Regina’s Will Blake had a tremendous season on the course taking the under-15 Order of Merit (OMT) championship as well as the bantam division title at the Saskatchewan Junior Boy’s Championship back in July.

The Royal Regina Golf Club member’s season is the ninth top story of 2018. You can see it here.

On route to the women’s Order of Merit (OMT) championship this year, Saskatoon’s Kim Brown won her second straight Lobstick in Waskesiu.

Our coverage of Brown’s victory was the 10th most read story of 2018 on our website.

Click here to read more on her victory.

A man from Virden, Manitoba who attended the CP Women’s Open in Regina along with his wife and his employer is receiving an extra special Christmas gift this year.

Doug and Michele Wright have won the 50/50 daw worth $28,117.50 after their winning ticket was drawn on Aug. 26, the final day of the championship at the Wascana Golf and Country Club. Tracking down the winner took some time but Golf Saskatchewan, who will benefit from the other half of the jackpot has finalized all the details to get the funds to the Wright family. Doug said he’s still in shock from receiving the phone call.

“It’s amazing, of course I mentioned it to my kids and they pretty much have it spent,” he laughed. “I said you aren’t spending any of it until I actually see it and know it’s for sure.”

The Wright’s attended the event from Manitoba with Doug’s company who had a VIP section next to the 18^th green. He said attending a professional golf event was something him and his wife of 32 years had always wanted to do. The couple, both avid golfers in Virden were both impressed with the event even without the win fall.

“We didn’t realize how much we’d enjoy it,” he said. “We’ve never been to anything like this, but it was very well organized. It was nice to see Brooke Henderson win it all too.”

Wright purchased his 50/50 ticket while walking the course and venturing away from the corporate tents along the final hole. The long-time golfer said he was impressed by the talent of the field in Saskatchewan’s capital.

“I’ve been golfing for a long time and I’m a bogey golfer at best but, it’s so routine for the LPGA players. They hit their drives, never in trouble, then they hit their second shot and I’m doing a cart wheel if I hit the green, but these ladies expect to be within 10 to 15 feet of the pin,” Wright said.

The 50/50 jackpot was a cherry on top of the experience the Wright’s took in. The tricky part now is deciding what to with the winnings. Doug said their three kids and four grandchildren have a few ideas.

“The kids were thinking we could go on a family vacation, so it might go to that or it might just be me and Michele going south and doing some golfing. I’m sure they will accept anything we graciously hand out so we will see what happens,” he said.

Golf Saskatchewan is benefitting, more importantly, junior golf in the province will see half the funds directed their way. Wright said that makes the ticket purchase a win-win proposition.

“I am so glad I bought it, I’m a golfer and I’m glad this will help with the junior programs. Keep up the good work because this was a great event,” he said.

This season was a “challenging” year for the Royal Regina Golf Club (RRGC) but there was some highlights and a historic tournament will write another chapter for the province’s oldest course next summer.

RRGC General Manager Dean Brown said, like most courses in the southern half of the province the past season was plagued with poor weather and tough conditions. Brown said with the Royal Regina being a private member club the green fees were there, but other departments of the club were hit hard.

“We aren’t quite at risk like a daily fee club because there are prepaid memberships so from that standpoint that revenue is fixed, and you are okay that way. The daily sales, the food and beverage sales, all that stuff you count on, that takes a hit when you drop 4,000 to 5,000 rounds because of weather. It’s such a short season, you don’t get it back in the fall,” Brown said.

In late September the RRGC hosted the eighth Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame induction gala. Brown and Royal Regina member Kirk McGregor were members of the induction class. Brown said the induction was a memorable night for them and the club.

“For me it was, I know Kirk had his hip replaced and didn’t play much golf this year but for both of us that was a great honour and a lot of fun. I think for both of us it was the highlight of the year for sure,” he said.

The club is turning their focus to 2019 and has locked down hosting a monumental event for Golf Saskatchewan. The 100^th Senior Men’s and Mid-Master’s Championship will be played at the course along with the 56 Saskatchewan Senior Women’s Championship. The course hosted the 100^th Amateur Men’s Championship as well. Brown said the RRGC is honoured to welcome the province’s top senior players.

“Our golf course is a good fit for that with our demographic,” he said. “Getting it in it’s 100^th anniversary and being the oldest club in the province is a cool thing, it seemed like a good match so we’re excited to get it.”

The announcement that the Royal Regina was hosting the event was made during this past season’s senior tournament at Golf Kenosee. The participants playing that event were buzzing following the news. Brown said that’s great to hear players are excited for the historic championship.

“We’ve heard it from a lot of our members too that say they are going to play that haven’t in the past. I’m excited for it, it should be a fun week,” he said.

The course layout will play well for both the men and women according to Brown. He said the RRGC amenities will be well received by the players as well.

“We have one of the best chefs in the city here, they will get treated to a dinner or two and some breakfasts, it will be a good event. The golf course will be a challenge for the players. The women will get the shorter tee, but they still have the same amount of trouble. The weather will dictate how thick the rough and that can be a little more of a challenge for the ladies,” he said.

The provincial championships will run from Aug. 6 – 8. Registration will be open in April.

National spots will be on the line in both championships, the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship will take place in Osoyoos, British Columbia. The Canadian Men’s Senior Championship will be held at Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough. Ontario.

Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que. and Maddie Szeryk, a London, Ont., resident, have been recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2018 as Golf Canada announced the final standings for its National Orders of Merit.

The 2018 season marks the fourth straight year that Maddie Szeryk has finished atop the women’s National Order of Merit. The 22-year-old recorded back-to-back collegiate victories this season for the Texas A&M Aggies at the Bruzzy Challenge and Dale McNamara Invitational. The wins were part of a season which saw Szeryk collect 11 top- 10 NCAA finishes. She concluded her season with a runner-up performance at the prestigious Women’s Porter Cup. Szeryk recently turned professional and will compete on the Symetra Tour in 2019.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee finished second on the National Order of Merit. In 2018, the 21-year-old standout posted two collegiate victories for Ohio State while adding four other top 10 results for the Buckeyes. Lee, who recently turned professional, made noise with a semi-finalist appearance at the Ladies British Amateur and quarter-finalist showing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Lee also had success in the pro ranks, placing in a tie for 35th at the LPGA’s Meijer Classic.

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., finished third on the Order of Merit. Thibault collected three top-10 finishes as a member of the Fresno State Bulldogs, including a runner-up finish at the UNLV Collegiate Showdown. She added top-10 results at the Women’s Western, North & South and Quebec Amateur. Thibault was recently named to Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad.

Savoie claims top spot in the men’s National Order of Merit ranking after an impressive season highlighted by winning both individual and team honours at the Tailhade Cup in Argentina. The Middle Tennessee graduate also notched top-five results at the Argentine Amateur, Azalea Invitational, St. Andrews Links Trophy and Duke of Kent. Savoie finished T19 at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur and medaled at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier in Lexington, Ky. Savoie was recently named to Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad.

Henry Lee, 20, of Coquitlam, B.C., finished second on the Order of Merit thanks in part to earning four top-20 NCAA finishes for the University of Washington, as well as a top 10 result at the Canadian Men’s Amateur.

Charles Corner, 22, of Cayuga, Ont., rounded out the top three after recording three top-five NCAA finishes for the UTEP Miners.

Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Order of Merit

On the Future Links, driven by Acura National Junior Order Merit, Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., and Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., took home top honours in their respective divisions.

Anderson, 18, tallied six top-10 results this season, including an impressive T6 finish at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The Team Ontario member also captured Golf Ontario’s Junior Spring Classic and finished T28 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Rounding out the top three on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys Order of Merit are Laurent Desmarchais (17) of Longueil, Que., and Cam Kellett (19) of London, Ont. Desmarchais was recently named to Team Canada’s National Junior Squad.

Dao topped the junior girl’s Order of Merit for a second consecutive year after a remarkable rookie campaign with Team Canada’s National Junior Squad. The 17-year-old was in the winner’s circle three times in 2018, including a three-stroke victory at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., product also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and won the Mexican Junior and Quebec Junior Championships. Dao had success on the international scene as well, collecting a 5th place finish at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan. She led the Canadians at the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship in Ottawa with a 5th place finish.

Finishing runner-up behind Dao is 14-year-old Emily Zhu of Thornhill, Ont., while Ellie Szeryk (17) of London, Ont., rounded out the top three. Both Zhu and Szeryk were selected to the 2019 Team Canada National Junior Squad.

Golf Canada’s National Orders of Merit are used to identify and give recognition to top-performing amateur golfers from across Canada. They also provide an objective national ranking system, enabling Canada’s top players to compare themselves to counterparts across Canada.

Golf Canada also uses the National Order of Merit to assist with the Team Canada player selection and International event player selection process. For full Order of Merit standings and a points breakdown, please visit www.golfcanada.ca/nationalordersofmerit/

The following are top-10 National Order of Merit finishers from each respective division:

National Men’s Order of Merit

National Women’s Order of Merit

National Junior Boys Order of Merit driven by Acura

National Junior Girls Order of Merit driven by Acura

Hometown member Rick Hallberg claimed the Senior Men’s Provincial Championship this past season at Golf Kenosee, now the south Saskatchewan course will focus on a more laid-back event in 2019.

The 21^st annual Saskatchewan Mixed Team Championship will be held at Kenosee on Aug. 24 and 25, 2019. Golf Kenosee Operations Manager Cheryl Dubois said the mixed event will be a great fit for their tournament schedule.

“We are very excited to be able to host the mixed provincials and once again showcase Golf Kenosee,” she told Golf Saskatchewan via email. “We have hosted many Golf Saskatchewan events over the years, but the mixed event is our favourite. The format makes for some interesting golf shots for the participants. We like the more relaxed feeling this tournament has, and the players always have such a good time.”

Golf Kenosee offers tight tree lines, differing elevations, and countless penalty areas over their picturesque 18 holes. The track will likely be set up somewhat simpler than what the senior and mid-master men faced this past season. Dubois said Golf Kenosee provides one of the most intriguing rounds in the province for golfers.

“The course is cut out of the forest and every hole is unique which is what makes it so interesting. There are scenic vistas everywhere and most people comment that you would never know that you are in Saskatchewan. One of the competitors last year said hole one was the scariest tee shots he has ever hit with all the spectators watching,” she said.

The format of the mixed event is unique and provides entertainment over the 36 holes. Each player tees off, the teammates proceed to their partners ball and plays it to the green. Once on the green, the teams decide which ball to hit with alternating shots until that ball is holed. Ian Larocque and Kathy Ziglo won the event at Elk Ridge Resort and Golf this past season.

Dubois said the clubhouse will add to the participants’ experience by providing quality food and beverages during the two-day event as well.

“Club 19 is a wonderful restaurant with spectacular views of both number one and Kenosee Lake. We renovated and expanded our deck and it is fun to sit out there and enjoy a fabulous meal while watching everybody tee off the number one hole,” she said.

Registration for the championship will open in April.

“The Rink” fan experience named “Best in Class Element” in 2018

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The RBC Canadian Open was recently honoured at the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Meetings thanks to the success of its fan experience “The Rink”, earning a TOUR award for “Best in Class Element.”

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the RBC Canadian Open for this special recognition,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud of its hard work and innovation in making the tournament the best among its peers on TOUR.”

For the past two years, the RBC Canadian Open transformed the par-3 seventh hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club into “The Rink,” a fan experience combining Canada’s most popular pastimes – golf and hockey. The area was modelled after an ice hockey rink, complete with hockey boards lining the hole, upgraded bleachers and viewing decks, while featuring marshals dressed as referees. A net, puck and sticks were available for PGA TOUR players to test their hockey skills as part of Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am. In addition, several Team RBC Olympians and NHL players also made visits to “The Rink” throughout tournament week to greet fans, take photos and sign autographs.

“From the beginning we felt integrating ‘The Rink’ into our Canadian-themed activation made a lot of sense and was a perfect extension of the fan experience at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice-President, Brand Marketing, RBC. “This recognition by the PGA TOUR is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved with the RBC Canadian Open, including fans, players, event volunteers, organizers and partners. Thanks to Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR for working with us to bring this Canadian tribute to life.”

Golf Canada, organizers of the RBC Canadian Open, credited the award to RBC and the collaboration between all event stakeholders.

“Feedback on ‘The Rink’ has been overwhelmingly positive and we are extremely proud that it’s been embraced as an institutional centrepoint for fan, player and partner engagement at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Bryan Crawford, RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director. “Our partners, led by RBC, Steam Whistle, Levelwear and Golf Town, have brought the area to life and we’ve got great momentum heading to Hamilton Golf & Country Club in 2019 with this signature activation.”

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open, headlined by defending champion and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson, will be held at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, June 3-9.

The new early June date begins an exciting new chapter for Canada’s National Open Championship. Fans attending will witness unforgettable golf, top-notch activities for all ages including ‘The Rink’, hip local food and patio experiences, plus new event features soon to be announced.

Get your tickets today to kick-off summer at one of Canada’s premier sporting experiences – www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

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To view all winners announced during the PGA TOUR Tournament Meetings, click here.

Estevan’s TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club had a successful summer despite early and late weather woes.

Head professional Amanda Minchin said the club dealt with a later start in the spring and a shortened fall due to unseasonable weather in October but, the year was still positive for the club.

“We had a later start than we would have liked obviously and then the fall wasn’t that great for golf,” Minchin said. “All things considered we worked hard and managed to have a pretty successful year in terms of profit. That’s really due to a lot of diligent work of our management and our dedicated membership and the people that support us.”

Minchin, a proud supporter of junior golf, said the Woodlawn hosted a Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) event along with their regular club events and fundraisers for local groups in the Estevan region. The club hosted a Future Links tournament in 2017 and will host another MJT event in 2019. The course hosted the 2015 Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur Championship. Minchin said they hope to have a provincial event back in the next couple years.

When the course opens next spring members and players will notice a change to the par-5, 15. Minchin says the upgrades aren’t overly significant but will improve the 18-hole track.

“We’re going to take old the old school bridge you see that caused a lot of maintenance issues with planks with the cart traffic. We’re going to remove that and build a land bridge like we did on hole 18 a few years ago to create some consistency in the course,” she explained.

The cart path is also being moved near the 15^th green. Minchin said when golfers are finished the hole they walk back towards to tee box to the path which isn’t ideal. She said the new path will allow play to flow better and help with pace of play on busier days. Minchin said overall the hole won’t change but continued improvements paid for with their profits add up over the years.

“It won’t change the playability of the hole so much, there will be a little different look once you get on the green. We’re just hoping it will flow a little better with cart traffic. It also helps with beautification of the course getting rid of those old bridges we had, we used to have a lot of them on the back nine,” she said.

Superintendent Bob Currie played a key role in the development of the changes and is assisting a local excavating company with the work. Minchin said Estevan has had good weather to conduct the work and the upgrades should be completed by the end of next week if the weather holds.

Saskatchewan’s team of head professionals that competed at the PGA of Canada are basking in their best provincial finish in at least three decades.

John Greenough, Jeff Chambers, Dean Brown, and Scott Knapp placed third overall in the team portion of the event held at Wigwam Golf Resort near Phoenix, Arizona last week. Ontario won the team competition, Quebec placed second overall in the two-day portion of the three-round championship.

Greenough, the head pro at Deer Valley Golf Club led the way with a top-10 finish at one under par. He said he was optimistic going into the tournament.

“I had a good week, I felt like it was going to be a good week,” Greenough said. “Going into the fall I was playing well and won a couple of Saskatchewan events. Going there I knew I had a decent chance of playing well. I managed to keep it in play for most of the event and I putted the lights out. The amount of eight to 12-foot par putts I made was pretty sickening and I was proud of that.”

Greenough was playing the event for the fifth time in his career. Entering the event, he had never made a cut. Achieving that feat was on his list of goals for the 2018 championship.

“I wanted to not make a double-bogey, that didn’t last long,” he laughed. “I didn’t want to three-putt, I didn’t do that, I wanted to be the low Saskatchewan pro, that was a goal I accomplished. I wanted to be in the final group the last day, that didn’t materialize, but I wanted to be in the hunt. It’s exciting when you are playing well, there are people running around watching what you are doing. There was some buzz on the course, I wanted to feel that little bit of pressure and I did so that was nice.”

During PGA of Saskatchewan meetings this week executive director Ken Morrow couldn’t recount a year in the last 30 that the team finished that high. Despite the personal accomplishments Greenough is most proud of the top-three placing for the team.

“Everyone contributed, my 75 didn’t count day one but I got in there for day two. In day two Knapper (Scott) had a tough round but everyone on format team contributed so that was nice. No one was blowing the doors off shooting 67 or 64 but as a team we got it done so that was exciting,” he said.

The format for the provincial championship is that the top three of four scores are combined for the first two days. Cuts are made after the second round potentially eliminating golfers from the provincial teams. Elmwood Golf Club professional Jeff Chambers finished in a tie for 25^th overall at four over par. He was pleased with his week at the event and shared Greenough’s excitement for the bronze medal finish.

“Our group of four, I don’t think it could get much better,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “It was pretty awesome to be down there with the guys competing with one another and to finally break through and make the top three and beat out some of those big provinces it was pretty awesome.”

The championship capped a solid year for Chambers on a personal level and for the Elmwood club in Swift Current. He took home the coach of the year, pro developer of the year and junior promoter of the year at the PGA of Saskatchewan awards in October. Chambers said having his wife at the gala, Elmwood staff and some of his students contributed to a surreal evening.

“It was really special to have them all there. I was really hoping for the coach of the year when I got it, it felt good knowing my work had paid off. It was a nice surprise winning the junior promoter again, that’s my seventh time now. I think it feels more special every time I get it, it was the one award that choked me up a little bit,” Chambers said.

Much like Greenough’s Deer Valley course, the Elmwood has seen some extensive renovations over the last few years. The club replaced all 18 greens, rebuilt the driving range and constructed a new academy building. Chambers said to see the finished product this season was a highlight as well.

“It has been a four-year process of a lot of construction and everything going on so to finally see the result and all the grass filling in it was a great feeling. A lot of people came to check it out which was great,” he said.

Conner McGill has been appointed the new general manager at Valley Regional Park in Rosthern and will officially take on the role starting December 10.

McGill currently resides in Warman, however he worked at Valley Regional Park in the early 2000s, albeit in a minor role.

“I was employed by the park for three years, right around 2000 to 2002,” he said. “For the first year, I was just working at the front gate of the regional park. Then two years after that I was a pro-shop staff (member) at the golf course.”

Along with managing the day-to-day operation of the golf course, McGill is also in charge of the campground and other facilities at the park.

“There’s 46 seasonal sites at the campground that I’ll oversee and then the rest of the daily rentals.”

McGill has lived in the Saskatoon area for most of his life and has pretty much dedicated his life to golf. Most of his past jobs revolved around the sport. He has worked in retail with Golf Town and has been employed at some other area courses.

McGill may be a familiar name to players in the valley region. He was an assistant pro at the Legends Golf Club in Warman for five years and was also an assistant pro at Dakota Dunes Golf Links south of Saskatoon for four years. The father of three young children said he wants to bring what he learned from those jobs to his new role at Valley Regional Park.

“I’m looking to bring my knowledge and a fresh look. The guy that’s moving on from Rosthern (Valley Regional Park) had been there for 25 years, so he’s excited to see the ideas that I might bring to the table.”

McGill studied golf management at MacEwan University in Edmonton, a course he said was a business management degree with some subjects specifically golf related. The 35-year-old is very passionate about golf and he wants to bring as many people to the game and have people enjoy the sport as much as he does. He has been married for 12 years and has three children ages six, five and three.

“They (his family) all love golf, and they love coming out to the golf course. So, you’ll see me out there with them occasionally as well.”

Even though McGill will not be living in Rosthern, it could be something he will re-think in years to come.

“I’m not going to relocate, yet. It’s a possibility down the road, but we just moved into a new place in Warman three or four years ago,” he said.

McGill has never had the title of general manager before, but he’s been in a leadership role in most of his previous jobs. There are still some familiar faces, since his last time around at Valley Regional Park, including the current head grounds keeper who was a salesman that dealt with the golf course.

“I know him a little bit, but I’m looking forward to working a little closer with him. The golf course was in fantastic shape last year when he was the head superintendent,” McGill said. “I have a good understanding of how the park operates and obviously every job has challenges, and it’s just figuring out the best way to deal with that and moving on.”

Story courtesy Mackenzie Hientz/Clark’s Crossing Gazette
www.ccgazette.ca