British Columbia Golf A Big Presence At CP Canadian Women’s Open

If There's An Event With A British Columbia Golf Presence You Can Be Sure BC Golf President David Atkinson (1st From Right) Won't Be Far Away - Image Courtesy WSGA

by Alfie Lau

Not even 24 hours after competing in the British Columbia Juvenile Boys and Girls Championships at Spallumcheen Golf & Country Club in Vernon, Roy Kang and Phoebe Yue were at the Vancouver Golf Club, cheering for their heroes playing the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Kang was hanging around the putting green and ecstatic that he got a picture with Lydia Ko, while Yue was headed toward the first tee, where Ko, Angela Stanford and Michelle Wie were about to start their second round.

Look even further afield and in the scoring tent by the 9th green is British Columbia Golf President David Atkinson, who had a pivotal job of making sure the players were taking due care and attention in signing their official cards.

Out on the course, British Columbia Golf tournament director Susan White was using her Level 4 Rules expertise as an on-course rules official, with her Friday responsibilities on the stretch from the 10th through 14th holes.

White’s colleague, Dan Sabourin, was also on the course, working as a rules official when we spotted him just off the 10th fairway. 2012 Mid-Amateur provincial champion Kyla Inaba was also following the action, as she was by the 18th green when leader Karine Icher played through.

You can expect even more players who have excelled at British Columbia Golf events this year when the weekend rounds begin. Both Hannah Lee, who finished second at the BC Juvenile Girls, and Alisha Lau, who’s part of Golf Canada’s Development Squad, are scheduled to be on the course Saturday, as they’re taking a well-deserved Friday break before coming to the Vancouver Golf Club.

And of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention 14-year-old Tiffany Kong, who was part of the victorious British Columbia girls golf team at the Western Canadian Summer Games at Wood Buffalo, AB last week. Just 24 hours after Kong returned from Alberta, she played the Monday qualifier at Pitt Meadows for the CP Women’s Open, and after shooting even-par 72, she survived a three-for-two playoff to earn one of four spots in the tournament.

Kong won’t make the cut, but she’ll have a lifetime of memories from when she played an LPGA event as a Grade 9 student.

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