The Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship at Riverside Country Club continued Wednesday with a pair of Saskatchewan players left in the field.

Alex Swinnerton and Tommy Danielson, both members at the club continued their national championships after making the cut Tuesday for the first time in their amateur careers.

Swinnerton shot 4-over par, 76 in round three, overall through 54 holes he’s tied for 55th at 2-over par.

Danielson posted a 3-over 75 in the third round, he’s at 4-over par and tied for 65th place.

He spoke after the round.

Tyler Mahwhinney leads the championship at 12-under par.

The event will conclude Thursday afternoon. Swinnerton will tee off at 8:30 a.m. on hole 10, Danielson will also start on 10 at 9:20.

All the results and Thursday’s championship draw can be found here.

Alex Swinnerton and Tommy Danielson have surpassed their first goals at the Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship, make the cut.

Swinnerton, a Riverside Country Club member opened the championship at his home course Monday, he shot 3-under par, 69 and sat tied for 14th place. Tuesday in round two at Saskatoon Golf and Country Club he posted a 1-over par 73, to sit at 2-under par, a number he thought a safe to make the cut even with an early tee time on day two.

Swinnerton spoke about the 36 holes and making it Riverside for the final two rounds.

The nervousness was likely longer lived for Danielson on Tuesday, rather than Swinnerton.

With Danielson off the course at 1-over par around 1:30 p.m., he waited until the 7 o’clock hour to see he made the cut on the number and will join Swinnerton back at his home course for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s final rounds.

Team Saskatchewan consisting of Luke Cote (Regina), Chase Pochylko (Saskatoon), and Danny Klughart (Prince Albert) placed sixth in the Willingdon Cup (inter-provincial) Championship.

The complete results can be seen here.

Justin Miller has only been golfing a couple years, but the Saskatoon product’s athleticism has landed him a college golf commitment.

Miller, 17, will attend Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa starting in the fall.

During COVID-19, Miller said golf was the “only thing to do,” so he got a membership at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, played “about 100 rounds a year” and now has elevated to a college player.

He played in his first Golf Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Championship this summer in Yorkton, placing 40^th overall. Miller still has another year left to play the under-19 championship next year in Lloydminster, where he hopes to place higher.

Miller spoke with Golf Saskatchewan about the commitment, his start in golf, jumping to competitive golf and what his future looks like in the classroom.

The field is now set for the 2024 Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship at Riverside Country Club and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

The final qualifier was held Friday at Riverside with eight spots in the event still open, six were snatched by Saskatchewan players.

Max Regier (Saskatoon), Carter Bell (Saskatoon), Noah Kozack (Regina), Justin Kowal (Saskatoon), Will Blake (Regina), and Carter Degelman (Saskatoon) all earned a birth courtesy their play on Friday. Just Regier and Bell, both Riverside members shot in the red, Regier was 4-under par to set the pace.

Calgary’s Guillermo Salazar was also one of the qualifiers, he played junior golf at Waskesiu and is a college teammate of Alex Swinnerton, who will also be in the field beginning Aug. 5.

In total 23 Saskatchewan players will compete in the championship that runs Monday to Thursday.

Field of 264 will compete in the prestigious tournament; all ten provinces represented and one territory; Inter-Provincial Team Championship to be contested over first 36 holes

Saskatoon, Sask. – The 119th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO is set to be contested August 5-8 with a field of 264 amateur golfers competing over four rounds at both the Riverside Country Club and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon, Sask.

This year’s field features a number of top amateur golfers from around the world including, Max Kennedy of Dublin, Ireland, currently ranked no. 28 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Joining Kennedy are Wang Ngai Shen of Hong Kong, China (no. 155 WAGR), Mateo Fuenmayor of Colombia (no. 264 WAGR) as well as defending champion, Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. McCulloch (no. 135 WAGR) has enjoyed a successful season at Michigan State and competed at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open and qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open.

The following 2024 Provincial Men’s Amateur Champions will also be competing in the field: Brett Jones (Alberta), Team Canada NextGen member Cooper Humphreys (British Columbia), Braxton Kuntz (Manitoba), Team Canada NextGen member Matthew Javier (Ontario), Ryan Lamswood (Newfoundland and Labrador), Alexander Mercier (Quebec) and from the host province, Kye Fisher (Saskatchewan).

Along with Humphreys, Javier and McCulloch there will be an additional nine Team Canada members competing in Saskatoon including, Laurent Desmarchais (Bromont, Que.), Isaiah Ibit (Orleans, Ont.), Alex Long (Toronto, Ont.), Ben MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.), Jean-Philippe Parr (St-Célestin, Que.), Luke Smith (Toronto, Ont.), Hunter Thomson (Calgary, Alta.), Ethan Wilson (St. Albert, Alta.) and Eric Zhao (North York, Ont.).

“We are excited to get the 119th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship underway next week at two beautiful golf courses here in Saskatoon,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Adam Cinel. “The staff and volunteers at both Riverside Country Club and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club been working tirelessly to ensure those competing will enjoy the test both courses present. We look forward to hosting a full field of 264 players as they compete for our prestigious national championship.”

Golfers from all 10 provinces and one territory are represented in the field along with 11 additional countries: Australia, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, England, France, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, Ireland, South Africa, United States and Wales.

The first two rounds of this year’s tournament will be contested on both courses with the field playing each course once. Following the opening 36-holes of the championship, the field will be reduced to the top 70 players plus ties. Wednesday and Thursday’s rounds will both played at Riverside Country Club with an awards ceremony following Thursday’s final round.

“We are thrilled and honoured to co-host this prestigious national golf championship along with Riverside Country Club. It has been a great partnership as we work together with Golf Canada to make this a memorable experience for the players, spectators and volunteers,” said Warren Proctor, Host Club Committee Chair, Saskatoon Golf and Country Club. “We have had an unbelievable positive response from our membership in support of hosting this championship. I must also recognize our Club management, including course superintendent Terry McNeilly who, along with his staff have been working tirelessly to get our golf course in wonderful condition to be challenging and a fair test for the players.”

Prior to the start of the tournament, there will be a final qualifier on Friday at Riverside Country Club where a field of 46 players will be competing for the final nine spots in the tournament.

“Riverside Country Club has a long history of hosting prestigious golf events, and we look forward to welcoming some of the top tier national and international players for the 119th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship,” said Robert Klombies, Executive Director, Riverside Country Club. “It is heartening to see the level of excitement and engagement that our members and golf community exhibit to ensure players enjoy an incredible experience both at Riverside and within the City of Saskatoon.”

Established in 1895, the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is the third oldest amateur championship in the world. The tournament was first contested as one of the newly formed Royal Canadian Golf Association’s (RCGA), now known as Golf Canada, first orders of business in 1895 at the Ottawa Golf Club.

The national championship originally began as a match play competition but changed to stroke play for the 1969 championship. It remained that way through 1994 when it reverted to match play in honour of the RCGA’s and the championship’s centennial in 1995. The championship once again reverted to stroke play in 2008 and in 2010, the tournament changed to a double field format for the first time ever.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George S. Lyon won the Amateur eight times between 1898 and 1914 and was runner-up two more times. Fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Sandy Somerville made it to the match play final ten times between 1924 and 1938, capturing six championships. Other past champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Famers and four-time winners, Nick Weslock (1957, 1963, 1964, 1966) and Doug Roxburgh (1972, 1974, 1982, 1988). Most recently, two-time PGA TOUR winner and two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion, Mackenzie Hughes (2011, 2012) and 2023 RBC Canadian Open and four-time PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor (2007). The last time the Canadian Men’s Amateur was held in the city of Saskatoon was in 2007 at Riverside Country Club, when Taylor won.

Nick Taylor is the only Canadian male golfer to have won the Canadian Junior Boys (2006), Canadian Men’s Amateur (2007) and RBC Canadian Open (2023) titles. Brooke Henderson is the only Canadian female golfer to win the national championship trifecta, having won the Canadian Junior Girls (2012), Canadian Women’s Amateur (2013) and the CPKC Women’s Open (2018).

The national championship will also feature an Inter-Provincial Team Championship that will take place over the first 36-holes of the tournament. Team Ontario will be defending their title as 10 provinces and one territory will be vying to etch their names into the Willingdon Cup.

The 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion receives an exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. and the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship taking place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. from August 12-18. The winner will also receive an exemption from local qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championship. In addition, the winner will receive $1,200 CAD.

For the full player field competing in the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour concluded a busy July on the Saskatchewan Junior Order of Merit Tours (OMT) at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club this week.

Grace Odnokon was the under-15 women’s winner, and overall champion with a 36-hole score of 146.

Miranda Merriman (La Ronge) and Kaden Meyer of Swift Current were second and third.

In the 15-19 year-old category, Tayla Perry of Regina was six shots lower than Ino Li of Saskatoon. Perry shot 84 and 80, Li went back-to-back 85.

Tying for third place at 170 was Claire Kosofski of Kindersley and White Rock, B.C. golfer Poppy Hudye.

In the under-13 men’s division, Keaton Kreklewich of Melville was the top player of the four in the age group. The 12-year-old shot 80 and 74.

The under-15 men’s age group had 35 players in the field. Shae Maunula of North Battleford outlasted them all including three young shooters all within three shots.

Maunula posted a 146 (70-76), edging Matty Schmiess of Swift Current by one shot, Brandon’s Hunter Oakden by another stroke, and Cohen Hepburn found himself in fourth at 149.

Saskatoon’s Hudson Diederichs rounded out the top five at 152 (75-77).

Brady Guenther of Saskatoon is the junior men’s overall champion and under-17 winner with a two-day score of 144. An opening day score of 69 helped the 16-year-old hold off Aricin Franklin by a shot.

Lincoln Rogers of Prince Albert was third in the under-17 age group, that was Dane Giesbrecht’s score, the Warman product was the under-19 champion after rounds of 73 and 74 at Moon Lake.

Hudson Heistad of Avonlea and Makstyr McIntyre of Swift Current were second and third in the under-19 category.

The full results can be found here. Next on the MJT schedule in Saskatchewan is in Elk Ridge on Aug. 10 and 11.

*Images courtesy Jeff Chambers

Team Saskatchewan consisting of Alex Schmidt, Lauren Fox, and Chloe Wills will return from the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship with a sixth place inter-provincial finish and memories of Royal Colwood Golf Club.

The trio showed well in Victoria, B.C. this week, but none of the three competitors made the cut at the event that started on Tuesday.

Ontario took the Team Championship.

Regina’s Schmidt was the top local shooting 79 and 80 in rounds one and two, the Royal Regina Golf Club member was six shots behind the cut line of 9-over par.

Wills was competing in her second straight national event after playing in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Vancouver, the Kyle product shot 88 and 79.

Fox, who resides in Creighton carded an 82 and an 88 at the championship that continues to Friday.

To see the complete results, click here.

The annual Saskatchewan Women’s Rosebowl (4-Ball) Championship will be held at Harbor Golf and RV Park in August with eligibility being expanded for competitor’s World Handicap System (WHS) Index.

In the years past of the over half-century old event, a players’ WHS had to be no lower than 16.5 and as a team the WHS couldn’t be higher than 72.4. To hopefully expand the field and get more women competing in the event, Golf Saskatchewan lowered the WHS requirements to 15 index for one player.

For all the details of the event, see below.

INFORMATION:

• On this link you will find the Women’s 4-Ball or Rosebowl Championship link
  • Competitions – Golf Saskatchewan
• Direct link to the Women’s Rosebowl
  • 2024 Saskatchewan Women’s Rosebowl Event :: How do I register? (golfgenius.com)
• Accommodations:
  • Sarah’s Cover Condo rentals
  • Lakeview Lodge – 10-15 units
  • Sunset Suites and RV – 10-15 units
  • Take a look at this link to see accommodations near Harbor Golf Course. https://www.harborgolfclub.com/our-community
    • (Note all the telephone numbers are listed on the link)
• Eligibility:
  • All players must be a member of Golf Canada or other recognized Golf Union.
  • The Women’s Rosebowl Championship is open to amateur females and individuals identifying as transgender and/or non-binary. 
  • The minimum combined team handicap factor shall be 30.0 and the maximum team handicap factor shall not exceed 72.4.
  • No individual player’s handicap factor may be lower than 15.0. If a player’s handicap factor changes downward before registration date, an alternate golfer with a handicap factor of 18.1 or over, must be substituted or the team may be disqualified. 
  • All competitors must present a valid 2024 Golf Canada/Golf Saskatchewan membership card (or other recognized golf association/union) and a verification of Handicap Index to the Golf Saskatchewan Tournament Committee at the registration desk prior to the start of play in the tournament.  Failure to do so may result in disqualification. **Includes the Golf Canada App.
  • Handicap factor must be updated within 15 days of the championship, signed and verified by the handicap chair, and must include a scoring record with a minimum of 5 round of 18 hole games.
• Format
  • 36 Holes Net Stroke Play 2 Ball – Better Ball.
• Cart
  • Competitors are required to make their own cart arrangements with the golf course.
  • Not included in the price of registration
• Cost
  • $388.50 (Taxes included)

To register for the 2024 Rosebowl, click here.

Progress is continuing for the group(s) behind a new golf course in Saskatchewan’s northwest.

Last summer, a group of northwest Saskatchewan area First Nations signed a memorandum of understanding to further investigate the construction of an 18-hole golf course just south of Ile-a-la Crosse on Highway 155.

More plans and early development has continued, and in June the stakeholders held a meeting discussing the updates and plans.

Golf Saskatchewan was there and spoke with Chief Executive Officer of the Sakitawak Development Corporation Tyler Morin and Course Designer Graham Cooke at Dakota Dunes Golf Links, fittingly a course constructed by Cooke and his illustrious team.

Golf Canada staff have arrived in Saskatoon and preparation for the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship hosted by Riverside Country Club and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club is in it’s final stages.

Golfers from nine countries, plus 15 Saskatchewan players will make up the 264 player field with potential for more following the qualifier on Friday, Aug. 2.

Golf Saskatchewan sat down with Host Committee Chair Craig Sled back in late May to talk about the event returning to Riverside and SGCC for the first time since 2007 when Nick Taylor won as a then 19-year-old. Sled speaks about the need for volunteers, but following the initial push in late May, the need was quickly filled. He discusses other aspects of hosting the event and how excited the clubs are to welcome 256 of the best amateur players in the world.