The hype of the CP Women’s Open in Regina is starting to fade but the legacy of the event will continue for years.

Golf Canada Tournament Director Ryan Paul said the event is still the “talk of the office” since Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson captured the title on Aug. 26 at the Wascana Country Club. Paul said the first LPGA Tour event held in Saskatchewan was spectacular.

“Seeing this province hasn’t had an event before, it was important for Golf Canada as we look to grow the game across the country. Saskatchewan has a short summer but a strong golf community so being able to bring a professional, international sporting event to the province was big. I think everyone in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the surround ding provinces bought in and made it a great event,” Paul said.

Henderson, a native of Smith Falls, Ont. became the first Canadian to win the event since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973. Only four Canadians have won professional golf tournaments in their native land. Paul said the event would have been a huge success even without Henderson captivating the fans for four days.

“You could see it when she was in the hunt,” Paul said. “It will do wonders for the game, when you see the little boys and girls in Ping hats and ‘Brooke’s Brigade’ tee-shirts, it really impacts the sport in a positive way. Her winning was celebrated throughout the country. Our event has a national reach but when a Canadian wins, and a Canadian like Brooke wins it really inspires new golfers and puts the CP Women’s Open on the global scale.”

The tournament, the first ever LPGA event in Saskatchewan saw over 47,000 people attend. Last year’s CP Women’s Open event in Ottawa at Henderson’s home course is the only other event more attended. Paul said the spectators were incredible all week long.

“We’re trying to prepare our closing ceremonies and we have a guy that is going to sing Oh Canada, it’s the first time we have ever done this, so we’ve got it all set, and everyone starts singing it on their own. That was pretty special, that makes you proud to be a Canadian,” he said.

The LPGA and Golf Canada base their decision on host tournament sites with several qualifications. Canadian Pacific, through their sponsorship encourages destinations with a healthy supply of customer and client relationships as well as a strong charitable focus. The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation was the recipient of a portion of this year’s proceeds. Paul said the idea of an LPGA event returning to Saskatchewan is exciting.

“I can’t really talk about why this is the first time, it’s definitely not the last. The event on many levels was positive for us,” he said.

A handful of Saskatchewan golfers are in the field to start the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship Tuesday in Bathhurst, New Brunswick.

Saskatchewan senior champion Rick Hallberg leads the list of five players in the 72-hole championship. The Weyburn product is in the 156-player field as well as Regina’s Ken Rodgers; Tony Turay; Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame member Colin Coben; Regina’s Stu Innes; and Saskatchewan super senior champion Keith Silvernagle of Biggar.

The Gowan Brae Golf Club is playing at 6,624 yards for the tournament. A champion will be crowned on Sept. 7. You can follow the scoring here.

Following suit of other national sports agencies, Golf Canada is experimenting with a year-round residency program for elite junior golfers.

Set up at Bear Mountain Golf Resort, 10 of the top junior players in Canada, up to five of each girls and boys, live with billets at the Victoria, B.C. property. Director of Golf at the 1,100-acre property, Mike Ridout said Golf Canada investigated several locations before choosing Bear Mountain for the three-year pilot project.

“I think Bear Mountain is a terrific choice because of the facilities and amenities,” Ridout said during the CP Women’s Open in Regina. “With 36-holes of (Jack) Nicklaus golf, with a resort community the athletes are able to live right on the mountain. We had the infrastructure and resources to create the partnership with Golf Canada.”

The nation’s mountain biking association and Tennis Canada have programs stationed at Bear Mountain as well. Ridout said recent success of other amateur sports in Canada and the “Own the Podium” strategy incorporated prior to the 2010 Olympics are reasons for the golf program test.

“When you look at the other sports that they are building upon these residency programs, that’s the only way to compete in their minds. Golf Canada said let’s take that step forward and let’s see what a residency program does for our athletes and to our program,” he said.

Athletes in the golf program are full-time students while attending. The golfers have access to sports psychologists, nutritionists, and personal trainers to assist in their development. Ridout said the entire program doesn’t just progress the athletes in a certain discipline, the level of Canada’s coaches elevates too.

“It shows externally we’re not only looking at the high-performance athlete, but it provides our coaches a tremendous opportunity to learn from the best coaches. To have elite players around to understand teaching philosophies,” he said.

“Whether it’s golf, or tennis, or mountain biking, you have that mindset of winning and how to get better,” Ridout added.

Golf Canada is looking at utilizing the facility with members of the national team as well. Their games can be developed at Bear Mountain, plus the juniors can learn from the more experienced players. Ridout said having a couple other teams visit will make the program better.

“The National Team and Young Pro team, so Brittany Marchand who played in the CP event, they will travel out as well. That’s going to be more of an importance for Golf Canada to have other teams come out for significant training periods at Bear Mountain,” he said.

The announcement to have the national teams work with Bear Mountain was made by Golf Canada in November, 2015.

Students in Weyburn are going to get a chance to play golf during the quickly approaching school year and beyond with the purchase of four indoor kits.

The Golf in School kits include a package of clubs, balls, and flags for students in grades 1 to 5 and a higher quality set for high school students. St. Michael School teacher Chad Klein said the city’s schools have been working on getting the kits for a couple years. He said golf used to be part of the physical education agenda when Graham DeLaet attended St. Michael.

“I wanted to start the program here at the school again, not because of Graham but because it was something else for kids to do,” Klein said. “There are some kids I know that like golf but there wasn’t something for them at school. It keeps kids active, gets them involved in a school activity. The Graham factor is just a bonus.”

Overall the community purchased two sets of the youth kit and a pair of senior kits. Klein coaches junior golfers in his school while utilizing the Weyburn Golf Club. He said having the kits is a benefit for when the weather isn’t favourable.

“The physical education teachers are eager. I like them too because when it’s ugly for golf practice we can stay inside. Grades 8 and 9 have golf as part of their phys. ed. now and the teachers are going to be able to do more both inside and out,” he said.

The kits also come with a lesson plan manual for teachers if a golf professional isn’t available. The kits were delivered by Golf Saskatchewan to Weyburn Golf Club pro Brett Berkner. He said the addition of the kits to all Weyburn schools should benefit the course in the long run as well.

“We’ve talked about it for awhile, we got a grant this year for them so it’s nice to give them to the schools. Hopefully that will increase our junior numbers and increase the members at our golf course,” Berkner said.

Fittingly, DaLaet is the national ambassador for the Golf in Schools program.

The Carnduff Golf Club (CGC) is planning on an irrigation upgrading project worth approximately half a million dollars.

The nine-hole course’s current watering system dates back to the late 1980’s and is a “mess” according to Kris Carley. Karley is a member of the town’s council and sits on the golf club board as a member of the local civic government. He said the current annual maintenance costs are out of control.

“We’re spending anywhere from $10,000-$20,000 each year minimum on the system,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “That’s not even manpower, that’s just parts and pieces.”

A couple weeks ago 16 sprinkler heads were leaking, Carley said each replacement is $500. To add to the $8,000 bill to replace the heads, the new ones don’t fit properly forcing holes to be dug to make proper adjustments allowing the system work.

The course has a deep well system but due to lack of rain over the past two years the water supply is scarce, that applies to a nearby creek as well. Carly said fuel costs are skyrocketing adding to the operating costs of trying to keep the course green.

“We’re running pumps that cost $50-$60 a day just to fill our reservoir to actually water out of. We’ve shut down our fairways, we’re only watering the tees and greens,” he said.

At a recent CGC board meeting the voting members approved a decision to spend upwards of $500,000 to fix the irrigation system. Carley said a local man donated over $100,000 to the club posthumous, they allotted $100,000 towards the project from that gift. The Carley family of companies also donated $50,000 towards the goal. Carley said the club has sent out request for proposals for the potential job that has a trio of options. One of the choices could be working with the town on a green project involving their lagoon system. The lagoon is receiving an $8.5 million upgrade, using wastewater to hydrate the course is possible. Carley said that option could potentially lead to more funding. He’s applied for a grant through the town for $50,000. The last two years the rink has being awarded money through the “facility’s grant.” Refurbishing the deep well is another costly option. Despite the dry conditions and ongoing water woes, Carley said the club had a positive year.

“We were able to raise memberships this year. We lowered member prices and got more members in so we’re hoping to make a profit this year. We could potentially roll that over into the project as well,” he said.

The irrigation upgrade will almost double the course’s sprinkler head count from 160 to 300. One new tee box will be constructed during the renovations, another tee box will be added on a hole and a new green will be built. Carley said they could potentially expand a handful of holes, the blueprints will include those options and direction.

The course is working on future fundraising initiatives to raise the rest of the money. He said the club has little debt so borrowing a portion of the needed funds is a possibility. The club would like to have the upgrades completed by 2020.

Carley put a plea out on the Carnduff course’s Facebook page seeking assistance with an application into the Kraft Heinz Project Play contest featuring a $250,000 grand prize.

Saskatchewan’s three representatives at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Senior Championship won’t play the final day of the tournament due to missing the event’s cut.

Saskatchewan senior champion Jo-Anne Schiller was the low shooter carding a 189 (93, 96) over two rounds at the Lookout Point Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. Fellow Lloydminster Golf and Curling Curling Club member Robin Acton shot 190 (102, 88). Melfort’s Judy Sefton finished with a two-round total of 191 (99, 92).

The cut line was set at +35, the final 72 golfers will conclude the championship Thursday afternoon.

A highlight for the Saskatchewan team was meeting Marlene Stewart Streit, the most accomplished amateur golfer in Canadian history. Streit was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

Prior to golf history being made Aug. 26 at Regina’s Wascana Country Club, the course’s chief executive officer was overjoyed with last week’s CP Women’s Open.

Greg Dukart said Sunday afternoon, before Brooke Henderson became the first Canadian to win the tournament since 1973, that the event exceeded the expected wow factor.

“I think it has,” Dukart quipped. “The support of the spectators has been overwhelming. Over 1,100 volunteers put this together, it’s quite a week.”

A few short months ago, the Wascana C.C. was concerned with the shape of the course. Dukart said earlier this season thousands of yards of dead grass peppered fairways and greens in large part due to a rain storm in January. Crews worked long days throughout the summer in preparation of the six-day event. Dukart said the feedback was spectacular from the players and public.

“The stunning views of the golf course and how good the greens are is what people said. Our superintendent Chad Fawcett worked tirelessly to get the greens, fairways, and collars back from the ice devastation. They brought them around to very high standards,” he said.

The 2018 CP Women’s Open was the first LPGA event ever held in Saskatchewan. Last year the Wascana C.C. hosted the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championships. Dukart said the legacy of hosting the professional ladies’ tournament will be remembered for a long time.

“I think people that were part of this are going to be part of history for a long time, they should be very proud of themselves,” Dukart said.

The event is moving back to Ontario next year. There has been no public discussion regarding a future professional tournament returning to Saskatchewan or Regina. Dukart said the Wascana C.C. board of directors and shareholders will make any decision regarding future events.

A trio of Saskatchewan women are competing in the Canadian Women’s Senior’s Mid-Senior Championship in Thornhill, Ont. this week.

Saskatchewan senior champion Jo-Anne Schiller, Judy Sefton, and Robin Acton are in the field of 132 golfers. Lethbridge’s Schiller opened the 54-hole tournament with a plus-21, 93. Judy Sefton of Melfort shot a 27-over, 99 during round one and Acton shot 102, 30-over.

Acton, who plays out of the Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre tees off first on Wednesday, she will begin her round at 11:14 a.m. Saskatchewan time. Sefton will start at 11:25, Schiller’s tee time is 11:36 a.m.

The event will conclude on Thursday. You can see the complete leaderboard here.

Steven Duchscher saved his best golf of the season for the Maple Leaf Junior Tour Championship this past weekend in Swift Current.

Duchscher, 18, stroked a 141 (68, 73) at the Elmwood Golf Club on Aug. 25 and 26 taking the junior age group championship as well the lowest overall honour. The Saskatoon golfer hit five bogeys and one double-bogey on the par 71, 6,386-yard host course. He had nine birdies and an eagle as well helping him finish at 1-under par.

Lethbridge’s Rylie Seaman was second overall winning the juvenile boy’s division with a score of 146 (71. 75). Josh Nagy of Saskatoon, Medicine Hat product Nolan Burzminski, and Cole Bergheim of Red Deer all shot 148 during the tournament. Bergheim won the bantam age category, they played from 5,936-yards.

Martensville’s Jax Gipman, 19, won the collegiate age group with a 153 (74, 79) and Max Regier was the low peewee boy golfer. Regier fired a 73 on day one and a 5-over 76 in round two. Fellow 12-year-old Darien Herlick of Weyburn was eight shots back at 157 (75, 82).

The junior girls in the championship played the Elmwood at 5,156-yards. Sarah Grieve, 15, carded a two-round score of 167 (83, 84), one shot ahead of both Yorkton’s Ella Kozak, 12, and Carey McLean, 16, of Deer Valley. Moose Jaw’s Raylyn Schmidt, 16 was just three was just three shots back. Grieve, McLean, and Schmidt play in the 15-18 age group, Kozak competes in the under-15 category.

You can see the complete results from the championship here.

REGINA – Throughout the entire week at the CP Women’s Open, Alena Sharp would write the number 16 on her golf balls.

It was one the Hamilton native’s ways of paying tribute to the 16 people that died in the April 6 bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team.

Sharp said earlier in the event that she felt as though she had 16 angels watching over her at the Wascana Country Club.

“I totally was thinking about them all day. Even on the last putt,” Sharp said after her final round on Sunday. “I wrote 16 on my ball just to give me a reminder of it.”

Thirteen people survived the crash that happened as the Broncos were on their way to a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff game.

Sharp played this year’s Canadian championship with a golf bag that featured the Broncos’s green and yellow colours and team logo. The bag is being given to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and will be auctioned off at a fundraiser next month.

Sponsor obligations along with trying to learn the course prevented Sharp from making the trip to Humboldt, which is located 2 1/2 hours north of Regina. The busyness of the tournament also didn’t allow her to meet any of the survivors.

“I haven’t met them, but they’re always in my thoughts,” Sharp said.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., has captured the Canadian headlines during the tournament, but Sharp shot a 1-under 71 on Sunday to finish the event at 6 under. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (73) of Quebec City was 4 under.

As Sharp was walking on the cart path to the sixth hole on Sunday, she saw Henderson putting on the practice green and ran over to give her friend and Olympic teammate a hug before Henderson started her round.

Sharp said that she was excited for Henderson, who is aiming to become the first Canadian champion of the event since Jocelyne Bourassa won in Montreal in 1973.

“Hopefully she can stay strong in the last little bit, the last few holes and bring the win in,” Sharp said.

Sharp has struggled with consistency this season and said that it’s been a mentally tough year for her. She said that it’s always tougher to play at home but felt as though she has taken a step in the right direction with this week’s play.

“I’m just battling through some mental demons,” Sharp said. “I’m happy walking off of this week, I played well under the pressure and have a lot of positives to take to next week.”