The Squamish Valley Golf Course Plays Host To This Week's British Columbia Junior Boys Championship, One Of Three BC Golf Championships Happening This Week - Image Courtesy Squamish Valley GC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Tristan Mandur won last year’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship on his home course, Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. He will defend that title this week on less familiar territory as this province’s top juniors gather at Squamish Valley Golf Club.

Mandur will face plenty of stiff competition as he attempts to become the first junior boy to defend his title since Surrey’s Adam Svensson went back to back in 2010 and 2011. 

This week’s field in Squamish includes current B.C. Amateur champion Nolan Thoroughgood of Victoria, this year’s B.C. high school champion Andy Kim of Langley and two of his Walnut Grove Secondary teammates, Andy Jang and Jaewook Lee, as well as 2014 B.C. Junior champion Keaton Gudz of Victoria.

The tournament runs Tuesday through Friday and is part of a busy week of amateur golf in British Columbia.

Team Canada's Maddie Szeryk Won The BC Women's Amateur By 4 Shots At Vernon Golf & Country Club - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/ British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- After leaving the door slightly ajar with an indifferent third round, Maddie Szeryk slammed it shut early in Friday’s final round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Szeryk birdied four of her first six holes, building her lead to as many as seven shots before cruising to a four-shot win at Vernon Golf & Country Club.

 A Six-Under 67 Moved Victoria’s Naomi Ko To Within Three Shots Of Leader Maddie Szeryk - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/ British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- Naomi Ko didn’t get mad. Instead, she got even with Vernon Golf & Country Club in Thursday’s third round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship.

An 80 in Wednesday’s second round had sent Ko, the first-round leader, tumbling down the leaderboard. The 19-year-old Victoria resident came to the course Thursday determined to make amends. 

Mission accomplished.

Team Canada's Maddie Szeryk Is Setting A Strong Early Pace For The Rest Of The Field, Holding A 6-Shot Cushion Through 2 Rounds At The B.C. Women's Amateur In Vernon - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Maddie Szeryk is right where many thought she would be halfway through the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Vernon Golf & Country Club. The 20-year-old dual citizen from Allan, Tex., shot a four-under 69 in Wednesday’s second round to grab a commanding six-shot lead.

Royal Colwood's Naomi Ko Is In The Lead After Round One Of The 2017 BC Women's Amateur Following A First Round 69 At Vernon G&CC - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/ BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Victoria’s Naomi Ko birdied five of her first 11 holes en route to a four-under 69 Tuesday that gave her the lead after the first round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Vernon Golf & Country Club.

Ko, who just completed her sophomore year at North Carolina State University, leads Maddie Szeryk of Allan, Tex., by one shot. Both players are members of Canada’s national women’s team.

The 2015 BC Women's Amateur Champion, Surrey's Michelle Kim, Is In The Field For This Year's Championship In Vernon - Image Courtesy Vernon GC/ BC Golf

The BC Women's Amateur, the premier event for Amateur Women golfers in the Province of British Columbia is now underway at Vernon Golf & Country Club and features one of the strongest fields the event has seen in recent years. 

It includes the entire Women's National Squad in Grace St-Germain of Ottawa, Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Naomi Ko of Victoria and dual-citizen Maddie Szeryk of Allen, Tex. Also, two members of the national developmental team, Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., and Delta’s Mary Parsons, who came second last year at Beach Grove are in the field.

CLICK HEREfor live continuous scoring.

Daily wrap-ups will be added below as the tournament progresses.

By Jim Lee (edited by Jeff Sutherland)

A new golf report has been released by British Columbia Golf that is providing both updates and some illumination on some previously unquantified market segments.

Conducted last year (2016), it has found that the size of the golf market increased slightly in 2016 to 680,000 golfers, continuing its upward trend.

The participation rate also increased.

The 1979 BC Willingdon Cup Team Including Victoria's Rick Gibson (shown here), Vancouver's Doug Roxburgh, Kelly Murray and Steve Berry Wil Be Enshrined In The BC Golf Hall Of Fame - Images Courtesy Golf Canada & BC Golf Museum

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Victoria native Rick Gibson will be entering the British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame for the third time this fall.

Gibson, who is already in the hall of fame as an individual and as part of Canada’s 1994 Dunhill Cup-winning team, is being inducted again as part of the team that won the 1979 Willingdon Cup for B.C.
That team was unique in that it was comprised of all Marine Drive Golf Club members. Doug Roxburgh, Steve Berry and Kelly Murray were the other members of that team.

The Venerable Vernon Golf & Country Club Plays Host To This Year's B.C. Women's Amateur Championship Boasting An Incredibly Strong Field

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Keep it between the trees and below the hole. Those are the most basic instructions for Vernon Golf & Country Club, which plays host to the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship June 27-30.

Vernon is one of British Columbia’s oldest courses, dating back to 1913, and many of its fairways are lined with Lombardy poplars and weeping willows. Stray off the fairway and you will have a decision to make.

The 2017 BC Women's Senior and Super-Senior Champion Karen Pulz (R) Poses With Team BC Teammates Holly Horwood (L) And Jackie Little (C) - Image Credit British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It's not like she needed a reminder, but Karen Pultz got one the night before the final round of the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club.

At Wednesday night’s tournament banquet, Pultz was looking at the long list of past Senior Women’s champions when her good friend and a past champion of the event, Phyllis Laschuk, gave her some words of encouragement.

“Phyllis said it's time you put your name on this,” Pultz recalled Thursday. “I'm 60 years old and I was probably known as one of the best players never to have won the B.C. Senior. And now I am a little bit in shock to say the least because I've done it!”

The 2017 British Columbia Golf Women's Senior, Super-Senior & Net-Stableford Championship is underway at the beautiful Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club.

The competiton is open to all female golfers age 50 and older as of the first day of the National Senior Women's Championship (August 22, 2017).

Senior and Super-Senior: 54-hole gross stroke play competition. Players will be competing in all events in which they are age-eligible.

Net-Stableford: 54-hole Net-Stableford (Players may elect to play off a shorter set of tees, however, will not be in the primary championships).

Zone Team Gross - 2 person teams selected by each zone in advance of the competition. Scoring is based on players combined 2 day scores on day one and day two. Note players in this zone competition must be competing in the primary competition.

Best-Ball Team Net – players may submit the names of their teams at registration (prior to the beginning of play on day 1). Players may be in any of the primary or secondary (Stableford) championships. Net scores will be adjusted relative to the course rating. Scoring will be based on better-ball net score on each of the 54-holes of play.

For live scoring please CLICK HERE 

For a round-by-round wrap-ups please see below.

The Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club Is Set To Play Host To The B.C. Senior Women’s Championship

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The scorecard seldom tells us the real story about a golf course. This is especially true at Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club, which from June 20-22 plays host the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship.

With tees ranging in length from 4,743 to 6,357 yards, Sunshine Coast is not, by today’s standards, a long golf course.

But what it may lack in length, Sunshine Coast more than makes up with its many subtleties, like green complexes that are among the most challenging in the province. That is where the Senior and Super Senior women’s championships figure to be decided. She with the fewest three-putts may win.

British Columbia Golf Will Be Looking To Keep Their Unbeaten Streak Alive At This Year's Canada Summer Games In Winnipeg

Canada is celebrating its 150th Birthday this year and with that the Canada Games will hold its 50th edition with the Summer Games in Winnipeg from July 28th to August 13th. 

Featuring 16 sports and over 250 events, combined with a major cultural festival, the 2017 Canada Summer Games will bring together exceptional athletes and artists from coast to coast to celebrate the occasion.

One of those sports is of course, Golf, and when it comes to competing in the Canada Summer Games, few provinces can boast the results in any discipline quite like BC can when it comes to golf.

In 2009 (the first year golf was played as a sport in the Summer Games) and 2013 the representatives from British Columbia took home every gold medal available, in individual and team competitions for both males and females.

With the announcement of the male version of their golf squad this year, the coaches and managers of BC's Summer Games Team look to put together the first component of maintaining that unblemished record.

BC's Steven Diack (L) And Chris Crisologo (R) Represented British Columbia Golf In Fine Fashion With A 3rd Place Finish Just Four Back Of The Winners At The Mexican National Amateur Championship - Image Courtesy Mexican Golf Federation

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It wasn’t the finish he wanted, but Jared du Toit still enjoyed what must be considered a successful pro debut this past weekend in Victoria.

Du Toit finished tied for 29th place at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open at Uplands Golf Club. The 2015 B.C. Amateur champion from Kimberley had entered Sunday’s final round tied for eighth spot after opening with rounds of 67, 70 and 66. But a three-over 73 on Sunday dropped him down the leaderboard.

Du Toit had been Canada’s top-ranked amateur before turning pro after graduating recently from Arizona State University.

BC's John Gallacher (L) And Washington State's Tom Brandes (R) Are Your 2017 PNGA Super Senior And Senior Champions Respectively - Image Courtesy PNGA

Courtesy PNGA Staff

June 8, 2017 -- Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash. came from behind in the final round to successfully defend his title and win the 53rd Pacific Northwest Senior Men’s Amateur Championship, while John Gallacher of Burnaby, B.C. went wire-to-wire for the title in the 8th Pacific Northwest Super Senior Men’s Amateur.

The two championships were held concurrently at Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club and Loomis Trail Golf Club, both of which are located in Blaine, Wash. The championships were conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).

The 2017 BC Girls Junior Americas Cup Team Clockwise From Top Left (With Non-Playing Team Captain Pat Thompson In The Centre): Kathrine Chan, Tiegan Taylor, Tiffany Kong And Cecile Kwon - All Images Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf 

The 2017 Girls Junior Americas Cup takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada July 30th – August 3rd. This prestigious event is being hosted this year by the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association & Reflection Bay Golf Club.

The GJAC was established in 1978 under the leadership of Joan Teats from the state of Washington. The first tournament was held at Tumwater Valley Golf Course in Olympia, Washington.

Eleven teams participated including Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, Idaho, Northern California, Northern Nevada, Oregon, San Diego, Southern California, Southern Nevada and Washington.

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.”

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.

Team BC From L-R: Akari Hayashi, Sumie Francois, Shirin Anjarwalla, Cecile Kwon, Euna Han And Tiffany Kong - Image Credit Andy Fung/British Columbia Golf

Team BCis playing in Oregon at the Illahe Hills Country Club this weekend to defend their title in the 31st North Pacific Junior Ladies Team Matches, which they won last year on home soil at Pitt Meadows Golf Course.

FORMAT

The North Pacific Jr. Ladies Team Matches employ the following scoring system:
The four teams are composed of 6 players from each state/province. In all competitions, which are match play, the front nine is worth one point, the back nine is worth one point, and the 18 is worth one point.

On Day One, there are six four-ball matches, for a total of eighteen possible points. On Day Two, there are six foursome matches (alternate shot), for a total of eighteen possible points, and a two-day total of a possible 36 points.

To follow how they are doing please CLICK HERE for live scoring.

The much anticipated start of British Columbia Golf's 'Get Out And Play' program launches this Sunday commensurate with Golf Canada's 'Get Out And Golf Day' celebration. 

The goal is to see 150,000 British Columbians partake in 1.5 million golf activities in a span of 150 days beginning on May 28th. As of right now, the Golf Activities Centre is up and running on the Golf Canada site and we will begin officially 'counting activities' beginning this Sunday, the 28th.

It's a simple process to become involved and help reach this goal as we help celebrate Canada's 150th in a fun, healthy and inclusive enviroment.