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.
The 1000 Ball Challenge is well underway and those involved are actively fundraising for the GOLF FOR ALL Fund!
We are excited to announce more fundraising incentives to help you boost your fundraising every month! At the end of every month, from now until October, we will be drawing winners for the prizes below.
So, continue to encourage your friends and family to contribute to your page and be entered to win.
There is still time to register and start your fundraising today!
INDIVIDUAL MONTHLY FUNDRAISING PRIZES
When you reach fundraising milestones you can win some amazing prizes! Details below:
CATEGORY
PRIZE
Raise $1,000 before July 15, 2024
Be entered in a draw to win a $200 Adidas gift card
Raise $125
Be entered in a draw to win a $25 Adidas gift card
Raise $250
Be entered in a draw to win a $50 Adidas gift card
Raise $500
Be entered in a draw to win a $100 Adidas gift card
Raise $750
Be entered in a draw to win a $150 Adidas gift card
Raise $1,000+
Be entered in a draw to win a foursome at Wooden Sticks Golf Club
This is in addition to the incentive program when you fundraise $1000 or more – see details here.
Rules:
Draw to happen at the end of every month.
Those who enter and do not win can be re-entered at the beginning of every month.
Each person can only win a category item once.
Category prizes are cumulative. Meaning, that if you raise $1,000 you will be entered once in every category draw.
Not registered for the 1000 Ball Challenge? There is still time to register and start your fundraising today! Register today at www.1000ball.ca/signup or contact Raph at rroot@gao.ca.
See Golf Ontario CEO Kyle McFarlane on Golf Talk Canada during the 2024 RBC Canadian Open speaking on the 1000 Ball Challenge and all the benefits and impact you can be a part of:
This was DiCarlo’s fifth time playing in the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship and his first appearance in the finals of this championship. He hadn’t advanced past the Quarterfinals in his first four appearances.
In his first experience in the finals of this championship, he got the job done and can now call himself winner of the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship.
As for Smith, he falls short in the Ontario Men’s Match Play Finals for a second straight year.
Shaw came in ranked 32nd and got into the championship as an alternate. He faced some of the toughest names in the field like defending champion Steve Fredericks,along with tough competitors Doug Brophy and Rob Cowan.
He was even down five strokes through the first six holes of his quarterfinals match with Brophy.
However, he was still able to prevail and become Ontario Senior Men’s Match Play Champion and cap off an amazing story.
Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship kicks off in Kingston
Golf Ontario
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).
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.
Fun Fact: The Name: “Cataraqui” is the original Mohawk name for Kingston, the “Limestone City,” where the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club course is located.
Charles Fitzsimmons (Summit Golf & Country Club), two-time winner of the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship (2021 & 2022), returns to match play action after missing last year’s championship due to injury.
Connor Doyle, Tournament Director: “The Ontario Men’s and Senior Men’s Match Play Championship is always a great way to kick off the men’s & senior amateur championship season. We have another very competitive field which we saw almost 400 players attempt to qualify across the province along with multiple past champions in the field. Tarandowah will certainly be an excellent test for the players with the fast, and firm conditions, it should create many excellent matches next week.”
Ted Pease, Tarandowah Golfers Club General Manager & PGA of Canada Executive Professional: “Tarandowah Golfers Club is honoured to host the top men’s and senior men’s golfers across Ontario as they go one-on-one in match play. Having this level of competition is a great venue for us to showcase the unique challenges our course presents.”
Fun Fact: Tarandowah Golfers Club only has two par fives (holes 9 and 14), yet the course still measures 7,067 yards due to nine of its 12 par four holes having a length of over 400 yards.
Top 100: Tarandowah Golfers Club was ranked the No. 75-best golf course in Canada according to SCOREGolf.
Orr Lake Golf Club Stepping Up to Make Impact on Youth, Under-Represented Communities
Golf Ontario
Since partnering with Golf Canada, First Tee – Ontario has been bringing the joy of golf to youth across the province through various in-school and after-school programs.
These initiatives have not only introduced young people to the sport but have also played a crucial role in building character, instilling values, and teaching the importance of integrity, perseverance, and respect, thereby enriching their lives both on and off the course.
“The whole purpose of First Tee is to help communities that are under-represented,” said Sue Westwood, PGA of Canada professional with more than 20-years of experience.
Orr Lake Golf Club in Elmvale was named an official First Tee – Ontario location by Golf Canada on April 26.
Jason Harris, general manager and facility owner, was a heavy influence in having his course host. Why? His passion for growing the game of golf in Ontario.
“We’ve been doing these things (to grow the game) within the community for 10 years now,” he says.
While running the First Tee program from Orr Lake Golf Club, Harris and Westwood have already worked together to bring several programs to both youth and adults either new to the game or in under-represented communities.
The most notable program is Golf in Schools, which teaches elementary school students the game of golf, whether they are first-timers or have heard bits of the game, and helps them build character and confidence to play.
“When I see a child go out there and hit a ball for the first time, their expression on their face is priceless,” says Westwood. “They have a big smile on their face, that’s what the big payoff is for me.”
When teaching children who are just picking up a golf club, Westwood might teach the basics of hitting a ball, but the ways she does it are centred around team building and passion for the game.
“I get little sayings that are helpful for the kids to remember, like hot dog and a bun when they go to grip the clubs, so they make sure to keep their hands together,” she explains. “From there, I say ‘in golf, do you want to have your hands apart or together,’ then they’ll all say ‘together.’”
Other lessons Westwood would give to children are the “triangle” position (feet lined up with ball) and lining up the club face to the target on swings.
“Now they all want to come back to class because they all had so much fun,” she said.
Orr Lake Golf Club currently sponsors five schools: Hillsdale Elementary School (Hillsdale); Our Lady of Lourdes School (Toronto); Wyevale Central Public School (Tiny); Huronia Centennial Elementary School (Elmvale) and St Antoine Daniel Catholic School (Toronto).
Recruiting schools and children into the Golf in Schools program is a lengthy process for both Harris and Westwood, who started reaching out to them early in the year before the golf season even starts.
“I’d go into the schools, and I’d introduce the sport to grades one thru five, and I just set up little putting station, chipping and a full swing station,” Westwood says.
Then, once Orr Lake opens for playing around mid-April, Harris and Westwood arrange for the children of each school at a time to be bussed to the course.
“We pay for the buses to come here (Orr Lake), and expenses allow buses to go back and forth to the schools, pick up any grade, they come here, then we take them around our three-hole, Par-3 golf course,” explains Westwood.
For purposes of having fun, the children are paired into groups and go out on to the Orr Lake’s three-hole course and not just hit off a driving range or putt on a practice green.
“We basically invested in that as part of our ‘Growing the Game’ initiative,” explains Harris. “We needed a spot where beginners and where Sue (and Paul Jennings – previous pro – before her) had a location where they can go and teach.”
The most recent school to join the Golf in Schools program was Christian Island Elementary School, located on an island in Georgian Bay that is an Ojibwa reserve and home of the Beausoleil First Nation.
Despite the location, Harris and Westwood went to even greater lengths to get more children into the game, going to them by ferry and setting up their own mini course.
“We ended up setting it up in their baseball field, and we set up five small holes,” Westwood said. “They all had a really good experience once they started playing.”
Westwood taught four separate classes, which showcased both the basics of the game, team-building exercises and the spirit of playing golf.
“Some of them had never heard of golf before, some had and it was a really good experience,” she said.
In total, Harris and Westwood expect to see around 600 students come to the course this year.
“Paying for the buses, paying for Sue’s time to go into the schools, paying for the kids to come out here with Sue and one of our inspectors to organize everything, so we’re investing quite a bit with the focus of introducing more people to the game of golf,” Harris says.
The club doesn’t just host the Golf in Schools program, but some of their other programs include Ladies Learn to Golf, which has 180 members, Kids Play Free and other programs for more under-represented communities that both Harris and Westwood believe don’t get a lot of opportunities.
“We’re not in a big, populated area, we’re sort of in the middle of nowhere, we’re a small community-based golf course, and that’s where we decided to put all our energy and our focus (into growing golf),” he said.
Each program, particularly Golf in Schools, was at risk of being shut down when the COVID-19 Pandemic was in full swing.
“We missed a bunch of COVID years, but we started back up again last year, so our second year back at it again since COVID,” says Harris.
For getting people in his community into golf, Harris expresses gratitude for having staff that understand and have the same feelings of growing the game as he does.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have started off with Paul Jennings (former CPGA Professional), we’re very fortunate we ended up with Sue Westwood, and both of those golf pros had the same philosophy and really wanted to focus on growing the game of golf,” he said.
Harris believes the latest recruitment of Christian Lake Elementary School, and the upcoming recruitments of Tay Shores Public School (Harbour) and Mundy’s Bay Elementary School (Midland), can lead to future expansion and bring more schools into the fold.
“Teaming up with Golf Canada and the First Tee program is basically giving us access to funds to expand this (Golf in Schools) program further than what would just benefit our golf course,” Harris explained.
By raising enough funds from running First Tee – Ontario out of Orr Lake Golf Club, Harris hopes to take a “big lead” to sponsor more schools further away from the course in order to further grow the program and bring more children into the sport.
“Ultimately, we are in the golf industry, it’s not just about my golf course, and the bigger we can make this and the more we can expand this, the better it’s going to be for everybody around,” he says.
