Con t en t s M AR 2017 6
Top Image: Golf Canada President Roland A. Deveau
Baumgartner From 'The Office' 32
Our Top Three Masters Tattoos
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Inside This Issue
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Video: Not A Swing Tip... Just A Life Tip. Love Your Kids
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USGA Boss Hopes To Change More Than Golf ?s Rules
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BC?s Jared du Toit Nominated For Byron Nelson Award
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Adam Hadwin Update
Proud Parents "Nervous Wrecks" As Son Adam Secures First PGA TOUR Win
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Jamie Sadlowski Does Trick Shots With Dude Perfect
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British Columbia Golf Board of Directors Praised For Diversity
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Ziemer 's BC Golf News and Notes
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Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Opens Volunteer Registration & Pre-Sale Tickets
AGM Sees Nova Scotia's Deveau Elected To Serve Second Term With Two BC'ers Also On The Board
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Q&A With Adam Hadwin
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Golf Canada Releases Annual Report And 2017 Strategic Plan
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Parting Shot: Snowman Building Contest
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Bill Klein And George McLeod Both Honoured With Volunteer Of The Year Award Celebrities In Golf Carts - Brian
British Columbia Golf
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THE
IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF
TOPIMAGE
LOOK I NG ON (L-R)A RE SYM POSI UM M ODERA TOR BOB WEEK S, ONE OF THE FI RST NA TI ON REPRESENTA TI V ES WHO OPENED THE EV ENTS WI TH A CEREM ONI A L DA NCE, M USQUEA M FI RST NA TI ON CHI EF WA YNE SPA RROW A ND BRI TI SH COLUM BI A GOLF PRESI DENT PA TRI CK K ELLY
Gol f Canada Presi dent Rol and A . Dev eau Addressing At t endees At The St art of The 2017 USGA Golf Innovat ion Sym posium In Vancouver
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FROMTHE
BY BRYAN OUTRAM
EDITOR'SDESK In si de Th i s Issue Spring is finally ?officially?here and we?re optimistic that everyone will be out on the course in decent conditions from now until late fall. As part of the kickoff to a new golf season the USGA held a unique and very informative ?Golf Innovation Symposium?in Vancouver attended by a most impressive list of top golf officials from around North America. We have wrap-up stories on that gathering on page 36 and page 51. Of course spring is also synonymous with The Masters and this year will see three Canadians in the field including recent PGA TOUR winner Adam Hadwin whose victory at the
Valspar Championship in Florida gained him entry to play at Augusta alongside 2003 champion Mike Weir and fellow 2016/17 Tour winner Mackenzie Hughes. Hadwin?s victory captured all of Canada?s attention and British Columbia Golf ?s Brad Ziemer has that story HERE. Along with Hadwin?s success, Kimberley, BC?s Jared du Toit continues to perform at a high level in captaining his Arizona State Sun Devils to impressive finishes in the NCAA. Included in those performances was du Toit?s first win for ASU. That among other great results has led to du Toit being nominated for the prestigious Byron Nelson award and you can read about that on page 12. All that, some entertaining trick shot videos, and a special piece on some very unusually dedicated Masters fans can be found in this month?s edition of the Scorecard.
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VIDEOC LIP
IMAGE COURTESY PGA TOUR
V i deo: Not A Sw i ng Ti p... Just A Li f e Ti p. Lov e Your K i ds
Sometimes life just needs to get in they way. Like when Henrik Stenson's young daughter ran out to give her Dad a hug during the Valspar Championship. Perfect.
12 by Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada
CANADA'S
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
TOPAMATEUR
BC?s Jared du Toi t Nomi nated For Byron Nel son A w ard
FROMTHE
PGATOUR
Seven Byron Nelson Award nominees have been announced including Canadians Jar ed du Toit and Joey Savoie. The award is given to the graduating senior who excels in golf, the classroom, and the community.
Du Toit is currently Canada?s top-ranked athlete on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at # 14. Du Toit, a Team Canada Amateur Squad member, is having a banner year in his outgoing campaign with the Arizona State Sun Devils. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
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Down the stretch, du The Kimberley, B.C., product Toit, a Kimberley, B.C., notched a victory in February, product, is on a hot helping him earn the nod as streak with a victory, a the Pac-12 Conference Golfer T1 (playoff loss), T11 of the Month. and now T3 in his last Du Toit is currently Canada?s four collegiate events top-ranked athlete on the with the Sun Devils. Wor ld Am at eu r Golf Ran k in gs (WAGR) at #14.
and now T3 in his last four collegiate events with the Sun Down the stretch, du Toit, a Devils. The award recipient is Kimberley, B.C., product, is on typically announced about a a hot streak which includes a month after the victory, a T1 (playoff loss), T11 nominees are selected.
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CANADIANGOLFERS
AROUNDTHEWORLD
Adam Hadw i n Recent Resul ts
Adam's last month and year 6 $313,200 has been highlighted by a win at the Valspar after a 2nd 1 $1,134,000 place finish at the CareerBuilder 's that included T34 $36,120 being the first Canadian ever T39 $26,640 to post a score of 59
Arnold Palmer Invitational Valspar Championship Genesis Open AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
# Of Ev ents Pl ayed
Trendi ng Stats
A nd Fi ni sh es 4 Most Recent
Cal Year To Date
Events
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7
Wins
1
1
Top Tens
2
3
Cuts Made
4
7
Cuts Missed
0
Current Scori ng A v erage
69.79
Hot Stat
1-Putt %
Click HERE To See Adam 's PGA St at s
Past Four Weeks
Previous 4 Weeks
Change
Percent Of Holes Under Par
21.9%
24.3%
-2.4%
Percent of Holes Over Par
9.4%
10.1%
-0.69%
Rank i ngs
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15th
44.7%
Click HERE To See Adam 's OWGR
Current
30 Days Ago
Change
Official World Ranking
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106
+62
Fedex Cup Ranking
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12
+8
1st
Li nk s
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Jam ie Sadlow sk i Does Tr ick Sh ot s Wit h Du de Per f ect
Wh o Doesn't Li k e Watch i ng A Row Of Guys Try To Catch A M arsh mal l ow Fi red A t Th em Of f Th e Face Of A Dri v er Wi el ded By Tw o-Ti me Worl d Long Dri v e Ch ampi on, Canadi an Jami e Sadl ow sk i ? The crew from Dude Perfect employ the skills of Alberta's Jamie Sadlowski for a very cool trick shot video that includes the exploding of defenseless fruit, superhero toys and other objects obliterated by Sadlowski as well as showing his ability to
be amazingly accurate with the driver sinking a 132-foot putt and dropping a ball into a kiddie pool 250 yards away. There's a host of other entertaining stunts here too, so click on the video below and enjoy.
18 BY BRAD ZIEMER
Back To Sch ool ANDNOTES For Wh eel don an d Won g
Tw o Bri ti sh Col umb i ans w h o are past w i nners on th e M ack enzi e Tour-PGA Tour Canada ci rcui t w i l l b e back at q ual i f yi ng sch ool l ater th i s spri ng tryi ng to regai n th ei r pl ayi ng pri v i l eges.
IMAGES COURTESY PGA TOUR CANADA
BCGOLFNEWS
Riley Wh eeldon of Comox and North Vancouver ?s Eu gen e Won g have both entered the tour ?s qualifying school at Cr ow n Isle Resor t in Courtenay. That 72-hole event, the last of five M ack en zie Tou r Q sch ools this spring, goes May 2-5. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Wheeldon and Wong are both former B.C. Junior champions. Wheeldon won the 2013 Syn cr u de Bor eal Open in Fort McMurray. That helped him finish second on the Mackenzie Tour money list that year, earning promotion to the Web.com Tour. Wheeldon failed to capitalize on that promotion and was forced to return to the Mackenzie Tour. Players must finish in the top 60 to keep their playing privileges for the following year and Wheeldon finished 67th in 2016. Wong, who had a stellar collegiate career at the University of Oregon, played only three events on the Mackenzie Tour last year and finished
157th on the money list. He won twice on the Mackenzie Tour in 2012 and has played most of his golf in recent years on the PGA Tou r Ch in a circuit. CHASING A DREAM : Wheeldon is one of several British Columbians who has been playing this winter on the Dr eam ch aser s Pr o Golf Tou r in Phoenix. He shot 22-under to win that tour ?s Legacy Championship in mid-February by six shots over Vancouver ?s Ryan William s (shown below).
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IMAGE COURTESY twitter.com/JOXSportsS
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The next week, Williams won the tour ?s Lon gbow M ajor . Williams shot an 11-under 60 in that 54-event and finished at 18-under par. He earned $6,400 and currently leads the tour ?s money list with just over $12,000. Two other British Columbians are in the top 10. West Vancouver ?s Sean n Har lin gt en is second and Wheeldon is sixth. HADWIN HOT: Abbotsford?s Adam Hadwin followed up his win a the Valspar Ch am pion sh ip with a sixth-place finish at the Ar n old Palm er In vit at ion al in Orlando. Although he is eligible for this week?s Wor ld Golf Ch am pion sh ip-Dell Tech n ologies M at ch Play in Austin, Tex., Hadwin will skip the big-money event. He?s got something more important to
take care of. Hadwin will marry f ian cee Jessica Kippen ber ger on Friday in Scottsdale, Ariz. The $313,200 Hadwin earned at the Arnold Palmer Invitational pushed him past the $5-million mark in career earnings. Hadwin?s recent fine play has sent him zooming up the Of f icial Wor ld Golf Ran k in g. After beginning 2017 ranked 191st in the world, Hadwin now stands 44th. He is now in 10th place in standings for CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY ADAM HADWIN / FACEBOOK
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the International team for this fall?s Pr esiden t s Cu p. Hadwin?s next appearance will come April 6-9 when he plays in his f ir st M ast er s t ou r n ey at Augusta National. He will join fellow Canadians M ack en zie Hu gh es and 2003 Masters champion M ik e Weir in the field. TUBB THIRD AT WORLDS:
teaching pro at Un iver sit y Golf Clu b in Vancouver, finished third at the Gr ey Goose Wor ld Par 3 Ch am pion sh ip this past weekend at Tu r t le Bay Golf Clu b in Bermuda. Tubb finished the 36-hole event at three-under par, two shots behind winner Chris Ward of the United States. Tubb earned $6,200. M ar k Kit t s (below left) ,an associate pro
Oliver Tu bb ( below right), a
IMAGE COURTESY PGA OF CANADA
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at Qu ilch en a Golf Clu b in Richmond, tied for eighth place at even-par and took home $3,250 after shooting a course-record 50 on the final day. DEVIL OF A TIM E: Kimberley?s Jar ed du Toit , who is putting the finishing touches on his collegiate golf career at Ar izon a St at e Un iver sit y, continues to climb the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Du Toit finished fifth this past weekend at the ASU Th u n der bir d In vit at ion al and now stands 14th in the world. Du Toit has had a terrific spring season for the Sun Devils, who captured their first team title of the year at the ASU Invitational. Du Toit won last month?s Th e Pr est ige t ou r n ey in La Quinta, Calif., and has followed that up by finishing tied for 11th, tied for
third and fifth in his last three outings. Du Toit, a former B.C. Am champion who is also Canada?s top-ranked amateur, plans to turn pro after graduating this spring from AZ State with a marketing degree. THE TRADITION CONTINUES:
The Tradition Golf Classic, the annual fund-raising tournament for the B.C. Golf M u seu m , has lined up a terrific venue for this spring?s tournament. It goes Monday, May 29 at Sh au gh n essy Golf & Cou n t r y Clu b in Vancouver and will be a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Entry is $250 which CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY RBC CANADIAN OPEN
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includes a reception and banquet after your round. If you would like to play and support a great cause, visit bcgolfhouse.com or call Mike Riste at 604-222-4653. SCHEDULE SET: The PGA of BC has released its 2017 schedule. Highlights include: the Tournament of Champions, which goes May 29 at Nick lau s Nor t h Golf Clu b in Whistler; the Assistants and Senior Championships, which are
scheduled for June 5-6 at Salm on Ar m Golf Clu b; the Pro-Assistant Championship, which goes July 10-11 at Fair view M ou n t ain Golf Clu b in Oliver; the Pro-Junior Championship, set for July 24 at River sh or e Golf Lin k s in Kamloops; the PGA of BC Championship at Capilan o Golf & Cou n t r y Clu b in West Vancouver on Aug. 24-25; and the Club Professional Championship, which goes Sept. 18-19 at Vict or ia Golf Clu b.
CHIP SHOTS: The owner of Poin t Rober t s Golf Cou r se says he has a new equity partner and promises improvements will be made. ?Everything will be fixed up,? owner Ken je Nose told the All Point Bulletin in Point Roberts. The course conditions, which gets most of its play from British Columbians, have deteriorated in recent years. It is scheduled to reopen in May... Abbotsford?s Nick Taylor , who didn?t get into the field for last week?s Ar n old Palm er In vit at ion al, will play in this week?s Pu er t o Rico Open . Taylor had his best finish of 2016 in Puerto Rico, where he tied for fifth place.
IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / INSIDE GOLF
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FROMTHE
CHAMPIONSTOUR
Paci f i c Li n k s Bear Moun t ai n Ch am pi on sh i p Open s Vol un t eer Regi st r at i on & Pr e-Sal e Ti ck et s V I CTORI A , BC - Paci f i c Li nk s I nternati onal and PGA TOUR Ch ampi ons h av e announced th at th e 2017 Paci f i c Li nk s Bear M ountai n Ch ampi onsh i p i s now accepti ng v ol unteer submi ssi ons.
Th e ev ent w i l l once agai n be h osted at Bear M ountai n Gol f Resort i n V i ctori a, Bri ti sh Col umbi a f rom September 11-17th , sh ow casi ng a f i el d of 78 i nternati onal pl ayers, and a US $ 2.5 mi l l i on purse. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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who was involved.?
More than 600 volunteers The Event was more than just a donated their time and worked golf tournament for volunteers; to make the 2016 Pacific Links it was a symbol of pride in their Bear Mountain Championship a community and being part of a resounding success, with property that showcased their approximately SLI DESHOW OF THE SI GHTS 500 of the FROM THE 2016 TOURNA M ENT volunteers coming directly from Victoria and Langford, many of whom live within the Bear Mountain ? Ecoasis communities. ?The amount of support and involvement that the local community demonstrated was truly remarkable,? said Rudy Anderson, President of Pacific Links International. ?With such a large-scale event as the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship, volunteers are the beating heart at the centre of the tournament that makes it run seamlessly. We could not have done it without everyone
home city and province on the global stage that is PGA TOUR Champions and the Golf Channel. Volunteers were also personally thanked by 2016 Champion Colin Montgomerie and received a visit from runner-up Scott McCarron during the Volunteer Appreciation party after the final round on Sunday. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGES CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / INSIDE GOLF
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VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
of high quality Official Pacific Links Championship outerwear piece of high quality Official Pacific Links Championship golf cap or visor
IMAGES CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / INSIDE GOLF
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Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to be COLI N A ND SCOTT'S DUEL OV ER considered for a THE FI NA L FEW HOLES I N 2016 volunteer position at the tournament. Each volunteer must commit to a minimum of 3 days during Event week and shift lengths vary (at least 6 hours per shift) between committees. Souvenir program Complimentary All volunteers are required to parking Continental breakfast and purchase the Volunteer Package lunch provided, on a voucher for $49, which covers a portion of system, on days volunteered the cost of the volunteer uniforms, Invitation to the Volunteer daily volunteer food and beverage, Appreciation Party hosted after the and enables the tournament to conclusion of play on Sunday The contribute to local charities in the Pacific Links Bear Mountain community. The volunteer package Championship team of volunteers includes: consist of avid golfers, fans of the game and people looking for a fun Volunteer Credential allowing access to the tournament grounds and exciting experience. To register from Wednesday to Sunday Two (2) as a volunteer simply visit the recently resigned tournament transferable Any-One-Day Tickets allowing access to the grounds on website at w w w.pacif iclin k sch am pion sh ip.com any one day Official Pacific Links Championship Volunteer Golf Shirt and click on the ?Volunteer Tab?.
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NEWSFROM
VIA GOLF CANADA
GOLFCANADA
IMAGES COURTESY GOLF CANADA
Bi l l Kl ei n An d Geor ge McLeod Bot h Hon our ed Wi t h Vol un t eer Of Th e Year Aw ar d
Bill Klein of Par k sville, B.C. (left) and George McLeod of Brandon, Man. were recognized as Golf Canada?s 2016 co-recipients of the Volunteer of the Year. This marks the 11th year in which the association has honoured
volunteers for their efforts and commitment to grow the game in their community. Click h er e for more on Volunteer of the Year honourees Bill Klein and George McLeod.
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VIDEOC LIPS
Cel ebr i t i es In Gol f Car t s - Br i an Baum gar t n er Fr om 'Th e Of f i ce'
He plays Kevin on ?The Office,? but actor Brian Baumgartner is a pretty fair golfer as well. He saves his best shot in this video, however, for a game of ?beer pong?at the end of the round.
IMAGE COURTESY SGA - SOUTHERN CALIFORMIA GOLF ASSOCITION
COURTESY SGA
BY Jeff Sutherland
TOPTHREE
Our Top Th r ee Mast er s Tat t oos We recently came across this survey question on
rock b ottomgol f 's Pi nterest f eed
What were45%of RespondentsThinking? This, of course, led to an immediate Google search for Masters related tattoos and we were not disappointed. There are clearly people for whom golf 's most iconic tournament is, and forever will be, a guaranteed life-long obsession and commitment.
IMAGE COURTESY ROCKBOTTOMGOLF.COM
THISMONTH'S
that showed that 55% of - what we assume / hope - golfers would be willing to get a Masters Our selection of the top three logo tattooed on their who definitely should get an body if it meant free invitation to Augusta follows... entry to the tournament CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE for life.
IMAGE COURTESY @GCMORNINGDRIVE
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#3 Si mpl e A nd To Th e Poi nt
IMAGE COURTESY TWITTER.COM/STEELYONSPORTS
Only visible when wearing shorts, this simple but well executed Masters logo makes a clear and subtle commitment to the tournament.
#2 Si ze M atters Mike Steely, a sports radio station host in Oklahoma got this fairly large Masters logo tattoo in 2014. Steely said in a series of tweets "#yessir!!! ... It's real and it's spectacular." CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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#1 Th e Ful l M onty
IMAGE COURTESY ROCKBOTTOMGOLF.COM
There really was no competition for first place. This knee to ankle homage to Augusta?s iconic 12th should earn this unknown (l)inkster a pass every April for the rest of his life.
IMAGE COURTESY (USGA/STEVEN GIBBONS)
36 BY BRAD ZIEMER
THECOVER
STORY
USGA Ch i ef Ex ecuti v e Of f i cer M i k e Dav i s Del i v ers Cl osi ng A ddress 'I magi ni ng Th e Future' A t Th e Concl usi on Of Th e 2017 North A meri can Gol f I nnov ati on Symposi um I n V ancouv er
USGA Boss Hopes To Ch an ge Mor e Th an Gol f ?s Rul es Var iable-dist an ce golf balls, cou r ses t h at ar e m or e br ow n t h an gr een , h ar d an d f ast f air w ays, slow er gr een s an d balls w it h ch ips em bedded in t h em t h at you w ill alw ays be able t o f in d. Those are just some of the things Mike Davis, executive director of the United States Golf Association, sees in golf ?s future. Change and innovation may not be words that spring to mind when thinking about the game of golf, but the USGA seems intent on altering that perception. Just days after co-releasing CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Davis?s speech succinctly wrapped significant proposed rule changes up two days of lively discussion. He spent much of his address with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the USGA visited Vancouver talking about what he saw in golf ?s future and it might not be what for a North American Golf many would imagine. ?It is not just Innovation Symposium. The two-day gathering featured panel growing the game, it?s about making sure we grow the game discussions and presentations on "If we are stagnant into something that is very welcoming and a variety of the game is not enjoyable,? Davis said. topics, including
really going to the future of And sustainable. thrive, it may just Davis warned that the course maintenance, survive.? modern-day look of golfer experience golf courses -- with and the challenges facing the dark green, closely cut fairways industry. and perfectly manicured, speedy There are, of course, plenty of those. ?We want to make sure golfers have a good experience, we want to make sure golf facilities are sustainable and we want to make sure we respect the traditions of this wonderful game we all love,? Davis said in a 20-minute address that concluded the symposium.
putting surfaces -- may have to go the way of persimmon woods as water becomes more of a precious resource.
?What is wrong with a little tinge of brown in the grass?? Davis asked. ?What is wrong with a course where the balls bounce? A bouncier golf course, folks, is a far more interesting and strategic golf ?But at the same time, we realize if course and is not just for the elite player. For the average golfer, the we are stagnant the game is not beginning golfer, when a golf really going to thrive, it may just survive.? CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY (USGA/STEVEN GIBBONS)
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Rol and Dev eau, (L), Presi dent Of Gol f Canada, Joh n Bodenh amer USGA Seni or M anagi ng Di rector A nd Federi co V al dez A dame, Ex ecuti v e Di rector Of Th e M ex i can Gol f Federati on, Duri ng 'I nnov ati on i n Gov ernance' Presentati on A t Th e 2017 North A meri can Gol f I nnov ati on Symposi um
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course is drier and you can get a little bit of extra roll with your driver, you can bounce balls into greens. That makes for a more enjoyable experience.? As he called for a change in the way we think about the game, Davis noted that some of the changes golf has faced over the past century have not exactly been good for the game. ?I have been asked to try and imagine a little bit,? Davis said. ?So just think about this. Imagine golfers changing their perceptions where hard doesn?t necessarily equal good. For the last half-century in North America there has been this mindset that hard CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGES CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / BC GOLF
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One of th e k ey i ntroducti ons w as an app th at can b e used by superi ntendents to v i rtual l y i nstantaneousl y cal cul ate th e cost or sav i ngs associ ated w i th mak i ng course or mai ntenance ch anges... w h eth er i t be th e sav i ngs b y l etti ng some areas near tees not be mai ntai ned to addi ng a new b unk er.
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equals good. What we really need to do is say that an enjoyable golf experience equals good. ?So this notion that continuing to make the golf courses harder, longer, narrower, (with) higher rough, forced carries, lost balls, etc., that probably isn?t going to add to that enjoyable experience.?
Th e i nset i mage sh ow s th e h ypoth eti cal annual sav i ngs f rom not Davis lamented that golf ?s governing mai ntai ni ng th e area bodies have not been able to rein in around one tee box i n dol l ars, l abour and w ater. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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to dictate how playing fields get the distance golf balls now travel. changed. You think about baseball in the United States. If they were He noted that Shinnecock Hills, site of the 2018 U.S. Open, played using titanium bats and a hot baseball they?d go to Fenway Park at about 5,500 yards when it and say move the Green Monster hosted the tournament back in out another 75 or 100 feet. That's 1896. Next year, it's expected to exactly what is happening in the play at 7,500 yards. game of golf. Then you say what ?We all have regrets in life and good has that done.? when I think about some of the That is when things that the ?Anybody is Davis broached USGA has done hard-pressed to say the subject of over the years that as distance has variable-length the one that comes to mind is increased the way it golf balls. And he the whole has the last 100 years seemed dead serious about it. distance issue,? that it has been good ?If I wanted to Davis said. for the game.? play with Dustin ?Anybody is Johnson I?d say, hard-pressed to say that as distance has increased the way it ?here?s an 80 per cent golf ball, I am using a 100 per cent golf ball? has the last 100 years that it has and we are going to play the same been good for the game.? tees.? He argued that no other sport has had to expand its playing field as Davis acknowledged it sounds like much as golf has over the last 50 a radical idea but noted it might years. ?Have other sports allowed bring some golf courses that have their equipment to influence their had their architectural integrity compromised back into play. playing field the way golf has? I don?t think you can find another While on the subject of golf balls, sport that has allowed equipment CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / BC GOLF
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Th e USGA h as al so been conducti ng a si gni f i cant amount of surv ey research and h as f ound a cl ear di f f erence i n percepti on betw een w h at gol f ers v i ew as i mportant and w h at course operators th i nk th at gol f ers v i ew as i mportant. Davis suggested he would also like to make them easier to find. ?Imagine this, golf balls with an internal chip inside of them so you don?t have to look for them any more. Right now, the rules of golf say you can?t have that. But think about it, how many people
do you know who like looking for golf balls? That is an innovation we shouldn?t turn our backs on.? (That groan you hear is from golf ball manufacturers). The symposium was attended by CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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many of the key players in the British Columbia golf industry. ?Quite honestly, I see this as being a watershed movement,? said Kris Jonasson, executive director of British Columbia Golf. ?I've been in the golf industry for quite a while and I have never seen the USGA staff in sweaters before. They're always in a blue coat with a great big logo on the front. Now they're a more relaxed organization. It's clear that the golf industry is moving forward. We are not looking backwards. It is clear we are making changes. It is clear the organizations are working together. ?This was very much a USGA symposium but they went out of their way to include Canada and Mexico. And they went out of their way to find topics that are relevant for all of North America. I see where we are moving towards a future where we work much closer together.?
47 BY BRAD ZIEMER
Pr oud Par en t s "Ner vous ACROSSBC Wr eck s" As Son Adam Secur es Fi r st PGA TOUR Wi n
IMAGE CREDIT KELLY MURRAY
NEWSFROM
Hi s mom coul dn?t WhileSonAdamWasPlayingHisWayTo His1st PGATOURVictory,MomBrenda bear to w atch , (Not Shown) Couldn't Watch,But Dad f i nal l y turni ng on Gerry(Inset) WasGluedToTheTV. th e TV w h en h er Both of them could not be son w as on th e 18th more proud of their son, Adam Hadwin, who on green. Hi s dad Sunday won the Valspar di dn?t mi ss a sh ot. Championship in Florida for CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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?I'mgoingtobeworkingmytail off thenext sevenor eight daystomakesureI haveeverythingunder control hereat work(inorder totravel toAugustato watchAdamcompeteintheMasters).?
Adam'sFather Gerry,whowasjust promotedtodirector of golf at Ledgeview,the AbbotsfordcoursewhereAdamandfellowPGATOURwinner NickTaylor learnedthegame. CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
his first PGA TOUR win. Adam?s mom Brenda spent Sunday nervously pacing the floor of the family?s Abbotsford home. Going back to his amateur days, she just hasn?t been able to watch Adam compete. She says she just finds it too stressful. It?s probably just as well she skipped most of Sunday?s final round, which turned out to be a
roller-coaster ride of sorts when Adam lost his four-shot lead before winning with a clutch up-and-down par on the 18th green. Brenda turned on her TV just in time to see the finish. ?I turned it on at 10 to 3 and they were on the 18th hole and I started shaking,? Brenda said. ?I just cannot watch for five hours.? Brenda had not even been CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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following the scores on-line. So she had no idea where Adam stood when she finally broke down and grabbed the remote. ?I saw he was tied for the lead and saw Patrick (Cantlay) hit it into the bunker. I saw Adam hit it over the green and watched from there on.
Gerry was glued to it. Gerry, the director of golf at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford, didn?t miss a shot. He invited some of Ledgeview?s regulars over to the club and they watched it over beer and pizza. ?I am okay now, it?s over,? a relieved Gerry Hadwin said. ?It was a little exciting.?
?I am extremely proud of him, but I just finished saying to my sister, he has worked so hard for this. He deserves it. He has worked really, really hard. That is what I am most proud of, that he has worked so hard and it finally happened for him.?
Gerry and his pals were hanging on every shot as Adam tried to protect his lead. The biggest roar -- other than the one that followed his tap-in par to clinch the win -- came when Adam drained a 53-foot putt for birdie on the par 3 13th hole.
While Hadwin?s mom was avoiding the TV, his dad
?It went absolutely nuts,? Gerry said. ?It?s funny, because I had just called it, believe it or not. I said, ?you know what boys, this is going in.?For some reason he is just like that and sure enough it
?It?s funny, because I had just called it, believe it or not. I said, ?you know what boys, this is going in.?
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went into the hole.? Gerry joked that he was a nervous wreck by the time the round was over. He kept sneaking outside to sneak drags on a cigarette to calm his nerves. ?Not being there, I was so nervous,? Gerry said. ?Everybody was joking about how much I was smoking. I was in and out, in and out. I didn?t want to miss any of his shots, so I only smoked half of every cigarette.? Like so many others, Gerry knew that his son was going to win sooner rather than later on the PGA TOUR. And he is also confident that this will not be his last win. ?They kind of know who he is out there now,? Gerry said. ?You don?t shoot 29 three times and 59 and now win a golf tournament being lucky. He is not a one-hit wonder.?
Adam?s win makes a busy time in the Hadwin household even busier. Gerry and Brenda have been preparing to head south in about a week?s time for Adam?s March 24th wedding in Scottsdale. Ariz. Now, one or both of them will also be heading to Augusta, Ga., in early April for The Masters. ?I'm going to be working my tail off the next seven or eight days to make sure I have everything under control here at work,? said Gerry, who was just promoted to director of golf at Ledgeview, the Abbotsford course where Adam and fellow PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor learned the game. Brenda?s not sure yet if she?ll go to Augusta. ?We have this dog,? she said with a laugh. And besides, she?s not sure she?d be able to watch.
36 BY BRAD ZIEMER
THECOVER
IMAGE CREDIT JEFF SUTHERLAND / BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF
STORY
Th e board of di rectors of Bri ti sh Col umbi a Gol f w as h el d up as a sh i ni ng ex ampl e of i ncl usi on at th e Uni ted States Gol f A ssoci ati on?s North A meri can Gol f I nnov ati on Symposi um i n V ancouv er. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
?What makes the organization unique and quite frankly unique in golf, as well as unique generally in business, is the nature of inclusion that exists on the board of directors,? the USGA?s Steve Schloss told the symposium at the Marriott Pinnacle hotel.
?Every organization around the world is asking themselves the same question: how inclusive is our board, how effective is the board serving its customers, serving the members, and in this case you have an organization that has far exceeded what most CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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boards do. They have become consciously aware of how to be inclusive to serve their particular marketplace.?
representative of B.C?s diverse golfing population.
?We started to look around and we looked at a lot of the demographic data . . . and we said, you know what, when we British Columbia Golf executive show the population of British director Kris Jonasson and four Columbia who the members of the "... we want to board of the golf 12-member board of directors increase the size of association is, it the board to 12, we doesn?t look like -- Patrick Kelly, Helen Jung, want to use those the same people Jasvinder three additional spots that are out on our golf courses. We Dhaliwal and to make sure we are needed to change Michelle Collens -more reflective of that. participated in a 45-minute session entitled Driving Innovation through Inclusion.
who actually plays golf. That?s how we got to where we are today.?
?We recognized that we couldn?t do it in a reasonable period of time with only nine people on the board so we said to the Jonasson told the audience that in nominating committee at British recent years British Columbia Golf Columbia Golf, we want to increase the size of the board to had cut the size of its board to nine from 50 when the men?s and 12, we want to use those three ladies provincial golf associations additional spots to make sure we amalgamated in 2004. Two years are more reflective of who actually plays golf. That?s how we got to ago, he asked the board to where we are today.? approve adding three more members to help make it more CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Bri ti sh Col umb i a Gol f Ex ecuti v e Di rector K ri s Jonasson (Far Ri gh t) A nd Four M embers Of Th e 12-M emb er Board Of Di rectors Parti ci pated I n A 45-M i nute Sessi on Enti tl ed 'Dri v i ng I nnov ati on Th rough I ncl usi on' (L-R) Patri ck K el l y, Hel en Jung, Jasv i nder Dh al i w al and M i ch el l e Col l ens ) CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
club?s junior program.
About three years ago, Kelly was informed by a fellow Gorge Vale member about some problems the course was having on weekends. The course borders one of the communities of the Songhees First Nation and on Friday and Saturday nights, some Kelly, who also serves as of the band?s young people were president of British Columbia hopping the fence and doing Golf, drew applause when he some partying on one of the spoke about how the membership at his course, Gorge greens. Kelly was asked if he could speak Vale Golf Club in Victoria, got to the band?s elders and he did a youngsters from a nearby First Nations reserve involved in the Jung, who is of Korean descent, is director of golf at Belmont Golf Course in Langley. She said her background helps her at a club that gets a tremendous amount of play from Metro Vancouver ?s growing Korean population.
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IMAGE CREDIT JSTEVEN GIBBONS COURTESY USGA
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members.
lot more than that. With the blessing of Gorge Vale?s membership, he asked the band?s elders if they would be interested in having some of their young people join the club as junior
?They had never been asked before in all the 77 years up to that point and the reaction was very positive,? Kelly said. ?We now have 15 First Nations juniors involved in our junior program and they are integrated with everybody else. All the members play with them, help them understand the game and we all provide whatever we can to help them out. "The other interesting thing about that is the issues on that hole, ever since we took this initiative, have totally disappeared. It?s great.?
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NEWSFROMG OLFCANADA
VIA GOLF CANADA
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
AGM Sees Nova Scot i a's Deveau El ect ed To Ser ve Secon d Ter m Wi t h Tw o BC'er s Al so On Th e Boar d
Golf Canada?s 2017 AGM culminated Feb 25th with Roland A. Deveau of Bedford, N.S., elected to serve a 2nd term as the National Sport Federation?s President.
Deveau?s election to serve a second term is historic as he joins Alfred Collyer (1930-31), F.A. Rolph (1915-1919), A.W. Austin (1907 & 1910) and Col. George A. Sweeney (1898, 1901 & 1909) as only the fifth CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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President to serve multiple or consecutive terms since the association?s formation in 1895. Deveau will lead a Board of Directors that includes Calgary?s Leslie Dunning as first vice-president and Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que., as second vice-president. Other Board members include Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont., Dale Jack son of Vict or ia, B.C., Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg, Man., Don MacKay of Bracebridge, Ont., and Allison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B., as well as past president Paul McLean of King, Ont. and new Directors Tom Sears of Port Hope, Ont. and David At k in son of Van cou ver , B.C.
Dale Jackson and David Atkinson Are Also Now Both Directors For Golf Canada ?I am humbled to accept the nomination to serve a second term as the President of this great organization,? said Deveau. ?I do so recognizing that it is a privilege to represent a membership of more than 307,000 golfers at 1,400 member clubs and an honour to work with our provincial, national and international association partners for the betterment of this great sport.?
NEWSFROM
THEPGATOUR Q&A Wi t h Adam Hadw i n A dam Hadw i n became th e 14th Canadi an to w i n on th e PGA TOUR tw o w eek s ago at th e V al spar Ch ampi onsh i p. Here are the top five Q&A's from his interviews after the final round Q. Sum up what this means, picking up for you your first title on the PGA TOUR. ADAM HADWIN: It was incredible.
"I really was so patient and just so focused on hitting good quality golf shots, and you know, I had the lead. He had to come get me."
You know, I was a bit in cruise control kind of all day, felt really good. Hit a lot of good shots. Obviously Patrick was playing well and put a lot of pressure on me and I just kind of kept doing my thing and kind of one bad swing and it was a whole new ballgame there walking down 16. You know, I didn't think that I could go par, par and win the last two, but I hit some great shots. You know, I'm standing here the champion at the end of it. Q. ? was there any time during the back nine that your lead is dwindling that you thought this might not be your time? ADAM HADWIN: No. It never dawned on me that this would be CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
IMAGE COURTESY VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIIP
VIA ASAP TRANSCRIPTS
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my time or that it wouldn't be my time. There was no looking ahead. I really was so patient and just so focused on hitting good quality golf shots, and you know, I had the lead. He had to come get me. So whether it's one, two or four; he kept coming and he kept making some putts. At that point, I don't want to say that it was just about outlasting him, but it was -- the focus was just hitting quality golf shots and putting the pressure on him. Not letting him back in the tournament by doing silly things, and then I went ahead and hit in the water on 16. You know, I had to quickly refocus. After dropping, I didn't have the easiest of third shots going up through there. You know, who knows what could happen. I did a really good job of
"I did a really good job of getting back into a good mind-set, and it helped me to sit here with you all today."
getting back into a good mind-set, and it helped me to sit here with you all today. Q. I guess the honeymoon is on hold. What does it mean now to be going to your first Masters, as well? ADAM HADWIN: I don't know, I'm pretty much speechless at this point. I don't think -- you know, I said when I shot 59, it was probably going to take a few weeks to settle in, and really kind of soak in what I did, and I think the same goes for this. It's just such a whirlwind of emotions. You're on the golf course and you're focusing so hard, the next shot, the next shot, the next shot. And when it's finally over and you're holding the trophy, you're not sure what to think at this point. Your mind is almost going, 'I have to play well tomorrow,' and there is no tomorrow at this point. But at the same time, I'm going to enjoy it, but I've got another tournament next week and I'm looking forward to the challenges that Bay Hill is going to bring. Hopefully jumping into contention again, and you know I'd love to say I get to sit back CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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and relish a little bit the week of my wedding, but I think I'll be more focused on that that week. I think it will truly hit me when I first make that first drive down Magnolia Lane and that that is actually happening. Q. ? talk about winning a tournament there with so many Canadians around. ADAM HADWIN: It's pretty incredible that I am part of a very special group on TOUR, being Canadian. You know, it's been a while since we've had such success on TOUR as a group. Nick came out and won in 2014, Matt won in the
"I said that they kind of pulled me through that entire round on Sunday. You know, again today, just a ton of Canadian flags all over the place. It's really a win for the country, not just myself."
fall; Graham has had success; myself; David; Brad Fritsch is out on TOUR, as well, right now. To be part of such a group and the support that we get sort of nationwide, everywhere that we go is pretty incredible. You know, I felt it the last few years of the Career Builder, and I said that they kind of pulled me through that entire round on Sunday. You know, again today, just a ton of Canadian flags all over the place. It's really a win for the country, not just myself. Q. I think you were building to this; the success you had in the desert and the way you hit the golf ball this week. But now fourth in the FedExCup points, Masters, Presidents Cup points, kind of a surreal moment. ADAM HADWIN: This is incredible. I'm keeping it in pretty good right now. I don't know how well I'm going to hold it together much longer, but this is pretty cool. I hope to have this a lot more often, I know that.
Click HERE For Fu ll In t er view
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NEWSFROM
VIA GOLF CANADA
GOLFCANADA
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
Gol f Can ada Rel eases An n ual Repor t An d 2017 St r at egi c Pl an
In addition to appointing its new president and members to the Board of Directors, this past February in Toronto, the
association also presented details of its strategic plan and gathered with stakeholders from the provincial golf CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Click here for Golf Canada?s 2017 Strategic Plan, outlining the key activities that Golf Canada is focused on as the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf in the country.
Click here to read Golf Canada?s 2016 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the association?s 2016 Financial Statements.
IMAGE COURTESY GOLF CANADA
associations as well as national and international association partners including the R&A and USGA. The AGM also celebrated accomplishments from the previous year, including a tribute to former CEO Scott Simmons.
THE
PARTINGSHOT Nei th er snow nor rai n nor th e ch al l enge of a snow man bui l di ng contest sh al l k eep th ese young tal ented gol f ers f rom th e compl eti on of th ei r appoi nted rounds. A Team BC Summer Games golf development camp was held at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club from March 4-5th in some rather difficult weather conditions, but players, coaches and a dedicated photographer fought through the cold and wet and snow to get their work done. From L-R: Hannah Lee, Alisha Lau, Frosty, Frosty jr., Euna Han and Mary Parsons, pose after a 'Team Building' exercise.