The Newest Member Of The BC Sports Hall Of Fame From The Sport Of Golf Is Kelowna Native Dave Barr - Image Courtesy PGA of Canada

via British Columbia Golf Communications

(December 10, 2015) - At the annual announcement of the newest inductees to the BC Sports Hall of Fame today, it was golfer and Kelowna, BC native Dave Barr who had his name called first by now retired broadcaster Tom Larscheid. 

Larscheid along with fellow BC Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Members Charmaine Crooks and Sean Millington acted as presenting emcees for the occasion along with Vice Chair Tom Mayenknecht and Executive Director Allison Mailer. 

An overflow crowd of local sports officials, media and athletes which included many current members of the Hall witnessed an outstanding class of individuals being acknowledged for entry into the provincial sports shrine.

In all, 11 individuals and 1 team were inducted in the different categories ranging from Athlete to Builder/Coach to Team, Pioneer, Media and the W.A.C. Bennett Award.

Barr himself was unable to attend the proceedings but Larscheid read out a note from the 2-time PGA TOUR winner thanking the Hall for the honour and specifically British Columbia Golf Executive Director Kris Jonasson for writing a letter on Barr's behalf.

Surrey's Adam Svensson Is One Of 5 British Columbians In The Group Of 15 Canadians Vying For Status Or Improved Positioning On The Web.com Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

by Terry Lenyk/ Golf Canada

Final Qualifying for the 2016 Web.Com Tour begins Thursday, December 10th at the Champion and Fazio courses at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, where 15 Canadians will attempt to gain or improve their playing rights for the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit.

The 'Real Wongster' As Eugene Wong's Twitter Handle Reads,  Is Looking To Improve His Status On The Web.com Tour In Final Stage Q-School Starting Dec. 10th - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

Eugene Wong is off to the Web.com Tour in 2016. The No. 7 ranked professional golfer in Canada from North Vancouver finished tied for 27th at the season-ending PGA Tour China Series event in Dongguan. The result was good enough to keep him inside the Top-5 on the Tour’s Order of Merit, giving him status on the Web.com Tour next year. The result also saw Wong pick up two places in the world rankings.

Justin Shin, the No. 12 ranked Canadian pro, was sitting fifth on the PGA Tour China Order of Merit at the start of the tournament. Despite shooting back-to-back 69s on the final two days, his 27th place finish wasn’t enough to retain his position. Shin slipped to No. 6 on the money list, but the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., will have a chance to earn status on the Web.com Tour through the qualifying tournament from December 10-13.

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Earned Conditional Status On The LPGA Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

courtesy Golf Canada

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Quebec’s Maude-Aimée LeBlanc won with panache, earning her LPGA Tour card for 2016 at the end of the five qualifying rounds in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Sherbrooke, Que., native recorded a score of 71, 1-under par in the final round Sunday. Her cumulative record of 350 (-10) saw her finish tied for fourth, a single-stroke be enjoying her second year with full status on the LPGA Tour, having previous qualified in 2011.

The 2015 UBC T'Birds Women's Golf Team, Shown Above After Winning The University Of Victoria Vikes Shootout At Cordova Bay GC In October, Are Ranked Number One In The CGCA Fall 2015 Poll - Image Courtesy UBC Women’s Golf

Golf Coaches Association Of Canada Releases University-College Fall Rankings

The Western Canadian Golf Champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Women’s golf team (47 points) are ranked No. 1 in the Golf Coaches Association of Canada (GCAC)-Golf Canada Annual Fall Top-10 Coaches Poll.

Eugene Wong Has Played His Way Onto The Web.com Tour For 2016 After A Top Five OOM Finish On The PGA TOUR China In 2015 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

DONGGUAN, China (December 6)—North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong finished fifth on the 2015 Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series’ Order of Merit, a position that earned him membership on the 2016 Web.com Tour. Wong's fellow British Columbian, Justin Shin from Maple Ride, slipped to 6th spot on the OOM, narrowly missing his ticket to the next level. 

Besides Wong other players moving to the Web.com Tour are Australia’s Bryden Macpherson, New Zealand’s Josh Geary and China’s Xinjun Zhang and Zecheng Dou. The players received their membership cards during a ceremony following the final event of the season, the Capital Airlines – HNA Real Estate Championship.

Surrey's Sy Lovan Has His Eyes Set On Competing For The Clansmen Of Simon Fraser University Men's Golf Team After Signing A Letter Of Intent With The Burnaby Campus - Image Courtesy SFU Athletics

by Steve Frost - Sports Information Director (sfrost@sfu.ca)

BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University golf coach John Buchanan has announced that Sy Lovan of Surrey has signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to compete for the Clan men’s golf program.

An Honour Roll student at Johnston Heights Secondary, Lovan represents Capilano Golf & Country Club.

Lovan won double gold medals at the 2014 BC Summer Games, capturing individual medalist honours, and winning gold as team champion. Lovan also won the 2015 Beach Grove Invitational, finished second at the 2015 Zone Junior Order of Merit and tied for 15th at the 2015 BC Junior Boys tournament.

Maple Ridge, BC's Justin Shin Was The 2015 Medallist And Currently Sits 5th On The OOM And In Position To Earn Membership On The 2016 Web.com Tour - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Graig Abel

BEIJING, China – The Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series announced that OCT Kunming Wind Valley Club in Yunnan Province will host both of the Tour’s Global Qualifying Tournaments in 2016, events open to players from every country but China.

The application deadline for the first Qualifying Tournament is January 4, 2016, the deadline for the Second Qualifying Tournament January 11, 2016. The first 2016 Qualifying Tournament will be January 12-15, with the second Qualifying Tournament the following week (January 19-22).

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Is One Of Three BC Women Who Will Be Teeing Up At The Final Stage Of LPGA Qualifying This Week - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada with files from the LPGA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Final Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament begins Wednesday, December 2 and concludes on Sunday, December 6 at LPGA International, Jones and Hills Courses.

There are 157 players in the field – including 10 Canadians – competing for LPGA Tour membership on the 2016 LPGA priority list.

North Vancouver's Eugene Wong Is One Of Five British Columbians Who Will Tee It Up In The Final Stage Of Web.com Tour Qualifying On Dec. 10th - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

Four more Canucks advanced to the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School on Nov. 20th, playing at two locations in the U.S.

Lucas Kim was the low scorer for the Canadians, carding 11-under thru 72 holes to finish alone in third place at the Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, Fla. Just sneaking inside the cut line was Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who posted a 3-under score to finish T20.

In California, Calgary’s Ryan Yip finished at 8-under (69-69-70-72) to finish in a tie for fifth. Not far behind was Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., who carded a total score of 5-under (69-71-70-73) to finish T15.

Crown Isle Resort Will Host The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Qualifying Tournaments In Each Of The Next Five Seasons - Image Courtesy Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community

(Oakville, Ont.) – Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community will host one of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Qualifying Tournaments in each of the next five seasons, it was announced Wednesday.

Located in Courtenay, British Columbia, the 7,025 yard Graham Cooke and Associates layout has hosted qualifying tournaments in each of the past two years, with the 2016 tournament taking place May 2-6.

A full schedule of Mackenzie Tour qualifying dates and sites as well as the format for qualifying will be announced in the coming weeks.

Bethany Ma Will Continue A Family Tradition By Attending SFU And Competing For The Clan Women's Golf Program In 2016 - Image Courtesy SFU Athletics

courtesy Steve Frost - Sports Information Director (sfrost@sfu.ca)

BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University golf coach John Buchanan announced today that Bethany Ma of Surrey has signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to compete for the Clan women’s golf program.

Ma, captain of the Pacific Academy Senior Golf Team, carries a 5.8 handicap. She shot a team low score at the 2015 Fraser Valley High School Championship and led Pacific Academy to its first-ever British Columbia High School Championship.

by Dan Pino/ Golf Canada

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the entire golf community mourns the loss of Daniel (Dan) Albert Halldorson who passed away on November 18, 2015 at the age of 63.

Halldorson suffered a major stroke on Monday, November 16 at his home in Cambridge, Illinois and passed away two days later in hospital. He is survived by his wife Patricia, daughter Angela, son Mark, three grandchildren and countless friends across the Canadian and International golf community.

The Par-5 18th Hole At Big Sky Golf Club Was Selected As One Of The ‘Great Holes Of The Northwest’ - photo by David Buzzard

Federal Way, Wash. – In the November 2015 issue of Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine, the par-5 18th hole at Big Sky Golf Club in Pemberton, B.C. is recognized as one of the “Great Holes of the Northwest,” one of just four holes selected each year by the Northwest’s largest and longest-running golf publication.

Burnaby, B.C. Native Devin Carrey, Shown Here After Winning The Golden Ears Open At Pitt Meadows GC On The Vancouver Golf Tour, Has Moved A Step Closer To The PGA TOUR Dream - Image Courtesy VGT

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

Four Canadians finished inside the cut of T21 (plus ties) on Friday to advance to the final stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School. The Canucks were in action at two separate 72-hole stroke-play events contested at different sites in the U.S.

In Texas, Canadians Devin Carrey of Burnaby, B.C. and Cam Burke of New Hamburg, Ont., cracked the top-10 at the Clubs of Kingwood-Deerwood to punch their ticket to the final stage.

British Columbia Golf is taking part in a joint training session for P2F (Playground To Fairway) and SOAR (Sharing Our Activities And Resources) in early December - Jody Jackson, LPGA will be the master trainer for golf for this training workshop.

SOAR is a program developed by three provincial sport organizations, Tennis BC, British Columbia Golf and Curl BC, to help elementary school students experience three great sports.

Courtenay's Abigail Rigsby Will Be An Eagle In 2016 As She Has Signed A Letter Of Intent With The Oklahoma Christian University Women's Golf Program - Image Credit Alfie Lau

courtesy Oklahoma Christian University Athletics

COURTENAY, British Columbia (Nov. 17, 2015) – Abigail Rigsby, who won a provincial title in her native country of Canada, has signed a letter of intent to play college golf at Oklahoma Christian, OC women's coach Greg Lynn said Tuesday.

Richmond, B.C.'s Diego San Pedro, Seen Here Holding The 2014 BC Juvenile Boys Championship Trophy, Has Signed A National Letter Of Intent To Join The Oregon State Men's Golf Team Program For The 2016-17 Season - Image Courtesy Richmond-News.com

via OSU Beavers website

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State men’s golf head coach Jon Reehoorn has announced that three student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the program for the 2016-17 season.

The class includes Kyosuke Hara from Honolulu, Hawai’i, Shawn Lu, from Honolulu, Hawai’i and Diego San Pedro from Richmond, British Columbia.

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., qualified for the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic on Monday at the Brunswick Country Club.

Svensson became one of four qualifiers after advancing via a five-way playoff at 2-under par. The 21-year-old will head to Sea Island Resort to vie for his share of the $5.7 million purse, with action getting underway Thursday.