L-R: Lauren Kim, Michelle Liu & Luna Lu Finished As The Top 3 In The 2020 BC Women's Amateur. They Will Be Joined By Vanessa Zhang (Far Right) In The Upcoming Mizuho Americas Open

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Four B.C. junior golfers will be playing alongside some of the biggest stars on the LPGA Tour at the upcoming Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.

Burnaby’s Luna Lu, Lauren Kim of Surrey and Michelle Liu and Vanessa Zhang, both of Vancouver, are among 24 American Junior Golf Association players who have qualified to play in the inaugural event, which goes June 1-4.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 25, 2023

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada will merge into a singular Tour to form PGA TOUR Americas, which will begin play in February 2024, the PGA TOUR announced today.

PGA TOUR Americas will consist of 16 events contested across Latin America, Canada and the United States from February through September. The top 10 finishers on the season-long points list will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the following season.

The 2nd Annual GolfBC GROUP BC WOMEN’S OPEN Presented by Boyd Autobody & Glass is a 36-Hole Stroke Play Championship contested at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club on June 10 & 11th, 2023.

The event is open to both Female Professionals and Female Amateurs with a registered Golf Canada or USGA handicap of 26.0 or less.

A tremendous opportunity for female golfers of all abilities, the event features very generous prizing expected to be over $10,000 in value for both the professional and amateur divisions (based on full field entry for both divisions).

See below for more details and how to enter.

Spring is here and we are looking ahead to the 2023 CP Women’s Open. In its 49th playing, Canada’s National Women’s Open is coming to Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver for the first time ever!

Delta, BC's Jace Minni - Image Courtesy Gonzaga University

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The Gonzaga golf drought is over, thanks to Delta’s Jace Minni.

The former B.C. Juvenile Boys champion earned his first collegiate win in impressive fashion last week by capturing Seattle University’s Redhawk Invitational at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., by four shots.

It was the first individual win by a Gonzaga University player since 2016 and Minni’s final-round 65 matched the low round in the history of the golf program at the Spokane school.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A former B.C. Bantam Boys champion now living in South Africa has made world-wide headlines after winning a prestigious junior tournament by 21 shots.

Daniel Bennett, a former Victoria-area resident who played out of Gorge Vale Golf Club, won the 2020 Bantam Boys title by six shots at Mount Brenton Golf Course in Chemainus. Shortly afterward, he and his family returned to their native South Africa.

Uplands GC Will Host BC's Only PGA Tour Canada Event This Year - Image Courtesy Uplands GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PGA Tour Canada has released its 2023 schedule and as expected it includes only one British Columbia event, the season-opening Royal Beach Victoria Open which goes June 15-18 at Uplands Golf Club.

B.C. has had as many as three PGA Tour Canada events in the past. But the former tournament held at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver was last played in 2019.

And the Kelowna stop at Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna ended after last summer’s event when GolfBC chose not to renew its sponsorship of the tournament.

Osyoos GC Facebook Photo From 2019

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Osoyoos Golf Club is usually among the first of the Okanagan courses to emerge from winter hibernation. That won’t be the case this year...

2024 marks first time the historic club will play host to the stars of the LPGA Tour

50th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship returns to Alberta for the 7th time and first since 2016

Through Canadian Pacific’s community investment program, CP Has Heart, the event will once again be making a significant contribution to pediatric cardiac care in the host community

February 28, 2023 – The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to Calgary as Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) have announced that the 2024 CP Women’s Open will be contested at the historic Earl Grey Golf Club from July 22-28, 2024.

The 2024 CP Women’s Open will mark the 7th time that the province of Alberta has hosted Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship and first since 2016. The 2024 event will be the 50th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship and the first time that Earl Grey will challenge the stars of the LPGA Tour.

Abbotsford, BC's Nick Taylor - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Taylor has always been happy to give back to his home town, so when organizers of this past weekend’s Western Golf Expo at Abbotsford’s Tradex facility asked for a favour, Taylor was happy to oblige.

Taylor lent his support to the show by appearing opening day via Zoom from his Scottsdale home for an interview with Vancouver Golf Tour commissioner Fraser Mulholland and Sportsnet 650’s Randip Janda.

Victoria, BC's Jim Rutledge - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A half-century golfing odyssey has culminated with what Victoria’s Jim Rutledge calls the highlight of his incredible career.

Rutledge was named last week as one of two new inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. “The list of honoured members is in itself almost overwhelming and to join that distinguished group is the highlight of my golfing career,” Rutledge told a media conference call.

60% of volunteer spots have been filled for the 2023 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, BC, taking place August 21-27, 2023.

But 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. 

Abbotsford, BC's Nick Taylor - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Taylor went head to head with two of the best players in the world and never blinked. And while the Abbotsford native had to settle for second place, he earned one heck of a nice consolation prize at the PGA TOUR’s WM Phoenix Open.

Taylor took home $2.18 million as he finished the star-stacked $20-million event at TPC Scottsdale at 17-under par, two shots behind new world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler...

Evans Caddie Scholarship Recipient Aleksej Milojevic - Images Courtesy A. Milojevic/Victoria GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When he began caddying for members at Victoria Golf Club two years ago, Aleksej Milojevic had no idea how profoundly it would change his life.

He was 15 and as green as the grass he walked on to complete his first caddying loops on the scenic oceanside layout. Milojevic knew very little about golf or life...

BC's Ha Young Chang Won A Regional Drive, Chip & Putt Competition At Pebble Beach - Image Courtesy Minku Chang

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Surrey teenager Ha Young Chang is counting the days until she visits Augusta National Golf Club for the finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship. She figures to be spending a lot of those days at the driving range and practice green.

“I am really excited,” says Chang, a Grade 9 student at Elgin Park Secondary. “I have always watched it on TV. I know I’ll be a little nervous.”