• Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Victoria Liu wins Glencoe Invitational earns exemption into CPKC Women’s Open; Stinson captures PGA of Canada Championship; du Toit top-5s at PGA Tour Canada opener; New champ to be crowned at this week’s B.C. Women’s Am

    BC's Victoria Liu Will Play In The CPKC Canadian Women's Open In August - BC Golf Photo

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    A record-setting round helped Victoria Liu play her way into the CPKC Women’s Open and the 20-year-old is more than a little excited about teeing it up in her first LPGA Tour event an her home course.

    “I play out of Shaughnessy so it’s very exciting,” Liu said after winning the Glencoe Invitational in Calgary. “I was really hoping to get to play in that tournament and so I’m happy I have earned a spot.”

    Liu, who just finished her second year at Princeton University in New Jersey, opened the Glencoe with a course record eight-under 64 that she called the round of her life.

  • Volunteer Spots Are Still Available For The '23 CPKC Women's Open At Shaughnessy G&CC

    Although volunteer spots have been filling up for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, BC, taking place August 21-27, 2023, there's still time to sign up and be a part of a great event and see the best women golfers in the world, including our very own Brooke Henderson

  • Stroke Survivor Brad Thomas Returns To The Game He Loves And Calls His Therapy

    Former PING Golf Sales Rep Brad Thomas Is Playing In The Inaugural British Columbia All Abilities Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    It was Jan. 22, 2014 and Brad Thomas was at home, chatting on the telephone, when he suddenly felt a strange sensation.

    “It just came out of nowhere,” Thomas says. “I had a really weird feeling, like pins and needles, that went right up my body. Then 15 seconds later, I was unconscious on the floor.”

    Thomas’s life changed forever that day, a month before his 60th birthday. The massive stroke he suffered should have killed him, doctors have told him.

  • Ziemer's BC Golf Notes: Charlie Lake’s Jake Lane earns PGA Tour Canada status; Big B.C. contingent at this week’s PGA Tour Canada opener in Victoria; Christine Wong defends B.C. Women’s Open pro crown, while Sonja Tang wins amateur division

    Jake Lane Of Charlie Lake, BC Earned His PGA Tour Canada Card At Crown Isle Q-School - Image Credit PGA Tour Canada (used with permission) 

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Jake Lane’s golf journey began in the northern B.C. community of Charlie Lake and continued in Qualicum Beach before heading south to Florida and North Carolina.

    It will now resume on the PGA Tour Canada circuit after Lane made it through last week’s qualifying school at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay.

    The 24-year-old fired a five-under 67 in the final round of Q-school and then had to survive a four-man playoff for one of the final two exempt spots. He’s in the field for this week’s tour opener at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria and could not be happier.

  • Nick Taylor’s Inspiring Win Ends Canadian Open Drought

    2023 RBC Canadian Open Champion Nick Taylor Reacts To His Dramatic 72-Foot Eagle Putt Dropping In For The Win - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    To that list of great Canadian sporting moments, we can add three words: Nick Taylor’s putt.

    Yes, that 72-footer for eagle that won the 35-year-old Abbotsford product the RBC Canadian Open on the fourth extra hole Sunday will be discussed in the same breath as Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run and Mike Weir’s Masters win of 20 years ago. It was that big.

    And no longer will we have to listen to that phrase that has been repeated ad nauseam for decades. You know the one, about no Canadian having won the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

  • Taylor’s Proud Parents Hope His Win Drives More Kids To The Game

    Nick Taylor - Image Credit Bernard Braultt/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Goolf

    Like much of the rest of the country, Jay and Darlene Taylor were glued to their television as their son Nick made Canadian sports history.

    Alone in the family room of their Abbotsford home, the Taylors hugged one another and cried when Nick’s 72-foot putt dropped on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open.

    They were still crying half-an-hour later when reached on the telephone. “We are super proud, we are super pumped,” said an emotional Jay Taylor.

  • British Columbia Golf Saddened To Learn Of The Passing Of Bill Klein

    British Columbia Golf and the entire golf community were saddened to learn of the passing of long time official and volunteer Bill Klein after a hard fought battle with cancer.

    Bill had been designated as an Honorary Host Chair for the BC Amateur. A tireless volunteer in many roles with both Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf, Bill was a very familiar face to many and in particular at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. 

    All of us join in sending our heartfelt condolences to Bill's family and friends. Please take a moment to read the In Memoriam on the Pheasant Glen Resort website which so eloquently chronicles what Bill contributed and meant to not only the game of golf but the people in and around it. 

    In Remembrance Of William ‘Bill’ Klein: A Great Friend And A Good Man

     

  • Video: Inaugural Indigenous Championship British Columbia

    In this video, from Coach Shayain's YouTube site, we're thrilled to share clips & interviews from B.C.'s first-ever Indigenous golf tournament.

    This groundbreaking event brought together golfers of all ages from across the province, showcasing the inclusivity and progressiveness that the sport is striving for.

    Traditionally seen as an elitist sport with limited access, golf is now embracing a new era of openness. Over 100 Indigenous golfers representing 80 different nations gathered at the beautiful Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in the southern Okanagan Valley for this historic tournament.

    To see Brad Ziemer's wrap-ups and interviews with the inaugural tournament champions click HERE and HERE.

    Check out Coach Shayain's video, interviews and overview below. 

     

  • UVic Men, UBC women Capture Canadian University Championship Team Titles

    UBC T'Birds Women's Golf Team (Top) & UVic Men's Squad (Bottom) - Image Credit/ (CHRISTIAN BENDER/GOLF CANADA)

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Justin Clews got to experience winning a national title as a player when he helped the University of Victoria Vikes win the inaugural Canadian University/College Golf Championship in 2003. Twenty years later, he got to experience it as a coach.

    The Vikes men’s team won their fourth national title — and first since 2006 — in impressive fashion Friday, as they closed the 72-hole event at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont., with their best round of the week.

  • Women's Golf Day Week Long Celebration Starts Today

    Women’s Golf Day encourages women to explore various options in their community including local facilities, lessons, leagues and other ways to get involved in golf.

    Women's Golf Day 'Week' kicks off today, May 30th and runs until Tuesday, June 6th.

    Introducing women and girls to golf and celebrating existing players by joining them together irrespective of gender, race, religion, language, ethnicity, or location is all a part of Women's Golf Day initiatives. 

    Click HERE to learn more. 

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Ewart prepares to begin pro career; SFU men impress at national championship; Macdonald third in Colombia; Tang to close out collegiate career with Oregon Ducks; Team B.C. ‘six-peats’ at North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches

    There's No Looking Back Now As Coquitlam's AJ Ewart Is Turning Pro - Golf Canada Image

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Call it a slightly disappointing ending to a brilliant collegiate career. Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart and his Barry University Bucs were knocked out in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II championship tourney at Avalon Lakes Golf Club in Warren, Ohio.

    Ewart, of course, was hoping to end his career with an NCAA Championship, but can reflect on a remarkable four years at the Miami-area school where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications with a sport management minor.

  • Driving Towards Inclusive Golf for All

    BC's Tanelle Bolt Uses A Swing-Assist Cart At Langara GC In Vancouver - BC Golf Photo

    BY REBECCA BLISSETT/Writer for Rick Hansen Foundation

    For Anthony Brummet, like many of the 1 in 5 Canadians with a disability, his medical condition wasn’t something he had planned for. Anthony, or Tony as he is called, developed a health issue in his senior years that affects his legs to the point he can no longer stand.

  • UBC Men Win NAIA National Championship Tourney

    The UBC T'Birds Are 2023 NAIA Champions - Photo Credit Dan O'Connor (UBC T'Birds Communications)

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    For just the second time in program history, the University of B.C. men’s golf team has captured the NAIA national championship. The T-Birds surprised even their coach by winning the 72-hole tournament at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz.

    “To be honest it’s a big surprise and it’s a big upset,” said longtime UBC coach Chris Macdonald. “We were the 12th-ranked team coming in, so a lot of things had to go right.”

  • Surrey’s Lauren Kim Qualifies To Play In Her Second Straight U.S. Women’s Open

    Lauren Kim (L) And Gabriela Ruffels Were The Two Qualifiers For The U.S. Women's Open At VGC - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Twitter

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Lauren Kim’s one and only visit to California’s Monterey Peninsula occurred a few years ago when she and her family were driving home from a junior golf tournament in the San Diego area.

    Kim, all of 11 or 12 years old at the time, vividly remembers what a beautiful spot it was. “We went to all of the golf courses in the area and picked up every scorecard,” she says. “And then we went to the beach and dipped our toes in the water.

    “I bought one of those bouncy balls that had a big Pebble Beach logo on it. And it had golf ball dimples on it. I thought this is really cool, I want that.” She also decided right there and then that she’d one day play Pebble Beach.

    On Monday, that dream became a reality. Kim will not only play Pebble Beach, she’ll play it in this summer’s U.S. Women’s Open.

  • Introducing Your Faves, Your Chance To Tell Us What Public Courses You Love The Most

    Canada is home to some of the world’s finest public golf courses, but many go unrecognized in ScoreGolf's biennial Top 59 Public Courses ranking, which they are set to publish again later this summer.

    That is where you come in. Submit up to 10 of your favourite public courses in your province by clicking on the link below.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Simon Fraser University men clinch spot in NCAA Division II national championship tourney; UBC, University of Victoria off to NAIA championships; Strong named new PGA of BC executive director

    SFU Red Leafs Men's Golf Team - Image Courtesy SFU/Sonoma State Athletics

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    The solid play of senior Aidan Goodfellow (Centre In Team Photo Shown) and a pair of clutch 18th-hole birdies by Michael Crisologo and Jordan Bean helped the Simon Fraser University men’s golf team earn a spot in the NCAA Division II national championship tourney for the first time since 2015.

    The Red Leafs tied for fourth at the West/South Central regional tourney in Rohnert Park, Calif., where the top five teams earned spots in the national championship tourney.

    It was a nail-biter of a final round as only seven strokes separated the top nine teams.

  • North Vancouver’s Taylor Durham Plays His Way Into RBC Canadian Open

    Two-Time Marine Drive Club Champion Taylor Durham Shot 5-under 65 To Win The Regional Qualifier at Ledgeview Golf Club - Image Credit Golf Canada/Twitter

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    ABBOTSFORD — When it comes to his golf, Taylor Durham has always been something of a late bloomer.

    He wasn’t quite good enough in high school to get an opportunity to compete collegiately, but Durham’s passion for the game kept him playing and he got better. A lot better.

  • Women's Golf Day Celebrations Coming Up Soon

    It's Time to Celebrate! Women's Golf Day Celebrations begin May 30 and run through June 6th! You can participate in a number of ways! Don't miss your chance to be a part of the fun!

    There are lots of ways to get involved - starting May 30th.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Amy Lee and Jerry Li winners at NextGen opener on Sunshine Coast; B.C. a close third at PNGA Lamey Cup; Svensson struggles on the Green Mile; Rowe wins second straight VGT event

    NextGen Pacific Champions Amy Seung Hyun Lee & Jerry Li - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    The NextGen Championships put on by Golf Canada each year are what you might call 'junior majors'. Amy Seung Hyun Lee now has won two of them.

    Lee, a 15-year-old Langley resident, captured the NextGen Pacific Championship at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club.

    She went wire-to-wire and won by five shots against an elite field of B.C. juniors.

  • Winner Of Ledgeview Qualifier To Earn Spot In RBC Canadian Open Field

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Thanks in no small part to the work of Ledgeview Golf Club General Manager Brad Clapp, a spot in next month’s RBC Canadian Open field will be up for grabs at a regional qualifier at the Abbotsford course on May 12.

    Golf Canada rules stipulate that a minimum of 120 players must compete in a regional qualifier in order for that coveted pass into the Canadian Open to be made available to the winner.

    Clapp, a former winner on the PGA Tour Canada circuit, made it his personal mission to see that the Ledgeview field cracked that magic number. He is happy to report that nearly 140 players have now committed to play in the regional qualifier.