Yorkton’s Ella Kozak was the runaway winner in the under-15 girls age group at the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) PGA of Manitoba Junior Championship event late last week.

Kozak, 12, fired a two-round total of 157 (78, 79) in Winnipeg on Aug. 16 and 17 winning her age group by 36 strokes over another young Saskatchewan golfer, Regina’s Autumn Neiszner. The 14-year-old carded a 93 during round one, she shot 100 on day two.

Kozak’s first round featured her first ever hole-in-one.

Two other Saskatchewan golfers were in the field of 67, spread out among seven different age groups. Regina’s Joshua Babcock fired a 159 (81, 80) to finish third in the juvenile boy’s division. Parker Mymyyk of Regina Beach placed 19^th in the same category with a score of 179 (92, 87).

On Aug. 25 and 26 the Elmwood Golf Club will host the Ford Series/Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit Championship.

The twosome of Kathy Ziglo and Ian Larocque were the lone team to shoot under par on route to the 20^th Mixed Team Championship this past weekend at Elk Ridge Resort.

Ziglo and Larocque combined for a 70 on day of the event Saturday, they shot a 68 on Sunday to win the event by six strokes over Brent Wotypka and and Kathy Hopfner (below) of Swift Current. They were tied with Ziglo and Larocque after day one but faltered during the second round shooting 74.

Prince Albert’s Cory and Kayla Sawchuk (below) won the bronze medal at the event firing a one-over, 145.

The field consisted of 58 golfers, or 29 teams. The format focused on a team game. Each player teed off and proceeded to play their partners’ ball to the green. Once the competitors reached the green they decided on which ball to hole out.

You can see all the scoring results here.

Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart has a long time promise to fulfill to a good friend.

Next week during the CP Women’s Open, Klughart will caddy for Saskatoon’s Anna Young who received an exemption into the event in her home province. Klughart has been friends with Young since their junior tour days over a decade ago. He said Young worked out the deal long ago.

“Anna and I grew up together, we would travel together to the junior tournaments when we were 12 and 13 years-old. Our moms are good friends, she always joked I’d caddy for her at her first LPGA event, so I have to hold up my end of the bargain,” he joked.

Young is currently playing on the Symetra Tour in the central United States picking up her second professional win earlier this season. She is also a five-time Saskatchewan Amateur Women’s champion, her last coming in 2015 at Elk Ridge Resort. Klughart said he is proud of what she has accomplished in the game.

“It’s awesome, she’s really trying to endorse the game,” he said. “She really inspires a lot of junior golfers around the province. Not only them but the women, myself and other players in the province follow her down there. It’s just exciting to see someone so close to home doing so well for herself.”

Klughart has been involved in the sport his entire life, he said he started riding his dad’s cart carrying a putter before advancing to more clubs and lessons as a six-year-old in Prince Albert. He got his first membership at nine and hasn’t looked back. He qualified for the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship in Victoria, B.C. through the Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur Championship earlier this year but the schedule conflict is keeping Klughart in Saskatchewan. He knows there will be more opportunities to earn a trip to the men’s event and is excited to share the LPGA experience with Young.

“She doesn’t really need me for advice on the course, but I think having someone she’s comfortable and familiar with will keep her relaxed for the week. I hope I can keep her focused when she needs to be and kind of light when she needs to be, I think it will be good,” he said.

Klughart has played the Wascana Country Club on a couple of occasions including the Regina City Amateur. He also caddied for Brad Phelps at last year’s Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship.

He will travel to Regina on Monday night and begin working with Young on Tuesday. During the first of two Pro-Am events coinciding with the tournament Young’s father will caddy for her, that will take place on Monday.

You can hear more from Klughart who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork on Friday.

The Lloydminster Golf and Curling Centre recently wrapped up their second girl’s golf camp with rave reviews.

Manager Marty Wheaton has seen a drop in numbers for junior girl’s golf and decided last season he wanted to help try to buck the trend. His first camp was attended by approximately 15 girls, this week his second attempt featured over 30. Wheaton said easing the girls into the sport is a positive approach he’s found successful.

“Introducing them to the game while focusing on a multi-sport facet with the classes,” he explained to Golf Saskatchewan. “We work on hand-eye coordination, some of the rotational muscles that are involved in golf but also introduce them through different sports and games.”

Golf baseball is one unique avenue Wheaton uses. He said it’s essentially tee-ball with golf clubs. He said taking the players minds off the technical focus showed vast improvement in swings.

“It includes running to first base after you hit it, so you see the girls finish on their front side and making sure they are hitting down on the ball. Their technique totally changed from when they were on the range. If you put them in an athletic mode where they just react, it was cool to see the progress,” Wheaton said.

The entrants worked on full swings, grip work, learning knowledge about how the clubs work with certain angles as well. Overall Wheaton said keeping the game fun is important, not just for junior girls but everyone who takes up the sport.

“My big thing is taking baby steps and introducing the game as fun. Hopefully they take it up with their family, we all know it’s a game for a lifetime so starting them young is important,” he said.

Numbers for women golfers both as adult amateurs and youth are struggling. Many junior tours see age groups with just a handful of competitors. Golf Saskatchewan is working on promoting junior girls golf as well and will continue discussions with stakeholders on how to improve the number of participants both competitively and recreationally. The LPGA CP Women’s Open is taking place next week at Regina’s Wascana Country Club. Wheaton said the legacy that tournament could leave is positive for girl’s golf in Saskatchewan.

“I hope it sparks some new blood, we all know we need it. I have a couple juniors going up there to view the event so that’s positive. We don’t usually have the national championships, it’s once in awhile so definitely for the game in Saskatchewan it’s really positive,” he said.

Wheaton is already working on next year’s girls golf camp with hopes of doubling the participation numbers in the third year.

Golf Saskatchewan is returning to Elk Ridge Resort for the final provincial championship of the season.

The highly-touted 18-hole course will host the 2018 Mixed Team Championship beginning Saturday. Elk Ridge director of golf, Travis Schmidt said the course is in pristine shape for the 36-hole event.

“It’s in really good shape right now,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “We had some timely rain late in the spring, it was pretty dry in the first part of the season. We got some rain in late June and it’s in great shape right now.”

The last provincial championship at Elk Ridge was in 2015 when Anna Young won her fifth, and final Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Championship. In 2014 Colin Coben won the Senior Men’s Championship there as well. Schmidt said the course is ecstatic to welcome back another tournament.

“We’re really excited, we haven’t had a provincial tournament here for a few years so we’re really excited to have Golf Saskatchewan back at Elk Ridge,” he said.

The field will consist of 58 golfers, or 29 teams. Defending champions Aaron and Kate Robinson are in the competition looking to defend their title they won last year at the Willows Golf and Country Club. Golf Saskatchewan director of tournaments, Steve Ryde said Elk Ridge is a great venue for the mixed championship.

“The rules officials and Golf Saskatchewan staff are eagerly anticipating the event up north. Elk Ridge Resort is a world class facility that provides a wonderful atmosphere not only for golf but any special occasion. As for the course itself, the turf conditions are always top notch, the tree lined holes are intimidating to say the least. The eventual 2018 champions will have their work cut out for them,” Ryde said.

The format of the tournament focuses on a team game according to Ryde. 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 proceed with alternating shots until that ball is holed.

The groups will tee off for round one at 9 a.m. Saturday, the champions will be crowned Sunday. Online scoring is available here.

Saskatchewan’s mid-amateur champion is hoping for better results for the province than they showed at the national amateur event.

Mike Herperger will lead a contingent of 13 Saskatchewan golfers in to the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship in Victoria, B.C. from Aug. 21 to 24. Herperger finished at plus-18 over two rounds in Duncan, B.C. at the Canadian amateur. He said overall the experience was positive despite the result.

“It was awesome, it was disappointing with what I shot but I still got to see a bunch of things. I got to follow behind Kade (Johnson) who played awesome and Dave (Stewart). We finished top-five in the all the provinces, so it was good to see that,” Herperger told Golf Saskatchewan.

This year’s mid-amateur is taking place at the Victoria Golf and Country Club. Herperger said the team is hoping to build off last year’s tournament that featured heartbreak for Saskatchewan.

“I wish I could have helped the team in Duncan and gone a little lower, but overall we were happy. Looking to the mid-am now there was a three-foot putt missed to win the tournament last year so we’re hoping we can build off that,” he said.

Johnson and Shaun Dunphy were the lone Saskatchewan golfers to make the cut at this year’s amateur. Herperger said the entire group took some valuable lessons from the tournament.

“I think to stay patient. We went out right out of the gates and wanted to fire low and I don’t think that’s the best way to go at. Take your missed putts if you do miss them, make your shots when you can,” he said.

Joining Herperger will be fellow team Saskatchewan members Stewart and Mitchell Matichuk. Matichuk is replacing Jehremy Ryde who is out with an injury. The province has ten exemption spots as well, those will be filled by the following players.

-Shawn McNall
-Taylor Afseth
-Brett Henry
-Shaun Dunphy
-Travis Fifi
-Scott Thompson
-Brad Phelps
-Colin Coben
-Jason Mohr
-Ken Rodgers

Rule 3-2 Maximum score for a hole.

QUESTION: What is the maximum score a player may have for a hole?

ANSWER: The Rules of Golf do not set a maximum score for a hole; the ball must be holed (see Rules 1-1, 2-1, and 3-2).

In match play only, your opponent may concede your next stroke – see Rule 2-4.

The Golf Canada Handicapping System specifies a player must adjust their scores under Equitable Stroke Control prior to posting those scores for Handicapping purposes. Any adjustments for ESC are made after the round is completed. As an additional idea, Golf Saskatchewan suggests a format change to something like the Stableford or modified Stableford format (Rule 32-1b). Under this format, points are awarded based on you score. It keeps the pace of play and a player does not have to continue if she/he is having a bad hole. You simply pick up your ball and you receive 0 points or negative points based on the system.   

QUESTION: What score do I post for a hole not played?

ANSWER: If a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under the Rules of Golf (except for preferred lies), their score for that hole for handicap purposes shall be par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on the hole. When recording this hole score, precede the score with an “X”. This concept can also apply to a hole with a temporary green or tee which renders the hole substantially different from its usual form.

Example: A player with a Course Handicap of 10 receives a handicap stroke on the first 10 allocated handicap-stroke holes. If the player does not play the sixth allocated stroke hole because of construction on the green, the player shall record a score of par plus one for handicap purposes.

When you get to be 125 years old, one birthday party just won’t do.

So Victoria Golf Club, which was founded back in 1893, is having a year-long celebration of sorts to mark its notable anniversary. The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be played Aug. 21-24 on Victoria Golf Club’s spectacular seaside links, is a big part of that celebration.

“Our actual birthday is Nov. 7,” says head professional Lindsay Bernakevitch. “We are hosting a bit of a member’s tournament on that day or right around there, but that was the impetus behind us trying to get this national championship that we could host and celebrate our 125th with.”

In July, an outdoor gala was held with about 650 people in attendance. And earlier this month, Victoria’s putting green was the site of a special afternoon high tea.

Victoria Golf Club is the oldest 18-hole golf course still on its present site in Canada. It is also among the most beautiful anywhere.

It sits on a pristine piece of property on Gonzales Point in the seaside municipality of Oak Bay and offers stunning views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The course began as a 14-hole layout in 1893 and was expanded to 18 holes two years later.

In its early years, golfers shared the course with sheep and cows that grazed the property owned by the Pemberton family. In fact, early in its life the course was closed in the summer months.

“Golfers refrained from playing on the premises for three months each summer, leaving the fairways undisturbed for the animals,” Arv Olson wrote in his book, Backspin: 100 years of golf in British Columbia. “The putting greens were fenced to protect against hoof-prints. The members learned to adapt; they tolerated the hazards dropped by the voracious stock.”

Victoria’s most memorable holes are on the ocean side of the course. Those begin at No. 3 after crossing the road and continue through No. 10.

Its signature hole would be No. 7, which was once a long par 3 that has been converted to a par 4. The left side of the hole hugs the ocean and has a treacherous two-tiered green that tilts towards the ocean and has seen more than its share of three- and four-putts over the years.

In his only round at Victoria Golf Club, Ben Hogan managed to putt his ball right off the green and into the ocean.
“It was a par 3 in the ‘50s when he played,” recalls Mike Parker, Victoria’s former longtime head pro who now serves the club’s head professional emeritus. “He putted from the right edge of the green right into the water. In those days it was out of bounds, it wasn’t a lateral hazard, and Hogan said it was the only time in his career he putted a ball out of bounds. That’s kind of a neat story.”

Among Victoria’s most notable members over its 125-year history is A.V. Macan, who arrived in the B.C. capital from his native Ireland in 1910 and started a law practice. After winning his second straight B.C. Amateur Championship in 1913 at his new home course, Macan scrapped his law practice and began what became a prolific career as a golf course architect.

Victoria’s members are proud of their club’s rich history. For more than a century they have played an annual inter-club match with members of Seattle Golf Club. Apart from three years during the Second World War, the matches have been played every year since 1903.

“It is a friendly match, it’s like a friendly soccer game almost,” says Parker. “It is nice to win, everybody tries their best to win, but at the end of the day it’s really a social day to a great extent.”
Victoria Golf Club is, by today’s standards, a short course. Stretched to its absolute limit, it plays about 6,200 yards as a par 70.

“Typically, players look at the scorecard and say we are going to kill this course because it’s so short,” Parker says. “But in fact they don’t at all. . .It depends on the weather. There will be some good scores, some 65s, 66s that kind of thing. But not as many as people think.”

Back in 1993, to help celebrate its centennial, Victoria played host to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The winning score, by Australian Gary Simpson, was 281 or one-over par.

“On occasion you can go low here,” says head pro Bernakevitch. “I definitely have had low rounds. But the greens are tough here and especially if the wind blows a little bit, par is always a good score. You are never going to be far out of it if you shoot par. That being said, someone could have a hot week, you never know. But it is just one of those places that has enough quirks to it, that it always seems to hold its own.”

It should be noted that the wind almost always blows a little bit at Victoria. Sometimes, a lot more than a little bit.

Bernakevitch, a Saskatchewan native, is in his fifth year as head pro at Victoria and feels like he is one of the most fortunate guys in the business having landed at the club.

“When I quit the tour life and decided to settle down and get into the club side of the business, this is the place I wanted to be,” he says. “The funny thing is I did a goal-setting thing probably eight years ago and wrote this golf course on my list. I said I want to be the head pro at Victoria Golf Club, that is where I want to end up. So it is really surreal that it actually happened. It has been everything I have dreamed of. It is an awesome membership and just a fantastic golf course. I still pinch myself driving into work.”

It’s probably safe to say more than a few of the Mid-Amateur competitors will also be pinching themselves when they experience Victoria Golf Club for the first time. There has been a huge demand from players wanting to play the event at what is a truly special golf course. Bernakevitch says they won’t be disappointed.

“The course is beautiful right now,” he says. “The entire course is probably the best I have ever seen it. Everything from fairways to rough to fescue to greens is as good, as healthy and as perfect as I have seen it in my five years here. That is really exciting for us. Our members are having an awesome summer of golf and we are going to roll that into a big tournament week.”

At only 20 years old, it might be a bit too early to be talking about one’s legacy.  But when that person is Brooke Henderson and she has six LPGA Tour titles – including one major to her name – that is a topic which will inevitably come up for discussion.

In just in her third full season, the former member of Golf Canada’s national team program trails only Sandra Post – who captured eight LPGA Tour titles during her career – for most all time by a Canadian.

“The first chapter has only been written,” said said Lorie Kane, referring to the legacy Henderson is building through her success.

As an inductee to the Canadian golf hall of fame in 2016 and a member of the Order of Canada, Kane is very familiar with leaving a legacy and making an impact.

“She brings a great level of excitement to the game with her success,” added the four-time LPGA Tour winner about Henderson. “And she is growing the game.”

For her part, the 20-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. has some kind words about Kane – who she regards as a mentor.

“I remember playing a practice round with her when I was fifteen; and later that week we held hands and waved to the crowd while walking up the 18th hole. That was a special memory,” said Henderson.

“She’s really paved the way for Canadian golf.  She’s such a great ambassador for the game of golf; and it’s been incredible to learn from her expertise and experience.”

Kane is quick to point out that the young golfing superstar benefits from having a great supporting cast.

“Brooke is the product of a very good upbringing from her mom and dad and sister Brit who carries the bag that supports her,” she noted.

“She has also benefited a lot from being part of Golf Canada’s national team program,” Kane added.

Henderson, who first joined the national team program at the age of 14, credits her time with the team for a significant part of her success.

“I got so many opportunities to compete outside of Canada and in the U.S. We played in the British and world amateur championships and all over the world,” Henderson said.

“So being on the team really taught me a lot.  Not only from the coaches – but golf-wise we had access to a nutritionist, psychologist, strength and conditioning. I learned about all the aspects of the game of golf and that’s been very important to my development.”

Today, as a six-time LPGA Tour winner and a bona fide star in her sport, the 20-year-old golfer is grateful to be living out her childhood dream.

“It’s always been a dream since I was a little girl to play against the best golfers in the world; and I’m now very thankful to be able to do that every week and travel the world,” said Henderson, who started playing the sport at the age of three.

“Having six wins I feel so blessed and grateful to have that and hopefully I can continue on that trend.”

In terms of continuing on the success she’s enjoyed, Henderson isn’t shy about declaring her goal of one day capturing the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“This event is kind of like the sixth major out on the LPGA Tour and it means a lot to me. It would mean the world to mean to win this title in front of the Canadian fans.”

Looking at the bigger picture, the two-time CP Female Athlete of the Year is happy that her success has a ripple effect in terms of inspiring others to chase after their own version of greatness.

“I’m happy to be someone that the kids can look up to and be someone who inspires them to be the best person they can; so, they can chase after their dreams in sports, academics or whatever field of interest they may have.”

Henderson’s success has also provided her with a platform to address important causes close to her heart.

“I think its great to play on the LPGA Tour and play all around the world and be in a position where you can give back,” she said.

“And being a CP Has Heart Ambassador is one them. Just to see the difference this program is making and the lives they are saving is just extraordinary.”

Last year in Ottawa, the program raised $2M for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This year, the funds raised through the program will go to support the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“I’m really happy to be an ambassador alongside Lorie Kane.  And she does a really great job in raising awareness and helping to raise awareness so I’m following her lead,” Henderson added.

Also, in early April, with the devastation left behind by the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Henderson dedicated her victory at the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii to the victims and their families.

“What happened was extremely tragic and I was happy that I was able to win it for them and I was glad to be able to honour them in some way,” she said.

As the Smiths Falls, Ont. native prepares to compete in Saskatchewan for the first time in her career, she hopes to be able to honour the victims one more time with a strong performance in the third week of August at the Wascana Country Club.

Besides building a legacy through her stellar results on the golf course – and chasing down records in the process – the mature 20-year-old understands that a part of that legacy will also be defined by how she uses her platform away from the golf course.

“In the big scheme of things, I’m playing golf for a living and enjoying every minute of it,” said Henderson.

“This is my passion and it’s what I love to do. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to give back and inspire others along the way,” she added.

“And everyday, I’m just trying to be a better golfer and a better person.”

To see Keith Creel in action is to see efficiency personified.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Pacific is committed to precision and to providing safe, efficient and reliable rail service that connects Canadian commodities with the world.

While his passion for railroading runs deep, his passion for golf isn’t far behind.

On July 9, he was front and centre, letting the country know CP had extended its agreement with Golf Canada and the LPGA Tour to continue to sponsor the lone stop on the LPGA Tour schedule for the next five years, as well as continuing to invest in a myriad of other Golf Canada programs as well as sponsor LPGA Tour winners Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane.

“I’ve had history with this event for the last eight or nine years and there’s nothing that connects personally or professionally across the business in so many different areas with people and communities like golf does, especially in Canada,” said Creel, who also worked at CN Rail prior to moving to CP, the previous sponsor of the Canadian Women’s Open from 2006-2013.

Creel looks forward to the impact CP is going to have in the communities where the tournaments are played over the coming years. Saskatchewan, for example, is one of only two provinces in Canada that does not yet have a children’s hospital. With the estimated $2 million that will be raised for this year’s event, CP will play a starring role in making that a reality in 2019.

He also gets excited talking about the success of Henderson, who shot a tournament course record in 2017 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club on Saturday to get into contention.

“I don’t know if we’ll see anything like that again, and I hope I’m wrong because that was pretty special,” he said of Henderson’s run up the leaderboard.

Creel began golfing himself when he came to Canada in 2002 and started as “a hacker” in Winnipeg. Creel had some history at Magna Golf Club – the announced host site of the 2019 CP Women’s Open – having lived in the area previous and making fond memories with his family.

“I started to be a hacker and I loved hacking. I haven’t stopped since,” he explained with a smile.

At a time when corporate budgets are getting tighter and a stronger-than-ever business case needs to be made when it comes to be involved with programs or events, CP has doubled-down on their investment to be involved with golf in Canada.

Creel said both the “people return” and the “business return” of being involved with golf make a lot of sense to him, and the relationship with Golf Canada is one that is filled with synergies.

“The level of commitment and professionalism matches ours. It’s a good fit,” he said. “When you meet an organization that understands and gets you and they reflect the same thing it offers a very unique opportunities for partnership.”

Laurence Applebaum, who just celebrated one-year at the helm of Golf Canada as its CEO, says his personal relationship with Creel has been invaluable, as he’s gotten his feet wet in corporate Canada.

He calls him an “incredible partner and resource.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together this past year,” said Applebaum. “You realize how broad of a business he’s able to manage and how balanced he is with his family life as well. Keith is intimately involved with golf at all levels.”

Applebaum said Golf Canada is thrilled to have Creel and CP as a key partner for Golf Canada for the next five years, as the railway will also be a financial supporter of the Young Pro Program, Golf Canada’s National Team, and the title sponsor for the CP Women’s Leadership Summit (debuting this year in Saskatchewan).

With a five-year agreement, Applebaum says CP is showing its commitment to the sport in Canada and it’s showing the marketplace where its priorities lie.

“These companies want to be long term committed partners and it helps us plan our business, engage our fans, and tell people what we want to do. It gives us a runway for success,” said Applebaum.

“It’s a wonderful thing to share… an overall commitment to a sport with a five-year term signifies to the market that we’re really partners.”

With the 2018 CP Women’s Open on track and starting next week, Creel said it’s full steam ahead. But it’s not just for this year. It’s for the years ahead as well.

Creel is excited to use golf as a platform for its business to connect with millions across Canada.

“If you can take a sport that connects people emotionally and use it to sponsor heart health in Canada and to give back to the communities we serve… it’s just fantastic,” he said. “It gives an event to a community, but it also creates an emotional connection with our customers and families. I just do not know of another venue that offers all those things other than golf.”