• Nick Taylor’s Inspiring Win Ends Canadian Open Drought

    2023 RBC Canadian Open Champion Nick Taylor Reacts To His Dramatic 72-Foot Eagle Putt Dropping In For The Win - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    To that list of great Canadian sporting moments, we can add three words: Nick Taylor’s putt.

    Yes, that 72-footer for eagle that won the 35-year-old Abbotsford product the RBC Canadian Open on the fourth extra hole Sunday will be discussed in the same breath as Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run and Mike Weir’s Masters win of 20 years ago. It was that big.

    And no longer will we have to listen to that phrase that has been repeated ad nauseam for decades. You know the one, about no Canadian having won the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

  • Taylor’s Proud Parents Hope His Win Drives More Kids To The Game

    Nick Taylor - Image Credit Bernard Braultt/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Goolf

    Like much of the rest of the country, Jay and Darlene Taylor were glued to their television as their son Nick made Canadian sports history.

    Alone in the family room of their Abbotsford home, the Taylors hugged one another and cried when Nick’s 72-foot putt dropped on the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open.

    They were still crying half-an-hour later when reached on the telephone. “We are super proud, we are super pumped,” said an emotional Jay Taylor.

  • Hadwins Continue To Change Lives Through Infertility Awareness Initiatives

    Image via Instagram Screenshot

    BC's Adam Hadwin and his wife Jessica started a non-profit organization in May of 2020, The Hadwin Family Foundation following the successful IVF (In vitro fertilization) that produced their daughter Maddox. The two felt they could help assist other couples struggling to conceive a child and thus started the foundation and Maddy’s Miracle Grant. Canadian golf writer Adam Stanley has a wonderful story on how it all came to be and an update on where things are now. 

    Written by Adam Stanley
    @adam_stanley

    Jessica Hadwin looked out a plane window in the spring of 2019 to see a unique double rainbow. There were two vertical strips of colour coming out of a collection of clouds, straight toward the ground – a bright splash through the darkness. She needed that. She wondered if it was a sign.

    About a year later – nine months, to be exact – that double rainbow represented their baby girl Maddox. Their fighter. A glimpse of light after years of darkness.

    A “Rainbow Baby” is a term for a child born to a family after experiencing previous child loss.

    Click HERE to read full story. 

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Lauren Kim goes on birdie binge at Liberty National; Q-school’s in session at Crown Isle; Plenty of B.C. content at RBC Canadian Open; Stouffer goes for fourth straight Seniors title

    BC's Lauren Kim Warmed Up For Her U.S. Women's Open Start Next Month With Some Fine Play At Liberty National In New Jersey -  Photo Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

    By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

    Rose Zhang didn’t make a birdie Sunday as she made history by winning in her LPGA Tour debut. Surrey teen Lauren Kim had eight of them as she played the same Liberty National course from most of the same tees.

    The inaugural Mizuho Americas Open featured 24 of the top players from the American Junior Golf Association, who competed in their own tourney opposite the LPGA field. In the final two rounds, one AJGA player played with two LPGA players.

    Kim was one of four B.C. juniors invited to the event, along with Luna Lu of Burnaby and Michelle Liu and Vanessa Zhang, both of Vancouver.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Four B.C. juniors to rub shoulders with LPGA stars at new event; Hadwin, Svensson T40th at PGA Championship; Sloan makes it a B.C. foursome at U.S. Open; Rothwell off to NCAA Division I championship; SFU’s Goodfellow honoured

    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.

  • Surrey’s Lauren Kim Qualifies To Play In Her Second Straight U.S. Women’s Open

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Simon Fraser University men clinch spot in NCAA Division II national championship tourney; UBC, University of Victoria off to NAIA championships; Strong named new PGA of BC executive director

    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.

  • North Vancouver’s Taylor Durham Plays His Way Into RBC Canadian Open

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Amy Lee and Jerry Li winners at NextGen opener on Sunshine Coast; B.C. a close third at PNGA Lamey Cup; Svensson struggles on the Green Mile; Rowe wins second straight VGT event

    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.

  • Winner Of Ledgeview Qualifier To Earn Spot In RBC Canadian Open Field

    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.

  • PGA TOUR Announces Formation Of PGA Tour Americas

    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 BC Women's Open Coming To Mayfair Lakes GC In June

    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.

  • CP Women's Open Behind The Scenes Experiences At Shaughnessy G&CC

    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!

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Jace Minni conquers Chambers Bay to earn first collegiate win; Ewart wins again for Barry; Frustrating finish for Svensson at Masters; Henry Lee earns conditional status at PGA Tour Canada Q-School

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Former B.C. Bantam champ laps field in South Africa; Taylor ties for 15th at Texas Open, where fellow Canadian Corey Conners wins for second time; Macdonald goes low in Brazil; SFU women win

    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.

  • Ziemer' B.C. Golf Notes: Victoria the lone B.C. stop on PGA Tour Canada schedule; Early exits for Taylor, Hadwin, Svensson at Dell Match Play; UBC women keep winning; Ewart wins again for Barry University; Macdonald top-20s in Argentina

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Long winter delays Osoyoos Golf Club’s traditional early start to season; Svensson top-25s at Bay Hill; Parsons fourth on Cactus Tour; Chambers Bay to play host to PNGA Men’s Amateur

    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...

  • Earl Grey Golf Club In Calgary To Host 2024 CP Women’s Open

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Taylor has Match Play and Masters on his mind; UBC’s Mackenzie Bickell starts tourney with a bang; Ledgeview to play host to Canadian Open regional qualifier

    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.

  • Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Rutledge reflects on Hall of Fame call; Svensson top-10s at Genesis Invitational; Golf Expo goes big in Abbotsford; Victoria Liu impresses at Princeton

    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.