Saskatoon’s Justin Wood is off to a fantastic start at the 2021 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The Riverside Country Club player shot even par, 72 on day one of the championship at the Fort McMurray Golf Club on Tuesday. Wood, formerly of Unity sits in a tie for third, just two shots back of the leader, Charles Fitzsimmons of London, Ontario.

Brett Henry of Prince Albert and Jehremy Ryde, another Riverside member are tied for seventh place after round one, they carded one-over, 73’s on Tuesday.

Kyle Wiebe of Kindersley sits in a tie for 12th, he’s at two-over par.

Reigning Saskatchewan Mid-Masters (40+) and Senior champion Rick Hallberg of Weyburn, Birch Hills golfer Jeff Whitfield, Regina’s Jason Klememz, and Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart are tied for 30th at five-over, 77.

Saskatoon’s Scott Allan is tied for 45th at seven-over par, Shaun Dunphy, also of the Bridge CIty is tied for 50th after shooting 80 in round one.

Former Saskatoon resident Taylor Afseth, who now calls Victoria, British Columbia home is in 57th at nine-over par. David Stewart of Saskatoon and Warman’s Darryl Czuy shot 10-over, 82, they are tied for 66th.

North Battleford player Scott Thompson shots 83 in round one, as did Regina’s Travis Fifi, they are tied for 73rd.

Mitch Matichuk, from the Royal Regina Golf Club posted an opening day score of 85, he’s tied for 84th.

Mike Herperger of Humboldt and Michael Smith from Saskatoon are in a tie for 93rd after carding 87’s on the first day of the championship.

To see Wednesday’s tee times or check the full results click here.

The Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship begins on Tuesday at the Fort McMurray Golf Club. 17 players from Saskatchewan are in the field, the most since 2017 when 37 players from the province competed at the national event held at the Wascana Country Club.

The four-day, 72-hole championship has 122 players in the field. The winner will receive exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Nestled along the banks of the Athabasca River, the Fort McMurray Golf Club is ranked one of the must play golf courses in Alberta by The Edmonton Sun. The 27-hole facility features a variety of shots both over valleys and creek beds along with large greens of varying degrees of undulation. 

“We are thrilled to bring this talented field to Fort McMurray Golf Club,” said Adam Cinel, tournament director with Golf Canada. “The Mid-Amateur is a great opportunity for Canadian amateurs to find success and compete on a national stage. The club has worked tirelessly to have the course in pristine condition and the challenging layout will be sure to draw out some exciting competition.” 

The Mid-Amateur (25 +) division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older. The top 70 players and ties after round two will make the cut.

The championship will use a split-tee starting format meaning groups will begin on holes one and ten. Below are the Tuesday tee times for the Saskatchewan players.

• Mike Herperger, Humboldt – 8 a.m.
• Kyle Wiebe, Kindersley – 8:20 a.m.
• Justin Wood, Saskatoon – 8:20 a.m. (10^th hole)
• Mitch Matichuk, Regina – 8:30 a.m. (10^th hole)
• Michael Smith, Saskatoon – 8:50 a.m.
• Scott Thompson, North Battleford – 8:50 a.m. (10^th hole)
• Brett Henry, Prince Albert – 9 a.m.
• Rick Hallberg, Weyburn – 9 a.m. (10^th hole)
• Jehremy Ryde, Saskatoon – 9:10 a.m.
• Jeff Whitfield, Birch Hills – 9:30 a.m.
• Danny Klughart, Prince Albert – 12:40 p.m.
• Scott Allan, Saskatoon – 12:50 p.m.
• Travis Fifi, Regina – 1 p.m. (10^th hole)
• Jason Klemenz, Regina – 1:20 p.m. (10^th hole)
• Dave Stewart, Saskatoon – 1:30 p.m. (10^th hole)
• Shaun Dunphy, Saskatoon – 1:40 p.m. (10^th hole)
• Darryl Czuy, Warman – 2 p.m. (10^th hole)

Former Saskatoon resident and Order of Merit Tour regular Taylor Afseth is also in the field. He now resides in Victoria and plays out of the Royal Colwood Golf Club. He will play in Klughart’s group at 12:40 p.m. on day one.

Click here for the full field and tournament information.

The practice rounds are taking place on Monday.

Guillermo Salazar is currently enjoying the best week of his golf career.

After winning the junior boys division at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s event at Elk Ridge last Sunday, Salazar followed that up on Friday by defeating Saskatoon’s Chase Pochylko in the championship flight final at the 2021 Coca-Cola Junior Men’s Lobstick at the Waskesiu Golf Course.

“It feels really good to be on a high wave of momentum at the moment,” said Salazar, who is from Calgary but has spent his summers at Waskesiu for the last decade. “I’m not sure how long this is going to last so I’m just trying to enjoy it.

“The Junior Lobstick is an event that I’ve wanted to win for a while and to be able to do it is pretty amazing.”

Salazar, who reached the semifinal round at the 2018 tournament, trailed by two holes early on in the final but turned things around after making an eagle on the par-five sixth.

He took the lead from Pochylko with a par on the tenth hole and kept up a two-hole cushion through the back nine.

“Whenever you get an eagle that really gets the blood flowing and I was able to carry that momentum into the next few holes,” said Salazar, who reached the final after victories over 2020 runner-up Will Blake, Max Regier and Hudson Malinoski.

“I played really aggressively at Elk Ridge last weekend and I kept that approach up here, which I think led to my success this week. I did get into a little bit of trouble sometimes with that approach, but my mental game was strong and that kept me in the hunt for both tournaments.”

Although he was unable to close the gap on Salazar, Pochylko kept the pressure on his opponent with key par putts on the back nine before he conceded the match on the 17th hole.

“I thought I had control of things on the front nine, but the eagle that Guillermo made on the sixth hole really turned things around,” said Pochylko, who golfs out of the Riverside Country Club.

“He tied things up with a birdie on the eighth hole and I just made a couple of mistakes there on the back nine that cost me in the end.”

While he didn’t come away with the win, Pochylko easily surpassed his previous best result at the event, as he was the runner-up in the third flight consolation bracket in 2016.

“My ball striking wasn’t quite as strong as I wanted it to be, but my putting was really good and I felt great here all week,” said Pochylko, who picked up wins over Darien Herlick, defending Junior Lobstick winner Alex Swinnerton and Luke Cote earlier this week.

“The match I had with Alex on Wednesday was one of the best I’ve ever been involved in. I would have been pleased with my week had I lost to him, so to make it this far is something that I’m really happy about.”

The results from Friday’s other flight finals were as follows:

• Championship Flight Consolation: Jackson Wingert over Will Blake
• First Flight: Keaton Cote over Dade Bernatchez
• First Flight Consolation: Dane Giesbrecht over Van Taylor
• Second Flight: Jack Maharaj over Walker Cote
• Second Flight Consolation: Josh Silverson over Nikko Sebjanic
• Third Flight: Lincoln Rogers over Nate Bohmann
• Third Flight Consolation: Lachlan Rabut over Tyson Wawryk
• Fourth Flight: Easton Brown over Wyatt Nelson
• Fourth Flight Consolation: Jaxen Witt over Brennan Tyerman
• Fifth Flight: Trey Markus over Drake Ryce
• Fifth Flight Consolation: Clay Harmon over Brock Kolibab

*Story originally published for the Prince Albert Daily Herald, authored by Lucas Punkari. Republished with permission.

TORONTO, August 17, 2021 —Today, RBC and Golf Canada announced the RBC Community Junior Golf Program, an initiative that will focus on building greater diversity and equity in golf by enabling affordable access to the game for youth in underrepresented communities in Canada. PGA TOUR professional golfer Harold Varner III will join Team RBC and serve as an ambassador for the new program.

As part of the RBC Community Junior Golf Program, Golf Canada will implement the First Tee – Canada and Youth on Course programs at municipal and especially accessible public golf courses across Canada. By 2023, the program is expected to engage more than 10,000 young people by delivering free First Tee programing, which integrates the game of golf with life skills curriculum and $5 Youth on Course green fees to select courses from coast to coast.

As founder of the HV3 Foundation and National Ambassador for Youth on Course, Varner will lend his expertise as an advisor to the RBC Community Junior Golf Program. In September 2021, Varner will host the program’s launch event at a GTA-based golf course, where youth from traditionally underserved communities will have the opportunity to spend time with Varner, learning tips from the pro and benefiting from on-course programming.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Team RBC family and to partner with an organization whose values match my own, including providing young people with affordable access to sport and playing an active role in populating a more diverse pipeline of golf talent,“ said Harold Varner III, Team RBC ambassador. “Through my work with young people, I understand the positive impact sport can have on a young person’s life. It can open doors and present opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. It is an absolute honour to be an ambassador for the RBC Community Junior Golf Program while joining the elite group of players on Team RBC.”

“As a long-standing supporter of golf, RBC is proud to launch a program that will help increase diversity, inclusivity and access to the game of golf,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We believe in ensuring everyone has equal opportunity to realize their full potential and we look forward to bringing this program to life with the support of Harold Varner III, our newest Team RBC ambassador and someone who is equally as passionate about working with youth as we are.”

One of the important ways RBC brings its purpose of helping client thrive and communities prosper to life is by empowering youth. RBC Future Launch is the bank’s $500 million commitment to help Canadian youth prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, including $50 million in focused funding to create meaningful and transformative pathways to prosperity for 25,000 BIPOC youth by 2025. In addition, through the RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open tournaments, RBC has helped raise over $25 million in support of local charities in Canada and the United States.

With 14 Canadian, U.S. and international ambassadors, including World No. 2 Dustin Johnson and World No. 7 Brooke Henderson, Varner joins a team of touring professionals that embodies the pinnacle of golf performance. Along with wearing RBC branding on his golf bag, Varner and his RBC teammates support many of the bank’s marketing initiatives and client experiences.

“Evolving the participant base of Canadian golf so it matches the diversity of multicultural Canada is an important priority,” said Kevin Blue, Chief Sport Officer of Golf Canada. “We’re eager to partner with RBC to help increase access to junior golf, especially for youth from backgrounds that historically have been underserved. By bringing First Tee – Canada and Youth on Course to the most accessible golf courses in Canada, the RBC Community Junior Golf program will help us make sure golf is welcoming to all Canadian youth.”

Since entering the Senior Men’s Northern tournament at the Cooke Municipal Golf Course in 2018, Prince Albert’s Martin Ring has been a contender every time out. 

After winning the event in his debut and earning a fourth place result in 2019, Ring hoisted the Bob Hemsworth Trophy for the second time on Thursday after earning a four-shot victory in the championship flight over Saskatchewan’s current senior men’s provincial golf champion Rick Hallberg of Weyburn. 

“It’s very special to have my name on the Bob Hemsworth Trophy,” Ring said. “The Hemsworth family and I go back a long way. We were neighbours when we were kids and Mr. Hemsworth put in a lot of work here with the senior men’s golf club. 

“We had the year off in 2020 due to COVID-19 and it was nice to have a full field again with a great group of golfers.” 

Ring’s tournament played out similar to his 2018 triumph as he shot an opening round of 69 on Wednesday to take a two-shot lead over Bill Cameron. 

The co-winner of the 2021 Senior Men’s Lobstick at Waskesiu followed that up with a round of 71 on Thursday. 

“It was a little bit different than 2018 as we were still in the midst of our irrigation project and we ended up playing on a couple of shorter holes,” Ring said.  

“I almost had a similar finish though where I stumbled at the end, but I was able to make a great bogey to finish out the round on a strong note.” 

Ring will now be looking to get in as many rounds as he can before he competes at the 2021 senior men’s nationals, which will be held in La Malbaie, Que. from Sept. 21-24. 

“My wife (Andrea) and I are going to be heading up to Candle Lake next weekend for the provincial mixed championship and after that it’ll be a lot of practice rounds to make sure I’m keeping my game in shape a little longer, in addition to keeping an eye on what the (Prince Albert) Raiders are doing heading into this season,” Ring joked. 

Garry Hagen, Brad Phelps and Doug Kozak rounded out the top five in the championship flight, while 2019 winner Ron Stewart finished in third place in the third flight event.

Meanwhile, Saskatoon’s Jim Scissons continued his impressive play at the Senior Men’s Northern on Thursday as he won his fourth straight super senior championship flight.  

“I’ve been coming up to play at Cooke since I was 15 years old,” Scissons said. “It’s always a treat to come up and play here and there are so many great people here at the course. 

Like Ring, Scissons moved out into the lead on Wednesday with a round of 76 and followed that up with an 80 on Thursday. 

“I started yesterday with a double bogey on the first hole, which is a terrible way to start a game of golf, but I had a pretty decent day after that,” Scissons said. 

“I was trying hard out there today but I just wasn’t able to find it. I put together a decent score for an old man, but I would have preferred to have played a little bit there than I did in the final round.” 

John Batiuk, Glen Pryor, Harvey Braitenbach, Victor Maruschak and Ronald Obrigavitch made up the rest of the Super Senior championship flight. 

Thursday’s other flight winners were as follows: 

• First Flight: Colin Coben 
• Second Flight: Jody Lehmann 
• Third Flight: Elwin Cameron 
• Fourth Flight: Gordon Reid 
• Fifth Flight: Rob Hemsworth 
• Sixth Flight: Kelly Miller 
• Seventh Flight: Norm Vetter 
• Super Senior First Flight: Ed Peesker 

*Story originally published in Friday’s Prince Albert Daily Herald, authored by Lucas Punkari. Republished with permission.

Thanks to sponsor exemptions, six Saskatchewan golfers were given the opportunity to compete in the upcoming Mackenzie Tour event, the Elk Ridge Open.

The Mackenzie Tour event is from Sept. 6 – 10 at Elk Ridge Resort. Among the field through exemptions will be Phil Jonas, Ryan Wells, Roman Timmerman, Danny Klughart, Josh Nagy, and Trevor Bloom.

Elk Ridge Managing Partner Ryan Danberg said the group excited to welcome these players to the event.

“Our Routes2SK Inc. group is very excited for this event; we are proud of all the Saskatchewan talent that represents our six sponsor exemptions. All these golfers are great people, and we wish them all the best in this event. Our province will be well represented with this group,” Danberg stated.

Jonas, a former PGA Tour Professional and competitor in four major championships relocated to Saskatoon from the Vancouver area. Jonas has won several PGA of Saskatchewan events since his arrival. He said returning to a PGA Canada Tour event is exciting.

“I’m very honoured to receive a sponsor exemption into the Mackenzie Tour Elk Ridge Open. It has been 35 years since I played my first Mackenzie (Canadian) Tour event and so it’s exciting to be at the first of many tour events at Elk Ridge. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the course and resort so I’m looking forward to it,” Jonas said.

Wells is the current head professional at Elk Ridge, a position he’s held since the new ownership group took over the property. He said the experience will be great, especially at his home course.

“I’m very honoured to play in the Elk Ridge Open and represent Elk Ridge Resort and the PGA of Saskatchewan at this years fall event. It’s going to be a great experience and I’m looking forward to meeting and playing with the future Members of the PGA Tour,” Wells said.

Danny Klughart of Prince Albert receives his exemption after winning his third straight Saskatchewan Mid-Amateur Championship in July at Swift Current. Klughart said making his professional event debut close to his home in Prince Albert makes the experience extra noteworthy.

“Obviously it’s pretty special to get this experience,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite a few years now. I always wanted to play in the one at Dakota Dunes but now having the opportunity to play at Elk Ridge so close to home is a special opportunity. I want to thank the management group for the opportunity for all of us, there is going to be a great local contingent in the next couple weeks.”

Bloom, originally from Canwood, Saskatchewan now calls Kelowna home but his familiarity with Waskesiu Golf Course assisted him on route to a Men’s Lobstick win and a sponsor’s exemption into the Elk Ridge. He said getting the exemption is exciting.

“It’s sweet to get the exemption into the Elk Ridge Open,” he said after the Lobstick win.

Nagy, a two-time Saskatchewan junior men’s champion is an Elk Ridge Junior Player graduate, the Robert Morris University player will make his professional debut at the event. Nagy said he is thankful for the opportunity to play in his first professional event.

“Thank you to Elk Ridge for giving me and the rest of us the opportunity to see how our game stands against the next level of talent,” Nagy said.

Timmerman earned his start through his record-breaking win at the Saskatchewan Amateur Championship earlier this year. The Saskatoon product was 26-under at the event, breaking the previous record of 22-under held by Elk Ridge Open Ambassador Graham DeLaet. Unfortunately, Timmerman won’t be playing in the event. The schedule didn’t align with his school itinerary as he starts his final year at Southern Arkansas University.

For more information on the Elk Ridge Open, click here.

Yorkton’s Kade Johnson, the 2018 Saskatchewan Amateur Men’s champion is now a professional.

Johnson, 22, made the announcement alongside RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty owner Rob Kozak on Monday in Yorkton. The two parties have agreed on a three-year sponsorship agreement. Johnson said receiving support from the Kozak family is appreciated.

“It’s really nice to have a company that’s not just giving you money to play but they really want to help me out through the whole process,” he told GX94’s Benny Walchuk on Monday after the announcement.

His first event as a professional will be later this month in Prince Edward Island on the Mackenzie Tour. Kozak said assisting Johnson in his journey is something he is happy to do as he knows the financial restraints that can come with starting a career.

“It was a no-brainer, I understand being a golfing dad myself the expenses that go into it especially when you’re starting your pro career and I’ve known Kade a long time and know he works hard and is determined and we were happy to get support him for the next three years,” Kozak said.

Johnson will play six Mackenzie Tour events this year including the Elk Ridge Open.

His last tournament as an amateur was the Mark’s Blue Owl in Yorkton at his home course, Deer Park, fittingly he won the championship.

Waskesiu’s Guillermo Salazar didn’t have far to carry home his prize pack from the Maple Leaf Junior Tour’s (MJT) stop in Elk Ridge over the weekend.

Making the shortest commute to the resort for the 36 hole tournament, Salazar posted rounds of 69 and 74 to win the junior boys and overall championship at the event.

Chase Pochyko, coming off an extremely busy July placed second at 150 with back-to-back 75’s while his Saskatoon counterpart Jackson Wingert was just a shot behind Pochylko at 151 (76, 75).

Regina’s Luke Cote and Micah Tangjerd of Saskatoon were tied for fourth at 153.

Juvenile Boys

Saskatoon’s Tommy Danielson was a winner again on the MJT this year, he fired rounds of 71 and 80 for a two day total of 151 to claim the juvenile boys category.

Walker Cote of Saskatoon was second at 154 (79, 75), Estevan’s Ryan Chernoff shot 78 and 77 to finish at 155, good enough for third place.

Max Regier of Saskatoon was fourth at 156 (79, 77). Oly Zintel (Saskatoon) and Darien Herlick (Weyburn) tied for fifth at 159.

Bantam Boys

A familiar name could be found at the top of the bantam boys age group after the event, Elias Haukeness of Buena Vista was a winner by three shots.

Haukeness posted a 77 on day one followed by a 79, his 156 kept him ahead of Kerr Cudmore who placed second at 159 (82, 77). Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon and Sucker River product Dade Bernatchez tied for third at 160.

Peewee Boys

Saskatoon’s Aricin Franklin is finding success this season on the MJT circuit. The 12-year-old ran away with the peewee boys category winning by eight shots. Franklin shot 82 in round one but chopped eight shots off on day two for a 156.

Shae Maunula of North Battleford finished second at 164 (81, 83). A pair of Regina golfers tied for third place. Kai Kriekle and Adam Muntain each shot 36-hole totals of 169.

Under-15 Girls

Chloe Wills of Kyle used back-to-back rounds of 89 to win the under-15 girls division at Elk Ridge. Wills’ score of 178 was 10 shots better than Niya Friesen of Swift Current. Friesen carded a 91 on day one, she shot 97 during round two.

Tayla Perry of Regina was third at 191 (98, 93).

15 – 19 Girls

Saskatoon’s Sarah Grieve has another MJT title to her lengthy junior resume. She shot 75 during round one and followed that with a 72 for a 147 and first place.

Symone Ripley of Saskatoon was second at 157 (80, 77). Regina’s Autumn Neiszner was third at 158 with identical rounds of 79.

The complete results from the MJT event can be found here.

*All photos courtesy Jeff Chambers

A pair of Katepwa Beach Golf Club members are the 50^th Rosebowl winners on their home course.

Carol Walsh and Pat Pratt won the two-player team event on Friday in Katepwa with a score of 5-under, 139. For Pratt, one of the host committee leads, said gathering for a celebration of the women’s event was more important than the win.

“It was fantastic but none of this happens without the competitors,” Pratt said during awards presentation. “This is quite emotional actually, I want to thank all the golfers, you guys make the Rosebowl. You have to keep coming back, we need these recreational golfers in tournaments.”

The 36-hole two-day tournament was cancelled in 2019 due to COVID-19. There were 19 teams and 38 players in the field.

Walsh said having such a monumental year of the event at her home course made her feel proud of what the club does daily.

“I am really, really proud to be from Katepwa. One person in Katepwa doesn’t do great things but many people do small things in a great way. We are so lucky here, what an honour to host everybody, meet new people, we hope they come back again,” Walsh added during the presentation.

There was a playoff for second place, Katepwa Beach members Toni Norton and Marlene Bennett won the playoff hole over Linda Reakes and Anita Ford, both teams were tied at 3-under, 141.

The complete results can be found here.

Theoren West will return home to Saskatchewan with a top-20 finish at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Vallée du Richelieu – Le Club.

The Golf Kenosee member carded rounds of 79, 74, 73, 73, for a four day total of 299 in Sainte-Julie, Québec. He finished in a tie for 19th overall at 11-over.

Tommy Danielson of Saskatoon was 18-over, 306 (78, 72, 78, 78). That landed the Riverside Country Club member in a tie for 49th.

Chase Pochylko, also of out Riverside finished tied for 69th. He posted rounds of 77, 73, 79, 83 for a 72-hole total of 24-over, 312.

Regina’s WIll Blake started with a 72, he shot 80, 84, 81 to conclude the championship at plus-29, 317.

The complete results can be found here.

Golf Saskatchewan will hear from the four once they return to the province, several will likely be in the field when the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stops in Elk Ridge Resort on Aug. 14 – 15.