Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Graig Abel

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It wasn’t quite the round he hoped for, but Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald still posted his best-ever finish on the Korn Ferry Tour on Sunday.

Macdonald closed with a two-over 73 that left him in a tie for 20th at the Pinnacle Bank Championship in Omaha, Neb. Macdonald’s six-under total was five shots behind winner Seth Reeves.

The Point Grey Golf Club product had started the day in a tie for sixth spot. The finish earned Macdonald $7,300 and moved him up 21 spots on the Korn Ferry Tour points list to 128th. Macdonald has made the cut in six of seven starts this year.

Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation have joined together to launch the COVID-19 GOLF RELIEF FUND, to support golf courses in helping employees and golfers stay safe while also thanking front-line workers through encouraging additional play and welcoming juniors to further experience the game.

During the pandemic, golf has experienced a booming resurgence, emerging as one of the safest recreational activities for Canadians to enjoy and highlighting the physical and mental benefits that the sport provides.

Victoria's William Bishop Poses With The Medal & Trophy As The 2020 BC Junior Boys Champion - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA -- William Bishop summed up his win at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship this way: “This is big,” he said. “This is really big.”

Bishop, a 16-year-old from Victoria, rebounded from a slow start and shot an even-par round of 72 to win the championship at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course. “I am really happy right now,” Bishop said. “The way I played today was great. I left a couple of strokes out there, but I think everyone did. I have no regrets with the way I played today. I pulled if off and got the win.”

Dan Swanson, Seen Here Holding Two Trophies - One Being His Son Jack,  Picked Up Both The Mid-Amateur And Mid-Master Titles In The BC Amateur - image credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA -- Dan Swanson got what he came for when he successfully defended his B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship at Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course.

He also came tantalizingly close to adding what would have been a very big bonus.

Swanson, a 41-year-old former pro from Abbotsford who regained his amateur status about three years ago, made a final-round charge that fell one shot short of forcing a playoff for the B.C. Amateur Championship.

Duncan's Tristan Mandur Added The 2020 BC Amateur Title To His Win In The 2016 Junior Boys - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA -- Tristan Mandur has had the goal since winning the B.C. Junior Boys title back in 2016. The 21-year-old from Duncan wanted the ‘B.C. double,’ meaning he was looking to add a B.C. Amateur Championship title to his collection.

Mission accomplished.

Kelowna's Justin Towill Is Tied Atop The Leaderboard At 4-under Par With One Round To Go In The 2020 BC Amateur - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA -- The birdies finally started flying inWednesday’s second round of the 118h playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship, setting the scene for what should be an interesting final day at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course.

Three players -- former B.C. Junior champion Tristan Mandur of Duncan, Kelowna’s Jake Towill and Brent Pound of Kamloops -- share the lead at four-under par. But they best be looking over their shoulders.

Russell Howlett Of Delta Is The First Round Leader In The BC Amateur At Okanagan GC - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA -- The Bear had some bite in Tuesday’s first round of the B.C. Amateur Championship. 

The feeling heading into the 118th playing of the event was that the Bear Course at Okanagan Golf Club was ripe for the taking. Its four par 5s are reachable for many in the 156-player field and there are two or three par 4s that are drivable for the long hitters.

It was going to be a birdie-fest. Except it wasn’t. Not in the first round anyway.

The Golf Canada Foundation sweepstakes are now live nationwide and will run until August 27th at 9pm EST. 

You can win a number of incredible VIP golf experiences including the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, CP Women's Open and the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Be sure to buy tickets early to be entered into the amazing Stay & Play at Cabot Cliffs early bird prize that will be drawn on August 12th at 11:59pm EST.

Why we are raising funds?
In response to the pandemic, Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation along with partners (R&A, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of Canada, Levelwear, Bear Mountain, Cabot, TPC Toronto) and individual donors have set up the COVID-19 GOLF RELIEF FUND to help golf course employees stay safe and to encourage additional play for front-line workers and juniors to experience the physical and mental benefits of golf.

How does this work?
Golf Canada member clubs can apply for reimbursement of any, or all, of the following up to a maximum dollar amount:

• PPE costs
• Rounds of play for juniors
• Rounds of play for front-line workers

Click HERE to get more details and buy tickets. 

Kaleb Gorbahn Was The 2018 BC Amateur Silver Medallist - Image Courtesy Dana Gorbahn

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Smithers pro Kaleb Gorbahn put an exclamation point on his win Sunday at the Vancouver Golf Tour’s Golden Eagle Open in Pitt Meadows.

Gorbahn finished his round with an eagle on his 18th hole (the par 5 ninth) at Golden Eagle’s North Course to cap off a six-under 66. That left Gorbahn with a 36-hole score of 11-under par, four shots better than amateur Tristan Mandur of Duncan and fellow amateur Amanda Minni of Delta, who won the women’s division.

William Deck Will Be Looking To Improve On His Best BC Amateur Finish At Pheasant Glen In 2016 When He Tees It Up At A Familiar Okanagan GC Bear Course - BC Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

William Deck’s golfing roots run deep in Kelowna. His dad, Garrett, helped build Harvest Golf Club and has been course superintendent there for more than 20 years.

Will played his collegiate golf at the University of B.C.’s Okanagan campus while pursuing a kinesiology degree.

The golf team played and practised at the Okanagan Golf Club, whose Bear Course plays host to the 118th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship July 28-30.

Jackson Rothwell Hoists The Bostock Trophy After His Victory In The BC Amateur Last Year At Big Sky. Who Are This Year's Conteders? - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The 118th B.C. Amateur Championship begins Tuesday at Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear course in Kelowna. This year’s event is 54 holes, not the normal 72, with no cut. The Junior Boys and Mid-Amateur championships are also being contested at Okanagan Golf Club. The 156-player field will adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols that include no caddies and no spectators. 

Brad Ziemer looks at 10 players who have a chance to win the B.C. Amateur championship. - ed

Gudmund Lindbjerg 1948 -2020 - image courtesy Twitter/WA Golf 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Gudmund Lindbjerg, a longtime Pitt Meadows Golf Club member who won four straight B.C. Senior Men’s titles starting in 2008, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 71.

Lindbjerg produced a rather remarkable amateur golf career despite not playing the game until he was 29. He emigrated from Denmark in his early 20s and at that time was more interested in hunting ducks than chasing birdies on a golf course.

Simon Fraser University Golf Coach Matthew Steinbach - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A decision by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to cancel fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic has left the Simon Fraser University men’s and women’s golf teams with no place to play.

The canceling of the fall season did not surprise SFU golf coach Matthew Steinbach. “At the end of the day we are in a global pandemic, so travelling across the border and playing a regular competition schedule, we didn’t think that was going to happen,” Steinbach said.

The real gut punch for Steinbach came when he was also informed by GNAC officials that SFU would not be permitted to play in a proposed series of one-day events with fellow British Columbia schools this fall.

Players And Coaches From Team BC Had A Very Successful Performance Camp At Mayfair Lakes GC - All images credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The nine members of the inaugural British Columbia Golf Performance Program are pumped about the opportunities they are getting to improve their games.

Team B.C. just completed a three-day camp at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club in Richmond, where coaches ran them through a series of challenging practice sessions. Everyone seemed to be smiling. 

“It has been a really cool experience,” says Martina Yu of Coquitlam. “I have never really experienced something like this, being together with a team. I have learned a lot, not just skills-wise, but also team work, mental strategy and it’s just really fun being part of a team.”

Richmond's Chris Crisologo, Seen Here Playing As An Amateur At Vancouver's Mackenzie Tour Event, Will Now Be In The Field As A Pro At Bear Mountain - image credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

There will be plenty of British Columbia content at the first two events of the Mackenzie Tour’s Canada Life Series at Bear Mountain next month.

Apart from several sponsor exemptions, the tentative fields have been set for the two 54-hole events at Bear Mountain’s Valley and Mountain courses in the Victoria suburb of Langford. 

B.C. players listed in the Bear Mountain fields include James Allenby of Langley, Chris Crisologo of Richmond, Zach Anderson of Nanaimo, Callum Davison of Duncan, Mike Belle of Burnaby, Adam Cornelson of Langley, John Mlikotic of Kelowna, Jim Rutledge of Victoria, Cory Renfrew of Victoria, Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers, Zahidali Natu of Richmond, Lawren Rowe of Victoria, Oliver Tubb of Vancouver, Finlay Young of Kelowna, Brady Stead of Vernon, Scott Kerr of Vancouver and Trevor Yu of Vancouver.

Team BC Rescheduled Their Previously Planned 5-Day Arizona Peformance Camp For Beautiful BC's Mayfair Lakes G&CC - All Images Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It was Mayfair Lakes, not Mesa, but no one was complaining. 

COVID-19 has created challenges for the new British Columbia Golf Performance Program, which was just getting started when the pandemic struck.

But rather than worry about what they could not do, British Columbia Golf Performance Coach Colin Lavers and his team decided to focus on what they could do for the nine junior golfers who are part of the program. So that five-day camp scheduled for Arizona during spring break had to be rescheduled for Mayfair Lakes in July. It wasn’t quite Arizona, but the sun was shining.

image courtesy golfinbritishcolumbia.com

Golf in British Columbia have put together some amazing packages for golf trips in BC. Please take some time to check out the information and terrific golf destinations that British Columbia has to offer below.

There is no better time to explore and enjoy golf in BC than right now.

2019 BC Amateur Champion Jackson Rothwell Is Looking To Defend His Title This Year At Okanagan GC's Bear Course - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A championship season that has risen from the ashes is proving to be extremely popular with British Columbia golfers.

For the longest time, it looked like British Columbia Golf’s entire championship schedule might fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it turns out that champions will be crowned in all events in a new condensed season.

And the top amateur players in the province are clamouring to get on board. The season tees off July 28-30 with the 118th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear course in Kelowna.

2020 Langley Concrete Chilliwack Men's Open Champion Zach Olson (Middle) Is Flanked By Low Gross Amateur Winner Jace Minni (L) & Overall Net Champion Alex Walker (R) - Image Courtesy VGT/Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

This professional golf thing seems to working out quite nicely for Zach Olson. The former University of the Fraser Valley standout finished fourth in his pro debut last week at the Vancouver Golf Tour’s Ledgeview Open.

It turns out that was just his warm-up act. Olson on Sunday made a clutch up-and-down on the 18th hole to win the VGT’s Chilliwack Men’s Open at Chilliwack Golf Club.

The First Two Events Of The Canada Life Series Will Be Held At Bear Mountain’s Valley And Mountain Courses In Langford - Image Courtesy Bear Mountain

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit could certainly use some additional Canadian content and a summer series of four events announced Friday will help address that issue.

The Mackenzie Tour has partnered with Canada Life for four 54-hole tournaments that will be for Canadian residents only. The first two tournaments will be held next month at the Bear Mountain Resort near Victoria with the final two events scheduled for the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in early September.

Each event of what is being called the Canada Life Series will offer a purse of $50,000 Cdn. More importantly, the series will offer players an opportunity to earn some status on next year’s Mackenzie Tour.