From Golf Canada (original article here)
November 17, 2021 – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the group of 46 junior and amateur athletes selected as part of the Team Canada player development program for 2022. Professional players who will be part of Team Canada in 2022 will be determined and announced in January.
The announcement marks a significant roster increase, adding 17 additional male and female athletes to the previous year’s Team Canada amateur and junior squads. The larger program size will increase the number of top developing players who receive nationally supervised coaching and support and will grow the pool of future high-potential Canadian professional golfers.
The athlete roster expansion reflects a restructuring to accommodate the growing talent pool in Canadian golf and is financially supported by contributions from Golf Canada Foundation’s network of Trustees, Golf Canada corporate partners, and a slight reallocation of Golf Canada resources. Golf Canada will also expand its group of Team Canada coaches to effectively support the larger roster of athletes.
“This is an exciting period for Canadian golf, and we are intensifying the National Team Player Development Program,” said Kevin Blue, Chief Sport Officer with Golf Canada. “We are in the process of additional analysis and strategic planning, and we look forward to further system enhancements in 2022 with the goal of helping more Canadian players reach the LPGA and PGA TOUR.”
Team Canada’s 2022 National Amateur Squad consists of 21 athletes, including eight women and 13 men. The Junior Squad totals 25 athletes including 12 female and 13 male U19 athletes ages 14-18.
The athletes representing Team Canada have all achieved impressive results at regional, provincial, national, and international competitions, including NCAA tournament wins and victories at prestigious amateur and junior competitions. The athletes have also benefited in their development from support through their respective provincial golf associations, personal coaches, home golf clubs and families.
“Supporting the Team Canada program and the next generation of Canadian golf talent is a major priority of the Foundation and our Trustee donors,” said Martin Barnard, Golf Canada Foundation CEO. “Together with program partners, we are proud to provide a network of support for the continued growth of Canadian golf at the highest levels.”
Athletes named to the Team Canada Amateur Squad who are expected to turn professional in 2022 will continue to receive support from Golf Canada during their transition.
The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2022 Amateur Squad:
WOMEN’S AMATEUR SQUAD
– Brigitte Thibault | Rosemère, Qué. – Club de golf de Rosemère (23)
– Brooke Rivers | Brampton, Ont. – Brampton Golf Club (16)
– Céleste Dao | Notre-Dame-de-l’île-Perrot, Qué. – Summerlea Golf & Country Club (20)
– Monet Chun | Richmond Hill, Ont. – Public Player (20)
– Noémie Paré | Victoriaville, Qué. – Club de golf de Victoriaville (24)
– Sarah-Ève Rhéaume | Québec, Qué. – Club de golf Royal Québec (21)
– Savannah Grewal | Mississauga, Ont. – Piper’s Heath Golf Club (20)
– Taylor Kehoe | Strathroy, Ont. – West Haven Golf & Country Club (17)
MEN’S AMATEUR SQUAD
– A.J. Ewart | Coquitlam, B.C. – The Vancouver Golf Club (22)
– Brendan MacDougall | Calgary, Alta. – The Glencoe Golf & Country Club (24)
– Chris Vandette | Beaconsfield, Qué. – Summerlea Golf & Country Club (20)
– Étienne Papineau | St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué. – Club de golf Pinegrove (25)
– Henry Lee | Coquitlam, B.C. – Marine Drive Golf Club (23)
– Johnny Travale | Stoney Creek, Ont. – Glendale Golf and Country Club (21)
– Laurent Desmarchais | Longueuil, Qué. – Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu (20)
– Matthew Anderson | Mississauga, Ont. – Credit Valley Golf & Country Club (21)
– Max Sekulic | Rycroft, Alta. – The Glencoe Golf & Country Club (22)
– Noah Steele | Kingston, Ont. – Cataraqui Golf & Country Club (24)
– Piercen Hunt | Hartland, WI – The Club at Lac La Belle (20)
– Thomas Giroux | Georgetown, Ont. – The Club at North Halton (22)
– Tristan Mandur | Duncan, B.C. – Duncan Meadows Golf Course (22)
National Junior Squad
The National Junior Squad features 25 athletes (12 women and 13 men).
In September, Golf Canada hosted a selection camp at TPC Toronto in Caledon, Ont., for additional training and performance opportunities for junior golfers in contention for the National Junior Squad. In partnership with the Provincial Golf Associations and personal coaches, all golfers participated in a series of testing modules followed by a 54-hole competition.
National Junior Squad players will be supported with coaching from the Golf Canada national coaching staff and by experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics, and nutrition.
From March through early May, some Junior Squad members will practice out of Golf Canada’s National Training Centre at Bear Mountain—the fifth year that the program has provided spring training for athletes during the second semester of their school year.
The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2022 Junior Squad:
JUNIOR GIRLS SQUAD
– Angela Arora | Surrey, B.C. – Beach Grove Golf Club (17)
– Anne-Léa Lavoie | Québec, Qué. – Club de golf Royal Québec (16)
– Ella Weber | Burlington, Ont. – Rattlesnake Point Golf Club (16)
– Emily Zhu | Richmond Hill, Ont. – National Pines Golf Club (17)
– Katie Cranston | Oakville, Ont. – Oakville Golf Club (17)
– Lauren Kim | Surrey, B.C. – Morgan Creek Golf Club (16)
– Lauren Zaretsky | Thornhill, Ont. – Maple Downs Golf & Country Club (17)
– Luna Lu | Burnaby, B.C. – Pitt Meadows Golf Club (14)
– Martina Yu | Coquitlam, B.C. – Meadow Gardens Golf Club (15)
– Michelle Liu | Vancouver, B.C. – Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club (15)
– Nicole Gal | Oakville, Ont. – Oakville Golf Club (16)
– Yeji Kwon | Port Coquitlam, B.C. – Swaneset Bay Resort & Country Club (15)
JUNIOR BOYS SQUAD
– Andre Zhu | Richmond Hill, Ont. – National Pines Golf Club (15)
– Ben MacLean | Niagara Falls, Ont. – Cherry Hill Club (17)
– Cooper Humphreys | Vernon, B.C. – The Harvest Club (16)
– Eric Zhao | North York, Ont. – Bayview Golf & Country Club (14)
– Ethan Wilson | St. Albert, Alta. – Glendale Golf & Country Club (17)
– Félix Bouchard | Otterburn Park, Qué. – Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu (18)
– Gavyn Knight | Parksville, B.C. – Morningstar Golf Club (17)
– James Newton | Ottawa, Ont. – The Royal Ottawa Golf Club (18)
– Jeevan Sihota | Victoria, B.C. – Gorge Vale Golf Club (17)
– JP Parr | St-Célestin, Qué. – Club de golf Ki-8-eb Golf (17)
– Malik Dao | Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Qué. – Summerlea Golf & Country Club (17)
– Mathieu Lafontaine | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. – Summerlea Golf & Country Club (17)
– Owen Kim | Oakville, Ont. – Blue Springs Golf Club (17)
Team Canada Coaching Staff Announced
Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 2022 Team Canada coaching staff that will support both the National Amateur and Junior Squads.
For the amateur squads, Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man., returns as men’s head coach with support from new assistant coaches Benoit Lemieux of Montréal, Qué., and Louis Melanson from Moncton, N.B. On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally of Dundas, Ont., returns as head coach, supported by assistant coach Salimah Mussani of Vancouver, B.C., as well as an additional women’s assistant coach to be named in the coming weeks.
On the junior side, Robert Ratcliffe of Comox, B.C., will lead the Junior Squads, supported by assistant coach Jennifer Greggain, of Langford, B.C.
Athletes will also access Team Canada’s sport science team, which includes physiotherapists Greg Redman and Andrea Kosa, psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, and strength and conditioning coach Bryan Katz. Junior athletes will also receive supplemental support from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific in the areas of mental performance and nutrition.
Ingram, Mullally, Ratcliffe, Greggain, Mussani, Lemieux and Melanson are all PGA of Canada members.
ABOUT GOLF CANADA’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
Golf Canada’s National Team Program incorporates advanced coaching, sport science expertise, training camps and world-class competition to aid Canada’s top up-and-coming players in all areas of their high-performance development. The National Team Program provides access to world-class resources including coaching, nutrition, sport science, mental management, equipment, and elite competitive opportunities with players selected to the National Amateur and Junior Squads representing Canada at a number of internationally sanctioned golf competitions throughout the year. The National Team Program also includes a Young Pro Squad that supports emerging talents in their transition to professional golf. The comprehensive National Team Program builds on the support that athletes have received in their development years from their family, member clubs, personal coaches, university programs and provincial golf associations. Golf Canada’s National Team Program is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Audi, Titleist, FootJoy, PUMA Golf, Foresight Sports, Heritage Canada, Bear Mountain Resort, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Golf Canada Foundation. For more information about Team Canada or to donate towards the development of Canada’s emerging talents, please visit www.golfcanada.ca/team-canada.
GOLF CANADA
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing more than 270,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.
Media Contact:
Dan Pino, Senior Director, Communications
Golf Canada
C: 416-434-5525
E: dpino@golfcanada.ca
