Richmond Resident Michael Crisologo Birdied The First Playoff Hole To Clinch The Junior Boys Division Of The Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship At Pitt Meadows GC - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

They are rather big footsteps to try and follow, but Michael Crisologo seems like he is up to the task. The 18-year-old Richmond resident earned the biggest win of his young golf career Sunday at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

And the first person to congratulate him -- by emptying a bottle of water over his head -- was Michael’s big brother Chris.

At Age 13, Lauren Kim Established Herself As One Of Canada’s Top Junior Golfers. The Grade 8 Student From Surrey Won The Junior Girls Division Of The Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship At Pitt Meadows Golf Club - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She played with confidence, never got rattled and did not make a single bogey all day. Lauren Kim was the epitome of calm, cool and collected. Did we mention she is only 13 years old and just finishing Grade 8?

The Surrey resident, who grew up on her parents’ driving range, played like a wily veteran as she bested a field that included many of Canada’s top junior golfers and won the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship at Pitt Meadows Golf Club.

After Having His Tee Shot Bury In Some Long Grass, Jeevan Sihota Managed An All-World Par On The 17th Hole At Pitt Meadows GC En Route To An Opening Round Of 2-under Par 69 - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

Victoria's Jeevan Sihota, who plays out of Gorge Vale GC, took the first round lead on the Junior Boys side in the Future Links, Driven By Acura Pacific Championship taking place this weekend at Pitt Meadows Golf Club, while 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Champion Celeste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, QC, and the Summerlea G&CC led the Junior Girls with both players recording under par scores of 69.

The Junior Boys are playing the course as a par 71 while the Junior Girls play it as a par 72. The finishing 18th hole has been changed to a par 4 for the boys while remaining as a par 5 for the girls.

At 2-under par Sihota takes a 2-shot lead into round two over 3 players, Ryan Hodgins of Medicine Hat, AB, Kai Iguchi from Banff, AB, and Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, QC. Meanwhile, Dao goes into the second round holding a one-shot advantage over Vancouver's Tiffany Kong, with Euna Han of Coquitlam 2 back and Surrey's Angel  (Mu Chen) Lin 3 behind.

WHAT: THE USGA'S LARRY GILHULY TELLS YOU WHY YOUR FORWARD TEES NEED TO BE EVEN SHORTER
WHERE: VICTORIA GOLF CLUB
WHEN: NEXT MONDAY, MAY 13th FROM 8AM TO 11AM
COST: FREE
WHO SHOULD ATTEND: CLUB MANAGERS, CLUB BOARD MEMBERS, PGA PROFESSIONALS, GREENS COMMITTEE MEMBERS & INTERESTED GOLFERS

If you are really interested in offering a set of tees that will let women and senior senior-players have a great experience then you must attend Larry Gilhuly's talk next Monday at Victoria GC.

Attention all golfers who'd like the opportunity to test out and be fitted for Titleist golf clubs. Titleist Thursday Complimentary Fitting Events are back. This summer they'll be available in two different locations in BC... 

Okanagan GC in Kelowna starting this week.
Northview GC in Surrey starting next week.

As a reminder, these are Titleist run, public access fitting events at the same locations for consecutive Thursdays. Check the schedule below, then go to the Titleist website for more information and to book online.

The events page accepts appointments for each event.

Langley's James Allenby Carded A Bogey-Free 7-Under 65 To Take Medallist Honours At The RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier At Delta's Kings Links - Image Credit © 2019 Chuck Russell | @russell.pixmedia

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

You want to know what keeps James Allenby going, why he hasn’t given up chasing his professional golf dream? Well, for starters, rounds like the one he shot Monday at Kings Links Golf Course in Delta.

The 34-year-old from Langley fired a seven-under 65 to top the 43-man field at a regional qualifier for next month’s RBC Canadian Open.

Rounds like that one stoke the inner belief that fuels Allenby’s desire to make it as a professional golfer, despite the many setbacks he has endured over the last decade.

Tennessee's Andrew McCain Claimed Medalist Honours In The Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada Q-School Stop At Crown Isle Resort In Courtenay, B.C. With Burnaby's Michael Belle (Inset) Finishing as Top Canadian At T6 - Images Courtesy Minnesota Golf Assosciation & Vancouver Golf Tour)

Via Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada Communications

(Courtenay, British Columbia) — Making 22 birdies and an eagle through four rounds at Crown Isle Resort, Andrew McCain claimed medalist honours by three strokes at the sixth and final Mackenzie Tour Q-School event of the 2019 season.

“It’s not really like a normal golf tournament because it’s more stressful all the way through,” said the Knoxville, Tennessee native. “At the same time, it’s almost more satisfying just because you have one shot every year to do it, so to show up and have some game when it matters, that means a lot.”

Golf Canada is proud to celebrate the 66 adoptions that occurred during Adopt a School Week thanks to the efforts of golf enthusiasts and industry partners across the country.

In total, the figure translates to an additional 7,920 students being introduced to the sport through the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program. The coast-to-coast campaign was elevated by support from Canadian industry partners—the Provincial Associations, PGA of Canada, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), Canadian Society of Club Managers and Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.

UBC Thunderbirds Men's Golf Team Members Ziggy Nathu (Right In Large Photo/Left In Inset) And Andy Kim Are Off To the PGA WORKS Championship - Inset Image Courtesy UBC Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A huge month of May for the University of B.C. Thunderbirds men’s golf team has become even bigger for Ziggy Nathu and Andy Kim.

The two UBC players are heading to Florida to compete in the 33rd PGA WORKS Championship. The 54-hole event runs May 10-12 at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

For its first 32 years, the tournament was known as the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship, but it has been rebranded this year as the PGA WORKS Championship. UBC is the first Canadian school to send athletes to compete in the event.

For Immediate Release

(30 April 2019), St Andrews, Scotland and Liberty Corner, NJ, USA: Golf’s new World Handicap System (WHS), which is designed to bring the game of golf under a single set of Rules for handicapping and provide a more consistent measure of players’ ability between different regions of the world, remains on track for implementation starting in 2020.

Education has begun with events being held in Singapore, South Africa, Great Britain and Ireland, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Continental Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and the USA.

A secure resource portal, accessible via whs.com, has also been launched to provide national associations with a library of materials that they can use to help support their own education efforts.

Image courtesy Golf Canada

Via Golf Canada

OTTAWA – On the second annual National Golf Day, the Canadian golf industry, represented by We Are Golf, is launching a national campaign to encourage Canadians to get involved in the sport. Industry leaders are meeting with Parliamentarians throughout the day, while golf stakeholders are working to spread the word in municipalities nationwide.

Image courtesy Golf Canada

WOODBURN, Oreg. – Canadian Naomi Ko has punched her ticket back to the U.S. Women’s Open.

Ko, a Victoria, B.C., product, bested the 56-player field earn medalist honours with a final score of 3 under par (70-71) at the OGA Golf Course, one of 25 qualifying sites this year. The win marks the second time Ko earned a spot in the LPGA major—she qualified in 2016 as an 18-year-old.

The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member will take to Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., when action gets underway from May 30 – June 2.

Click here for full scores.

The Canadian golf industry represented by We Are Golf (formerly the National Allied Golf Association) has officially announced that May 1, 2019 has been tabbed as National Golf Day in Canada.

As Canada gets ready to celebrate National Golf Day we are encouraging Canadians to participate by getting involved through a variety of means, such as:

• Playing a round of golf
• Experience family time at the local course
• Introducing a new player to the game
• Adopting a school in their community through Golf in Schools
• Taking a lesson, or
• Making a purchase at their local pro shop, or 
• Enjoying a meal at your local course clubhouse

Tanelle Bolt Demonstrates How She Is Able To Continue Playing Golf, A Game She Grew Up With, Using A 'Para-Golfer' During The Golf & Health Week Adaptive Golf Day At Langara GC - Image Credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Golf has always been a big part of Tanelle Bolt’s life.

Her dad, Michael, was the longtime superintendent and assistant superintendent of Lethbridge Country Club, where Tanelle played junior golf and later worked on the grounds crew with her father. She loved the game and 15 years later nothing has changed, although there have been some very significant changes in Bolt’s life.

Nearly five years ago -- on Aug. 10, 2014 -- Bolt suffered a life-changing injury after free-jumping off a bridge in Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. She fractured her T6 vertebrae and was left paralyzed from her chest down.

Golf Canada's Team Canada At Bear Mountain Resort - Image Credit BC Golf

For anyone interested there's a unique opportunity upcoming to meet some of the Team Canada players and undergo skill analysis by their coaches in their world-class training facility at beautiful Bear Mountain at Golf Canada Foundation’s inaugural 2019 Team Canada Fantasy Camp!

Intended as an exclusive Foundation Trustee-Guest day, the fee is $1,800 per person, inclusive of two days of golf, clinics and analysis, food and beverage; and one night’s accommodation. If an individual decides to join the Foundation Trustee program, their tax-deductible portion from this event can be applied to their first Trustee contribution.

The Trustee Program is Golf Canada's flagship donor program offered to supporters who want to invest in the developmental pathway for Canadian golf.

See how Canadians fared in professional events around the world this past week.

(BC Players shown in Bold)

From One Canadian Champion At Augusta To Another, 2003 Masters Winner Mike Weir Presents The Trophy To Nicole Gal For Taking Her Age Division Title - Image Courtesy Augusta Media Hub

By Kris Jonasson/British Columbia Golf

Started in 2013, Drive Chip & Putt is a joint initiative of the Masters, PGA of America and the USGA. Boys and girls are organized into 4 categories, by age, and compete in driving, chipping and putting. Ages groups are 7-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15.

Qualifying takes place at over 250 local qualifying sites throughout the United States. Top finishers at each site advance through sectional, then regional qualifying, with the final 80 competitors representing 10 finalists, in 4 age divisions for both genders.

image credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

The Canadian golf industry represented by We Are Golf (formerly the National Allied Golf Association) has officially announced that May 1, 2019 has been tabbed as National Golf Day in Canada.

The date aligns with the We Are Golf initiative spearheaded out of the United States—also set for May 1, 2019—and will bring further attention to the game of golf and its significant community impact within not only Canada, but across North America.

Brigitte Thibault Was Canada's Only Representative At The Inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur - Image Courtesy Fresno State/ Matt Burkholder / Director of Communications

By Kris Jonasson/British Columbia Golf

Tristan Mullally is the Golf Canada National Team Coach for Women. He reports directly to Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer for Golf Canada. Derek Ingram coaches the men’s team while Robert Ratcliffe coaches the boys and Matt Wilson coaches the girls’ junior squad.

These individuals are not widely known by Canadian golfers but they, along with excellent support staff, are the reason Golf Canada is gaining significant notice for the quality of our national development program.

Courtesy Golf Canada

The idea for a new, unified system was conceived by the USGA and The R&A and developed following an extensive review of systems administered by six existing handicapping authorities, going into effect on January 1, 2020.