Ashley Lafontaine (Royal Ottawa Golf Club) captured the Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship Monday at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club.
After knocking off Gabrielle Harrison (Sunningdale Golf and Country Club) in the top 16, Lafontaine pushed through to the Quarter-Final round by defeating Team Ontario’s Nobelle Park (Rattlesnake Golf and Country Club) 1-UP, and then finally defeating Myranda Quinton (Pipers Heath Golf Club) 2&1.
In the final round, Lafontaine faced off Kaprice Park (Rattlesnake Golf and Country club), who started things off with a birdie.
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.
For final results, click here.
The Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship and 75th Cataraqui Women’s Field Day & Empire Life Eastern Provinces kicks off in Kingston this weekend.
The top 16 players from the Cataraqui Field Day Match Play Qualifier will advance to the Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship. A playoff will break any ties for 16th place.
The players advancing to the Match Play portion of the Championship are awarded spots into the 109th Ontario Women’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur Championship at West Haven Golf and Country Club, June 24-27. Any Junior eligible players who advance will also earn an exemption to the Ontario Jr. Girls (U19) Match Play Championship.
Cataraqui hosted several provincial events in its heydays between the 1930s and 1970s, including the Ontario Amateur Championship (1939, 1952, 1963), the Ontario Ladies’ Amateur Championship (1937, 1965, 1973) and the Ontario Open (1955, 1958, 1966, 1973, 1979).
FIELD NOTES
Among the 47 players in the 2024 Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship, several College and University players are competing, Including Elizabeth Labbé (UBC Thunderbirds), Ashley Lafontaine (Elon University), Jillian Friyia (Troy University), Peyton Costabile (Towson University), Myranda Quinton (Penn State), Madeline Boyd (Ball State University), Madison Barber (Towson University).
PLAYER NOTES
Nobelle Park– Recently qualified for the 2024 U.S. Junior Girls Amateur. She is a current member of the Team Ontario squad. With her recent results from play, she has shot up the rankings and is No. 182 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Her most recent accolades include winning the Junior Girls Spring Classic last month, the Ontario Junior Players Invitational in March, and a third-place finish at the Next Gen Ontario Championship. Nobelle is currently leading all U15, U17, and U19 rankings on the Junior Golf Pathway Rankings.
Kaprice Park– A current member of Team Ontario. After just missing the qualifier for the U.S. Junior Girls Amateur, she remains the first alternate.
QUOTES
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership running the Ontario Women’s Match Play at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club concurrently with the Empire Life Eastern Provinces Championship. Cataraqui’s dedication and support have played a crucial role in making this prestigious tournament a resounding success year after year.
Since we began this partnership in 2019, we have seen continued growth and once again have another strong field of competitors featuring many high-level juniors and college affiliated players.” – Rob Watson, Tournament Director.
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: Cataraqui Golf and Country Club, Kingston, ON.
Championship Date: June 15-17
Field: 47 Players
Leaderboard Link: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/10230962420126370009
Fun Fact: The Name: “Cataraqui” is the original Mohawk name for Kingston, the “Limestone City,” where the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club course is located.
Format: 18-hole stroke play.
Social Handles: @thegolfontario on Instagram, Facebook and X
TOTTENHAM— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Women’s Match Play Championship wrapped up on August 6, at the Woodington Lake Golf Course – Legend in Tottenham, with Kelsey Sear taking the 2015 title.
The event began on Aug. 4 with a stroke-play qualifying round, which narrowed the field down to 16 players for four rounds of match-play competition.
Outlasting that field was Unionville’s Sear. Sear, from the York Downs Golf & Country Club, recently competed in the PGA of Canada’s Women’s Championship and was able to use the momentum from that experience to lift her to victory.
Sear, 20, topped Picton’s Casey Ward in the final 1up on the 18th hole. The match was neck and neck throughout. Sear held a 1up lead on the front nine, only to see Ward draw even on the seventh hole. Ward would take the lead on the next hole, but watch it evaporate after the ninth. With Ward 1up again, Sear sank a critical 13-foot putt on the 11th to remain just one down. Sear would birdie the 12th to even the match. Sear’s putter saved her again on 16 as she sank a 10-foot putt to again draw even. Then on 18, Ward hit her approach shot left and needed to chip in to keep the match going, she was unable to and Sear was able to putt out for the win.
After the win, Sear spoke about winning the final match. “It feels awesome! It was really back and forth. I was up then she was up and then I made that big putt on 11 and I knew at that point I had the momentum. Walking up 18 I had lots of confidence and I was able to make a nice chip shot to get up and down.”
Sear spoke about what was going on in her head throughout the round. “I just tried to stay focused. I try to keep my mind off golf, to be honest, and just go with the flow. I don’t get too down or too excited and just play my game.”
For Sear, her road to the title began as the fourth seed and eliminated Welland’s Stefani Markovich in the opening round in 19 holes. She drew Toronto’s Ana Peric in the quarterfinal round and won by a score of 3&2. That put her into the semi finals against Stouffville’s Ivy Steinberg, who she beat 2up, to earn her spot in the finals.
As for Ward, a member of the Picton Golf & Country Club and recent winner of the GAO’s Investors Group Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, she began as the number seven seed after the qualifying round. She opened the tournament with a 2&1 win over Toronto’s Madelyn Piccininni. Then, she picked up a dominant win in the quarterfinals by beating Komoka’s Alex Amos 6&4 to move on to the semi finals. In the semi finals, Ward topped Mississauga’s Michelle Ruiz 3&1 to earn the right to play for the championship.
For round-by-round scoring and all other tournament information, see the tournament page at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao15/event/gao1556/index.htm.
