VANCOUVER – Due to continued travel and border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPGA Tour, together with Golf Canada and title-sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), have announced that the CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver has been postponed until 2021.

Golf Canada and CP have continued to monitor guidelines set by federal, provincial and municipal authorities intended to prevent the community spread of the virus. Physical factors including restrictions on international travel and mandatory quarantine along with limitations on group gatherings in the province of British Columbia ultimately forced the event’s postponement at Shaughnessy until 2021.

“The CP Women’s Open is a signature event for Golf in Canada and on the LPGA Tour and we share in the disappointment of our fans, players, volunteers and partners,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “The health of everyone who comes together for the event is our top priority and together with our partners at CP and the LPGA Tour, we can now look ahead to hosting an exceptional CP Women’s Open next year in the world-class city of Vancouver. I also applaud the swift and supportive response from our friends at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club as well as the Province of British Columbia and Sport Hosting Vancouver who continue to be tremendous hosts and partners in welcoming the LPGA Tour back in 2021.”

As title sponsor of the CP Women’s Open, CP is committed to raising charitable dollars in the event’s host community through the CP Has Heart campaign in support of children’s heart health. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation had previously been named primary charity partner for the 2020 CP Women’s Open and will continue on in the same capacity in 2021.

“We are disappointed we are unable to run the event in Vancouver this year as planned. There is no doubt that the 2021 CP Women’s Open will be a remarkable event both on the course and in terms of leaving a positive impact on the community,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s best golfers to Vancouver next year.”

The 2021 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

“The CP Women’s Open is truly a world-class event and a favorite stop for all of us at the LPGA Tour,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “I understand this was a tough decision for everyone involved, but given the restrictions faced, there was simply nothing else that could be done that would have enabled us to run the event in 2020. It is disappointing to miss Canada’s national championship and I know I speak for all LPGA Tour players and staff when I say we look forward to being back in Vancouver next year.”

The 2020 event was originally set for August 31-September 6. The Board of Directors and membership at Shaughnessy quickly decided to shift their focus to welcoming the stars of the LPGA Tour back next August 23-29, 2021.

“Shaughnessy understands the need to postpone this year’s event in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic – we will continue to work with our fantastic group of volunteers and partners in preparation of hosting the best players in the world in 2021,” said Brian Mossop, General Manager and C.O.O. at Shaughnessy.

The rescheduled return of the LPGA Tour will be proudly supported by both the Province of British Columbia as well as Sport Hosting Vancouver. With a global audience reach of over 500 million households across 170 international markets, both bodies are getting behind one of Canada’s signature sports entertainment properties as part of their tourism platform for 2021.

“While we share the disappointment that this year’s CP Women’s Open in Vancouver is postponed, we know this is the right thing to do to keep players, fans and communities safe,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “We look forward to welcoming the LPGA Tour next year and invite all involved to explore more of Super, Natural British Columbia after the tournament.”

“Sport Hosting Vancouver is proud to support Golf Canada through our partners at Tourism Vancouver, the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association,” said Michelle Collens, Senior Manager, Sport Hosting Vancouver. “We look forward to continuing to work with all partners over the next year to ensure the 2021 CP Women’s Open is a highlight on the calendar, including initiatives to foster sport development and support the economic and social objectives of our destination.”

The third annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit, which was scheduled to take place on September 1 as part of CP Women’s Open tournament week, will be replaced in 2020 by a digital experience focused on audience empowerment and inspiring guest speakers. Full details including a schedule and guest speakers will be released in the coming weeks. The Summit, which is a celebration of business leaders, influencers and community champions, will continue to be part of the CP Women’s Open in 2021 and beyond.

Golf Canada, CP and the LPGA Tour would like to thank golf fans across the nation in addition to the many corporate partners, ticket and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.

Corporate hospitality buyers will be contacted by their Golf Canada sales representative over the coming days to plan forward for 2021. Individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will have the opportunity to be refunded within the next 30 days or be carried over to the 2021 event. Volunteers will be contacted by Golf Canada staff and will be able to choose between deferring their volunteer registration to 2021 or receiving a refund.

Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy was the low player at this weekend’s Maple Leaf Junior Tour event in Swift Current.

Nagy, 18, shot 145 (70, 75) over 36 holes at Elmwood Golf Club to take the junior boys and overall championship. Estevan’s Chase Gedak was a shot back at 146 (76, 70) and Jayden Dudas, also out of the TS&M Woodlawn placed third with a two-round score of 148 (77, 71).

Juvenile Boys

Tommy Danielson of Saskatoon was the winner of the juvenile boy’s division posting a score of 149 (72, 77) from the same yardage (6,386) played as the junior age group.

Alex Swinnerton placed second after posting rounds of 76 and 74. Regina products Hunter Kutcher and Will Blake tied for third with scores of 151.

Bantam Boys

Darien Herlick is the bantam boy’s champion.

The 14-year-old Weyburn Golf Club player carded 150 (71, 79) from a yardage of almost 6,000 for a six-stroke victory.

Max Regier of Saskatoon was second with rounds of 72 and 84. Warman’s Dane Giesbrecht placed third carding a 162 with back-to-back 81’s.

Peewee Boys

Saskatoon’s Jack Maharaj was the low peewee boy’s golfer. The Saskatoon 11-year-old posted rounds of 85 and 90 to hold off Jackson Giesbrecht and Elias Haukeness by three strokes.

Giesbrecht (Warman) and Haukeness (Buena Vista) both shot 178’s. Jayden Chernoff of Estevan was in the hunt with a score of 180.

15 – 19 Girls

Saskatoon’s Sarah Grieve has the first MJT win in the 15 – 19 girls age group.

Grieve, 17, was two-shots better than Brooklin Fry after she shot 77, 73 at the Elmwood. The pair was tied after round one. Autumn Neiszner of Regina placed third with a two-round total of 169 (93, 76).

U-15 Girls

Yorkton’s Ella Kozak was the lone competitor in the under-15 girls age group. She carded a 158 (82, 76).

Mini Tour

The MJT Mini Tour was in action on Saturday as part of the weekend event.

Boys U8: Keaton Kreklewich – 82
Boys 9-10: Austin Nesbitt – 82
Boys 11-12: Ryan Mosher – 87
Girls 11-12: Poppy Hudye Baranesky – 100
Girls 9-10: Yuna Lee – 104

The full results can be seen here.

The next Saskatchewan MJT event is July 6 – 7 at Tor Hill Golf Course in Regina.

(All photos courtesy Jeff Chambers)

It’s the weekend junior golfers in Saskatchewan have been waiting all spring for, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) returns to the province.

Swift Current’s Elmwood Golf Club will host the two-day, 36-hole event starting Saturday. The MJT had started their 2020 season in British Columbia but was forced to halt the events due to COVID-19. Now that the provincial government has given the go-ahead for tee time events to occur the tour will resume in Swift Current.

You can find the tee times for Saturday’s round here.

Golf Saskatchewan sat down with MJT Saskatchewan Tournament Director Jeff Chambers at Elmwood about the exciting weekend and the provincial championships upcoming at the same venue in mid-July.

Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton has opened their new number eight hole and history soon followed.

Longtime member Dick DeRyk holed the first ace on the hole back on June 21. Golf Saskatchewan caught up with DeRyk and discussed the historic moment as well as his contribution to the game in his home city.

Due to COVID-19 and the cancellation of mass gatherings and shotgun start golf tournaments non-profit organizations across Saskatchewan and Canada are missing out on massive fundraising dollars.

Humboldt’s chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is no different, the group was forced to push their annual Diva for a Day Golf Tournament to 2021. General Manager of the Humboldt Golf Club (HGC), Corey Schweitzer approached avid golfer, and familiar name on the men’s Saskatchewan amateur tour, Paul Raycroft about a different event to raise funds for the mentorship-based organization.

Raycroft used to coordinate the ‘Longest Day of Golf’ in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. prior to moving to Saskatchewan for a position with the Horizon School Division. Being a teacher and guidance counsellor within the division Raycroft knows how important mentorship can be.

“There is a lot of kids out there with split families or single-parent families and that type of thing,” Raycroft told Golf Saskatchewan. “I think a lot of these situations arise and it fills a void in kids’ lives. I can’t think of anyone more than Brody Hinz (who passed away in the Humboldt Broncos’ bus crash) here who many of us taught. He was very active in the BBBS community and pretty much the perfect example of that, so I just want to do a little bit and give back and help kids.”

Raycroft, along with former HGC General Manager Cam Koskie and current HGC employees Schweitzer and Aaron Baker will play from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, June 28. Raycroft said when he ran the event in Ontario his group played at most 108 holes, the foursomes’ goal here in Humboldt is 120.

BBBS is missing out on $11,000 that the organization raised at their women’s fun day last year. Raycroft said using a sport he loves to give back is an easy thing to do.

“Obviously I love golf, it’s been a big part of my life for the last 20 years or so,” he said. “It’s four guys that know each other well and are friends that get to spend the day together and play golf selfishly speaking but at the same time the goal is to raise as much money as we can for Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

For pledges Raycroft will accept lump sum payments with donations of $20 or more earning a tax receipt. Any giver can also pledge on a per hole basis. Any donor will also be entered to win a prize pack that could include:

• A round of golf for four people with two power carts at the Humboldt Golf Club
• A round of golf for four people with two power carts at the Melfort Golf Club
• Golf lesson with Carolyn Janidlo
• Gift Basket from Tree House Treasuries
• Lucky Bastard Distilleries “Basket of Goodies”

More information on how to donate can be found here or you can contact Raycroft at 306.715.1009.

Iron play is crucial to keeping your scores low on the golf course.

Depending on the player, your irons can be the most sought club in your bag over a round. Golf Saskatchewan’s Manager of Sport and PGA of Saskatchewan Professional Steve Ryde walks golfers through the proper set up and delivery when hitting any iron.

Three golf clubs celebrating 125 years highlight a list of 55 Golf Canada member clubs that have reached significant milestones in 2020.

All clubs that are celebrating an anniversary will receive a plaque from Golf Canada. Clubs celebrating their 100th anniversary receive a commemorative scroll.

A trio of courses in Saskatchewan will celebrate monumental years in 2o20 highlighted by Fort Qu’Appelle’s Echo Ridge Golf Course. The nine-hole hillside club turns 100 this year. Estevan’s TS&M Woodlawn will mark their 75th season and Chitek Lake will honour their 50th year.

Golf Saskatchewan will have much more on the anniversary years of the three clubs. If your club is celebrating a significant season this year contact Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork at 306-521-2559 or cstork@golfsk.org.

125 years

Norfolk Golf & Country Club (Simcoe, ON)

100 years

Knowlton Golf Club (Knowlton, QC)

 75 years

Wheat City Golf Course (Brandon, MB)

50 years

March Meadows Golf Club (Honeymoon Bay, BC)

25 years

Grande Meadows Golf Club (Freshman’s Cove, NL)

It was another frustrating day on the golf course, where a round that had shown considerable early promise was derailed once again by sloppy play. But my numbers were not all bad. Despite my less than stellar score, there were some positives about that recent round at Peace Portal Golf Course in Surrey.

When I checked the step-counter on my phone, it told me that I had taken more than 13,000 steps during the round and walked about nine kilometres. (Clearly, I did not hit every shot straight down the middle).

I also climbed the equivalent of 23 floors, which is testament to Peace Portal’s hilly terrain. It is numbers like these, rather than the ones I mark on my scorecard, that have convinced me that golf is good for me.

The medical experts agree.

“Both physically and mentally, it is a wonderful sport for men and women and it definitely promotes health,” says Dr. Larry Goldenberg, a Vancouver urologist who is co-founder of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. “From a pure health point of view it’s an exercise and exercise equals longevity, it equals better mental health at all ages.

“I like to put it this way when it comes to exercise. If I said I had a pill that you had to take every day and it would decrease your risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, heart attacks, stroke, would you take that pill? Well, that pill is called exercise. There is enough literature out there, there are enough studies out there to prove that without any doubt regular exercise can promote every form of health, including decreasing the risk of dementia and slowing the progress of many neurological diseases.”

Regular golfers don’t have to be convinced about how good the game has been for them. It can certainly be frustrating on those days when the ball just won’t go where it’s supposed to, but they know that even on the bad days the game gives them back so much.

Doug Stone, a 75-year-old White Rock resident, doesn’t have many bad days on the golf course. His handicap is in the low single digits and he often shoots his age at his home course, Peace Portal, where he frustrates his fellow members who regularly must dig into their wallets following a round with Stone.

Stone is in great physical shape and he credits golf with helping him stay that way. “Golf has been an important factor in my physical and mental health,” Stone says. “I currently play three times a week at Peace Portal. Each round is in a competitive environment. I push my cart and never ride. Peace Portal has a number of short, steep hills that are perfect for increasing my cardio-vascular capacity.

“Mentally, golf demands constant focus and decision-making that can only be helpful for one’s mental health. It also provides for socialization with fellow competitors. This has proven to be a godsend during the current pandemic crisis. . .without my ridiculous obsession with golf, this 75-year-old body would not be as healthy as it is today.”

Kris Jonasson, chief executive officer of British Columbia Golf, knows from personal experience that golf has significant health benefits. “It’s not a secret I have multiple sclerosis,” Jonasson says. “I walk today because I wanted to play golf, so it has had a huge benefit to me. I also read the research on golfandhealth.org and am amazed at all the positive benefits we have the data to prove. Parkinson’s, dementia and hundreds of other health issues can be helped with a little exposure to golf. It’s not how good you are at golf, it’s how well golf improves your life.”

Jonasson says most golfers recognize the health benefits they get from playing the game. But he knows the industry still has work to do in promoting those mental and physical health benefits to others. “I think we are just starting to discuss the health benefits of golf,” he says. “Golf and Health Week was launched in 2019 and Brooke Henderson is one of the ambassadors. Ironically, Golf and Health week in 2020 was postponed because of the pandemic.”

Goldenberg, through his work with prostate cancer patients, also knows golf can play a role in recovering from a major illness. “There are a lot of men who have had prostate cancer who golf regularly,” he says. “That is the demographic I work in, the 50- to 80-year-old male and a lot of them play golf. And I think golf helps in the healing process, it helps get them outside, it helps them adapt to the new cancer world they are now in. So I think it helps people fight off depression, anxiety and stress.”

Don Griffiths can attest to that. Griffiths, a former president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada), has had a life-long love affair with the game. He played on the University of B.C. golf team back in late 1950s and early 1960s and now, at age 82, still plays three or four times a week at his home course, Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. He walks every step of the way and carries his own clubs.

Griffiths thinks golf has helped him live a long life. It also aided in his recovery from a major health issue, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago. “There was a bit of a delay after surgery until I was able get back to playing, but once I did I felt it was doing me good to get out there and play,” Griffiths says.

“I think golf was one of the things that kept me going. To me, golf is a wonderful game, not only the physical aspect of it, but the mental aspect of it. Getting out there and communicating with my golfing friends is something I really enjoy.”

Dr. Saul Isserow, director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Health at Vancouver General Hospital, says simple common sense suggests that golf, as an exercise, has profound benefits for one’s cardiovascular health. But Isserow, himself an avid player, knows the game also has immense social benefits, “One would think the benefit of social interaction are as much of a benefit as the exercise,” Isserow says.

So the fact is, golf is far from a good walk spoiled. No matter your score or skill level, just remember the game is good for you.

Golf Saskatchewan is continuing to focus on our volunteers and how many great people have given back to the game in the province.

Today we focus on Mr. Delbert Betnar who just completed a term as president of the organization.

Every now and then on a golf course you take a trip to the “‘beach” and need to play from the sand.

Golf Saskatchewan Manager of Sport Development and PGA of Saskatchewan Professional Steve Ryde provides golfers with a drill on how to improve your bunker game.