Sisters Taylor (L) And Michelle Kim Are Two Very Supportive Sibling Rivals Who Now Find Themselves Both Ranked In The Top 10 Amateurs In The Country - Image Credit Aflie Lau

Weekly Top 10 Rankings - Golf Canada - Week of October 19, 2015

It was quite a week for B.C.’s Kim sisters in the Top-10. Taylor Kim picked up eight spots to climb up to a career-best No. 3 in the Canadian rankings while younger sister Michelle Kim jumped 33 spots and up to No. 5 in Canada following a third place finish at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invite.

The freshman at Idaho shot a career-best final round 69 which included a 30-foot putt on her final hole of the tournament. The result was enough to also land Kim 'Big Sky Conference Player of the Week' honours for the third time in four tournaments this fall.

Michelle is also tied for 17th in par-3 scoring in the U.S. “She has transitioned to college well and is building off the experience she gained this past summer at national events,” said her coach Lisa Johnson. That experience included winning the B.C. Women’s Amateur title over her older sister Taylor.

Michelle Kim, The British Columbia Women's And Junior Girls Champion Of 2015 Heads Up A Contingent Of 8 B.C. Players Who Will Represent Canada On The National Amateur Team Squads For 2016 - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by BCG editors with files from Golf Canada

OAKVILLE, Ont. – No fewer than 8 players from British Columbia have been named to the National Amateur Team squads for 2016. Those teams include the Men's and Women's National Amateur Teams as well as the Developmental Squad. The Young Pro Squad for 2016 is expected to be announced in mid-November.

SCGA 'Celebrities In Golf Carts' Host Mark Willard (Left) Watches As Brian Baumgartner (From TV's The Office) Successfully Completes The 'Chip A Golf Ball Into A Pitcher Of Beer' Challenge On The New Series Being Launched By The Southern California Golf Association 

The Southern California Golf Association, responsible for the SCGA Rules and Fitness tips seen here over the last few year, have now launched a new web series entitled “Celebrities in Golf Carts.”

In this golf and lifestyle series targeting sports and entertainment enthusiasts of all ages, host Mark Willard plays golf with popular stars and athletes, mixing in casual conversation before wrapping up with a brief competition and a beer.

B.C.'s Jared Du Toit (Shown Holding The BC Men's Amateur Trophy Has Been Nominated As The PNGA Men's Player Of The Year - Image Credit Alfie Lau

Courtesy Tom Cade and PNGA

At the end of each golfing season, the Pacific Northwest Golf Association selects the region’s Players of the Year in eight different categories: Men’s, Women’s, Mid-Amateur Men’s, Mid-Amateur Women’s, Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s, Junior Boys’, and Junior Girls’.

The players are voted on by the PNGA Championship Committee, and this committee extends to the NWGMA one vote in each category as part of the process.

Below are the nominees in each of the eight categories.

From Left, British Columbia Golf Executive Director Kris Jonasson, Retired Vancouver Province Editor, Reporter And Columnist And 2015 NWGMA Distinguished Service Award Recipient Kent “Cookie” Gilchrist And NWGMA President Tom Cade - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

It almost seemed like a roast when retired Vancouver Province editor, reporter and columnist Kent “Cookie” Gilchrist was named the 2015 recipient of the Northwest Golf Media Association Distinguished Service Award.

Kris Jonasson, executive director of the British Columbia Golf Association, nominated Gilchrist for the award and presented him to the 50-plus people who attended the NWGMA Awards Luncheon at Tacoma Golf & Country Club on Oct. 8.

Toni Taylor Shows Female Golfers Some Finger And Wrist Exercises At Richmond Country Club During A Women With Drive Workshop On Oct. 6 - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

All throughout the province, for most of September and October, women golfers have been getting together with certified PGA of Canada or LPGA coaches in Women With Drive, Get In The Game workshops funded by British Columbia Golf and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund.

“We’ve organized clinics all throughout the province which will enhance opportunities for women to gain interest and develop their golf skills so that we can continue to grow women’s golf,” said Debbie Pyne, the managing director for player development for British Columbia Golf. “We’ve had clinics all throughout the province and they have been well attended.”

British Columbia Golf's nomination committee is currently seeking individuals who have an interest and passion in engaging British Columbians in the sport of golf.

Following is the Memorandum that has been issued to Member Clubs, Zone Committees and Volunteers from Chair Michelle Collens and the Nomination Committee.

Team Canada's Junior Girls Pose For A 'Selfie' At The Junior World Championships In Ottawa - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

Scoreboards rarely tell the real story of a golf tournament and for five British Columbia girls who were selected to play at The Marshes for the World Junior Girls Championship, that could not be more true.

While South Koreans and Scandinavians dominated the top of the leaderboard, the Canadian girls, led by Alisha Lau, Kathrine Chan and Euna Han on Team Canada 2 and Hannah Lee, Tiffany Kong and Ontario’s Grace St-Germain on Team Canada 1, were the hometown favourites who bravely played on despite their golf games not being at their peaks.

The Five Members Of Team Canada Who Flew From BC To Play At The Marshes Were, From Left, Tiffany Kong, Alisha Lau, Kathrine Chan, Hannah Lee And Euna Han - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

It was a chilly final day for the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes in suburban Ottawa, but nothing could cool down Hye-Jin Choi and the South Korean girls.

Choi walked away with the individual title, with a stunning (-7) round of 65 to finish at (-12) 276, seven strokes clear of Denmark’s Cecilie Bofill. Choi shot under-par for all four of her rounds and salted away the title early, making four birdies on the front nine to stake herself to a comfortable five-stroke lead over Bofill as they made the turn.

Bofill shot a credible (-3) round of 69 to finish solo second at (-5) 283, three strokes clear of Sweden’s Filippa Moork, who finished third at (-2) 286.

Richmond’s Kathrine Chan Shot The Low Round Of The Six Canadian Players During Round 3 Of The World Junior Girls At The Marshes In Ottawa - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi, who was the first-round individual co-leader, shot a (-2) round of 70 and now sits at (-5) 211, one stroke ahead of Sweden’s Filippa Moork, who had the round of the day Thursday, a (-4) round of 68 which has her at (-4) 212 for the tournament.

Hannah Lee Hits Her Opening Tee Shot During Round 3 Of The World Junior Girls At The Marshes On Thursday - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

For the five British Columbia girls playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Girls just outside of Ottawa, it hasn’t gone like they would have liked on the golf course. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun as they experience a week in Canada’s capital.

The team is staying in the luxurious Brookstreet Hotel, which overlooks the course and is filled with business travellers. That’s because all around the course are the Canadian and worldwide head offices for massive tech companies like Wilan and Huawei.

This is the world of Sir Terry Matthews, who owns The Marshes and many of the buildings and land all around this area in Kanata, approximately 25 kilometres from downtown Ottawa.

Richmond’s Alisha Lau Talks With Coach Mike Martz After Round 2 Of The World Junior Girls At The Marshes In Ottawa. Lau Is The Top Canadian And Martz’s Team Canada 2 Is The Top Canadian Squad In The Tournament - Image Credit Alfe Lau

by Alfie Lau

On a day when many international players broke par and tamed The Marshes during Round 2 of the World Junior Girls Championship, Team Canada 1 and 2 had a tough day on the links.

Richmond’s Alisha Lau is the top Canadian after her second-round (+2) 74 has her at (+6) 150 for the tournament. Her Team 2 teammate Kathrine Chan also improved on her opening round 79 with a (+3) 75 which included two birdies in her final three holes.

Richmond’s Alisha Lau Turns 16 In October And Is On The Radar Of Many College Coaches Looking To Add To Their Teams In Upcoming Years - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

They’re not hard to miss: coaches sporting hats and golf shirts with their school logos on them scouting 44 of the best u-19 female golfers in the world.

The World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes in suburban Ottawa is a great place for coaches to see top 100 amateur golfers such as South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi (#51 in the most recent World Amateur Golf Rankings), Italy’s Carlotta Ricolfi (#56) and Australia’s Karis Davidson (#74) and Hannah Green (#49).

But every golfer in the field is a potential recruit, simply because girls mature at different ages and someone currently ranked 610 right now might be a top 100 player within a couple of years.

Number 610 is Canada’s top-ranked player, 17-year-old Grace St-Germain of Orleans, ON, who was offered multiple scholarship offers before she decided on Daytona College in Florida.

Team Canada 2 Coach Mike Martz, Far Left, And Team Canada 1 Coach Ann Carroll, Far Right, Are Happy Round 1 Of The World Junior Girls Is In The Books And Are Hopeful Their Teams Can Rebound With Three Rounds To Go At The Marshes In Ottawa - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

For Ann Carroll and Mike Martz, it was just one round of four. 

While their squads, Carroll’s Team Canada 1 and Martz’s Team Canada 2, trail other countries after Round 1 of the World Junior Girls at The Marshes in Ottawa, they’re both optimistic that things will change with three rounds to go.

“It was a good day because I saw a lot of fight back in my team,” said Martz. “Euna had a tough start and then she made some birdies to get it back and I’m pretty happy for her.”

Tiffany Kong Of Vancouver Had The Low Score For Team Canada 1 With A (+3) Round Of 75 - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

The sun was shining, but when the wind picked up, it blew up the scores of the six Canadian girls playing in the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes in suburban Ottawa.

The best Canadian scores came from Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong and Coquitlam’s Euna Han, who each carded (+3) scores of 75. Kong is on Team Canada 1 and her teammates Hannah Lee of Surrey, at (+5) 77 and Grace St-Germain of Orleans, ON, at (+6) 78, were also undone by the winds, which blew entirely differently than during their practice rounds on Sunday and Monday.

From Left, Euna Han, Alisha Lau, Tiffany Kong And Kathrine Chan Putt In A Line At Quilchena Prior To Leaving For The World Junior Girls In Ottawa - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

The junior’s room at Quilchena Golf & Country Club in Richmond isn’t big, but with a large couch and two comfy armchairs, it’s usually more than enough for young golfers wanting to relax away from prying adult eyes.

So when Alisha Lau, Kathrine Chan, Tiffany Kong and Euna Han meet up just prior to flying out to Ottawa to represent Canada at the second World Junior Girls golf championship, it’s amazing that all four of them squeeze themselves onto the couch, in descending order of age.

Coach Mike Martz With The Six Members Of Team Canada, From Left, Euna Han, Tiffany Kong, Kathrine Chan, Hannah Lee, Grace St-Germain And Alisha Lau - Image Credit Alfie Lau

by Alfie Lau

Of the 44 u-19 golfers standing in golf blazers, skirts and black dress shoes for the opening ceremonies of the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes in suburban Ottawa, it wasn’t hard to miss the six in the traditional red of Canada.

Five British Columbia girls, Hannah Lee and Tiffany Kong on Team Canada 1 with Ontario’s Grace St-Germain; and the all-BC Team Canada 2 squad of Alisha Lau, Kathrine Chan and Euna Han, were nervously waiting for the bagpiper to lead the 14 teams out for the ceremony.

Pat O'donnell (L) And Denny Taylor, Winners Of The 33Rd Pacific Northwest Men's Senior Team Championship - PNGA

Courtesy Pacific Northwest Golf Golf Association

Denny Taylor of Gladstone, Ore. and Pat O’Donnell of Happy Valley, Ore. teamed to win the 33rd Pacific Northwest Men’s Senior Team Championship, while two teams consisting of British Columbia golfers came in the top five.

The championship was held at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort, and was conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).

Canada's Newest LPGA Star, Brooke Henderson - Seen Here Playing In The CP Women's Open At Vancouver GCC -  Was A Participant In Last Year's World Junior Girls Championship At Angus Glen - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski 

by Alfie Lau

The inaugural World Junior Girls Golf Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club last September has proven to be a great indicator of future golf success.

As the second World Junior Girls Golf Championship is set to take place Sept. 20-25 at The Marshes Golf Club in suburban Ottawa, it’s instructive to take a look at where last year’s teenagers have taken their game since that tournament.

John Gallacher And Gudmund Lindbjerg Will Defend Their PNGA Senior Team Championship Title At Sunriver Resort In Oregon This Week - Image Courtesy  PNGA

via PNGA press release

Sunriver, Ore. – The 33rd Pacific Northwest Men’s and Women’s Senior Team Championships are returning to Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon for the fourth consecutive year.

The Women’s Championship is set to begin today with the competition concluding on September 16, while the Men’s Championship will be held at the resort on September 16-18.