Phil Jonas is the 2021 Scotia Wealth Open champion.

The 59-year-old PGA of Saskatchewan member outlasted Kade Johnson Sunday at Nipawin’s Evergreen Golf Course to win by a stroke and take his first championship in the province. Jonas, a four-time Senior PGA major competitor relocated to Saskatoon early last year.

He said after the round that Johnson pushed him through 36 holes.

“I was good for the first seven or eight holes and then I struggled coming in, I didn’t make any putts. My irons weren’t too sharp, I struggled. Kade made a few birdies, he made it tough on me. I actually didn’t know where I stood, I’d lost track, but it turned out okay. Really good golf course, this was a lot of fun,” he said.

The two were paired together the first day of the event as well, both shot 68 to sit tied for first. Jonas jumped out to a five-shot lead just three holes into the second round, but Johnson did turn his game around on the back including birdies on 12, 13, and 14 closing the gap to just a stroke. Johnson had a chance to force a playoff but came up shy with his birdie putt on 18. Jonas parred to claim the title.

“This course isn’t easy, a lot of good amateurs,” Jonas said about the strong field in the tournament that allows both professionals and amateur players. “I think Saskatchewan players need to prouder of how good they are when they play in other provinces. What I’ve seen this week and what I’ve seen at Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, I’m really impressed. I’m glad in my advancing years I am able to sneak this one out.”

The complete results can be found here.

Scotia Wealth returns after one-year hiatus

Not to be lost in low-key celebration of Jonas’ win was the fact the event was back on the Order of Merit schedule after being cancelled due to COVID-19.

The tournament is a highlight for many pros and top-end amateurs and is reflected on as the official start of the competitive golf season in Saskatchewan. Chair Dean Prosky said it was great to have the Open back in 2021.

“It’s just nice to be back, to see the guys, it’s nice to get the event going again. I think the guys really missed it. There were some tournaments last year, but it’s nice to see everyone again after two years. It is great to the golf talent we have, Saskatchewan golf is in a great place,” he said.

The field had 84 players entered this year including many former champions and college players as well as Saskatchewan’s top professionals. Having Jonas’ name added to the trophy will add some luster to its history.

“It’s great, there is a lot of guys that you’d like to see win, Kade is going to win this event one year for sure. It’s great to have Phil on there, he’s had a great career playing tour golf so it’s nice to have him on there. It’s kind of a who’s who that’s won this event so it’s nice to have his name on there,” Prosky added.

Due to interprovincial travel restrictions and other complexities related to COVID-19, Golf Canada has announced additional changes to its championship schedule for the 2021 season.

Provincial restrictions had previously forced the cancellation of U.S. Open Local and Final Qualifiers, in addition to the NextGen Pacific, NextGen Western, and NextGen Ontario Championships. With continued pandemic-related uncertainty, the remaining NextGen Championships – NextGen Prairie (Quarry Oaks, June 10-13), NextGen Quebec (Club de Golf Hemmingford, June 27-30), and NextGen Atlantic (Dundarave Golf Course, July 12-15) – will also be cancelled and the 2021 NextGen National Junior Orders of Merit will not be awarded. In some cases, these NextGen events would have conflicted with provincial junior championships around Canada that are being delayed and rescheduled.

The two NextGen Fall Series Championships in September will proceed as scheduled. Each field will feature 99 junior boys and girls and exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Championships will be awarded.

• NextGen Fall Series East | September 16-19 | Hollinger Golf Club, Timmins, Ont.
• NextGen Fall Series West | September 23-26 | Myrtle Point Golf Club, Powell River, BC

Golf Canada National Amateur Championships are still scheduled to proceed but will only move forward after approval from regional and provincial health authorities. Operational plans for amateur competitions have been adjusted to incorporate rigorous health and safety protocols. Final decisions about the feasibility of conducting national championships will be made approximately four to six weeks prior to the start of each championship. The safety of championship competitors, tournament staff, volunteers, and host site members will remain the top priority guiding these decisions.

At this time, Golf Canada is able to announce the following changes to its National Amateur Championship schedule:

• Interprovincial team competitions that are usually played concurrently with national championships will not be contested in 2021. The increased complexity associated with team competitions – including group travel and the involvement of non-playing team captains – will not allow for them to proceed this year.
• The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship will move one week later in July and is now scheduled to be hosted by Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club in Edmonton, Alta. from July 26-30. The Canadian Women’s Amateur was last held in Edmonton in 1993. The previously scheduled host, The Royal Montreal Golf Club, has agreed to welcome this national championship in 2025 or 2026, after hosting the Presidents Cup in 2024.
• The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will remain in its current date and is now scheduled to be hosted at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont. from August 1-5. The championship—which was previously contested at two courses with a 264-player field—will be reduced to a 156-player field and be contested at one course. The previously scheduled hosts, Le Club Laval-sur-le-Lac and Club de Golf Saint-Raphaël, will explore the possibility of hosting the championship in a future year.
• The Canadian Junior Girls Championship will move one week earlier and is now scheduled to be played at Leduc Golf Club in Leduc, Alta. from July 19-23. The previously scheduled host, Club de Golf Sainte-Marie will play host to this championship in 2025 or 2026.
• The Canadian Men’s Senior Championship is now scheduled to be contested at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Qué. from September 20-24. The previously scheduled host, Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S. will host in 2025.
• The Canadian University/College Championship has been postponed to October. A host course and date will be confirmed in the near future.
• The Canadian Junior Boys Championship will remain at Club de Golf La Vallée du Richelieu in Sainte-Julie, Qué. from August 8-12. The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship will also remain as scheduled. Fort McMurray Golf Club will host the men from August 23-27 and Golf Château-Bromont will host the women from August 30-September 2.

A complete list of Golf Canada’s competitions is available here.

North Battleford’s Ron Inkster cannot wait to get back on the golf course. Thanks to SaskSport’s ‘Adaptive Sport Grants‘ and Golf Saskatchewan Inkster can utilize a new SoloRider cart that will be housed at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club (NBGCC).

Inkster was on hand on Wednesday at the club when Golf Saskatchewan delivered their third cart of the provincial fleet. He was an avid golfer at the NBGCC before Multiple sclerosis began to limit his mobility six years ago. However, with the SoloRider at his home course Inkster was able to swing again.

“It’s very good, it seems very good to drive,” he said after testing the one-person cart out. “Hitting will take a little bit of practice but at this point in time that’s what I will do is practice.”

Inkster admits he was never a competitive player but enjoyed playing the game on a social level. His wife Zelda was on hand for the delivery and stated it will be great for Ron to get “back with the boys.” Inkster could not hide his excitement for a return to the links as well.

“I have been more a social golfer, and this will be helpful for me to go out with people once in a while, hit the ball, and hopefully not lose too much money,” Inkster joked.

Golf Saskatchewan has a SoloRider at the Silverwood Golf Course in Saskatoon, and the other is available for use at the Royal Regina Golf Club. NBGCC head professional Dana Johnson said he’s excited for Inkster and others to have the option of the cart at his club.

“It makes me so happy for a gentleman like Ron who missed the game of golf for so many years unfortunately and now he’s able to take part again, I am so proud to see him out and I’m so happy for him. You can see the gleam in his eye, he has that golf bug back, it’s great,” Johnson said.

Brian Lee is the executive director of Golf Saskatchewan. He seconded the notion of Inkster’s excitement after the test run of the SoloRider.

“It’s basically a rejoining of some resemblance of normal for a number of folks that may have thought golf was over or time with their friends and family were gone, now this gives them an opportunity to come back. It may not be exactly the way they used to play but they get to be part of the game. Hopefully this will be used at the NBGCC for years and decades to come,” he said.

Randall Kaeys with Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan Inc. He added how important initiatives such as the SoloRider placement is too people with injuries.

“Adaptive technologies – like the SoloRider – allow persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to stay active within the community, and to continue with activities that may have been enjoyed pre-injury. These adaptive technologies also allow individuals with SCI and other physical disabilities to enjoy new experiences and participate in inclusive activities,” he said.

The SoloRider is available for other clubs in the region to utilize, the same for the carts in Saskatoon and Regina. Anyone interested in more details or availability of the SoloRiders can call Golf Saskatchewan at 306.975.0850.

Ron Stewart is a three-time Saskatchewan amateur champion and has also won the Prince Albert Northern six times.

In 2013 he was honoured for his career with an induction into the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame.

Stewart and his son David are also one of two father-son tandems in the province’s history to win the Saskatchewan Amateur Championship.

Stewart recently say down with Golf Saskatchewan to discuss his career that spans close to five decades.

The first Saskatchewan Order of Merit Tour (OMT) is underway with others waiting on the tee box.

Over the weekend the Legends 2 Person Scramble took place in Warman opening the 2021 Men’s OMT schedule. The winning team was local Darryl Czuy and Valley Regional Park General Manager Conner McGill with a score of 124 over the two rounds. Czuy will collect half the OMT points available to the winning team. McGill is a PGA of Saskatchewan member; his points will not be tallied.

Coming in second, just two shots back were Scott and Travis Jenkins at 126, in third place in the championship flight was the team of Kendall Nicolas and Dan Olynyk at 130.

The full results are below.

Next up on the Men’s OMT schedule is the highly anticipated return of the Scotia Wealth Open in Nipawin. Eighty-four of the province’s top amateurs and professionals will make up the field. The event begins with the practice round on Friday. A champion will be crowned on Sunday. Regina’s Pat Marcia is the defending champion last winning in 2019, the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.

The Women’s 2021 OMT schedule gets underway this upcoming weekend in Prince Albert with the Ladies’ Northern at Cooke Municipal Golf Course. The 36-hole tournament begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with over 60 players registered. The tournament wasn’t played last year, in 2019 Kim Brown took the championship with Sherry Anderson winning the senior category.

The junior’s have to wait a little longer before their OMT schedule kicks off. A postponement of their opening Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) and the cancelation of the NextGen Prairie Championship means the under-19 group will wait until June 26 and 27 at Elmwood in Swift Current for another scheduled MJT event.

The Senior Men’s OMT schedule will not wait that long, their first event is the Senior Men’s Lobstick in Waskesiu from June 8 to 10. Warren Gnam is the defending champion, Keith Silvernagle took last year’s super senior trophy.

For information on all the OMT’s click here.

Bob Dow Memorial

Although not an OMT event, the Bob Dow Memorial took place in Nipawin at the Evergreen this past weekend.

TJ Baker and Garet Comfort just held off their fathers in the two-man team event. The winning pair shot 175, the team of Tyler Baker and Graham Comfort were just a stroke behind at 176. Connor Tuffs and Connor Tate placed third at 178.

Nestled onto the side of Highway 11 almost centered between Prince Albert and Saskatoon lies Valley Regional Park at Rosthern. Home to an 18-hole golf course and many more amenities for a getaway from the “hustle and bustle” of city life.

Conner McGill is into his third year at the course that features has ‘large mature tree lined fairways, rolling terrain, and the peaceful atmosphere of the country’ according to their website. He said the first year on the job was a learning curve meanwhile year two was a “blur” with the huge uptick in golf and the COVID-19 pandemic but now the course is driving straight ahead.

“We’ve basically picked up right where we left off last year,” McGill said to Golf Saskatchewan following a course visit. “Everything is basically the same procedures, and everything is the same except the mandatory masks inside. Other than everything has been pretty smooth.”

The Valley Regional Park website also states the course features ‘wide fairways, large, soft, undulated greens, white silica sand bunkers, and numerous natural and man-made water hazards make this a favorite course for all calibers to enjoy.’ McGill said the course should be highly regarded in the province.

“It’s one of my favourite golf courses that I’ve played in this province. The back nine especially, it is more the older holes, and every hole is so unique, it’s a good test. It’s not the longest golf course but it will test you in many ways,” McGill explained.

The course plays from either just under 5,300 yards up to 6,600 yards from the tips at par-72.

McGill said they have several signature holes spread out across the course and it’s hard to choose just one to showcase.

“Hole nine, a little par three over water, it’s a picturesque hole,” he said. “There’s so many, 10 is a great hole, short par four that’s risk reward, both par fives on the back are big risk reward. 17 is a drivable par four, another risk reward, any of the par fives and 17 you can make eagle or a pretty quick bogey or worse.”

Another benefit to the course is its central Saskatchewan location. Pinned between two of the biggest cities in the province if the larger centre courses are booked up you can potentially enjoy a road trip and a great round on any given day.

“We’re definitely a hidden gem,” McGill added. “It’s a great golf course. Every golf course is busy so if its busy in P.A. or Saskatoon, hop in your vehicle with three friends and come on down, or up, or whatever direction you are coming from.”

McGill said the club does not normally host larger tournaments but do have some events that will feature about 80 golfers. He said their facility is popular for corporate events in the 30 to 50 attendee range. The course did build up a solid men’s night but COVID interrupted that and rebuilding the weekly league without gatherings allowed yet under guidelines McGill has focused on more greens fee players. The course does boast some of the best daily specials in the area.

Being a regional park, the amenities do not end at the golf course. Valley Regional features a full-service park with plenty of entertainment for the family.

“We have our signature zipline and our big red slide that draws lots of attention for pictures. Every weekend our playground is just buzzing, you can hear the kids just screaming, running around and having a blast. Our campground is pretty much full every weekend, again just being so close to the city but you are still getting away from the hustle and bustle of what’s going on,” McGill concluded.

To learn more about Valley Regional Park at Rosthern visit their website.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) is showing its support for young golfers in Saskatchewan with a financial contribution.

The nation’s largest junior circuit has donated $500 to the newly formed Saskatchewan Junior Golf sub-committee.  Trent Matson, the National Operations Director for the MJT said the organization is happy to support junior golfers in the province.

“The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is proud to sponsor the Saskatchewan Junior Golf (SJG) initiative. We have had great support over the years from both Golf Saskatchewan and the golfing families in the province and are proud to give back to this new grassroots development pathway,” Matson said.

The money will go towards expenses like transportation to golf events, golf clinics or camps, or other costs.

Rob Kozak is the SJG committee lead, he said the MJT’s support with the donation, but more importantly, years prior have been key in the development of junior golfers in the province.

“On behalf of Saskatchewan Junior Golf Committee, we would thank the Maple Leaf Junior Tour for their ‘Par’ sponsorship of $500. The MJT provides a safe, competitive and fun environment for junior golfers to test their skills in Saskatchewan and across Canada. Without them and all their volunteers junior golf in Saskatchewan would not be at where it is today,” Kozak stated.

The money will be held in an account accessible to all registered Saskatchewan Junior Golf members meanwhile individual fundraising is underway for kids in all areas of the province through Golf-A-Thon’s. The sub-committee has set up a website where individuals can raise their own funds to be used to develop their game. The players set up their own webpage and seek their own sponsorship that can be used to cover their costs this year and in the future.

For more details on the SJG visit the Golf Saskatchewan website.

The first Junior Skills Challenge (JSC) in Saskatchewan this year was a success over the past weekend.

The Willows in Saskatoon hosted the event with 22 junior golfers taking part. The skills challenge included a driving, chipping, putting, and 18-hole stableford scoring based round. Golf Saskatchewan Manager of Sport Development Steve Ryde said the weather was iffy leading up to the event, but the day turned out great.

“The weather broke just enough to allow for a fun day of competition, players and families were happy to get out and compete,” Ryde said.

The Willows staff and volunteers were appreciated help allowing the competition to be held safely. With the start of the competitive season pushed back a few weeks due to COVID-19 Ryde said this type of atmosphere is a strong way for juniors to either shake off the rust or get a more relaxed introduction to competitive golf.

“With most junior competitions being postponed or cancelled in May and June, this event made for some great competition and some amazing golf shots. The Junior Skills Challenge is a steppingstone for many juniors whether its an introduction to competition for new players or competition training for medium to advanced players,” Ryde added.

Ryde is in discussion with several other clubs across the province to host events at their venues leading up to a provincial final. A date and location have not been determined.

He said junior golf programs are thriving across Saskatchewan and the junior skills event is another add on to successful programs already underway this year.

“Clubs around the province already have amazing junior programs, by adding the JSC to their program, it brings a new level of competition to the table,” Ryde continued.

The program is open to Golf Canada members under the age of 19.

Results of the competition can be found here, more information on the JSC program itself can be seen here.

Stay tuned to Golf Saskatchewan’s website and social media feeds for the upcoming schedule.

It is with great regret before the long weekend that the Québec golf world learned of the death of Guy Bernier, after a very courageous fight against cancer.

In his case, the word courage in recent years is fully warranted. He was 67 years old and had been retired for two years from Golf Canada.

Guy Bernier worked at the national sport federation as the regional director for Québec. He succeeded Rémi Bouchard after Bouchard became a full-time pro.

His mandate was to maintain the presence of Golf Canada in the 325 clubs of the province, which his personality allowed him to do and succeed.

The ambassador role was a second career for Guy Bernier, his first very successful one having been in equipment sales.

You probably had some of his equipment in your bag as well since he was associated with two winning brands, first with Spalding Top Flite before becoming Mr. Callaway in 1981 for 18 years before running his own agency.

This was the era of Michel Norman Sr., Helene Norris, Russell Campbell, Richard Dufresne and Max Oxford and company, before the advent of big box stores and internet shopping, when he had to visit the pros all over the province and Ottawa area in their stores several times a year – which created a deep bond.

The many messages of sympathy on social media show the level of appreciation that he enjoyed.

“Guy made a difference. Thank you for growing the industry as well as making a difference in my life. We will miss you,” wrote Debbie Savoy-Morel, a very close friend.

Golf Canada also published the following statement:

“We pass along our sincere condolences to the family & friends of our dear friend and former colleague Guy Bernier. He was a highly respected contributor to our sport, a gentleman in his dealings as our Regional Director in Quebec, a passionate enthusiast of the game & a friend to many across the golf community. #RIP”

Our condolences to Guy Bernier’s wife and two boys.

Click here to view Bernier’s obituary.

The Cooke name is synonymous with golf in Prince Albert, their marquee course is named after the family, but when you arrive at the club you pull onto Danny Jutras Drive to get there.

Jutras was the head pro at the course from 1975 to 2009. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame in 2011 in the distinguished service category. He was also inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, the same year as Mr. Hubert Cooke.

Earlier this month Golf Saskatchewan sat down with Jutras at his home across the street from the course he literally has spent his life on. Jutras shared stories from the first time he swung the club to his junior success to his brief but important stops along the way to a legendary career in the city.