BC's Jared du Toit Debuts As A Professional This Week At Uplands GC In Victoria In The Mackenzie Tour/PGA Tour Canada's Bayview Place Cardtronics Open - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kimberley’s Jared du Toit will make his pro debut at this week’s Bayview Place Cardtronics Open at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria and that sounds very familiar to Max Rottluff, du Toit’s former Arizona State University teammate.

“That’s is where I made my pro debut last year,” Rottluff said after his round Sunday at the Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. Rottluff, who hails from Dusseldorf, Germany, thinks du Toit will do just fine on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit.

“Obviously he has shown his game is ready,” Rottluff said of du Toit, the 2015 B.C. Amateur champion. “He has the game, so I'm not too worried. Can he do it in his first event? Hopefully, but I wouldn’t be too worried. I am sure he will do just fine.”

The Combo Of Chris Crisologo And Caddy Alisha Lau, Both Accomplished Players Who Have Represented British Columbia On Numerous Occasions, Teamed Up For A Stellar Performance In The Freedom 55 Financial Open At Point Grey G&CC This Week - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

American Lee McCoy Wins Season-Opening Event On Mackenzie Tour By 8 Shots At Point Grey

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It wasn’t a banner weekend for Canadians at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, but at least one of them was smiling when the season-opening event of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit concluded Sunday at Point Grey Golf & Country Club.

And he didn’t even cash a cheque.

Richmond amateur Chris Crisologo, teeing it up in his first pro event on a sponsor’s exemption, played like a seasoned veteran at Point Grey. The 21-year-old rising star of Simon Fraser University’s golf team closed with a two-under 70 Sunday to finish the 72-hole event at seven-under par.

Courtesy PGA of BC

On Friday June 2nd Cec Ferguson passed away peacefully at home in the company of his three children, Tanya, Jason and Crystal, along with brothers Rob and Gary and sister-in-law Colleen.

He was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2016 and dealt with it as he dealt with everything in life; with dignity, perseverance and humour.

He recently enjoyed his 67th birthday with all of his extended family members, and over the past few months had a chance to visit with many old friends. Cec was well known for his golfing ability over a playing career that saw him represent Canada as an amateur, win the BC Open as an amateur and then compete professionally on the Canadian and Asian Tours back in the 1970’s.

In the late seventies he settled into the life of a Club Professional and then stepped in to Club management, but not before winning the Canadian PGA Club Professionals’ Championship in 1986.

He served the memberships of Regina GC and Quilchena G&CC as Head professional before serving as General Manager at Myrtle Point GC, Wascana G&CC, and Vernon G&CC. For 20 years Cec directed the Bruce Denniston Bone Marrow Society tournament fundraiser in memory of his friend, Constable Bruce Denniston, who died before a successful bone marrow transplant donor could be found.

“The Denniston” was a popular event that attracted celebrities each year along with a host of amateurs who returned year after year to honour the memory of Bruce and raise funds and awareness of the need for the Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

Cec Ferguson was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame of British Columbia in 2011.

His last career was the one he might have enjoyed the most – Coach driver for International Stage Lines. He looked forward to being on the road in his 50 passenger coach and entertaining his passengers along the way. Cec had the ability to analyze situations and find a way to achieve a positive outcome, and make and keep friends along the way.

He will be missed, but never forgotten.

A celebration of life for Cec Ferguson will be held 1 p.m. Friday, June 23rd at University Golf Club in Vancouver. 

Messages for the family can be relayed through:

Barrie McWha barriemcwha@gmail.com

Rick Soutar rsoutar@telus.net

Stephen Ames Added His Name To The List Of Those Questioning Bernhard Langer’s Putting Stroke When Asked About It At The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Media Day - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VICTORIA -- Stephen Ames says Bernhard Langer is the talk of the PGA Champions circuit and not just because of his recent back-to-back victories at senior majors.

No, Ames and many of his colleagues on the 50-and-over tour are spending considerable time chatting about Langer’s putting stroke. More specifically, they are questioning whether the soon-to-be 60-year-old German is breaking the rules by continuing to anchor his long putter.

The Back-To-Back Canadian University/College Women's Champion UBC Thunderbirds And Coach Chris MacDonald - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

T’Birds Kat Kennedy And Evan Holmes Earn Medallist Honours

Courtesy Golf Canada

​BARRIE, Ont. – Kat Kennedy went wire-to-wire to lead the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to their second consecutive Canadian University/College Championship, while Baptiste Mory helped the Université Laval Rouge et Or hold on to win the men’s division at Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club on Thursday.

As part of the celebration that is International Women's Golf Day on June 6th, the Richmond Country Club and Victoria Golf Club are both hosting events and inviting all interested women to take part in the day's festivities. 

The focus of Women's Golf Day is essentially socializing, networking and distribution of information regarding lessons, league play, ways to get involved in golf.

Anyone wishing to participate should contact either of these two facilities before Tuesday June 6th in order to register and find out further information. 

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota Hasn't Cracked The Canadian Men's Amateur Top 10 List Yet. But If He Keeps Having Weeks Like The Last Two, It Won't Be Long - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

This week's Top 10 list only reflects a few notable changes but there were some rather significant moves by players vying to get on that list, including Victoria's Jeevan Sihota who is 'quietly' becoming one of the players to watch in British Columbia and the rest of Canada at the ripe-old age of 13.

Team BC Coach Matt Cella Poses With His Winning Squad From The North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches After Defending Their Title In Oregon - Image Credit: It's A Selfie!

The team of Akari Hayashi, Sumie Francois, Shirin Anjarwalla, Cecile Kwon, Euna Han And Tiffany Kong representing British Columbia Golf successfully defended the title they won last year at Pitt Meadows Golf Course by taking the 4 team international event held this year at at the Illahe Hills Country Club in Oregon May 27-28.

Team BC collected 14 out of the available 36 points, with 2nd place Washington 4.5 points back at 9.5 while host Oregon was 3rd with 6.5 and Idaho 4th with 6 points.

The Freedom 55 Financial Open Is The First Event Of The 2017 Mackenzie Tour Schedule And Will Also Be The Pro Debut For Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald (R) Shown Here With Teammate Lawren Rowe Of Victoria After Winning The Peruvian International Amateur Championship - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Stuart Macdonald practically grew up on the fairways of Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf & Country Club and during many of the “hundreds and hundreds” of rounds played there he would find himself dreaming about becoming a touring pro.

What he never dreamed of was making his pro debut at his home course.

Having Won His First PGA TOUR Event At The Valspar Championship This Year, Adam Hadwin Now Has His Eyes On Another Very Special Trophy - The Claret Jug - Image Credit Kelly Murray

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It wasn’t the finish he was looking for, but Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin still had reason to celebrate after Sunday’s final round of the Dean & DeLuca Invitational in Fort Worth, Tex.

Hadwin tied for 53rd spot at Colonial Country Club, but more importantly he remained inside the top 50 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking and clinched a spot in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Saskatchewan's Graham DeLaet Poses With The Kids At The 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Junior Clinic for Kids - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

VICTORIA, B.C. – Tournament Organizers have announced that the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Junior Clinic for Kids will take place on Saturday, September 16, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The clinic will be held at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa — the site of the PGA TOUR Champions event, and will be hosted by one of the PGA TOUR Champions players competing in the tournament.

After An Impressive 10-Year Run, Coach Brian Unger And His Gleneagle High School Golf Team From Coquitlam Will Be Unable To Field A Squad For The Provincial Championships This Year - Images Courtesy Smithsonian & Wikipedia

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Brian Unger wants to make one thing perfectly clear: It was never about the coaching.

Unger is the longtime coach of the golf team at Coquitlam’s Gleneagle Secondary, which has put together a rather remarkable record over the past decade.

He jokes that he has done little but get his kids to the course on time and point them to the first tee. Unger is undoubtedly short-changing his contribution, but he has had a nice pipeline of players drop into his lap at Gleneagle.

“It has just been an embarrassment of riches of good kids,” says Unger, a social studies teacher at Gleneagle. “I don’t want to completely dismiss my role, but I am under no illusions. I don’t really do any coaching. These kids have all got their own personal coaches and training regimens, so I am more of a coordinator. But I do think I have created a bit of a fun environment.”

Freedom 55 Financial Open Tournament Director David Lee Fay Addressed The Assembled Media At Point Grey Golf Club Prior To The Upcoming Web.com Event - Image Credit British Columbia Golf

Season-Opening Freedom 55 Financial Open Tournament Announces Canucks For Kids Fund Charity Ball Hockey Classic And Sponsor Exemptions 

(May 25, 2017 – Vancouver, B.C.) – The Freedom 55 Financial Open is set to open the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season next week at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

In addition to the 72-hole tournament, the first of 12 Mackenzie Tour events this season that will see players compete to earn status on the Web.com Tour, the Freedom 55 Financial Open has incorporated a Canucks for Kids Fund Charity Ball Hockey event to raise both awareness and donations for the charity, along with the second annual Freedom 55 Financial Open Charity Walk.

Children between the ages of 8 – 12 will have the opportunity to participate in a ball hockey game, which will be coached by Canucks stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin, on the Sunday of tournament week, leading into the golf tournament’s exciting Sunday finish.

The tournament also announced six sponsor exemptions, adding to a field of 156 players from nearly 20 countries for the $175,000 event.

Canada’s Top-Ranked Amateur, Jared du Toit, Is Expected To Wave Good-Bye To His Amateur Career And Turn Pro After The NCAA Championships - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jared du Toit calls the feeling bittersweet. He is excited about what lies ahead, but also a bit sad about what he is leaving behind.

Du Toit, Canada’s top-ranked amateur golfer, is preparing to play his final collegiate event for his Arizona State University Sun Devils and acknowledged in a telephone interview that he has been doing a lot of thinking in recent days.

Chris Crisologo Added Another Accolade To His Season Being Named To The NCAA Divison II PING All-Region West Team - Image Courtesy GNAC

Courtesy Steve Frost/SFU Athletics

NORMAN, Okla. – Simon Fraser University golfer Chris Crisologo was today named to the NCAA Division II PING All-Region West team by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

Crisilogo won four individual titles this season and was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive year.

Kat Kennedy And Her UBC T'Birds Women's Golf Team Have Come Together Quite Nicely As A Team Heading Into The NAIA Women's Golf National Championships - Image Courtesy UBC Athletics

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kat Kennedy wanted to make her final year of collegiate golf a memorable one. So far, so good. Kennedy, a 22-year-old senior with the University of British Columbia’s women’s golf team, has won five individual titles this season for the Thunderbirds and is ranked by Golfstat as the top player in the NAIA.

What she is most interested in now is a team title at the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships, which begin Tuesday at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Jared du Toit Is Not Going To Go Gently Into That Good Night Of His College Golf Career As He And His ASU Sun Devils Have Qualified For The NCAA Championship Tourney - Golf Canada Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jared du Toit’s collegiate career isn’t over just yet. Du Toit and his Arizona State University Sun Devils advanced to the NCAA Championship tourney on Wednesday with a fifth-place finish at their NCAA regional site in Austin, Tex.

Toronto Native And Global Sports Executive Laurence Applebaum Is To Assume Duties Leading Canadian Golf’s National Sport Federation And Governing Body On July 10, 2017 - Golf Canada Image

For Immediate Release

May 16, 2017 - OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) — Following a comprehensive search, Golf Canada has announced the appointment of Laurence Applebaum as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Applebaum, most recently the Executive Vice President of the Florida-based Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), will assume his new role as of July 10, 2017.

Victoria's Jeevan Sihota Held Off A Late Charge From Tristan Mandur To Win The Future Links Pacific Championship At Chilliwack Golf Club - Image Credit British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- There was a calmness about Jeevan Sihota in Sunday’s final round of the Future Links Pacific Championship at Chilliwack Golf & Country Club. 

No final-round jitters were evident as Sihota played the last few holes and sealed his win at the first major junior tourney of the season. After all, Sihota is a seasoned veteran. Oh, and he just turned 13. And is in Grade 7.

Mary Parsons Successfully Defended Her Future Links Pacific Championship At Chilliwack Golf Club - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

CHILLIWACK -- Mary Parsons is learning that there is more than one way to win a golf tournament. Some are definitely tougher than others.

Last spring, Parsons went wire-to-wire to cruise to her win at the Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes in Kamloops. Her title defence on Sunday at Chilliwack Golf & Country Club was a little more difficult. Actually, a lot more difficult.