Con t en t s APRIL '17 6
Top Image: Golf Ball 150
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Inside This Issue
Macdonald Status On Mackenzie Tour
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Celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday!
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'Poor Putting' Doesn't Keep Jackie Little Out Of PNGA Hall Of Fame
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Get Out And Golf Day Teed Up For Sunday May 28th
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Golf 's Newest On Course Stats Analyzer
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BC's Macdonald & Rowe Capture Peruvian Amateur Titles
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BC's Jared du Toit And Ben Hogan Award Semi-Finalist
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Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada 2017 Schedule To Feature 12 Events Coast To Coast
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Crown Isle Proving To Be "The Perfect Venue" For Q-School
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Gudz Wins Humber College PGM Western Junior Championship
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Team BC Seeks Female Golf Athletes For 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG)
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British Columbia Golf Announces 2017 PNGA Cup Team
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The Parting Shot: Tourism Investment To Help Bring Golf Tournaments Back To British Columbia
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John Buchanan Classic Tees Off
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Trophy Design Contest Winner
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Forward Thinking On the Tee
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Matt Cella To Coach British Columbia's Golf Teams At Canada Summer Games In Winnipeg
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Freedom 55 Financial Open At Point Grey GC Looking For Volunteers
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Clutch Finish At Q-School Secures Vancouver 's Stuart
British Columbia Golf
Staff
#116-7198 Vantage Way, Delta, BC V4G 1K7 Telephone: 604.279.2580 Toll Free: 1.888.833.2242
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THETOPIM AGE
Help celebrate Canada's 150t h Bir t h day by being one of 150,000 people taking part in 1.5 m illion " Golf Act ivit ies" this summer! Click the link, enter your email, then click on Bronze - Free. Once your registration is complete, select the '150th Birthday Celebration' from the dropdown menu.
Alr eady a m em ber of Br it ish Colu m bia Golf / Golf Can ada? You ar e au t om at ically r egist er ed, r ecor d act ivit ies t h r ou gh t h e
Golf Can ada Scor e Cen t r e. Starting on May 28th you can Register HERE
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FROMTHE
BY BRYAN OUTRAM
EDITOR'SDESK
In si de Th i s Issue
by checking out this issue's Top Image on page 6.
As we celebrate this country?s 150th Birthday, Golf Canada has designated May 28th as Get Ou t An d Golf Day for Canada. See Page 13 for details
This summer will also see the Can ada Su m m er Gam es take place in Winnipeg and with British Columbia having swept the individual and team competitions in the last two Canada Summer Games where golf was contested, newly appointed head coach M at t Cella has his work cut out for him, as you can read in Brad Ziemer ?s story on page 36.
British Columbia Golf is using that same date as the launch for an even larger celebratory undertaking.
We also have news on the Nor t h Am er ican In digen ou s Gam es golf team looking for players to represent Team BC on page 32...
BC's Golf Association is urging BC'ers to participate in Any Activity Related To Golf and help celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday by being one of the estimated 150,000 people t ak in g par t in 1.5 m illion " Golf Act ivit ies" in 150 days t h is su m m er !
Coverage of two local golf ?legends?- Jack ie Lit t le, heading for the PNGA Golf Hall of Fame (page 29), and...
You can find all about how you can be a part of this terrific celebration on page 10 as well as
The SFU Clan golf program renaming its annual tournament the Joh n Bu ch an an Classic (page 30) in honour of their longtime coach who sadly passed away in January of this year. All that and more are in this month's issue of the Scorecard.
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Cel ebr at e Can ada's 150t h Bi r t h day ! Have A Ball For Can ada?s from coast-to-coast all year 150t h Bir t h day Celebr at ion - long, the Canadian golf Get Ou t An d Play industry has partnered with ParticipACTION in designating As Canada gets set to Sunday, May 28 as Get Out celebrate its 150th Birthday, and Golf Day. golf associations across the country are joining in the festivities inviting golfers of all ages, abilities and involvement levels to help celebrate the country?s 150th by taking part in virtually any activity related to golf. With Canada 150 celebrations happening in communities
The ParticipACTION 150 Playlist? introduced this year in honour of Canada 150? invites Canadians to participate in 150 activities throughout 2017 to celebrate Canada?s 150th CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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taken through the simple process by going to birthday. As part of Get Out www.britishcolumbiand Golf Day, avid players and agolf.org/birthday, the Regisnew enthusiasts are ter link is at the bottom of the encouraged to participate in a page. round of golf (No.14 on the It doesn't m at t er w h et h er Play List), learn more about you ... the sport or take part in golf - play just three holes, related activities at golf - hit the driving range, facilities in their community. - take a lesson or That date also signals the - putt through a windmill at a official start of British mini-golf course Columbia Golf ?s 150-day ?Any t h ey all cou n t . and Every Golf Activity? celebration event. Anyone Click the link below, enter your who is already a member of email, then click on Bronze British Columbia Golf/Golf Free. Once your registration is Canada can merely go online complete, select the '150th to their existing account and Birthday Celebration' from the easily register their dropdown menu. activity/round of golf etc., to Alr eady a m em ber of Br it ish help British Columbia Golf Colu m bia Golf / Golf Can ada? reach its goal of having You ar e au t om at ically 150,000 Br it ish Colu m bian s r egist er ed, r ecor d act ivit ies t ak in g par t in 1.5 m illion t h r ou gh t h e Golf Can ada golf act ivit ies in 150 days! Scor e Cen t r e. CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
There is no cost to register Starting On May 28th and participants can easily be you can Register HERE
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Get Out An d Gol f Day Teed THEGAME Up For Sun day May 28t h GROWING
CanadianGolf IndustryPartnersWithPartcipACTION150InvitingCanadiansTo CelebrateTheCountryAndTheGameOfGolf InCommunitiesFromCoast-To-Coast
Wi th Canada 150 cel ebrati ons h appeni ng i n communi ti es f rom coast-to-coast al l year l ong, th e Canadi an gol f i ndustry h as partnered w i th Parti ci pA CTI ON i n desi gnati ng Sunday, M ay 28th as Get Out and Gol f Day.
The ParticipACTION 150 Play List ? introduced this year in honour of Canada 150 ? invites Canadians to participate in 150 activities throughout 2017 to celebrate Canada?s 150th birthday. As part of Get Out and Golf Day, avid players and new enthusiasts are encouraged to CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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participate in a round of golf (No.14 on the Play List), learn more about the sport or take part in golf related activities at golf facilities in their community.
150 Play List in addition to other golf-related activities, disc golf and m in i-pu t t .
A sn apsh ot of t h e Can adian golf lan dscape reveals an industry worth more than $14.3 billion annually to the Participating golf facilities Canadian economy. These across Canada will be offering numbers reinforce the fun golf activities including massive financial, charitable, tournaments, clinics, free golf social, tourism and for juniors, skills contests and environmental impact golf has more. stated Jeff Calderwood, in communities across CEO, NGCOA Canada. ?There Canada. is no better way to develop As Canada?s most played sense of community than sport, nearly 5.7 million hitting the links with family Canadians enjoy more than 60 and friends.? million rounds of golf annually For new enthusiasts thinking about taking up the game or getting a loved one involved, PGA of Canada professionals at facilities across the country are ready to deliver a quality golf experience to players of all interests and abilities. The sport of golf is pr ou dly list ed on t h e Par t icipACTION
at 2,346 golf facilities from coast-to-coast. Visit golf can ada.ca/ golf day for information on golf events occurring across the country on May 28 or use the hashtag #golfdaycanada to share your experiences on Get Out and Golf Day.
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AMATEUR
BC's Macdon al d & Row e Capt ur e Per uvi an Am at eur Ti t l es
Image Courtesy Golf Canada
CHAMPIONSHIP
Vancouver'sStuart Macdonald(R) AndVictoria'sLawrenRowe(L) RepresentedBritishColumbiaGolf InFineFashionWinningTheTeamTitle AndComingIn1st And3rdIndividually CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Macdonald?s strongest performance came during British Columbia?s St u ar t M acdon ald (Vancouver) and Friday?s third round, where the Purdue University alum Law r en Row e (Victoria) carded a bogey-free 68 (-4). It teamed up to secure a five-stroke victory on Saturday also marks another strong at the Lima Golf Club en route international performance for the second-year Team Canada to capturing the Peruvian product, who recently made International Amateur the round of 16 in both the Championship - The XXIX Campeonato Internacional De Australian and New South Afficionados - and with it the Wales Amateur Championships. prestigious Manuel Prado Cup. Rowe, a University of Victoria junior, fired a final-round 71 to The pair were led by solidify his place inside the Macdonald? a member of top-5, finishing tied for third at Team Canada?s National Amateur Squad? who paced 3-under par. CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
the field at 7-under par (70-72-68-71), good for a three-stroke cushion and medallist honours, taking home the Carlos Raffo Cup, awarded to the individual Champion. The last Canadian to win that honour was Victoria, BC?s Craig Doell in 2002.
B.C.'s duo of Kevin Car r igan an d David Rose won the event back in 2013. Hall-of-Famer Warren Sye took home the hardware in 1997 alongside fellow Ontarian Brian McCann. Click h er e for full scoring.
IMAGE COURTESY POINT GREY G&CC
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FROMTHE
PGATOUR The2017MackenzieTour-PGATOURSeasonKicksOff At Vancouver'sPoint GreyGolf &CountryClubOnMay29th
Mack en zi e Tour ? PGA TOUR Can ada 2017 Sch edul e To Feat ur e 12 Even t s Coast To Coast The Mackenzie Tour ? PGA TOUR Canada schedule will feature 12 events from May to September in 2017 as players look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR. The season will once again begin in May with the Freedom 55 Financial Open
(May 29-June 4) at Poin t Gr ey Golf an d Cou n t r y Clu b in Van cou ver , B.C., with purses of $175,000 (CA$) for the first 11 events and a $200,000 purse for the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship (Sept. 11-17) at CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
TOUR this season. Forty Mackenzie Tour players from Highland Country Club in 2016 went on to earn London, Ont. Web.com Tour status for this With 11 events confirmed, a year and will look to make the 12th event taking place prior next step on the path to the to the season-ending Freedom PGA TOUR. 55 Financial Championship After beginning the season will be added to the schedule with the Mackenzie Tour ?s first in the coming weeks. event in Vancouver, the Tour The Order of Merit winner will will head to Vict or ia, B.C. for be fully exempt on the the 35th playing of the Web.com Tour for the Bayview Place DC Payments following season, with Nos. Open presented by Times 2-5 earning conditional status. Colonist (June 6-12) at Those players Nos. 2-10 will Uplan ds Golf Clu b, followed earn an exemption into the by the GolfBC Championship Final Stage of the Web.com (June 12-18) at Gallagh er ?s Tour Qualifying Tournament Can yon Golf an d Cou n t r y while Nos. 11-20 will earn an Clu b in Kelow n a, B.C. exemption into the second The 2017 Mackenzie Tour-PGA stage. TOUR Canada schedule can be Players will look to follow in found HERE the footsteps of PGA TOUR For more information contact: winners Mackenzie Hughes, Brian Decker Tony Finau and Nick Taylor , Media Official who are among the 10 PGA PGA TOUR Canada TOUR-era (2013-present) alumni competing on the PGA CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
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FROMSIMONFRASER
BY BRAD ZIEMER
UNIVERSITY
Image Credit British Columbia Golf
Joh n Buch an an Cl assi c Tees Of f Dr i ve For En dow m en t Hon our i n g Lon gt i m e Gol f Coach At Si m on Fr aser Un i ver si t y
InterimSFUGolf CoachMatthewSteinbachAndOther SFUClanMembers BothPast AndPresent WereOnHandToHonour TheLegendaryGolf Coach Th e w eath er w as f ar f rom perf ect.
already an unseasonably cold April afternoon.
Dark clouds hovered overhead, delivering cool showers and at one point a brief hail storm. A steady breeze chilled what was
John Buchanan would have called it a great day for golf. Of course, every day was a great day for golf for CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Buchanan, the legendary Simon Fraser University golf coach who passed away in January at age 77. ?John taught me to be a mudder,? Matthew Steinbach, who played under Buchanan at SFU and was recently named interim coach of the men?s and women?s teams, recalled with a smile.
SFU 'sgolf program, has been re-named in Buchanan?s honour. The hope is $400,000 can be raised to start a John Buchanan Golf Endowment at SFU. Once that $400,000 is raised, an annuity of $17,500 would be paid out each year to cover the annual cost of one full-ride scholarship to a SFU golfer.
Buchanan spent 50 years at SFU, first as manager of the ?The first time I played in school?s soccer team and then weather like this with John, the as golf coach. Anyone who met club was literally flying out of Buchanan quickly realized his my hands because I didn?t passion for the golf programs have rain gloves and he just at SFU. I knew him as a player, said, if you want to live in I knew him as a donor, but Vancouver and play golf here, now I get to see behind the you have to learn to play in curtain and understand the this.? amount of work he put in,? On Monday afternoon, April Steinbach says. ?He worked 10th at Vancouver Golf Club in harder than anyone I have Coquitlam, friends of ever known.? Buchanan and the SFU golf If you?d like to support The program gathered for the first John Buchanan Golf John Buchanan Classic. The Endowment, visit give.sfu.ca Clan Classic, an annual Click HERE For Fu ll St or y fundraising tournament for
PACIFIC
LINKS Tr oph y Desi gn Con t est Wi n n er An n oun ced For 2017 Paci f i c Li n k s Bear Moun t ai n Ch am pi on sh i p
Image Courtesy SportBox PR
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TheWinningTrophyDesignFor PacificLinksBear Mountain ChampionshipReflectsAStrongWest Coast Theme The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship announced the winner of the Event?s 2017
Trophy Design Contest. Following the initial finalists CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
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selection, the trophy design contest was opened to the public to decide on the winner. Voting, determined that Patrick Belanger of Vancouver Island was the winner. The vision behind Belanger ?s design was based on a West Coast theme: carefully chosen natural and handcrafted materials in the fabrication of the trophy are reminiscent of the landscapes offered by Vancouver Island. A modern interpretation of a carved soapstone bear embracing a live edge piece of wood towering above will evoke a sense of belonging to this natural environment, where mountains meet the sea and the tall trees. The front of the trophy has a blue coloured epoxy, filling the splitting gaps in the wood and mimicking the ocean surrounding the island (the Strait of Georgia and Juan de
Fuca), while the top shape of the wood suggests the vistas of the Olympic Mountain Range. Etching of the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship logo in the wood is visible on the front face. On the back of the trophy, the engraving represents a silhouette of the majestic tall pines and fir trees located in the surroundings of the Bear Mountain golf courses. A silver metal plate of the PGA TOUR Champions logo is applied to the back, offering a touch of distinction and class to the overall look of the trophy. Over the coming months, Tournament Organizers will work with local artists and natural resources to bring the 2017 Official Trophy design to life. Updates will be posted on the Event?s website and social channels. Websit e: PacificLinks Championship.com
BY JEFF SUTHERLAND
GOLFBYTHE
NUMBERS For w ar d Th i n k i n g On t h e
IMAGE COURTESY FACEBOOK / EUROPEAN TOUR
VIDEO CREDIT www.golfchannel.com/
Tee
A t a recent PGA of A l berta Spri ng Semi nar i n earl y M arch , Joh n Bryan, w h o w ork s f or U.S. K i ds Gol f , w as tal k i ng ab out h ow to grow th e game i n a new w ay... b y trul y " ri gh t si zi ng" th e l ength of course / h ol e b ei ng pl ayed b ased on ab i l i ty. The idea is based on strong evidence that most players?
7-irons carry approximately 64% of their driver carry distance. For example, say you carry a drive 200 yards... your 7-iron will likely carry 128 yards. Your young daughter who hits her tee shot 100 yards CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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will hit the 7-iron 64 yards. This basic math has led to some conclusions that blows traditional tee positioning out of the water. Your combined carry for a driver, 7-iron is 328, hers is 164. That makes a strong case for tees that are much more In the table above, you can see how widely separated. long the holes should be on a Add up the yardage nine-hole course with two par-3's, for 18 holes and five par-4's and two par-5's that is you have shorter perfectly set up to allow using hitters playing a every club in your bag. much shorter Kids Golf. course. The system has been put into And there have been some interesting outcomes... play at the Longleaf Golf and Family Club which is not coincidentally owned by Dan Van Horn, the founder of U.S.
- The more-forward tees mean that the shorter hitter CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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CarryDriver DistanceMarkersAt The RangeMatchWhichTeesYouShouldPlay
W
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This is no longer theory, it is proven data. We know firsthand through our experience as an owner that scaling our course with seven sets of tees on each hole makes golf more enjoyable for all players and more profitable. The results were immediate and they were profound!?
course set up with tees like this would be much more likely to allow a single set of handicap holes letting men and women compete fairly giving strokes to each other where indicated.
will use more clubs in their bag. Instead of always being 200+ yards out and hitting that fairway wood again and again, they will be 84 yards from the green and have Dan Van Horn, Owner, Longleaf Golf & Family Club | President, U.S. Kids By the way? There Golf Foundation to decide is one other stark between a 7-iron conclusion from this analysis. or a 6. More decisions, more The vast majority of players engagement, more fun. are being forced (or choosing) - Pace of play is improved. to play courses that are much The shorter hitter now does too long for their ability. not have to hit 3+ shots to Click Below For The Expanded reach the green of a par four. Story and a sneak peak at the Assuming solid contact, they new www.insidegolf.ca set to will be at least be around the go live soon. green complex in regulation if not on the putting surface. Click HERE For - There is also an interesting subplot with respect to cross-gender competition. A
Expan ded St or y
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CANADA
SUMMERGAMES
BY BRAD ZIEMER
Mat t Cel l a To Coach Br i t i sh Col um bi a?s Gol f Team s At Can ada Sum m er Gam es In Wi n n i peg Matt Cella, who has been appointed Team B.C.?s head golf coach for the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, knows the bar has been set awfully high for him.
contested. Golf was first played at the Canada Summer Games in 2009 in Prince Edward Island, where North Vancouver ?s Eugene Wong and Sue Kim of Langley won individual gold medals and After all, British Columbia has B.C. swept the team titles. swept the individual and team competitions in the two Four years later in Canada Summer Games Sherbrooke, Que., Kevin Kwon where golf has been CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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of Pitt Meadows and Taylor Kim of Surrey won gold and B.C. again took home gold in the boys?and girls?team competition. So yes, Cella, the director of instruction at Olympic View Golf Club in Victoria, knows that expectations will be high this summer in Winnipeg.
right now and we are going to select the best players and basically let them go strut their stuff, so to speak, and give them all the support that we can in order for them to be able to play their best at the Summer Games,? Cella said.
?I am really excited. I think it's going to be a great tournament and more important than that just a ?Robert Ratcliffe (the former great experience to be with all Team B.C. coach) didn?t do me the other competitors and all any favours when he was the other sports and be part coach there last time,? Cella of Team B.C. It will be a real said with a laugh during a exciting and fun time.? recent interview. The 40-year-old Cella is a Cella quickly added that he?s native of England who came confident that British to B.C. a year after finishing Columbia will again field two high school. He took up golf strong teams that he expects relatively late, at age 15, after to be in the hunt for gold at a knee injury sidelined a this year ?s Summer Games, promising tennis career. which run from July 28-Aug. Before joining Olympic View 13. last year, he worked with John Randle at his academy at ?We?re in the selection process CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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and what I love to do,? Cella said. ?I am very grateful to him Morningstar Golf Course in for kind of taking me under Parksville and before that with his wing. To have a national Ratcliffe, Canada?s national coach as your mentor and team coach, at Crown Isle in trainer, so to speak, is Courtenay. invaluable.? IMAGE CREDIT JURGEN KAMINSKI
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TeamBCCoachMatt CellaOverseesHisChargesInThe2016NorthPacific Junior LadiesTeamMatches,WonByHisSquad,At Pitt MeadowsGC Cella credits Ratcliffe with helping him find his true passion -- coaching elite junior players. ?I have said it to Robert before, I have to thank you for hiring me because if you hadn?t hired me I never would have found my niche
Cella is a relative newcomer to the British Columbia Golf coaching team. ?Matt is entering his third season with us as a coach,? said Debbie Pyne, managing director of player development with CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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British Columbia Golf. ?We look for coaches and start them at a lower level on the competitive pathway. He helped coach at the B.C. Summer Games and from there we slowly brought him onto the team and last year he moved to full status as a provincial coach. He took the junior boys team to Newfoundland for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. And he also coached the North Pacific girls team and did a great job.?
Future Links Pacific Championship is played at Chilliwack Golf Club. Three selection camps have been held and Cella and Pyne are both confident B.C. will field two strong teams. ?We are not taking anything for granted,? Pyne said. ?We really feel like we have to bring in every resource possible in order to pull off some golds this time.?
?We are very lucky with the depth that we have,? added Cella. ?The girls team, from one to 10 you could pick any three of them and you are Richmond?s Christine Wong, a going to have a pretty decent two-time B.C. Women?s team. And the boy's (team) is Amateur champion, will assist pretty similar, there are Cella as volunteer manager probably half a dozen boys for B.C.?s golf teams at the who stand out. So I am pretty Summer Games, where B.C. confident with the three boys will send 3-person boys and and three girls that we select girls teams. The teams are we will have a competitive expected to be announced in team, a very strong team.? mid-May, shortly after the
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NEWSFROMTHEM ACKENZIETOUR
Fr eedom 55 Fi n an ci al Open At Poi n t Gr ey G&CC Look i n g For Vol un t eer s
Th e Freedom 55 Fi nanci al Open w i l l tak e pl ace at th e presti gi ous Poi nt Grey Gol f & Country Cl ub th e w eek of M ay 29 ? June 4, 2017. Th i s year?s ch ari ty reci pi ent i s th e Canuck s f or K i ds Fund.
They are looking for people that are interested in volunteering time to assist in implementing this great event. All volu n t eer s w ill be pr ovided w it h : - Two tickets to a Vancouver Canucks 2017/2018 regular season game - A golf hat and shirt CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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- Hot meals during their shift - Invitation to the volunteer party - Entry to view the tournament when they are not volunteering Volunteers will be required to contribute a minimum of two four-hour shifts and pay $50 of which $30 will be donated directed to the Canucks for Kids Fund. To register please
CLICK HERE to register as a volunteer for the Freedom 55 Financial Open.
click the link below. Last year they launched a Charity Walk which took place at Point Grey Golf & Country Club on the Sunday of tournament week. Over 70 people participated and the walk raised just over $12,000 for the Canucks for Kids Fund. This year they are hoping to engage 200 walkers and raise $25,000 for the charity. Please encourage your friends and family to sign up for the walk. Volunteers can sign up for free and participate if they are not on a shift on the Sunday afternoon. Everyone can register on the t ou r n am en t w ebsit e.
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FROM
Cl ut ch Fi n i sh At Q-Sch ool Q-SCHOOL Secur es Van couver ?s St uar t Macdon al d St at us On Mack en zi e Tour Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada
BY BRAD ZIEMER
Stuart MacdonaldTurnedIt OnLateToSecureHimself StatusOnThe MackenzieTour-PGATOURCanadaCircuit At Q-School InCaliforniaImageCredit BernardBrault/ Golf Canada Bi rdi e. Bi rdi e. Bi rdi e.
your textbook definition of That?s how Vancouver ?s Stuart clutch. The 22-year-old member of Macdonald finished his first Point Grey Golf & Country qualifying school Friday to Club, who is a member of secure status on this year ?s Canada?s national amateur Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit. That would be CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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team, finished the 72-hole Q-school at the Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, Calif., tied for ninth place at three-under par. That guarantees him the first four starts of the Mackenzie Tour season and means he won?t be an amateur much longer. Macdonald was proud of the way he closed his round. He sensed he needed a big finish to secure status. ?I was tied for 18th going into today and I definitely wanted to finish, if not top five, then inside the top 16,? Macdonald said over the phone after his round. ?So I had to make something happen down the stretch. I had a sense I had to make some birdies and it happened.? He said he will likely turn pro just before the Mackenzie Tour begins its season. He could make his pro debut at a
very familiar place, as the first event of the season -- the $175,000 Freedom 55 Financial Open -- goes June 1-4 at Point Grey. ?I think I've been a member there since I was nine or 10 years old,? Macdonald said of Point Grey. ?I have probably played there a thousand times.? ?CLICK HERE for final Q-School scores CHIP SHOTS: West Vancouver ?s David Rose, the 2011 B.C. Amateur champion, tied for 28th place at five-over par and earned conditional status. . .This was the second of five Mackenzie Tour Q-Schools this spring. The next two go next month in Florida with the Q-School finale scheduled for May 2-5 at the Crown Isle Resort in Courtenay.
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IN
? Poor Put t i n g? Doesn ? t RECOGNITION Keep Jack i e Li t t l e Out Of PNGA Hal l Of Fam e BY BRAD ZIEMER
Jack i e Li ttl e i s one of Bri ti sh Col umbi a?s most accompl i sh ed amateur gol f ers, but sh e h asn?t yet q ui te conv i nced h er young granddaugh ter of h er pl ayi ng prow ess.
Last June, Little placed second at the B.C. Senior Women?s Amateur Championship at Kelowna Golf & Country Club. Her five-year-old granddaughter Myelle was CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Little -- who stands less than five-feet tall -- doesn?t have there to watch Little complete what you would call a power her round. As she walked off game. She has relied on an the 18th green, Myelle asked impeccable short game to her grandmother if she had record an amateur record few won. have Little?s remarkable resume ?She said, matched, one includes five B.C. Women? s ?Granny, did that will see Amateur titles, five B.C. Senior you win,?? her inducted Women? s Championships, Little recalls into the three B.C. Mid-Amateur with a Pacif ic Championships and three chuckle. Canadian national titles. She Nor t h w est ?And I said, also won two Alberta Women?s Golf ?no, Granny Associat ion Amateur titles, two Alberta didn?t win Hall of Fam e Junior Girls championships today, on April 28. and three Alberta Senior Granny So, yes, Women?s crowns. didn?t putt Myelle, your very well.?Ever since then, any Granny can putt. time we ask her about my golf Little is one of five being she goes, ?oh Granny, it?s too inducted into the PNGA Hall of bad you can?t putt.? Fame. The others are Mike ?So I'm going to have to win Davis of Portland, Ore., Ruth another championship to Jessen of Seattle, Les Blakley prove to her that I can putt.? of Spokane and Roger Wallace Everyone but Myelle knows of Polson, Mont. Little can putt. The diminutive Click HERE For Fu ll St or y CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
47 BY JEFF SUTHERLAND
GOLF'S
STORY Gol f ?s New est On Cour se St at s An al y zer I t appears th at th ere f i nal l y may be a trul y easy-to-use on-course stats track er. A Scottish company Shot Scope has released what it calls? ?the first fully automated performance tracking system for golf.? Like Arcos, their system uses tags that are screwed into the top of each club. Theirs differs however in that you
Track your progress based on more than just your score, know your game inside out and make every shot count.
MadeInScotlandThisMayTheNext BigThingInGolf Analysis don?t have to touch a unit that you wear on your hip. In this case, a wristband does the work automatically sensing the difference between practice swings and real shots. Just play your game and let the wristband work in the background. no need to use your phone on the course. You do need to press a button on the ?watch? to CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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enter the hole position when you finish putting out but reviews generally say this is a minor inconvenience. After your round, upload your data using Bluetooth or USB to the Shot Scope dashboard or one of the free Shot Scope mobile apps (Android and
iOS). At that point you can see every shot you hit on an aerial map of the course allowing you to understand how far each tee shot went and how close you hit it to the pin. Shot Scope provides a wealth CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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of statistical information and is designed to optimize improvement: - Find out exact distances for each club. - Stats are broken down into 4 sections: tee shots, approaches, short game and putting. - See your tee shot distance and dispersion
Shot Scope has been designed All combined Shot Scope to have minimal impact on collates your data into your game meaning no need over 100 different to carry a phone or manually Tour-level statistics that tag your shots. Comprising of let you take control of a wristband and 20 your game and adopt lightweight tags the system long-term strategies works in the background for sustainable collecting over 100 different improvement. tour-level statistics to give you accurate and intelligent CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE feedback on your game.
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FAQs Can it be used during competitive rounds? Shot Scope has been ruled as Conforming to the Rules of Golf and can be used in competitive play. The system has been used at all levels, including by pros on the European Tour. How much work does it take to set up? Set up and play in 5 minutes! Simply screw the tags into your clubs before your first round and make sure your band is charged. Set up your account online and you?re ready to go. How adaptable is the wristband? The wristband is comfortable, light and fully adjustable to 11 different sizes to suit every golfer ?s wrist.
Will the tags affect my clubs? The tags are easily screwed into your grips and weigh only one gram, therefore not impacting your club?s swing weights. Can Lefties use this? Shot Scope works for both left and right handed golfers. Does it work for all putting techniques? If you use a non-conventional putting method please contact the Shot Scope team at info@shotscope.com for advice on how to make the products work better. How long does the battery last? 8.5 Hours Who much does it cost? On their website, the price is ÂŁ195 or around $300 CDN.
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BC?s Jar ed du Toi t A Ben Hogan Aw ar d Sem i -Fi n al i st Image Courtesy Golf Canada
Kimberley'sJaredduToit IsOneof 10Semi-finalistsFor ThePrestigious BenHoganAward Colonial Country Club, Friends of Golf (FOG) and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) have announced that nine first-time semi-finalists are among the 10 players in contention for the 2017 Ben Hogan Award
presented by Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta). The semi-finalists, in alphabetical order, are: Sam Burns (LSU, So.), Wyndham Clark (Oregon, Sr.), Sean CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Crocker (Southern California, Jr.), Jar ed du Toit (Ar izon a St at e, Sr .), Nick Hardy (Illinois, Jr.), Maverick McNealy (Stanford, Sr.), Dylan Meyer (Illinois, Jr.), Collin Morikawa (California, So.), Matthias Schwab (Vanderbilt, Sr.) and Will Zalatoris (Wake Forest, Jr.). McNealy, a two-time award finalist (2015, 2016), is the lone player ever to previously appear as a semi-finalist. Each semi-finalist?s school will once again receive a scholarship grant for its men?s golf program. Since 2002, more than $500,000 in scholarships has been awarded to more than two dozen schools. The Ben Hogan Award is issued annually to the top men?s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer taking into account all
collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period. The award?s selection committee is comprised of 24 leaders and experts in professional, amateur and collegiate golf. On Wednesday, May 3, the group will be pared down to three finalists. The three finalists will then travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to attend a black-tie banquet where the winner will be crowned at Colonial Country Club on Monday, May 22, prior to the start of the PGA TOUR?s Dean & DeLuca Invitational. Past winners of the Ben Hogan Award include: Nick Taylor (Wash in gt on , 2010) and Jon Rahm (Arizona State, 2015 and 2016). For more information on the Ben Hogan Award, visit Th eBen Hogan Aw ar d.or g and follow @Ben Hogan Aw ar d on Twitter.
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NEWSFROMTHE
MACKENZIETOUR
Cr ow n Isl e Pr ovi n g To Be ?Th e Per f ect Ven ue? For Q-Sch ool
2017 m ar k s t h e f ou r t h year in a r ow t h at Cr ow n Isle Resor t & Golf Com m u n t y in Cou r t en ay, BC w ill play h ost t o t h e M ack en zie Tou r -PGA TOUR Can ada Q-Sch ool an d t h at r elat ion sh ip w ill lik ely con t in u e f or m an y year s t o com e. Director of Golf Rod Pr iet o sees Crown Isle?s course and turn-key resort as being why the relationship is working so well. ?In almost every way, we?re the perfect venue. Players can stay on-site, eat on-site. There is a great practise facility and the course is
more than up to challenging these up-and-coming players. These days our course is in prime condition in early April (due to improved agronomy). It?s great for the players and our members.? Players can even fly right into Comox airport and just take a five-minute shuttle to the resort. Mackenzie Tour President, Jef f M on day has also been very complimentary about the fit. ?Crown Isle has proven itself to be both a welcoming host facility and a tremendous test for players to earn
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status on the Mackenzie Tour... We eagerly look forward to seeing the next generation of players get their start at Crown Isle." Prieto who hails from the Palm Springs area has been impressed by
the quality of the competition. ?These guys are very focused? their work ethic, their intensity. You see them go out and shoot 67, 68 and afterward, they are out hitting balls.? The 67s and 68s also
have captured the attention of Crown Isle?s members and area golfers. ?The members embrace it. We do see spectators and it?s eye-opening them getting to see how good these guys are, kids shooting 65 on a course where they may be trying to break 90. In 2014, they got to see David Bradshaw shoot our course record, a 62 that included a bogey on #9.? Where does this relationship go? With a contract through next year, there is guaranteed to be at least one more Q-School at Crown Isle and the PGA TOUR Canada has an option for another two years. But with the strong fit, Rod says that Crown Isle ?...hopes to be the host for many years to come.? For more information visit crownisle.com
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PGM
IMAGE COURTESY JURGEN KAMINSKI
Gudz Wi n s Hum ber RESULTS Col l ege PGM West er n Jun i or Ch am pi on sh i p
St. Patrick'sDaySawTheseFour PluckyPlayersFindingGoldAt TheEnd OfTheRainbowInSomeRather Wet ConditionsAt NorthviewG&CC.(L-R): BaileyBjornson,EunaHan,Jennifer GuAndKeatonGudz Juniors from coast to coast gathered in British Columbia this past spring break for the Humber College PGM Western Junior Championship presented by Tour Performance LAB. The three-day event took place on
Northview Golf & Country Club?s Canal Course in Surrey, B.C. Ju n ior Boys U19 Keaton Gudz from Victoria, BC, fired a bogey free final round 66 (-6) to claim the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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coveted Junior Boys title. Gudz edged out Golf Canada?s Development Team member Chandler McDowell by one stroke. ?I?m really stoked, I played awesome and it was great playing with Chandler,? said an elated Gudz after rounds of 66, 75, 66 and a tournament total of 207 (-9). Ju n ior Gir ls U19 Coquitlam?s Euna Han, used steady play to claim the Junior Girls title shooting 3 rounds of sub-par golf for a tournament total of 210 (-6). Fighting the rain and sloppy course conditions, Han remained calm as she cruised to the winner ?s circle. Finishing as runner-up was Tiffany Kong of Vancouver, BC, with rounds of 73, 70, 71 for a tournament total 214 (-2). Ban t am Boys U15 Surrey, BC's, Bailey Bjornson
secured the Bantam Boys title with a final round score of 74 (+2). Three shots back in the runner-up position was Billy Zhang of Coquitlam, BC, who shot rounds of 75, 73, 73 for a tournament total of 221 (+5). Ban t am Gir ls U15 Claiming her second Bantam Girls title of the season was Jennifer Gu of West Vancouver, BC, with rounds of 75, 76, 78 and a tournament total of 229 (+13). Last month Gu won the CJGA Burnaby Golf Junior Open. With a final round charge of 71 (-1) Emma Yang of Langley, BC finished in solo second with a tournament total of 231 (+15). For Additional Information: Brad Ewart BC Tournament Director Canadian Junior Golf Association brad.ewart@cjga.com
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FROMTHE
NAIG
Team BC Seek s Fem ale Golf At h let es For 2017 Nor t h Am er ican In digen ou s Gam es (NAIG) The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council of BC (I·SPARC)
17Uand19Ufemalegolf athletes invitedtoattendTeamBC'stryout for the2017NAIG oversees the Team BC Program for the2017 North American Indigenous Games. They and the Team BC coaches are seeking female (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) golf athletes born 1998 through 2005 to attend a Development Camp to be held at Two Eagles Golf CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Course in West Kelowna. The 2016 BC Aboriginal Provincial Golf Championships concluded in August of 2016 where golf athletes competed for the Provincial Championship title and earn a spot on the "Team BC Development Squad" to train for and pursue participation in the 2017 North American Indigenous Games held in Toronto, Ontario from July 16-23, 2017. Team BC's 17U and 19U female golf teams are now recruiting female golf athletes to attend an open athlete evaluation camp. Team BC's 19U female squad will identify a minimum of two female golf athletes and Team BC's 17U female squad will identify one female golf athlete. Registration is open to eligible participants. No pre-qualification required.
Even t In f or m at ion : May 13, 2017 Two Eagles Golf Course 3509 Carrington Road West Kelowna, BC V4T 2E6 Pr oposed It in er ar y: Clinic, Lunch, 18 holes of golf Regist r at ion : There is no fee to participate, but you must pre-register by completing the online registration form: Team BC Golf Select ion Pr ocess Docu m en t Con t act In f or m at ion : Frank Antoine Phone: 1-800-663-4303 Efantoine@quaaoutlodge.com Bu zz M an u el Provincial Coordinator, Performance Sport Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council Phone: 1-250-350-3254 Email: bmanuel@isparc.ca Fax: 1-877-711-5594
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Br i t i sh Col um bi a Gol f An n oun ces 2017 PNGA Cup Team The 2017 PNGA Cup is being held this year from May 3-5 at the Timberstone Golf Course in Caldwell, Idaho. This Ryder-Cup style championship features some of the most notable amateur golfers in the Pacific Northwest region with 12-member teams representing the regional golf associations that makeup the Pacific Northwest Golf
Association, which includes British Columbia Golf, Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association, and Washington State Golf Association. Teams play four-ball, foursome and singles matches to select a champion. Each team has eight men and four women with the men?s CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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Scot Kral, Victoria
contingent comprised of four mid-amateurs (25 years of age or older), two men at 40 years or older, and two senior men of 55 years or older. The women?s delegation includes two mid-amateurs and two women 50 years of age or older. With both Men?s and Women?s scores used to determine the team result, it is the only known event of its kind in the country.
M en - M ast er 40
The Oregon Golf Association (OGA) won the team title in 2016 held at the Richmond Golf & Country Club in British Columbia.
Alison Murdoch, Victoria
Following is the team named to represent British Columbia Golf in this year 's competition: M en - M id-Am at eu r Kevin Carrigan, Victoria Jay Snyder, Vancouver Craig Doell, Victoria
Norm Bradley, Kelowna Sandy Harper, Nanaimo M en - Sen ior John Gallacher, Burnaby Doug Roxburgh, Vancouver Wom en - M id-Am at eu r Christina Proteau, Port Alberni Shelly Stouffer, Nanoose Bay Wom en - Sen ior Sandra Turbide, Maple Ridge Team Capt ain ? Patrick Kelly (non-playing) Execu t ive Dir ect or ? Kris Jonasson Click HERE for complete list of all teams For a Championship summary click HERE
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THEPARTING IMAGE CREDIT: BRYAN OUTRAM
SHOT
MLAFor Vancouver-Fraserview,SuzanneAntonWasOnHandAt Point Grey G&CCToAnnounceA$100,000Investment ByTheProvinceOfB.C- British ColumbiaGolf Image
Tour i sm In vest m en t To Hel p Br i n g Gol f Tour n am en t s Back To Br i t i sh Col um bi a The Province of British Columbia is investing $100,000 in the BC Golf Swing to help welcome top golfers and fans from around the globe to B.C., announced Suzanne Anton, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview, on
behalf of Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour. The announcement was made in front of assembled media and golf industry officials at
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the host club for the Freedom 55 Financial Open, Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.
Qu ot es:
?These tournaments in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna will bring top international golfers and visitors to three of our province?s The BC Golf Swing is part of the Mackenzie Tour portion of most iconic golf courses. Investing the PGA?s Canada tournament in tournaments like this creates tremendous economic impact for series. The tour will bring 156 these communities and helps to players to compete in three create jobs in our diverse tourism tournament locations in sector.?
British Columbia. The tournaments will bring in fans, tour officials and sponsors and are expected to generate $8 million of economic activity in B.C. Th e t h r ee t ou r st ops ar e:
- Suzanne Anton, Minister of
Justice and MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview ? ?Every year, we look forward to kicking off our season in British Columbia, and these three tournaments rank among the players?favourite stops all year. It?s a common sight to see players bringing their friends and family to these tournaments to show them this beautiful part of the country, players, fans, sponsors, staff and volunteers a world-class tournament experience.?
Van cou ver ? Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey Golf and Country Club ? May 29-June 4 Vict or ia ? Bayview Place DC Payments Open at Uplands Golf Club ? June 5-11 Kelow n a ? GolfBC Championship at Gallagher 's - Jeff Monday, president, Canyon Golf and Country Club PGA TOUR Canada ? June 12-18