When the third annual World Junior Girls Championship takes centre stage at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club  September 25-30, fans of the sport will focus upon the tournament between the talented 18-and-under female golfers from across the globe. But the organizers of the competition and the events surrounding the championship have a larger goal in mind – the continued development of the sport.

“The World Junior Girls Championship is about more than this year’s competitors and the chance to learn through international competition,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “It is also about the promotion of junior girls golf in the Mississauga community and Canada as a whole.

“Through our partners at Mississaugua and our excellent volunteers and committee members, we have brought together the surrounding communities to truly celebrate the game. While the championship itself brings together national golf federations from around the world, the events during tournament week will gather people from across the city in support of golf.”

A coaching summit will take place Sunday, September 25 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. PGA of Canada coaches will have the chance to meet with international coaches to exchange ideas and to share in coaching methodology. In the afternoon, a junior girls skills development clinic will see PGA of Canada members/coaches introduce and develop fundamental skills with aspiring golfers from the community.

On Wednesday, September 28, a special clinic will be conducted in partnership with Golf Fore the Cure – a national program aimed at women’s participation in golfing activities and raising funds towards breast cancer research. In the 2016, the initiative raised over $270,000 in the fight against breast cancer, while more than 10,000 women took part in 140 events across Canada.

A total of 47 athletes will take part in the 2016 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship, including the six players selected to don the red and white of Team Canada. Canada One will be comprised of Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.), Mary Parsons (Delta, B.C.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.). As host of the competition, Canada will field a second team made up of Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.), Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.) and Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.).

The four-day tournament’s opening round gets underway on Tuesday, September 27.

The public is welcome to attend. Admission to the competition is free.

For more info, visit worldjuniorgirls.com.

Nestled against the Credit River, within shouting distance of Lake Ontario and a mere 17 minutes (without traffic, of course) from downtown Toronto, lays one of the country’s most iconic and celebrated layouts.

And when Mississaugua Golf and Country Club hosts the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship from September 27-30, all eyes will once again be on the Percy Barrett/George Cumming/Donald Ross/Stanley Thompson design.

But, you don’t have to travel all the way to Mississauga to check out the venerable layout. Here’s a bird’s eye view of all 18 holes.

And, here’s a unique look at the historic clubhouse.

For more info on the World Junior Girls Championship, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – When the world gathers at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club for the third annual World Junior Girls Championship, a returning champion will be among the familiar faces at the tournament. A total of 47 athletes will represent 15 countries, including 2014 individual winner Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif.

“We are extremely excited for this year’s field,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “There are not many opportunities in terms of international competitions for girls of this age-group. These players are some of the best junior girls in the world and Golf Canada, Golf Ontario and our partners are thrilled to host them in a tournament where they can continue their growth and development.

“The World Junior Girls Championship is a chance for them to not only measure themselves against the world’s golfing talents, but to also learn from their fellow competitors. The 47 athletes in this championship represent the future of international women’s golf over the next few years, both in terms of their skills on the course and the camaraderie they share away from it.”

A then 15-year-old Liu claimed medallist honours at the inaugural World Junior Girls Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., and paced Team USA to a convincing 18-stroke victory. The Stanford University commit opened 2016 with a win at the 90^th annual South Atlantic Women’s Amateur Championship. The No. 21 player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, alongside teammates Jennifer Chang from Cary, N.C., and 2015 returnee Elizabeth Wang of San Marino, Calif., will aim to return to the winners’ circle following Team USA’s fifth-place showing last year.

Mexico’s Isabella Fierro and Finland’s Anna Backman will return for their third stints at the world’s premiere junior girls competition. A 15-year-old Fierro claimed a share of 16^th last year and is hoping to build upon a season which has included a win at the 2016 Mexicana Campeonato Nacional Juvenil. Backman, then 17, earned sixth in 2015 and is coming off a third-place finish at the 2016 Duke of York Young Champions tournament.

Eight players from last year’s competition at The Marshes in Ottawa will return in hopes of improving upon their 2015 results. Angelica Moresco, who finished with a share of 23^rd last year, and her Italian teammates represent the only nation in the 2016 competition with all three members sitting within the Top-200 in the world.

In 2015, the trio representing the Republic of Korea captured a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Paju-si, South Korea native Hye-jin Choi finished 12-under to win the individual title by seven strokes. While Choi – who claimed the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship – and her former teammates will not be present to defend their 2016 titles, a new team of three will proudly represent Korea, looking to continue the country’s winning ways.

Including the Canadians in the field, a total of 37 players will be making their debuts at the World Junior Girls Championship with teams representing the Philippines and Germany taking part in this competition for the first time. Aside from Liu, 17-year-old Esther Henseleit of Hamburg, Germany – whose resume includes a third-place showing at the 2016 German International Ladies Amateur Championship – is the highest-ranked player at No. 113.

The 41 international athletes join the six players chosen to represent the host nation. Canada One will be comprised of Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.), Mary Parsons (Delta, B.C.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.). As host of the competition, Canada will field a second team made up of Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.), Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.) and Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.).

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will celebrate the sport and focus upon the promotion and development of junior girls golf. Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic on Sunday, September 25, as well as a Golf Fore the Cure clinic on Wednesday, September 28.

The four-day tournament’s opening round gets underway on Tuesday, September 27.

Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the third annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.

Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., has already had the kind of season that most junior golfers dream of, but later this month she’ll get to experience the proverbial ‘cherry on top’ of a fine year.

The 16-year-old was just recently chosen to represent Canada at the World Junior Girls Championship at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club – her home course.

“Everybody I know at the club is so thrilled,” says Currie. “They’ve been incredibly supportive of me and Team Canada and the whole event in general. Having everybody there is going to be incredible.”

Earlier this summer Currie defended her Investors Group Ontario Junior Girls’ Golf Championship, becoming just the fifth golfer in history to accomplish that feat. Names like Sandra Post, Alena Sharp, Marlene Stewart Streit, and Brooke Henderson are the others who have pulled that feat.

Currie also captured the 2016 Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship and collected runner-up results at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Currie began to play at Mississaugua nearly a decade ago and has been climbing the junior ranks since she was a youngster. She was on Team Ontario for two years before being selected to Golf Canada’s Developmental Squad this year.

Nick Starchuk, the Head Teaching Professional at Mississaugua and coach to Currie, says having her in the field has the potential to be ‘huge for the club’ and Currie knows despite the fact the event is being played at her club, she’s going to treat the event like any other.

“You go away to a tournament, and the members ask or they’ll look (the scores) up online and text or email me, but they’ve never seen it for real,” Currie explains. “It’ll be cool for them to enter my little world.”

Currie, who has verbally committed to the College of Charleston in South Carolina, first thought that her high school – which is only 15 minutes away from the course – was going to have some days off to watch her play. That’s not the case, as it’s still early in the school year, but Currie has been told a number of her friends will be coming to watch her anyway.

“I know there’s a big group that wants to. We’ve been joking about it but I don’t know if it’s actually going to happen,” she says with a laugh. “I know the guys that I’m friends with who are members at Mississaugua – the rest of the juniors – they want to take a day or two off to come and watch.”

And although Currie is focused on a good result, there’s part of her that knows just by participating in front of her home club, she has an opportunity to have an impact on the next generation of golfers.

“That’s what’s cool,” states Currie. “Brooke (Henderson) obviously has inspired so many girls, but she’s inspired me too. I remember when she was playing in (the World Junior Girls Championship) at Angus Glen (in 2014). I remember reading and hearing about that. Brooke was only here two years ago, and it’s kind of incredible that I’m here now.”

Currie says there are two girls at Mississaugua who are less than 10 years old who are ‘so good,’ and Currie knows they are looking up to her.

“That’s what I did when I was nine and 10. They’re adorable and they look up to me, I’ve seen it. It’s cool that now, hopefully, I’m inspiring them a little bit,” she explains. “It’s cool to be inspired yourself, and then you hope that you give it back a little bit too.”

And regardless of her finish, she knows it will be nice to have the club behind her.

“To be able to share this experience with everyone who has been incredibly kind as I was growing up – I mean, they saw me on the range when I was a little girl and now I’m 16, doing this,” Currie says. “It’s pretty cool.”

Nestled against the Credit River, within shouting distance of Lake Ontario and a mere 17 minutes (without traffic, of course) from downtown Toronto, lays one of the country’s most iconic and celebrated layouts.

And when Mississaugua Golf and Country Club hosts the World Junior Girls Championship in late-September, all eyes will once again be on the Percy Barrett/George Cumming/Donald Ross/Stanley Thompson design.

How about that for a Murder’s Row of golf-course designers?

“If you look at our history, our club has always had a big amateur tournament every four or five years. We’re constantly looking to host something from an amateur perspective, and for the World Junior Girls, it was a no-brainer,” says Mississaugua’s Head Teaching Professional Nick Starchuk. “It’s pretty special from a member perspective.”

Mississaugua has hosted the Canadian Open six times, and the first two champions were Walter Hagen (1931) and Sam Snead (1938), while names like Jones, Hogan, Player, Palmer, and Nicklaus have all traversed the historic links. In it’s centennial year (2006), the club hosted the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship won by Richard Scott (his third).

The club has quite the golfing pedigree when it comes to great champions, and that’s not lost on those anxious to put the club once again on the world stage.

“It’s a old, traditional club. There’s a lot of tradition here,” says Starchuk. “Entering the grounds, you recognize this is a place that has been improving for the last 100 years. You know it’s going to be special.”

The course, a par 71, measuring 7,100 yards from the back tees (but more likely to play just under 6,000 yards for the World Junior Girls) features classic Stanley Thompson green sites meant to challenge and invigorate those who tee it up.

“The course is not going to give a flat lie, it’s not going to give a straight putt on the greens, and they’re going to have to deal with the Credit River,” explains Starchuck of the course’s many subtle challenges. “It’s a tighter course than this competition is used to.”

“It won’t be long for them, but it’s going to be challenging to hit the right tee shot, hit the right approach, and then make the putt. There are no easy pars out here,” he continues.

The holes that meander through the Valley will particularly be challenging for the girls. Holes four through 15, according to Director of Golf Dennis Firth, are ‘really strong.’

“They’re going to have to keep it in play all week,” states Firth. “Our rough has been very healthy all year despite the lack of rain and water. It’s a golf course that’s out in front of you, but it’s going to take just a complete effort from tee-to-green to score well.”

As far as the membership support goes, Mississaugua has been all-in since 2014 when the conversations first began to potentially host the event after Angus Glen and The Marshes the last two years.

“The momentum builds from the day you announce the event all the way to tournament week,” explains Firth. “(The excitement) continues to grow even though this tournament is relatively new in its lifespan. With Brooke (Henderson) competing just two years ago and seeing the meteoric rise of her and her game, it brings a lot of excitement.”

And not only will the Brooke Henderson Effect be on display in September, but Mississaugua is hoping one of their own makes the field as well.

Chloe Currie, a member at the venerable club, is in the running to be a part of Team Canada, having won some prestigious junior events this year. If she does make the team, Starchuck says it’s likely her private school in Oakville will take a day off to come and watch her making the potential “huge for the club.”

Starchuck says there wasn’t really a junior program at Mississaugua before he arrived five years ago. Now, it’s a thriving entity of the club.

“A big percentage of our juniors compete regionally, and some compete internationally. We have a junior program that is not an after-school thing,” he says. “You’re going to be in a program to play tournaments, and you’re going to win. We have 10 wins this year alone for kids at the club.”

Regardless of if Currie makes the team or not, the club will be a proud host, and, at least according to Starchuck, it can’t wait to get started.

“Being able to see this tournament at Angus Glen, and then at my home course in Ottawa, it’s massive,” he says. “It’s really big, and we’re so excited.”