By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Tee times in Langley figure to be tough to come by the next few months as another area course is forced to close temporarily due to the TransMountain pipeline expansion project. 

The West Coast Golf Group says Belmont Golf Course will close in mid-October and is not expected to re-open until sometime next summer. “Construction of the pipeline is scheduled to be complete by June 2023, with the course needing a period of recovery before re-opening,” WCGG said in a weekend message to its customers.

“We will advise everyone of our anticipated re-opening date as soon as we are able.”

Vancouver's Stu Macdonald Celebrates His Ace In The GolfBC Championship - PGATourCanada Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kimberley’s Jared du Toit and Chris Crisologo of Richmond both played their way into PGA Tour Canada’s season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship and Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald recorded his ninth hole-in-one. 

Those were the British Columbia highlights of the $200,000 GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club in Kelowna. Du Toit tied for 18th at 14-under par and Crisologo tied for 45th at nine-under.

Those finishes were enough to keep them inside the top 60 on the points list, which also makes them fully exempt for the 2023 PGA Tour Canada season.

Gallagher's Canyon GC Will Host This Week's GolfBC Championship - Image Courtesy Tourism Kelowna

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

British Columbians Stuart Macdonald and Jared du Toit have some momentum on their side heading to this week’s GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna on the PGA Tour Canada circuit.

Both players recorded top-25 finishes at last week’s CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Minn. Macdonald, a Vancouver native who spent this past year on the Korn Ferry Tour, tied for 16th at 17-under par, while Kimberley’s du Toit tied for 24th at 16-under.

From L-R: Vanessa Zhang, Gianna Clements And Michelle Liu - Golf Canada Photo

Courtesy Golf Canada

OTTAWA, Ont. – When Michelle Liu qualified for the 2019 CP Women’s Open at 12 years, 9 months and 6 days old, it was a record that many thought would last for the foreseeable future.

Then came Lucy Lin.

On Monday, Lin earned a spot in the 2022 CP Women’s Open via a 3-for-1 playoff in the Final Qualifier at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. and when she tees it up at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club on Thursday at the age of 12 years, 7 months and 12 days, she will become the youngest female ever to qualify for Canada’s National Women’s Open.

Michelle Liu Holds The BC Women's Amateur Trophy At Age 13 - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She isn’t exactly all grown up quite yet, but Vancouver’s Michelle Liu is feeling like she’s much better prepared for her second appearance at the CP Women’s Open.

Three years ago as a 12-year-old, Liu made headlines when she became the youngest player to tee it up in a Canadian LPGA Tour event.

She has some great memories of that tournament, held at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., but she also remembers being somewhat overwhelmed by the length of the course. Physically, she wasn’t quite ready to handle it.

Ilirian Zalli Holds The Trophy After Winning The Vancouver Open - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Vancouver Golf Tour commissioner Fraser Mulholland has a video he shot 11 years ago when now PGA TOUR regular Adam Hadwin won the Vancouver Open in a playoff at Fraserview Golf Course.

In that video, you’ll see a youngster watching the action rather intently. That kid was Ilirian Zalli and on Sunday he became the latest Vancouver Open champion.

He did so in rather dramatic fashion. The former B.C. Junior champion, who grew up just blocks from the first tee at Fraserview, birdied his final four holes to force a playoff and then won that playoff with Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald on the first extra hole.

Reigning Canadian Senior Women's Champion Shelly Stouffer - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Shelly Stouffer has been waiting almost a year to enjoy one particularly nice perk she received for winning last summer’s Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.

The wait is finally over. Stouffer is ready to cash in her exemption and tee it up at this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Kettering, Ohio. Stouffer acknowledges she may feel a little star-struck this week.

The 120-player field is chock-full of LPGA Tour legends.

Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) announced today the final field of competitors set to challenge for the 2022 CP Women’s Open taking place August 22-28 at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Ilirian Zalli Tunes Up For The Vancouver Golf Tour’s Flagship Event Aug. 19-21 At McCleery, Langara & Fraserview - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

These are still the early days of Ilirian Zalli’s professional career, but the former B.C. Junior Boys champion is already making quite the impression on the Vancouver Golf Tour.

The 20-year-old David Thompson Secondary graduate has quickly recorded four VGT wins, including two earlier this month. Now he has his sights set on winning the VGT’s flagship event, the Vancouver Open.

The Old Course In St. Andrews, Scotland

by Jeff Sutherland

The Open Championship goes this week and it’s a guarantee some players will love their experience while others, not so much…

BC's Adam Svensson - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Any disappointment Surrey’s Adam Svensson feels over a stumble down the stretch at the Barbasol Championship should be tempered with the knowledge he has secured his PGA TOUR status for next year. 

After contending all week, Svensson finished a career-best solo sixth at the Barbasol. Svensson was done in when he only managed to par the easy par 5 15th hole in the final round and then took a double-bogey on the par 4 17th when he was forced to take an unplayable lie after an errant drive.

Svensson finished the event at 19-under par, six shots behind winner Trey Mullinax.

Image Courtesy Golf Canada/CP Women's Open

For Immediate Release | June 28, 2022

• Early field list includes 16 of the top 20 players on the current LPGA Tour Money List, seven past CP Women’s Open champions and 11 LPGA Tour in-year winners 
• Canadian legend Lorie Kane to play in record 30^th CP Women’s Open; Canadian Golf Hall of Famer will make her final career start in Canada’s National Women’s Open
• CP Has Heart charity campaign to benefit CHEO Hospital Foundation in support of pediatric cardiac care with Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation as the community beneficiary
• CP Women’s Leadership Summit, the introduction of ‘The Rink’ fan experience and the Golf Canada fan app experience among the many tournament enhancements to celebrate the return of Canada’s National Women’s Open

Ottawa, Ont. (June 28, 2022) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), has announced that many of the world’s top players have committed to compete in the celebrated return of the 2022 CP Women’s Open from August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

BC's Adam Hadwin Finished T7 At The U.S. Open - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin is proud of the way he battled as he contended in a major championship for the first time. After holding the first-round lead at the U.S. Open, Hadwin remained in contention all weekend and settled for a tie for seventh place.

“That round could have slipped away at any point during that front (nine) with some of the places I hit it,” Hadwin said after Sunday’s final round.

“I just kept my head down and kept moving forward and am very proud of the way I ground through this week. I really didn’t have my best stuff at times. I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable at times, but I found a way to get it done.”

Coquitlam, BC's A.J. Ewart Was One Of 8 Canadians Who Made Their PGA TOUR Debut At This Year's RBC Canadian Open - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ewart

It’s only natural to be a little nervous before hitting your opening tee shot in your first PGA TOUR event. It intensifies when it also happens to be your National Open championship.

With so many new things happening around you it’s hard to keep your focus.

Changing your shoes in the same locker room as Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas is as cool as it is exciting. The adrenaline begins pumping when you get to the driving range and the balls are new Titleist ProV1’s. And as you walk to your stall you pass Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith hitting balls and getting ready. That's just plain cool as well.

L-R: BC's Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor & Roger Sloan - Images Courtesy Golf Canada/BBrault/RMcCullough

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It was the Rory McIlroy show at the RBC Canadian Open, but British Columbians Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin all played supporting roles at St. George’s Golf Club in Toronto.

At a tournament where they give a trophy to the low Canadian, Surrey’s native Svensson came second. Ontario’s Corey Conners was the low Canuck, closing with an impressive eight-under 62 to finish alone in sixth place at 12-under par. 

Svensson tied for 21st at six-under after shooting a three-under 67 in the final round. “I got off to a bit of a weird start, I three-putted the first hole,” Svensson said. “Then I made another bogey and then slowly made my way back with five birdies after that. It was a slow start, but I knew I was hitting it well, I knew I was playing well, so I just stayed calm and it paid off.”

It Was A Clean Sweep For UBC Golf At The Canadian University/College Championships - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The University of B.C. women’s team put quite the exclamation mark on its perfect season at the Canadian University/College Championship in Bromont, Que.

The T-Bird women won the event by a whopping 98 strokes to cap a season in which they won all 12 events they played, including the NAIA Championship. The UBC women have now won the past five Canadian championships and 15 in the event’s 18-year history.

It was a perfect week for UBC, which swept both team titles at the Canadian championships as well as the two individual crowns.

BC's Lauren Kim, Seen Here During The Canadian Jr. Girls Championship At Beach Grove GC In 2019, Has Her Eyes Set On A Pro Career After Her Experience At the U.S. Women's Open - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She played a practice round with Lexi Thompson, birdied her first hole at the U.S. Women’s Open and created some memories that will last a lifetime.

Surrey’s Lauren Kim had an absolute blast at her first U.S. Women’s Open and will return home to her Grade 11 classes at Earl Marriott Secondary more determined than ever to one day becoming a full-time touring pro.

“It has been amazing,” the 16-year-old Kim said over the phone from Pine Needles Resort in North Carolina.

Victoria's Jeevan Sihota Will Make His Pro Debut This Week At Uplands GC - Golf Canada Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

After a two-year hiatus, PGA Tour Canada is back and tees off its new season this week in Victoria at Uplands Golf Club. The $200,000 Royal Beach Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist is the first stop of an 11-event schedule that will touch down in seven different provinces as well as the state of Minnesota.

British Columbia has two events this season. The GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club in Kelowna goes Sept. 1-4. 

The Victoria event features a strong British Columbia contingent, including 18-year-old Jeevan Sihota of Victoria. The former junior standout from Victoria will make his pro debut at Uplands after earning conditional Tour status at a qualifying school at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay earlier this spring.

 BC's Nick Taylor Has Qualified To Play In His 4th U.S. Open - Image Credit Marcus Oleniuk/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor is heading back to the U.S. Open and will have some British Columbia company as Roger Sloan of Merritt also advanced from a final qualifier in Dallas. 

With 13 spots up for grabs at the Dallas site, Taylor tied for sixth at nine-under par in the 36-hole qualifier. Sloan had to do some extra work.

He had to survive a six-man playoff for the final two spots after tying for 12th at seven-under. Sloan birdied the second playoff hole after sticking a wedge from 102 yards to three feet.

Vernon, BC's Bryce Barker Played His Way Into The Final RBC Canadian Open Qualifier 

Via Golf Canada

PITT MEADOWS, B.C. – It took six holes for Bryce Barker to get settled in at Meadow Gardens Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C., but once he found his groove, there was no looking back.

After making a bogey on hole 6, the Vernon, B.C. native shifted gears into the fast lane as he recorded three birdies in his final 12 holes to finish at 2-under par on Tuesday at the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier in British Columbia.

As there were less than 100 competitors at the Regional Qualifier, Barker did not gain a direct exemption into the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, but will be vying for a spot in the tournament at the Final Qualifier.