Spain leads by two through 36 Holes of World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms
Canada 1 and Canada 2 sit fourth and T6 respectively in the team competition; Sweden’s Meja Őrtengren leads by one in the individual stroke play competition
MARKHAM, Ont. – Cold and wet conditions at Angus Glen Golf Club couldn’t cool down Team Spain Thursday as the early tournament favourite jumped out to a two-shot lead in the team competition through 36 holes at the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.
Spain, which came into second-round action tied for the team lead with Canada 1, rode a 2-under 70 by Cayetana Fernández as well as a 1-over 73 by teammate Paula Martin to count a team score of 143 on the day (140-143—283) to sit at 5-under for the tournament.
The pair were joined by teammate Andrea Revuelta who shot a (non-counting) 76 for Spain, winners of the 2017 World Junior Girls Championship who came into this year’s event as the only country with all three players ranked inside the Top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Spain heads into Friday’s third round with a two-shot lead over Sweden (147-138—285) who vaulted from T8 into solo second at 3-under for followed by Colombia (145-146-291) in solo third at 3-over.
The Canada 1 squad of opening-round individual leader Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80—148) along with Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76—148) and Michelle Liu of Vancouver (72-77—149), who came into Thursday’s second round with a share of the opening-round lead with Spain, fell back into fourth position at 5-over (140-153—293).
The Canada 2 squad of Anna Huang from Vancouver (72-77—149), Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75—148) and Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (74-83—157) sit T6 with Germany at 9-over through 36 holes.
The following are second round team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Spain -5 (140-143—283)
2 Sweden -3 (147-138—285)
3 Colombia +3 (145-146—291)
4 Canada 1 +5 (140-153—293)
5 Chinese Taipei +6 (144-150—294)
T6 Canada 2 +9 (145-152—297)
T6 Germany +9 (147-150—297)
8 Mexico +10 (146-152—298)
9 Denmark +12 (150-150—300)
T10 Belgium +13 (144-157—301)
T10 England +13 (150-151—301)
12 France +14 (156-146—302)
13 Ireland +20 (150-158—308)
14 Italy +22 (154-156—310)
15 Wales +23 (152-159—311)
T16 Austria +26 (156-158—314)
T16 Switzerland +26 (156-158—314)
18 Finland +27 (154-161—315)
Click here for a link to the full team competition leaderboard.
In the individual competition, Meja Őrtengren of Sweden shot the low round of the day (4-under 68) to sit at 5-under for the tournament (71-68—139), good for a 1-shot lead. Spain’s Cayetana Fernández (70-70—140 sits at 4-under followed by a pair of players – María José Marin of Colombia (72-71—143) and Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei (70-73—143) – tied for third at 1-under. Rounding out the top-five are a pair of players 1-over through 36 holes – Savannah De Bock of Belgium (69-76—145) and Marie-Agnes Fischer of Germany (72-73—145).
A trio of Canadians sit T10 at 4-over through 36 holes including reigning Canadian Junior champion Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (73-75—148), opening-round leader Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. (68-80—148), and Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(72-76—148).
The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Meja Őrtengren, Sweden 71-68—139 (-5)
2 Cayetana Fernández, Spain 70-70—140 (-4)
T3 María José Marin, Colombia 72-71—143 (-1)
T3 Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei 70-73—143 (-1)
T5 Savanah De Bock, Belgium 69-76—145 (+1)
T5 Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany 72-73—145 (+1)
T7 Andrea Revuelta, Spain 70-76—146 (+2)
T7 Larissa Carrillo, Mexico 71-75—146 (+2)
T7 Nora Sundberg, Sweden 76-70—146 (+2)
T10 Yeji Kwon, Canada 2 73-75—148 (+4)
T10 Angela Arora, Canada 1 68-80—148 (+4)
T10 Lauren Kim, Canada 1 72-76—148 (+4)
Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.
In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
The third round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Friday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.
This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.
With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.
A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.
Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.
Canada and Spain share opening-round lead at World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms
Angela Arora shoots 4-under 68 to lead Canada 1 in the prestigious global golf championship; Surrey, B.C. native leads individual competition by one shot through 18 holes
MARKHAM, Ont. – Team Canada entered the opening-round of play at Angus Glen Golf Club looking for a fast start and got just that—riding a sizzling opening-round 4-under 68 by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. to take a share of the opening-round lead with Team Spain at the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.
The Canada 1 squad of Arora (4-under 68), along with 17-year-old Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C.(E 72), and 15-year-old Michelle Liu of Vancouver (E 72) shot a team-total 4-under 140 with the top two of three individual scores counting towards the overall team total.
The opening-round co-leaders from Spain were led by matching scores of 2-under 70 by Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández under cool conditions at the Markham, Ont. layout. The pair were joined by teammate Paula Martin who shot a (non-counting) 4-over 76 for the Spanish favourites who came into the championship as the only country with all three players ranked inside the Top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Spain is looking for their second team title, having previously won the championship in 2017.
Canada 1 and Spain head into Thursday’s second round with a four-shot lead over Belgium and Chinese Taipei who sit T3 at even par 144 through 18 holes.
As the host nation, Canada is fielding two teams in the international championship and while the Canada 1 squad holds a share of the opening-round lead, it was the younger Canada 2 squad comprised of 13-year-old Anna Huang from Vancouver (E 72), 16-year-old Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. (1-over 73), and 14-year-old Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. (2-over 74) that was equally as impressive, firing a team-total 1-over 145 to sit T5 with Colombia after the opening round of the championship.
With 54 holes still to be played on the South Course at Angus Glen, Canada is looking for their best-ever result in the team competition, having previously finished third in 2014 and fourth in 2018.
The following are round-one team results at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Canada 1 -4 (140)
1 Spain -4 (140)
T3 Belgium E (144)
T3 Chinese Taipei E (144)
T5 Canada 2 +1 (145)
T5 Colombia +1 (145)
7 Mexico +2 (146)
T8 Germany +3 (147)
T8 Sweden +3 (147)
T10 Denmark +6 (150)
T10 England +6 (150)
T10 Ireland +6 (150)
13 Wales +8 (152)
T14 Finland +10 (154)
T14 Italy +10 (154)
T16 Austria +12 (156)
T16 France +12 (156)
T16 Switzerland +12 (156)
Click here for the full team competition leaderboard.
In the individual competition, Arora’s 4-under 68 leads by a single shot, followed closely by Savannah De Bock of Belgium at 3-under 69. A trio of players – Ting-Hsuan Huang of Chinese Taipei, along with Spanish teammates Andrea Revuelta and Cayetana Fernández – sit T3 to round out the top-five at 2-under 70 through 18 holes of play.
The following are Top-10 results in the individual competition at the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
1 Angela Arora, Canada 68 (-4)
2 Savanah De Bock, Belgium 69 (-3)
T3 Ting-Hsuan Huang, Chinese Taipei 70 (-2)
T3 Andrea Revuelta, Spain 70 (-2)
T3 Cayetana Fernández, Spain 70 (-2)
T6 Larissa Carrillo, Mexico 71 (-1)
T6 Meja Őrtengren, Sweden 71 (-1)
T8 Emilia Väistö, Finland 72 (E)
T8 María José Marin, Colombia 72 (E)
T8 Marie-Agnes Fischer, Germany 72 (E)
T8 Anna Huang, Canada 2 72 (E)
T8 Lauren Kim, Canada 1 72 (E)
T8 Michelle Liu, Canada 1 72 (E)
Click here for a link to the full individual leaderboard.
In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—are competing Oct. 12-15 at Angus Glen for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
The second round of the 72-hole competition gets underway Thursday morning at 8:30am with the final groups teeing off at 9:50am. Admission to the competition is free.
This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.
With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Republic of Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.
A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior Girls competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.
Angus Glen Golf Club, which is hosting the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.
Additional information regarding the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp heads to TPC Toronto
CALEDON, ONT. – Forty-seven players from 8 Canadian provinces have travelled to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont., to compete in the annual playing of the Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp, which is taking place September 8-11, 2022
This event’s main purpose is to help Golf Canada’s High Performance staff assess and evaluate some of the best Canadian golfers under the age of 21 who are not currently playing collegiate golf.
The selection camp includes a skills testing portion run concurrent to a practice round and a 54-hole stroke play event which gets underway Friday, September 9th and concludes Sunday, September 11th.
The boy’s and girl’s division champions of the 54-hole stroke play event receive an exemption onto the 2023 Team Canada NextGen Squad. The top-3 girls also receive exemptions to the 2022 World Junior Girls team to be played October 10-15, 2022 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
Canada finishes T7 at Women’s World Amateur Team Championship
FRANCE – Canada’s trio of Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont., and Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., finished in tie for seventh place at the 2022 World Amateur Team Championship in France this week.
The Canadians combined for a total score of 2-under-par on the tournament and were lead by Rivers who finished T10 in the Espirito Santo individual competition. The 17-year-old Rivers fired rounds of 75-70-71-69 to close her championship at 1-under-par.
Kim was T33, while Gal finished T64 in 164-player field which included representatives from 56 countries.
The top-10 result matches Canada’s efforts from the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship where Maddie Szeryk, Jaclyn Lee and Naomi Ko teamed up for a seventh place finish.
Sweden won the Espirito Santo Trophy for the third time on a tiebreaker over the hard-charging USA at the 29th Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche on Saturday.
The Swedes and Americans tied at 13-under par 559 but after comparing non-counting scores, a 1-over-par 73 from Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist was one stroke better than Rachel Kuehn’s 74 giving Sweden the gold medal and the USA the silver. One stroke behind at 560, Germany and Japan tied for the bronze-medal position.
Ingrid Lindblad, ranked No 2 in the world, fired a 3-under 69 and Meja Ortengren added a 2-under 70 as Sweden made up five strokes on Germany, who held the 54-hole.
“Yesterday we were on our way to good scores (at Le Golf National), and we lost everything in the end,” said Sweden’s head of delegation Fredrik Wetterstrand. “Today, everything went our way, our scores and the other team’s scores. I admit it was a little lucky today. Our team played really well. They were fighting hard on the course, and they did it together”
In winning its first medal since capturing bronze in Turkey in 2012, Sweden rebounded from a disappointing fourth-place position in Round 3 after holding the 36-hole lead.
“I knew pretty much all day that I had a counting score,” said Lindblad. “We knew that after yesterday at Le Golf National we would have to go for it whether we finished second or 14th. Meja made about a seven-footer for par on the 18th which was so important for us. That was great.”
The USA, which began the day four strokes behind Germany, battled its way to a one-stroke lead on the tee of the 72nd hole after a birdie on the 17th by No.1-ranked Rose Zhang.
Zhang, a member of Stanford University’s 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Championship team, missed the green with her approach on 18 and could not convert a par-saving putt that brought on the tiebreaker. She finished with a 3-under 69 and Stanford and USA Curtis Cup teammate Rachel Heck shot 70.
“There is obviously that tinge of disappointment,” Zhang said. “On that last putt, I actually hit a really good putt exactly where I wanted but it just didn’t go in the hole. It was disappointing to end that way, but I am really proud of how we fought back on the last day.”
Germany could not find its form of Round 3 and posted a fourth-round 145 left them tied with Japan, who held a short-lived lead early in the round based on a 4-under 68 from Mizuki Hashimoto, the 2021 Asia Pacific Amateur champion. Teammates Saki Baba, the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, and Mika Ueta both shot 70.
Helen Briem led Germany with an even par 72 and Celina Rosa Sattelkau shot 73.
“It wasn’t our day, but the girls kept fighting,” said Germany captain Pia Gassner, who played in the WWATC in 2008 and 2010. “It was so close that we knew we needed to make birdies, but we just couldn’t make them. We didn’t lose the gold today; we won the bronze.”
Spain, who held a late lead, was fifth at 561, Chinese Taipei was sixth at 566, Canada and Scotland tied for seventh at 570 and the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea tied for ninth at 572.
The winning team receives custody of the Espirito Santo Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship in Dubai, UAE, in October of 2023. Members of the winning team receive gold medals; members of the second-place team receive silver medals; and members of the third-place teams receive bronze medals.
Although there is no official recognition, Sweden’s Ortengren, Germany’s Briem and the USA’s Zhang tied for the low individual score at 7-under-par 279.
Canada’s Corey Conners sits T2 after Round 2 of BMW Championship
WILMINGTON, Del. – Adam Scott felt he was playing well enough that he should start seeing some better scores at some point. That moment appears to have arrived at just the right time.
Scott put together another tidy round Friday except for one hole _-a double bogey on the 17th – for a 2-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the BMW Championship.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler opened with three straight birdies and then cooled for 67, while Jordan Spieth’s hopes for a bogey-free round ended by a few inches when his tee shot caught the sticky first cut instead of the fairway. His bogey gave him a 67.
They were one shot behind, along with Cameron Young (68) and Corey Conners (67).
I felt like the last two days I’ve played really solid, gotten the ball in position off the tee, had a lot of good iron shots. Felt like I’m striking the ball well, and I’m just trying to give myself as many looks as possible.
Corey Conners
Scott, who was at 8-under 134, wasn’t sure how much golf would be on is plate in August. He was No. 77 in the FedEx Cup, not assured of even making it to the BMW Championship, until a tie for fifth last week in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener.
That was enough of a spark, and now he’s looking to cash in as one of the top 30 players who make it to the FedEx Cup finale next week in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.
“I’m in great shape going into the weekend. I don’t even know when the last time I led a tournament was,” Scott said.
He won at Riviera in 2020. His last 36-hole lead was at Doral for a World Golf Championship in 2016, which he went on to win.
“I certainly haven’t had my best stuff for quite a while. It’s been a battle for sure,” he said. “But that’s how this game is. I’d like to make the most of this position now over the next 36 holes.”
A brief look behind would remind him it won’t be easy, and the Australian knows this.
Spieth has looked solid over two days at Wilmington Country Club, with only one bogey in each round. He missed the cut last week and feels his postseason didn’t start until Monday when he arrived at Wilmington. That’s not just about trying to erase a bad memory.
Spieth headed to southern tip of Baja California after the British Open, wanting a break before the hectic finish to the season. One problem. Upon returning to Dallas, every course he plays was closed, and his only option was hitting from a stall in a practice facility.
Only when he arrived in Tennessee last week did he realize his swing had stayed on vacation, and his coach wasn’t available to join him until Delaware. He turned it around quickly.
“I feel like I’m doing everything good, nothing spectacular, but I feel like in every facet of my game, it’s trending and improving, and I know what to do to get it better and better,” Spieth said. “Certainly feels really good. Coming into the weekend, it’s a good opportunity to just have a lot of trust, focus on trying to win this golf tournament, not think about next week.”
Scheffler also missed the cut last week and joined Spieth and others at Pine Valley on Sunday. And then he opened with three short birdies, didn’t make too many mistakes the rest of the way and will be in the final group with Scott on Saturday.
Conner is at No. 29 and is in a great spot to protect his position for East Lake. Young seems to play great every week – twice contending in majors, five runner-up finishes for the season. One win would tick a lot of boxes on his list of goals.
Xander Schauffele holed out with a wedge on the 17th hole for an eagle and a 69, and he was in he group two shots behind that included defending champion Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy, who chipped in for birdie on his final hole for another 68.
Scott didn’t get a finish quite that good. He was sailing along on a warm, breezy afternoon when he pushed his tee shot near a tree. The lie was clean, but his punch shot toward the fairway hung up in rough. From there he didn’t reach the green or get up-and-down, and all that meant a double bogey.
“It’s a good reminder for the weekend that I’ve really got to keep it under control and don’t want to have too many get off the map and get out of position around here,” Scott said.
Golf Canada names team for 2022 World Amateur Team Championships
(August 18, 2022) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce today the six athletes that will represent Team Canada at the 2022 World Amateur Team Championships, conducted by the International Golf Federation in France, outside the capital city of Paris.
Representing Canada on the women’s side will be Lauren Kim, 17, of Surrey B.C., Nicole Gal, 17, of Oakville, Ont, and Brooke Rivers, 17, of Brampton, Ont. The trio will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy in the 29th playing of the women’s competition, August 24-27 at Le Golf National (Albatros Course) and Golf de Saint-Nom-de-la-Bretèche (Red Course).
Donning the red and white for the men’s team will be Johnny Travale, 21, of Stoney Creek, Ont., Garrett Rank, 34, of Elmira, Ont., and A.J. Ewart, 23, of Coquitlam, B.C. – the three highest ranked Canadian men on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The Canadian squad will vie for the Eisenhower Trophy during the 32nd edition of the men’s tournament, also being contested at Le Golf National (Albatros Course) and Golf de Saint-Nom-de-la-Bretèche (Red Course), August 31 – September 3.
“The World Amateur Team Championships provide our players with an opportunity to compete against the best amateurs from nations around the world,” said Kevin Blue, Chief Sport Officer at Golf Canada. “This year’s team includes deserving candidates that continue to demonstrate excellence on the international stage, and we are confident they will represent Canada and themselves very well.”
Team Canada Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach, Salimah Mussani, will captain the women’s team, while Team Canada Men’s Head Coach, Derek Ingram, will handle coaching duties for the men’s team.
Women’s Team Bios:
Nicole Gal, a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad for two years running, will lead Team Canada into the World Amateur Team Championships as the highest ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. In June, Gal posted a 5th place finish at the Women’s Porter Cup. Two weeks later, she led the charge for Team Canada at the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, guiding the junior girls to a bronze medal finish in Japan while finishing T4 in the individual competition. Most recently, the Ole Miss freshman reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Junior Girls Championship, played in Bowling Green, KY. The 2021 Canadian Junior Girls champion will look to use her winning nature to power the Canucks to a podium finish in France.
Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., also a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad, earned a spot on the team with strong performances in 2022. The 17-year-old, who has committed to the University of Texas, is no stranger to the big stage; in June, she competed against the world’s best at the U.S. Women’s Open, posting rounds of 73-75. Her talents were on full display again at the 2022 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship where she demonstrated resilience and poise en route to a 3rd place finish. Kim is currently competing at the 2022 Niagara Canada Summer Games – where she leads – before crossing the pond to represent her country on the global stage.
Brooke Rivers, a two-year member of Team Canada, burst on to the Canadian golf scene in 2019 when she won the NextGen Quebec Championship, and followed that up with another victory at the Coca Cola Junior Championship. That was only the beginning for the Brampton, Ont. native. The following year, Rivers was crowned champion of the prestigious North and South Junior Championship at Pinehurst, which gained her automatic entry into the renown North and South Amateur Championship earlier this season. The 17-year-old also finished second at the Porter Cup and recorded a 5th place showing at the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
Men’s Team Bios
Johnny Travale’s excellence in the classroom reflects his play on the golf course. A Dean’s List nomination in the Fall 2022 semester was a signature highlight for the Stoney Creek, Ont. native in his senior year at the University of Central Florida. An impressive 2021-22 season that featured three top-5 finishes, four top-10 results and five top-20 showings earned him a unanimous nod as an All-AAC performer for the second straight year. His strong play earned an invitation to the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, his first start in a PGA TOUR event. Travale’s 106th ranking on the World Amateur Golf Rankings is the highest among Canadian men, followed closely by World Amateur teammates Rank and Ewart.
Garrett Rank is no stranger to competing for Canada at the World Amateur Team Championships, having done so in 2018 and 2016. Now, he brings that wealth of experience into this year’s edition of the championship and mentor his young teammates in their bid for the Eisenhower Trophy. The Elmira, Ont., native has previously won three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships – a feat he accomplished in consecutive years – and will seek a fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title prior to departing for Paris. The NHL referee’s 2021 golf season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Porter Cup and a 9th place finish at the U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Rank also boasts the experience of representing Canada in the 2015 Pan-American Games, where he finished 15th.
A.J. Ewart made a lasting impression in his junior year at Barry University, winning seven events to tie his countryman Adam Svensson’s school record for the most victories in a single season. The Coquitlam, B.C. native’s superb play in the collegiate ranks earned him the NCAA DII Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award, as well as a PING All-American first team nomination. Ewart received an exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open and will look to continue his strong play in Paris.
Canada’s Monet Chun finishes runner-up at U.S. Women’s Amateur
University Place, WA – Displaying superb ball striking, near-flawless putting and a killer competitive instinct, Saki Baba put on a clinic at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. The 17-year-old from Japan defeated 21-year-old Monet Chun of Canada (Richmond, Hill, Ont.), 11 and 9, at Chambers Bay. With the victory, Baba becomes just the second player from Japan to win a USGA championship, after Michiko Hattori won this title in 1985.
“It’s just amazing. I just can’t believe it,” said an emotional Baba through a translator. “I was able to [play] my kind of golf. Yeah, everything just went smoothly.”
Baba’s kind of golf was very effective at Chambers Bay. She won the first hole with a par after Chun, a junior at the University of Michigan, hit into the dunes to the right and struggled to get back into play. After the two finalists tied the second hole with birdies, Baba won the next three in a row to build a 4-up lead that quickly felt much larger.
Baba, who relentlessly hits fairways and greens and seems to make just about every putt inside 10 feet, increased her lead to 5 up through eight holes. Chun, a steady player in her own right, was not able to mount a sustained comeback even when she hit quality shots.
“Honestly, I was trying to match it up, but it was pretty amazing just to watch,” said Chun. “She was going for every pin, making every putt, and that’s hard to match up.
A prime example was the scenic, downhill par-4 14th hole. After both players split the fairway with their drives, Chun, who was 6 down at the time, played first and hit her approach to 15 feet. Baba, unfazed, struck a near-perfect iron shot that nestled just 7 feet from the hole. Chun missed her birdie, Baba made hers, and the lead was 7 up, which was where it stood at the midway point of the 36-hole final.
I’m extremely proud. I couldn’t have imagined making it this far, and being here, it’s an incredible honor and also just great to represent [the University of] Michigan and Canada, as well.”
2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur runner-up Monet Chun
Chun will tee-it-up next at the 2022 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.
During a lengthy break for lunch and warm-up, Baba received ice and heat treatment for her lower back. She held her lower-left back as she walked off two teeing grounds just after the start of the second 18. Perhaps sensing an opportunity, Chun rolled in a birdie putt on the par-4 second hole and won the par-3 third with a par to trim Baba’s lead to 5 up.
The par-5 fourth hole proved to be a turning point. Chun, playing first, hit a wedge approach to 6 feet behind the hole. Baba was just in front of the green in two but faced a difficult path to get her ball close. She played an exquisite high pitch that rolled up 7 feet below the hole. Showing the feel for the greens that helped her defeat five previous opponents, Baba rolled in the birdie putt to put the pressure on Chun, who missed. What looked like a hole that could have gone Chun’s way instead went for Baba, and the historic rout was back on.
Baba won the next four holes, three of them with birdies, to cap off the final margin of victory and put herself into the USGA annals as one of the most dominant victors in championship history.
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Results from Sunday’s championship match at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, played at 6,542-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay
Saki Baba, Japan (147) def. Monet Chun, Canada (149), 11 and 9
Four players surge into semi-finals on breezy day at Chambers Bay
After arriving in the U.S. in May, 17-year-old Saki Baba of Japan has shown an affinity for American golf. She made the cut in the U.S. Women’s Open (T-49), was the stroke-play medalist and reached the Round of 32 at the U.S. Girls’ Junior and now is into the final four of the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay.
During Friday’s quarterfinal, Baba shone brighter than the August sunshine at Chambers Bay by defeating 21-year-old Lauren Lehigh of Loveland, Colo., 4 and 3. After the players tied the first five holes, Baba made four straight birdies – including a chip-in on No. 7 – to pull away from Lehigh. Her lead reached 5 up after a highlight-reel approach on the 281-yard par-4 12th, where she spun a wedge from 118 yards into the hole for an eagle.
“Lauren’s drive went to a really good position,” said Baba through a translator. “I just had to make that birdie. That’s where I aimed it, and I didn’t expect it to go in. I’m really happy about it.”
Baba’s opponent in Saturday’s semifinal round will be fellow 17-year-old Bailey Shoemaker of Dade City, Fla., who defeated Leigh Chien of Irvine, Calif., 5 and 3. Like Baba, Shoemaker tied for 49th at the U.S. Women’s Open, and just three weeks ago made a run to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Girls’ Junior. In April, she was runner-up with partner Kaitlyn Schroeder in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in Puerto Rico.
While she didn’t have her best stuff on Friday, making only one birdie compared with the 8-under golf she played in defeating future USC teammate Amari Avery in the Round of 16, the high school senior used crisp ball-striking and timely putting to defeat Chien.
“Pars are your friend, especially on a day like this with tough conditions,” said Shoemaker. “The wind was up and the greens were faster, too, for sure. It was good to be able to just get by, and I know I’m still confident.”
In the first quarterfinal match, Annabel Wilson of Ireland was seeking to continue her winning formula: birdie the par-5 first hole and build an insurmountable lead, this time against Catherine Rao of Camarillo, Calif. Wilson did win the first hole, with a par, but Rao got it back at the third hole and the two were tied for most of the match until Wilson was able to win Nos. 15-17 to clinch the 3-and-1 victory.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever played this course in the wind, and it really picked up on the back nine,” said Wilson, a 21-year-old UCLA senior. “It becomes a completely different strategy. I had to adapt, and I did that well out there.”
The match between Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, Calif., and Monet Chun of Canada was tight throughout and included some memorable late fireworks. The players were tied when they reached the par-3 17th hole, where Chun struck the shot of the championship by holing a delicate bunker shot for birdie to take a 1-up lead heading to 18. Navarrosa poured in a gutsy birdie putt to win that hole and extend the match. The players moved on to play the par-4 10th (19th hole of the match), and Navarrosa found trouble off the tee while Chun striped a drive and hit an approach to the middle of the green to seal the victory.
“That was a pretty exciting last couple holes there, and it was definitely intense,” said Chun, who won the Canadian Women’s Amateur earlier this summer. Chun will play Wilson in the first semifinal match on Saturday.
Brooke Henderson in fine form for her return to the CP Women’s Open
When Smith Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson returns to Ottawa for the CP Women’s Open later this summer, she will undoubtedly be greeted with a rock star reception from the hometown crowd.
Having recently won her second career major at the Amundi Evian Championship, Henderson is now the only Canadian golfer to have captured multiple majors – Mike Weir and Sandra Post both have one each to their names.
While the former Canadian National Team Member led throughout the first three rounds at the Amundi Evian Championship, she did run into a bit of turbulence in the fourth round and had to dig deep to secure her second major.
Despite not playing her best golf in the final round, Henderson stayed composed and was clutch when she needed to be.
“Not the start that I wanted, but I stayed pretty patient, as patient as I could under those circumstances,” she said right after winning at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.
“The saying is that majors are won on the back nine on Sunday, so I just tried to keep that frame of mind, and knew I was still in it if I could have a solid back (nine).”
Heading into the 18th hole, Henderson was tied at 16 under with American Sophia Schubert but she would drain an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole to secure the victory.
“I made some clutch putts and shots down the stretch, which really helped. I’m just super excited to have my second major championship win; 12 wins on tour is pretty cool, too,” noted the Canadian LPGA superstar. “Really excited for what the rest of the season holds.”
Two other big tournaments on Henderson’s radar include the Women’s British Open in early August and the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt Club from Aug. 22-28.
The 24-year-old was home last month for media day and to promote the return of the CP Women’s Open to the nation’s capital. The LPGA superstar spoke about her fond memories from the last time the tournament was held in Ottawa.
“In 2017, when I showed up on Thursday morning, my tee time, I think, was 8 o’clock and I was thinking there’s going to be a couple of people watching. But when I showed up to the first tee there was lines of people on both sides – it was just a phenomenal experience,” said Henderson, who is an honorary member at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum recalls the excitement around the 2017 CP Women’s Open.
“Many will know this story, but Brooke had to make a birdie on her 18th hole in order to make the cut. And what does Brooke do? She makes birdie,” Applebaum recalled.
“She goes out the next day and shoots 63 – a course record. It was a spectacular 24 hours and it was amongst one of most amazing things I’ve ever seen. We have been continually amazed by this athlete over last few years.”
A year later, at the 2018 CP Women’s Open in Regina, Henderson became the first Canadian in 45 years to win Canada’s national open.
The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will make its long-awaited return to Canada this year at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.
Tournament Director Ryan Paul speaks about the excitement building around the return of the LPGA’s best this year.
“Golf fans in this community have gotten behind our National Women’s Open Championship in a major way,” he said. “We can’t wait to get back to Ottawa Hunt and put on a can’t miss summer celebration.”
Henderson will be joined by fellow Canadians Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Maddie Szeryk, Alena Sharp, Jaclyn Lee, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Selena Costabile, Monet Chun, and Lorie Kane—who earlier announced this year will be her last. A number of other Canadians are expected to receive exemptions into the star-studded 156-player field in the coming weeks.
One of the new additions for 2022 is the rink which will be situated on the par-3 17th hole. Having also played hockey as a goaltender growing up, Henderson is eager to test out the hockey themed hole later this summer.
“I was super excited when Golf Canada mentioned that they were going to bring The Rink over to the LPGA Tour. I think the fans are going to be so wild and fired up. It will be super exciting and I’m really excited to seeing what it looks like,” she said during media day in June.
Now with 12 LPGA victories and two majors to her name, the 24-year-old Canadian is arguably – at present – the most successful Canadian athlete across all the major sports.
And she is eager to continue that success on home soil later this summer.
“My sixth major on the LPGA Tour is always this one. This is a huge week for me, for us, and I always want to play my best,” said Henderson about the CP Women’s Open.
Given all the success, there’s definitely and buzz and excitement surrounding her homecoming at the end of August. And the 24-year-old from Smiths Falls is eager to bring her ‘A’ game for the pumped up and energetic Canadian golf fans later this summer.
I feel that there is a lot of momentum right now. I’m playing with quite a bit of confidence and I feel that I’m hitting the ball pretty well. I’m definitely looking forward to returning home later this summer and hopefully it will be a great week.
Brooke Henderson on the 2022 CP Women’s Open
Maude-Aimee Leblanc finishes T8 in Ladies Scottish Open
IRVINE, Scotland – Ayaka Furue of Japan ran off six straight birdies in the middle of her round and rallied from a four-shot deficit with a 10-under 62 to win the Women’s Scottish Open on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title.
A seven-time winner on the Japan LPGA _ once as an amateur _ Furue became the second rookie to win on the LPGA Tour this year, and she did it in style at Dundonald Links.
Starting the final round four shots behind Celine Boutier of France, the 22-year-old finished the front nine with four straight birdies and added two more to start the back nine. She never let up, playing bogey-free to win by three.
“I was four shots back. I thought it would be difficult to catch the top, good players. But I’m very happy I played good golf and I was able to come out as a winner,” Furue said. “I had the right mindset. I thought I had to go low, and I played very well.”
Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., opened the day in a tie for third, but dropped to a tie for eighth. Her round of 72 included a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey.
Boutier was still in good shape until making three bogeys on the back nine for a 69.
“I started making some bogeys and I feel like it’s not easy, playing in the final group. Then obviously when someone just has their day, you just can’t do anything about it really,” she said.
Furue finished at 21-under 267 and won $300,000, along with valuable momentum going into the final major of the year next week in the Women’s British Open at Muirfield.
She began to show her full potential late last year on the Japan LPGA when Furue won three tournaments in a four-week stretch and tied for third in the other. Furue finished second on the money list behind Olympic silver-medalist Moni Inami, earned an LPGA card through the qualifying tournament and came into the Women’s Scottish Open at No. 30 in the world.
Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea (66) and Cheyenne Knight of the United States (67) tied for third, four shots behind.
Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the 36-hole leader, faded to a 71-71 weekend and tied for fifth.