TORONTO—Former Varsity Blues athletic director, and current member of the board of directors for Golf Canada, Liz Hoffman received the prestigious Thomas R. Loudon award as part of the 2015 U of T Sports Hall of Fame ceremony on Thursday night at the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.
The Loudon award is presented to a person associated with the University of Toronto for outstanding services in the advancement of athletics. Hoffman retired from U of T in 2010 after 39 years of outstanding service, leadership and mentorship of University of Toronto athletics.
Hoffman has been a driving force behind the growth of intercollegiate competition in Canada. She has paved the way in many areas of university sport – as an athlete, as a coach, an instructor and as an administrator. As the director of athletics, she served on the board of directors of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) during three different decades (1982-86, 1993-97, 2003-07), including being its president (1995-97), and has been a U of T delegate to Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and its predecessors since 1977, including terms as president (1980-84) and past president (2003-07). She built a tremendous coaching team at U of T, where under her leadership the Varsity Blues claimed 17 national titles and 126 provincial team championships.
The night opened with Dean Ira Jacobs presenting award to Hoffman. Jacobs saluted Hoffman’s decades of service and the lasting impact her initiatives made on sport at U of T. “Under Liz’s watch, University of Toronto developed gender and sport equity policies that were firsts in interuniversity sport in Canada,” Jacobs told the crowd. “Her initiatives shaped the co-curricular athletics and recreation experiences of countless—literally thousands of—U of T students on all three campuses.”
Hoffman received a standing ovation from the crowd as she came to the mic. For Hoffman, the honour was very much a family affair—literally, with her husband Rick and sons Mark and Matt at her side—and metaphorically, returning “home” to her Blues stomping groups. “We will always be part of the Varsity Blues family. I thank you for this honour; I will always treasure it; we will always treasure it.”
The emotional reflections and humble acceptance speeches continued as 10 athletes, three teams and four builders were welcomed into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame. While a decades-old tradition, this particular induction represented a new era with a series of firsts—this was the first time celebrating inductions at the Golding Centre for High Performance Sport. The Faculty also unveiled its interactive digital display, honouring every individual, team and builder inducted into the U of T Sports Hall of Fame. The ceremony also included the University’s first induction of a para athlete: Joanne Berdan.
TORONTO – The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Golf Canada have announced the four athletes who have been nominated to represent Canada at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games from July 10 to 26.
The Canadian athletes nominated by Golf Canada for the Pan Am golf competition – which runs July 16-19 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. – were determined based on selection criteria and world ranking as of May 15, 2015.
On the women’s side, 17-year-old former world number one amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. has accepted selection to the Pan Am golf team and will be joined by four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane of Charlottetown.
The men’s team will be comprised of 18-year-old Austin Connelly who resides in, Irving Texas, currently the 10th ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Rankings along with reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.
Golf Canada’s National Women’s Team Head Coach Tristan Mullally of Straffan, Ireland along with National Men’s Team Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man will serve as coaches for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.
Selection criteria among those considered for the Canadian Pan Am Golf Team was based on competitive standing inside the top-500 on the World Golf Ranking for professional golfers as well as competitive standing inside the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of May 15, 2015. Players that met the selection criteria had until April 28, 2015 to notify Golf Canada of their interest in being considered for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.
The field for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Competition will include 32 women and 32 men competing in a women’s individual, men’s individual and mixed team competition (low female and male score combined).
The Pan Am Games will be a historic event for Canadian golf as the sport will be included for the first time ever as part of the multi-sport Pan Am Games. In 2016, the sport of golf makes its celebrated return to the Olympic sport program for the first time since Canadian George S. Lyon won gold at the 1904 Olympic Games.
Canada will field the largest team in its Pan American Games history with over 700 athletes expected to be named to the Team at the Games in Toronto. With TORONTO 2015 providing a “Home Games” experience, as well as a number of qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, these Games will offer a tremendous experience for Canada’s high performance athletes.
QUOTES
“Canada is proud to be hosting the first-ever Pan Am Games where golf is on the program. This is a fantastic opportunity for our talented golfers to showcase their ability to the Americas with a home soil advantage. Congratulations to all those who made it onto the team.”
– Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee
“I am incredibly excited for our Canadian golfers to be a part of Pan Am Games history. I am totally confident that this group will re-ignite Canadian success in multi-sport games after George Lyon’s gold medal in 1904. Congratulations to all of the golfers named to the team, I can’t wait to see you all tee off.”
– Curt Harnett, TORONTO 2015 Team Canada Chef de Mission
“We are very excited about the composition of our team for the Pan Am Games and feel confident that they will be very competitive with the field in this event. Lorie and Brooke representing Canada provide a great combination of both youth and experience while Garrett and Austin are two of the top amateurs in the world and will give Canada a great chance over the four days of competition.”
– Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer
“It’s an honour to be selected to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. In a short time with the national team program I’ve been able to take advantage of great opportunities and I’m sure that the Pan Am Games will be a special golf experience.”
– Austin Connelly, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“I am honoured and extremely excited to be playing for Canada again.I am excited about the quality of schedule I have this year with the Pan Am Games and RBC Canadian Open as well as the other great championships I’ll be competing in this summer.”
– Garrett Rank, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“It is an absolute honour to have the opportunity to represent my country and the Canadian Olympic Committee with my selection to play for Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. I have always proudly represented Canada while playing on the LPGA Tour, but wearing the maple leaf in acclaimed international competition is something I am extremely humbled by and excited about.”
– Lorie Kane, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games athlete
“It’s really exciting to have been selected to represent Canada in the first ever Pan Am games golf competition. I’ve had so many great experiences being a part of Golf Canada’s national team program since I was 14, and now in my first year as a pro, it’s a great honour to play for my country at the Pan Am Games.”
– Brooke Henderson, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Athlete
“Canada has a long tradition of excellence in golf, and we are very proud of the team that has been selected to represent our country as this sport makes its Pan Am Games debut this summer. Congratulations to all our golfers; Canadians will be following and encouraging you as you face the best athletes in the Americas at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Good luck!”
– The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport)
Click here to listen to an interview with Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Development Officer, Jeff Thompson, as he discusses team selection criteria for Canada’s golf contingent for the 2015 Pan Am Games.
BARRIE— It was a beautiful day at Horseshoe Resort – Highlands Course as 48 champions, from Ontario golf clubs, teed it up for the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Ontario Men’s Champion of Champions.
In what is turning out be a theme with GAO events this season, this championship needed a playoff to determine a winner. Despite many players having difficulty with the course, Oakville’s Mike Kray and Bognor’s Josiah Dixon both managed to finish the round one-under (70).
On the playoff hole, Kray, from the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club found the rough on his tee shot and had tree branches between his ball and the hole. He would get out and on the fairway but was short of the green. He would go on to bogey the hole. As for Dixon, he put his tee shot in the fairway and found the fringe with his approach. The Legacy Ridge Golf Club member, chipped it to within a couple feet and made his par putt for the win.
“It feels good, I really enjoyed the course it was in great shape,” said Dixon. “I had a pretty good day out there, I struck the ball well. I probably should have made a few more putts than I did, but overall it worked out well. I hit fairways and greens. That was what you really had to do out there. I didn’t have to look for the ball except once and even then I was able to make par.”
For Dixon, this was his first GAO championship, a win that he said tops his list. “I haven’t won any GAO events before. I have won a couple Amateur Tour events, but overall this has to be my biggest win.”
Earning the bronze medals were Whitby’s Spencer Dobbs, from the Cherry Downs Golf & Country Club and Wasaga Beach’s Dean Henry, from the Mad River Golf Club. Both Dobbs and Henry finished the round two-over (73).
With his win, Dixon also receives an exemption into the Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship July 14-17 at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club.
About the Ontario Men’s Champion of Champions
The Ontario Men’s Champion of Champions was first contested in 1946 and features men’s club champions from Golf Association of Ontario member clubs across the province. Past champions of the event include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Bill Morland, Gerry Kesselring, Warren Sye, and Stu Hamilton, as well as Big Break Indian Wells champion David Byrne. The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank Horseshoe Resort – Highlands Course for hosting the event and for their continued support of amateur golf in Ontario.
[nggallery id=109]
STOUFFVILLE— The 2015 Junior Golf Drive, organized by the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO), was even bigger and better than in years past. The event, May 25, was again hosted by the Granite Golf Club, in Stouffville and turned out to be a huge success for the GAO and junior golf programming in the province.
In 2014, the event raised just over $48,000. 2015 turned out to be even better as the projected funds raised are more than $62,000. The event featured a dinner and silent auction along with notable guest speakers. Current Symetra Tour member Augusta James and She Swings She Scores program ambassador (three-time Olympic Gold Medalist) Gillian Apps both spoke to the crowd about the importance of getting young people involved in the game of golf and how important junior programs are.
“The afternoon on the golf course was fantastic (despite a little rain) and the evening program was amazing. Our special guests Gillian Apps and Augusta James provided great inspirational messages to the crowd and our athletes. All in all it was a great initiative for the GAO to showcase our programming and raise money to support it,” said GAO Director of Marketing and Communications and Junior Golf Drive Committee member Kyle McFarlane.
“Junior Golf Drive has quickly become the GAO’s premier fundraising event supporting junior golf programs in Ontario impacting thousands of recreational and competitive kids annually and 2015 was another tremendous success!” Added GAO Interim Executive Director Mike Kelly.
“It was a great day and only possible with the hard work of a great organizing committee. I would like to thank co-chairs Ivy Steinberg and Peter Zakarow along with the other dedicated members of the committee John Gallinger, Julie Girard, Glenn Whitebread and Jasmine Portokalis,” added McFarlane.
The GAO would like to thank all of the participants for their support, along with all of the volunteers, GAO staff and Granite Golf Club staff without whom the event would not have been possible.
Team Photos
[nggallery id=107]
Event Photos
[nggallery id=108]
Simpson posts 68 and wins playoff against Sear; Getty finishes with round of 71
DORCHESTER, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Sunny skies and warm temperatures provided ideal conditions for the final day of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. Jack Simpson and Alyssa Getty fought until the very end to claim victory in their home province.
Entering the final round of play, Aurora, Ont., native Jack Simpson and Unionville, Ont., product Maxwell Sear were four shots back of leader Nicholas Brisebois of Ottawa. The two Ontarians spent the round trying to best one another, but neither could pull away. When it seemed Simpson had victory within reach, Sear birdied the final hole to send the competition to a playoff.
Jack Simpson however, would not be denied, chipping-in for eagle on the first extra hole to claim the title of 2015 CN Future Links Ontario champion. When asked about the victory, he credited a calm demeanor as the key to his success. “I knew if I just stayed patient and in the moment, birdies would fall and I would be able to post a good score,” said Simpson, who notched four birdies on the day.
Finishing in third place was Quebec City’s Charles-Eric Belanger who carded a final round of 67. Team Canada Development Squad member and Vaughan Ont., product Tony Gil shot a round of 70 to get to 1-under par for the tournament and claim solo fourth place.
National Squad teammate Étienne Papineau finished at 5-under par 66. The St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native was T5 with seven birdies on the day, including a string of three on holes 12 to 14. Rounding out the Development Squad on the Junior Boys side was Trevor Ranton of Waterloo, Ont., who posted a round of 74 to finish T12.
In the Junior Girls division, Alyssa Getty shot her lowest round of the competition – an even par 71 – to win the CN Future Links Ontario Championship by two strokes over Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. The battle came down to the final hole where Getty notched her third final-round birdie to secure the victory.
“It was back and forth,” Getty said of her round with Costabile. “It was always very close between us in score and that kept it really interesting. It was a fun day of good competition.” Getty adds this year’s CN Future Links Ontario title to a 2015 resume that already includes a victory at the recent Golf Association of Ontario Junior Girls Spring Classic.
Off to a strong early season start, the Ruthven, Ont., native has high hopes for her last season of junior golf. “I want to keep playing well, and see how well I can shoot. I’m happy with my start and excited to see just how well I can play.”
Climbing up the leaderboard to a third place finish was National Team Development Squad member Grace St-Germain. The Ottawa native’s final round of 70 was her best of the tournament.
Jack Simpson and the five runners-ups from the CN Future Links Ontario Championship have earned exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The tournament will be contested August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.
The 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will take place August 4-7 at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. With today’s victory, Alyssa Getty and the second to sixth place finishers have earned entry into the competition. This sextet has also gained exemptions into a future Canadian Women’s Tour event.
The CN Future Links Championships are a series of six tournaments presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN in support of golf at the junior level. Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain were the 2015 series’ first winners, claiming victory at the Pacific edition of the competitions. The next event in the series is the CN Future Links Prairie Championship from June 11-14, hosted by Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask.
Player scorecards and more information from the CN Future Links Ontario Championship can be found here.
COPETOWN, ON —The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Senior Men’s Champion of Champions took place May 21 at the Beverley Golf & Country Club in Copetown. A total of 70 senior club champions from across the province teed it up to see who would claim the 2015 title. In the end, it was Whitby’s Barry Fairhurst, from Whitevale Golf Club, who took home the honour.
Fairhurst was the first player to bring his card to the scorers and had to wait to see where his one-over (71) would end up. It look as though it would stand until 2012 winner, Collingwood’s Mike Jackson, turned in a one-over (71) of his own that forced the two back to the first hole for a playoff.
During the playoff, Jackson, from the Georgian Bay Club, put his tee shot in a fairway bunker, while Fairhurst sailed his to within 80 yards of the green. Fairhurst would chip within nine feet and stepped up and drained his birdie putt for the win.
“Hearing who has won this before and knowing how prestigious it is, makes it great honour to be on the trophy. These are the best champions from their golf courses in the province,” said Fairhurst.
Fairhurst went on to talk about the dramatic win and where it ranks for him. “A birdie on the first playoff hole is always a good thing. The worst case, you are probably just going to the next hole. I hit a good drive, chipped it close and sank the putt down the middle. This win is definitely way up there for me.”
Sharing the bronze medal were Brampton Golf Club and Brampton resident Rick Dodds-Hebron and Welland’s Frank Mattei, from Sparrow Lakes Golf Club. Both players finished the day at three-over (73).
With the win, Fairhurst earned an exemption into the GAO’s 2015 Investors Group Senior Men’s Amateur Championship Aug. 11-13 at Kawartha Golf & Country Club in Peterborough.
About the Senior Men’s Champion of Champions
The Ontario Senior Men’s Champion of Champions was first contested in 1970 and features senior men’s club champions age 55 and over from Golf Association of Ontario member clubs across the province. The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank Beverley Golf & Country Club for hosting the event, as well as all of the staff and volunteers who contributed to the event.
[nggallery id=106]
CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK— The 2015 Ada MacKenzie Senior Women’s matches between Ontario and Upper New York State took place May 19-20 at the Bristol Harbour Resort Golf Club in Canandaigua, New York. The two-day event was dominated by Ontario who went on to win the matches 19-1 and retain the trophy.
Day one saw team matches with one point being awarded for winning the match. Ontario swept the team matches with the teams of Sue Postian and Jane Hedges-McKinnon, Judith Kyrinis and Andrea Blackwell, Mary Ann Hayward and Ivy Steinberg, Marion Reid and Marg Matthews, and Sarah-Anne Smurlick and Gail Pimm all defeating their American counterparts.
The trend continued on the second day with best-ball matches. Points were awarded for winning the front nine, back nine and overall match. Ontario ended the day taking 14 of 15 points. Pimm and Matthews took all three points in their match, Blackwell and Smurlick won 2.5 points, Kyrinis and Postian claimed all three, as did Steinberg and Reid, and Hayward and Hedges-McKinnon won 2.5 in their match.
PORT STANLEY, Ontario – The Golf Association of Michigan’s Team rallied from a 5-3 deficit to turn back the Golf Association of Ontario 6 ½ – 5 ½ in the fifth annual GAM/GAO Senior Matches Wednesday at Redtail Golf Club.
The two eight-golfer senior teams were tied 2-2 after four-ball matches on Tuesday, and the GAO won three of the first four singles matches Wednesday to forge the 5-3 lead.
Fred Djurdjev of Troy was the lone Michigan winner in the early going, and the GAM turned the tide with consecutive wins by Greg Zeller of Jackson, Mitch Wilson of Portage and Bill Zylstra of Dearborn Heights to take a 6-5 lead.
Doug Anderson of Bay City halved the final match of the day with Ontario’s Mike Jackson to secure the win.
Ontario team members were: Christopher Kertsos, Colin Grieve, Dan Partland, Lars Melander, Rick Dodds-Hebron, Robert Chaperon, Michael Jackson and Larry Cooper
Representing the winning GAM team were Anderson, Djurdjev, Ray Emsley of Davisburg, Mike Fedewa of Canton, Larry Vaughan of Bloomfield Hills, Wilson, Zeller and Zylstra.
Thank you for your interest in the Golf Canada Foundation scholarships!
Please read the following to make sure you have all necessary documents and information BEFORE filling out an application. You should start getting this material together immediately- when you get to the end of the application you will be asked to upload ALL of the following (acceptable file formats include PDFs, Word Documents, and Excel Spreadsheets):
- At least ONE letter of reference from any of the following: your golf club official, school teacher, coach, provincial golf association official or national golf association official
- Personal letter outlining your academic and golf achievements, goals, and career objectives
- Transcripts including academic records from your last TWO school years (this may require both high school and college/university transcript)
- Any other information regarding your golf achievements, academic achievements, or extra-curricular activities that may help the committee evaluate your application
As you fill out the form, you should also be prepared to answer questions that ask for the following information:
- Golf club address/contact information, including slope and rating
- Golf Canada handicap factor / membership #
- Details regarding academic excellence
- List of extracurricular activities
- Details of all your significant golf events in the past 3 years
Please read the scholarship information & criteria available here BEFORE filling out an application- it is important to understand which scholarship(s) you are eligible to apply to!
Click here to apply!
The Ontario Golf News Spring 2015 Issue is now available. Click here for the issue.
