CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. — After the opening round of the 2026 BC Indigenous Championship, Gloria Morgan (Splatsin), of Enderby, stood before the field at the welcome reception with a drum in hand.
Morgan spoke about the players who had come from across British Columbia to gather in Campbell River.
“For those of you who came here last night and today, you travelled,” Morgan told the room. “You took a step to come here. And tomorrow morning we’re going to be taking another step. We’re going to be taking a step towards the championship positions on the team.”
She then sang a travelling song to send the players into their final round.
By Thursday afternoon, that next step Morgan referenced had produced a course record, a fourth consecutive men’s champion, a returning women’s winner and another clear picture of what this championship has become in just four years.
A fourth straight title and a course record
Austin Krahn (Mohawks of Akwesasne), of Christina Lake, closed with a course-record seven-under-par 64 at Campbell River Golf Club to win the men’s championship for a fourth consecutive year.
Krahn’s rounds of 69 and 64 gave him a two-round total of 133, nine under par, and a 10-stroke victory over Dillon Paquette (Saulteau First Nations) of Dawson Creek. Paquette finished at one over par after a closing 68, while Brody Brook (Okanagan Indian Band), of Prince George, placed third at four over.
For Krahn, the title was another milestone in a championship that has been part of his competitive journey since the inaugural event in 2023.
“The environment out here is unbeatable and the camaraderie around everyone is next to none,” Krahn said. “It’s been quite an honour playing here for the last four years in this tournament.”
The 18-year-old will begin his NCAA Division I career at Liberty University this fall. His victory in Campbell River adds to a résumé that includes back-to-back BC Junior Boys titles, the 2025 BC Amateur Championship, individual and team gold at the Canada Summer Games, and two years with Golf Canada’s NextGen program.
With his next chapter approaching, Krahn said he is not sure when he will next be able to return to the championship.
“If this is my last for a while, I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had to play out here and meet all these people,” he said.
Krahn credited superintendent Brad Sinclair, assistant superintendent Steve Kerbrat and the grounds crew for the conditions that helped make it possible.
“I’d love to say that I missed a bunch of putts out there because of the greens, but I can’t,” Krahn said. “Every putt rolled true and the fairways were perfect.”
Jack returns to the winner’s circle
Kylie Jack (Syilx, Penticton & Osoyoos), of Westbank, returned to the top of the women’s leaderboard after missing the 2025 championship.
Jack posted matching rounds of 77 for a total of 154, 12 over par, to earn her second women’s title. She finished 13 strokes ahead of defending champion Joan Hinkey (BC Métis Association), of Nanoose Bay. Lesley France (Kwakiutl First Nation), also of Nanoose Bay, finished third at 168.
Jack previously won the 2024 championship at University Golf Club in Vancouver, securing that title with a 30-foot par putt on the final hole.
Her return to the winner’s circle comes during a significant new chapter away from the course as well. Recently called to the bar, Jack is now practising law.
“I really enjoy this tournament,” Jack said. “It’s a great community.”
Welcomed to Campbell River
The welcome reception at the Velocity Lounge at Naturally Pacific Resort brought players, families, community representatives, partners and event staff together before the final round.
Chief Ronnie Chickite of We Wai Kai and Coun. John Henderson of Wei Wai Kum welcomed the field to the unceded territory of the Ligwiłda'xw people: the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and Kwiakah First Nations.
Henderson spoke about the significance of gathering together and what moments like the BC Indigenous Championship can represent.
“I really see progress for the future in the fact that we’re here together and participating on lands that we shared at one time,” Henderson said.
For BC Golf CEO Matthew Steinbach, that welcome carried real significance.
“When we’re welcomed by communities, when we’re welcomed by elders, it’s incredibly impactful,” Steinbach said. “For our team as well, we really respect being welcomed on the lands.”
Amanda Mailman, owner of Naturally Pacific Resort, thanked the players, volunteers and staff who contributed to the week.
“We are truly grateful that you selected our venue and our resort for your tournament this year,” Mailman said. “It’s truly special.”
At Thursday’s prize presentation, tournament director William McKenzie recognized the work of the Naturally Pacific Resort team, golf operations staff, grounds crew, tournament officials, volunteers and BC Golf staff.
“Big thank you to all of you,” McKenzie said. “We truly couldn’t make this happen without you.”
BC Golf recognized the work of tournament rules chair Mike Cook, also a member of BC Golf’s board of directors, who was on site throughout the championship to oversee rules operations and help keep play moving smoothly. His role was a strong example of the hands-on involvement of BC Golf board members in supporting the delivery of provincial championships.
Almost 60 young golfers take their first swing
Before the championship began, almost 60 young golfers from the Campbell River community took part in a First Tee British Columbia clinic presented in partnership with BC Golf and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council of British Columbia.
It was the largest youth clinic in the championship’s four-year history, with many young golfers picking up a club or spending time on a golf course for the first time.
The impact extended beyond the putting green and chipping area. Following the clinic, parents visited the golf shop to ask about equipment, lessons and memberships for their children.
“To see 58 kids over here with the First Tee clinic, that’s the biggest turnout for any of the Indigenous Championships that we’ve had,” said T’esots’en (Patrick Kelly), president of the BC Indigenous Golf Association. “It just shows that it’s growing in the right way.”
Steinbach said those first experiences are central to the championship’s long-term impact.
“That is how we encourage the next generation to come and play,” he said, “and how we make sure this tournament has a full participant field for many, many years to come.”
More ways to compete
The 2026 championship also introduced Senior and Junior divisions, creating more opportunities for Indigenous golfers to compete and be recognized at different ages and stages of the game.
Hinkey added the Senior Women’s title to her week, while Dave Lawless (BC Métis Nation), of Parksville, won the Senior Men’s division. Krahn also led the Junior Boys division, followed by Sam Murdock (High Bar First Nation), of West Kelowna, and Kael Fulton (Métis), of Williams Lake.
For some players, the championship represented their first sanctioned golf event.
“There are a number of players in this tournament that have never played a sanctioned official tournament before,” Kelly said. “It’s been amazing to watch the journey as people get involved.”
The gross competitions were supported by net Stableford divisions that gave more players a chance to compete for a title. Mitchell Krahn (Mohawks of Akwesasne), of Christina Lake, won the Men’s Net Stableford competition with 67 points, followed by Neil Lindenthaler (Katzie First Nations), of Nanaimo, in second and Charles Fitt (Métis), of Salmon Arm, in third.
Jenna Kurylo (Squamish Nation), of Victoria, won the Women’s Net Stableford competition with 75 points, followed by Cherie Williams (Ka:yu:k'th'/Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation), also of Victoria, in second with 75 points. Katy Thorne (Namgis Nation), of Kamloops, finished third with 73 points.
The expanded categories reflect BC Golf’s broader work with ISPARC to create clearer participation and athlete-development pathways for Indigenous golfers.
“We are recognizing more participants, handing out more medals,” Steinbach said. “It also helps us set up that younger generation to be recognized, and modelled to see leaders that look like them playing in this championship and achieving success.”
Earlier this year, BC Golf staff, volunteers, board members and referees took part in Indigenous long-term athlete development pathway training with ISPARC, including the Kairos Blanket Exercise.
“There’s now a line in the sand in my history, in my timeline of understanding,” Steinbach said. “Life before that exercise, and afterwards.”
Four years strong
The BC Indigenous Championship began with a conversation between Kelly and his cousin, the Hon. Steven Point, British Columbia’s first Indigenous lieutenant governor.
That conversation became a proposal, a partnership with BC Golf and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and the inaugural championship at Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in Oliver in 2023.
More than 100 Indigenous golfers representing 80 Nations gathered for that first event. Since then, the championship has travelled to University Golf Club in Vancouver, St. Eugene Golf Resort in Cranbrook and now Campbell River Golf Club at Naturally Pacific Resort.
Each edition has created a new gathering place for Indigenous golfers while connecting the championship to host communities and territories across the province.
“You’re living a dream that is shared in the hearts of many people,” Kelly told the field at the reception. “It’s your heart. It’s our heart. It’s our collective heart.”
The trophies awarded to the men’s and women’s champions were created by renowned Musqueam artist Susan Point. The championship medals were designed by Haida artist Ron Russ.
“In the world of golf, I’ve seen things happen all across Canada,” Kelly said. “These are some of the most coveted medals in the game of golf in this country.”
The next step: Bear Mountain
Eight players will now represent Team BC at the Indigenous Challenge Match at Bear Mountain in September.
Krahn, Paquette, Jack and Hinkey will be joined by Fitt, Lindenthaler, Williams and Kurylo. Kelly will captain the men’s side, while Morgan will captain the women’s team.
BC Golf will provide Team BC with golf bags, apparel and a travel subsidy as the players prepare to represent the province against Ontario.
“We made an immediate change and we are helping to fund the Indigenous Team BC as an interprovincial team,” Steinbach said. “You are representing the province.”
The match series began with a challenge between Kelly and Golf Ontario’s Mike Kelly, no relation, at the RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton. Bear Mountain owner Dan Matthews offered the course for the first two editions.
BC won at Bear Mountain in 2023 and 2024 before Ontario claimed the 2025 match at Taboo Muskoka.
“We are going to make it three out of four,” Kelly said to laughter and cheers at the prize presentation.
For the players selected in Campbell River, Bear Mountain is the next step. For Morgan, who sent the field into its final round with a travelling song, it is another opportunity to lead Team BC forward.
The Bigger Picture
The leaderboard tells the story of who won in Campbell River. The rest of the week shows what the championship is built to do: create connection, widen participation and make room for excellence to grow.
For Krahn, a fourth consecutive Indigenous Championship title is another step in a competitive journey that will take him to NCAA Division I golf this fall. For Jack, a return to the winner’s circle came in a championship she describes as “a great community.”
For players competing in a sanctioned event for the first time, the championship creates a meaningful entry point. For those playing in the new Senior and Junior divisions, it shows that competitive opportunities can exist at different ages and stages. And for the almost 60 young people who picked up a club through the First Tee British Columbia clinic, it may have marked the beginning of their own relationship with the game.
Those are not separate stories. They are the point.
The BC Indigenous Championship brings together Indigenous leaders and organizations, host communities, volunteers, golf facilities, tournament officials, board members and partners to create a place where Indigenous golfers can enter the game, compete within it and see a future for themselves in it.
The 2026 BC Golf championship season continues. Full results from the 2026 BC Indigenous Championship are available here, and photos from the event can be found here. View the 2026 Championship Schedule here.