Virginia Native Zach Bauchou Beat Florida’s Philip Knowles By Three Shots To Win His Second Consecutive Canadian Men's Amateur Title - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is no longer decided via match play, but apparently no one told Zach Bauchou and Philip Knowles.

There were 69 other competitors on the course, but right from the start of Thursday’s final round at Duncan Meadows Golf Course it was Bauchou versus Knowles. Everyone else, it seemed, was playing for third place. Bauchou ultimately prevailed and became the 13th player to win back to back Canadian Amateur titles. 

“I think the feelings are a lot different for me this year because last year I kind of came up here to try and get into the U.S. Amateur and I felt a lot of pressure to win coming down the stretch,” said the 22-year-old Bauchou. “Today I was kind of playing to defend and I was a lot less nervous today than I was last year.”

Smithers Native Kaleb Gorbahn (L), Whose Father Dana Is Caddying For Him This Week, Is Tied For Third Place After Shooting A Six-Under 65 On Thursday - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DUNCAN -- There’s a lot of red and white on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Club. And blue. The stars and stripes outnumber the Maple Leafs by a considerable margin through three rounds of the 114th playing of the Canadian Amateur.

Defending champion Zach Bauchou of Forest, Va., leads the way at 13-under par after shooting a four-under 67 in Thursday’s third round. Philip Knowles of Jacksonville, Fla., moved into second place thanks to a seven-under 64 that left him at 11-under.

The top Canadian -- and proud to be that -- is Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers, who is in a three-way tie for third at eight-under par.

Oklahoma State University Senior Zach Baucho Has A Three-Shot Lead At The Halfway Mark Of The 2018 Canadian Men's Amateur - Image Credit Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

QUALICUM -- They are trying to catch a cowboy at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Zach Bauchou is halfway to defending his title after a three-under 68 in Tuesday’s second round moved him to nine-under par. Bauchou, a Virginia native who is heading into his senior year with the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, has a three-shot lead on Julien Sale of Gatineau, Que.

After opening with a six-under 65 at Duncan Meadows, Bauchou moved 45 minutes north and played his second round at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum. The tight Pheasant Glen layout reminded him of his home track, Karsten Creek, at Oklahoma State. It seems like there is trouble everywhere at both courses.

The 114th Canadian Men's Amateur is underway on Vancouver Island at Duncan Meadows GC and Pheasant Glen GR. 

The championship was first held in 1895, making it one of the most storied sporting events in Canada and third oldest amateur championship in the world.

Duncan Meadows will play host to 252 players from nine countries over four stroke play rounds, while Pheasant Glen will co-host for the first two rounds prior to the 36-hole cut.

Defending Champion Zach Bauchou Has The First Round Lead In The 2018 Canadian Men's Amateur - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

DUNCAN, B.C. – Reigning champion Zach Bauchou fired a 65 in Monday’s opening round of the 114th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Course to tie the course record and lead by two strokes.

The Forest, Va., native thrived in the sweltering B.C. weather, going 7-under through his first 10 holes thanks to two eagles—one that included a hole-out from the bunker on No. 17. Bauchou cooled off on his final eight holes, giving one back with a bogey on the par-3 7th.

Victoria Golf Club Head Professional Lindsay Bernakevitch Entertained A Special Guest At The Venerable Layout This Past Weekend When Country Music Star Eric Church Paid A Visit For A Round Before Playing The Sunfest Country Music Festival on Sunday night in the Cowichan Valley - Image Courtesy Lindsay Bernakevitch Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Chris Crisologo of Richmond anchors a strong B.C. Team that has high hopes of bringing the Willingdon Cup back to the West Coast.

Crisologo, Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan and Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers will represent B.C. in the inter-provincial team competition that is held the first two days of this week’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Course and Pheasant Glen Golf Resort.

Crisologo, who has to be considered one of the favourites to win the 114th playing of the Canadian Amateur, is excited about the prospects of winning the Willingdon Cup team competition. “It seems those two guys (Carrigan and Gorbahn) have always been top five in the province the last few years, so to finally have all of us together is exciting,” Crisologo said. “We are definitely excited as a team to hopefully play well and bring home the trophy.”

Comox, B.C. Native Kolten Almgren Was The Medallist In The Canadian Amateur Qualifying Event Held Friday At Duncan Meadows GC - Image Courtesy UBC TBirds Golf Twitter

Courtesy Golf Canada

DUNCAN, B.C. – Canadians Kolten Almgren, Zach Ryujin, Mike Aizawa, Ethan Bennett and Brent Wilson earned exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship on Friday in the 18-hole qualifying event at Duncan Meadows Golf Course.

Almgren, a University of B.C. sophomore from Comox, B.C., posted the low score of the day with a 4-under par 68, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 12th hole.

Ryujin of North Vancouver, B.C., was next in line with a 3-under-par 69, good for sole possession of runner-up honours. Aizawa (Richmond, B.C.), Bennett (Stoney Creek, Ont.), and Wilson (Cobble Hill, B.C.) rounded out the top five that punched their tickets to the third-oldest amateur event in the world.

17-Year-Old Quebec Resident Celeste Dao, Shown Here With Golf Canada's Pat Thompson And One Of Canada's Finest, Erased A Three-Shot Deficit On The Back Nine To Beat 14-Year-Old Emily Zhu Of Ontario - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

In about a year’s time, Celeste Dao will become a University of Georgia Bulldog. On Friday, the 17-year-old from Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que., played like that Georgia namesake at Beach Grove Golf Club in the final round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Tenacious, resolute, stubborn, persistent. Dao was all those things and more as she dug down deep to rebound from a three-stroke deficit early on the back nine and win the title.

Quebec Native Celeste Dao Has A One-Shot Lead Heading Into The Final Round Of The Canadian Junior Girls Championship At Beach Grove Golf Club In Tsawwassen - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Play golf, see the world. That kind of describes what has been a whirlwind 2018 for Celeste Dao. The 17-year-old from Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que., who has the lead heading into Friday’s final round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, has used her passport almost as much as her pitching wedge in what has been a busy year.

So far this year, she has visited Argentina, where she finished tied for eighth in the South American Amateur Championship, Mexico, where she won the Mexican Junior Girls Championship, and Japan, where she finished fifth at the Toyota Junior World Cup.

SFU's Head Golf Coach Matthew Steinbach Is One Of Several College/University Coaches Out Recruiting At This Week's Canadian Junior Girls Championship At Beach Grove GC Where Celeste Dao Has The Lead After Two Rounds - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Recruiting is never an easy job for collegiate golf coaches, who must try to use any edge they have to convince promising players to choose them. This week’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen has attracted several college coaches from the United States and Canada.

Among them is Simon Fraser University golf coach Matthew Steinbach, who thinks his job has just become a little easier. For that, he can thank Chris Crisologo.

Lauren Kim, A Surrey Resident Who Just Finished Grade 7, Opened The Canadian Junior Girls Championship Tournament With A 3-under Par 69 - Image Courtesy Sarah Magyar/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Lauren Kim apparently hasn’t learned about respecting her elders. The 12-year-old has the audacity to be leading the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen. 

And you know what, the Surrey resident thinks she can win. “Yeah, I'm going to try,” she said after posting a three-under par 69 that gave her a two-shot lead. “I feel confident after doing well today.”

The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (ISPARC) is pleased to present the provincial tournament for Indigenous youth in partnership with Little Shuswap Band and Talking Rock Golf Course and with the support of the Province of BC. 

The tournament is scheduled for August 21-22 at Talking Rock GC in Chase, British Columbia in both male and female under 14 & under 17 categories. See the information poster below or contact Alissa Assu (aassu@isparc.ca) to find out more details and how to register for this exciting event

The 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship is underway at Tsawwassen's Beach Grove Golf Course. Below is an excerpt from a tournament preview done by Brad Ziemer.

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

TSAWWASSEN, B.C. -- British Columbia has a little streak going at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, one its players hope to extend at Beach Grove Golf Club.

The last three Canadian Junior Girls Championships have been won by B.C. players. Susan Xiao of Surrey won it last year, Naomi Ko of Victoria was the 2016 champion and Michelle Kim of Surreycaptured the title in 2015.

Doing well at Beach Grove starts with keeping the ball in play off the tee. The course is tight in spots and missing fairways makes it difficult to hit the course’s small greens in regulation. “What the players will have to do especially well is position the ball off the tee,” says longtime Beach Grove Head Professional Brent Derrheim. “You can’t be overly aggressive, you need to be patient. And also putting. If you make the putts, you are going to score well.”

Richmond's Chris Crisologo Carried On His Solid Summer By Taking The Gary Cowan Award As The Low Amateur At The RBC Canadian Open - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Chris Crisologo’s first RBC Canadian Open started and finished with a birdie. The 70 holes in between weren’t bad, either. The 22-year-old Richmond resident and reigning B.C. Amateur champion rolled in a 20-foot putt for birdie on the par 5 18th hole Sunday to finish his first PGA TOUR event tied for 45th place at nine-under par.

Crisologo closed with a three-under par 69 Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Course after opening with rounds of 68, 69 and 73. “It was quite the experience,” Crisologo told reporters after his final round.

Back In 2007 Canadian Amateur Champion Nick Taylor Posed Beside The Board With The Final Result At Riverside GC In Saskatoon - Image Courtesy Riverside/CanGolfer

By Brad Ziemer

At the time, it was the biggest win of Nick Taylor’s life, a victory he credits with providing the confidence and inner belief that ultimately helped propel him to the PGA TOUR. Taylor won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2007 and he’ll never forget the crazy final day he endured en route to the title. It lasted nearly 10 hours and 38 holes.

Taylor would be the first to tell you it should have been over much sooner than that.

Tiffany Kong Of Vancouver Has Earned A Spot In The CP Canadian Women's Open As The Low Canadian In This Year's Canadian Women's Amateur At Marine Drive - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

This time, Tiffany Kong figures it will be a little more of a fair fight. The 17-year-old Vancouver resident finished as the low Canadian at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship on Friday at Marine Drive Golf Club.

That accomplishment brings with it a nice little perk -- an exemption into the LPGA Tour’s CP Women’s Open, which goes Aug. 23-26 at Wascana Country Club in Regina. It will be an encore performance of sorts for Kong, who as a 14-year-old successfully Monday qualified into the 2015 CP Women’s Open at Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam.

The 2018 Canadian Women's Amateur Champion Yealimi Noh From Concord, California - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

No matter what she accomplishes in what certainly seems to be an extremely promising future as a golfer, Yealimi Noh will likely never forget the month of July, 2018.

All the recently turned 17-year-old from Concord, Calif. did was win three big amateur events. July started with a win at the Girls Junior PGA Championship in Lexington, Ky. Last week, she followed that up with a win at the U.S. Junior Girls Championship in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Her encore performance came Friday at Marine Drive Golf Club, where Noh won the 105th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

It's An All-American Leaderboard At Vancouver's Marine Drive In The Canadian Women's Amateur With Texas Native Dylan Kim Out Front By One After 3 Rounds - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

There is no prize money in amateur golf, where you play simply for the championship.  However, there is a nice little perk that will go to Friday’s winner of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver -- an exemption into the LPGA Tour’s CP Women’s Open in Regina next month.

Dylan Kim, the 21-year-old Texan who has the lead, had no idea. “Well, I just learned about that right now,” Kim said with a laugh in a post-round interview Thursday. “I did not know that. . . That would be cool.”

New Langara Falcons Golf Coach, Richmond, BC's Christine Wong, Is A Two-Time BC Women's Amateur Champion - Images Courtesy Langara College/Quilchena GC

Courtesy Langara College Athletics/Golf

Vancouver, BC – The Langara Falcons are excited to welcome professional golfer Christine Wong as the newest coach of the College’s golf team.

Wong, a two-time BC Women's Amateur champ and 2010 PNGA Player of The Year is also a four-time NCAA Collegiate Tournament Champion who represented San Diego State Universityand a former member of the Canadian Women’s Amateur National Team. Originally from Richmond, BC, her career has taken her to high-profile events including the U.S. Women’s Open and the Canadian Women’s Open.

Vancouver's 17-Year Old Tiffany Kong Is The Top Canadian At The Halfway Mark Of The Canadian Women's Amateur Being Held At Marine Drive GC - BC Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

This was supposed to be nothing more than a week of practice for Tiffany Kong, who instead finds herself in the thick of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Marine Drive Golf Club.  The 17-year-old Vancouver resident came to Marine Drive hoping to prepare for next week’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen.

But thanks to a hot putter and some solid ball-striking, Kong has rattled off 11 birdies through two rounds of the Women’s Amateur and is just two shots out of the lead.