Brooke Henderson, Grace St-Germain and Naomi Ko to represent Team Canada along with Jaclyn Lee, Selena Costabile and Alisha Lau

Inaugural international junior girls’ championship to be conducted September 26^th to October 1^st at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

Markham, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario is pleased to announce the six players who will represent Team Canada’s two squads at the inaugural World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship September 26^th to October 1^st at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

Representing the first of two Canadian squads competing are Brooke Henderson, 16, of Smiths Falls, Ont., Grace St-Germain, 16, of Ottawa, Ont. and Naomi Ko, 17, of Victoria, B.C. Canada’s second team in the event will include Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. and Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C.

The Canadian contingent will be coached by Team Canada Development Squad Women’s Coach Ann Carroll, alongside Reggie Millage the provincial Head Coach for the Golf Association of Ontario.

The inaugural international junior girls championship – which will be contested on the South Course at Angus Glen Golf Club – will be conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the Golf Association of Ontario.

The championship features three-player teams of athletes under the age of 19 representing 15 countries. As host country, Canada will field two teams in the competition. A full listing of rosters for each country can be found here. and full bios for the Canadians selected can be found below.

The 16-team field will compete over 72 holes for both individual and team honours. Qualifying countries for the inaugural championship were invited based on their performances at the 2012 World Amateur in Turkey.

The 2014 World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship will mark the first official playing of a female junior championship of its kind – the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup is a boys’ only event that has been contested for almost 20 years.

The event – which is supported by the International Golf Federation, received grant funding by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Other funding partners include the Golf Canada Foundation (Women’s Golf Fund) and the R&A as well as Central Counties.  Funding was also provided from the Federal and Provincial governments in preparation for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

In addition to a 72-hole competition, the championship will include skills competitions, an international golf coaches’ summit and golf clinics outside of tournament play in the spirit of establishing an interactive junior golf festival around the championship.

The Angus Glen Golf Club will also play host to the debut of golf at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games from July 16-19, 2015. The World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship will provide training opportunities for officials and volunteers registered for the historic event that is set for the south course at Angus Glen.

The event gets underway with Opening Ceremonies at Angus Glen beginning at 5:30pm on Saturday, September 27^th.

Admission to the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators for the duration of the championship. For more information visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com

TEAM CANADA PLAYERS BIOS

Squad # 1

Brooke Henderson

As the No. 1 ranked amateur in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the Smiths Falls, Ont. native has captured seven amateur titles this season and two professional titles (Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario and PGA Women’s Championship of Canada). A member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad, Henderson recently won the individual medal at the World Amateur Championship. Additionally, she finished runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and also finished T10 at the U.S. Women’s Open. She also earned Low Canadian and Low Amateur honours at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open where she finished T46 and while also finishing T45 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

Grace St-Germain

A native of Ottawa, Ont., St-Germain captured the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship by seven strokes. The 16-year-old was also victorious at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship and earned medalist honours at the GAO’s Junior Girls’ Match Play Championship. Recently she added another win to her season at the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational.

Naomi Ko

A member of Team Canada’s National Development Squad, Ko is the reigning 2014 B.C. Junior Girls champion. Additionally, the 17-year-old Victoria, B.C. native won the CN Future Links Ontario title and finished fourth at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Squad # 2

Jaclyn Lee

Lee is a three-time winner this season after victories at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship, Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship and Alberta Junior Girls Championship. The Calgary native is also a member of Team Canada’s National Development Squad.

Selena Costabile

A native of Thornhill, Ont., Costabile captured the 2014 GAO Junior Spring Classic and the CJGA World Junior Challenge. The 16-year-old also finished runner-up at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship and notched a pair of third place finishes at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and the AJGA/CJGA’s Junior Championship.

Alisha Lau

A native of Richmond, B.C., Lau was victorious at the CJGA’s Nike Golf Junior Series at Hazelmere, finished second at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship and fourth at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. Additionally, the 15-year-old posted a third place finish at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship.

On Sept. 6, 2014, 16-year-old Team Canada athlete Brooke Henderson took over the no.1 spot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). This marks the first time in program history that a Canadian female has held the no. 1 spot. Henderson officially took over the post on her birthday, Sept. 10.

Henderson, a Smiths Falls, Ont. native, learned the news after former no. 1 Minjee Lee of Australia turned professional following the World Amateur, allowing Henderson to move up from the second spot. She will be representing Canada in the World Junior Girls Championship later this month.

LEWISTON, NY– Collingwood’s Michael Jackson was announced as the co-winner of the 2014 Senior Porter Cup on Sept. 8 after thunderstorms made the Niagara Falls Country Club course in Lewiston, New York, unplayable. The tournament was reduced to a 36-hole event. Jackson, a member of the Georgian Bay Club, will share the honour with Steve Hudson after the pair both recorded scores two-over (142) after two rounds. Jackson shot an opening round of two-over (72) before his second round of even-par (70). Oakville’s Lars Melander was just one shot back at three-over (143) for the tournament.

US Am finalist, Listowel’s Corey Conners stopped by the GAO office this morning, Sept. 5, to receive a special picture from the staff congratulating him on his finish. Included was a shot of him during his time in one of the GAO programs along with a photo of him at the US Men’s Amateur. Above, he is pictured with the staff at the GAO office in Uxbridge. The GAO wishes Corey the best as he heads to Japan for the Men’s World Amateur!

BOND HEAD, ON – More than 100 golfers began the day but by the end, it was the team from the Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club who out lasted 27 other teams, along with heavy rain, to claim the title on Sept. 2 at the George S. Lyon Team Championship, hosted by The Club at Bond Head.

Four-man teams from golf clubs across Ontario came together for the 79th playing of the event. Players took to Bond Head’s South Course in a combined gross-score format, with Cedar Brae earning the title by three strokes at 16-over (304).

The team from Cedar Brae, in Scarborough, was comprised of Toronto’s Robert Gibson, Scarborough’s Richard Persaud, Markham’s Wesley Kwok and Toronto’s Marc St-Germain.

At the end of the round it was Gibson who led the way finishing in a tie for second among all players at even-par (72). Persaud and Kwok were both second on the team at four-over (76) and St-Germain finished eight-over (80). It is the third title for Cedar Brae since the inaugural event in 1931. Cedar Brae’s last title came in 2006.

“Winning this is a big deal for us,” said Gibson. “There are so many good players at our club so I think just to be here and represent the club in a competition like this is an achievement. There are a lot of folks that are going to be proud of us when we get back. We’ve had our name on here (the George S. Lyon Shield) before, but it has been a while, so it is good to have it back on here.”

Gibson also talked about how the team dealt with the rainy conditions during the round. “We just tried to keep the big numbers and damage down. It was easy to give up, make big numbers and shoot high scores but we stayed patient and didn’t try to get any big numbers back, that was the main thing.”

Runner-up honours went to the team representing the Sarnia Golf and Country Club: Ethan O’Meara, Eric Pattenaude, Stephen Brown and Aaron Pedlar, who were three shots back finishing at a combined 19-over (307).

The bronze medals were awarded to the team from North Halton. They finished the day at a combined 22-over (310). North Halton was comprised of Darren Morris, Brendan Heinz, Adam Salisbury and Rick Cody.

Pickering’s Christopher Kertsos, from York Downs Golf & Country Club, walked away with the top-individual award. He finished at two-under (70). He was the only player to finish the day under par.

For the final individual and team leaderboard see the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1424/index.htm

The George S. Lyon Team Championship was first played in 1931 and ran consecutively until 2000. Originally an inter-club championship, the event was reinstated in 2006 and is named after 1904 Olympic Golf gold medalist George S. Lyon, who still stands as the reigning Olympic champion of the sport.

The GAO would like to thank The Club at Bond Head for their support of the event as well as each of the golf clubs that entered the Championship.

UXBRIDGE— After a successful run as a pilot project in 2014, the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to announce that the Regional Team Program will return in 2015. The second installment of the program will be even bigger this coming year with the addition of teams in Essex-Kent and Niagara to the current stable of Ottawa, York and Waterloo.

 “The GAO is thrilled to continue this important and exciting program as we strengthen our commitment to developmental high performance in Ontario,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Director of Sport.

The Regional Team Program, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, is designed for golfers under the age of 17. Players participate in regional fall combines and 12 players are selected to fill each of the teams. Team members then take part in an eight-month winter training program with a PGA of Canada registered head coach and strength and conditioning consultant. They participate in 11 three-hour sessions before a spring training camp and Regional Team Competition with Team Ontario in April 2015.

Coaching the teams in 2015 will be Adam Holden (Ottawa), Jeff Overholt (York), Mike Martz (Waterloo) and newcomers John White (Niagara) and Randy McQueen (Essex-Kent).

Selection for the teams are based on the skills combines, 2014 GAO tournament performance and GAO and other junior Order of Merit Standings. To be eligible, golfers must be in good standing with the GAO, have unquestioned amateur status and be a resident of Ontario.

The Regional Skills Combines are made up of a series of assessments in full swing, short game and physical fitness screening and will be conducted by PGA of Canada regional and provincial coaches.

The combines for the 2015 teams begin in early September, starting with Ottawa’s Sept. 6-7 at the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata; Waterloo’s are Sept. 6 and 20 at the Golf Performance Centre in Cambridge; Niagara’s take place on Sept. 14 and 20 at The Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls; York’s are Sept. 20-21 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham; and Essex-Kent are yet to be determined.

For more information on the combines and to register visit https://gao.ca/excelling-performing/athlete-development/skills-combines/ or contact Manager of Sport Performance Mary Ann Hayward at 905-852-1101 ext. 239 or email mhayward@gao.ca

The golf competition at the 2014 Ontario Summer Games, Presented by the Sport Alliance of Ontario and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Aug. 8-10 at the Roseland Golf & Curling Club in Windsor, ON. The golf championship was the Golf Association of Ontario’s Juvenile (U17) Boys’ and Girls’ Championships. The winners were Gavin MacIver and Madeline Marck-Sherk.

Don’t wait register now!

Carrying Place Golf & Country Club in King, Ont., is the official hosting site for the 2014 Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event.

On September 22nd, over 100 women are expected to play 18 holes of golf in celebration of another successful year of promoting women’s golf and raising funds for breast cancer.

This marks the 11th annual National Event and signifies the growing success of the women’s participation initiative.

“It’s been a natural progression for us,” said Steve Elliot, General Manager at Carrying Place. “We’ve hosted several ‘pink-out’ nights in the past and we are very happy to be a part of the National Event and its cause.”

“An event like this is great for introducing ladies to golf with the friendly atmosphere of the scramble format,” said Brian Jones, Head Golf Professional at Carrying Place. “It’s also a great social event for ladies to enjoy their entire night with dinner and festivities afterwards.”

The National Event celebrates the collective accomplishments of all program participants from across the country. Among those in attendance will be corporate teams, club members, guests and even first-time golfers. Foursomes from the top two fundraising events will be honoured at the event, with Subaru covering their transportation and hospitality costs.

Also attending will be Evanka Osmak of Sportsnet who has been a program ambassador for three years running.

“It is truly an honour to be named an ambassador for Golf Canada’s Golf Fore the Cure Program,” said Osmak. “I am thrilled to be involved with a program that promotes women’s participation in the game of golf and raises money for such a worthy cause as breast cancer. I look forward to doing my part to make a difference and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

In addition to fighting breast cancer, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru aims to encourage women’s participation in the sport. The National Event highlights these goals with a day of care-free golf and friendly contests.

Registration for the event at Carrying Place is open to the public. Experience a ladies-only golf celebration of the national success of the program in 2014.

Register now as a Corporate Team, Recreational Team or Individual at: http://dialogue.golfcanada.ca/Extranet/95877/forms.aspx?msgid=1a57cb6c-0bdc-4bbf-9ec2-4ec5d3e64f50&LinkID=CH00095877eR00000051AD

Registration includes: Official Golf Fore the Cure apparel piece, 18 holes with a cart at Carrying Place, Lunch and dinner, Prizes and gift bags. Visit golfcanada.ca/gftcnationalevent for more information.

WELLAND, ON – It was a crowded leaderboard heading into the final round of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) 2014 Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Championship as three players entered the day with a share the lead, while nine others were all within three shots.

Conditions were windy at Hunters Pointe Golf Course in Welland for the final round on Aug. 14. First-round leader and co-leader after the second round, Oakville’s Larry Cooper was able to tame those conditions to play great golf and capture his first Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Championship.

“I came down early and played a practice round with Sandy Billyard, who co-owns the course and I really got to learn a lot about it,” said Cooper. “The wind makes a huge difference on this golf course and you really need to pick the right club and I seemed to do that today. I tried to keep the ball down in the wind and made sure I was finishing low at the target.”

Cooper attributed much of his success during the week to his flat stick. “My putter was really solid. I made a lot of good putts, putts for par when I needed to, so I was very pleased with that.”

Cooper, 57-years-old from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, took the outright lead after a birdie on the third hole. He would par the remaining six on the front nine and was at one-under at the turn. He continued to play well on the back nine beginning with a trio of birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes. He would go on to finish the round four-under (68) and four-under for the tournament.

“The senior group is a great group of guys. Everyone is pulling for each other, which is really nice. I love the spirit of they have to offer.  Last year, I played the event and lost in a playoff, this year I was lucky enough to win and it feels really nice to come back and win it.”

Finishing second was Lars Melander from the Hidden Lake Golf Club. The Oakville resident finished the final round three-over (75) and the tournament at three-over. Melander had a rough start to the day and was five-over through 15 holes. However, he would birdie 16 and 18 to claim the silver medal. Melander also was crowned champion of the 60+ Division.

Rounding out top three were Pickering’s Christopher Kertsos and Collingwood’s Michael Jackson who both ended the tournament at six-over. For Kertsos, he finished the day at three-over (75). As for Jackson, he was six-over (78).

Georgetown’s Reg Finlayson captured the 70+ Division, for the third consecutive year, with a final round of six-over (78) to end the tournament at 17-over.

With their podium finish Cooper and Melander earned the right to represent Ontario at the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship, Aug. 26-29 at Capilano Golf & Country Club in West Vancouver, B.C. Brampton’s Rick Dobbs-Hebron joined them after earning the third spot in a playoff.

For more information and the final leaderboard see the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1417/index.htm

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the staff, members, and volunteers from Hunters Pointe Golf Course for being exceptional hosts throughout the week. The GAO would also like to thank title sponsor Investors Group for their continued support of amateur golf in the province.

The Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Championship is contested annually and features Ontario’s best male amateur golfers age 55 and older. 2014 marks the 79th playing of the event, and notable past champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Stu Hamilton and Nick Weslock, Herb Carnegie, and Ed Ervasti.

Highlights from the Investors Group Ontario Senior Women’s Championship, July 29-31 from Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, ON. Mary Ann Hayward won her fourth title at the event with a final score of seven-under.