OAKVILLE — Golf Ontario again celebrated and recognized those who have been honoured in the golf industry in this past year. Celebrate Golf in Ontario, Golf Ontario’s annual award ceremony, took place on Sunday March 31, 2019 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm at Glen Abbey Golf Club. This prestigious awards ceremony marked the kick-off for Golf Ontario’s 2019 Conference and Annual Meeting, with many great speakers and the Annual Meeting scheduled to occur the following day, Monday April 1, 2019 at Glen Abbey Golf Club as well. The Celebrate Golf in Ontario awards ceremony was a chance to look back on 2018 and recognize some of the best and brightest in the golf industry.
The Celebrate Golf in Ontario awards ceremony was hosted by Kara Wagland. Wagland, a Cambridge, Ontario native is a well known and highly respected anchor and reporter for TSN SPORTSCENTRE, Canada’s most watched sports new and information show. In 2014, Wagland hosted Wimbledon Primetime on TSN after beginning her career as a story editor in the SPORTSCENTRE newsroom.
Celebrate Golf in Ontario featured a reception and awards ceremony to recognize and celebrate those who have been honoured in the golf industry in the past year. Categories of award winners include PGA of Canada zone awards, IAGA distinguished service award, Golf Ontario volunteer awards, and the 2018 Golf Ontario Order of Merit winners.
In addition, for 2018, Golf Ontario was thrilled to introduce 2 new awards: The Golf Ontario Female PLAYER OF THE YEAR, and the Golf Ontario Male PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Nominees for PLAYER OF THE YEAR awards are drawn from the leaders in the Golf Ontario Order of Merit categories for 2018. Nominees on the female side included Ellie Szeryk (Juvenile Girls, Junior Girls and Women’s Amateur), Julia Hodgson (Women’s Mid-Amateur), Judith Kyrinis (Senior Women), and Emily Zhu (Bantam Girls). Nominees on the male side include Matthew Anderson (Junior Boys), Peter Blazevic (Bantam Boys), Mark Brewer (Senior Men), Gerry Mei (Juvenile Boys), and Garrett Rank (Men’s Amateur & Men’s Mid Amateur).
Mike Kelly, Executive Director of Golf Ontario, expressed his pride in putting on this reception and ceremony to honour the winners. “Celebrate Golf in Ontario was a great chance for Golf Ontario to recognize some truly great accomplishments in golf in 2018. Between industry award winners, and some amazing Championship performances, we were honoured to be recognizing some of the best and brightest in Ontario golf with 2018 awards. With Kara Wagland as host, and a distinguished list of nominees and winners, Celebrate Golf in Ontario was a great event for attendees and winners alike”, said Kelly
ABOUT THE WINNERS:
The ceremony was highlighted by the 2 new awards for the Player of the Year that Golf Ontario introduced this year. Garrett Rank was the winner of the Male Player of the Year for 2018, and Ellie Szeryk was the winner of the Female Player of the Year for 2018.
Rank, a 30-year old NHL referee from Elmira Golf Club had a truly outstanding year in 2018. Rank was 1st in US Open Sectional Qualifying to earn a spot in the US Open. In addition, he made the round of 64 for the USGA Men’s Amateur, finished 1st in both the Ontario Men’s Mid Amateur and the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championships. He also placed 3rd in both the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur and Men’s Amateur Championships.
Szeryk, a 17-year old Team Canada development squad rookie, also had a sensational 2018 season. The future Texas A&M star was 1st in both the Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur and the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championships. Szeryk made it to Round 4 of the Women’s Western Amateur, and the Round of 16 for the Girls British Open Amateur.
Other Winners that were recognized and celebrated were as follows:
| IAGA Distinguished Service Award | Dave Mills |
| Golf Ontario Volunteer Recognition Awards | Honorary Life Director – Ivy Steinberg
Volunteer of the Year – Mike O’Neill Dick Grimm Distinguished Service – Bob Heath Dick Grimm Distinguished Service – Lorry Moffatt |
| Drive, Chip, and Putt Champion – 10-11 year old Girls | Vanessa Borovolis |
| Special Olympics Gold Medallist – Golf (2nd time winner) | Tess Trojan |
| Bantam Boys 1st Place – Order of Merit | Peter Blazevic |
| Bantam Girls 1st Place – Order of Merit | Emily Zhu |
| Juvenile Boys 1st Place – Order of Merit | Gerry Mei |
| Juvenile Girls 1st Place – Order of Merit | Ellie Szeryk |
| Junior Boys 1st Place – Order of Merit | Matthew Anderson |
| Junior Girls 1st Place – Order of Merit | Ellie Szeryk |
| Senior Men’s 1st Place – Order of Merit | Mark Brewer |
| Senior Women’s 1st Place – Order of Merit | Judith Kyrinis |
| Men’s Mid-Amateur 1st Place – Order of Merit | Garrett Rank |
| Women’s Mid-Amateur 1st Place – Order of Merit | Julia Hodgson |
| Men’s Amateur 1st Place – Order of Merit | Garrett Rank |
| Women’s Amateur 1st Place – Order of Merit | Ellie Szeryk |
Photos from the day can be found here
