AURORA, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the eight champions of Sunday’s Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

The National Event, running for the 11th consecutive year, crowned female and male champions from four age groups (8 under, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18). Among the 31 participants from across the country, the following eight individuals emerged as champions:

– Liam McLaren, Pheasant Run Golf Club, Georgina, ON | Boys 8 and under
– Ari Tur, Seymour Golf & Country Club, North Vancouver, B.C. | Girls 8 and under
– Noah Turner, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, ON | Boys 9-11
– Claira Frizzell, The Links at Montague, Halifax, NS | Girls 9-11
– Gabe Bugden, Blomidon Golf Club, Corner Brook, NL | Boys 12-14
– Alissa Xu, Station Creek Golf Club, Richmond Hill, ON | Girls 12-14
– Émile Journault, Cap-Rouge Golf Club, Québec City, QC | Boys 15-18
– Keighan Decoff, Glen Lovat Golf Club, Fraser’s Mountain, NS | Girls 15-18

The winners of each age group received a champion’s package from Titleist Footjoy. In addition, Émile Journault and Keighan Decoff – winners of the 15-18 age groups – have earned exemptions into their local 2020 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship.

In Sunday’s National Event, juniors competed in a three-part skills challenge which tested putting, chipping, and driving.

Sunday’s participants had the highest scores on the National Leaderboard after participating in a Skills Challenge qualifying event at their local club. Throughout the year, over 140 clubs hosted a Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge with over 3000 junior golfers participating.

“The Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills experience is a celebration of skill development facilitated by coaches at over 140 facilities across Canada,” said Adam Hunter, senior manager of junior programs at Golf Canada. “We are extremely happy with another excellent National Event and want to thank our sponsors for helping make this dream a reality.”

On Saturday, the National Event participants received an apparel prize pack from Cobra Golf handed out in the Magna locker room and played the back nine as part of the Golf Canada Junior Open.

Participants are provided weekly grounds passes and have an opportunity to be involved in Monday’s Canada Day All-Star Pro-Am and Wednesday’s Walk with a Pro event.

For more information on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills National Event click here.

OSOYOOS, B.C. – One hundred and fourty-two golfers ranging from 25-73 years of age will descend on Osoyoos Golf Club in Osoyoos, B.C., from Aug. 17-20 for the 49th playing of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship.

Four individual trophies are up for grabs at the 54-hole tournament in southern British Columbia.

Competitors over 25 will vie for the Mid-Amateur title, players over 40 will be eligible to compete in the Mid-Master competition and those over 50 will play for the Senior Championship. Finally, those 60-and-over will compete for the Super Senior title.

“The Mid-Am and Senior is a great opportunity for Canadian amateurs to find success and compete on a national stage,” added tournament director Adam Cinel. “We are very excited to bring this talented field to a spectacular host club in Osoyoos. The course’s beautiful layout will provide a tough, yet fair test for all the golfers here this week.”

In 2018, Australian Sue Wooster defended both her Senior and Mid-Masters titles, while also winning the Mid-Amateur Championship. Wooster won the Mid-Amateur in a playoff with Christina Proteau (Port Alberni, B.C.), while Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Ann Hayward (St. Thomas, Ont.) came third.

Hayward finished one stroke behind Wooster in both the Mid-Masters and Senior competitions. The Super Senior competition was won by Procter, B.C., native Jackie Little, who finished one stroke ahead of Penny Baziuk (North Saanich, B.C.).

Wooster is returning in 2019 to defend her titles, as are Proteau, Hayward, Little and Baziuk.

In addition to the four individual competitions, an inter-provincial team competition will take place during the first two rounds.

Team Ontario, consisting of Hayward, Judith Kyrinis (Thornhill, Ont.) and Terrill Samuel (Etobicoke, Ont.) won the team competition in 2018 with a two-day score of 11-over-par 299.

After 36 holes, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties from the senior division. Further to that, all Mid-Amateurs and Mid-Masters posting a 36-hole score which is equal to the last player(s) to qualify for the final round, will make the cut. A minimum of ten Mid-Amateurs (age 25-39), five Mid-Masters (age 40-49) and five Super-Seniors (age 60+) will make the cut.

The winner receives an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur being contested at Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from Aug. 24-29.

Established in 1973, Osoyoos Golf Club expanded to a 36-hole layout in 2006. Located in a picturesque setting adjacent to Osoyoos Lake overlooking the town with the mountains in the distance, the 2019 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship is the first Golf Canada championship conducted at the course.

“Our course is renowned for its spectacular views and very consistent turf conditions,” said Doug Robb, general manager of Osoyoos Golf Club. “It’s in great condition and we’re thrilled to share our course with these talented women.”

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee times is available here.

NOTABLES

Sue Wooster, Australia
Wooster enters the tournament as the defending champion, currently holding the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles. The 57-year-old rode the exemption she earned at last year’s tournament all the way to the final of the U.S. Senior Amateur, finishing runner-up to Lara Tennant.

Mary Ann Hayward, St. Thomas, Ont.
A four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur champion and member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, Hayward won the Canadian Women’s Mid-Senior in 2013 and came in third last year. The 59-year-old has represented Canada internationally on numerous occasions, including eight times at the World Amateur Championship.

Alison Murdoch, Victoria
The 69-year-old Canadian Golf Hall of Famer has won the Canadian Women’s Mid-Senior four times, most recently in 2007. She had a pair of good results in 2018, finishing third at the British Columbia Mid-Amateur and fourth at the 2018 Alberta Senior Ladies Championship.

Jackie Little, Procter, B.C.
The reigning Canadian Super Senior champion won this event in 2008 and 2009. In 2018, Little won her sixth B.C. Senior Women’s Championship. She was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame in 2017 and played the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur Championship for the third time in 2018.

Judith Kyrinis, Thornhill, Ont.
The 2016 Canadian Mid-Senior champion finished in fourth place at last year’s event. Kyrinis played both the Ontario Women’s Match Play and the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship in 2019, finishing in a tie for fifth and a tie for 19th, respectively.

FAST FACTS

Six Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members have won the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship; Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Alison Murdoch, Marilyn O’Connor, Margaret Todd and Mary Ann Hayward.

Streit (1985, 1987-88, 1993), Borthwick (1994-1995, 1999-2000) and Murdoch (2002, 2004-05, 2007) are tied for the most Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories with four each.

Nancy Fitzgerald has the most consecutive Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories – winning three straight titles from 1996-1998.

To date, Australian Sue Wooster is the only non-North American winner of the event.

The champion receives an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from Aug. 24-29.

HAMMOND PLAINS, N.S. – A final round of 1-under-par 69 from William Buhl was enough for the Fairhope, Ala., native to capture the 115th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship held at Glen Arbour Golf Course in Hammond Plains, N.S.

Buhl, who was born in Oslo, Norway, was bogey-free during the final round. His final putt of the competition on the par-4 18th hole was his lone birdie on the day, capping four consecutive rounds in the 60s.

The 22-year-old carried a five-stroke lead into Thursday’s final round, finishing the tournament at 9-under-par 273, eight strokes clear of his closest competitors.

“It probably looks boring on the scorecard, but I had to grind a little bit for those pars,” said Buhl. “I had three or four eight-to-ten footers for par. It felt great to finish off with a birdie like that, especially in front of the crowd.”

Buhl, a member of the University of Arkansas golf team, is the second Norwegian to play the Canadian Men’s Amateur in the competition’s 115-year history. With the victory, he is the first Norwegian to win a tournament on Canadian soil since Suzann Pettersen won the (now defunct) 2015 Manulife LPGA Classic as well as the 2009 CP Women’s Open.

With the victory, Buhl earns an exemption into the 2020 RBC Canadian Open, June 8-14, 2020 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club as well as next week’s 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club (No. 2 & 4).

Finishing eight strokes back of Buhl at 1 under were Calvin McCoy (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Luke Kluver (Norfolk, Neb.). McCoy ascended the leaderboard Thursday with three consecutive birdies on holes No. 2 through No. 4, while Kluver, who entered the final round alone in second, five shots back of Buhl, carded 2-over 72 for a share of runner-up honours.

Sam Meek of Peterborough, Ont., finished as the low Canadian. The 2016 Canadian Junior Boys champion’s final round of 2-under 68 moved him to even-par for the tournament, good for a share of fourth.

Jacob Eklund (Carbondale, Ill.) and Julien Sale, a Gatineau, Que., resident representing France, finished tied with Meek following matching rounds of 2-over 72 on Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Team Ontario captured the inter-provincial title to win their first Willingdon Cup since 2014. Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) and Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) helped Ontario to a 10 over par score and a six-stroke win – their 32nd victory all-time.

Glen Arbour Golf Course played host to the 115th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship alongside The Links at Brunello, who co-hosted the 264-player field during the first 36 holes.

Golf Canada has also confirmed that the 2020 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be conducted in Calgary, Alta. at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club (on both the Forest and Meadow Courses) August 3-6, 2020.

Click here for full results.