Yorkton’s Kade Johnson is being honoured for a solid second season of college golf in the United States.

Johnson took up the game as a nine-year-old encouraged by his grandfather, after playing numerous seasons at York Lake and Deer Park in Yorkton the 19-year-old is now playing at Southern Arkansas University in the NCAA Division II. Recently Johnson received an honourable mention among the All-GAC men’s golf awards. Johnson was the lone Canadian among the list of 15 players. He said the recognition was nice to receive following his second year.

“Yes exactly, we had our awards banquet the other night and it was great to receive that,” he said.

Johnson was the top finisher for his school in 10 of 21 team rounds this year. On the season he averaged 74.5. Johnson shot over 70 just once this year and carded in the 60’s three times. Overall, he said the season was memorable.

“It was awesome, we play at a beautiful golf course, another one is nice, the coach has been great. This past season was really good,” Johnson said.

The 2016 provincial junior champion in Saskatchewan is currently preparing for finals and will return to the province this summer. Johnson said he will play the men’s amateur championship and the annual Lobstick in Waskesui among other tournaments. He said playing the IMG Academy Junior World Championship last July was an unforgettable experience.

“You go to a tournament that Tiger Woods won and others on the tour have won that was great. To finish off my junior career at the Canada Games was a nice touch too,” Johnson said.

Johnson will return to Arkansas in the fall and continue his collegiate career. He appreciates the education he’s receiving but when his schooling is complete he hopes to turn professional.

“If my game is where I want to be I will give it a shot. It’s what I’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” he said.

Golf Saskatchewan has a new president among the organization’s board of executives.

Delbert Betnar is taking over for Kyle Mulligan after the Regina resident was voted into the position on Saturday at Golf Saskatchewan’s annual general meeting. Betnar was serving as vice-president of the association. Betnar has been involved with Golf Saskatchewan for 15 years, the member of the Joanne Goulet Golf Course in Regina said taking the board’s top position is exciting.

“Originally when I got on the board I had no inklings of ever being president,” Betnar said. “After some arm twisting by Kyle (Mulligan) I thought yeah, this is something I’m looking forward to,” he said.

Betnar’s ideology is on par with Golf Saskatchewan’s goals. Focusing on women’s golf is a large concentration heading into the 2018 season. Betnar said he’s optimistic about the year ahead.

“We’re celebrating 100 years of the women’s amateur championship and the CP Ladies Open is in my back yard, so this is going to be a lot of fun,” Betnar said.

The board consists of nine members, two are new, seven are returning. Betnar is looking forward to working with the group.

“I think getting people who run golf courses to help us understand how golf courses are run helps us do things better,” Betnar said.

Members and stakeholders within Golf Saskatchewan travelled to the Willows in Saskatoon Saturday for the organization’s annual general meeting.

The almost 50 attendees heard from outgoing president Kyle Mulligan, Golf Canada’s Susan MacMillon and Laura Small spoke and CEO Laurence Applebaum provided a video message praising the work of Saskatchewan’s golf body. Golf Saskatchewan executive Director Brian Lee also spoke to the crowd, that likely would have been larger except for 18 people attending a coach’s seminar in the same building. Lee said 2017 was an above par year for the association.

“Our board passed a deficit budget in the beginning of 2017, but we actually came under that particular number with some year end adjustments,” he said after the new board briefly met. “I know from the amount of people that played our championships and attendance on courses province wide, overall we had a very successful year.”

Grassroot programs such as the CN Future Links initiative up to the professional competitor’s experiences last year were among the highlights for Lee in 2017. With a full slate of events in store this season including Golf Fore a Cure tournaments across Saskatchewan raising money for breast cancer research women’s golf is going to be a focus. Lee said an LPGA event in Regina will lead the way.

“We’re definitely looking forward to the event from Aug. 20 to 26 when the Wascana Golf and Country Club hosts the LPGA event. The 100^th playing of our amateur women’s championship is a major highlight along with a celebration of women’s golf that is going to take place on June 29^,” Lee said.

More details will be released shortly regarding that event. The financial details were provided via treasurer Todd Bergstresser. The upcoming budget year shows a deficit of roughly $84,000. Lee said a larger staff and planning for the CP Women’s Open and the group’s role in the tournament is the reason.

“We have a very strong reserve fund just in case,” Lee explained. “This is a one-time expenditure, it’s not something we will do year over year, the board is aware of that. It also doesn’t include any sponsorship deals unless the invoice has been signed,” Lee said.

An election occurred as well filling four seats on the executive board. Kyle Mullligan concluded his two-years as president but will remain on the board in the past president role. Former vice-president Delbert Betnar is the new Golf Saskatchewan president. Bergstresser remains on the board as well and keeps his title of treasurer. Don Kunkel is the new vice-president. Kevin Duchscherer, Judy Sefton, Ben Findlay will continue to serve on the board. Jasmine Jackman and Larry Wagman join the group. Mark Galambos and Dave Forster’s terms on the board came to an end. Golf Saskatchewan is pleased with the work the outgoing, returning and new members are providing.

The 100^th women’s amateur women’s event is next up for Golf Saskatchewan at the end of June at the Harbor Golf Club and Resort. Courses across Saskatchewan are starting to open this weekend. Lee said the season is here and excitement for a busy summer is building.

“Get out and play, find someone that has never tried it and encourage them to try this great game,” he said.

“Ah, our members don’t need it.”

“Nobody uses it at our course.”

“Our members don’t play competitively!”

Well, these are the top 3 responses our office has received over the last 10 years.  The surprising thing is anyone who is a member of a Saskatchewan golf course or a recreational player could use the benefits of the Golf Canada membership. Who wouldn’t like to tee it up knowing they were protected up to $6,000.

A review of the protection items are shown below:

For more information, please contact Candace Dunham at 306-975-0850 or by email.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit our website. We are excited to showcase our new website. If you visit other golf association websites such as Golf Canada, Alberta Golf, Golf New Brunswick, Golf Manitoba, PEI Golf Association or Nova Scotia Golf Association you will see a similar look and feel.

One of the strategies we have is to work together more instead of separately.  One digital platform is a move in the right direction.

As we work things out to familiarize the new technology, if you notice anything not working properly or don’t know where to look, please contact our office.

We hope you have enjoyed the spring so far and we welcome you to the 2018 golf season which official kicked off on April 15th, even though you were not able to tee it up.

Golf Saskatchewan will close the books on the 2017 year at the organization’s annual general meeting (AGM) Saturday, April 28.

This year the provincial golf governing body will hold the meeting at the Willows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon. Among the mandatory include the approval of the financial statements, bylaws adjustments if necessary and changes to the board of directors.

After two years as president, Kyle Mulligan’s (pictured above front-center) term will officially come to an end. Along with a new president, three three-year term positions on the board of directors will be filled. There is a single one-year term position as well. Six people are vying for the open spots, an election will be held during the meeting.

Susan MacKinnon, a member of the board of directors for Golf Canada will speak during the AGM.

The meeting, that begins at 10:30 a.m. is open to Golf Saskatchewan members, invited golf stakeholders, sponsors, staff, and board members.  Over 5o people are expected to attend.

Meeting Information:

• AGM Report including Financials for YE Dec 31, 2017

MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Hugo Bernard climbed six places in the world rankings to break into the Top 50 for the first time in his amateur career, settling in at No. 48. The Golf Canada National Team member is coming off a recent tie for 12th at the Terra Cotta Invitational and a runner-up finish at the Azalea Invitational.

Fellow Golf Canada National Team member Chris Crisologo made the biggest gain among the Top 10, picking up 17 places. The senior was leading Simon Fraser to the GNAC Men’s Golf Championship, the results of which will be factored into the rankings next week.t

Honourable mention goes to Eric Shea of Brantford, Ont., who picked up 434 spots in the world rankings after taking medalist honours at the Conference Carolinas Men’s Golf Championship.

Brendan Macdougall, the No. 14 ranked amateur in Canada, captured medalist honours at the Big South Championship. The Calgary native became the first player at High Point University to take individual honours at the tournament while scoring the lowest round in the school and the tournament history.

Biggest move: Spencer Rhodes of Port Alberni, B.C. gained 451 spots in the world rankings after finishing 11th at the SWAC Championship. The sophomore at Alcorn State also captured All-Conference Second-Team honours.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Michelle Ruiz made the biggest gain among the Top 10, picking up 123 spots in the world rankings after going wire-to-wire and setting a 54-hole tournament record to claim medalist honours at the SSC Championship. The result enabled the senior from Nova Southeastern University to climb two places up to No. 5 in the Canadian rankings.

No. 2 Jaclyn Lee moved up 18 places in the world rankings, capping a record setting performance, going wire-to-wire to win medalist honours at the Big 10 Championship. It was the third NCAA title of the year for the Golf Canada National Team member, who was also named first team All-Big Ten and also received an exemption into the Symetra Tour event to be played at the end of June. The result also moved Lee up to a career-high No. 65 in the world rankings

Valerie Tanguay picked up 23 places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for eighth at the Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship. The result also earned the Oklahoma senior Big 12 Tournament Team honours.

Jessica Ip jumped 25 places in the world rankings after ending her collegiate career at Iowa with a tie for 25th at the Big Ten Championship.

Honourable mention goes to Annie Lee, who jumped 122 spots in the world rankings after claiming medalist honours at the MAAC Championship for the second time in her collegiate career.

Biggest Move: Abbie Anghelescu of Wolfe Island, Ont., gained 444 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 17th at the C-USA Championship

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

MEN’S TOP 10

David Hearn climbed 34 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 16th at the PGA’s Valero Texas Open. The result was worth 3.30 world ranking points, his first points-paying finish of the year and his first world ranking points since November 2017. The result also ended a 15 week slide in the world rankings for the once former top ranked Canadian.

Former Golf Canada Young Pro team member Corey Conners picked up 17 places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 26th at the PGA Valero Texas Open. The result was worth 1.96 world ranking points, his third points-paying finish in the last five tournaments he’s played.

Austin Connelly gained four places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 13th at the Trophee Hassan II. It’s his best finish this season on the European Tour and the result was worth 2.24 world ranking points, his first points-paying result of the season. It also helped him reclaim the No. 5 ranking in Canada from Benjamin Silverman.

Four weeks after slipping out of the Top 10, Richard T. Lee returns to take over the No. 10 ranking in Canada.

Outside the Top 10, Beon Yeong Lee jumped 576 spots to debut at No. 20 ranking in Canada after finishing in a tie for fifth at the China Tour’s Colorful Yunnan Classic.

Other notable results: No. 3 Mackenzie Hughes and No. 4 Nick Taylor both missed the cut at PGA Valero Texas Open; No. 6 Benjamin Silverman finished tied for 45th at PGA Valero Texas Open; No. 7 Adam Svensson missed the cut at Web.com Tour North Mississippi Classic;

Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.

WOMEN’S TOP 10

Top ranked Brooke Henderson slipped a spot in the world rankings down to No. 14. A week after she picked up her sixth career LPGA title, Henderson missed the cut at the LPGA’s LA Open, only the third time this year she has failed to qualify for the weekend. However, her result had less to do with falling in the world rankings and everything to do with Moriya Jutanugarn, who won the event and climbed six places in the world rankings which included moving past Henderson.

Other Notable Results: No. 2 Alena Sharp and No. 3 Maude-Aimee Leblanc missed the cut at LPGA LA Open; No. 5 Anne-Catherine Tanguay finished 70th at the LPGA LA Open;

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

SAN ANTONIO – Grayson Murray fixed a flaw in his swing and hit the ball well enough that blustery conditions weren’t an issue for him Thursday in the Valero Texas Open.

Coming off a missed cut at Hilton Head last week, Murray made seven birdies for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot lead. His only mistake was a double bogey from a greenside bunker on the par-3 seventh hole.

“Just the fact I did give myself enough opportunities today for birdie, it took a lot of pressure off,” Murray said.

Of the five players at 68, only Chesson Hadley played in the morning side of the draw, and he called it among his best rounds of the year because of gusts. The wind died in the afternoon and scoring improved slightly on the AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore, Billy Horschel and Matt Atkins each posted 68. Horschel and Moore played bogey-free.

“Struck the ball really well, something that we’ve been working hard on,” Horschel said. “Could have been better, yeah. I didn’t really make anything out there today. But I’m happy with it.”

Sergio Garcia, who consulted Greg Norman on the design of the course, played the Texas Open for the first time since 2010 and shot a 74. Adam Scott failed to make a birdie in his round of 75. Scott is at No. 59 in the world and needs to stay in the top 60 by May 21 to be exempt for the U.S. Open.

Harris English was in the group at 69, while two-time Texas Open champion Zach Johnson, Nick Watney and Brandt Snedeker were among those at 70. Johnson saved his round by going 5 under over his final five holes, starting with a 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th hole. He birdied the last three.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., were tied for 12th at 2-under 70. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was tied for 21st at 1 under, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was at even par and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was 4-over 76.

Murray was coming off a pair of top 15s at Bay Hill and the Houston Open when his game got away from his last week in the RBC Heritage, and he shots 74-70 to miss the cut. He got that sorted out in the five days between teeing it up in San Antonio.

He said he was coming down too steep, which meant he would flip his hands and hit a sharp draw or pull out of it and hit it short and right.

“I was hitting each club 10 yards shorter than I normally do, and you can’t play like that because your caddie is trying to give you a number and a club, and you keep hitting these bad shots or keep coming up short,” Murray said. “I got back to the basics with the setup and the takeaway, got my club in a better position at the top, which kind of frees my downswing. Then I can start going at it.”

Even so, Murray thought he wasted his good start – three birdies in his six holes – when his bunker shot at No. 7 came out with no spin and rolled off the green into a deep swale. He hit his third short to about 7 feet, but missed the putt and took double bogey.

“I would have loved to limit that to a bogey because bogeys don’t really kill you – doubles are the ones that now you’ve got to have an eagle or two birdies to come back with, and out here it’s kind of tough to make birdies,” Murray said. “But I kept my head. My caddie keeps me very positive out there, that’s why I think we could finish 4 under the last nine holes.”

Only 34 players in the 156-man field managed to break par.

Horschel missed four birdie chances inside 18 feet on the back nine. What pleased him the most was the way he struck the ball, particularly after his tie for fifth last week at the RBC Heritage. Horschel was one shot behind going into the last round and closed with a 72.

But he’s all about momentum, and he can only hope this is the start of one of his runs. Horschel won the FedEx Cup in 2014 when he finished second and won the final two playoff events.

“I’m a big momentum player. I’ve got to get the train moving forward,” he said. “I’ve always been a guy who gets on a little roll, get that train moving and jump in that winner’s circle.”

This fourth of five official 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournaments takes place this week at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, Florida, as 132 players compete for various levels of status on the PGA TOUR’s development circuit.

Eight Canadians are among the field competing for membership on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, where this week’s medalist receives an exemption for the entire 2018 season. Those finishing 2nd through 5th (no ties) are exempt for first eight events and subject to second re-shuffle, while those finishing 6th through 16th (no ties) are exempt for first four events and subject to the first re-shuffle. Golfers finishing 17th through 40th (plus ties) receive conditional status.

Leading the Canadian contingent is Sebastian Szirmak of Toronto. The Mackenzie Tour veteran played in 10 of the 12 tournaments last year – a tie for 19th at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops in Ottawa was his top finish. He opened the tournament in Ottawa with a 68-68-66 start and was only four strokes off the lead entering the final round before a Sunday 72 derailed his chances. He enjoyed two top-10s in 2016—both ties for 10th (at the Staal Foundation Open and the Cape Breton Open).

Here’s a full list of Canadians among the field:

• Pierre-Alexander Bédard (Chibougamau, Quebec)
• Bradford Curren (Hammond Plains, Nova Scotia)
• Sonny Michaud (Neuville, Quebec)
• Cory Racioppo (Vaughan, Ontario)
• Gajan Sivabalasingham (Stouffville, Ontario)
• Turner Southey-Gordon (Toronto, Ontario)
• Sebastian Szirmak (Toronto, Ontario)
• Christopher Wilson (Timmons, Ontario)

The Mackenzie Tour provides players with the opportunity to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR by rewarding high finishers on the Order of Merit with steps toward and status on the Web.com Tour. The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. Since the Tour’s inception, 166 alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

MAINEVILLE, Ohio – Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee etched her name in the history on books on Sunday, tying a 54-hole scoring record at the Big 10 Championship en route to a four-stroke victory.

Lee, a three-time National Amateur Squad member, went wire-to-wire at TPC River’s Bend, kickstarted by an opening-round 66—the lowest score of the tournament. The Ohio State junior followed with a second-round 68 and battled through a tense final round which saw her lead shrink to as little as one.

“This means a lot to me,” Lee said, greenside at the 18th. “It was a goal that I set at the beginning of the year and I’m so happy to achieve it. After coming in to the final round with a five-stroke lead, things got a little nerve-wracking today but I’m glad to walk away with the title. To tie the record and have my name in the history books is pretty cool, too.”

The win marks the third NCAA title of the year for the 20-year-old—she collected victories at both the Westbrook Spring Invite and the East & West Match Play.

Your @bigten champion, @JaclynLee57!! ??? pic.twitter.com/RPzkSgKwHH

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 22, 2018

Collectively, the Buckeyes finished fourth at 1 over par. Lee will lead the Buckeyes into the NCAA Regionals, getting under way on May 7.

Click here for full scoring.