Virginia Native Zach Bauchou Beat Florida’s Philip Knowles By Three Shots To Win His Second Consecutive Canadian Men's Amateur Title - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is no longer decided via match play, but apparently no one told Zach Bauchou and Philip Knowles.

There were 69 other competitors on the course, but right from the start of Thursday’s final round at Duncan Meadows Golf Course it was Bauchou versus Knowles. Everyone else, it seemed, was playing for third place. Bauchou ultimately prevailed and became the 13th player to win back to back Canadian Amateur titles. 

“I think the feelings are a lot different for me this year because last year I kind of came up here to try and get into the U.S. Amateur and I felt a lot of pressure to win coming down the stretch,” said the 22-year-old Bauchou. “Today I was kind of playing to defend and I was a lot less nervous today than I was last year.”

Smithers Native Kaleb Gorbahn (L), Whose Father Dana Is Caddying For Him This Week, Is Tied For Third Place After Shooting A Six-Under 65 On Thursday - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- There’s a lot of red and white on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Club. And blue. The stars and stripes outnumber the Maple Leafs by a considerable margin through three rounds of the 114th playing of the Canadian Amateur.

Defending champion Zach Bauchou of Forest, Va., leads the way at 13-under par after shooting a four-under 67 in Thursday’s third round. Philip Knowles of Jacksonville, Fla., moved into second place thanks to a seven-under 64 that left him at 11-under.

The top Canadian -- and proud to be that -- is Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers, who is in a three-way tie for third at eight-under par.

Oklahoma State University Senior Zach Baucho Has A Three-Shot Lead At The Halfway Mark Of The 2018 Canadian Men's Amateur - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

QUALICUM -- They are trying to catch a cowboy at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Zach Bauchou is halfway to defending his title after a three-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round moved him to nine-under par. Bauchou, a Virginia native who is heading into his senior year with the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, has a three-shot lead on Julien Sale of Gatineau, Que.

After opening with a six-under 65 at Duncan Meadows, Bauchou moved 45 minutes north and played his second round at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum. The tight Pheasant Glen layout reminded him of his home track, Karsten Creek, at Oklahoma State. It seems like there is trouble everywhere at both courses.

The 114th Canadian Men's Amateur is underway on Vancouver Island at Duncan Meadows GC and Pheasant Glen GR. 

The championship was first held in 1895, making it one of the most storied sporting events in Canada and third oldest amateur championship in the world.

Duncan Meadows will play host to 252 players from nine countries over four stroke play rounds, while Pheasant Glen will co-host for the first two rounds prior to the 36-hole cut.

Victoria Golf Club Head Professional Lindsay Bernakevitch Entertained A Special Guest At The Venerable Layout This Past Weekend When Country Music Star Eric Church Paid A Visit For A Round Before Playing The Sunfest Country Music Festival on Sunday night in the Cowichan Valley - Image Courtesy Lindsay Bernakevitch Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Chris Crisologo of Richmond anchors a strong B.C. Team that has high hopes of bringing the Willingdon Cup back to the West Coast.

Crisologo, Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan and Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers will represent B.C. in the inter-provincial team competition that is held the first two days of this week’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Course and Pheasant Glen Golf Resort.

Crisologo, who has to be considered one of the favourites to win the 114th playing of the Canadian Amateur, is excited about the prospects of winning the Willingdon Cup team competition. “It seems those two guys (Carrigan and Gorbahn) have always been top five in the province the last few years, so to finally have all of us together is exciting,” Crisologo said. “We are definitely excited as a team to hopefully play well and bring home the trophy.”

17-Year-Old Quebec Resident Celeste Dao, Shown Here With Golf Canada's Pat Thompson And One Of Canada's Finest, Erased A Three-Shot Deficit On The Back Nine To Beat 14-Year-Old Emily Zhu Of Ontario - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

In about a year’s time, Celeste Dao will become a University of Georgia Bulldog. On Friday, the 17-year-old from Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que., played like that Georgia namesake at Beach Grove Golf Club in the final round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Tenacious, resolute, stubborn, persistent. Dao was all those things and more as she dug down deep to rebound from a three-stroke deficit early on the back nine and win the title.

Lauren Kim, A Surrey Resident Who Just Finished Grade 7, Opened The Canadian Junior Girls Championship Tournament With A 3-under Par 69 - Image Courtesy Sarah Magyar/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Lauren Kim apparently hasn’t learned about respecting her elders. The 12-year-old has the audacity to be leading the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen. 

And you know what, the Surrey resident thinks she can win. “Yeah, I'm going to try,” she said after posting a three-under par 69 that gave her a two-shot lead. “I feel confident after doing well today.”

The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) is pleased to present the provincial tournament for Indigenous youth in partnership with Little Shuswap Band and Talking Rock Golf Course and with the support of the Province of BC. 

The tournament is scheduled for August 21-22 at Talking Rock GC in Chase, British Columbia in both male and female under 14 & under 17 categories. See the information poster below or contact Alissa Assu (aassu@isparc.ca) to find out more details and how to register for this exciting event

Richmond's Chris Crisologo Carried On His Solid Summer By Taking The Gary Cowan Award As The Low Amateur At The RBC Canadian Open - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Chris Crisologo’s first RBC Canadian Open started and finished with a birdie. The 70 holes in between weren’t bad, either. The 22-year-old Richmond resident and reigning B.C. Amateur champion rolled in a 20-foot putt for birdie on the par 5 18th hole Sunday to finish his first PGA TOUR event tied for 45th place at nine-under par.

Crisologo closed with a three-under par 69 Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Course after opening with rounds of 68, 69 and 73. “It was quite the experience,” Crisologo told reporters after his final round.

Vancouver's 17-Year Old Tiffany Kong Is The Top Canadian At The Halfway Mark Of The Canadian Women's Amateur Being Held At Marine Drive GC - BC Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

This was supposed to be nothing more than a week of practice for Tiffany Kong, who instead finds herself in the thick of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive Golf Club.  The 17-year-old Vancouver resident came to Marine Drive hoping to prepare for next week’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen.

But thanks to a hot putter and some solid ball-striking, Kong has rattled off 11 birdies through two rounds of the Women’s Amateur and is just two shots out of the lead.

Westminster, Colorado's Jennifer Kupcho, The Defending Canadian Women's Amateur Champion Has A Two-Shot Lead After Round One - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong And Naomi Ko Of Victoria The Low Canadians After First Round Of Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jennifer Kupcho’s round started with a bogey after she shanked her wedge approach shot from the middle of the fairway. Things got a little better after that. Actually, much better.

The 21-year-old from Westminster, Colo., began defence of her Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship title with a record-setting seven-under 64 Tuesday at Marine Drive Golf Club.
“I actually shanked my approach shot on my first hole and made bogey,” a smiling Kupcho said after her round. “I just missed the putt for par. I birdied the next hole and it kind of went well from there.”

That is something of an understatement.

After that opening bogey on the par 4 10th hole -- her first of the day -- Kupcho went birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par, par, birdie to shoot a six-under 29 on her front nine.

Defending Champions Quebec Have Returned The Willingdon Cup (Right) Which Appeared Slightly Worse For Wear At A News Conference Hosted By Course Owner Ming Hui - Image Credit Bryan Outram / Courtesy BC Golf

Vancouver Island's Duncan Meadows Golf Course Will Challenge Canada's Best Amateurs Plus Players From 13 Other Countries Around The World In The 114th Canadian Men's Amateur Championship

By Jeff Sutherland/Inside Golf

Following on hosting a number of both provincial and national championships, the course located in the Cowichan Valley 50 km north of Victoria has recently undergone tweaking to test competitors August 6th to 9th. 

The layout has been gradually lengthened to more than 6800 yards with new tees added on three holes… most recently on the par three 16th that will make the signature hole play almost 200 yards. 

A visit to Duncan Meadows in late July showed a course that is going to present a test reminiscent of that seen at this year's Open Championship at Carnoustie. Balls will definitely be able to run.

Reprsenting BC This Week At The 52nd Pacific Coast Amateur In San Francisco Are From L-R: Lawren Rowe, Nolan Thoroughgood And Henry Lee - File Images

The 52nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship tees of this week on Tuesday, July 24th at the famed Olympic Club in San Francisco. This is the 8th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship to be held at The Olympic Club.

All players will be vying for the individual Ed Updegraff Trophy, named after the longtime volunteer and standout amateur golfer who played on three Walker Cup teams (1963, 1965, 1969), won the inaugural Pacific Coast Amateur title at Seattle Golf Club in 1967 and was the 1999 Bob Jones Award recipient from the USGA.

Taking place concurrently with the first and second rounds will be the battle for the Morse Cup, a 36-hole stroke play team competition using predetermined rosters representing the 15 member associations of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. The defending champions of the Morse Cup are the contingent from the Southern California Golf Association.

The 2018 BC Amateur Champion, Richmond's Chris Crisologo, Will Be Teeing It Up At Glen Abbey In The RBC Canadian Open Next Week Due To A Sponsor's Exemption - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Chris Crisologo thought he would be playing the Olympic Club in San Francisco this week as part of the prestigious Pacific Coast Amateur tourney.

But Crisologo, the new B.C. Amateur champion from Richmond, got an offer he couldn’t refuse. The 22-year-old received a sponsor’s exemption into this week’s RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club. It will be the first PGA TOUR appearance for Crisologo, a member of Canada’s National Amateur team who just finished a standout collegiate golf career at Simon Fraser University.

The World's Best Women Amateur Golfers Will Be Vying For The Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup (Inset) At Vancouver's Venerable Marine Drive Golf Course Next Week - Images Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VANCOUVER -- The women’s course record at Marine Drive Golf Club is 68 and chances are you may be familiar with the player who set that mark.

Here’s a hint: she’s Swedish and has 72 LPGA Tour wins. That’s right, Annika Sorenstam holds that record at Marine Drive, which way back in 1992 co-hosted the World Amateur Team  Championships in Vancouver where Sorenstam won the individual title.

Sorenstam’s record has stood for the last 26 years, but some think it could finally fall when an exceptionally strong field gathers for the 105th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur  Championship, which goes July 24-27 at Marine Drive.

British Columbia Golf President Patrick Kelly Presents Doug Roxburgh With His Fourth BC Senior Men's Trophy At Big Sky GC In Pemberton - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- Winning never gets old and neither, it seems, does Doug Roxburgh. The British Columbia golfing legend just keeps winning. At age 66, Roxburgh captured his fourth -- and second straight -- B.C. Senior Men’s Championship at Big Sky Golf Club in Pemberton.

Those four Senior titles go along with his 13 B.C. Amateur championships, four Canadian Amateur titles and a Canadian Senior championship. He is also a past B.C. Junior and Canadian Junior champion. Those, of course, were a long time ago.

With A Seven-Shot Lead Going Into The Final Round, Doug Roxburgh Is Looking Pretty Good To Capture His Fourth B.C. Senior Men's Title At Big Sky GC In Pemberton - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- The wind whipped through the Pemberton Valley on Wednesday afternoon, but Doug Roxburgh didn’t even flinch. Roxburgh remained rock steady as he fired a one-under 71 to take a seemingly insurmountable seven-shot lead into Thursday’s final round of the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship at Big Sky Golf Club. 

“The wind really came up,” Roxburgh said. “I guess that is what often happens here in the afternoon. On some holes it added at least a club and you had to play a little defensive on some holes. There is a lot of water near the greens and off the tee and you kind start steering the ball. It was definitely challenging, but I hit a lot of good shots today.”

Vancouver's Doug Roxburgh Is In A Familiar Place At The Top Of The Leaderboard In A British Columbia Golf Championship - Golf Canada File Image

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

Doug Roxburgh came within one shot of shooting his age in Tuesday’s first round of the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship at Big Sky Golf Club in Pemberton.

Roxburgh, the defending champion, fired a five-under 67 to grab a three-shot lead on two other past champions, Harry Ferguson of Invermere and Sandy Harper of Nanaimo.

BC Golf Legend Doug Roxburgh Goes For His Fourth B.C. Senior Men's Title This Week At Big Sky Golf Club - File Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Doug Roxburgh is looking for another senior moment. Fresh off his 52nd straight B.C. Amateur Championship appearance, where he made the cut for the 50th time, Roxburgh this week defends his B.C. Senior Men’s Championship title at Big Sky Golf Club in Pemberton. A huge field of 168 players will play in the 54-hole event that begins Tuesday.

“It is going to be a fun week,” Roxburgh said. “I just like playing competitions. Big Sky is a great course, you have to hit every club in the bag and it will be a good challenge.”

Richmond's Chris Crisologo Holds The Bostock Trophy As The 2018 B.C. Amateur Champion - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- His last win had come some 11,000 kilometres from home and was beginning to feel like a lifetime ago. Actually, it had only been seven months since Chris Crisologo travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina and won the South American Amateur Championship.

That was a huge win for the talented 22-year-old from Richmond, but so was the one he earned Friday at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops.

In a way, it might even be bigger for Crisologo, a young man who is proud of his British Columbia roots and was absolutely delighted to hoist the Bostock Trophy as the 2018 winner of the B.C. Amateur Championship.