Ontario’s Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp to Compete for Canada at Paris Olympics
Golf Ontario
Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Team Canada women’s golf athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The two athletes are:
The two athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their standing on the Official World Golf Rankings at the close of the Olympic qualification period following the completion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday, June 23, 2024. At the close of the Paris 2024 women’s qualification period, Henderson sits 14th on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and Sharp is 292nd.
The two-year Olympic qualification period for women’s golf saw the athletes earn their spot on Team Canada through their respective results on the LPGA Tour and other women’s global golf competitions. Paris 2024 will mark the third Olympic appearance for both Henderson and Sharp, who competed together at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Henderson was Canada’s top golfer in the sport’s return to the Olympic Games after 112 years, finishing in a tie for seventh at Rio 2016. She then finished tied for 29th at Tokyo 2020. A 13-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including two major titles, Henderson is Canada’s winningest professional golfer of all time. She currently sits fifth on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe Rankings, with five top-10 finishes in 14 LPGA Tour starts in 2024. A graduate of Golf Canada’s national team program, Henderson is the only Canadian female athlete to win Canada’s national Junior (2012), Amateur (2013) and National Open Championships (2018 CPKC Women’s Open).
“Any time you can go and represent your country it’s a very proud moment,” said Henderson. “To be able to wear the Maple Leaf and go to Paris is really exciting for me.”
Sharp, a long-time LPGA Tour member, is no stranger to international competition. She earned a bronze medal for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games in Chile. The 43-year old has 16 career top-10 finishes and has made the cut in three of four events played this year on the LPGA Tour. Sharp made 14 cuts in 14 starts on the Epson Tour in 2023 with five top-10 results, including a win at the Champions Fore Change Invitational. She also won the ORORO PGA of Canada Women’s Championship in 2023.
“Reaching the Olympics for a third time was a huge goal of mine coming into this year and I am extremely proud to have achieved it,” said Sharp. “Representing Canada is the highest honour I’ve had in my career.”
Henderson and Sharp will look to become the first Canadian women to win an Olympic golf medal. Canada’s best Olympic finish in women’s golf was Henderson’s tie for seventh at Rio 2016.
Golf Canada’s Director of High Performance Emily Phoenix believes the Olympic and international experience of the athletes will be an asset to the women’s team in Paris.
“Both Brooke and Alena are heading into their third Olympic golf competition and that experience and familiarity is sure to prove beneficial for the athletes,” said Phoenix, who will serve as the Stollery Family Olympic Women’s Team Lead in Paris. “Brooke is a fierce competitor who has proven capable of bringing her best performances to the biggest stage while Alena heads to Paris with a great momentum in returning to the form on the LPGA Tour and earning a bronze medal for Canada at last year’s Pan Am Games golf competition.”
The women’s golf tournament at Paris 2024 will take place August 7 – 10 (Days 12 – 15) at Le Golf National.
“Congratulations to the two Canadian golfers selected to represent Canada in Paris. They will be competing in their third Olympic Games, and their remarkable skills will be crucial assets on the prestigious Golf National course,” said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. “They are ready to chip away obstacles and represent our country with pride and excellence. Swing strong and play with all your heart!”
Team Canada’s women’s golf team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following caddies and support staff:
Caddies & Support Staff Emily Phoenix (Calgary, Alta.) – Stollery Family Olympic Women’s Team Lead Brittany Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.) – Caddie for Brooke Henderson Sarah Bowman (Somerset, Penn., USA) – Caddie for Alena Sharp
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
Javier entered the final round atop the leaderboard by one stroke and maintained that lead in dominating fashion, shooting a 6-under-par 65 to finish five strokes ahead of runner-up, Justin Matthews (TPC Toronto), who shot 5-under-par 66 in the final round.
Along with his 2022 & 2023 Ontario (U17) Juvenile Boys Championship wins and this year’s Ontario Junior (U19) Boys Spring Classic victory, Javier can add an Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship to his spectacular resume.
For finishing top three in the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, Javier, along with Matthews and Michael Weber (Burlington Golf & Country Club), will represent Ontario at the 119th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship August 5 – 8 at Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, SK.
Matthews, a Team Ontarioalumni, shot 9-under-par 62 in the second round, which tied a St. Catharines Golf and Country Club record for the lowest scoring round in club history.
Park, who turned 14 earlier this year, led throughout the championship, eventually finishing the four-round event at nine-under-par, one shot clear of Shauna Liu of Golf Canada Champions Club. Celina Yeo and Julia Alexandra-Carew finished T3 at six-under for the championship.
The win is Park’s third Golf Ontario title of the season. Her first came in March at the Ontario Junior Players’ Invitational, while her second came at the Junior Girls Spring Classic in May at Wooden Sticks.
After battling Judith Kyrinis of The Thornhill Club all the way through to the last putt the true test came after, as Taylor gained momentum nearly holing out from her approach shot.
Heading into the final round, Taylor pulled ahead and defeated Kyrinis in a 1 hole playoff win.
Taylor has plenty of experience competing at high-level championships and competitions. In her journey as an NCAA golfer, Taylor achieved a 3-time All-Conference golfer at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Her team participated in the NCAA DII National Championship in three out of her four years. In her Junior career, she competed at the Niagara Junior Tour, the Ontario Summer Games team and Golf Ontario and Canada Championships.
Taylor can now add winning the 2024 Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship to her list of accomplishments.
As for the Women’s Amateur status, it is currently still in play and will begin the final round on Thursday to see who will be crowned the 2024 Women’s Amateur Champion.
A field of the top 156 amateur golfers in the province will be put to the test and compete for the Gary Cowan Trophy.
As one of Golf Ontario’s biggest events in the calendar year for more than a century, the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship has been the springboard to many players’ journeys to impressive playing careers.
Notable past winners include Mike Weir (1990, 1992), Corey Conners (2010), Gerry Kesselring (1949, 1951-53) and Gary Cowan, who holds the Golf Ontario record for most wins in this championship with nine.
The first two rounds will see 7:30 a.m. start times until the 36-hole-cut midway through the championship.
For first round pairings and start times, CLICK HERE.
Charles Fitzsimmons (Summit Golf & Country Club), two-time winner of the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship (2021 & 2022) and winner of the 2019 Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Ontario Golf Hall of Famer, Dave Bunker (Cherry Hill Club), who is a four-time winner of the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship (2007, 2010, 2014, 2021). He also won the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship in 2008 and the 2020 Ontario Senior Men’s Championship.
QUOTES
Rob Watson, Tournament Director: “The Ontario Men’s Amateur is annually one of the most exciting championships on the Golf Ontario calendar because of the large and competitive field we see in this event. This year should be no different as the field is as strong as it has ever been with 156 of Ontario’s best male Amateur golfers.”
Ryan Finn, Chief Sport Officer: “Golf Ontario is thrilled to celebrate St. Catharines G&CC’s 125th anniversary by crowning Ontario’s top male amateur golfer. This year’s champion will have bested an elite field and will join an exclusive group of past champions. We look forward to a competitive and exciting championship.”
Cameron Thin, Head Golf Professional, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club: “As a part of our 125th anniversary, the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club is proud to be hosting this year’s Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship and our membership is looking forward to showcasing our wonderful golf course to the best players in the province, along with the spectators enjoying the golf. With a large and highly competitive field, I feel that this is a great opportunity for the competitors to experience the unique architecture of the course; the challenges it presents to players; and believe that it will identify a worthy champion.”
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: St. Catharines Golf and Country Club
Championship Dates: June 24 – 27
Field: 156 players
Format: 72-hole Stroke Play (36-hole-cut – low 60 & ties)
Fun Fact: Gary Cowan holds the Golf Ontario record for the most Ontario Men’s Amateur Championships with nine (1964, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981 & 1984).
With nearly 100 players in the field, this is West Haven’s first time hosting a provincial championship.
Both the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship and the Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship are two of Ontario’s top provincial championships and have been the pinnacle of women’s golf in the province. Many players have kick-started their journey to professional golf through both of these championships
The first two rounds will see 8:30am start times until the 36-hole cut midway thru the championship.
For first round pairings and start times CLICK HERE.
John Lawrence, Tournament Director: “We are excited to have one of our flagship championships back in London. The support from West Haven and the local community has been tremendous. The experience for the players, facility and volunteers will be exceptional and we are looking forward to crowning a champion in this the 109th playing of Ontario oldest amateur championship.”
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: West Haven Golf & Country Club
Fun Fact: Marlene Stewart Streit, who the trophy is named after, is an Ontario Golf Hall of Famer and has won this award a record of 11 times (1951, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, and 1977).
Golf Ontario’s EDI Journey Continues with Visit from Special Olympics Ontario
Golf Ontario
With the sixth annual Ontario Adaptive Championship is right around the corner, Golf Ontario welcomed members of Special Olympics Ontario to share their life experiences and lead a professional development session around adaptive golf.
Nine Special Olympics Ontario athletes visited Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge to present what Special Olympics Ontario does, how they support athletes with intellectual disabilities and showed our staff how to support athletes with intellectual disabilities to create a welcoming and inclusive sporting environment.
“This was a great opportunity for our team on our learning journey in an adaptive golf space and having Special (Olympics Ontario) here today was to help us learn and understand what the experience is for them on the golf course,” said Golf Ontario CEO Kyle McFarlane.
The day started with an opening presentation from Special Olympics Ontario’s Director of Sports, Johnny Byrne. He took Golf Ontario staff through Special Olympics Ontario’s competition structures and how Special Olympics Ontario uses sport to create opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
He also alluded to Special Olympics Ontario’s mission of building the lives Ontarians with intellectual disabilities through sport, vision of creating disability-inclusive environments across the province and values of empowerment, excellence, respect, diversity and inclusion.
“I think what we got out of today was seeing just the great connection and how both Golf Ontario and special Olympics Ontario have the same bigger picture goals,” Byrne said.
We were then introduced to the eight Special Olympics Ontario athletes in attendance, which included 2015 World Games Gold Medalist, Tess Trojan, accompanied by her caddie and father, Mike Trojan.
“Special Olympics has really changed my life,” she said. “I’ve learned that we’re all friends first and not just competing against one another.”
Along with Trojan, the remaining seven athletes of Special Olympics Ontario, along with their caddies and coaches, were:
Natasha Stasiuk; Mike DiRaddo; Luke Cooney; Catherine Partlow; Ryan Colpitts; JJ Scorcia; Krystian Pushka.
Later in the day, Golf Ontario staff got the chance to play an eight-hole round of golf accompanied by a different athlete on each hole. The day brought about many smiles, conversations and capped off a wonderful day of learning for all.
“Exciting for our team to get out there, have connections, build those relationships, but more importantly, to have conversations and use this as an opportunity to learn and understand what it means to be a Special Olympian and a Special Olympics golfer,” McFarlane said.
Getting outside, playing golf and making connections was beneficiary for both Golf Ontario and Special Olympics Ontario.
“The universal language that we always fall back to when we’re trying to explain Special Olympics to people is just get out and play, and that’s what today was about,” said Byrne.
Sticking to her game, Lafontaine set herself up for success to keep the ball rolling and finished the Women’s Match Play strong to capture the win in the final round 3&2.
Lafontaine noted this was her second time participating in the Women’s Match Play and was runner-up in her first appearance.
First two Canadian athletes named to Paris 2024 golf team
Golf Ontario
Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Team Canada men’s golf athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The women’s golf athletes will be announced at a later date. The two male athletes are:
The two athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their standing on the Official World Golf Rankings at the close of the Olympic qualification period following the completion of the US Open on Sunday, June 16, 2024. At the close of the Paris 2024 men’s qualification period, Taylor sits 35th on the Official Golf World Ranking and Conners is 37th.
The two-year Olympic qualification period for men’s golf featured an exciting competition among Canada’s top-ranked male golfers, which ramped up in recent weeks and came down to the wire as the athletes worked to earn their spot on Team Canada through their respective results on the PGA TOUR and other global golf competitions.
Taylor will make his Olympic debut at Paris 2024. The 36-year-old is a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, including a historic win at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to become the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to capture Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. With that win, he became the only Canadian male golfer to win the Canadian Junior (2006), Canadian Amateur (2007) and Canadian Open (2023) Championships. Taylor is a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program, and has represented Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship (2008) and World Cup (2018). Taylor’s 2024 season includes three top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open to lock in his Olympic spot.
“The opportunity to represent my country at the Olympics has been a huge goal of mine for many years,” said Taylor. “To see the news become official today is quite humbling and surreal. I’m excited to get to Paris to compete, proudly wear the Maple Leaf, and soak in what I know will be an incredible experience.”
Conners will make his second Olympic appearance after finishing 13th at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A T9 finish at the US Open this past weekend helped vault the 32-year-old up nine positions on the Official World Golf Ranking to secure his spot at Paris 2024. He is a two-time PGA TOUR winner (2019 and 2023 Valero Texas Open) who has earned nine top-25 results this season including a solo sixth place finish at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open. Also a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program and past member of the Presidents Cup International Team (2022), Conners has represented Canada on numerous occasions, including the World Amateur Team Championship in 2012 and 2014.
“It is going to be a huge honour to represent Canada alongside all the other athletes,” said Conners. “It was a big goal of mine to make the team again this year and I can’t wait to get to Paris.”
Taylor and Conners will look to become the first Canadian to win an Olympic golf medal since George Lyon’s gold medal at St. Louis 1904. Canada’s best finishes in men’s golf since the sport returned to the Olympics in 2016 were a 13th place finish for Conners (Tokyo 2020) and a 20th place finish for Graham DeLaet (Rio 2016).
Golf Canada’s Director of High-Performance Emily Phoenix praised the athletes for their determination through the qualification period to see their Olympic dreams become a reality.
“Nick and Corey, along with all of the Canadian players have shown a great deal of perseverance throughout the qualification period which shows how much representing Canada at the Olympics means to the athletes. The depth of Canadian talent right now in the professional game is significant and we look forward to sending a strong team to represent Canada in Paris.”
The men’s golf tournament at Paris 2024 will take place August 1 – August 4 (Days 6 – 9) at Le Golf National.
‘’Congratulations to our two Team Canada golfers who are perfectly in the swing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games! Thanks to their meticulous preparation, these athletes are attacking challenges with impressive drive. Their patience, technical mastery, and calm under pressure place them at the pinnacle of their performance. They demonstrate that hard work and passion lead to the realization of our dreams,‘’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission.
Team Canada’s men’s golf team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following caddies and support staff:
Caddies & Support Staff Emily Phoenix (Calgary, Alta.) – Team Leader David Markle (Shelburne, Ont.) – Caddie for Nick Taylor Danny Sahl (Sherwood, Alta.) – Caddie for Corey Conners
The qualification period for selecting Team Canada’s two female athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic golf competition ends on Sunday, June 23.
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
Golf Ontario Announces Exciting New Partnership with Vovex Golf Rangefinders
Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with Vovex Golf Rangefinders, now the “Official Rangefinder of Golf Ontario.”
“This is a very exciting partnership for Golf Ontario,” says Golf Ontario CEO Kyle McFarlane. “Aligning Golf Ontario with a new brand of rangefinders, which is based right here in Ontario, is very cool not only for the association but also for our 150,000 members as well.”
As part of the partnership, Golf Ontario members will be able to purchase new Vovex Golf Rangefinders at a discounted price. With every new rangefinder purchased by a Golf Ontario member, Vovex will contribute to the Golf For All Fund.
Vovex Golf is a Canadian brand of golf rangefinders headquartered in Toronto. The company focuses on creating a new generation of golf rangefinders that are youthful, stylish, and technologically advanced.
“We are delighted to partner with Golf Ontario,” says Vovex Golf Rangefinder CEO Leo Li. “Our rangefinders are designed to enhance the game experience, and we are excited to support Golf Ontario’s mission to grow and elevate the sport in the region.”
Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization dedicated to enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 125,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the most significant golf associations in the world. From rating courses and preserving the integrity of the game to fostering growth at the grassroots level and hosting the premier amateur championships in Canada, Golf Ontario is committed to Shaping Lives ThroughGolf.
Vovex will also be present at many Golf Ontario provincial championships and other events throughout the season, showcasing their innovative rangefinders to golfers across the province.
