The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) made its first stop of the 2021 season in Saskatchewan this past weekend. Over 100 junior golfers teed it up in six different age brackets at the Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current.

U-15 Girls

Chloe Wills (pictured above) of Kyle, Saskatchewan was the low shooter in the under-15 girl’s category. Wills carded rounds of 85 and 91 for a two-day total of 176. She was six shots better than Niya Friesen of Swift Current. Regina’s Tayla Perry rounded out the top-three just a stroke behind Friesen at 183 (89, 94).

15-19 Girls

Yorkton’s Ella Kozak has her first win of the year on the MJT. Kozak shot 75 on day one and followed that up with an 81 on Sunday to outlast several familiar names on the Saskatchewan junior women’s golf circuit. Regina’s Autumn Neiszner was three shots back of Kozak at 159 (81, 78). Brooklin Fry placed third, she carded a 160 (76, 84). Saskatonians Sarah Grieve and Symone Ripley tied for fourth at 161.

Peewee Boys (U-12)

The peewee boy’s division had the most drama on the weekend with Lucas Sturgeon and Jackson Giesbrecht going to a two-hole playoff. Both players shot 158 over 36 holes before Sturgeon claimed the victory. Regina’s Kai Kriekle, Shae Maunula of North Battleford and Estevan’s Jayden Chernoff all tied for third at 162.

Bantam Boys (U-15)

Sucker River’s Dade Bernatchez has his first win in the bantam age category. Bernatchez broke 70 for the first time in his competitive rounds shooting 69 on Saturday. He followed that with a 78 in round two, good enough for a three-stroke victory. Saskatoon’s Ryan Mosher carded back-to-back 75’s to place second. Dane Giesbrecht of Warman placed third just a shot behind Mosher.

Juvenile Boys (15-16)

Weyburn’s Darien Herlick started his season off on the right foot winning the juvenile boys division by two. Herlick’s rounds of 70 and 78 were just enough to fend off Saskatoon’s Tommy Danielson and Max Regier who both shot 150 over 36 holes. Keaton Cote of Kindersley was fourth with rounds of 75 and 80.

Junior Boys (U-19)

Chase Pochylko of Saskatoon was the winner of the junior boys age group. He was the outright leader all weekend shooting 68 on day one and ending the tournament with a 71 for a 36-hole score of 139. Red Deer’s Cole Bergheim was second at 142 (69, 73) and Hunter Kutcher of Regina rounded out the top-three at 146 with back-to-back 73’s.

The complete results from all the age divisions can be seen here.    

The MJT Mini-Tour was also in action at Elmwood this past Saturday. The complete results of their one-day tournament can be seen here.

The next stop on the Saskatchewan MJT schedule is July 2 and 3 in Estevan at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club. This event is rescheduled from May.

*All photos courtesy Jeff Chambers.

Another tournament, another victory for Delisle’s Colin Coben.

Coben posted rounds of 70, 78, 69 this week at Moon Lake Golf & Country Club to finish at 217, four shots better than Weyburn’s Rick Hallberg. George Janson rounded out the top three with a 54-hole total of 224.

The complete results can be seen here.

With the championship, Coben moves into second place in the Senior Men’s Order of Merit (OMT) standings, Hallberg sits in first place.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Junior Order of Merit Tour will tee off this weekend for the first time of the season.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) starts their delayed season in Swift Current at Elmwood Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday.

The opening event scheduled for Estevan earlier this year was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. That tournament has been rescheduled.

Over 100 juniors are entered into the MJT event. The field can be seen here.

The Men’s OMT stops in the Saskatoon area this weekend for the Scotia Wealth Saskatoon Amateur at Dakota Dunes Golf Links and The Legends in Warman. Live scoring for the tournament can be found here.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations has announced the 2021 Tony Cote Games will be postponed.

The postponement is due to COVID-19 concerns. The Games will be moved to 2023 and be hosted by the James Smith Cree Nation near Melfort.

The Games were last held in 2019 on the Flying Dust First Nation with Meadow Lake Golf Club being the host golf facility.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Golf Saskatchewan announced their new partnership with Solo Golf today, designating Solo Golf as the ‘single rider cart of Saskatchewan.’ This move reinforces Golf Saskatchewan’s commitment to support new initiatives in the game and create more accessible options for golfers.

Solo Golf is one of the most innovative new players in the Canadian market, and this new partnership recognizes the value of the products they’re bringing to the Canadian golf industry.

“One of our most important mandates as the provincial governing body for golf in Saskatchewan is to promote accessibility within the game,” Golf Saskatchewan Executive Director Brian Lee said. “One of the first things that attracted us to Solo Golf as a partner was their ability to make golf easier for people with disabilities. The cart is easier to get into than a traditional cart, and it’s lighter so it allows a golfer to get much closer to greens and tees without causing damage if they have difficulties walking. These features, combined with the excitement their carts will generate to engage new golfers in the province, makes this a slam dunk for us.”

Solo Golf carts have been celebrated for creating a new and unique experience for golfers, while promoting faster pace of play and creating long-term ways for golfers to continue physical distancing if they choose. Solo Golf products have been very successful in the United States and have recently launched in Canada, with a significant focus on Western Canadian markets. There are three options for these single rider carts: a two-wheel, three-wheel, and a four-wheel option.

“We’re really excited to add Golf Saskatchewan as a partner. They have a strong reputation for building the game and promoting accessibility, especially with some previous ventures into the accessible single rider space themselves. We’re happy that they see the long-term vision for single rider carts in the Saskatchewan golf landscape”, said Chris Bean, Director of Sales at Solo Golf. “Golf courses are looking for ways to get people excited about the game again, and we hope to see single rider carts take a growing role in that mandate moving forward.”

Solo Golf is a Canadian-owned company, based in the Muskoka region of Ontario with regional operations in each province to support their network across Canada. They are a team of innovators and golf enthusiasts who want to change the game, with Saskatchewan’s own Shawn Woods at the helm in MB and SK.

They carry an array of non-traditional golf cart options to make it possible for individuals to ride solo.

Landmark agreement makes Saskatchewan event part of the Tour through 2028

TORONTO, Canada—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada officially announced Tuesday the creation of the Elk Ridge Open, a new event taking place at Elk Ridge Resort in Lake Waskesiu, Saskatchewan. The tournament, set for the week of September 6, is one of the eight official tournaments on the recently announced Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season. The Tour and the Elk Ridge Open entered into an eight-year deal.

Elk Ridge Resort is known as Saskatchewan’s premier all-season resort and was recently purchased Routes2SK, owned by a group of eight born-and-raised Saskatchewan professionals. Routes2SK is committed to honouring the legacy of the property founded by Arne Peterson in 1994.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with the PGA TOUR to bring high-caliber professional golf back to the province,” said Managing Partner Ryan Danberg. “Our partnership group is extremely proud of Elk Ridge Resort, and we can’t wait to showcase the property to the world through our partnership with the Mackenzie Tour.”

The 2021 Elk Ridge Open will be contested with players based in Canada due to the global pandemic and restrictions still in place at the Canada-U.S. border. The tournament, will be a showcase leading into the 2022 season. The 2022 Elk Ridge Open will be a full-field Mackenzie Tour event in 2022 played June 20-26.

“We are very excited to be returning to Saskatchewan, and we can’t thank the partners at Routes2SK for their unwavering commitment to their community and Elk Ridge Resort,” said Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “We truly believe we have all the ingredients to make this one of the favourite stops of the summer on one of the best golf courses in the province. It will surely provide a great test for our players.”

The Elk Ridge Open is also pleased to announce that Saskatchewan native Graham DeLaet, a current PGA TOUR player and Mackenzie Tour alumnus, will serve as the tournament’s honourary chair. DeLaet is well known in Saskatchewan for his family’s philanthropic endeavours. The Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation has been focused on improving the health and wellness of children, as well as supporting the development of junior golfers at all stages. The Foundation is an extension of previous charitable efforts, which have provided valuable contributions to Golf Saskatchewan, the Canada Junior Golf Association and the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation.

“I look forward to serving as the honourary chairperson for the Elk Ridge Open in my home province,” DeLaet said. “Elk Ridge Resort is a world-class facility, and I’m excited to work with the new ownership group looking forward to making this significant impact in the community and Saskatchewan.”

This 2021 tournament will mark the first time the Mackenzie Tour has been in Saskatchewan for an event since 2016. The Tour held the Dakota Dunes Open at Dakota Dunes Golf Links just outside of Saskatoon for eight years.

“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase Saskatchewan’s world-class recreation and tourism industries,” explained Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. “The economic spinoff generated by this event will have a significant impact on Elk Ridge and area for years to come.”

VMC Sports & Entertainment, led by President Hugh Vassos, will serve as the host organization for the Elk Ridge Open. VMC has a been involved with a number of Mackenzie Tour events in the past, having served in a similar role for the Dakota Dunes Open. Currently, VMC acts as the host organization for the GolfBC Championship in Kelowna, British Columbia, which is known for its significant impact in the Okanagan region.

“We are elated to be involved with the Elk Ridge Open and Routes2SK, bringing the Mackenzie Tour back to Saskatchewan. This is exciting news for Saskatchewan especially for the tourism industry as we come out of a pandemic that has devastated the sports-event business,” said Vassos. “Elk Ridge Resort will be the perfect venue for the Elk Ridge Open and many of the other ancillary events we have planned. I look forward to our team at VMC Sports & Entertainment providing event-management services and personally serving as the Tournament Director for this world-class event,” added Vassos.

Elk Ridge Golf Course is a 27-hole facility designed by Bruce Klassen and Blaine Fagnou. The Mackenzie Tour players will be playing a composite course, which will measure more than 7,000 yards and play as a par-70. In the past, Elk Ridge has hosted a number of provincial amateur and professional events, as well as Golf Canada’s Senior Women’s Championship.

About the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. In 2021, because of restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is for players based in Canada. The Mackenzie Tour’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits.

Trevor Bloom has been playing Waskesiu Golf Course for 40 years and now all the experience has paid off in a Lobstick championship.

The former Canwood resident, who now calls Kelowna home sank a birdie putt on hole 18 Saturday to claim the 2021 tournament win over Prince Albert’s Ashley Ziegeman. Bloom admitted he hasn’t had great success at the event but was able to finally break through.

“It feels really sweet,” he said after receiving the championship trophy. “I have been playing here since I was kid and coming up here and everything. It’s very sweet to win this for sure.”

The final match with Bloom Ziegeman went down to the wire with several lead changes throughout the day before Bloom was able to secure his first Lobstick in dramatic fashion.

“I was on 14 and made the long putt and then on 18, I was just trying to lag it close because I knew Ashley was kind of in trouble and it just happened to go in,” he said.

As for Ziegeman, the championship was withing grasp for the first time in 16 years. With a few short, missed putts he said this match will sit with him for some time.

“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “I haven’t been putting good all week, my ball striking is what got me here. I missed a couple early and come the end there I couldn’t get it in the hole. If I make a couple two-footers in the last hour this a totally different story.”

More from both Bloom and Ziegeman below.

There is no secret golf is booming in Saskatchewan, Canada, and across the globe. Evan Lang, the assistant professional at the Murray Golf Course just outside Regina can attest.

Lang has spent a good portion of the summers over his 27 years at the Murray officially joining the staff as a teenager. He was playing golf long before that near his home northeast of the Queen City at Westfalia Golf Course with his grandmother three to four times a week at five years old. With an instant love for the game, and other sports his high school job choice was easy.

“When I was 14, I needed a job, I will apply at the golf course, it will be something fun,” he chuckled. “I went and dropped my resume off with Gus (Vogalsang) at the golf course. I was like you know I would like a gig here, maybe get some golf in, something like that and I haven’t looked back since.”

Prior to getting his PGA certification about six years ago Lang was an understudy to Paul Schatz who ran the junior golf program at the club with great success. Now heading the program Lang said he’s tried to make the golfers more rounded in athletics.

“The program hasn’t changed a whole bunch, I have introduced some new things and we’ve got this SNAG golf equipment that Paul and I have with Regina Junior Golf. That thing has been great, it’s all sticky stuff, it’s a whole bunch of fun. I’ve introduced lots of new drills, visuals, really just a focus on making the kids more athletic, being an athlete rather than super golf focused,” he explained.

The program runs for the month of May and the first week of June. Kids are at the course for three or four nights per week with a focus on driving, putting, iron play, and chipping. This year the clinics were jam packed with 80 kids broken up into groups while following COVID-19 guidelines. Lang said the phone hasn’t stopped ringing for more private group lessons for juniors. Lang said the key to having upwards of 200 junior golfers learning the game is enjoyment.

“My biggest thing is the kids want to be able to have fun and want to go golf with their parents, that’s my job. They will learn some stuff, become better athletes, they want to enjoy the game. If they don’t enjoy the game, they will be bored and they will not want to go out with their parents and play,” he said.

Lang, who doubles as a Callaway fitting rep in his extremely limited free time said growing up in sports and spending so much time at the Murray himself coaching the next generation takes him back and he sees himself in the kids of today.

“Golf is a great sport to get into, I grew up playing all the sports and I think it’s important. It helps with your hand-eye coordination, it just helps you develop as an athlete and person. It definitely brings me back for sure,” he concluded.

Golf Saskatchewan has announced the Saskatchewan Academic and Golf Excellence (SAGE) Scholarship recipients for 2021.

The SAGE program annually presents scholarships to assist deserving member golfers in their pursuit of high school and post-secondary academic excellence. The successful recipients were selected on the basis of being a Golf Saskatchewan member, academics and some weighting on sporting
excellence.

Below is the list of beneficiaries this year:

• Graham DeLaet Scholarship (valued at $1,500)
TJ Baker, Waskesiu Golf Club, Prince Albert
• Fletcher-Reid Scholarship (valued at $1,000)
Lauren Fox, Golf Saskatchewan Public Player, Creighton
• Ron Young Memorial Scholarship (valued at $1,000)
Josh Nagy, Riverside Country Club, Saskatoon
• Cooke-Kinnear (valued at $1,000)
Autumn Neiszner, Wascana Country Club, Regina
• Kozy Scholarship (valued at $1,000)
Symone Ripley, Saskatoon Golf & Country Club, Saskatoon
• Meredith MacPherson-Stalwick Memorial Scholarship (valued at $1,095.56) Alexandra Schmidt, Royal Regina Golf Club, Regina
• Leddy-Heywood Scholarship (valued at $1,000)
Chloe Sies, Melville Golf & Country Club, Melville
• Dr. Garry Hayes Memorial Scholarship $1519.92/2 (valued at $759.96 each) Steven Duchscher, Riverside Country Club, Saskatoon
Sarah Grieve, The Willows/Saskatoon Golf & Country Club, Saskatoon
• Golf Saskatchewan High School Bursary (valued at $400)
Nick Kitchen, Evergreen Golf Course, Nipawin
Max Regier, The Willows, Saskatoon
Alex Swinnerton, Waskesiu Golf Course, Saskatoon

This year over $10,300 was awarded to 12 student-athletes in six different communities representing eight golf clubs across Saskatchewan.

The deadline to apply for SAGE scholarships in May 31 of each calendar year. More details can be found here. (The recipients will be updated on the SAGE homepage soon.)

Kent Adams was no different than many kids growing up in Prince Albert, sports were a big part of his life and so was the Cooke Municipal Golf Course.

Adams started playing at “five or six” in the northern Saskatchewan city leading into a lifetime of being involved in the game. Adams now calls the Edmonton area home, but the 56-year-old still fondly remembers his start here in the province.

“It was something we instantly fell in love with,” Adams said to Golf Saskatchewan in a recent interview. “Prince Albert is such a unique place in that it was so easy to get access to the golf course. It was just a great place to grow up and play golf, let’s put it that way.”

A junior champion in the early 1980’s, Adams credits the other players in Prince Albert for his success in the early years.

“When we grew up in P.A. there was 20 guys that could have won a provincial championship realistically. There was competition every day, I think that’s what made us all better. I won the Saskatchewan junior in 1982 but there was great competition every day in Prince Albert. The city championship was like the Masters,” Adams quipped.

Adams had success on the national level finishing in the top-20 at the Canadian Junior Men’s Championship once plus he played on two Willingdon Cup teams for the province. He went on to secure his PGA “A” class certification and worked under the legendary Danny Jutras for three years at Cooke before moving to Alberta for a head pro job. He spent three years in Sherwood Park and then another 13 years at Colonial in Beaumont. He has since left the industry but plays more than he ever has for “fun.”

Earlier this summer Adams put together a round for the ages at Blackhawk Golf Club. Adams finished with a 67 which is a good score, but he accomplished something that the oddsmakers label at 67 million to one, two holes in one in the same round.

“I play with a wide variety of people,” Adams explained. “I played with my good buddy and his wife that particular day and another friend of mine and they’re mid to high handicappers so to just see a hole in one to start with is unique enough. In fact, the one mentioned to me after the first one went in, we had a couple of high fives, it’s no big deal, it’s cool but it’s not outrageous. The high fives were there, and he said you know I’ve never seen a hole in one before, I said you have to be kidding me, if I’d known that I would have been more excited. Sure enough five holes later I made another one and they heard us all over the golf course.”

The aces were the eighth and ninth of Adams career. Many might assume that the rarity would have cost Adams once he got back to the Blackhawk clubhouse, but a unique program allowed the foursome, and others to celebrate on behalf of the club.

“It’s unique at our club because when a hole in one is made every member at the club gets charged a dollar on their account so it’s a credit for the lounge. It doesn’t cost you anything, but you can go ahead and buy drinks for everybody on the club essentially. With two of them you get about a thousand bucks so we had quite an evening of dinner and cocktails, it was a great night,” he said.

“The Willingdon Cup teams, playing in the national championships, stuff like that is more important than this but this is just cool. Especially at this age when you don’t hit it as good as you used to, you’re pluggig away. I’m playing more than I ever did and having more fun doing it but something like that it’s so rare and unique it’s a real treat no doubt, something I will never forget,” Adams concluded.

You can hear much more from Adams who spoke about the magical moments with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork.

Will anyone stop 16-year-old Brooklin Fry on the Saskatchewan Women’s Order of Merit Tour (OMT) this year?

The Shell Lake product picked up her second win of the season this past weekend taking the Sangster’s Saskatoon Women’s Open by 10 strokes at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club. The victory followed up her win at the Ladies Northern in Prince Albert earlier this month.

Fry, the reigning amateur and junior women’s champion shot rounds of 73 and 71 in the event finishing at even-par. Yorkton’s Ella Kozak was second at plus-10. Sarah Grieve of Saskatoon rounded out the top three at 13-over par.

Regina’s Kim Walker was the senior women’s champion holding off Lorie Boyle by five shots, Walker finished at plus-15.

All the results can be found here.

The next stop on the OMT for the women’s division is the Saskatchewan Amateur Championship on July 6 to 8 at Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current.

Procyshen; Hallberg claim Crocus titles

On the men’s side of the Order of Merit Tour it was Matt Procyshen taking the Crocus Men’s Open at the Weyburn Golf Club on June 13.

The former Yorkton resident who now plays out of the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club posted an opening round score of 75 before carding a stellar 67 on day two to win the 36-hole tournament by five shots.

Tyler Mryglod was second at 147 (73, 74). Joel Miller and Peter Wild tied for third place at 6-over, 148.

The final results can be viewed here.

The Men’s Lobstick at Waskesiu is the next event on the OMT Tour, that’s currently underway. For live scoring click here.

In the senior age group at the Crocus it was hometown product Rick Hallberg winning the championship.

Hallberg fired rounds of 74 and 69 for a 1-over, 143 over the weekend to secure an eight shot win over Regina’s Stu Innes.

Kelly Mutter was third at 153.

The senior results are here.

The Auto Clearing Senior Men’s Championship is next for the senior men, that takes place June 22 – 24 at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club.