Canadian teams announced for inaugural World Junior Girls Golf Championship
Spetember 10, 2014
Morgan Bell (Golf Canada)
MARKHAM, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario is pleased to announce the six players who will represent Team Canada’s two squads at the inaugural World Junior Girls Golf Championship September 26th to October 1st at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
Naomi Ko (Golf Canada/Graig Abel)
Representing the first of two Canadian squads competing are Brooke Henderson, 17, of Smiths Falls, Ont., Grace St-Germain, 16, of Ottawa, Ont. and Naomi Ko, 17, of Victoria, B.C. Canada’s second team in the event will include Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. and Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C.
The Canadian contingent will be coached by Team Canada Development Squad Women’s Coach Ann Carroll, alongside Reggie Millage the provincial Head Coach for the Golf Association of Ontario.
The inaugural international junior girls championship – which will be contested on the South Course at Angus Glen Golf Club – will be conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario.
The championship features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19 representing 15 countries. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition. A full listing of rosters for each country can be found here and full bios for the Canadians selected can be found below.
The 16-team field will compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours. Qualifying countries for the inaugural championship were invited based on their performances at the 2012 World Amateur in Turkey.
The 2014 World Junior Girls Golf Championship will mark the first official playing of a female junior championship of its kind – the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup is a boys’ only event that has been contested for almost 20 years.
The event – which is supported by the International Golf Federation, received grant funding by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Other funding partners include the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Fund) and the R&A as well as Central Counties. Funding was also provided from the Federal and Provincial governments in preparation for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.
In addition to a 72-hole competition, the championship will include skills competitions, an international golf coaches’ summit and golf clinics outside of tournament play in the spirit of establishing an interactive junior golf festival around the championship.
The Angus Glen Golf Club will also play host to the debut of golf at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games from July 16-19, 2015. The World Junior Girls Golf Championship will provide training opportunities for officials and volunteers registered for the historic event that is set for the south course at Angus Glen.
The event gets underway with Opening Ceremonies at Angus Glen beginning at 5:30pm on Saturday, September 27th.
Admission to the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators for the duration of the championship. For more information visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
TEAM CANADA PLAYERS BIOS
Squad # 1
Brooke Henderson
As the No. 1 ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the Smiths Falls, Ont. native has captured seven amateur titles this season and two professional titles (Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario and PGA Women’s Championship of Canada). A member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, Henderson recently won the individual medal at the World Amateur Championship. Additionally, she finished runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and also finished T10 at the U.S. Women’s Open. She also earned Low Canadian and Low Amateur honours at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open where she finished T46 and while also finishing T45 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.
Grace St-Germain
A native of Ottawa, Ont., St-Germain captured the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship by seven strokes. The 16-year-old was also victorious at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship and earned medalist honours at the GAO’s Junior Girls’ Match Play Championship. Recently she added another win to her season at the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational.
Naomi Ko
A member of Team Canada’s National Development Squad, Ko is the reigning 2014 B.C. Junior Girls champion. Additionally, the 17-year-old Victoria, B.C. native won the CN Future Links Ontario title and finished fourth at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Squad # 2
Jaclyn Lee
Lee is a three-time winner this season after victories at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship, Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship and Alberta Junior Girls Championship. The Calgary native is also a member of Team Canada’s National Development Squad.
Selena Costabile
A native of Thornhill, Ont., Costabile captured the 2014 GAO Junior Spring Classic and the CJGA World Junior Challenge. The 16-year-old also finished runner-up at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship and notched a pair of third place finishes at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and the AJGA/CJGA’s Junior Championship.
Alisha Lau
A native of Richmond, B.C., Lau was victorious at the CJGA’s Nike Golf Junior Series at Hazelmere, finished second at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship and fourth at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. Additionally, the 15-year-old posted a third place finish at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship.