Coquitlam's June Hsiao (R) Walks Off The South Course At Golden Eagle With The 1st Round Lead

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PITT MEADOWS -- Birdies, bogeys and bears. That was the story of Tuesday’s first round of the B.C. Juvenile Boys and Girls Championships at Golden Eagle Golf Club.

Golden Eagle’s South Course surrendered its fair share of birdies to the 31 girls and 83 boys who are playing in the championships for players aged 16 and under. But there were also plenty of bogeys and others on a tight South Course that demands precision shot-making off many of its tees. There’s lots of trouble to get into.

As for the bears, they were more entertainment than a nuisance as they wandered onto the course frequently during play. Rules officials had to use their air horns to try and clear them off the course. At one point, a bear decided to take a dip in one of the many ponds on the course.

Image Courtesy Golf Canada

For Immediate Release

(August 10, 2021) - Golf Canada is committed to providing the highest level of competition for amateur golfers of all abilities and is proud to announce the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship will be conducted September 22-24 at Humber Valley Golf Course in Toronto.

The national golf championship will be contested as a 36-hole competition and will feature a maximum of 84 players from across Canada with neurological, intellectual, sensory and physical impairments.

Originally scheduled to launch in 2020, but delayed due to restrictions from the pandemic, the All Abilities Championships supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.

The British Columbia Chapters of the LPGA Amateurs are holding a Two-person Bestball Strokeplay event at Vancouver's University Golf Club to celebrate Summer and the launch of BC's LPGA Amateurs Association after being delayed due to Covid-19.

See the poster below for details. For further information please email playgolf@britishcolumbiagolf.org 

Victoria, BC's Willy Bishop Is In This Week's Canadian Jr. Boys Championship - Image Credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

SAINTE-JULIE, Qué. – The Canadian Junior Boys Championship is set for Aug. 9-12 at Vallée du Richelieu - Le Club in Sainte-Julie, Que.

The 156-player field includes five of seven Team Canada National Junior Squad members; Félix Bouchard (Otterburn Park, Qué.), Jean-Philippe Parr (St-Célestin, Qué.), Malik Dao (Notre-Dame-Ile-Perrot, Qué.), Owen Mullen (Shortts Lake, N.S.), and Willy Bishop (Victoria, B.C.).

“We are delighted to have the Canadian Junior Boys Championship running again,” said tournament director Adam Lloyd. “The team at Vallée du Richelieu has worked incredibly hard in preparation for this week and it shows with the excellent course conditions.”

BC's Roger Sloan Is Inching Closer To Full Exempt PGA TOUR Status For Next Season - YouTube Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Merritt’s Roger Sloan recorded his first top 10 of the season Sunday, but will need another strong finish at this week’s final regular-season event to secure his full exempt status for next season on the PGA TOUR. 

Sloan finished sixth at the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, Calif., and moved up six spots to 131st on the FedEx Cup points list. He needs to move inside the top 125 to remain fully exempt for the 2021-22 season. This week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., completes the PGA TOUR regular season.

Sloan and many others in the field will have a lot riding on their play in Greensboro. Sloan has momentum on his side. He has been playing well of late, having made five straight cuts and eight of his last nine.

By Garry McKay/Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum are sad to report the passing of Jocelyne Bourassa.

The Quebec golf legend was a pioneer and inspiration to young female golfers across the country for close to 60 years. “I wouldn’t be here and able to talk about my career without Jocelyne,” said Lorie Kane who won four times on the LPGA Tour and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2016.

2021 BC Senior Men's Champion Michael Kennedy - BC Golf Photo

By Bryan Outram, British Columbia Golf

North Vancouverite Michael Kennedy's goal to start the day in the final round of the BC Senior Men's Championship was just to put in a good performance and have a shot at maybe making the BC Senior Men's Provincial Team. He most certainly accomplished both...and more.

He started the day 3 shots back of 36-hole leader and defending BC Senior Men's Champion Norm Bradley but a bogey free 2-under par front nine by Kennedy closed the gap to one and helped set the stage for some real excitement in the home stretch.

Gibson, BC's Mike Mannion had been the closest pursuer to Bradley after a pair of 2-under par rounds of 70 saw him just one back going into the final round. It created an, 'It's anybody's tournament' feel, with the back nine promising to be a battle to the end. It more than delivered.

Former Executive Director Of Ontario Para Network, Laura Wilson, Will Help Support The National Sport Federation’s Commitment To Creating A Safe, Diverse, And Welcoming Environment Within The Organization And Across The Sport

Courtesy Golf Canada

LAURENCE APPLEBAUM (GOLF CANADA)

Courtesy Golf Canada

________________________________________________________________________________________

It was a transformative moment for our organization.

A virtual town-hall with staff in the summer of 2020 to talk about the tragic and senseless murder of George Floyd and reflect on what we were seeing and experiencing in the world around us. The team shared an honest and emotional conversation, and I was incredibly moved by the personal sharing, thoughtful insights on racial injustice, and the conviction that everyone brought to the call.

Many followed up with a willingness to play a role in what comes next for Golf Canada—a shared commitment to be an organization of impact that could lead through action. I look back to that moment as a catalyst for the important steps needed to make our organization and our sport reflect the multi-cultural diversity, inclusiveness, and acceptance that we all want as Canadians.

It was that commitment that led to the creation of Golf Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Alliance and a vision for who we want to be in this important space.

Norm Bradley Is The 36-hole Leader In The 2021 BC Senior Men's Championship -  Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KIMBERLEY -- A couple days after he won last year’s B.C. Senior Men’s Championship, Norm Bradley found himself on the receiving end of a playful jab from two-time PGA TOUR winner Dave Barr. Both are members at Kelowna Golf & Country Club and Bradley was walking by the first tee as Barr was just about to begin his round.

“He was standing on the tee and as I walked by he said, ‘So, you can’t play with a lead, eh,’" Bradley recalled with a chuckle after his second round Wednesday at Bootleg Gap Golf Course. “That was just a funny line, but he was also making a point. Playing with a lead is not easy.”

Kimberley's Bootleg Gap Golf Course is receiving high praise from many players who are seeing it for the first time; Three players are tied for first-round lead Including John Gallacher (Inset)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KIMBERLEY -- John Gallacher recently turned 70 so the fact he shot a four-under 68 to share the lead after Tuesday’s first round of the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship at Bootleg Gap Golf Course was noteworthy. But Gallacher, a two-time B.C. Senior Men’s winner from Burnaby, was more interested in talking about the golf course than his impressive play.

“I think this is the best course we have been at since the Canadian Senior was at Capilano (in 2014) or maybe since I have been a senior,” Gallacher said of Bootleg Gap after his round, which left him tied with Jim Shaw of Sooke and defending champion Norm Bradley of Kelowna.

The Balfour Recreation Commission (BRC) is seeking qualified applicants for the position of General Manager. The General Manager will be responsible and accountable for the overall management, leadership and administration of financial, physical and human resources of the BRC.

This includes a golf course, golf operations, community hall, community wharf, fitness centre, community playing fields (including tennis, pickleball, soccer, baseball, multi-use gazebo) as well as administrative services related to same. The General Manager will lead and inspire the team members in all departments to deliver a positive experience and to achieve BRC’s financial goals. Competitive salary plus benefits and perks.

Abbotsford, BC's Adam Hadwin - Image via YouTube

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin needed a big week and he got it at the 3M Open in Minnesota, where he tied for sixth and all but locked up his exempt status for next season and secured a berth in the lucrative FedEx Cup playoffs. 

Hadwin began the week in Minnesota at 120th on the FedEx Cup points list, dangerously close to falling out of the top 125. But his clutch performance at the 3M moved him up 13 spots to 107th with just two regular-season events remaining. 

Hadwin closed with a birdie on the tough par 5 18th hole at TPC Twin Cities to fire a three-under 68 and finish at 11-under par, four shots behind winner Cameron Champ. That’s the same hole where Hadwin took a costly double-bogey on Saturday. Hadwin earned $208,230 for his T6 finish.

Image Credit: BC Golf File Photo

Shelly Stouffer, Shown Her With The Trophy Last Year At Campbell River, Won Her 2nd Straight BC Senior Women's Championship This Year At Revelstoke Golf Club

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Shelly Stouffer’s second straight B.C. Senior Women’s Championship title didn’t come quite as easy as the first one. Nothing was easy about Friday’s final round for Stouffer, who saw an eight-shot lead evaporate before she rallied to win in dramatic style at Revelstoke Golf Club.

After surrendering the lead late in the round, Stouffer birdied the final two holes to force a playoff and then added another one on the first extra hole to beat six-time champion Jackie Little.

Image Courtesy: @vancouverbasketballfoundation / @victory

First Tee - British Columbia Manager Shayain Gustavsp Sets Up For Golf At The STRONGHER™ Camp

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It’s getting crowded here on the First Tee. We’ve got honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment all ready to play.

So that’s two foursomes and . . . judgment, I guess you’ll have to play as a single. Just kidding, of course. You may have heard of First Tee. If you have, you probably know about the program’s nine core principles that it uses to help instil good values in young golfers learning the game of golf. And if you aren’t familiar with First Tee, you soon will be as it is coming to a community near you.

Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

BC's Angela Arora Is The 2020 BC Jr/Juvenile Girls Champion & A Member Of Golf Canada's Jr. Team 

Via Golf Canada

Like many athletes in a training environment over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to competitive opportunities for junior golfers in Canada. To facilitate the selection of participants for the 2021-2022 National Junior Squad, Golf Canada will hold a National Junior Selection Camp from August 29 through September 3 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.

Approximately 50 junior boys and girls who have not reached their 19th birthday by August 1, 2021, will be invited to participate in the National Junior Selection Camp. The camp will include skills testing as well as a 54-hole stroke-play competition that will award World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University Place, Wash. – Chambers Bay, the 7,375 yard, par-71 golf course in University Place, Wash., will host many of the best amateur golfers in the world this week for the 54th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. The championship, hosted by Washington Golf (WA Golf), will be played July 20-23, 2021.

This will be the second time Chambers Bay has hosted the championship, with it previously being held there in 2017.

Click here to visit the championship portal for tee times, player information, photos and to follow along with live scoring.

This year’s championship had been scheduled to be held at historic Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C., but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to find a venue in the U.S.

BC's Adam Hadwin (L) And Roger Sloan Have Their Work Cut Out To Maintain PGA TOUR Status Next Year - File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Taylor isn’t sweating, but a couple of other British Columbians are definitely thinking about their futures as the clock ticks on the PGA TOUR’s regular season. 

Merritt’s Roger Sloan sits well outside the top 125 on the FedEx Cup points lists, while Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin is just barely inside the magic number following play this past week. Hadwin missed the cut at the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s and fell to 120th on the points list. He needs to finish inside the top 125 to retain his full exempt status for the 2021-22 season. 

Sloan tied for 31st at the Barbasol Championship -- the event held opposite the Open Championship -- but still fell two spots to 147th.

Victoria, BC's Ashton McCulloch Fired A final Round 67 To Win The 2021 B.C. Amateur By Two Shots - Image Credit BradZiemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf 

CAMPBELL RIVER -- Ashton McCulloch’s round had already gotten off to a nice start when he stepped up to the fifth tee in the final round of the B.C. Amateur Championship at Storey Creek Golf Club. It was about to get a whole lot better. 

The par 3 5th was playing 183 yards and McCulloch surveyed the wind before taking dead aim with his 6-iron. All he did then was knock the ball into the hole for an ace. The eagle had landed and it helped propel the 18-year-old to his victory in the 119th playing of the championship.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kent Gilchrist covered just about everything in a sportswriting career that spanned more than 40 years, but he had a particular affinity for golf. Not just the game, but the people who played it. 

Gilchrist, known as Cookie to his countless friends, died at his New Westminster home Wednesday night after a lengthy illness. He was 72. Cookie was larger than life. He could light up a room and fill it with laughter. He seemed to know everyone.