Canadian culture extends its arms to welcome people of all race, ethnicity and background. A nation rooted in diversity, accessibility and inclusiveness has molded Canada into the one of the most accepting nations in the world. Now golf—with a new pilot program aligning junior golf life skills with student learning outcomes—is taking steps to make the sport more accessible in First Nations communities.

Golf Canada, working in conjunction with the PGA of Canada and The University of Ottawa, has partnered with Indigenous Northern Affairs of Canada (INAC) to pilot the Future Links Driven by Acura Golf in Schools program at Alexander First Nations, a community northwest of Edmonton, Alta.

A first of its kind pilot program integrating golf’s Life Skills with student learning outcomes, the Golf in Schools pilot ran from January through April at the Kipohtakaw Education Centre, supporting school curriculum and community engagement of students through golf.

For Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson, the Alexander First Nations pilot is an important step and learning opportunity in the continued growth of golf among underrepresented communities across Canada.

“First Nations engagement with golf represents an important growth opportunity for our sport in communities across Canada and we are extremely proud to be conducting this initiative in partnership with Indigenous Northern Affairs of Canada,” said Thompson. “Earlier this year Golf Canada proudly embraced a new policy around Inclusiveness, Accessibility and Diversity. This pilot program supported by INAC is a meaningful application of that policy which we believe has great potential to connect Golf Canada and our partners with more First Nations golfers and make the sport more inclusive.”

Vice Principal Suzzy Park shares her thoughts on the new #FutureLinks First Nations Pilot program ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/Rxklt3qEO3

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 9, 2018

In February, the PGA of Canada partnered with Golf Canada to host a Community Golf Coach workshop with eight participants at the education centre in Alexander. Over two days, teachers and community members were trained in golf fundamentals and tactics to help establish a safe, welcoming environment for junior golfers.

“With many people in Alexander golfing regularly and loving the sport, it made sense to partner with the PGA of Canada and Golf Canada to allow for growth of the sport in the community,” said Jody Kootenay, Director of Education with Alexander First Nations. “We have some amazing youth who could very well take their love of golf and make it more competitive. We wanted to allow for the sport to have not only coaches available to the youth, but to start showcasing pathways for the golfer who is just starting out—we wanted to ensure our children had that chance.”

An important feature of the Golf in Schools program is the Life Skills component which focuses on transferrable lessons—both interpersonal and intrapersonal—that can be applied outside the golf space in peer groups, at home, and within the community.

The Intrapersonal Life Skills—perseverance, goal-setting and emotional regulation—are meant to instill focus while the Interpersonal Life Skills—honesty, teamwork and respect—embody a sense of sportspersonship.

The University of Ottawa led the introduction of Life Skills integration with Golf in Schools and have since identified areas where the transfer of Life Skills are made in everyday activity. A student survey was conducted prior to the Alexander First Nations pilot to further the understanding of Life Skills applications in Canadian communities.

“Working with the Alexander First Nations was a meaningful step forward as we look to further expand the reach of golf in Canada,” said Glenn Cundari, Technical Director with the PGA of Canada. “We both learned a lot from each other and had some good laughs along the way.”

More than 50 students at the Kipohtakaw Education Centre are participating in the daily Golf in Schools unit during their Physical Education classes. Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are working to organize a teaching professional to deliver an in-school lesson as part of the Get Linked initiative, ultimately strengthening the golf community in Alexander.

The Golf in Schools program is equipped with a teacher-friendly learning resource to assist in the delivery of lesson plans for six components: Learning Outcomes, Equipment, Warm-Up, Task Development, Closure and Method of Assessment. The kit includes safe, age-appropriate golf equipment for all three tiers of the program: elementary, intermediate and high school.

Along with partners @pgaofcanada & @ottawa.university, we’re proud to launch the #FutureLinks First Nations pilot with Alexander First Nations ⛳️⛳️

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on May 9, 2018 at 11:39am PDT

As the Alexander First Nations pilot nears completion, Golf Canada is investigating opportunities to partner with additional First Nations communities to help grow the game. Since the launch of the pilot, nearly a dozen First Nations communities have expressed interest in integrating golf into their community programming.

To learn more about the First Nations golf initiatives or submit an application for consideration, please contact Adam Hunter, Golf Canada’s Manager, Grow the Game at ahunter@golfcanada.ca

Travelling the world for work isn’t for everybody, but for Yorkton’s David Kirstuik the opportunity has allowed him to experience golf at its finest across the globe.

The Deer Park Golf Course member became a fan of golf in the late 1990’s while he worked in Toronto. His career took him overseas to the South of France where his love for the sport flourished. Kirstuik’s job called for him to work on weekends but he took “full advantage” of the La Grande Motte Golf Club during days off. Admittedly Kirstuik became a better fan than player. He said attending an event in Beijing in 2005 was the start of something special.

“The first professional golf tournament I attended was the Volkswagen Masters China on the Asian Tour,” he said. “I was living in Beijing at the time and a golfing friend gave me a free ticket, Retief Goosen won.”

Since then the now retired Kirstuik has attended the HSBC WGC Shanghai, RBC Canadian Opens at Shaugnessy, Royal Montreal, Hamilton Golf and Country Club, and Glen Abby on three occasions. He’s seen The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, The Open at St Andrews, The Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, The Ryder Cup at Medinah, The Honda LPGA in Thailand, and The Masters five different times. He said the trips allow him to stay in touch with people across the world.

“My work took me all over the world, so I made friends in many countries.  I try to combine attending golf tournaments with visiting friends and other tourism,” Kirstuik said.

During a recent trip to The Masters, Kirstuik wore a Saskatchewan Roughriders hat and was serenaded with “green is the colour, football is the game” from a trio of lady golf fans. Kirstuik said wearing Rider green is a fast way to make friends.

“You meet a lot of Canadians all over the world when you wear your Rider green,” he said.

Kirstuik doesn’t have a favourite event to attend but The Masters at Augusta, Georgia and The Open at St. Andrews do stand out. Kirstuik has had the chance to play some remarkable championship courses as well including Torrey Pines, Bay Hill, and Siam Country Club Old Course. He said he’s a “high handicapper” so playing these courses makes you appreciate how good the professionals are.

“These courses are very difficult even from the front tees where I play from and make you appreciate how good the pros are playing from the tips. Occasionally, you see them shank or four putt and realize that they are human too,” Kirstuik said.

Golfing at the Old Course, which will host the 150^th Open in 2021 is on Kirstuik’s bucket list. He’s scheduled to play St. Andrews in August of next year. The next professional event he’s attending is the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Golf and Country Club in Regina. He will be a volunteer scorer during the tournament. He said the LPGA tour stop in Regina is a fantastic chance for people to take in a top-notch tournament.

“This is a great opportunity for Saskatchewan golfers to see some great golf. Anyone who has not attended an event should take advantage of this event,” he said.

The R&A is currently doing some research to find out about use of the www.randa.org website and what could be done to improve its website in future.

They are asking golfers, from Canada and abroad, to take a few minutes of their time to share their thoughts. It doesn’t matter if you have visited The R&A website in the past or not.

Please bear in mind they are seeking feedback specifically on the www.randa.org website rather than The R&A app, other publications or The Open website.

Please click here to start the survey.

This survey is being administered by SPORTS MARKETING SURVEYS INC. on behalf of The R&A. Any responses you give will be anonymous and confidential and will only be used in aggregate form for research purposes. No personally identifiable information is collected as part of this survey.

Rule 4-3 Club Broken After Slammed in Anger

SITUATION & QUESTION:
Dave is struggling on the course today. He hits another errant tee shot and in a fit of anger bends his driver as a result of intentionally slamming it on the ground in anger repeatedly.  Finally, in his last act of raging, throws the club 30 yards into the pond. May the player replace the damaged club before the completion of the stipulated round?

ANSWER:
No. As Dave’s club was damaged other than in the normal course of play, it may not be replaced during the round.

Dave should take a long look at himself in the mirror and ask if his behavior was appropriate on the golf course. Additionally, at any Provincial/National golf championship, Dave’s day and tournament would most likely be finished. Keep calm and carry on. Reminder …. Golf is a difficult game!

For additional information please See also Decision 4-3/1, Decision 4-3/7 and Decision 4-3/9.

https://www.facebook.com/golf/videos/10157220516347782/

TORONTO – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith fired a 3-under-par 69 on Monday to win medallist honours in Canada’s only U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Weston Golf and Country Club.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., birdied two of his opening three holes to find some early breathing room on a beautiful spring day at Weston. The 26-year-old went on to card two more birdies on the day to finish with a one-stroke victory, earning one of four spots available into the next stage of qualifying.

“I hit a lot of greens and my speed was good today… I kept it in front of me and if I missed a green I was in a spot that I was able to get up-and-down,” said Pendrith, greenside at No. 18.”

The win marks a promising sign for the Team Canada veteran, who’s looking for things to go his way following injury problems his last couple seasons.

“I feel good – it’s really nice to finally hit a ball without pain,” added Pendrith. “I feel almost 100 per cent and my game feels really good, I’m confident for the summer.”

#TeamCanada Young Pro Squad’s @TaylorPendrith is your #USOpen Qualifier medallist with a 3-under-par 69 ??? pic.twitter.com/Rox5MOKDPA

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 7, 2018

Trailing Pendrith was co-runner-up Tyson Turchanski, a Calgary, Alta., native and junior at Waterloo University. Turchanski posted a steady 2-under 70, with a total of 14 birdies on the day.

“Just kept it really simple out there… swung as easy as I could,” said Turchanski, the lone amateur to advance to sectional qualifying. “The course [Weston] was solid – it sets up nice for game. Makes you think a little and if you hit in the right spots, you get rewarded.”

Stephane Dubois of Brantford, Ont., punches his ticket for the second consecutive year. His round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole, one of two eagles posted on Monday at Weston. Dubois advances with his mother (and caddie) by his side, a relationship which continues to pay dividends.

Rounding out the four men to advance was Nick Kenney of Toronto. Kenney, an assistant PGA of Canada professional at The National, began the day 4 under through five holes, before eventually cooling off on the back nine to close at 1 under for the day.

The four to advance are among 100 that will play in 36-hole sectional qualifying events at 12 locations across the United States on June 4 (except for Japan sectional on May 21).

James Seymour of Aurora, Ont., is the first alternate and Thomas Code, an amateur from Dorchester, Ont. is the second alternate.

Designed by Willie Park, Jr., the storied Weston Golf and Country Club was home to Arnold Palmer’s first PGA TOUR victory – the RBC Canadian Open in 1955.

Click here for full results.

More information on local qualifying can be found here.

THE TOP-4 ADVANCING TO SECTIONAL QUALIFYING

1. Taylor Pendrith, Richmond Hill, Ont. | 69 (-3)
T2. Tyson Turchanski (a), Calgary, Alta. | 70 (-2)
T2. Stephane Dubois, Brantdord, Ont. | 70 (-2)
4. Nick Kenney, Toronto, Ont. | 71 (-1)

COURTENAY, B.C. —Amateur Jake Shuman claimed medalist honours at the fifth and final Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community, shooting a final-round 68 to edge fellow American Brinson Paolini. William Griffin finished third.

Shuman was under-par in each of his four rounds, playing the par-5s in 13-under, birdieing all eight in the final two rounds.

The Duke senior birdied his first hole of the final round before giving one back on the third. The product of Needham, Massachusetts, quickly bounced back, making birdie at the fifth and sixth before making his final bogey of the tournament, on the seventh.

From there on in, Shuman played marvelous golf, sandwiching a birdie on 13 between circles on his scorecard at Nos. 10 and 15, closing the day with three pars for the victory.

“If that’s not the best tournament I’ve ever played, it’s one of the best,” said Shuman, following his round.

Putting heat on Shuman down the stretch was Paolini, another Duke alum. After making nine pars on the front nine, Paolini birdied 10 and then made three in a row from the 15th to the 17th to get within one shot of Shuman.

Paolini had a 20-foot look for birdie on the 18th that narrowly slid by the hole as he settled for the runner-up position.

Griffin pieced together three of the best rounds of the tournament, highlighted by his second-round 65, including an ace that gave him the lead going into the third round.

Griffin battled back Friday from his third-round 73, capping a bogey-free 66 with a 15-foot birdie putt on 18.

Amateur Grant Hirschman, a senior at the University of Oklahoma, finished fourth, and fellow amateur Chandler Blanchet, who tied for fifth alongside Nicholas Pandelena, won a playoff to receive status through the first eight events. Pandelena receives status through the first four events.

Canadian Riley Wheeldon paced the Canadian contingent in the field, closing at 11 under par to finish with a share of seventh place. Growing up in Comox, B.C., Wheeldon has played a number of rounds at Crown Isle, with Friday’s round one of his more important ones. A winner on the Mackenzie Tour in 2013, Wheeldon shot his second 67 of the week to jump 13 spots. Wheeldon will be exempt for the first eight events, subject to the second reshuffle.

Four other Canadians finished between 17th and 40th to earn conditional status for the 2018 campaign:

• Brett Hogan (a) | Calgary
• Jake Duvall (a) | Victoria, B.C.
• Bret Thompson | Winnipeg, Man.
• Devin Carrey | Burnaby, B.C.

Click here for full scoring.

Parings are available online here.

Follow scoring online as players complete their rounds by clicking here.

(more…)

PORTLAND, Ore. – Ending his career as arguably the most dominant player in conference history, Simon Fraser senior Chris Crisologo is once again the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, headlining four selections to the 2017-18 GNAC Men’s Golf All-Conference Team.

Crisologo, now a three-time GNAC Player of the Year, is the first four-time First Team All-GNAC men’s golf selection. The senior was named the GNAC Player of the Week on four occasions this season and leads the conference with a 70.6 stroke average. He had seven top-five finishes, which includes a tie for fifth at the GNAC Championships and a first-place finish in October’s Concordia Invitational. Crisologo will also make his fourth appearance at the NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional next week in Amarillo, Texas.

The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member is also the Clan’s first-ever NCAA first-team All-American selection (2017).

In his first full season at the helm, Simon Fraser head coach Matthew Steinbach was chosen by his peers as the GNAC Coach of the Year. Steinbach led the Clan to its first conference championship since the 2015 campaign after guiding SFU to a nine-stroke victory at the GNAC Championships.

Crisologo is the only repeat selection to the First Team. Joining him on the First Team are Clan senior Craig Titterington, sophomore Sy Lovan and sophomore Scott Kerr.

Crisologo’s efforts also earned him a selection as a semifinalists for the 2018 Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award.  Nicklaus Award recipients will be announced May 31 with the honour presented by Jack Nicklaus at a ceremony during the final round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

In addition to receiving the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, the five recipients will compete in the Barbasol Shootout for an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship, held July 16-22, at the Champions at Keene Trace in Lexington, Ky. The Barbasol Shootout will be held Saturday, June 2 at the storied Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio – the same club where Jack Nicklaus first learned the game of golf as a young boy.

Earning his first all-conference selection, Titterington helped Simon Fraser earn its second GNAC title after leading the team with a 4-under 209 to finish in second place at the GNAC Championships. Titterington is also fourth on the team with a 75.2 stroke average.

Lovan and Kerr have played instrumental roles in the Clan’s successful season. The duo finished in fourth and tied for fifth at the conference championships and are among GNAC leaders in stroke average. Kerr is second on the team with four top-10 finishes and was the individual medalist in September’s Western Washington Invitational after shooting a 10-under par 206.

Simon Fraser and Western Washington will participate in next week’s NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. —The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced today that its newly created Osprey Valley Open, the first Greater Toronto Area-based tournament in Mackenzie Tour history, will be played July 19-22 at Osprey Valley Golf Course in Caledon, Ontario. In conjunction with the addition of this tournament to the 2018 schedule, the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval is moving to a previously open date on the schedule, September 6-9, at Elm Ridge Country Club in L’Île-Bizard, Quebec.

Osprey Valley is a 54-hole facility, featuring three courses all designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Doug Carrick — the Hoot, the Heathlands and the Toot courses. The Osprey Valley Open will be held at the Toot Course, a parkland-style layout that features rolling fairways, large landing areas and undulating greens. At its longest, the par-72 Toot measures 7,151 yards.

“We’re pleased to add the Osprey Valley Open to our 2018 schedule and look forward to a long and lasting partnership with this beautiful facility,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “We’re certainly happy to be playing in the Greater Toronto Area for the first time, and we think our players will love what they see once they arrive on the property.”

The Osprey Valley Open will be the seventh tournament on the schedule and features a $200,000 purse, with $36,000 going to the winner. The Osprey Valley Open will be played the week prior to the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open, Canada’s national open set for July 26-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. The top-three players on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit following the conclusion of the Osprey Valley Open will receive invitations to play in the RBC Canadian Open.

“We are delighted to be welcoming a Mackenzie Tour event to Osprey Valley. Hosting some of the world’s top up-and-coming players this summer provides us a wonderful opportunity to showcase what we believe makes Osprey Valley such a special place,” said Osprey Valley President Chris Humeniuk. “We are looking forward to working with the Mackenzie Tour and launching a successful event.”

When the Mackenzie Tour initially released its 2018 schedule, it had not announced the tournament that would fill in the September 6-9 dates. The Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval moved to the early September dates to allow for a better flow to the schedule.

This will be Elm Ridge’s first year hosting the tournament, with Circuit Canada Pro Tour serving as the host organization. Members established Elm Ridge Country Club in 1924, with the current facility opening in 1960, with two 18-hole golf courses. The club’s North Course will be the site of the Mackenzie Investments Open. A year ago, Web.com Tour member Hank Lebioda won the inaugural tournament by eight strokes.

“The members of Elm Ridge Country Club are honored and pleased to host the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval. We are looking forward to welcoming the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada players and all golf fans and enthusiasts to our most special and accommodating club for an unparalleled golf show,” said Randy Moncrieff, Elm Ridge General Manager. “It is also a pleasure to partner with the sponsors, Mackenzie Investments and Jaguar Laval, as well with the charity involved, CHU Ste-Justine Foundation.”

“I know the players love traveling to the Montreal area, and they will certainly find Elm Ridge to be not only an enjoyable place to play but a great test of golf, as well,” Monday added.

In late-May, early June, the Mackenzie Tour will embark on its sixth year, with the season beginning May 31-June 3 at the Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 13-tournament schedule concludes September 13-16 in London, Ontario, for the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

Mackenzie Tour players will once again look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR by leveraging their performances into advantages to reach the next level. The Order of Merit winner will be fully exempt on the Web.com Tour for the following season, with Nos. 2-5 earning conditional membership. Those players Nos. 2-10 will also earn an exemption into the Final Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, while Nos. 11-20 on the Order of Merit will earn an exemption into the Qualifying Tournament’s Second Stage.

Players will look to follow in the footsteps of PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes, Tony Finau and Nick Taylor, along with rest of the 20 alumni who have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR cards. More than 160 Mackenzie Tour players have gone on to earn status on the Web.com Tour, including 72 for the 2018 season.

Vancouver – The  Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) presented by Boston Pizza has announced former Golf Canada staff member Russell MacKay as their new Operations Manager.

MacKay, a graduate in Recreation and Sport Business from the University of Waterloo where he was a member of the University’s Men’s Golf Team, spent three co-op terms with Golf Canada after which he joined the Association full-time to work in Amateur and Professional Championships.

MacKay relocated to British Columbia in 2016 to undertake the role of Membership and Events Manager for the PGA of BC, and has now transitioned to a national role with Canada’s most-played Junior Golf Tour.

“I am excited to apply the knowledge and experiences gained in many different facets of the golf industry to help the MJT continue its growth,” said MacKay, who will be working with MJT National Operations Director, Trent Matson and MJT Director of Marketing and Administration, Elaine Denton.

The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to provincial, national, university and professional levels. Registration for tournaments is ongoing and the full MJT National schedule is available online at www.maplejt.com.