UXBRIDGE — Six players are returning to Team Ontario (U19) in 2018 and will be joined by eight new faces as Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the newest installment of the squad. The 2018 team will see an even split of seven boys and seven girls.

Leading the returning players for 2018 is Markham’s Victoria Zheng who captured the 2017 Ontario Juvenile Girls’ title at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie. Zheng will be joined by fellow returnees: Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj, who represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games, Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson, Mississauga’s Robbie Latter, Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin, and Tillbury’s Hailey Katona.

The new members of the squad bring some impressive credentials from this past season. Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud won the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, Fonthill’s Freddy D’Angelo was the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Champion, Aurora’s Vanessa Chychrun captured the Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play title, and Caledon’s Raesa Sheikh was the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion. Also new to the team are: Waterloo’s Dylan Henderson, Windsor’s Shawn Sehra, Waterloo’s Bennett Ruby, and Windsor’s Jasmine Ly.

Entering his fifth season as the Head Provincial Coach is Milton resident Reggie Millage. Millage is joined by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Charles Fitzsimmons. Delaney Howson will act as the Team Coordinator.

“The start of a new season is always exciting but this year even more so,” said Millage. “This group is filled with talented, young athletes that are striving to be better and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. I expect one of the hardest working teams this year and I have no doubt that they will show their off-season work next spring.”

The team will train throughout the winter at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. They will have a pair of local camps, followed by three winter warm weather camps including the Can/Am Matches, during March Break with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

2018 Team Ontario

About Team Ontario

Golf Ontario’s Team Ontario program is a high performance training program for the top junior aged golfers in Ontario. Athletes are selected in the fall each year and the program runs during the winter into the Ontario golf season. Team Ontario athletes receive the very best in coaching services, training/competitive opportunities, and sport science support. Being selected to Team Ontario is a tremendous accomplishment and offers unparalleled support and guidance to the participating athletes and their families. New for 2018, Team Ontario will be piloting a number strategic initiatives with Golf Canada and its National Team program focused on ensuring identified Next Generation players are getting opportunities and programming to best prepare them for high performance golf.

Highlights from the 2017 Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, July 11-14 at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario won by Mississauga’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju.

Highlights from the 2017 Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, July 4-7 at The Rock Golf Club in Minett, won by Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud.

UXBRIDGE — The lifeblood of Golf Ontario is truly the volunteers that make running events and services possible. On October 2, from Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, those volunteers were given the royal treatment at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Day, themed crowning moments. The volunteers were treated like the kings and queens they are as they were recognized for all of their contributions, culminating with the presentation of the District Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award, and Honorary Life Director Award.

“On behalf of the board, I personally want to thank each and every one of our volunteers,” said Golf Ontario Board Member Ivy Steinberg. “Thanks also as a competitor because we don’t play with out you. Without each and every one of you our events don’t happen. It is often overlooked how important you are to our organization. I know how much time goes into volunteering and that you have many things you could be doing in your lives. Thank you for everything you do.”

Honorary Life Director— Jim King

Honorary Life Directors are recognized for their outstanding achievements through their involvement as a Committee and Board Member. This year, the award went to Waterloo’s Jim King, an individual who has made tremendous contributions to the association and golf in the province.

In 2014, King became the first Golf Ontario President to serve a second term. He has been a volunteer with the Golf Ontario since 2008, serving on the Finance, Rules and Competitions, Marketing and HR and Compensation committees, while spending countless hours as a tournament starter and Level 3 Rules Official.

Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award— Lee Griffin

The Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award is considered the highest honour recognizing individual service to the game of golf in Ontario. The award is named after Richard H. Grimm, who was affectionately known as “Mr. Canadian Open” for his service to the event from 1965 to 1993. Golf Ontario’s Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual’s meritorious service as a volunteer. Recipients of this award embody the principles of integrity, dignity and commitment, which are central to the volunteer experience and to Mr. Grimm’s persona.

The 2017 recipient is Cambridge resident Lee Griffin. Griffin has been a rules official for more than 17 years. She also served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2006. Griffin has been a part of numerous committees and currently chairs the Officials Development Committee. In addition to the hours spent on the course, Griffin has also been instrumental in teaching new officials. She has helped in administering exams and putting more people through rules training programs. Thanks to the time she has spent, Ontario has one of the highest pass rates for rules training.

“I am hugely honoured and still in shock,” said Griffin. “When I received the call I was absolutely dumbfounded, I literally didn’t know what to say. A lot of people who I have worked with in the past, that I have looked up to and who have mentored me, have won this award. So to be joining such an accomplished group is really cool and I could not be more proud.”

Volunteer of the Year— Lea Hill

The Golf Ontario Volunteer of the Year Award has been designed to recognize and honour a Golf Ontario volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding performance and contributions while preserving the integrity and traditions of the game.

This year’s recipient is Mississauga’s Lea Hill. Hill has been a vital member of York District Course Rating Team for the past several years and has taken on the role of Team Coordinator. In this role, he sets up the dates that course rating will take place and then actively solicits the assistance of the other members of the team. He has also developed standardize rating sheets that the team uses for landing zones and greens. These have greatly streamlined the work course raters do and made the transfer of data to those doing the charting simpler.

“I must say I was quite surprised and honoured when Chris Osborne (Golf Ontario Past President) called me to tell me I was receiving this award,” said Hill. “I believe I share this award with every volunteer. We all volunteer our time and I know everyone enjoys what they do.”

District Volunteer of the Year— Sheila Buglass

Golf Ontario’s District Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes volunteers who embody the spirit of volunteering and have shown dedication by making significant contributions in promoting, supporting and expanding golf within their district community.

This year the District Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Toronto’s Sheila Buglass. Buglass has been treasurer of Scarboro District and Golf Scarboro for 22 years. She has assisted at the Scarboro tournaments by doing registration, scoring, and photography. She gives sage advice to the committee and contributes at her home club (Westview Golf Club) by organizing events and mentoring new golfers.

Golf Ontario would like to congratulate all of the award winners and send a special thank you to all of the Golf Ontario volunteers who make everything the association does possible.

To see photos from Volunteer Appreciation Day click here.

Korea’s Seo-yun Kwon defeats Nobilio in playoff for individual title 

OTTAWA – Few could have predicted the wild finish that took place on Friday for the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club.

In thrilling fashion, the Spanish team fired a collective 4-under par (140) to erase an eight-stroke deficit, forcing a playoff with the Korean squad. As light rain began to fall, both teams headed back to the par-4 18th in pairs to conduct the first playoff in World Junior Girls Championship history.

The Spaniards kept their foot on the gas, with two of the first three team members making birdie on the hole to put the trio at 2 under. The Korean team was then forced to hole out for eagle to continue the match, but their approach missed the green to the right.

“If I would not have made that putt, my teammates might not have been as motivated as they were,” said Elena Arias, the first Spanish team member to birdie the playoff. “I just hit the putt like the other times I had played the hole. It just looked so clear to me and went in but I was so nervous.”

Dimana Viudes followed in the second playoff group, capping her 3-under bogey-free round with a birdie of her own.

“It is like Elena said, her putt really gave me confidence because knowing that we already had a birdie was a great start,” said Viudes, who finished in fourth place individually. “I was very nervous but at the same time calm as well. I was just lucky enough to pull off the shot.”

The win marks the first World Junior Girls Championship medal for Team Spain, which is something not lost on the team’s coach.

“This is a dream come true. To beat a strong team like Korea is something else,” said Nacho Gervas, Team Spain coach. “They are so strong that at times you feel like you are playing for second place. I told them (Spain) they had the game to do well today and if we played our game you never know what can happen.”

Republic of Korea’s Seo-yun Kwon, the 54-hole leader, headed into the final round with a two-stroke advantage over Italy’s Alessia Nobilio. Kwon had built a clear advantage on the day before running into trouble on the par-5 14th with a triple-bogey.

Nobilio took advantage of Kwon’s mishap by making birdie on the 14th to briefly hold a one-stroke lead, until giving a stroke back on the next hole. The pair took scores of 9 under to the last hole, forcing another playoff to be commenced after the team event was decided.

With Korea losing the team event, Kwon was determined to come out on top. The 16-year-old missed the green on her approach but went up-and-down for par, beating out Nobilio who slipped with a bogey.

“At first I was angry with myself because I was leading by a few strokes and made one mistake,” said Kwon. “Even though I won the individual medal, I am a little disappointed in myself because if I had done a little more, we could have won the team championship so it is bitter sweet. This is my first win at an international tournament so right now I am so happy.”

Rounding out the team medallists was the trio from Sweden, who finished the tournament at 9 under par, five strokes shy of Spain and Korea. Spain’s Blanca Fernández took home the individual bronze medal, posting a final-round 71 to close the tournament at 7 under par.

Céleste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., finished as the low Canadian with a share of 24th place at 6 over for the tournament.

In 2018, the World Junior Girls Championship will return to the Ottawa area at Camelot Golf and Country Club next September.

Additional information and full results from the competition can be found here.

Italy’s Nobilio shoots low-round 68 to sit two back in second place

OTTAWA – The playing conditions tightened up on moving day in the World Junior Girls Championship, with high winds bringing temperatures down 20C from the opening two rounds at The Marshes Golf Club.

Republic of Korea’s Seo-yun Kwon carded a 2-under 70 to keep the individual lead for the third consecutive day. She heads into tomorrow’s final round at 11 under for the tournament with a two-stroke advantage over Italy’s Alessia Nobilio.

“My mindset heading into tomorrow will be pretty much the same as what I have done in the past three rounds,” said the 16-year-old Kwon. “I won’t worry about what the other players are doing because I always set a certain goal for myself. So tomorrow I will do that and play for my goal.”

Nobilio carded one of two low-round 68s on the day, moving her into sole possession of second place. The 15-year-old caught fire with five-straight birdies before giving strokes back with a bogey on 13, and a double-bogey on the par-4 18th.

“I think I played perfectly until the last hole,” said Nobilio, the 41st ranked female in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. “I made five birdies in a row and my irons were always two meters from the pin, so that was my strength today. If I do my best I know that I can play good golf. I just need to concentrate until the last hole and everything will be fine.”

Nobilio’s efforts also helped lift the Italian team into a share of third place at 7 under, giving the trio a chance at what would be their first team medal at the World Junior Girls Championship. Caterina Don, who is currently tied for 26th, took home the individual bronze medal for the Italians in 2016.

“This is an important tournament for Italy,” added Nobilio. “Playing in a world championship and representing my country is just a dream for me.”

Spain carded a team-low 139 (-5) to move into second place at 10 under par, eight back of the leading Korean trio. The Koreans will look to collect their second World Junior Girls title at The Marshes – they captured the 2015 tournament here by a commanding 18 strokes.

Leading the Canadians in the field with a share of 26th at 4 over is Céleste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.

The final round of tournament play will see players tee off at 8 a.m. Additional information and full results from the competition can be found here.

13-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont., native Emily Zhu shoots 72 to lead Canadians

OTTAWA – The Republic of Korea were not fazed by the sweltering heat on Monday at The Marshes Golf Club, carding a score of 10 under to take the 18-hole lead at the fourth annual World Junior Girls Championship.

In temperatures upwards of 30 C, the Korean team recorded a score of 134 to build a one-stroke advantage over the American squad. The trio were paced by Seo-yun Kwon, who fired a 7-under-par 65 for a two-stroke cushion in the individual competition.

“For the first three or four holes I missed a couple birdie putts and that made me hot because I was angry,” said Kwon. “The turning point was a birdie on the sixth and at that point I didn’t even realize how warm it was.”

The 16-year-old thrived in the heat, recording five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th.

“Right before you make a shot you imagine how it will go in your mind. During the practice round I tried to get on in three because it is a long hole,” said Kwon. “Today, my driver was so good that when I got to my ball, I realized I should try to reach with my three wood. My putter was also great today so the 14th went exactly how I imagined it would.”

The second-counting score for the Republic of Korea was registered by Yunji Jeong, who posted a 3-under-par 69 to sit tied for sixth. The Republic of Korea are no strangers to success at The Marshes Golf Club — they ran away with the competition when it was held at this same course in 2015, winning by a margin of 18 strokes.

“The course looks very friendly to Korean players, even though the shape and grass type are different,” added Kwon. “However, the shot has to be accurate because the fairways are narrow, including the landing zones, and there is bush on either side and those conditions are very similar to in Korea.”

Holding second place is America’s Gina Kim, who went 5 under on the back nine, including an eagle of her own on the 14th — one of two on the day. Third place is currently occupied by a trio of competitors at 4 under par: Hana Ryskova (Czech Republic), Alessia Nobilio (Italy) and Erica Shepherd (USA).

Emily Zhu, Canada’s youngest competitor from Richmond Hill, Ont., led both Canadian squads with an even-par 72 to sit T23 overall. The 13-year-old’s round was a positive note in what was otherwise a difficult opener for the host nation.

“I don’t think that it was the start that we wanted but the girls all played better than what they scored. I trust in the fact that they are hitting the ball well and that they are going to get better every day, that is our goal,” said Ann Carroll, coach of Canada One. “It is a 72-hole tournament and we will just focus on getting better every day. We’ll make today the high round and focus on trying to improve on the little things that make a big difference.”

With a total of 3-over 147, Canada Two comprised of Zhu, Euna Han (Coquitlam, B.C.) and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.) are tied for 15th place.

The second round will begin at 8 a.m. with no cut for the tournament. Additional information from the competition, including the leaderboards, can be found here.

Follow live scoring of the Invictus Games Golf Competition, Sept. 26 from St. Georges Golf & Country Club, here.

And for live streaming of the event see here.

STOUFFVILLE— The final event on the women’s provincial championship calendar took place on Sept. 12 at Spring Lakes Golf Club in Stouffville. The Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship is one of the more unique championships on the Golf Ontario schedule because it is open to all age groups. The 2017 version was no different as it saw participants as young as 13 and as old 83 all competing for the title.

The field featured numerous notable players including: World Golf Hall of Famer Marlene Stewart Streit, 2017 Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion Raesa Sheikh, 2017 Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play Champion Vanessa Chychrun, one half of the defending champions in Marion Reid, past Senior Women’s Champion Ivy Steinberg and Emily Zhu, who was recently named to Team Canada for the World Junior Girls’ Championship.

With all of the talent in the field, there was no doubt that a strong score would be needed to win. In the end, that was the case as it took a six-under (66) from the team of Port Colborne’s Kayla Burke and Niagara Falls’ Emily Ward to claim victory. Burke, from Lookout Point Country Club, and Ward, from Grand Niagara Golf Course, took the victory but a narrow margin of one-stroke.

“This is just awesome, it was really fun to play with someone like Emily,” said Burke. “Everything was going well in our games today. If one player was in trouble, the other just stepped up and was right there to bail us out.”

“We picked each other up when we needed to and fed off each other’s positivity and enthusiasm,” added Ward. “We were a really great paring. We have known each other for five years. We met on the Niagara Junior Tour and ever since then, we have been close friends.”

Burke and Ward also took the Net Division Trophy at a net total of 10-under (62).

There was a tie for the silver medal at five-under (67). Sharing the medal was the team of Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin (Cedar Brae Golf Club) and Richmond Hill’s Emily Zhu (National Pines Golf Club) along with the pair of Etobicoke’s Marion Reid (Islington Golf Club) and Etobicoke’s Joanne Noble (Weston Golf & Country Club).

Golf Ontario would like to thank the staff of Spring Lakes GC for hosting the 2017 event, along with the Golf Ontario volunteers for their continued support of amateur golf in the province. For more information, including the final leaderboards, see the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao17/event/gao17130/index.htm 

About the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship

First played in 1953, the Ontario Women’s Four-Ball Championship is contested annually and features two-woman teams competing in a better-ball format. In total, 24 teams and 48 players took part in the 2017 event.

Golf Canada

OTTAWA – For the fourth time since it’s inauguration, the world’s premier 18-and-under players will gather in Canada to compete in the annual World Junior Girls Championship. The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont., will host the event for the second time from Sept. 24-29 as the girls compete in both team and individual competitions.

“We are thrilled to head back to The Marshes Golf Club to host this year’s World Junior Girls Championship,” said tournament director Mary Beth McKenna. “Returning to the capital for Canada 150 marks a special celebration for the event, and a great way for us to close out our championship season.”

The Marshes Golf Club is a unique course that encompasses the many natural features in the area including wetlands, meadows and hardwood forests. The course was designed in collaboration between Robert Trench Jr. and Sr., and features six par-3, six par-4 and six par-5 holes.

Conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario, with support from the International Golf Federation and The R&A, the 2017 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship will bring together 60 of the top 18-and-under female golfers from 19 countries around the globe. As hosts of the event, Canada will feature two three-member teams in the competition.

“We could not be more excited to once again bring the World Junior Girls Championship to the capital region,” said Mike Kelly, executive director of Golf Ontario. “The Marshes Golf Club is an exceptional venue that will serve as a fantastic backdrop for this competition. We greatly appreciate the support of our generous sponsors and partners without whom this championship would not be possible. We look forward to seeing the Ottawa golfing community rally around this wonderful event.”

The inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 saw teams from across the world take on Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., captured individual honours in leading Team USA to victory. Playing in her final event as an amateur, Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished fourth as Canada’s first team claimed bronze.

The second edition of the tournament was staged at The Marshes Golf Club. The team representing the Republic of Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Hye-jin Choi, a native of Paju-si, South Korea, registered a seven-stroke victory with a 12-under performance.

In 2016, Yuka Saso of Santa Rosa, Philippines, shot an opening-round 66 and cruised to a six-shot win in the individual competition while also leading Philippines to the team victory, finishing at 2 over par.

In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a specific focus on the development and promotion of junior girls golf.  The days leading up to tournament play will see a PGA of Canada coaching summit as well as a free junior girls skills clinic.

“This world-class competition provides us with the opportunity to benchmark our domestic talent against the strongest female players from around the globe while also contributing to the continued growth and collaboration amongst the international governing bodies in the sport,” said Jeff Thompson, chief sport officer of Golf Canada. “We are proud to once again conduct this championship in support of these fine athletes and to aid in raising the profile of junior girls golf.”

The competition’s first round will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, Sept. 29. Visit http://www.worldjuniorgirls.com/ for more.