Copa Tailhade) at Los Lagartos Country Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.

Canada shot a combined score of 575 over four rounds, finishing four shots behind Colombia (571). Host nation Argentina finished third with a total score of 576.

Canada was represented by Team Canada NextGen members Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. and Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man. Jasmin finished T5 at 3-over in the individual standings following rounds of 71-73-70-73-287. Kuntz finished T8 at 4-over with rounds of 73-68-72-75-288. Juan Martin Loureiro of Argentina won individual honours, finishing the tournament at 5-under.

Canada has won the Copa Tailhade four times in tournament history, winning titles in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2023. Austin Connelly (Clare, N.S.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) won in 2014, Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.) and Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) in 2015, Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) in 2017 and Brady McKinlay (Lacombe, Alta.) and Felix Bouchard (Montréal, Que.) in 2023. Since 1996, Australia has won five titles (1998, 1999, 2002, 2007, 2012), in addition to Canada, England and Argentina have also won the tournament four times.

Five members of Team Canada NextGen Girls team finish in the top four; Jager Pain finishes T3 in Boys competition

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – Clara Ding defeated Michelle Xing on the second playoff hole to win the 2024 Elite Invitational at Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on Sunday.

Ding, 13, of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 67-72-71-210 to sit at 6-under for the tournament and jumped into a playoff with her Team Canada NextGen teammate Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. who posted rounds of 69-72-69-210. After trading pars on the opening playoff hole, Ding tapped in for par on the second playoff hole to earn her third victory on the year having won the Lake Charles AJGA Jr. and RLX Ralph Lauren Jr. titles this year.

Xing who finished as runner-up was in search of her fifth title of the year. Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. finished in third at 3-under following rounds of 71-70-72-213. Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont. and Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. finished tied for fourth at 2-under.

In addition, Team Canada NextGen members Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. finished T7 at 1-under. Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. finished 15th at 4-over, Swetha Sathish of Oakville, Ont. finished T18 at 6-over, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished 23rd at 9-over and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver finished T30 at 14-over.

In the Boys competition, Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Austin Krahn of Christina Lake were the lone Team Canada NextGen Boys team members competing. Pain finished the tournament at 3-under to finish T3 following rounds of 70-68-69-207, finishing four back of the winner, while Krahn finished T42 at 11-over.

For the final leaderboards, click here for the Girls Leaderboard and click here for the Boys Leaderboard.

Yeji Kwon’s life is unusual, but she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The 18-year-old Kwon has spent the past five months on the road with her parents, playing golf on the Women’s All Pro Tour, sharpening her skills to become Canada’s next top player. That hard work paid off last week as she was the top Canadian at the qualifying stage of the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series, tying for 10th to advance to the final level.

“Definitely different from regular teenagers who go to school every day,” said Kwon on Wednesday from her home in Port Coquitlam, B.C. “I’m definitely missing out on that side but I’ve gotten used to it, and honestly, I love this life. 

“I travel with my parents everywhere, we take the van, and I’ve had a lot of fun this summer. It’s been busy, it’s been very busy, but I’ve been enjoying every single moment of it.”

The qualifying stage at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla., was certainly a highlight.

Kwon had a rough start to the four-round tourney on Oct. 22, shooting a 2-over 74 on the club’s Panther Course. But she bounced back the second day, reeling off five consecutive birdies to finish the day with an 8-under 64 card on the Bobcat Course.

“Going into the first round, I was definitely a little bit more nervous. I had a lot more thoughts going on,” said Kwon, noting she was more comfortable in the second round. “I was a lot more confident. I wasn’t thinking a lot. 

“I wasn’t hitting the ball really, really great, but my putting was amazing. I was making everything from almost everywhere, and made almost every par save.”

She then had a 3-under third round and a 1-under fourth round to finish 10-under overall. That put her four shots back of co-winners Mimi Rhodes of England and French amateur Adela Cernousek.

“Yeji came in very prepared, had spent lots of time playing the courses and getting used to them leading up to the event,” said Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s women’s head coach, who was in attendance at Plantation. “She has always been a very composed golfer, from watching over the last couple years.

“She carries herself with a high sense of confidence, and complements that with a strong work ethic.”

Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., tied for 31st at 4-under overall. All four Canadians will play in the LPGA Tour’s Q-Series final stage on Dec. 5-9 at Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile, Ala.

“It’s super cool, because obviously, all these girls I look up to and you’re going to advance the final stage along with them,” said Kwon. “It means a lot.

“I’m not really gonna think much about it, though, just play my own game.”

Mussani said she has high hopes for Kwon, who is a member of Golf Canada’s 2024 NextGen girls team.

“To continue to grow, continue to develop her skills and learn more about herself,” said Mussani in text messages to The Canadian Press. “She is still quite young, so I hope she finds time to enjoy her youth as well, while also following her dreams and working towards her goals.”

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada is proud to announce the names of 29 amateur athletes named to the 2025 men’s and women’s Team Canada and Team Canada – NextGen squads.

Golf Canada’s National Team program supports a group of experienced amateurs on the path towards playing professional golf along with a group of young professional golfers building their careers as touring pros. The program provides individualized training and competition support with a goal to help advance 30 Canadian athletes to the LPGA and PGA TOUR by 2032.

Athletes are selected based on results from the previous season (September 2023-August 2024), with the Team Canada – NextGen program also considering performance at Golf Canada’s annual Selection Camps. Professional players that will be part of the 2025 Team Canada squad will be announced at a later date, upon the completion of Qualifying Tournaments.

“Golf Canada is proud to announce the amateur athletes that will be part of our 2025 Team Canada and Team Canada – NextGen squads and we look forward to supporting their continued development in the journey to competing on the LPGA and PGA TOUR,” said Emily Phoenix, Director, High Performance, Golf Canada. “Our collective heartfelt thanks as well to the generous Golf Canada Foundation donors who continue to support the player development program as well as our corporate partners who play a critical role in allowing Canada’s top golfing athletes to compete at the highest levels of our sport.”

National Team coaches work with Team Canada athletes and their personal support teams to develop annual training plans and identify areas to impact athlete growth in all areas of their game. Athletes are also supported by a comprehensive sport science team that includes mental performance, physical conditioning, and mental health supports. Players are brought together regularly for training camps with national team coaches and sport science staff. The Team Canada – NextGen program also supports juniors and young amateurs who are pursuing collegiate golf as a competitive pathway.

The coaching staff for the men’s and women’s Team Canada squads will return in full for the 2025 season. Team Canada – Men will be led by Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and Assistant Coaches Louis Melanson (Moncton, N.B.) and Benoit Lemieux (Montréal, Que.). They will be joined by Mental Performance Coach Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood (Winnipeg, Man.) and Strength & Conditioning Coach Greg Redman (Kelowna, B.C.). Team Canada Women will be led by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach Salimah Mussani (Vancouver, B.C.) along with Associate Coach Jennifer Greggain (Vancouver, B.C.), Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrea Kosa (Calgary, Alta.) and and a mental performance coach that will be added following an ongoing recruitment process. 

The Team Canada – Women’s and Men’s squads provide support to developing professionals and amateur players who are on track to turn professional in the near future. The Women’s Amateur Team is led by 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. Kim won The Peloton Glencoe Invitational as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series this summer, earning a spot in the field at the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. Katie Cranston and Nicole Gal, both of Oakville, Ont. return for their fifth seasons with the program. Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont. returns for her fourth season while there are three newcomers for 2025. Tillie Claggett (Calgary, Alta.) joins the team and is in her Junior year at Vanderbilt University. Making the jump up from Team Canada – NextGen (Girls) are Vanessa Borovilos (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.). Both Borovilos and Zhang were part of Team Canada’s historical win at the 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship. Borovilos is in her first year at Texas A&M University, while Zhang finished T3 at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship this summer and is currently in her first year at Harvard University.

The 2025 Men’s squad will be composed of a group of professionals to be named later in 2024 and features two amateurs, 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. and Hunter Thomson of Calgary, Alta. This past season, McCulloch won the Johnnie-O at Sea Island as well as finishing as runner-up at the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and third at the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational. McCulloch, a Senior at Michigan State University, also competed at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open and the 2024 U.S. Open. Thomson won individual honours at the 2024 Canadian Collegiate Invitational earning an exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. Thomson also won the Palmas del Mar Collegiate tournament in February and moves up from the NextGen squad to the Men’s Team for 2025.

Team Canada – Women

Professionals to be added following LPGA Q-Series.

Team Canada – Men

 Professionals to be added following PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

The Team Canada – NextGen coaching staff is led by Boys Head Coach Robert Ratcliffe (Qualicum Beach, B.C.) and Assistant Coach Darcy Dhillon (Calgary, Alta.). They will be joined by Mental Performance Coach Dr. Charles Fitzsimmons (King, Ont.) and Strength & Conditioning Coach Dr. Mike Kay (Phoenix, AZ).

Jeff MacDonald (Chester, N.S.) has been promoted to Team Canada – NextGen Girls Head Coach and will be supported by Assistant Coach Jennifer Ha (Calgary, Alta.). Over the past two years, MacDonald has led Team Canada to back-to-back podium finishes at the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, winning in 2023 and finishing as runners-up earlier this month. They will be joined by Mental Performance Coach Justin Fredette (Winnipeg, Man.) and Strength and Conditioning Coach Dr. Emily Wiggin (Dartmouth, N.S.). Tristian Mullally of Dundas, Ont. will continue as the Head of National Talent Identification overseeing the national talent identification system that was established in 2022. In this role, Mullally provides support to a promising group of younger junior golfers (11 – 16 years old) and their existing coaching teams to grow the pool of future Team Canada prospects.

Team Canada – NextGen (Boys) features four returning players including 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship winner, Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont., Golf Ontario Men’s Amateur and Golf Ontario Spring Classic winner Matthew Javier of North York, Ont., B.C. Amateur back-to-back winner Cooper Humphreys from Vernon, B.C. and Ethan Wilson of St. Albert, Alta. They will be joined by six newcomers who were all victorious this season including Charlie Gillespie of Calgary, Alta. (NextGen Western Championship), Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. (Golf Performance Center Killington Junior Golf Championship), Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, B.C. (Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp, B.C. Indigenous Championship, B.C. Junior Boys Championship), Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man. (Manitoba Men’s Amateur Championship), Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. (RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier) and Jager Pain from Woodbridge, Ont. (NextGen Ontario Championship).

Team Canada – NextGen (Girls) features five members of Team Canada from the 2024 World Junior Girls Golf Championship. Shauna Liu from Maple, Ont., captured the title at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO and the Team Canada -NextGen Selection Camp tournament to secure her place on the 2025 NextGen squad. Liu added a third title of the year at the AJGA’s CDW Girls Junior All-Star Championship. Joining Liu are her World Junior Girls Team Canada teammates Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. and Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. Both Lin and Deng have won twice this season on the AJGA. Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont. joins the program after winning ten tournaments this season including the inaugural U15 Canadian Championship and three Ontario provincial titles. Park was part of Team Canada 2 at the WJG Golf Championship. Teammate Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. returns for her second year in the program and won the NextGen Pacific Championship and once on the AJGA. Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. returns for her second year and won four times in 2024 including the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship as part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series, the NextGen Ontario Championship and two AJGA tournaments. Two other players return this year including Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. and Swetha Sathish of Oakville, Ont. Two new additions include two-time AJGA winner, Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. who won once on the AJGA in 2024, and finished T3 at the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO.

Team Canada – NextGen (Boys)

Team Canada – NextGen (Girls)

For full Team Canada athlete and coach bios along with additional information, please click here.

Team Canada is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Hilton, Puma, Foresight, Golf Canada Foundation and Sport Canada.