Three Golf Canada Team Members From BC In 104th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship
Guelph, Ont. – Cutten Fields is prepared to host the world’s premier female amateur golfers from July 25-29 for the 104th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Five of the top-15 players on the World Amateur Golf Rankings will be competing against each other as Cutten Fields hosts the Women’s Amateur Championship for the first time. World No. 4 Jennifer Kupcho headlines the group, along with Andrea Lee (No. 5), Lilia Kha-Tu Vu (No. 7), Mariel Galdiano (No. 9) and Hannah O’Sullivan (No. 12).
Established in 1931 by Arthur Cutten, Cutten Fields was designed by the famed Canadian architect Stanley Thompson with the vision that it would be accessible to all the residents of Guelph, Ont. Under the classic Thompson design, Cutten Fields features a rolling topography and beautiful layout to challenge even the most talented golfers.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the 104th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields here in the city of Guelph,” said Steve Bryant, director of golf at Cutten Fields. “The event is deeply rooted in Canadian golf history, and we are excited to be welcoming the world’s next best players to Cutten Fields as we crown the next champion of this storied championship.”
Canadian LPGA stars Brooke Henderson and Augusta James are two Canadians who have won the championship in the last four years. Now, a new generation of Canadian and international amateurs will look to continue their legacies by pursuing the Duchess of Connaught Trophy—the prize awarded to the winner of the event.
“This tournament has proven to be a stepping stone for many amateurs working towards joining the professional ranks,” said Tournament Director, Mary Beth McKenna. “Eight of our past 10 winners, including 2013 champion Brooke Henderson, have gone on to find success as professionals. We are very excited to write the next chapter of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields.”
All four members of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad will be in attendance: World No. 30 Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.), No. 129 Jaclyn Lee (Calgary), No. 138 Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) and No. 390 Grace St-Germain (Ottawa).
Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., who just recently qualified to play in this year's U.S. Women's Amateur, will be joined by her fellow Team Canada Development Squad members Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.) and Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.).
Returning from last year’s top-5 are Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif. (T2), Allisen Corpuz of Honolulu, Hawaii (T2), and Maria Fassi of Pachuca, Mexico (5). Also included in the field is world No. 67 Yuko Saso, winner of the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship at Mississaugua Golf Club.
A practice round will be conducted on July 24 prior to the championship’s opening round. Following the first two rounds of play, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. A tie for the championship will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following the conclusion of play.
An inter-provincial team championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of play. Quebec’s Josée Doyon, Valérie Tanguay and Katherine Gravel-Coursol claimed the team title in 2016. British Columbia is represented this year by National Team member Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim of Surrey and Langley’s Gloria USu Choi
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion and low Canadian will earn exemptions into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.
For more Information on the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship including the full field, starting times and live scoring, click here.
NOTABLES
Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. - The National Amateur Squad member is the highest ranked Canadian in the field (No. 30). The Texas A&M sophomore athlete already has three wins in 2017: the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, the Women’s Western Golf Association Championship and the Dr. Donnis Invitational. In 14 events this season, the 20-year-old has eight top-five finishes. She captured the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship in 2015.
Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C. - The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member won the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in February and has two third place finishes this season: a solo-third at the Women’s Porter Cup and T3 at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship. She was crowned champion at the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The 19-year-old is currently ranked No. 138 in the world.
Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, Calif. - Currently ranked at No. 5 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, she won her debut event at Stanford University in September 2016. The 18-year-old placed 69th in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games. She finished T2 in the same event last year.
Lilia Kha-Tu Vu of Fountain Valley, Calif. - The 20-year-old won four consecutive Callaway Junior World Championship from 2010 – 2013. The No. 7 ranked amateur in the world has won four of her six NCAA amateur events this season: the Pac-12 Championship, the Silverado Showdown, the Anuenue Spring Break Classic and the Bruin Waver Invitational.
Mariel Galdiano of Pearl City, Hawaii - The 19-year-old is currently ranked ninth in the world and won the Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2015. In 2011, at the age of 13, she became the youngest golfer ever to participate in the U.S. Women’s Open. This season, she finished second at the Pac-12 Championship, T3 at the Bruin Wave Invitational and fourth in the Anuenue Spring Break Classic.
Hannah O’Sullivan of Chandler, Ariz. - The 19-year-old spent much of 2016 at the top of the World Amateur Golf Rankings, but decided to play college golf at Duke instead of turning professional. In 2015, she won the Gateway Classic and became the youngest person to win on the Symetra Tour at the age of 16. The No. 12 ranked amateur won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
Maria Fassi of Mexico - The 45th ranked amateur golfer finished fifth in the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur. She is currently the top-ranked Mexican golfer and won the Mexican Amateur Championship in 2015 and 2016. The 19-year-old competed in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open.
FAST FACTS
- Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is among the oldest golfing competitions in Canada
- Both the champion and the low Canadian will earn an exemption into the 2017 CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont., on Aug. 21-27
- The champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 USGA Women’s Amateur Championship and, if applicable, the U.S. Girl’s Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championships
- Ten provincial teams with three players each will compete in an inter-provincial championship that will take place in during the first two rounds
- Last year’s champion: Hye-jin Choi of Korea, current world No. 2 amateur golfer
- Recent past winners and current LPGA major winners include Brooke Henderson (2013), Ariya Jutanugarn (2012)
- Danielle Kang, 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, was runner-up in 2010
- During the 1901 season, the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que. hosted the first competition which was won by Canadian Lillas Young
- Canadian Marlene Streit has the most wins at the event (11) in its history: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973
- Canadian Mary Ann Lapointe is the oldest to ever win the event at 44-years-old
- Judy Darling Evans and Dora Darling are the only mother-daughter combo to win the event
- Judy Darling Evans will be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on July 25, 2017 during the RBC Canadian open
- Five golfers have won the tournament at least three years in a row: Mabel Thomson, Dorothy Campbell, Marlene Stewart Streit, Debbie Massey and Lisa Meldrum
- The Duchess of Connaught was donated in 1914 as the new championship trophy, Dorothy Campbell had won the Lady Grey Trophy outright in 1912 after her third consecutive victory
- The tournament was not held between 1939-1946 because of WWII
ABOUT THE COURSE
- Established in 1931
- Designed by famed Canadian architect Stanley Thompson who later became a part-owner of the club
- Hosted the 2015 Canadian University/College Championship
- Yardage/Par: 6,293/70
For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.