Saskatoon’s Anna Young has concluded her professional debut tournament overseas.

The 25-year-old five-time Saskatchewan Amateur Women’s champion competed in the Taiwan Women’s Golf Open in Kaohsiung City. Young shot an opening round of plus-9, 81. She followed her opening round with an 11-over, 83 in the second round.

Young didn’t make the cut in the championship.

Mi Jeong Jeon won the event at minus 12. The tournament was a stop on the LPGA of Taiwan.

Saskatoon’s Anna Young is experiencing a professional tour event on the far side of the globe this week.

Young, 25, is in the field at the Taiwan Women’s Golf Open in Kaohsiung City. After round one, the five-time Saskatchewan amateur women’s champion is 13 shots back of the leader. Young fired a trio of bogeys in both the front and back nine to cap round one with a plus-9, 81. Young birdied the par-4 14th hole, she parred the rest of the course. Pei-Ying Tsai is the leader at minus-4.

Round two will take place on Friday.

Young has two professional victories on her resume on North American soil and also competed in the the CP Women’s Open in Regina this past summer with a sponsor quota spot.

Harbor Golf Club & Resort professional Mark Patterson enjoyed his first year as the president of the PGA of Canada.

Sharing his time between Harbor and the association since May, the Elbow, Saskatchewan resident is happy with his work since he was nominated at the President of the PGA of Canada in May. Patterson said the Harbor staff has been very supportive of his role at a national level.

“It’s very exciting but at the time it’s very time consuming,” Patterson explained. “There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not answering an email or a phone call or setting up a meeting anywhere from discipline to a board meeting. It’s easy to get away but in the back of your mind that you can hardly wait to get back to the normal grind.”

Patterson’s position allowed him to travel and take in some memorable events including the British Open and the Ryder Cup. Cross country trips became routine over the year whether it was for meetings or events. Patterson said when he did frequent other centres Elbow and Harbor were well advertised.

“Our facility, our owners, the people that work there, they are all very supportive and I feel they are with me all the way. Whether I’m in Saskatoon or Scotland, it’s the same pride,” he said.

Patterson lived a year in Germany and received a year of education. He said while in Europe he was able to go back to the house he lived in and met people from his past in the country. The Ryder Cup was in Paris allowing him and his wife a chance to visit the France city.

Travel wasn’t the entire focus for the position, Patterson said he’s proud of what the national PGA accomplished. Membership fees dropped for the first time in history and they launched a new mobile membership card for smart phones. Patterson said the organization is working on getting more professionals on golf courses that potentially don’t have the membership or the means to do so.

“We’re trying to match a facility that doesn’t have a PGA professional and match them with a pro. We will ask them what they are looking for and the club will give us a list of things and we say okay; here’s a guy or a lady that has those qualifications. We will help them understand the benefit of a professional being there and help them with job posting strategies as well,” he said.

The PGA of Canada launched a new website in 2018 and had 9,000 people take part in over 170 tournaments across the nation leading up to the national RBC Scramble that took place in Nova Scotia in October. The involvement increased by 60 percent from 2017. He said the PGA is also collaborating with the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Canadian Golf Course Superintendents Association on a combined industry tradeshow. Patterson said the conjoining of the groups for one show can make all the organizations stronger and save money working in agreement.

Another highlight for Patterson was providing the news to Swift Current professional Jeff Chambers that he was the 2018 PGA of Canada Coach of the Year winner. He said the Elmwood Golf Club professional is a worthy recipient.

“He does wonders for our association, he does wonders for kids golf, any golf, it’s his passion. For him to win this award, we have many great people, but Jeff is one of those people and I look forward to shaking his hand again in Orlando,” Patterson said.

Looking ahead to the 2019 year, the last of Patterson’s two-year term he said he has a few goals in mind. Sustaining the membership level is important to him. He said their members aren’t staying long enough. To combat that Patterson said the PGA is working to increase their “entry level memberships.” Keeping the members over three years is tricky he said, his idea is to potentially allow the first two years free and pushing off the current playability test as well. Patterson said a stroke or two on the golf course shouldn’t disallow a potentially strong member to be left out. Overall Patterson said he wants to leave a positive mark on the organization.

“I’d like to leave the Association healthy, increase the membership and the RBC Scramble as a highlight of the year as it is now, those things aren’t out of reach,” he said.

Patterson added one more highlight is coming this year, as part of his duties he will be attending the Masters in Augusta, Georgia which he is excited to take in.

Gold Saskatchewan is returning to the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club. In December it was announced the club will host the Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships for the first time since 2001. The club played host to the Men’s Senior Championship in 2013.

General Manager McLaren Taylor said the championships will continue the momentum in 2019 as the course comes off a successful season last year.

“It wasn’t a great fall, it certainly wasn’t a great September, we saw some losses there against the previous year but when we finished the 2018 season it was better than the year before. That’s always a good thing in the golf business,” Taylor told Golf Saskatchewan.

With five years separating the last Golf Saskatchewan event at the course that was developed in 1931 and redesigned in 2009, the provincial governing body decided the time was right to bring the largest championship back. Taylor said the club was approached by Golf Saskatchewan and was happy with the partnership.

“They reached out to us and we we’re happy to take a look at it. It fits in our schedule and I think its time the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club hosts another event,” he said.

The mid-amateur tournament has never been held at the course, the championship used to be played separately from the amateur event, the two are now adjacent to each other. Lindsay Bernakevitch won his second of four straight amateurs that season. Many of the province’s top non-professional players are members at the club. Taylor said the course is a perfect fit for Saskatchewan’s most competitive field.

“The club has a long history of competitive golf,” he said. “Certainly, with the Reliance Gregg’s Central Amateur on annually at the club over the July long weekend it’s always a competitive event. It will be on again this year as a lead up so that will be a great one-two in July.”

Kade Johnson will come into the event as the defending amateur champion, Mike Herperger is the reigning mid-am title holder. Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member and 2018 Order of Merit winner David Stewart placed third and second respectively last year at the Dakota Dunes Golf Links. Taylor said the entire field will enjoy a fantastic 54-hole event while vying for a spot on Saskatchewan’s teams.

“I think the players will enjoy the course, it’s been in great shape the last few years and we don’t expect anything different next year. It’s always been a great competition golf course and after a round there is nothing better than the deck at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club,” Taylor said.

Registration for the championships that will run from July 16 to 18 will be open in April.

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that amateur and professional golf standout, Rod Spittle, as well as celebrated collegiate golf coach Herb Page have been selected for 2019 induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Spittle, 63, from Niagara Falls, Ont., will be inducted in the player category, while the 67-year-old Page, who is a native of Markham, Ont., will be inducted as a builder for his accomplishments as a collegiate golf coach with the NCAA Division I Kent State Golden Flashes. With their inductions, the pair become the 82^nd and 83^rd honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame strives to recognize the outstanding achievements of golf’s greatest players and supporters and it’s an absolute privilege to welcome Rod Spittle and Herb Page as our newest honoured members,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “Rod was an accomplished player at the amateur level and later as a professional, while Herb has made a significant impact in the lives of countless student-athletes through his long tenure with Kent State’s golf program. I know I speak on behalf of the entire selection committee as well as the honoured members when I say they are both very deserved of their appointments.”

“I am humbled and thrilled beyond words to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame,” said Spittle. “It is an honour to be recognized and included in this group of golf ambassadors and elite players,  The induction will be even more special for me since the ceremony will be hosted at Hamilton Golf Club, where my dad caddied as a youngster and where I won my first Canadian Amateur in 1977.”

 

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With his induction, Page becomes the 25^th person inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame’s builder category and the first-ever coach.

“It’s been an honour and a pleasure to have the opportunity to help so many young student-athletes grow both on and off the course,” said Page from his home in Ohio. “It’s always great to be recognized for your hard work and this nomination is extra special, but the real gratification comes from seeing players mature into outstanding people.”

Spittle and Page officially join the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony that will take place Tuesday, June 4^th, 2019 during RBC Hall of Fame Day as part of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open on the grounds of Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Click here to listen to the media teleconference announcement.

Rod Spittle

Born July 18, 1955 in St. Catharines, Ont., Rod Spittle had a successful amateur career, finishing runner-up at the 1973 Canadian Junior and winning the 1977 and 1978 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships while playing Division I golf at Ohio State.  Provincially he also helped Ontario win back to back Willingdon Cups (1977-78). During his collegiate golf career, Spittle helped the Buckeyes win the BIG Ten Championship three consecutive years (1976-1978) alongside teammates John Cook and Joey Sindelar, who both went on to enjoy successful professional golf careers that included PGA TOUR victories.

After graduating in 1978 with a degree in Business Administration, Spittle opted to focus on supporting his family by selling insurance for 25 years and continuing his passion for the game in amateur golf. He won a pair of Columbus (Ohio) District Amateur Championships (1989 and 1987) and three Columbus (Ohio) District Mid-Amateur titles (1994, 1995 and 1997). He went on to claim the Ohio Mid-Am Championship three times (2000, 2001 and 2003) prior to turning professional in 2004, shortly before turning 50.

Spittle and his wife, Ann, left their regular jobs behind and made a 5-year plan to fulfill the dream of playing professional golf. In 2009, four years into that plan, Spittle’s goal of being a full-time Tour professional took a severe hit after he failed to secure PGA TOUR Champions status and did not play in a single event.

In 2010, the final year of the five-year plan, Spittle was forced to Monday qualify into events. Playing with limited status, Spittle got into only five events the entire 2010 season. He Monday qualified into the final event of the year, the AT&T Championship, and in a storybook ending, he played stellar golf all week and beat Jeff Sluman in a playoff for his first-ever professional title. Just like that, his dream of playing professional golf, nearly dead and gone, gained new life with a full exemption for 2011 as a PGA TOUR Champions winner.

In 195 starts over his 13-year PGA TOUR Champions career, Spittle missed just five cuts and earned more than $4M in prize money. He never missed more than one cut in any year, and played nine full seasons without missing a single cut. He had a pair of runner-up finishes, a pair of third-place finishes and had 23 top-10s. He played his final PGA TOUR Champions event on home soil, finishing T17 at the 2018 Shaw Charity Classic.

On a personal level, he and his wife Ann have three children (Leslie, Steve and John) and seven grandchildren. The Spittle’s proudly support Special Olympics initiatives in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Spittle was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.

Herb Page

Born March 16, 1951 in Markham, Ont., Herb Page has been a fixture on the Kent State University campus since arriving as an undergraduate three-sport student-athlete (golf, football and hockey) in 1970. Nearly 50 years later, now the university’s director of golf, Page has grown to become one of the most respected golf coaches in the world.

For more than 40 years, Page has been an untiring coach to his players and a terrific ambassador for the game of golf. Even after decades of significant accomplishments under his direction, the Kent State Golden Flashes golf program continues to reach new heights. He has built an empire in the Mid-American Conference with a legacy that seems to grow stronger with each passing year. He has led the Golden Flashes to 23 Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles and 28 NCAA Regional appearances – advancing to the NCAA Championship 18 times during that span. Kent State won three NCAA Regional titles (1993, 2001 and 2010) and earned top-10 National finishes in 2000 (9^th), 2008 (6^th), 2012 (5^th)  and 2018 (10^th). Page has garnered 24 MAC Coach of the Year awards (1983-1984, 1990-1996, 1998-2001, 2003, 2005-2006, 2009-2010, 2012-2014, 2016-2018) during his distinguished career.

Herb Page & Corey Conners

He helped to develop countless golfers who have gone on to enjoy successful professional golf careers and opened a pathway for numerous Canadians to pursue NCAA post-secondary golf. Canuck alums who have been coached and recruited by Page include David Morland IV (1987–1991), Bryan DeCorso (1991–1995), Ryan Yip (2002–2006), Mackenzie Hughes (2008–2012), Corey Conners (2010-2014), Taylor Pendrith (2010-2014) and Jon Mills (1998–2002), who now serves as Page’s assistant coach with Kent State. Other notables among the nearly 30 Canadians from B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec or New Brunswick to play at Kent State include  Brian Tisdelle, Paul DeCorso, Ron Reycraft, Chuck Crawford, Spencer Dobbs, Josh Whalen, Billy Walsh, Danny Sahl, Mark Bourgeois J.P. Paiement and Dustin Risdon as well as current player Johnny Travale and Chris Vandette who has committed to the school starting next year.

Page, who coached two PGA TOUR winners, also mentored Kent State graduate Ben Curtis, who claimed the 2003 Open Championship as well as a runner-up finish at the 2008 PGA Championship, before retiring from competitive golf to open his own golf academy.

He also played an instrumental role in the 1997 launch of the women’s golf program at Kent State, opening a post-secondary for path for Canadian women from B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec including Jennifer Ha, Kira Miexner, Josee Doyon, Taylor Kim and Kirby Dreher as well as Veronique Drouin who is Women’s Head Coach at Oklahoma and Jan Dowling who is Women’s Head Coach at Michigan.

Among his many career honours and achievements, Page has been inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame (2003), Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame (2005), Northern Ohio Golf Association Hall of Fame (2012) and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame (2012). He is a past winner of the Golf Coaches of America Labron Harris Award (2008) and was selected to coach the International team at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup.

Page and his wife, Dr. Paula Treckel, reside in Kent, Ohio.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) has announced their 2019 national schedule that includes six events in Saskatchewan.

The MJT is open to golfers, both female and male up to the age of 23 with tournaments broken up into age categories and yardage distances according to birth years. The half dozen stops in the province will not only count for MJT tour points which can lead to an invite to the National Championship but Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit (OOM) points are also tabulated based on results.

The first Saskatchewan event is the IMG Junior Worlds Qualifier at the Woodlawn Golf Club in Estevan, the 36-hole tournament is May 4 and 5. On May 19 and 20 Swift Current’s Elmwood Golf and Country Club will host the US Kids Golf World Qualifier event. Swift Current will also be the site of another MJT event on June 22 and 23, the OOM sanctioned tournament will be at the Chinook Golf Course.

The MJT will shift their focus to Saskatoon in late June and July; an OOM tournament will be held at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club on June 29 and 30. Dakota Dunes Golf Links will host the MJT/PGA of Saskatchewan Junior Championship on July 22 and 23.

Capping the Saskatchewan based schedule is the MJT Golf Saskatchewan OOM Championship at The Legends Golf Club in Warman. The two round championship takes place on Aug. 24 and 25.

Other highlights among the schedule are the MJT Mini Tour National Championship in Tsawwassen, British Columbia and the MJT National Championship in Kissimmee, Florida in November.

All the Saskatchewan based tournaments are $139 to enter. For more information on the schedule and the MJT, click here.

Swift Current’s Jeff Chambers received some “surreal” news to cap the 2018 year from the PGA of Canada last month.

While taking part in the PGA of Canada Head Pro Championship in Arizona, Chambers, 43, was told the news he was the PGA of Canada coach of the year from Canadian PGA president Mark Patterson. Chambers said hearing of the honour from another Saskatchewan pro was a great touch.

“That made it a little more special too,” he said. “It was pretty nice. It was a big shocker for sure, definitely a little surprised.”

The award comes after Chambers picked up three other honours during the PGA of Saskatchewan awards ceremony in November. He’s the head professional at the Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current but has turned his focus most recently to developing junior golf through his academy. Chambers said having his efforts recognized both provincially and nationally means so much.

“I see the demand and I see the difference in the players that come through, it’s kind of fun to take more of a coaching role in the province. It’s paying off and changing the way I do my business and run a business,” he said.

Chambers said he received several messages following the announcement including a congratulatory note from Garrett McMillan, an “up and coming coach” according to Chambers. He said bringing the coach of the year award to Saskatchewan was a team effort and something he wants to share with the entire group of professionals and coaches.

“Every award I’ve got, I’ve said just push hard, go out, do this and great things can come out of Saskatchewan,” Chambers said. “There is always a feeling the only things happen in B.C. or Ontario just because of size, I’ve always said Saskatchewan is on the map and we can do great things.”

The national PGA organization has handed the award out since 2010. The criteria to be eligible is intensive and much of the training Chambers has received occurs at the PGA Orlando show where he will receive the award later this month. He said he’s not done learning and will take part in more education opportunities while he’s in Florida.

“I’m very fortunate because over my years I’ve gotten to meet the best in the world, work with them and actually become friends with many of them. It’s nice to have that network because when I have issues, or I can’t figure out something there is always someone to call. I’m looking forward to being that guy to so many in our province,” he said.

This year’s gala in Orlando will be the eighth time the coach of the year will be recognized. The awards are chosen by an anonymous group of three people with no connection to all the winners. Managing Director of Membership and Support Services Darcy Kral said they don’t take the award lightly and Chambers is a worthy recipient.

“It’s certainly different to win, you are going against qualified people. The nominees are going up against prominent people,” Kral said.

Previous winners in recent years include Alberta’s Paul Horton, Team Canada Men’s National Coach Derek Ingram and Golf Canada’s Tristan Mullally.

In a span of just under a couple weeks this past summer Saskatoon’s Taylor Afseth went on an unimaginable run on the course.

Whether it was acing a par three during the men’s amateur at Dakota Dunes Golf Links or holing out on the course with a buddy, Afseth miraculously hit three separate hole in ones over a 12-day span.

We caught up with the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member and heard all about the feat leading to to our most popular story of 2018.

The 2018 Saskatchewan Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships didn’t start great for Yorkton’s Kade Johnson or Humboldt’s Mike Herperger but the end results were what mattered.

Johnson shot an opening round of 75 during day one of the event at the Dakota Dunes Golf Links before shooting back-to-back rounds of 66 on route to the men’s amateur title.

Herperger also shot 66 in the final round to climb all the way to second overall and the mid-am title on the final day. A win he dedicated to his hometown of Humboldt and Marilyn Hay, the mother of Tyler Bieber and a longtime family friend. Bieber passed away in the Broncos’ bus crash in April.

Johnson’s torrid run and Herperger’s emotional day is our second most popular story of the season.

Golf’s new Rules have been published by the The R&A and USGA in partnership with Golf Canada ahead of their effective date on Jan. 1, 2019.

For the first time, a new Player’s Edition of the Rules of Golf is being introduced to provide a shorter, more user-friendly version of the Rules for golfers at all levels of the game. This version, which will serve as the primary publication for all golfers, features:

• A more intuitive organization with 10 simplified topical groupings
• A “Purpose of the Rule” description at the top of each Rule, to better define why the Rule exists
• Easy-to-follow, full-colour diagrams and charts to aid in understanding
• A simpler, more direct writing style

The Player’s Edition is being launched alongside the modernized full Rules of Golf book, which includes some of the most significant changes made to the Rules in more than 60 years.

Adam Helmer, director of Rules, competitions and amateur status at Golf Canada said, “We are embarking on one of the most significant changes to the Rules of golf in the history of our sport. Today marks the start of the education process to communicate the modernized Rules with additional resources and publications available to all golfers, member facilities and referees in Canada and worldwide.”

Thomas Pagel, senior managing director, Governance for the USGA, said, “From the project’s inception, our one goal was to make the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers. It sets a new standard in the way we write and interpret the Rules and is central to our efforts to ensure a healthy future for golf. We look forward to continuing that process in the years to come.”

David Rickman, executive director – Governance at The R&A, said, “We are delighted to be rolling out the modernized Rules of Golf today. This is the biggest set of changes to the Rules in a generation and a major step forward in our efforts to make the Rules, and the sport itself, more accessible and more in tune with the way the modern sport is played.”

A new Official Guide to the Rules of Golf is also available in digital format and official apps today, with a printed version to be released in November. Designed for golf administrators and club officials, the Guide features Interpretations on specific Rules (which replace the current Decisions) and includes the first jointly-produced Committee Procedures document, providing practical guidance to Committees for running competitions and overseeing general play.

Another key feature is the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities. This document is released alongside the Rules of Golf and enables players with disabilities to play fairly with other players with the same or different types of disability and, importantly, with those without disabilities. The Modified Rules were developed in close consultation with the community of players with disabilities and disability organizations.

All of the new books are available in digital formats online and a range of explanatory videos and resources is available on and websites to enable all golfers to learn about the 2019 Rules.

Extensive educational programs are being conducted around the world, with the assistance of national and regional associations, to ensure that golfers and administrators throughout amateur and professional golf are ready for the new Rules when they take effect on Jan. 1.

The process to modernize the Rules began in 2012 with the aim of making the Rules easier to understand and apply for all golfers and to help make golf more appealing and accessible for newcomers.

Some of the key changes in the new Rules include new procedures for dropping the ball when taking relief, the elimination or reduction of several penalties, relaxed putting green and bunker rules, and rules that encourage improved pace of play.

Golfers are reminded that the current Rules of Golf remain in effect for the remainder of 2018. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of the review process.

As an extension of its support of the Rules of Golf worldwide, Rolex has made a commitment to support The R&A and the USGA’s efforts to modernize golf’s Rules. The Swiss watchmaker’s contribution to excellence in golf is based on a rich heritage stretching back more than 50 years, forged through pivotal partnerships at every level of the sport, from the leading professional and amateur competitions and organizations to players at the pinnacle of their sport worldwide.

Click here to learn more about the Rules of golf.