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).

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It is turning into a 'super summer' for Merritt’s Roger Sloan, who posted another top-10 finish Sunday on the PGA TOUR . Sloan tied for seventh at the Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nev.

In his last four events, Sloan has finished tied for 21st, T15, T10 and T7. He seems to have his game in solid shape with the PGA TOUR’s FedEx Cup playoffs set to start in two weeks.

Sloan finished with 37 points at the Barracuda, an event that uses the Stableford scoring system. That was 10 points behind winner Collin Morikawa, a rookie from Los Angeles. The nice finish in Reno moved Sloan up 13 spots on the FedEx Cup points list to 91st.  Surrey’s Adam Svensson finished 65th in Reno, but dropped five spots on the FedEX Cup list to 171st.

The PGA TOUR regular season wraps up at this week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. The four British Columbians who are PGA TOUR regulars -- Sloan, Svensson, Adam Hadwin (No.41 on FedEx list) and Nick Taylor (No. 114) -- are all scheduled to play at the Wyndham.

BC's Michelle Liu Becomes The Youngest Player Ever To Earn Exemption Into The CP Women’s Open By Finishing As Low Canadian In The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship -  (Credit: Justin Naro/ Golf Canada)

RED DEER, Alta – Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, Calif., shot 4 under 68, overcoming a four-stroke deficit to capture the 106th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship held at Red Deer Golf & Country Club on Friday.

Michelle Liu of Vancouver finished as the low Canadian of the tournament, becoming the youngest player ever to earn an exemption to the CP Women’s Open. Liu carded a final round of 2 over, finishing at 1 over on the tournament in a tie for 12th.

Liu will be aged 12 years, nine months and six days when the 2019 CP Women’s Open tees off on August 22 at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

The 2019 B.C. Senior & Super-Senior Champion, Doug Roxburgh - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- This can’t last forever, but in a way it seems like it already has. Doug Roxburgh keeps adding to his incredible amateur record that began way back in 1969, when he won both the B.C. Amateur and B.C. Junior Boys Championships as a 17-year-old.

A half-century later, the Marine Drive Golf Club legend is still winning provincial championships. On Thursday evening at Vernon Golf & Country Club, the 67-year-old Roxburgh captured his fifth B.C. Senior Men’s title. Roxburgh closed with an even-par 72 to finish the 54-hole event at five-under par, two shots better than Jim Shaw of Sooke.

Vancouver's Doug Roxburgh Is Seeking His Fifth B.C. Seniors Title As He Heads Into Thursday's Final Round At Vernon G&CC  - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

VERNON -- Doug Roxburgh has a battle on his hands at the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship and he’s okay with that. 

The 67-year-old Roxburgh will carry a slim two-shot lead into Thursday’s final round of the 54-hole championship at Vernon Golf & Country Club after his one-under 71 Wednesday left him at five-under for the tournament.

Jim Shaw, a longtime Mission-area resident who now calls Sooke home, is second at three-under. Shaw fired a two-under 70 on Wednesday. Nanaimo’s Sandy Harper and Victoria’s Neil O’leary are tied for third at two-under.

Doug Roxburgh (Inset Left) And Greg Bismeyer (Inset Right) Are Your Co-Leaders After Round One Of The B.C. Senior Men's Championship At Vernon G&CC - BC Golf File Photos

A four-under 68 in Tuesday’s opening round gave Vancouver’s Doug Roxburgh a share of the lead as the Canadian golf legend attempts to win his fifth B.C. Senior Men’s title.

The 67-year-old Roxburgh, a 13-time B.C. Amateur and four-time Canadian Amateur champion, did most of his damage on the front side at Vernon Golf & Country Club. He birdied his first hole and three others on the front nine to make the turn in 32.

Roxburgh, who is seeking his third straight Senior Men’s championship, shares the lead with Greg Bismeyer of Mission.

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.

Doug Roxburgh Will Be Going For B.C. Senior Men's Championship Number Five This Week In Vernon - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Doug Roxburgh will be seeking his fifth B.C. Senior Men’s Championship this week at Vernon Golf Club. The 67-year-old Roxburgh won last year’s championship by 10 shots at Big Sky Golf Club in Pemberton and will be looking for his third straight Senior Men’s title.

The 13-time B.C. Amateur champion served notice earlier this month at Big Sky that his game is in solid shape. Roxburgh finished the 117th playing of the B.C. Amateur at Big Sky with a one-over 73 on a course that was set up at about 6,900 yards for the final round. And Roxburgh said that round could have been much better. “I played well,” he said. “I had good looks at birdie on the last three holes and didn’t make any of them.”

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.

The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) is pleased to announce the 2019 BC Indigenous Provincial Golf Championships will be hosted in partnership with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam First Nation) at the Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy from August 16 - 18, 2019 in Vancouver, BC.

Indigenous youth golfers are invited to attend this 3-day event sanctioned by the British Columbia Golf Association.

Please note this event will also serve as a talent identification event to identify athletes to form a "Team BC Development Squad" to train for and pursue participation in the 2020 North American Indigenous Games held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from July 12 to 18, 2020.

The 2019 Canadian Amputee and Disabled National Open (CADNO) will be held in Okotoks, Alberta at the River’s Edge Golf Club August 13 – 16, 2019. The event will be a 54-hole tournament open to all amputees and people with qualifying disabilities.

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.

Lauren Kim Tees Off On The 18th Hole At Seymour GC En Route To Qualifying For The U.S. Women's Amateur - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She is one of Canada’s rising young golf talents and 13-year-old Lauren Kim now has a spot in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. 

Despite a double-bogey finish, the Surrey resident carded a one-over 73 Tuesday at Seymour Golf & Country Club in North Vancouver to earn one of four spots available at a sectional qualifier for one of the most prestigious events in amateur golf.

The National Junior Golf Development Centre (NJGDC) initiative was established to recognize facilities that offer a first-class experience for children aged 5-18. NJGDC support and run nationally endorsed programs, having trained and certified PGA of Canada golf coaches, they are also linked to schools in their surrounding communities.

All facilities meet the minimum national standards for the delivery of junior golf programs, coaching, and instruction. All of the parties involved are dedicated and committed to making these locations state-of-the-art facilities that offer a welcoming atmosphere for juniors of all levels.

(Canadian Golf Hall of Fame)

Courtesy Golf Canada

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Museum as well as the entire golf community mourns the loss of Margaret (Sutcliffe) Todd, who passed away July 15, 2019 at the age of 101.

Born May 31, 1918 in Montreal, Todd was a pioneer in Canadian women’s golf. A natural at the game, she won three British Columbia Amateur titles, two Canadian Women’s Senior titles and played on a host of teams, including Canada’s first international team to Great Britain. She also won the Victoria Golf Club championship an astonishing 14 times.

The first five legs of the British Columbia Golf Fantasy Golf Tour Challenge are in the books and we have our up to date group of qualifiers for the Grand Prize final event in the PGA TOUR FedEx Cup Championship.

Next up...The Open Championship.

The contest is easy, fun, flexible...and free. Pick your team in any, or all, of four remaining qualifying tournaments through the summer. If you finish in the top 10% of entrants in any one of them you are immediately qualified for the season-ending Championship playoff.

Emerge victorious there and you will be crowned BC Golf Fantasy Challenge champion. And that title comes with a terrific golf & stay package from Bear Mountain Resort. 

Roger Sloan's Fine Play Of Late Has Earned Him A Spot On The PGA TOUR For Next Season - BC Golf File Photo (Alfie Lau)

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Merritt’s Roger Sloan is taking the week off. He has certainly earned a little vacation time. Sloan has been on a terrific run in recent weeks that has allowed him to clinch his exempt status for next year on the PGA TOUR. He finished tied for 10th place at the John Deere Classic, where he closed with a two-under 69 on Sunday. Sloan has played his last 12 rounds under par.

Thanks to that solid play, he finds himself 103rd on the FedEx Cup point list. The top 125 at the end of the regular season remain exempt for next year and with only three regular-season events left on the schedule, Sloan is safe.

 Jackson Rothwell Of Victoria Holds The B.C. Amateur Championship Trophy Aloft After His Win At Big Sky GC In Pemberton - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- A nightmarish start to his round ended with a dream finish for Jackson Rothwell, who won the B.C. Amateur Championship the hard way Friday at Big Sky Golf Club.

The 18-year-old Victoria resident hit a wayward drive off the first tee, made double-bogey and lost the lead he had enjoyed since the first round. Rather than bow his head and surrender to the butterflies that were in full flight in his stomach, Rothwell showed plenty of resolve the rest of the way as he battled with Isaac Lee of Pitt Meadows in the 117th playing of the championship.

Thanks to some clutch play on the back nine, Rothwell emerged with a one-shot win that no one really saw coming. Especially Rothwell.  This wasn’t exactly a Cinderella story out of nowhere, but it was close.

16-Year Old Angel Lin Holds The Champion's Trophy After Winning The 2019 B.C. Women's Amateur At Nanaimo Golf Club - Images Credit Kris Jonasson/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Angel Lin is the new B.C. Women’s Amateur champion, even though she is having a little trouble believing it. “Honestly, I don’t really have the words for it,” the 16-year-old from Surrey said. “It is amazing, it is an honour, it is mind-blowing. I think it will sink in on the ferry ride home. I still don’t really believe it yet.”

Lin shot the best round of the day, a one-under 71, at Nanaimo Golf Club on Friday and beat Richmond’s Alisha Lau by two shots for the biggest win of her young golfing life. Lin, who is heading into Grade 12 at Elgin Park Secondary in Surrey, finished the 72-hole event at one-over par. She played the final 36 holes in five-under.