Samuel wins both the Senior and Super Senior titles; Team British Columbia won the Katherine Helleur Trophy as inter-provincial team champions
on Wednesday
Georgetown, Ont. – Terrill Samuel held off late charges from both Ellen Port and Shelly Stouffer to win the 2024 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO on Thursday at The Club at North Halton in Georgetown, Ont.
Samuel, of Etobicoke, Ont. shot a final round 1-under 71 to finish at 2-under and beat Ellen Port by one. Samuel finished with rounds of 72-71-71-214 to win the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship for a third time. With her previous wins coming in 2012 and 2015.
“It’s pretty exciting actually, I’m surprised how emotional you get when the final putt goes in,” said Samuel after signing her scorecard on Thursday.
Samuel entered the day with a four-shot lead over first round leader Port, of Sunset Hills, Mo. Samuel dropped a shot on the second while Port birdied no. 2 to cut the lead to two shots. Port gave one back with a bogey on six, before closing the front nine with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine to sit one behind Samuel.
“She’s an awesome player, she was putting and hitting it really well and I was trying to hang in and I said I’m still in the lead, I remember Tiger (Woods) saying that and I said ok I’m still in the lead and she’s got to still come at me and I was able to make some putts on the back side,” said Samuel on her thoughts through nine holes.
Ahead of the final group, was two-time Canadian Women’s Senior champion, Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C. who was making a run with six birdies on the front to also pull herself to within one of Samuel at the turn.
“You kind of need to know a little bit, but generally no, I’d rather just play my own game until the last hole,” Samuel said on whether or not she likes to know what’s happening around her.
When asked if she knew what was happening with Shelly on the front nine, “no, I had no idea, probably a good thing,” she said with a laugh.
All three women went on to record consecutive pars to begin their back nine from holes 10 through 13. It was on the 14th where Samuel would gain a stroke and go ahead of Port and Stouffer by two with a birdie.
“It was the first putt I made all day, so I was happy that finally one went in,” said Samuel. All three went on to par no. 15, Stouffer bogeyed no. 16 and closed with two pars to finish with a 4-under 68 and jump into third at 2-over.
On the 17th Port birdied and Samuel responded with one of her own to maintain a two-shot lead.
“I made a really good putt on 17 because she (Ellen) poured one in again and I was thinking she has to make two birdies on the last two holes to tie me and she did so thank goodness I made that birdie. Mine was pretty slippery coming down and she had an uphill putt, I was closer, but it was very treacherous, so I was glad it went in.”
On the 18th hole, both had birdie putts with Samuel leaving hers just short while Port drained her putt to finish with a 4-under 68 to get to 1-under for the tournament.
Samuel walked up to her short par putt, her neon yellow shirt piercing through the grey overcast skies as the crowd watch silently as her putt dropped to secure the national championship for a third time.
“It changed it, I don’t care, I missed a short putt this week and it wasn’t straight in, so it made it feel longer for sure,” said a relieved Samuel after tapping in on 18 for the win.
The win highlights a strong run for Samuel, having finished T19 and earning low amateur honours at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa. earlier this month.
“I’ve been playing well all season and even before that in Florida I played really well too. Usually, my swing can go off a little bit, but it hasn’t, I found something and it’s really working so I’m really happy. My ball striking is not an issue at all, the putting is, I didn’t putt well this week, but I hit the ball really well,” said a reflective Samuel.
In addition to the win, Samuel has earned an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championship taking place September 21-26 at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, Wash. Along with exemptions into the 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, 2025 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2025 U.S. Women’s Senior Open.
Samuel also won the Super Senior title, with Port finishing second and Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. finishing third.
On Wednesday, Team British Columbia battled to the final hole to claim the Inter-Provincial Team title for the second time in three years.
The team of Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C., Jackie Little of Procter, B.C. and Sandra Turbide of Maple Ridge, B.C. won together in 2022 at Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingley, Man. and did it again this year at The Club at North Halton finishing with a combined score of 16-over to win the Katherine Helleur Trophy by two.
Team Ontario consisting of, Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas, Ont., Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. and Debbie Court of Huntsville, Ont. tied for second with Team Quebec at 18-over. Quebec was represented by, Suzanne Ricard of Montreal, Que., Marie-Thérèse Torti of Candiac, Que., and Helen Chartrand of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.
The Senior and Super Senior championship rounds were played concurrently over 54 holes. The cut line was set at 32-over with 72 players advancing to Thursday’s final round. Players over 50 were eligible to compete in the Senior championship and those 60 and over were eligible to compete for the Super Senior title.
For the final leaderboard from the 2024 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.