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

Richmond's Alex Zhang Is The 2019 Boys' 10-year Old Age Division Champion From the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships Held In Pinehurst, North Carolina - Image Courtesy Quilchena GC

By REEGAN PRICE, CJGA

PINEHURST, North Carolina — The 2019 U.S. Kids Golf World Championships wrapped up with a number of young Canadians placing in the top tier of the elite junior competition operated by U.S. Kids Golf.

The Top Canadian performances of the competition were by Aurora, Ontario’s Eddie Gu (Boys 9) and Richmond, BC’s Alex Zhang (Boys 10) who both took the top spot in their respective divisions at the conclusion of the 54-hole competition.

BC's Mike Darby Poses With Winner Jim Herman After Herman's Second Career PGA TOUR Victory, This One In The Barbasol Championship With Darby On The Bag - Images Courtesy Facebook

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Ladner resident Mike Darby took some good-natured ribbing from some of his fellow PGA TOUR caddies after his recent win with Jim Herman at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky.

The win was Darby’s third on the PGA TOUR. He had previously partnered with Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor to win the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship and with American D.A. Points to win the 2017 Puerto Rico Open.

“The big inside joke on tour right now is me going for the opposite field Grand Slam,” Darby said with a chuckle in an interview this week. “If we had won in Reno last week I would have sealed it up. It’s either Reno or the Dominican Republic, so that’s my goal.”

Courtesy Darren Douma President, WCBGA

British Columbia kicked off a ten-day stretch of Championship Blind Golf in Creston, BC with the first-ever BC Provincial Championships, July 5^th and 6^th. The Championships had five BC players participating and two who were newcomers to blind golf. 

As one can see when looking at the results, both had success in their first championships. The Creston Golf Club provided a challenging course for these championships and Mother Nature also cooperated and provided great weather for the 36 holes of championship play.

This event was also the lead-in to two other championship events to follow taking place in BC in Kimberley (The Western Canadian Blind Golf Championships) and Cranbrook (The ISPS Handa Canadian Blind Golf Championships).

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – JULY 23, 2019 – The 47th annual Junior America’s Cup is set to take flight this week at Blackhawk Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta.

A field of 72 players from 18 teams representing 12 U.S. States, two Canadian Provinces (Alberta, British Columbia) and Mexico will take to the course at 7:30 am MT on Tuesday in what will be the third time the international competition has been hosted in the province of Alberta.

Merritt, BC's Roger Sloan Has His Golf Game In A Groove Of Late. And, Yes, He Does Know Something About Liverpool's Fab Four, Despite What Peter Kostis Thinks - Sloan Image Credit Alfie Lau/BC Golf (Beatles Image Used With Consent)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Roger Sloan wasn’t born Yesterday. Of course he knows who the Beatles are. Sloan, the 32-year-old Merritt product who is wrapping up a successful season on the PGA TOUR, laughs when the subject of the Fab Four is broached. “That is a funny story,” Sloan says.

It was at the John Deere Classic earlier this month when CBS golf analyst Peter Kostis suggested on air that Sloan, who was in contention that week, didn’t really know anything about John, Paul, Ringo and George. Sloan says that could not be further from the truth.

Duncan, BC's Tristan Mandur (Inset) Will Represent The PNGA At This week’s 53rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship At The Championship Course At The University Of New Mexico 

Tristan Mandur of Duncan, B.C., Craig Ronne of Klamath Falls, Ore. and Shawn Lu of Honolulu, Hawaii have been selected to represent the Pacific Northwest Golf Association at this year’s Morse Cup team competition, which will take place simultaneously with the 53rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship held at the Championship Course at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

BC's Chris Crisologo (Inset Left) And Tristan Mandur (Inset Right) Have Each Qualified For Next Month's Prestigious U.S. Amateur

Richmond’s Chris Crisologo has played his way into next month’s United States Amateur Championship. Crisologo earned one of two available spots at a 36-hole qualifier at Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Palouse, Wash. Crisologo fired rounds of 72 and 67 to finish one-under par for the day. That was six shots behind medalist Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash.

The 119th playing of the U.S. Amateur goes Aug. 11-18 at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Crisologo, a member of Canada’s National Amateur Team and the 2018 B.C. Amateur champion, will be joined in the U.S. Amateur field by fellow British Columbian Tristan Mandur of North Cowichan.

British Columbians are being invited to share their views on how we should observe time in our province. Most areas of B.C. currently “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time during summer months and “fall back” to Standard Time in the winter.

British Columbia Golf believes that continuing to change our clocks bi-annually is of particular benefit for recreational activities including, of course, golf.

Please read on and take the online survey if you wish to make your voice heard on the subject.

Young Vancouver Golfers Tiffany Kong (L) And Angela Zhang (R) Are Heading To Princeton University And Dartmouth College To Play Golf And Study This Fall - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Tiffany Kong and Angela Zhang aren’t just good golfers, they are also excellent students and that combination has the two Vancouver friends heading to the Ivy League.

Kong is off to Princeton University in New Jersey this fall, while Zhang is bound for Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Both are beyond excited about what lies ahead and delighted they will be seeing one another on the course as they begin the next phase of their lives.

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota Will Tee It Up In The 72nd U.S. Junior Amateur At The Famed Inverness Club Next Week - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

TOLEDO, Ohio (July 9, 2019) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 72nd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, Monday (July 15) and Tuesday (July 16), at 7,339-yard, par-71 Inverness Club.

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota is one of 8 Canadians in the field for the event.

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.

Courtesy Colin Weston/ModGolf

In Larry Gilhuly’s opinion, the three biggest issues facing the game of golf are pace of play, player enjoyment and economic sustainability. Larry believes he has the solution for all three: “The answer for all of these, in my opinion, are properly placed forward tees.”

This week host Colin Weston speaks with Larry Gilhuly, who is an Agronomist with The United States Golf Association and a passionate advocate of the TEE IT FORWARD program.

Delta's Mary Parsons Is The Defending B.C. Women's Amateur Champion - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When Mary Parsons tees it up in the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship July 9-12 at Nanaimo Golf Club, the Delta resident will be doing more than defending the title she won last year. Parsons will also be preparing for what figures to be the biggest event of her young golfing life.

The 20-year-old, who just completed her sophomore year at Indiana University, will represent Canada later this summer at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. And yes, that has her more than a little excited.

 Representing British Columbia Golf In The Morse Cup At This Year's Pacific Coast Amateur Are (L-R), Henry Lee, Jeevan Sihota And Chris Crisologo - Images Courtesy UW/PNGA/BC Golf

The 53rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship tees off Tuesday, July 23rd at the Championship Course at The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. This will be the first time in history that the Pacific Coast Amateur will be played in New Mexico.

All players will be vying for the individual Ed Updegraff Trophy, named after the longtime volunteer and standout amateur golfer who played on three Walker Cup teams (1963, 1965, 1969), won the inaugural Pacific Coast Amateur title at Seattle Golf Club in 1967 and was the 1999 Bob Jones Award recipient from the USGA.

Taking place concurrently with the first and second rounds will be the battle for the Morse Cup, a 36-hole stroke play team competition using predetermined rosters representing the 15 member associations of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. The Morse Cup team trophy was donated by Samuel F. B. Morse, founder and developer of Pebble Beach Company and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Canada's Christopher Vandette Had A Fine Tournament At The TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup Finishing Third Individually - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Golf Canada

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., fired a 3-under-par 68 in the final round to finish third in the individual boys division at the TOYOTA Junior Golf World Cup. Canada finished sixth in the team competition.

Vandette’s score of 68 was his third round in the 60s during the week. A bogey on the par-4 13th was the lone blemish on the 17-year-old’s scorecard. His score of 63 on Thursday was tied for the lowest round of the competition, helping him finish five shots back of winner Samuel Simpson of South Africa.

 Image Courtesy PGA TOUR/Korn Ferry Tour

Written by Korn Ferry Tour Communications/Courtesy Golf Canada

(June 19, 2019) PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) announced today a 10-year agreement making the Los Angeles-based, global organizational consulting firm the Umbrella Sponsor of the newly named Korn Ferry Tour.

In replacing Web.com, Korn Ferry’s sponsorship takes effect June 19 and extends through the 2028 season. The Korn Ferry Tour will continue to award PGA TOUR membership to the Tour’s 50 leading players, including the top 25 from the Regular Season points list and the top 25 from the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals points list.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

In Larry Gilhuly’s opinion, the three biggest issues facing the game of golf are pace of play, player enjoyment and economic sustainability.

Gilhuly likes to think he has the solution for all three. “The answer for all of these, in my opinion, are properly placed forward tees,” Gilhuly told the Annual General Meeting of British Columbia Golf at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club.

For much of his 35-year career with the United States Golf Association, Gilhuly was all about agronomy. His formal title with the USGA is Agronomist, West Region. In other words, Gilhuly is an expert on growing grass. But in recent years, Gilhuly has become passionate -- very passionate -- about teeing it forward. And by forward, he means way forward. “This topic that I am talking about has got me fired up,” Gilhuly told his audience.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

He did not get the ultimate prize, but Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin did earn something else of note with his solo sixth-place finish Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Hadwin claimed one of three spots that were up for grabs at Hamilton Golf & Country Club into next month’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Hadwin also hoisted his fourth Rivermead Cup as low Canadian in the Canadian Open. He had high hopes of ending the long Canadian victory drought when he began Sunday’s final round just one shot out of the lead.

But no one was going to catch Rory McIlroy, who closed with a nine-under 61 to finish 22-under, seven shots clear of the field.

 Juli Inkster Was The Wire-to-Wire Winner In The Second Annual Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup At White Horse GC In Kingston, WA - Photo credit: Rick Sharp

SEATTLE, June 8, 2019 – Californian Juli Inkster was a wire-to-wire winner at the second annual Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup presented by Boeing.

The LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member posted a final-round score of 7-under 66 to finish at 15-under 131 at White Horse Golf Club.

Inkster played two bogey-free rounds and added final-round birdies on hole Nos. 16 and 18 to win by four strokes over runner-up Michele Redman of Minnesota. Redman recorded a final-round score of 66 for a two-day total of 11-under 134.