Golf Saskatchewan has donated $10,000 to the Youth on Course program in the prairies.

The donation coincides with the recent Youth on Course 100 Hole Hike at Silverwood Golf Course in Saskatoon. Golf Saskatchewan Executive Director Brian Lee hiked the 100 holes at the par three course on Aug. 28 and announced the donation.

“Youth on Course is a fantastic organization that allows juniors to get on the course for $5, we have three clubs signed up in Saskatchewan right now. Between promotion of the 100 Hole Hike and this donation we can get more involvement from courses in the province and the prairies,” Lee said.

Valleyview Golf Club in Delisle, Deer Valley Golf Club north of Regina and Harbor Golf and RV Park in Elbow are the three courses that offer the program.

The Prairies 100 Hole Hike has brought in over $15,000 in funding. Golf Canada’s National Manager of Youth on Course and Events, Nathalie Mihalek was thankful to the participants.

“Thanks to Silverwood Golf Course, our hikers were able to play 100 holes on foot in one day and rally their networks to raise crucial funds to make golf more affordable and accessible. These funds will give more youth the chance to experience the game we love and its life-changing opportunities.”

For more information on Youth on Course or to donate to the 100 Hole Hike click here.

The Order of Merit Tours (OMT) have concluded for 2025 with eight players receiving exemptions into a Golf Saskatchewan championship next season.

Saskatchewan under-15 champion Yoyo Zhu (Saskatoon) is the winner of the OMT division. She competed in seven events this season winning six of them. The 14-year-old also represented Saskatchewan at the Canadian U15 Championships in Pitt Meadows, B.C. placing 40th overall.

The under-19 women’s winner is Tayla Perry of Regina. The Royal Regina Golf Club (RRGC) junior also played seven events on the OMT this summer. A second place finish at the Saskatchewan Junior Championship helped her hold off junior winner Grace Odnokon by just under 300 points.

The under-13 men’s age group was dominated by 10-year-old Hudson Deibert. Another RRGC star, Deibert played seven events collecting wins in five of them including the Saskatchewan championship in Lloydminster.

Another provincial junior champion is also the OMT winner in the under-15 age group. Austin Nesbitt of Pilot Butte is the 2025 champion. The Wascana Country Club junior was busy playing eight tournaments plus the U15 Canadian Championship for the second year in a row. Nesbitt won the Saskatchewan bantam title as well as three Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) events this year.

The closest race this season was the under-19 men’s category. Ethan Hunter had an incredible year capped by a bronze medal at the Canada Summer Games. Hunter placed second at the Saskatchewan Junior Championships and won once on the MJT. He finished just 81 points ahead of Brady Guenther.

The remaining three winners are Saskatchewan champions.

The women’s OMT champion is Kim Walker of Regina. She dominated the category this summer. The Wascana Country Club player won the Saskatchewan Senior Women’s Championship plus the Saskatoon Ladies Open and the The Ladies Northern. She was second at the Regina Ladies Open.

Saskatchewan Mid-Amateur Men’s Champion Corey Bailey used a strong week at provincials in Humboldt to win the men’s OMT. His championship at the Humboldt Golf Club and second place tie in the amateur helped him hold off Mitch Matichuk of Regina, who also had a great week at the Saskatchewan championships. Bailey won by 176 points.

Rick Hallberg is the senior men’s winner. The Weyburn product also had an impressive season. Currently in Nova Scotia for the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship, the Golf Kenosee member won every event he competed in sweeping half a dozen events including provincials.

To see the full results click here.

TORONTO, Ont. — Canadian golf star Nick Taylor is no stranger to thrilling golf fans and inspiring the next generation of players. All it took was draining a historic 72-foot putt on a fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian in 69 years to win Canada’s National Open Golf Championship.

Now the five-time PGA TOUR winner and 2023 RBC Canadian Open champion is giving back to youth golf, becoming an official ambassador for First Tee – Canada and taking on a leading role alongside his wife Andie and their family in inspiring children from all backgrounds to experience the sport and its core values.

As the program’s newest ambassador, the 2024 Olympian will carry the First Tee – Canada logo on his TOUR bag in support of the national youth development program delivered by Golf Canada which has introduced nearly 200,000 youth to the sport since launching in 2021.

“Being part of First Tee – Canada is an incredible opportunity to give back to the game that has given me so much,” said Taylor, the only Canadian male golfer to have won the Canadian Junior, Amateur and National Open trifecta. “Golf has shaped my life in many ways, and I want kids across our country to experience the values of discipline, friendship, integrity and the joy of competing which they can carry into everything they do. Andie and I are humbled to be able to support First Tee – Canada through our annual charity event.”

First Tee – Canada, a program designed to make golf more accessible by providing equipment, coaching and inclusive spaces, has quickly expanded into schools, community centres and golf facilities nationwide. Many of the program’s nearly 200,000 youth participants have joined from communities that would not otherwise have the opportunity to play the sport. Along with golf instruction, participants learn about perseverance, integrity, teamwork and respect — skills that reach beyond the fairway.

With First Tee – British Columbia as one of the charitable beneficiaries of the Nick Taylor Charity Classic since 2024, Taylor strives to make the sport he loves more accessible and inclusive for youth. His support for the program has helped the BC chapter expand no-cost programming to Cultus Lake Golf Club, reaching hundreds of participants near his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C.

Fundraising for First Tee – Canada is led by the Golf Canada Foundation, and the program is proudly supported by RBC and other contributing partners.

As a member of Team RBC, Taylor’s ambassador role also builds on his involvement with the RBC Community Junior Golf initiative, launched by RBC in partnership with Golf Canada in 2022, which brings affordable and community-based golf opportunities to children across Canada.

“Golf Canada has been fortunate to know Nick and the Taylor family since he was a young teenager,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “He has excelled at every level of golf, from junior through his amateur young pro career and now being one of the top professionals on the PGA TOUR. What has been equally amazing to witness is Nick’s commitment to making an impact when he’s off the golf course. In becoming a First Tee – Canada ambassador, it further demonstrates Nick’s incredible contribution to golf, to Canada and to the youth and families whose lives he will shape and inspire.”

With the shared commitment of Taylor as a proud ambassador, Golf Canada will continue to expand the First Tee – Canada program across the country, encouraging more equity-deserving youth to discover the game, embrace its values and develop skills for life.

For more information about First Tee – Canada, visit firstteecanada.ca.

The final Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) event in Saskatchewan of 2025 has wrapped up at The Legends Golf Club in Warman.

Highlighting the sold out event with 132 players entered was 14-year-old Ryder Bourassa acing hole 17 on Sunday during round two.

Yuna Lee of Regina was the winner of the 15-19 girls age group with rounds of 86 and 82. Onion Lake golfer Ada Dillon was second in the category (177), Miranda Merriman of La Ronge was third.

In the under-15 girls division Yoyo Zhu of Saskatoon was the champion. Zhu, currently competing in Pitt Meadows, B.C. in the Canadian U15 Championships, shot rounds of 79 and 80 at the Legends winning by 12 shots over Natalie Maunula of North Battleford. Alyxa Melsted of Wynyard was third.

The overall champion on the boys’ side was Brady Guenther of Saskatoon. He won the junior (U19) age group with back-to-back rounds of 69. Griffin Blanch, also of Saskatoon was seven strokes back. Prince Albert’s Lincoln Rogers was third.

The under-17 age group champion is Kai Kriekle of Regina. The Wascana Country Club player opened with a 75 on Saturday and shot 70 on Sunday to claim the win by two shots. Humboldt junior Tryce Wallin and Swift Current player Matty Schmiess were tied for second at 147.

The under-15 boys champion is Jun Lee. The 12-year-old was five shots better than Austin Nesbitt of Pilot Butte. Lee shot 71 and 70, Nesbitt carded two rounds of 73. Both Lee and Nesbitt are also in Pitt Meadows at the bantam national event.

Rounding our the championship was the under-13 boys division. Hudson Deibert of Regina capped his impressive season with another win. The Royal Regina Golf Club star shot 76 and 72 to win the age group by seven shots. Caleb O’Brien of Melville was second (155), Corman Park’s Cohen Bridge was third.

To see the complete results click here.

Next up for the MJT is the national championship in Kissimmee, Flo. from Nov. 6-9.

Earlier this month Jackie McEwen of Regina was the first Saskatchewan competitor ever at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Masters Championships.

Golf Canada expanded the age groups a couple years ago and Golf Saskatchewan followed alongside other provinces. The first year the 25 and over age group was available was 2023, Saskatchewan had two competitors entered, in 2024 at Regina, McEwen’s first provincial event there was 10 players, this season in Humboldt seven players competed.

McEwen was the lone Saskatchewan representative at nationals in Lachute, Que. and placed tied for 42nd in the mid-am division and tied for 26th in the 40 and over age category.

The Wascana Country Club player had high praise for the national event and encourages more women to try competitive golf and grow the game.

McEwen spoke to Golf Saskatchewan about the experience and making the jump back into tournament play.

For the second year in a row Alex Schmidt is a mixed champion, but the Regina product had a new partner in the co-ed formatted event this year.

Last summer Schmidt won the event at Golf Kenosee alongside her father Wayne, this year Joergen Viken joined the Royal Regina Golf Club member and the duo won the event by a whopping 16 strokes.

Schmidt and Viken shot a 7-under par 65 on day one at North Battleford Golf and Country Club (NBGCC), during the second round Sunday they shot 5-under 67 to claim the 26th Saskatchewan Mixed Championship.

Second place was much more dramatic, a four hole playoff was needed between Elanne Krainyk and Colton McAllister and Holly Knudsen and Keaton Kelln. Krainyk and McAllister were able to earn second place thanks to a par on hole three after two attempts to break it on hole 18 at NBGCC and one try on three where they finally decided the silver medalists.

There were 32 teams in the field this year with 64 players in the alternate shot format championship.

To see the compete results click here.

It’s been nine years between championships, but Abra Thompson is a Ladies Lobstick winner again.

The Saskatoon golfer was the third seed this passed week at Waskesiu and defeated Beth Davis, Kathy Ziglo, and Kim Brown to win her second Ladies’ Lobstick and first since 2016.

The final match against Brown went to a playoff that Thompson won with a birdie on the first hole, 17 at the Waskesiu Golf Course. Brown started the match up two after the first couple holes, but Thompson bounced back even being down by three holes at one point. Brown tied the match on hole 18 to force a playoff Thompson won.

To see the complete results of the Ladies’ Lobstick click here.

Thompson spoke to Golf Saskatchewan after the win.

Ethan Hunter will be bringing home some hardware from the Canada Summer Games (CSG).

In St. John’s, Nfld., the Casa Rio, Sask. product carded rounds of 74, 75, 80, and 74 to finish third in the men’s golf championship hosted at Bally Haly Golf and Country Club, good enough to reach the podium. Hunter’s achievement is the first medal for a Saskatchewan player at the CSG since golf’s inception in 2009.

Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon placed eighth in the championship.

In the women’s event Saskatoon’s Grace Odnokon was eighth at 322 (81,86,77,78) while Tayla Perry of Regina was 15th at 351 (94,89,88,80).

In the overall team championship Saskatchewan was sixth.

To see all the results click here.

A fundraising initiative started in 2015 in the United States is coming to Saskatoon in support of Golf Canada’s Youth on Course program.

Youth on Course is an program that allows members to play participating courses for just $5. On August 28 at Silverwood Golf Course, participants will raise funds and walk 100 holes all in support of Youth on Course. Golf Canada’s National Manager of Youth on Course and Events, Nathalie Mihalek said the program helps provide youth with access to affordable golf.

“The funds raised support Youth on Course, helping to break down financial barriers by subsidizing rounds of golf for youth. All the funds raised will support Youth on Course on the prairies,” she said.

The par-3 course in Saskatoon’s northeast end will open their front nine holes for the day. Participants will play 11 rounds and then all attendees will conclude the event with the 100^th hole.

“Hikers will rally support from their network to help raise funds and donate to their challenge of playing 100 holes. This is all to support the mission of making golf more affordable and accessible.” Mihalek added.

Three golf courses in Saskatchewan currently offer Youth on Course. Valleyview Golf Club in Delisle, Deer Valley Golf Club north of Regina and Harbor Golf and RV Park in Elbow. Mihalek said the long-term benefit for clubs is juniors continuing to play into their adult years.

“For clubs, the benefit is to create positive relationships with juniors so when they age out of Youth on Course, they will continue to play the track with friends and family,” she said.

To register for the 100 Hole Hike click here.

Dade Bernatchez has been attending the Junior Lobstick at Waskesiu for eight years, now the Sucker River is a champion.

Bernatchez, 18, was the 12th seed after the qualifier earlier this week. He went on to Greyson de Padua, Braeden Kozak, Wyatt Nelson, and Bennett Scissons to win the historic championship.

He spoke Friday after the championship.

To see the complete result of the junior men’s Lobstick click here.