Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley Made An Historical Announcement Today Regarding The Establishment Of The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship - Image Courtesy Twitter

Via Masters.com 

AUGUSTA, GA (April 4, 2018) - Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced today the establishment of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, which will be held annually the week prior to the Masters and will culminate with the final round taking place at Augusta National.

“Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts left behind a legacy of always trying to contribute meaningfully to the game of golf,” Ridley said. “The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship embodies that principle, and we believe this event will have a significant and lasting impact on the future of the women’s game. Our hope and expectation is that this event will further energize those who already love the sport and inspire others through the dream of competing at Augusta National.”

The 54-hole, stroke play tournament will feature an international field of 72 players. Invitees will be determined by awarding winners of other recognized championships and using the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking.

CLICK HERE to read full story. 

Kimberley, BC Product Jared du Toit Breaks Through With A Four-Stroke Victory After Nine Top-10 Finishes With The Sun Devils

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

With the clock ticking on his collegiate golf career, Kimberley’s Jared du Toit desperately wanted to win before he finished his senior year at Arizona State University.

He had come oh, so close. Du Toit had registered nine top 10s since transferring to ASU from the University of Idaho after his sophomore year, including a playoff loss at a tournament in Kona, Hawaii in early February.

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

The second stage of Web.com Tour qualifying school kicked off Tuesday at separate sites across the U.S. going from Nov. 10–13 with 13 Canadians in the field including two from British Columbia. The week following, another 10 Canucks with three hailing from B.C. will tee-it-up at two separate events to complete stage II of qualifying.

The 2019 USAGA International, America’s only USAGR triple-weighted tournament with opportunities to earn WR4GD world ranking points is underway at Desert Pines Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The International is a 54-hole stroke play event with the 18-hole final round scores from selected players also determining the International Cup Team Challenge winner.

After the opening round there are 3 Canadians in the top 5 and you can follow the results by clicking on the link shown below.

One of the longest running amateur golf tournaments in south Florida is being contested this week with many Canadians in the field.

Dating to 1924 in the Men’s Division, the Women’s tournament was added in 2002 and the event has grown to such a stature that it now attracts fields of players from around the world.

Both the men and women will play this week from December 16-19 with the men tackling Eagle Trace Golf Club and the women taking on Palm Aire Country Club.

The 14th annual PNGA Cup is now underway at Crosswater GC in Sunriver, Oregon. British Columbia Golf is in competition with teams from the Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association.

The annual Ryder Cup-style competition is held on a rotating basis throughout the region, with this year’s event being held in Oregon and hosted by the Oregon Golf Association.

Each association has selected a 12-person team consisting of eight men and four women. The representation includes four mid-amateur men of 25 years of age or older, two men of 40 years or older, two senior men of 55 years or older, two mid-amateur women of 25 years or older and two senior women of 50 years or older.

The two-day competition includes four-ball and foursome matches the first day and singles matches on the second and final day. With three matches for each player, the championship allows each competitor to compete against players from each of the other associations. With both men’s and women’s scores used to determine the team result, it is the only known event of its kind in the U.S.

The Oregon Golf Association will be attempting to defend its title, having won the event for the 7th time last year. British Columbia Golf has won the competition on 3 occasions, in 2009, '13 and '14.

CLICK HERE for Live Scoring

The 2018 World Amateur Team Championships are taking place right now in Dublin, Ireland. Through two rounds the Canadian Team of Joey Savoie, Hugo Bernard and Garrett Ranksit at 18-under par just two shots back of current leader New Zealand.

Just last week Canada's Women's team, Naomi Ko, Jaclyn Lee and Maddie Szeryk finished very strong after a slow start and moved up from 39th position to a very respectable 7th place.

Conducted by the International Golf Federation (formerly the World Amateur Golf Council), which comprises the national governing bodies of golf in more than 125 countries, the World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf competition rotated among three geographic zones of the world: Asia-Pacific, American and European-African.

Format
Each team has two or three players and plays 18-holes of stroke play for four days. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.

To follow live scoring of the Men's Competition CLICK HERE.

PNGA Senior Women's Champion Leslie Folsom (L) And Super Senior Champion Holly Horwood (R) - PNGA Photo

Via Press Release

Spokane, Wash. – Leslie Folsom of Tukwila, Wash. shot rounds of 73-76 to win the 33rd Pacific Northwest Senior Women’s Amateur; while Holly Horwood of Vancouver, B.C. successfully defended her title by winning the 8th Super Senior Women’s Amateur, her third consecutive title in this championship.

Both 36-hole championships were held concurrently this week at Kalispel Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Wash., and were conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).

Visit thepnga.org for complete final scoring of both championships.

The Simon Fraser Men’s Golf Team Has Been Selected To The NCAA Division II Men’s Golf South Central/West Super Regional Championship For The Third Straight Season - Image Courtesy SFU Athletics

courtesy Steve Frost, SFU Athletics

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Simon Fraser men’s golf team has been selected to the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf South Central/West Super Regional Championship for the third straight season. The Clan will be joined at the tournament with Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Western Washington.

Simon Fraser finished the season ranked No. 3 in the West Region while Western Washington ranked No. 9. The 10 West Region teams selected will travel to Las Cruces, N.M., and will be joined by 10 teams from the South Central Region to play three rounds at the Western New Mexico State University Golf Course May 2-4.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kent Gilchrist covered just about everything in a sportswriting career that spanned more than 40 years, but he had a particular affinity for golf. Not just the game, but the people who played it. 

Gilchrist, known as Cookie to his countless friends, died at his New Westminster home Wednesday night after a lengthy illness. He was 72. Cookie was larger than life. He could light up a room and fill it with laughter. He seemed to know everyone.

By Craig Dolch, Special to the PGA of America

This article from Craig Dolch has some wonderful insight from former 5-time PGA TOUR winner Ken Green as he gains more and more admiration for those whose main goal is to compete, regardless of the compromised physical situation they may be faced with.

B.C. All-Abilities Champion Matt Hallatt (R) Is Shown In This BC Golf File Photo

Popert and Bish Go Wire-to-Wire at Sand Creek Station

By JC Sites, USGA

Newton, KAN. (July10, 2024) - The first day of the 3rd U.S. Adaptive Open saw the lowest scores in the history in the men’s and women’s divisions of the championship, recorded by Kipp Popert (65) and Bailey Bish (69), respectively.

 On the final day of the championship, Popert and Bish followed through on those record rounds by claiming victory at Sand Creek Station.

The following Canadians were winners of their respective categories: 

Chris Willis, Canada (Upper Limb Impairment, men);  Natasha Stasiuk, Canada (Intellectual Impairment, women), Kiefer Jones, Canada (Vision Impairment, men),

Third place in his respective category went to Kurtis Barkley, Canada (Short Stature, men)

CLICK HERE to see complete story and results on USGA website. 

Click HERE to read about B.C.s' Dustin Boydell's story in the Abbotsford News.

Four BC Golfers Were Honoured Among 178 Amateurs Chosen Worldwide For Global Golf Post's Annual All-Amateur Teams: From L-R: Kimberley's Jared du Doit; Victoria's Kevin Carrigan; Port Alberni's Christina Proteau and Nanoose Bay's Shelly Stouffer - All Images Courtesy BC Golf

Terry Lenyk/ Golf Canada

Winter Park, Fla. - Global Golf Post today announced its men’s and women’s amateurs of the year for 2016, as well as its fourth annual All-Amateur teams for men and women.

Three-time British Seniors Amateur champion Chip Lutz was selected as the male Amateur of the Year, while UCLA senior Bronte Law was named the female Amateur of the Year. Lutz is an American, while Law is from England.

“Each fall, The Post labors to find the two players who epitomize the best of the amateur game: a man and woman whose legacy is an inspiration for others,” The Post’s Steve Eubanks wrote for the magazine’s Nov. 28 edition.

Lakewood, Wash. – The Tacoma Country and Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. is set to host a full field of 168 of the most talented male amateur golfers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond on July 8-13 for the 118th Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship, conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA). Tacoma was the site of the first Pacific Northwest Amateur Championship, held in 1899.

In the field from British Columbia are Richmond's Chris Crisologo, the 2018 BC Amateur Champion, and his younger brother Michael, who earlier this year picked up a win in the Future Links, Driven By Acura, Pacific Championship. Also competing from BC is 2016 BC Juvenile Boys Champion Khan Lee of Langley and Port Alberni resident Spencer Rhodes.

Other Canadians in the field are Quebec's Laurent Desmarchais and Alberta's Kai Iguchi. 

The championship begins with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying held on July 8-9, followed by a cut to the low 64 players who will advance to single-elimination match play.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Bryce Hodges

by Tom Cade, Editor; with Clayton Bloemke, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern

In the upcoming U.S. Adaptive Open, four players from the Pacific Northwest have been selected to play in the inaugural national championship.

The U.S. Adaptive Open is a new national championship, conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA), that will showcase the world’s best golfers with disabilities, and be held on the No. 6 Course at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, N.C. from July 18-20.

Click here to see complete story...

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.

Shayain Gustavsp Is In Scottdale To Experience The WM Phoenix Open -  Image Credit: Shayain Gustavsp

Editor's Note:This week, BC's Golf contributor, Shayain Gustavsp ('Coach Shayain' to many of her students and social media followers), has flown south to take in the very unique spectacle that is the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Shayain will be posting daily observations from the 'Greatest Show on Grass' offering a wide-eyed Canadian's perspective on both the golf and the party-like atomosphere that surrounds the TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course.

By Shayain Gustavsp (Special To BC Golf)

Heading to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I was buzzing with the excitement of a snowbird fleeing the chill, ready to soak up Scottsdale's desert sun. Yet, Mother Nature had a twist in store, swapping my sunhat for a tuque as Vancouver's signature drizzle followed me to Arizona.

Who knew the desert could feel like a brisk day by the Pacific? Thank goodness for my stash of Lululemon layers – a shoutout to my Canadian roots and a lifesaver for weather-whiplashed golf enthusiasts like me. Lesson learned: even in the land of cacti, layering is key!

Images Courtesy Gamble Sands website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE – Gamble Sands Golf Course ― the David McLay Kidd course that opened in 2014 in Brewster, 30 minutes north of Chelan ― has been ranked the state’s No. 1 public golf course for the first time by Cascade Golfer magazine, headlining the regional golf’s magazine’s bi-annual rankings of the Top-10 Public Golf Courses in Washington.

The result marks the first time since Cascade Golfer began publishing its official rankings of Washington's top public courses in 2013 that any course other than Chambers Bay, site of the 2015 U.S. Open, has finished in first place.

And it wasn't particularly close.

Garrett Rank (Charles Cherney/Western Golf Association)

Courtesy Amateurgolf.com

The vast majority of the Western Amateur field was made up of collegians – incoming freshmen, current players and fresh graduates.

Then there’s Garrett Rank, a 31-year-old Canadian who competes in golf in the summer and referees NHL hockey in the winter. Rank is one of the most impressive mid-amateurs in the game, yet his legend grew this week at Point O’Woods Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Mich.

Rank outlasted the kids for a Western Amateur title – a win that's unheard of for a thirty-something in today’s amateur climate. In fact, he becomes the first mid-amateur to win this title since 1997.

The foreshadowing came from Rank’s own mouth on Friday evening, after playing his way to the semifinals.

“I’ve been playing a lot of really good golf the last three or four weeks,” he said.

RESULTS: WESTERN AMATEUR

Win - Garrett Rank Canada  72-67-70-65 = 274
Runner-Up - Daniel Wetterich Cincinnati, OH  66-68-69-68 = 271
Semifinals - CA Ricky Castillo Yorba Linda, CA  71-66-69-68 = 274
Semifinals - CA David Laskin Elk Grove, CA  68-66-74-66 = 274
Quarterfinals - GA Davis Thompson St. Simons, GA  67-68-65-67 = 267

View full results for Western Amateur

ABOUT THE WESTERN AMATEUR
Invitational event, known to many as the 'Masters of Amateur Golf.' Quite probably the hardest amateur tournament to win.

156 invited players come from across the globe to play one of the toughest formats in amateur golf. The tournament starts with 18 holes of stroke play on Tuesday and Wednesday after which the field is cut to the low 44 scores and ties. Thursday it's a long day of 36 holes of stroke play to determine the “Sweet Sixteen” who compete at Match Play on Friday and Saturday (two matches each day if you're going to the finals) to decide the champion.
View Complete Tournament Information

British Columbia's Gary Pike - Image Courtesy PNGA

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Gary Pike made his PNGA Lamey Cup debut last year and is delighted he will be back for a second opportunity to play in the annual Ryder Cup-style competition featuring teams from the British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho golf associations.

“It was a blast,” says Pike, a Victoria resident who won the B.C Mid-Master Championship last spring. “You are representing British Columbia and it’s a pretty cool experience. The event was very well run and meeting other players there was fun. It was a real privilege to play.”