via Press Release

Vancouver, BC – Par Fairwood Publishing Inc. is excited to announce the official release of Ruby and Pals: Tee Off with Manners.

The first in a series, this book is now available on Amazon Kindle in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Punjabi.

Children’s storybooks about golf are a rare sight to behold, but that is about to change with the release of the Ruby and Pals series by Par Fairwood Publishing Inc.

Nanoose Bay Resident Shelly Stouffer With The Trophy Haul From Her Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in Bromont. Que. - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

As you can probably imagine, there is no quick way to get from Nanoose Bay to Point Clear, Ala., the site of this week’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. 

Shelly Stouffer was scheduled to leave on a 6 a.m. flight Tuesday from Comox to Calgary, where she’ll connect to Atlanta. From there she’ll fly to Pensacola, Fla., where she is supposed to catch a shuttle for a one-hour ride to her hotel near the golf course.

Stouffer’s win at last week’s Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in Bromont, Que., earned her a spot in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. “I didn’t realize the tournament was this week, so I was like holy crap,” Stouffer says with a laugh. “But I’ve got my negative COVID test and I am ready to go . This whole experience has been a whirlwind.”

Christina Spence Proteau Collected Her Sixth Career Mid-Amateur Title At Golf Château Bromont - Image Credit Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada

Golf Canada/Media Release

BROMONT, Que. – Christina Spence Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. won the Mid-Amateur division at the 2021 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship on Thursday at Golf Château Bromont in a playoff over Vancouver’s Nonie Marler.

Proteau entered Thursday’s final round one stroke back of Marler, who held the Mid-Amateur lead for the first two rounds, and whose first-round 72 would end up being the lowest and only single-round score under par for the entire tournament.

The two B.C. golfers were tied at 5 over par after the final hole of the 54-hole tournament, forcing the division to go to a sudden-death playoff. Proteau came out victorious after a birdie on the first playoff hole.

2021 BC Men's Mid-Amateur Champion Craig Doell - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Craig Doell knew he would have to play a solid round and also get some help from the guy he was chasing on the final day of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Victoria’s Gorge Vale Golf Club.

He got both and completed his B.C. Mid-Am hat trick with his third victory in the competition for players aged 25 and older. The 49-year-old Doell played near flawless golf in Thursday’s final round.

He made just one bogey in his two-under round of 70 and it came on the 18th hole when he already had the tournament won. He beat Courtenay’s John Robertson, who had led through the first two rounds, by three shots.

Vancouver Native Stuart Macdonald Has A Lot On The Line At This Week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship - Image Courtesy Korn Ferry Tour

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Stuart Macdonald hopes to treat it like any other week, but of course it is not.

This week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Newburgh, Ind., has life-changing implications for Macdonald and so many others who will tee it up in the final event of the season.

Twenty-five PGA TOUR cards will be handed out to the top-performing players in the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Macdonald is in the hunt as the 26-year-old Vancouver native sits 30th heading into the Tour Championship.

Surrey, BC's Adam Svensson Won His 2nd Korn Ferry Tour Event Of The Season This Week - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The 2021-22 PGA TOUR season is less than three weeks away and Adam Svensson is serving notice that he’s ready for his second crack on the big stage. 

The 27-year-old from Surrey earned his second Korn Ferry Tour win of the season and third overall by capturing the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship by two shots Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. 

Svensson had already clinched his PGA TOUR card for next season, but Sunday’s win improves his priority ranking. He’ll enter this week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship in Newburgh, Ind., seeded third overall.

Abbotsford Native James Lepp Is Now Busy As A Parent And An Entrepreneur But Certainly Had His Moments As An Elite Golfer - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Golf is no longer top of mind for James Lepp, but some special memories came flooding back this week when he learned that the PGA TOUR’s BMW Championship was being contested on the course where he won the NCAA Championship back in 2005.

That win at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., was the biggest in a brilliant, but short golf career for the Abbotsford native. It came against a field stacked with many future PGA TOUR stars, including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Kevin Kisner and Alex Noren. 

Lepp beat them all after closing that tournament with a seven-under 63 and beating Michael Putnam in a playoff.

Greenwood Golf Owners Joel Luyt (R) & Mark Wilson (L) - Image Courtesy Greenwood Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When Joel Luyt talks to golfers about the wooden-head putters his company is producing in its Langley shop, many of them look at him like he’s Old Tom Morris. 

Yeah, and maybe you want to sell me a feathery golf ball and some hickory-shafted irons to go with it. 

“It’s a hurdle,” Luyt says of convincing the skeptics that Greenwood Golf’s hand-crafted wooden-head putters actually perform as well or better than many of today’s top-selling brands from the likes of Taylor Made, Ping, Callaway and Titleist.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

AUGUST 24, 2021 -- Chilliwack Golf Club’s Jake Scarrow staked out an early lead with a phenomenal front nine and held on for a one-stroke victory in the TaylorMade Golf & adidas Golf PGA of BC Championship presented by Axis Insurance Group on Tuesday at Rivershore Golf Links.

Scarrow’s 30 strokes on the outward nine gave him an edge on the field that he would never relinquish, as the 24-year-old’s tournament-low 65 in the final round left him at 8-under-par for the 36-hole championship, one shot better than Nate Ollis (Cordova Bay Golf Course).

Zach Olson (Chilliwack Golf Club) finished in third place at 5-under, while four-time PGA of BC Champion Bryn Parry (Seymour Creek Golf Centre) placed fourth at 4-under.

Nanaimo's Boston Saywell swings big, has secured memberships at two local clubs, and has a growing social media presence and, oh yeah, he just turned three...

It's a typical Sunday at Nanaimo Golf Club as a member foursome prepares to tee off on the first hole, except that in this case, one member of the group is a little shorter than the others... and we mean (mostly) in height, not length.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The soon to be new owner of Peace Portal Golf Course in south Surrey is a former member of Canada’s national rugby team who made his money in the automotive industry. Joe Haley also loves to golf, so when he heard his neighbourhood course was for sale, it piqued his interest.

“It is something that I have been looking at for about four years,” Haley said in an interview. “It’s this beautiful piece of land and golf course and we just decided hey, this is something that would be exciting. My business partner and I both live on farm acreages in the area, and it’s just a really exciting opportunity.”

Haley and business partner Randy Bishop, co-owner of Bocci Lighting, struck a deal to buy the course earlier this month. They take possession of Peace Portal on Oct. 4.

Vancouver Open Winner Steven Lecuyer - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Steven Lecuyer says he is playing less aggressive golf and taking a more conservative approach to the game than he once did. It paid dividends on Sunday as the 32-year-old Edmonton native, who now now calls Vancouver home, won his second Vancouver Open title.

Lecuyer began the final round tied for the lead but had built a six-stroke cushion by the time he made the turn at Fraserview Golf Course. He ended up winning by four shots after closing with a six-under 66 to finish the 54-hole event at 15-under par.

Kevin Stinson Of Mission Will Be One To Watch In The Vancouver Open This Week - Image Credit VGT

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The Vancouver Open was born back in 2007, when Phil Jonas won what was then a two-day event held at University Golf Club. Fifteen years later, the Vancouver Golf Tour’s flagship event has produced a rich history that will be added to this weekend when it is played at the three City of Vancouver municipal courses.

A record field of 312 players will compete Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Fraserview, McCleery and Langara. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years,” says VGT commissioner Fraser Mulholland. “It has gone by way faster than expected.”

BC Girls Bantam Champion Amy Lee - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

 A funny thing happened when Langley’s Amy Lee made back-to-back birdies on the back nine during the final round of the B.C. Bantam Girls Championship at Langara Golf Course. 

The 13-year-old suddenly started believing she could win the tournament. “Those birdies gave me some momentum and some courage to go for it,” Lee said after after she beat Grace Yao of West Vancouver in a sudden-death playoff. “At the beginning of day I thought I had no chance.” 

Lee shot a two-under 69 to finish the 36-hole event at one-over par and tied with Yao, who closed with an even-par 71.

BC Boys Bantam & Novice Champion For 2021 is Alex Zhang - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Former Canadian Tour winner Eugene Wong of North Vancouver and Surrey’s Adam Svensson, who is off next month to begin his second stint on PGA TOUR, are among the past champions of the B.C. Bantam Boys Championship.

Their play in winning those titles could not have been any more impressive than the performance of new winner Alex Zhang of Richmond.

After opening the 36-hole tournament with a three-under 68, the Beach Grove Golf Club junior member closed witha near flawless round of 67 on Tuesday to win the championship by eight shots at Langara Golf Course.

The win came on Zhang’s final day as a 12-year-old. He turns 13 on Wednesday.

Richmond's Alex Zhang Leads Both The Bantam & Novice Boys Divisions After Round One At Langara - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

These kids get good fast. As Exhibit A, we present 12-year-old Alex Zhang. The Beach Grove Golf Club junior shot a three-under par 68 at Langara Golf Course in Vancouver on Monday to take the first- round lead at the B.C. Bantam Boys Championship for players aged 14 and younger.

The Richmond resident had four birdies and just one bogey and was proud of the way he handled Langara’s tricky greens. “I didn’t have a three-putt,” Zhang said after completing his round in some heavy rain. “My speed control was good. I was pretty happy with my round. The course isn’t too tough, but the greens are pretty tricky. You have to try and leave the ball in the right spots because there are lots of big ridges.”

Katherine Hao of Burnaby shot an even-par 71 and leads the Bantam Girls division.

BC's Roger Sloan Came Through Big To Make The Playoffs And Keep His PGA TOUR Status For Next Year - YouTube Screen Grab photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The biggest week of his golfing life didn’t start quite the way Merritt’s Roger Sloan had hoped. There were more bogeys than birdies in his opening round of the Wyndham Championship and Sloan knew that had to change in a hurry. Thankfully, it did and things turned out better than he could have imagined.

“This was such an incredible week,” Sloan said over the phone after losing in a six-man playoff at the Wyndham Championship. “I had some jitters knowing what had to be done this week when I teed off on Thursday and I think I was three-over through 11 holes and at that point there’s nothing left to lose. That just freed me up a little bit and we were able to play 18-under the rest of the way and get ourselves in a playoff. So a really cool story and just a really cool week here.”

To open Season 10 of The ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston decided to shake things up by doing something he'd been planning for awhile. And that thing is to have Colin step aside from the microphone so that a guest host can take over the controls of the ship.

In this episode former guest Dr. Greta Anderson takes over the hosting duties for an engaging conversation with GolfHers Founder Kelly Hunt to learn about her golf entrepreneurship journey to inspire women to build a career in the golf industry.

Nanaimo's 15-year-old Matthew Wilson Wins The B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship After A Non-Stop Stretch Of Golf This Spring And Summer - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PITT MEADOWS -- It wasn’t that long ago that Matthew Wilson was having trouble breaking 100 in zone tournaments on Vancouver Island. Back then, the thought of becoming a B.C. champion wasn’t on his mind. He was just happy making a few pars.

My, how things have changed in a relative hurry for the 15-year-old from Nanaimo who is the new B.C. Juvenile Boys champion. Wilson shot a tournament-best four-under 66 in the final round to win the championship for players 16 and under by five shots at Golden Eagle Golf Club’s South Course.