By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The 119th B.C. Amateur Championship goes this week at Storey Creek Golf Club, the highly regarded Campbell River course that is playing host to the event for the second time. 

Brad Newman-Bennett remembers the first one very well, but has trouble coming to grips with the fact it was 22 years ago. Newman-Bennett rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to beat Surrey’s Dan Swanson by one shot and win the 1999 championship. “Made that putt to win it on the 18th hole,” Newman-Bennett said. “That was a good time. But it’s almost like half a lifetime ago. It’s nuts.

“I remember I was playing really, really well going into it. Whenever I have played tournament golf it seems like my first round is always my worst one and I just slowly get into the right mode. Momentum grew during the week and it kind of all came together. I made a couple of timely putts and at the end of the day I was the last man standing. It was awesome.”

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Steve Berry, a British Columbia Golf Hall of Fame member whose amateur golf career included victories at the 1981 B.C. Amateur and 1972 B.C. Junior Boys Championships, died recently at his Vancouver home.

Berry, who was 68, was a longtime member of Marine Drive Golf Club and contemporary of B.C. golf legend Doug Roxburgh. “We had some good battles,” Roxburgh said of his friend.

“We were good teammates together as well. I’ve known Steve for a long time. I am about a year and half older than Steve. He joined the club the day he was 12 and I joined when I was 13. We called him Little Stevie Berry, he was a small, little kid and then he shot up to 6-foot-3 or 6-4.” 

Berry was found deceased in his Vancouver apartment after family and friends became concerned they had not heard from him in a few days.

Courtesy Vancouver Parks Golf

The Langara Ladies Golf Club was originally formed in 1929 and the ladies played on what was known as Langara Golf Links, with a membership of 32 ladies.

On March 30, 1953 Langara Ladies Golf Club applied for membership in the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Union. In 1967 the Club collapsed but on November 13, 1970 a meeting was held at Langara Golf Course to announce the formation of the new Langara Ladies Golf Club. The new club launched in the Spring of 1971 with approximately 50 members and is still going strong.

Vancouver's Victoria Liu En Route To Taking Medallist Honours In The U.S. Women's Amateur Qualifier At Seymour GC In North Vancouver - Image Credit: Blair Shier/@blairshier

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

August was already shaping up to be a special month for Victoria Liu. Now it’s even better. The 18-year-old left-hander from Vancouver earned medalist honours at a U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship qualifier Tuesday at Seymour Golf & Country Club in North Vancouver.

She’ll be in the field at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., where many of the world’s top amateur players will gather for the 121st playing of the championship Aug. 2-8. Liu, who plays out of Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, is off to Princeton University later in August to begin her studies and play collegiate golf at the Ivy League school.

Medallist Jack Rothwell (Centre) Is Joined By Craig Doell (R) And James Swan (L) As U.S. Amateur Qualifiers - Image Credit: Jerome Goddard/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A pair of Victoria Golf Club members made good use of their home-course advantage to earn spots in next month’s U.S. Amateur Championship. 

Jack Rothwell, the 2019 B.C. Amateur champion, and Craig Doell, for many years one of this province’s top amateurs, punched their tickets to what will be the 121st playing of the U.S. Amateur Aug. 9-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.

Another Victoria resident, James Swan, claimed the third spot that was available for the 77 players who teed it up Monday.

viaSport is working with the Province of British Columbia and the amateur sport sector to support organizations to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All sport activities in B.C. must follow B.C.'s Restart plan Step 3 and the PHO Order on Gatherings and Events.

Step 3 of B.C.’s Restart plan is in effect as of July 1st.

B.C.’s Restart is the Province’s step-by-step plan to bring us back together. Please remember, the intention of the Restart is to slowly return to activities. Organizations are asked to turn the dimmer slowly when planning sport programming.

Surrey, BC's Lauren Kim - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Surrey’s Lauren Kim completed a Colorado triple play of sorts by successfully qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Kim and national junior girls teammate Michelle Liu of Vancouver were two of four qualifiers at a site in Westminster, Colo.

Liu won the qualifier by shooting a four-under 68. Kim fired a two-under 70 and finished in a three-way tie for second. Four spots were available at the Colorado site. Earlier, the 15-year-old Kim had topped the field at a U.S. Junior Girls qualifier in Colorado and won the American Junior Golf Association’s Hale Irwin Colorado Junior by 12 shots.

Gavyn Knight Is The 2021 BC Junior Boys Champion Winning At His Home Course, Morningstar GC - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- In the hundreds of rounds that Gavyn Knight has played over the years at Morningstar Golf Club, he has learned where to hit the ball and, perhaps more importantly, where not to hit it. He used all that local knowledge to his advantage and won the biggest tournament of his life Friday, the B.C. Junior Boys Championship. 

“I had no big numbers,” Knight said. “I kept myself in the tournament the whole week.” Avoiding those big numbers really was the difference. There’s lots of trouble to get into at Morningstar and Knight did a better job than the rest of the field in avoiding those mini-disasters. He had nothing worse than a bogey in his final round of one-under 71 that left him one-under for the tournament.

Jennifer Gu Has A Right To Smile Now That She Is The BC Junior Girls Champion - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- Jennifer Gu played 'catch me if you can' all week with the rest of the field at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship. It turns out no one could.

The 18-year-old from West Vancouver went wire-to-wire to win the championship at Morningstar Golf Club as she bounced back from a tough runner-up finish at the recent B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship in Summerland. 

“I lost last week and I had a lot of people telling me to go win,” Gu said after her round. “So I am happy with myself, I am happy I met those expectations. The pressure was definitely good. I used it and played solid.”

The provincial skills challenge is being held July 27th at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey. Registration begins at 7:30 am and the challenge runs from 8:45am – 11:00am. The field is limited to 32 kids.

For kids to play they have to pre-register through British Columbia Golf's Participation Manager, Tyler McKay by July 23rd using the form found HERE

Gavyn Knight and Jennifer Gu Are Chasing The BC Junior Boys and Junior Girls Titles at Morningstar GC - image credit Duncan O'Brien/fairwayvision.com

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PARKSVILLE -- Gavyn Knight swung his first golf club on the driving range at Morningstar Golf Club when he was three or four years old. 

He’s worked at the course the past couple of summers, washing power carts, picking the range and doing pretty much anything else that needs to be done. He’s also logged innumerable rounds of golf at Morningstar.

“Uncountable” he says with a smile. “A lot. High hundreds.” He’ll play another one today as the leader heading into the final round of the B.C. Junior Boys Championship.

COVID-19 Resources for the British Columbia Golf Industry

Please click here for the most recent comprehensive provincial update, as provided December 30th, 2022

Please Click HERE to see AGA-BC Covid-19 resources page

AGA-BC Best Practices Manual For BC Golf Operations Amidst COVID-19
(These were still in effect and current as of February 1, 2022)

Please click HERE to view Allied Golf Association (AGA) Best Practices Manual For BC Golf Courses.

PGA of Canada Class A Professional Kylie Frederick - image courtesy PGA of Canada

By Shelby Dechant (reprinted with permission from the PGA of Canada)

“I am an athlete, but I am also gay. At the end of the day if I’m not talking about that part of me, I am doing a disservice,” says PGA of Canada Class “A” Professional Kylie Frederick.

Frederick says that this has been her mindset during the most recent years of her 19-year golf career.

Frederick started golfing at seven years old with her family on Vancouver Island. Her dad would take her out to the course, which helped her find her passion for the game. At 13-years old, all of Frederick’s attention was put towards becoming a golf professional.

At this young age, Frederick had not yet come out as gay. She was a golfer and that was that.

Willy Bishop Will Travel Just Down The Road A Little From Victoria To Defend His Junior Boys Title - Image Courtesy VGC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A new Junior Girls champion will be crowned, but Victoria’s Willy Bishop will defend his Junior Boys title this week when the B.C. Junior Boys & Girls Championships are held at Morningstar Golf Course in Parksville. 

Bishop collected both the Juvenile and Junior Boys titles last summer. Surrey’s Angela Arora, who won last year’s B.C. Junior Girls’ title, will not play in Parksville. Arora, like Bishop, is now a member of Golf Canada’s national junior team and is currently playing tournaments in the United States.

West Vancouver’s Jennifer Gu, who finished second at last week’s B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Summerland Golf Club, is in the Junior Girls field in Parksville. 

The 72-hole competition runs Tuesday through Friday and has attracted a field of 111 boys and 45 girls aged 18 and under. (Click HERE to video Preview from Morningstar GC)

Vancouver's Leah John Is The 2021 B.C. Women's Amateur Champion - image credit Jerome Goddard/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- A win is sometimes that much sweeter when it has been preceded by so much hard work and occasional setbacks. Perhaps that’s why Leah John seemed so delighted with her win Friday at the116th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Summerland Golf Club.

Like that noted philosopher Ringo Starr, John knows better than most that moments like this one don’t come easy.

Perseverance paid off for the 21-year-old Vancouver resident, who plays out of Marine Drive Golf Club and collegiately at the University of Nevada. John had come oh so close on a couple of previous occasions at British Columbia Golf championships.

Leah John Has Grabbed The Lead After Round 3 At The BC Women's Am - image credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- The wind can really howl at times in Reno, where Leah John plays her collegiate golf at the University of Nevada. 

So when it began to blow hard in Thursday’s third round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship at Summerland Golf Club, John didn’t get flustered. Far from it. The 21-year-old Vancouver native flourished in a stiff wind that blew especially hard on the back nine.

John matched the low round of the tournament with a three-under par 71 and will take a two-shot lead over Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver into Friday’s final round of the 116th playing of the championship.

With the 2021 British Columbia Junior Championships starting June 29th, the host venue, Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville on Vancouver Island, are prepared to offer a solid challenge to the top junior golfers in the province. 

In the video below Director of Golf John Randle, with the help of junior Brendan O'Brien, previews the difficult par 5 9th hole at his club in advance of the British Columbia Golf Boys & Girls Junior Championships.

Jennifer Gu Continues To Lead The BC Women's Amateur After Round 2 At Summerland GC - Golf Canada/CRussell/file photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- Jennifer Gu is a bit of a free spirit so when things got off to a shaky start in the second round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, she decided to try something a little different to snap out of it.  After a pair of sloppy bogeys to open her day, Gu planted herself down on the third tee block and . . . did some yoga. 

“I did some Sun Salutations,” the 18-year-old West Vancouver native said with a smile after her round.

“It’s kind of like a circuit of stretches, but is very calming. . .I was doing anything to keep me calm. The heart was pulsating a little bit. Hey, it’s the B.C. Am, kind of a big deal out here.”

In the latest episode of the ModGolf Podcast, show creator and host Colin Weston talks to former PGA TOUR regular, BC's Richard Zokol. 

Nicknamed 'Disco Dick' after playing a 1982 PGA TOUR event wearing a Sony Walkman, two-time tour winner Zokol joined Colin to share how listening to music on course to calm his hyperactive mind helped sow the seeds that led to the creation of MindTRAK Golf.

West Vancouver's Jennifer Gu Leads The BC Women's Amateur After Round One At Summerland GC - image credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SUMMERLAND -- Summerland Golf Club is set up as a par 74 for this week’s 116th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, but Jennifer Gu tried not to pay attention to that number in Tuesday’s first round. 

The 18-year-old West Vancouver resident had a rather simple formula she tried to follow and it seemed to work wonderfully as recorded a three-under 71 to grab the early lead. “I did not look at the pars on any of the holes,” Gu said after her round.

“I just tried to get the ball in the hole as quick as possible because I know the par 5s are very gettable and if I maybe think of a hole as a par 5 I will play it a little different, which I don’t want to do. I just want to get the ball in the hole as fast as I can.”