The focus of the upcoming 2017 British Columbia Regional Camp being held October 14th at Chilliwack Golf & Country Club is to identify female players in a particular region on the competitive stream and to align Provincial Coaching support with them for the 2018 competitions.

Coaching and training will serve to support player growth and encourage the development of an annual training plan for the upcoming competitive season. In addition, players and families of competitive juniors will be informed and guided on all aspects of the Long Term Player Development Pathway inclusive of leading them to the next stage.

Coquitlam's Steven Diack, Shown Here Getting Set To Tee Off In The VGT Golden Ears Open At Pitt Meadows GC, Is Raring To Get His Pro Career Under Way - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

When Steven Diack decided he was going to turn pro, there was an obvious place to start the next phase of his golfing life. The Vancouver Golf Tour’s Vancouver Open is being played Sept. 22-24 at Northview Golf Club in Surrey, a place that has been good to Diack in the past.

“Once I saw the Vancouver Open was at Northview I was like, that is so good for me,” Diack said in an interview. “I love that place and I can’t wait to go out and start this new chapter in golf. I have actually won two tournaments out there. I won a MJT (Maple Leaf Junior Tour) tournament a long, long time ago and I won the VGT Spring Championship out there as well.”

Quesnel, BC's Kathy Gook Was One Of The Top Instructors Recognized From More Than 1,700 LPGA Certified Professionals Worldwide - BC Golf Image

Via Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., August 28, 2017 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) membership announced today the launch of an annual recognition of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional’s Top 50 LPGA Teachers, presented in partnership with Women’s Golf Journal.

This new initiative will identify and recognize the best LPGA instructors from more than 1,700 LPGA certified professionals worldwide.

All LPGA Class A Members in good standing who meet the eligibility requirements were invited to apply. An independent golf industry selection committee reviewed eligible applications and identified the LPGA Top 50 Teachers, utilizing a weighted points formula.

One of those recognized was Quesnel, British Columbia's own Kathy Gook who moved to Phoenix in 1985 after graduating from Simon Fraser University to pursue a career in golf.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

It is the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs this week on the PGA TOUR and Nick Taylor must be feeling a little like he’s about to play Game 7. It’s do or die for the Abbotsford native.

After missing the cut in last week’s playoff opener, The Northern Trust in Old Westbury, N.Y., Taylor fell to No. 92 on the FedEx Cup points list. The top 100 advanced to this week’s Dell Technologies Championship near Boston, but only the top 70 will move on to the third of four playoff events, the BMW Championship near Chicago.

Northview Golf Academy's John Shin Holds The William Thompson Trophy As The 2017 PGA of BC Champion After Prevailing In A Playoff At Capilano GC - Image Courtesy PGA of BC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

AUGUST 25, 2017 - WEST VANCOUVER, BC (PGA of British Columbia) - John Shin endured in a thrilling finish Friday to capture the TaylorMade & adidas Golf PGA of BC Championship presented by Axis Insurance Managers.

After carding a 4-under-par round of 68 to reach 3-under for the 36-hole championship, Shin went on to defeat Brady Stead on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to secure the title at Capilano Golf & Country Club.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

GolfBC, Western Canada’s largest golf course owner and operator, is spreading its wings. The company, which owns and operates eight championship courses in B.C. and three more on the Hawaiian island of Maui, has recently entered into a management contract to run Blue Ocean Golf Club in Sechelt.

It’s a first for GolfBC, whose vice president of operations, Andy Hedley, says the deal with Blue Ocean could be the start of a new venture for the privately owned Vancouver-based company.

Players At This Week's CP Women’s Open Will Be Wearing Yellow Ribbons In Honour Of Cowichan, B.C.'s Dawn Coe-Jones Who Passed Away From Cancer Last Year - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

by John Gordon (Courtesy Golf Canada)

When you see players wearing yellow ribbons at this week’s CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Golf and Hunt Club, think “DCJ.”

Those are the initials of Dawn Coe-Jones, one of Canada’s most outstanding golfers who died of bone cancer last November at the age of 56. The ribbons are to honour her memory and to remind us all of the toll this terrible disease takes.

Born in Lake Cowichan, B.C., Coe-Jones won the B.C. Junior Championship in 1978 and 1979 and then the B.C. Amateur in 1982. In 1983, she defended her provincial amateur title and capped off the season by winning the Canadian Amateur Championship.

After being named an NCAA All-American at Lamar University in Texas, Coe-Jones headed to the LPGA Tour where she won three times, including the 1995 Tournament of Champions.

Surrey's Angela Arora (Centre) Is The B.C. Bantam Girls Champion While Jennifer Gu Of West Vancouver (L) Was Shot Back In 2nd, With Sherri Yang Of Richmond (R) In Third - Image Credit Susan White/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Angela Arora fully expected to win the B.C. Bantam Girls Championship, but not until next year. The 13-year-old from Surrey really didn’t think her game would be good enough for a provincial championship until she was 14. Turns out she was wrong.

Arora sank a clutch 10-foot putt for par on the 18th hole at Christina Lake Golf Club on Tuesday to win the Bantam Girls title by one shot over Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver.

13-Year-Old Jeevan Sihota From Victoria (R) Held Off A Stiff Challenge From Burnaby’s Leo Harper (M) While Richmond's Brycen Ko (L) Came Third In The B.C. Boys Bantam Championship At Christina Lake GC - Image Credit Susan White/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota claimed his second provincial championship in less than a week Tuesday. This one wasn’t nearly as easy as the first.

The 13-year-old played a near perfect round Tuesday and it turned out he had to. His second straight four-under 68 at Christina Lake Golf Club gave him a one-shot win at the B.C. Bantam Boys Championship over Burnaby’s Leo Harper. Tuesday’s win followed a convincing 11-shot victory at last week’s B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship at Granite Pointe Golf Club in Nelson.

Victoria's Jeevan Sihota Is Back At The Top Of The Leaderboard In A B.C. Golf Championship, But This Time He's Got Company In Burnaby's Leo Harper - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Jeevan Sihota hopes to see fewer trees and more fairways in Tuesday’s final round of the B.C. Bantam Boys Championship at Christina Lake Golf Club.

The 13-year-old from Victoria shot a four-under 68 Monday to grab a share of the first-round lead with Burnaby’s Leo Harper, but was lamenting the number of times he was playing out of the trees bordering Christina Lake’s fairways.

Kevin Carrigan, Seen Here At Last Month's BC Amateur At Morgan Creek GC, Goes For His Third Canadian Mid-Amateur Title This Week - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan will be trying to complete a hat trick of sorts at this week’s Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Wascana Country Club in Regina.

The 31-year-old Carrigan won the event in 2012 and 2013. He showed good form at last month’s B.C. Amateur Championship at Morgan Creek in Surrey, where he finished third, just one shot behind winner Jake DuVall of Victoria.

The Vancouver Open Charity Pro-Am put on by The Vancouver Golf Tour (VGT) takes place on Wednesday, September 20th at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey and they are actively looking for those interested in playing in the tournament and also for additional volunteers.

VGT Commissioner Fraser Mulholland has put out the following release and information on the event:

The 2017 British Columbia Golf Bantam & Novice Championships take place Monday, August 21st - Tuesday, August 22nd at Christina Lake Golf Club in Grand Forks alongside the Kettle River in BC's beautiful Kooteny/Rockies region.

The Bantam Championships are open to players aged 14 and younger as of August 1st. There are two Championships - Bantam Boys & Bantam Girls. Each event is a 36-hole stroke play (2 rounds) - gross event.

For the Novice Championships (Boys & Girls), players will play off a shorter set of tees. Entry into the novice events will be for players with a higher handicap factor, to be determined by the final field. The Championship is a Net Stableford. Maximum field size is 90 players.

Jeevan Sihota (L) And Claire Lovan Are The 2017 B.C. Juvenile Boys' & Girl's Champions - Image BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Both went wire to wire and both won big. Jeevan Sihota of Victoria and Claire Lovan of Surrey simply dominated their competition at the B.C. Juvenile Championships at Granite Pointe Golf Club in Nelson.

The 13-year-old Sihota won the boys’ title by 11 shots, while Lovan, 15, took the girls’ championship by eight strokes. Everyone else was playing for second place.

By Cameron Watt

(reprinted with permission from WCTA)

August 1, 2017 was a successful day for everyone who was part of Drive For Relief, at the Redwoods Golf Course. This shotgun tournament was planned, organized and executed in short notice.

It was a fundraising effort to support the victims of this year's wildfires in British Columbia.

The goal - raise $30,000 and donate to the Red Cross. The reality - $52,500 was raised through support from locals, golf industry representatives, community businesses, and of course the Redwoods Golf Course.

The 2017 British Columbia Golf Juvenile Championships teed off Wednesday morning in the B.C. Kootenay region at the beautiful Granite Pointe GC in Nelson. Granite Pointe GC is a course rich with history dating back to 1919 when a group of men felt a golf course was absolutely essential for any town with the 'pretension' of being up to date.

Granite Pointe’s first year of operations as a 9-hole course was in 1920. Membership fees were $10 for men and $5 for ladies. A lot has changed since then as the course underwent a major overhaul and expansion to 18 holes in 1993, but it remains a vital part of the Nelson Community.

The front nine traverses through mountainous terrain with some holes offering elevated tee boxes. The three hole stretch known by Granite Pointe members as ‘Our Three Aces, holes 6, 7 and 8, offer some very good scoring opportunities. In fact the signature hole, no. 7, was voted one of the top holes in BC.

You’ll also notice a monster-sized chunk of Granite partially blocking the view of the flag on the 9th. The route continues over the back nine with park-like settings, generous fairways and some great water hazards.

Notes on the BC Juvenile Championships at Granite Pointe GC in Nelson:

• The BC Juvenile Championships are open to players age 16 and younger as of August 1st 
• The Juvenile Boys' is a 54 holes gross stroke play event with no cut for 2017
• The Juvenile Girl's is also 54 hole gross stroke play event with no cut for 2017
• The Juvenile Zone Team Competition is held over the first two days of the championship. Zone teams are made up of 3-4 players, with scoring based on best 3 scores on each day of the competition 
• Best-Ball Competition -  Players may make up their own 2-person teams from the field. Teams wishing to participate must identify themselves before play begins on day 1. This championship is a best ball conducted over 54 holes. The top 5 teams from the first 36 holes will be confirmed into the draw, regardless as to whether the players are in the top field or not

The Boys 2016 BC Juvenile Champion was Langley's Khan Lee, who recorded a brilliant 6-under 66 in the final round to defeat runner-up Jeevan Sihota by 2 shots. Lee is not in the event this year as he has moved on to the Junior category. Victoria's Sihota will be back to see if he can take that next step.

The 2016 Girls BC Juvenile Champion was Surrey's Hannah Lee whose 5-under total for the 3 rounds was the only under par score for the girls event. She was a 5-shot winner over Victoria's Akari Hayashi.

As with the Boys, last year's champion Lee will not be in the field as she too has moved on to the Junior level. At the same time last year's runner-up, Hayashi, who opened the tournament with a terrific 4-under 68, will be back looking to take the title this time around. 

For more information, tee times and live scoring beginning Wednesday, August 16 through to Friday the 18th please CLICK HERE

Jim Rutledge Of Victoria, BC Now Trialis Only Legend Moe Norman For The Most PGA Seniors’ Championship Of Canada Titles - Image Courtesy PGA of Canada

Courtesy PGA of Canada

Jim Rutledge won his fifth Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada Friday at the Burlington Golf & Country Club.

The soon-to-be 58-year-old’s three-day total of 12-under-par (65-67-66) lapped the field, clipping his nearest competitors—Gar Hamilton and Mike Burrows—by seven shots.

Making his final round finish even more remarkable, Rutledge admitted he was battling food poisoning all through the previous night and well into Friday morning.

Richmond's Chris Crisologo, Shown Here At The B.C. Amateur At Morgan Creek Last Month, Is In The Field At The U.S. Amateur This Week At Riviera GC In Los Angeles - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A tie for second on Sunday by veteran Wes Heffernan of Calgary notwithstanding, it has been a tough year for Canadians on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit.

Eight events into the 12-tournament season, Kimberley’s Jared du Toit is the top Canadian on the Mackenzie Tour’s money list. And he’s 22nd.

That’s right, there’s not a single Canadian inside the top 20. To this point anyway, it’s the worst year for Canadians since the PGA TOUR started running what used to be the Canadian Tour in 2013.

Team BC From The Golf Competiton At The 2017 Canada Summer Games In Winnipeg. From L-R: Tristan Mandur, Nolan Thoroughgood, Keaton Gudz, Alisha Lau, Hannah Lee And Tiffany Kong - Image Credit Christine Wong/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The gold rush finally ended for Team British Columbia at the Canada Summer Games, but there were plenty of silver linings.

The boys and girls teams each took home silver medals, and Richmond’s Alisha Lau won silver in the individual girls competition as the Canada Summer Games golf tournament concluded Friday at Southwood Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg. Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay added a bronze in the boys individual competition.

Clockwise From Top L: Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Jerry Kelly And Rocco Mediate Have All Committed To Competing In 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship In Victoria - Image Courtesy SportBox PR

VICTORIA, B.C. (August 10, 2017) – Tournament Organizers announced today that four golf stars have committed to playing in the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship; Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Jerry Kelly and Rocco Mediate will all be joining the famed field.

The event will take place at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, British Columbia the week of September 11-17, 2017.