In a just a few days the Wascana Country Club in Regina will welcome the world’s best women golfers during the CP Women’s Open.

Not only are 96 of the top 100 women on the LPGA tour attempting to tackle the historic course in Saskatchewan’s capital city, the entire region and province will be featured in over 200 countries worldwide on television. Wascana chief executive officer Greg Dukart said the preparations are going as planned.

“It’s like planning for a wedding of 50,000 people,” he told Golf Saskatchewan on Wednesday. “The wedding isn’t quite here yet but we’re as organized as we possibly can be at this time.”

The most glaring work is preparing the golf course for the event, considered by many players on the tour as the “fifth major.” Dukart admitted the season didn’t begin well but superintendent Chad Fawcett and his staff have worked tirelessly to bring the course up to par for a professional event.

“The golf course has come back really good now. We had a disaster on our hands back in May when we opened. We had hundreds of thousands of square feet of turf that was actually dead on our fairways. We had a lot of dead areas on our greens, on our collars, we’ve done a lot of restoration work, it may not be perfect but it’s going to be pretty darn good,” Dukart said.

The field will consist of 156 players. The first round is slated for Thursday, Aug. 23. Practice rounds will take place on Aug. 21. Dukart said the LPGA is excited to see what the course has to offer the players chasing a $2.25 million purse.

“When the LPGA came out on their site visits they really liked the course and thought the players would enjoy it. I haven’t talked to any players besides Brooke Henderson or Lorrie Kane when they were here, we hope they are going to like it, we hope they like the city,” he said.

The golf course does take most of the spotlight during tour events, but countless hours of work takes place behind the scenes. Food and beverage service are a critical portion of the tournament. Dukart said the kitchen staff is prepped to feed thousands of meals over the week.

“It’s a big undertaking, the culinary team has had to import some extra help. I think that’s a good point to make. I don’t think anyone appreciates them. When you factor in breakfast, lunch, and dinners it could be 1,500 people eating a day. That’s a big job,” he said.

The Wascana is the first Saskatchewan course to host an LPGA event. Dukart said the members have been very understanding all season long. Dukart said there has been some disruptions but the legacy of having the tour event in Regina will go down in history.

“We’re one of very few clubs to get this opportunity in the country. There is a lot of sense of pride there. When you look at our 107-year history, to take 10 days away out of our history I think it’s quite the statement to make in our history,” he said.

Ticket information and more details can be found on the CP Women’s Open website.

You can hear more from Dukart who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork.

REGINA (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) are pleased to announce the names of 14 players who have received exemptions into the 2018 CP Women’s Open taking place August 20-26 at the Wascana Country Club in Regina.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and CP ambassador Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, a four-time LPGA Tour winner, will make her record tying 28^th start in Canada’s National Women’s Open.

A trio of Team Canada Young Pro Squad players—Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Augusta James of Bath, Ont., and Jennifer Ha of Calgary—have also received an exemption to compete in the 46^th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship.

Marchand began the season with conditional status on the LPGA Tour, but made the most of her starts on Tour, making the cut in 10 of 12 starts including a T7 finish at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic. James, a former winner on the Symetra Tour, currently sits 46^th on the Tour’s official money list. She’s made the cut at six of 12 starts including a T3 finish. Ha, a former Alberta amateur standout who played on the LPGA Tour in 2017, is currently in her 3^rd season on the Symetra Tour. Marchand, James and Ha will compete in their 5^th, 5^th and 3^rd CP Women’s Open respectively.

Saskatchewan native Anna Young—currently in her third year on the Symetra Tour—will have a home crowd advantage as the four-time Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur champion makes her first ever start in the CP Women’s Open.

Two other Canadian Symetra Tour players—Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., will also compete at Wascana. Tong, a graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad, and Osland currently sit 100 and 122 respectively on the Symetra Tour money list.

Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., leads a group of four amateurs exempt into Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour. Dao, a 17-year old member of the Team Canada Development Squad, recently won the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, as well as the 2018 Mexican Junior Girls Championship. She will make her first ever start in the CP Women’s Open.

National Amateur Squad players Grace St-Germain of Ottawa and Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., will also compete in the 2018 CP Women’s Open. St-Germain, 20, finished 7^th at the 2018 Women’s Porter Cup and T1 at both the 2018 NJCAA National Championship and 2018 NJCAA Region 8 Championship as a member of Daytona State College. Ko, heading into her senior year at N.C. State, is a former Canadian Junior Girls champion who finished T33 at the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur.

Sixteen-year old Yealimi Noh of Concord, Calif., won the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship to earn her exemption into the CP Women’s Open. Currently ranked no. 21 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Noh is among the hottest amateur golfers on the planet this season with wins at the 2018 U.S. Junior Girls Amateur Championship and 2018 Girls Junior PGA Championship.

Tiffany Kong of Vancouver also earned an exemption after finishing as the low Canadian (T6) at the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The 17-year old will make her second start in the national championship after Monday Qualifying for the 2015 CP Women’s Open at The Vancouver Golf Club as a 14-year old.

A pair of LPGA Tour veterans—Natalie Gulbis and Becky Morgan—have also accepted an invitation to compete at The Wascana. Gulbis, a long-time fan favourite on the LPGA Tour with a victory and 37 career top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour, will make her 11^th appearance at the CP Women’s Open while Morgan, a Wales native who has played 18 years on the LPGA Tour will play in Canada’s National Open for the 12^th time.

The players receiving exemptions are added to an already stellar list of golfers who will be competing at the 2018 CP Women’s Open.

No player will generate more excitement than Canadian sensation and CP ambassador Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who will compete in her eighth career National Women’s Open. Henderson will be joined by seven of the top 10 ranked players in the world, including world no. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn.

Reigning CP Women’ s Open champion Sung Hyun Park will look to defend her title against many of the LPGA’s best, including stars Lexi Thompson, Minjee Lee, Jessica Korda, Shanshan Feng, Anna Nordqvist and many more.

“The CP Women’s Open features arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, as well as the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Golf fans will be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf when tournament week kicks off August 20^th.”

Team Canada Amateur Squad players Jaclyn Lee of Calgary and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. were also extended tournament exemptions but were forced to decline as timing conflicted with Stage 1 of LPGA Tour Qualifying.

Other Canadians scheduled to compete at the 2018 CP Women’s Open include LPGA Tour regulars Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Québec and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que.

In total, at least 15 Canadians will be included among the 156 competitors who will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the CP Women’s Open descends on Wascana and the province of Saskatchewan for the first time ever.

On Monday, August 20, the LPGA Tour will conduct an 18-hole stroke play qualifier at Royal Regina Golf Club to determine the final four exemptions directly into the 2018 CP Women’s Open.

The golfers teeing-it-up at Wascana Country Club will represent one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour with more than 92 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour Official Money List expected to compete.

CP HAS HEART IN SUPPORT OF JIM PATTISON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Canadian Pacific will continue its history of making a substantial donation to the host community through its CP Has Heart community investment program. In the four years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $6.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in communities across Canada.

This year, the campaign is supporting pediatric cardiology at Saskatchewan’s new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon. Funds raised through the CP Women’s Open will help assist a dedicated cardiology space and specialized equipment in the new hospital, currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2019.

CP INAUGURAL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT TO TAKE PLACE DURING TOURNAMENT WEEK
As part of the weeklong excitement of the CP Women’s Open, Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific are proud to announce that the inaugural CP Women’s Leadership Summit will take place Tuesday, August 21 at Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina. Keynote speaker and five-time Olympic medalist Hayley Wickenheiser , will be joined by LPGA Champion Lorie Kane; CP Vice-President of Grain and Fertilizer, Joan Hardy; and many more like-minded businesswomen from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy.

KIDS 17-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE
Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

The community of Waskesiu and the storied golf course recently honoured Gordie Howe and his history in the region.

The Waskesiu Foundation triggered the idea of honouring Mr. Hockey following the release of Dr. Murray Howe’s book; Nine Lessons I learned from My Father. A portion of the book illustrates Howe’s time in Waskesiu growing up and as a National Hockey League star. A pair of dedications took place around Waskesiu during the weekend of Aug. 3 and 4 including a dedication at the golf course. Manager Tyler Baker said the Waskesiu Foundation reached out to them citing Howe’s connection to the course.

“They approached us to be part of it because in 1954 he won the Lobstick Open,” Baker told Golf Saskatchewan. “He played a lot of golf here, he was a past staff member, so we said, for sure we will jump on board and be part of the festivities.”

Dr. Howe signed copies of his book during the celebration that was attended by several hundred people through out the weekend. Howe’s 93-year-old sister Vi was in attendance as well. Baker said learning more of Howe’s history in the area was neat to witness.

“It was a good experience, it was amazing to see so many kids around to learn that part of history with a legendary hockey player,” he said.

Several stories were shared regarding Howe’s days on the course including the Floral, Sask. product driving both the first and eighth greens on several occasions. He was also seen on the lake routinely fishing with Toronto Maple Leaf’s legend Johnny Bower.

The course erected a sign near the clubhouse entrance (pictured above) with a photo of Howe in his famous number nine Detroit Red Wings jersey, a picture of him with his grandson, and an article with a brief history of the Hall of Famer who passed away in 2016. Baker said visitors enjoy taking time to read the sign and chat about Howe.

“Seeing the amount people stop and look, the sign has the Lobstick tree in the background, it really catches your eye right away. They read the little article and say oh, I didn’t know that. It’s definitely creates a lot of chatter,” Baker said.

For a $5 donation, a couple people are going to have the experience of a lifetime at the upcoming CP Women’s Open in Regina.

Participating Golf Saskatchewan member courses across the province will take a donation on your behalf while entering yourself into a draw for either a spot in the Open Pro-Am on Aug. 20 or a chance to get onto the Wascana Country Club and follow a group from inside the ropes on Aug. 23.

The proceeds from the donations will be directed to the LPGA event benefactor, CP Has Heart and the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Posters are displayed at participating courses. The deadline to enter is Thursday at 12 p.m.

TJ Baker used his knowledge of the Waskesiu Golf Course to post the low round during qualifying for the Pepsi Junior Lobstick.

Baker shot an even 72, two strokes better than Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy. Tian Rask fired a 4-over, 74 to place third, Bradley Moser finished in fourth place at plus-5. Colby Friedrich rounded out the top five at 6-over par.

The tournament, started in 1956, is formatted in a way to group players based on their skill level. Flights of 16 players are constructed based on Monday’s qualifying scores. The next three days of the tournament are match play, if a player loses his match on Tuesday they will be relegated to the consolation side of their flight. If a player on the consolation side falls to their opponent on Wednesday, they are eliminated. The tournament champion will be crowned on Friday.

64 players are in the field this year. You can see the results from the qualifying round here.

Regina’s Taylor Carter is a golf gold medalist.

The 25-year-old won his division, the top field according to Special Olympics Saskatchewan, at the recent Special Olympics 2018 Summer Games at the Antigonish Golf and Country Club on Aug. 3. Carter qualified for the event by winning a tournament in Moose Jaw last year. He also won first place in a Special Olympics event in Nipawin recently. Carter said winning the gold medal in Nova Scotia was the most special.

“It was a lot of fun, that one did feel the best,” he told Golf Saskatchewan.

Carter lives with Williams syndrome. It’s a genetic condition present at birth, approximately 10,000 people are affected every year. The condition didn’t deter Carter from taking up the game at the age of four. He said his dad took him to Regent Park par three in Regina with plastic clubs. Shortly after he was given his first set.

At the Games, the golfers played three nine-hole rounds. Carter finished with a score of 154, an average of just over 51 per round. He said having his brother, Tyler as his caddy made the experience extra memorable.

“Having my brother helped me stay focused and calm,” he said. “He encouraged me when I wasn’t doing that great. My family is proud, really proud.”

Carter has been involved with the Special Olympic golf program for three years. He has several years of competitive golf left. He said he would like to coach younger golfers in the future. Carter said he’s thankful to be able to play a sport he admires.

“I feel very fortunate to play and compete in a sport I love. I have a lot of support from family and friends and I’m very lucky,” he said.

Carter was just one of a pair of golfers that competed at the Games. Prince Albert’s Trevor Fendelet was the other Saskatchewan golfer. He placed 32^nd overall. Team Sask. was coached by La Ronge’s Lindsay Randall.

Overall Saskatchewan sent over 60 athletes to the Summer Games.

The golf season in Saskatchewan is winding down but the Order of Merit (OMT) final standings are still unclear.

The men’s race is led by Saskatoon’s David Stewart. The two-time tour winner this year is leading the championship with 2,962.5 points. Stewart likely has the inside track to the title for 2018, Roman Timmerman and Kade Johnson sit second and third in the race with a pair of events left this upcoming weekend. Stewart has breathing room as both Timmerman and Johnson will be returning to Southern Arkansas University this week and won’t be playing either the Molson’s Northwest Amateur or Moose Mountain Classic. Stewart’s closest challenge is Saskatchewan’s mid-amateur champion Mike Herperger who sits fifth with 1,925 points but he won’t be entered into either event. Carson Harcourt will have a chance to put pressure on Stewart and climb over Timmerman and Johnson, Harcourt will play the Moose Mountain Classic at his home course before heading to the United States for university. The top ten in the race will likely remain the same pending any movement from outside the top ten. Liam Courtney could make a charge to climb from the sixth position, he is the lone golfer not playing college or attending the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship later this week in Victoria, B.C. in the top ten. Prince Albert’s Danny Kluhgart is in seventh and qualified for the mid-am as well but has chosen to caddy for Saskatoon’s Anna Young at the upcoming CP Women’s Open in Regina.

The women’s race is much blurrier. The Moose Mountain Classic in Kenosee is Aug. 18 and 19, the Ladies Lobstick in Waskesiu is Aug. 20 to 24 allowing lots of points to be collected. Lorie Boyle leads the championship with 1,850 points, Saskatchewan champion Carla Odnokon is in second place with 1,500. Ann Kirkland is in third with 1,300. Kimberly Brown is in the hunt at fourth with 1,275, Judy Sefton rounds out the top five with 1,162.5.

On the senior men’s circuit, three events remain including today’s Legends Senior Open in Warman. Sasktchewan’s senior champion, Rick Hallberg has a solid lead over fellow Golf Kenosee member Paul Grimes. Hallberg has 2,550 points, 800 more than Grimes. Hall of Famer Colin Coben is in third place with 1,450 points. Keith Silvernagle sits fourth with 1,356,25 and Estevan’s Patrick Murphy sits fifth at 1,237.5. Aside from the Legends Open the seniors have the Moose Mountain Classic and Prince Albert Senior Men’s Northern Championship.

The junior OMT standings are broken up into five different age and gender categories. Their tour still has two events remaining. The Pepsi Junior Men’s Lobstick begins today and continues until Aug. 17. The Junior Girl’s Lobstick coincides with the women’s event from Aug. 20 to 24. The tour’s final event is the Maple Leaf Junior Tour Championship in Swift Current on Aug. 25 and 26.

Saskatchewan junior boy’s champion Josh Nagy leads the under-19 men’s category. Sarah Grieve sits on top of the under-19 women’s race. Will Blake is in first place in the under-15 age group and Darien Herlick is on top of the under-13 men’s standings. In the under-15 women’s race, junior champion Brooklin Fry leads with 1,600 points.

All of the standings, results, and schedules can be found here.

Several non-profit organizations are going to benefit from the CP Women’s Open later this month in Regina, one of those is Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

The organization will operate a concession tent near the 13^th green at the LPGA tournament that runs from Aug. 20 – 26. Development coordinator Carol-Lynne Quintin told Golf Saskatchewan this week more about their work around the illness.

“We’re a small organization that relies on our volunteers to help us run events like this opportunity at the CP Women’s Open,” she said. “We are also the second largest funding agent for research dedicated to inflammatory bowel disease worldwide.”

The group is still looking for about 40 volunteers for the five days they will operate the booth. The organization will see 10 percent of the proceeds. Quintin said they have various duties available.

“We’re looking for people to work shifts between 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours. There will be a bar-b-cue concession as well as selling adult beverages, and pop,” she said.

Anyone who volunteers will receive a day pass to watch the event at the Wascana Country Club. Quintin said the opportunity will pose other benefits for volunteers.

“We’ve got some people coming from Moosomin and Saskatoon, and all over the province to work with us so it will be a great chance to meet other people. Not just in the golf community but in the Crohn’s and Colitis community too and other volunteers too,” she said.

Anyone interested can contact Quintin at 1-844-664-4420 or email clquintin@crohnsandcolitis.ca

Yorkton’s Kade Johnson and Saskatoon’s Shaun Dunphy are happy with their performances at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in Duncan, B.C.

The pair were the lone Saskatchewan representatives to make the cut at the event that featured a field of over 250 golfers. Johnson, the Saskatchewan champion, was the top golfer of the nine that participated from the province. Johnson, 19, finished in a tie for 56^th at plus-5. He said overall the tournament was a fantastic experience.

“I feel good, I had a tough day Thursday with the last round (plus-5) but overall it was a really great week. I was able to take a lot of positives out of this week, so I was happy with that,” he said.

The Deer Park Golf Course player opened his tournament with a 73 in round one, he fired a 71 during the second round securing a position below the cutline. Johnson put his best round together on the third day shooting a 67, that elevated him to 20^th on the leaderboard going into the final round where he shot 76 for a four-round total of 287. He said the score reflects where his game is at, among the best in the nation.

“It was a great experience, it shows I can play with the better players in the country and the United States. A lot of these players, especially the last couple days are the top guys and I know I can compete with them. It is a big confidence boost, it feels good,” he said.

The highlight of the tournament likely came during round one at the Duncan Meadows Golf Course when Johnson aced hole seven for his second career hole-in-one. He said having it come on the national stage was a nice feeling.

“It was straight up hill, you can’t see the green from the tee box, but I knew it was good and the club I hit I knew I wasn’t going to be long,” he said. “When I walked up there and didn’t see my ball I saw the pitch mark close to the hole I knew it had to be in. It looked really good, it was awesome. This was a pretty good time to do it.”

Johnson’s stellar season in Saskatchewan is complete, he will head back to Southern Arkansas University on Wednesday for his third college season.

Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member Dunphy is also pleased with how the national amateur played out for him. He finished in 71^st place at plus-17. He said accomplishing his goal of sticking around for all four days was meaningful.

“I feel great, I’m pretty excited to make the cut and competing. I wish the past couple days could have gone better but I’m still happy. This is a difficult tournament to make the cut so I guess it’s an accomplishment to do that,” he said.

Dunphy, 30, was the top Saskatchewan golfer after round one when he shot a 69. That was followed by back-to-back 76’s. He finished with an 80 in round four. Attending his seventh national championship between amateurs and mid-amateurs Dunphy said he’s proud of all the Saskatchewan golfers.

“The crew of Saskatchewan guys is great, it’s nice to hang out with everybody and play practice rounds together. We are a pretty tight knit group, we have a group chat where we talk and try to keep everybody positive. We just want to see as many guys do as well as possible,” he said.

Dunphy will now turn his focus to the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship later this month in Victoria, B.C. He will be one of 13 Saskatchewan representatives. He said he’s confident going into the event.

“The game feels great; the putter went a little cold the last couple days but a lot of positives going into Victoria. I’m really excited, we have a great group going out there,” he said.

Ty Campbell, Justin Wood, David Stewart, Roman Timmerman, Mike Herperger, Liam Courtney, and Keighton McNab all represented the province in Duncan. Team Sask. finished in fifth place in the inter-provincial competition that occurs over the first two days of the tournament.

You can hear more from Johnson and Dunphy below who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork before flying home from B.C.

An inaugural event focused on empowering women in the workplace that will coincide with the CP Women’s Open is nearing a sell out.

The event will take place at Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina on Aug. 21. The LPGA tournament is taking place from Aug. 20 to 26 at the Wascana Country Club. Golf Canada assistant tournament director, Mary Beth McKenna said the idea of the summit is to use the sport to enhance diversification both on and off the course.

“Golf Canada is looking into furthering diversity and inclusion within the game of golf and expanding the outreach outside of the game,” she said. “This is a really good time, we can use the CP Women’s Open as a platform.”

Saskatchewan product Hayley Wickenheiser will be the keynote speaker at the event. From Shaunavon, Wickenheiser is one of the most decorated Canadian Olympians in history winning four gold medals and a silver playing for the national women’s hockey team. McKenna said the hockey star is a perfect fit for the summit.

“We are thrilled that she has come on board. She is going to give a lot of great insights into her career path. Not in the business world but there is a lot of key correlations, things she has dealt with and gone through in a male dominated sport and being a pioneer in the women’s game,” McKenna said.

The summit features more than just sport stars, the panel of guests varies across the board. Sportsnet’s Evanka Osmak will be the host, she has a degree in engineering to go along with a sparkling broadcasting career. RBC brand marketing senior director Shannon Cole; vice president of sales and marketing, grain and fertilizer for CP Joan Hardy; general manager at adidas Golf Canada Lesley Hawkins; LPGA professional Lorrie Kane; and Dr. Andrea Lavoie, an interventional cardiologist with the Saskatchewan Health Authority will join the panel. McKenna said the group has been well received since the event was announced.

“The response has been incredible. I think everyone is excited for this inaugural event. Our table sales have been going well, there is still a few available but people are really excited to see this diverse group of speakers,” she said.

A portion of the proceeds of the event will benefit the CP Has a Heart initiative.

For more details and to purchase tickets visit the CP Women’s Open website.

You can hear more McKenna who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork on Thursday.