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.

The team of Marie Wachno and Sheila Popowich are the champions of the 48^th Rosebowl that wrapped up at Hidden Hills of Shellbrook on Thursday.

The team from the Wynyard Golf Club held off Linda Sokul and Cheryl Lawrence (pictured below) over the two-day, 36-hole event. Wachno and Popowich finished at 28-under, 116 just two strokes ahead of Lawrence and Sokul.

Beryl Robinson and Donna McNaughton (below) finished in third place at minus-25.

Doreen Emmerson and Dawn Dunlap (below) won the prize for the most honest team.

The Rosebowl is a 36-hole net stroke play two ball better ball event for women golfers. To be eligible golfers must have a minimum handicap of 19. Players play their own ball and the better net score is what the team posts for the hole.

The complete leaderboard can be seen here.

A showdown between two friends ended up deciding the Moose Jaw Men’s Golf City Championship.

Trevor Benson edged Nick Lepine in a three-hole sudden death playoff at the Hillcrest Golf Club on Sunday to capture his second city title.

“It feels good, I feel like it would have been a lot different if I wasn’t playing Nick in the playoff, the nerves probably would have been there a bit more, but it definitely feels good,” said Benson.

Benson and Lepine are good friends off the course and have played plenty of rounds together on the course, which gave both golfers an extra feel of comfort heading into the playoff.

“Nick’s my best friend, so it was like we were just out playing,” said Benson. “We were kind of back-and-forth all day and we both didn’t finish the way that we wanted to, but with five holes left, we were like, ‘This is our time, we’re finally going head-to-head,’ and it’s too bad he missed that putt on the last hole, but it was fun.”

Lepine credits Benson with getting him into golf and added that it was a fun experience to battle his friend in a playoff.

“I never really golfed until I started golfing with Trevor, so even to be able to play in a playoff with Trevor is pretty cool, at this caliber too, it’s not just a Sunday or weekend round, it’s a tournament that means something, so it was pretty cool,” said Lepine.

Lepine had a few chances to close out the title, he put his tee shot tight on the 128-yard, par-three second hole, but had to settle for a two-putt par.

On the third playoff hole, the 513-yard, par-five third hole, Benson hit his tee shot behind some trees and had to chip out before flying his wedge shot over the green. Benson was able to finesse his chip in tight to recover and make a par.

Lepine had his chip from beside the green come up short and then he missed his par putt to give Benson the title.

“The missed putt on three and I had that putt for birdie on the second playoff hole, it just wasn’t my day,” said Lepine. “The last five holes, we were back-and-forth and the same thing in the playoff, it could have gone either way.”

Benson, Lepine, Chris Knopp and Bill McLean were just one shot off the lead heading in the final round. Tyler Muench held the solo lead after firing an opening round 68 at the Lynbrook Golf Club on Saturday. Knopp had the shot of the first round when he aced the par-three, 159-yard fifth hole at the Lynbrook.

The second round started on the right foot for Benson, but he cooled off on the back-nine to finish with a one-under 70, which had him level with Lepine, who also came in at one-under 70 on Sunday.

“The first hole I made an eagle, so I kind of got things rolling quick. I was three-under through three, but then I made a couple of bad bogeys,” said Benson.

“I haven’t golfed a ton this year, so the expectations weren’t really there, today was my tenth round of the year, but I just kept it in the middle and putted really good. My chipping was atrocious all day, even in the playoff until that last one.”

Muench fired a one-over 72 on Sunday to finish just one shot out of the playoff.

Knopp shot a two-over 73 and ended up three shots back in fourth place, while McLean posted an 80 on Sunday to end up ten shots behind Benson and Lepine.

Story and photo courtesy Marc Smith, www.discovermoosejaw.com

Yorkton’s Kade Johnson continues to move up the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Johnson, 19, was essentially perfect during round three of the event until he bogeyed hole 16 before carding a birdie on 17. The Deer Park member stroked five birdies on the day and just the lone one-over hole on route to a tidy 67, 4-under par. Johnson is now in a tie for 20^th at the event in Duncan, B. C. He will tee off for the fourth and final round at 9:14 a.m. Saskatchewan time on Thursday.

Saskatoon’s Shaun Dunphy also made the cut on Tuesday, he fired a plus-5, 76 on Wednesday. Dunphy currently sits in a tie for 68^th place. He begins his final round at 10:31 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Defending champion Zach Bauchou continues to lead at minus-13.

The leaderboard is available online here.

The 48^th annual Rosebowl began Wednesday at Hidden Hills of Shellbrook with the team of Marie Wachno and Sheila Popowich taking the first-round lead. The Wynyard, Sask. pair sits at minus-14.

The team of Cheryl Lawrence and Linda Sokul are tied for second place at minus-12 along with the pairing of Beryl Robinson and Donna McNaughton. Marg Adair and Bev Langton sit in fourth place at minus-10. Rounding out the top five is the team of Patricia Pratt and Carol Walsh.

The Rosebowl is a 36-hole net stroke play two ball better ball event for women golfers. To be eligible must have a minimum handicap of 19 to be able to participate. Players play their own ball and the better net score is what the team posts for the hole.

The second and final round begins at 9 a.m. Thursday. You can see the complete leaderboard here.

CTV Saskatoon took some time earlier this month to profile youth golf and the Wildwood Golf Course.

During the Aug. 1 episode of 9 Holes of Summer with CTV personality Mike Ciona, Tim and Brody Sawchyn played a hole while promoting junior golfing. Tim is the head pro at the course, he told Ciona that Wildwood has a big focus on youth golfing.

“We do group lessons in May and June, there is usually three to four programs a month. The junior golf rates at the Saskatoon city courses is really cheap. If a family wants to get their kids involved in golf the city courses are a great place to get involved,” Sawchyn said.

As the golf season expires into the later stages Wildwood has come up with a new deal to get golfers on the course. Tim

“A new program for us is twilight starts at 3 p.m. everyday. You pay for nine, you can play up to 18. For people working and can’t get to the course during the day it works. The rounds are quicker, and the price is right,” he said.

The trio played the 220-yard 12^th hole during the feature. Ciona grinded out a bogey, Tim parred the hole and Brody led the way with a birdie. He told Ciona how he played the hole.

“I put a good drive out there, a good wedge shot led to an even better putt,” Brody said.

You can see the feature in it’s entirety here.

QUALICUM BEACH, B.C. – Defending champion Zach Bauchou battled the extreme heat in Tuesday’s second round with a 3-under 68 to extend his lead to three strokes at the 114th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Bauchou, a Forest, Va., native, posted six birdies against three bogeys at co-host Pheasant Glen Golf Resort heading into the final two rounds back at Duncan Meadows.

“With all the par-3s you’re going to have to hit a lot of mid-irons—I was able to hit some really good shots and I putted really well too,” said the 22-year-old, greenside at No. 18. “I had some nice looks that I capitalized on today.”

The Oklahoma State junior grew his lead by one stroke on Tuesday and looks to stay aggressive in Wednesday’s third round.

“The goal is just to play as good as I can and make as many birdies as I can,” said Bauchou. “I’ve had some short game errors where I didn’t get up-and-down, so I’ll be looking to sharpen up my short game over the next two days and keep playing aggressively—pedal to the medal.”

Alone in second place is Gatineau, Que., resident Julien Sale, who shot a 2-under-par 69 at Pheasant Glen to move to 6 under for the tournament, three back of Bauchou.

“I’m just trying to put the ball in play and then go for the green and get the putter working well,” said Sale, who grew up in France. “For tomorrow, I’ll see if I need to be a bit more aggressive depending on how the other guys do.”

Sale’s efforts played a large part in helping Team Quebec capture the inter-provincial title to win their second straight Willingdon Cup. Alongside Sale were Team Canada members Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), who helped Quebec to a 10-under-par score and a seven-stroke win—their eighth victory all-time.

Congrats to Team Quebec, who captured the #CDNAm inter-provincial competition by 7 strokes to capture the second straight Willingdon Cup ????

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Aug 7, 2018 at 7:07pm PDT

Team Alberta was the only other team to finish under par, closing with a score of 3 under to finish alone in second place.

Also making significant moves on Tuesday were Garrett Rank and Justin Warren. Rank, an Elmira, Ont., native and Team Canada graduate, shot a 65 to tie the course record at Pheasant Glen. The 30-year-old climbed into a five-way tie for sixth place at 3 under for the tournament.

At Duncan Meadows, Australian Justin Warren carded a scorching 64 to set the new course record (Bauchou tied the old record of 65 on Monday). Warren, a senior at Little Rock, sits tied for 24th at even par.

A total of 71 players who finished 3 over par or better have advanced to the final two rounds of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be contested at Duncan Meadows.

In addition to claiming the title of 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont. from June 3-9.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

For full results click here.

East-central Saskatchewan’s largest trading centre isn’t leading the way in just shopping for Yorkton visitors, Deer Park Golf Course continues to be a key driver in the city’s tourism and recreation stats.

Deer Park has hosted every Golf Saskatchewan moderated championship within the last two decades including the men’s amateur. Golf operations manager Allan Sauser has been involved in all the championships. One of the province’s elite courses is known for hole eight, an elevated 100-yard, par three gem recognized by locals and visitors. Sauser is proud of their signature hole but water issues over three of the last four years during profitable weeks need to be addressed. He said changes are coming.

“With the new design I believe hole eight will be the new signature hole again. You will oversee hole 10 and 12 when you are on new hole eight, it’s going to be a fantastic hole. It’s sad to see it go but it’s more about drainage issues than us wanting to change a hole,” Sauser told Golf Saskatchewan.

Deer Park is one of the oldest courses in the province. Sauser said junior golf numbers are optimistic along with overall players at the 18-hole course. Sauser said the season has treated their course well.

“We’re seeing a real good year because of being in great shape. All the courses depend on weather and we’ve been really lucky,” he said.

Deer Park has been in the provincial spotlight of late, Saskatchewan amateur men’s champion Kade Johnson and 12-year-old phenom Ella Kozak both call Deer Park their home course. Sauser has worked with both up and comers. He said there are similarities between the two talented athletes.

“Kade has been keen since the start,” Sauser said. “It’s been a goal of his and his family to achieve something right from the beginning. It’s great to see him come up through the system, play college golf, and now winning the amateur which is fantastic.”

Johnson is currently tied for 42^nd at the 114^th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Kozak is winding down her busy summer on the course. She took part in the Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Championship in June earning a spot on the national team. Kozak finished second to Brooklin Fry in the junior girl’s tournament, also booking a Canadian championship birth. Kozak finished well back of the leaders in the events but Sauser said the experiences are unmeasurable.

“For someone her age to make both the women’s and junior’s championships, the future is only bright for her,” he said.

Deer Park will celebrate their 100^th year next summer. Celebration details will be announced in the future.

Yorkton’s Kade Johnson and Saskatoon’s Shaun Dunphy are still in the hunt at the Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship in Duncan, B.C.

Johnson, 19, the Saskatchewan amateur champion parred the Pheasant Glen Golf Resort course on Tuesday finishing at plus-2 after two rounds. The cut line was set at plus-3. Johnson opened his round with a pair of birdies, he bogeyed hole three but rebounded with another birdie on five. The Deer Park Golf Course member birdied eight and bogeyed nine to come into the turn at 2-under. The back nine was as clean, Johnson bogeyed holes 10, 11, and 16 before he birdied 18 to post a 71.

Meanwhile, Dunphy followed his opening round of 69 with a 5-over, 76. Although the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club golfer was seven strokes higher during round two, his 145 was good enough for a tie in 59^th place, just ahead of the cut line.

Ty Campbell played well Tuesday carding a 2-under par, but he missed the cut at plus-5 overall. Justin Wood finished at plus-8, David Stewart was plus-10. Roman Timmerman improved heavily on his round one 85 shooting a 73 on day two, he finished at plus-16, Humboldt’s Mike Herperger finished at 18-over. Liam Courtney and Keighton McNab, both of Saskatoon finished at plus-20 and 29-over respectively.

Johnson will tee off at 8:36 a.m. Wednesday, Dunphy begins his third round at 9:09 a.m. local time.

Zach Bauchou of Forest, Virginia is the leader at 9-under par.

Team Saskatchewan finished in fifth place in the inter-provincial competition, Quebec won the Willingdon Cup for the second straight year at 10-under. Saskatchewan finished at 12-over.

You can follow Johnson and Dunphy’s round here.

Elkridge’s annual Golf fore the Cure event raised over $21,000.

The total is slightly down from last year’s fundraising tournament but that is the local committee’s second highest total overall. Chair Verna Schneider said the event was a huge success.

“It was a great day,” she said. ‘The weather cooperated, golf moved well, we had 85 golfers. Everything went well, everyone had a good time.”

Golf fore a Cure is a national initiative to assist the Canadian Cancer Society and breast cancer research. Each year a national event takes place rewarding clubs for money they raised. Last year the Elkridge Golf Course event raised over $23,000 allowing Donna Dutchak, Cora Lee Dutchak, Brenda Dutchak, and Lee Anne Osler all travelled to Brantford, Ont. for the tournament. Schneider, a two-time cancer defeater said they will know by the end of August if they won again. She said winning isn’t an important motivator for participating. Schneider said the event brings their small community together and the support is overwhelming.

“I can’t name them all, there’s too much support. We had 24 hole sponsors, dinner sponsors, Elkridge just a great job, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without their help. There’s a lot of people to thank for our success,” she said.

The Kelvington Golf Club is hosting their Golf fore the Cure event on Aug. 14. Kelvington is having their tournament on Aug. 23.