UXBRIDGE — Golf Ontario is thrilled to announce that it will be bringing back the Ontario Open in 2019 after a lengthy hiatus. The 2019 Championships will take place on August 26 – 29th, 2019 at beautiful Woodington Lake Golf Club, in Tottenham, Ontario and will immediately become one of the premiere Championships on the calendar for 2019.
The Ontario Open has a storied history dating back to 1923, making this Championship one of the oldest Championships in the world. Past champions of this event reads like a who’s who of Canadian and International golf, and includes the immortal Sam Snead, Canadian golfing legends George Knudson and Moe Norman, as well as seven-time champion Nick Weslock.
A true open Championship, this tournament will attract the best golfers from Ontario, and across Canada and beyond, to Woodington Lake Golf Club, the official host of the Ontario Open. The strategically selected date of August 26 – 29 should ensure the availability of Canada’s top athletes, including many from the PGA tour.
“We are thrilled to be bringing back the Ontario Open, one of the oldest golf Championships in the world in 2019” said Mike Kelly, Executive Director of Golf Ontario. “This Championship will be a true open championship and should attract some of the best golfers in Ontario and beyond to test their games on the beautiful Woodington Lake Golf Club. With a minimum purse of $40,000, we expect this Championship to immediately become a must play event on the golfing calendar in 2019” continued Kelly.
Woodington Lake Golf Club has been a huge partner for us in the resurrection of this amazing Championships. “By signing on as the Official Host of the Ontario Open for next 5 years, Woodington Lake Golf Club and Golf Ontario will be working closely together to deliver a world class Championship at a world class facility” enthused Kelly.
Domenic DiGironimo, General Manager of Woodington Lake Golf Club echoed Kelly’s excitement at the return of this storied Championship. “We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Golf Ontario to be bringing back the Ontario Open. The thought of being part of the return of a Championship with previous winners like Snead, Norman and Knudson, is something that gets the whole team at Woodington Lake Golf Club excited, and we look forward to showcasing our facility to the regions’ best golfers in August”
Leading up to the Championship, there will be multiple qualifying sites available for the areas’ best golfers to try and qualify to compete in this event. Initial qualifying dates and sites are as follows: June 26 – Meadowbrook Golf Club; June 29 – RiverBend Golf Club; July 2 – Greyhawk Golf Club; and July 6 – Woodington Lake Golf Club. “These qualifying events, along with a robust list of Championship exemptions, will ensure that we have a second to none field for the return of the Ontario Open” said Kelly
More information about the Ontario Open, including qualifying information, can be found at www.theontarioopen.ca
In addition to the Ontario Open championship, Woodington Lake and Golf Ontario will also be partnering during the same week in August to present the first ever Golf Ontario Disability Championship. More details can be found at www.gao.ca, but this event will help deliver on a core element of the Golf Ontario strategic plan, says Kelly: “The Golf Ontario Disability Championship is an important first step in building a more diverse and inclusive golf environment in Ontario. Taking part the same week as the Ontario Open will provide strong exposure and good infrastructure as we deliver what we hope to be the first of many, many years of the Golf Ontario disability championship”, continued Kelly.
ABOUT WOODINGTON LAKE GOLF CLUB
Woodington Lake Golf Club is home to 36 holes of picturesque golf in Tottenham, Ontario, just north of Toronto. The original course, The Legend Course, opened in 1995 and is built on over 200 acres of rolling terrain. Carved from towering pine forest and nestle around Woodington Lake, this course Is truly legendary. The newest addition to Woodington Lake Golf Club is the Legacy course, a true mix of Links and Stadium styles. With very challenging water hazards, along with fast and undulating greens, the Legacy course will keep golfers of every skill coming back for more.
