Three amateur golfers from Saskatchewan will receive exemptions into the 2023 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open.

Elk Ridge Resort junior golf member and current Robert Morris University senior Josh Nagy, 2022 Golf Saskatchewan men’s Order of Merit Tour champion Danny Klughart of Prince Albert and Regina product and current NHL star with the Columbus Blue Jackets Cole Sillinger will all be included in the field.

Nagy Bio | Sillinger Bio | Klughart Bio

One more spot is available and that is reserved for the champion of the upcoming Scotia Wealth Open in Nipawin on June 3 – 4 at the Evergreen Golf Course. Nagy is the defending champion.

The Elk Ridge Open is slated for Elk Ridge Golf Resort from June 19 – 25. This will be the third scheduling of the event, in 2021 the first running of the event was scaled down due to COVID-19 restrictions. The 2022 event was rained out.

Two southern Saskatchewan golfers are going to tee it up again for Kidsport this June.

Using one of the longest days of the year for sunshine, Regina’s Brian Fitzpatrick and Carnduff’s Kris Carley will participate in a fundraiser for Kidsport Saskatchewan on June 22 at the Carnduff Golf Club. The duo will play as many holes as they can while taking donations for the organization that assists getting kids into sports that may not have the opportunity to finances. Fitzpatrick presented a cheque of $4,500 to the organization in 2019.

“Kidsport gives back 100 percent of their donations, so that put them at the top of my list,” Fitzpatrick said. “We both have kids, we both like sports, that was why I decided to go with Kidsport.”

In 2019 at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club Fitzpatrick and Carley played 115 holes over a span of 17 hours. The pair hope to beat that mark this year at the nine-hole Carnduff club, Carley’s home course.

“Nobody wants to do it alone; it makes for a long boring day by yourself. I thought it would be fun, but it sucked. It was painful, it hurt,” Carley joked about joining Fitzpatrick’s initiative.

During the first fundraiser Carley donated to the cause based on his play chipping in more for shooting lower. He said this year’s donation plan hasn’t been worked out just how his contribution will be outlined.

The twosome is encouraging anyone at the Carnduff Golf Club playing that day to join up and play a few holes and donate as well.

“The goal on the GoFundMe page is set at $5,000 right now, they needed a goal so I upped it from last time and hopefully we can surpass what we raised last time,” Fitzpatrick added.

The 2023 Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour teed off this weekend at Estevan’s TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club for the first Saskatchewan event of the year.

Just over 50 junior golfers from across the province battled wind and cool temperatures for 36 holes on Saturday and Sunday to open the under-19 Order of Merit Tour.

In the under-15 girls category Tayla Perry (pictured top-left) won with a score of 173 (91,82). The Regina golfer edged Grace Odnokon of Saskatoon by three shots.

Drayjon Sparvier (top-middle) needed a playoff to win the junior boys division. The Ochapowace First Nation player was tied with Assiniboia’s Davin Karst through two rounds at 150 before Sparvier won the event.

Kipling’s Winston Grayson was third four shots back.

Ella Kozak (top-right) of Yorkton won the 15-19 girls’ division by eight strokes over Regina’s Hallie Crozier. Kozak shot 78 and 71 on the weekend to finish at 149, Crozier shot 76 and 81 on the weekend.

Brady Guenther of Saskatoon started his season with a win in the juvenile boys’ category thanks to rounds of 83 and 76 for a 36-hole finish of 159, just a shot better than Sucker River golfer Dade Bernatchez (82, 78) and two ahead of Jack Maharaj who shot 83 and 78.

Austin Nesbitt of Pilot Butte won by the widest margin on Sunday in the peewee boys category. Nesbitt posted a round of 79 on Saturday and followed that with a tidy 73 to win by 18 shots over Humboldt’s Tylan Wallin. Caydin Karst was third.

In the bantam boys’ division it was Saskatoon’s Aricin Franklin taking the win by six shots over Jayden Chernoff.

Franklin shot 77 and 75 while Chernoff stroked an 80 and 78. Ethan Hunter was third.

The complete results of the event can be seen here.

Nine players also took part in the MJT Mini Tour on Saturday, the results can be found here.

The next MJT event in the province will be the May long weekend at Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current.

Growing up at Forest Heights Golf Course & RV Resort Mitch Bach has been around the sport his entire life and now the Saskatoon resident is passing his knowledge onto others.

After a career in broadcasting Bach went back to his roots, got his professional certification and has now launched Clubhouse Golf Academy in the Bridge City in partnership with the Willows Club and the GolfDome at the Ramada Hotel.

Bach chatted with Golf Saskatchewan just ahead of the opening of the 2023 season at the club to discuss growing up and playing in Alberta, getting away from the game and his passion now that he’s back working in the industry.

Will Danielson wrapped up his sophomore season at Milsaps College on the weekend competing at the SAA Conference Championship in Dickson, Tenn. at the Greystone Golf Club.

The Saskatoon product posted rounds of 75, 77, and 78 for a 54-hole total of 230, that left Danielson in a tie for 32^nd with teammate Andrew Lovejoy.

The Majors ended their season with an eighth place finish in the team rankings.

Chaplin, Sask. student-athlete Holly Knudsen concluded her junior season at Minot State University on the weekend as well. The Beavers were in Smithville, Mo. for the NSIC Championship at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex – The Outlaw course from April 28 to 30.

Knudsen carded rounds of 83, 89, and 90 to finish at 262, good enough for a tie in 36^th place.

The team wrapped up the spring season with a ninth place finish out of 13 schools.

Waldorf University and Caden Loeppky of Saskatoon were in Bellevue, N.E. on May 1 and 2 for the NSAA Championship at the Platteview Golf Club. The freshman Warrior posted rounds of 87 and 89 to finish the two-day, 36-hole event at 32-over par, he was tied for 18^th.

As a team Waldorf was third out of six schools. Their spring season is now over.

More regional events will occur beginning May 11. Schools featuring Jace Carlisle, TJ Baker, Chase Gedak, Luke Cote, Will Blake, Alex Swinnerton, Guillermo Salazar, Noah Kozak, and Cole Obrigewitsch are all scheduled to compete in regional events across the United States next week.

Regina’s Alex Schmidt will learn on May 4 if the Lewis-Clark State Warriors will get a spot in nationals.

Golf Canada joins the Canadian golf community in extending our deepest respect and condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of golf writer and industry contributor Ian Hutchinson of Newmarket, Ont. on the news of his sudden passing.

Hutch had a meaningful impact over four decades chronicling the game of golf for a variety of outlets and trade publications during his respected career as a reporter and columnist.

In 2020, his contributions to Canadian golf were celebrated as a proud recipient of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award. He was also honoured by the Golf Ontario Hall of Fame in 2017 as a recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award. 

In 2008, Hutch reinvented himself in the digital space when he founded Golf News Now, a Canadian website and daily newsletter devoted to covering the golf industry. With GNN, he had become a trusted voice in the Canadian golf industry with daily insights and reporting on all facets of the game.

Hutch’s career began in 1978, covering a multitude of sports including golf for community newspapers including the Newmarket Era, Mississauga Times, and Mississauga News before moving on to become an associate editor at MVP, Canada’s national sports magazine at the time.

He also covered the NHL, CFL, NFL and MLB, before transitioning into full-time golf as an editor with ScoreGolf Magazine. Hutch would go to become managing editor of World of Women’s Golf Magazine before beginning a 14-year run as golf columnist for the Toronto Sun and other Sun Media newspapers.

Over a distinguished media career, Hutch contributed to various Canadian and US golf publications as an editor or writer including Pro Shop Magazine, Ontario Golf Magazine, Golf Scene Magazine, and Golf Canada Magazine in addition to writing for Golf Channel’s website.

He was also a long-time supporter of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, both as a frequent nominator as well a recent contributing member to the CGHF Selection Committee.

Hutch will be remembered and celebrated a tremendous contributor, storyteller, and supporter of Canadian golf.

2010 Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Famer Peter Semko has passed away. His family said the 89-year-old succumbed to cancer on April 23.

Golf Saskatchewan was lucky enough to sit down with Semko at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club in January of 2021, with long-time mentor Pat Fletcher’s picture proudly displayed in the background.

Collegiate golf “playoffs” are now underway in the United States with several Saskatchewan student-athletes looking to punch their ticket to nationals.

The collegiate career of Saskatoon’s Connor Scissons has come to an end. The Riverside Country Club member wrapped up a solid five-year tenure at Arizona Christian University this week. Competing at the Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, AZ. In the GSAC Men’s Championship Scissons finished 17^th at 10-over par, 226 over 54-holes from Monday to Wednesday. The Firestorm team showed well at the event taking third place out of eight schools.

Golf Saskatchewan will speak with Scissons next week.

Regina’s Alex Schmidt could still get an invite to nationals after a sixth place showing in the CCC Championships this week. The Lewis-Clark State Warrior carded rounds of 81, 73, and 81 for a 54-hole total of 235. Her 19-over par score was a stroke behind teammate Deana Caruso. Three University of British Columbia (UBC) golfers were at the top of the leaderboard. Lewis-Clark State was second in the team category behind UBC.

The team will learn on May 4 if they make nationals, Golf Saskatchewan will speak with Schmidt as well following her fantastic college career that included a pair of wins.

Josh Nagy of Saskatoon just missed the NCAA Div. 1 national championship by two shots this week at the Horizon League Golf Championships in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL. on Wednesday. The senior at Robert Morris University shot back-to-back rounds of 73 before carding a 69 in round three to tie the days low round but his 1-under par, 215 was three shots off the winner and a couple strokes above the line to punch his ticket to the national event.

Nagy ended up tying for fourth place in the event held at El Campeon Championship Course. The Colonials were seventh as a team.

The event concluded the season for the two-time Saskatchewan junior title holder, he will return to Robert Morris for a fifth year in the fall.

After a berth in the Div. 2 national championship a year ago, Estevan’s Jace Carlisle is seeking a chance to get back to the event this season.

Carlisle and the Post University Eagles were in Lebanon, PA. at the Iron Valley Golf Club this week for the NCAA D2 Atlantic/East Regional Preview tournament. The TS&M Woodlawn member and staffer shot 83 in round one and 72 on day two to conclude the 36-hole event at 155, he was tied for 47^th. Post was fifth as a squad.

On May 12 the team will return to Iron Valley for the NCAA D2 Atlantic/East Regionals with national championship spots on the line.

Carlisle was named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference All-Conference Team on Thursday.

At the GAC Men’s Championship in Hot Springs, AR. at the Hot Springs Golf Club Southern Arkansas University (SAU) and the University of Arkansas-Monticello (UAM) were competing for a spot in regionals with nationals in the distance.

Regina’s Luke Cote was competing for SAU and put together a solid 54-holes finishing in a tie for 14^th capping his scheduled rookie year with the Muleriders. The Royal Regina Golf Club member fired rounds of 73, 74, and 76 for a three-round total of 223.

The Muleriders finished in second place behind Henderson State of the team win. SAU will await the selection for regionals to see if they will keep their national championship hopes alive on Friday.

TJ Baker of Prince Albert was seeking a national spot as well competing for UAM. The Waskesiu Golf Course staff member was leading his event last week before withdrawing due to an injury. This week Baker battled to a tie for 27^th at 227 (77, 71, 79).

The team was ninth in the championship. Next up is the NCAA Div. 2 Central Region Tournament on May 12 in Winona, MN.

Chaplin’s Holly Knudsen and the Minot State Beavers will begin the NSIC Championship on Friday in Smithville, MO, Saskatoon’s Will Danielson is in Dickson, TN. alongside his Milsaps College teammates for the SAA Conference Championships also beginning Friday.

Several other Saskatchewan student-athletes will compete beginning May 11 for nationals.

Kevin Dietz has been operating Urban Golf in Saskatoon for about six weeks and the long-time Lumsden, Sask. born professional couldn’t be happier with the response.

Moving from Regina after a successful career at Tor Hill Golf Course Dietz opened the indoor facility just off Circle Dr. in the Bridge City.

He sat down with Golf Saskatchean to discuss his start in golf around the Queen City, competitive golf, his desire to be his own boss, and the future following the move north.

Golf Saskatchewan hosted their annual general meeting Saturday officially closing the 2022 fiscal year.

Treasurer Danny Klughart presented the financial statement that showed the non-profit organization lost approximately $54,000 in 2022, but Klughart stated the funds are “healthy” going into the 2023 season.

Regina resident Larry Wagman saw his presidency come to an end at the meeting, Nipawin product Kevin Duchscherer was named the new president of the executive.

Duchscherer, a teacher by trade, has played golf for most of his life, competes in amateur events across the province including provincials and the Scotia Wealth Open at his home club, the Evergreen Golf Course, is a certified Rules Official, and has been President of the Evergreen for the past couple years.

Elanne Krainyk of Saskatoon and Sue Skinner of Rosetown had their terms on the board conclude, Regina’s Ross Pratt and Bill Briscoe of Saskatoon joined the executive, Klughart stayed on for another term, but Teddy Wiens of Regina took over as treasurer.

To view the 2023 AGM Report click here.

Duchscherer and Wagman sat down with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork discussing the change over, highlights of recent years plus the future of amateur golf in the province.