Federal Way, Wash. – The 2019 Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s (PNGA) championship season kicks off this week as 48 of the top amateur golfers in the region prepare to square off in the 14th PNGA Cup, to be held May 1-2 at the Crosswater Club in Sunriver, Ore.

The PNGA Cup was created in 2006 by past PNGA President Dr. Jack Lamey as a way of continuing the friendship and partnership of the region’s allied associations under the PNGA umbrella – British Columbia Golf, Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association.

The annual Ryder Cup-style competition is held on a rotating basis throughout the region, with this year’s event being held in Oregon and hosted by the Oregon Golf Association.

Courtesy SFU Athletics/Women's Golf

PORTLAND, OR - Coming off the stunning come-from-behind victory at the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, Simon Fraser University golfers Belinda Lin, Kylie Jack, Jaya Rampuri and Estee Leung were selected to the 2018-19 GNAC Women's Golf All-Conference Team.

European Tour Originals presents the 'Chase The Ace Hole-In-One Challenge', episode 3. How many balls would it take a professional golfer to make a hole-in-one?

The odds of an average golfer making an ace are roughly one in 100,000, while stats suggest a European Tour pro's chances are closer to one in 2,500. Introducing Andy Sullivan...

BC's Mary Parsons (Back Row 3rd From Right) Poses With Her Teammates After She Led Them To A Win In The Lady Boilermaker Classic With Her First Collegiate Victory - (Image Courtesy IU Athletics)

Courtesy IU Women's Golf

Sophomore Mary Parsons picked up her first collegiate win for the Indiana Hoosiers Women's Golf Team  after rounds of 70 and 66 put her at 8-under par, six shots ahead of second place Inez Wanamarta of Purdue.

Parsons led her team to the overall victory in the weather-shortened Lady Boilermaker Classic held in West Lafayette, Indiana.

By Christopher Powers/GolfDigest

The Masters can't get here soon enough, and it will always signal the beginning of golf season, specifically for those who live in cold-weather areas.

The sights and sounds at Augusta National kick off the year in a way that no other tournament can, and this year's edition of the Masters promises to be a special one. There are too many intriguing storylines to count, with Rory McIlroy's quest for the career Grand Slam leading the way following his Players Championship victory.

Of course, there's also Tiger Woods, who will be the main draw as long as he's still healthy enough to compete at Augusta National. Patrick Reed, whose game is beginning to trend in the right direction, is the defending champion.

To read the rest of Christopher Powers' column please click here. 

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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.

The 2019 Masters field is set. With Corey Conners' win at the Valero Texas Open, the field has moved from 86 to 87 to match last year's small field, with Patrick Reed eventually earning the Green Jacket.

The 87 golfers in each of the last two Masters represent the smallest field for the first major of the year since there were 86 golfers in the field when Tiger Woods won in 1997.

According to CBS Sports golf columnist Kyle Porter, "Conners is a nice late addition, but he's obviously not one of the favorites. This year's Masters favorite happens to also be the best golfer on the PGA TOUR this season and the man to whom a victory here would probably mean the most of any of the superstars in the game.

"Rory McIlroy is an 8-1 favorite to win his first Masters, and he's followed closely by Dustin Johnson at 10-1 and Justin Rose at 12-1. Combined, that trio has 10 top 10s in 11 Masters over the last four years."

Jennifer Kupcho Of The United States Poses With The Trophy On The No. 12 Hole After Winning The Augusta National Women's Amateur, Saturday, April 6, 2019 - Image Courtesy ANWA Images

By Kris Jonasson/British Columbia Golf

A Masters Champion arrives on the first tee, then stands respectfully to the side as four legends in women’s golf, all World Golf Hall of Fame members, stroll across the tee and stand beside their clubs.

Bubba Watson listens intently as Augusta National Chairman, Fred Ridley, welcomes everyone to the final round of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

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.

Team Canada Member Brigitte Thibault (R) With Her Fresno State Golf Coach Emily Loftin At The Augusta National Women’s Amateur - Image Credit Kris Jonasson/BC Golf

By Kris Jonasson/British Columbia Golf

Red is a powerful colour to wear. Brigitte Thibault from Rosemere, Quebec wears it well, whether as a member of Team Canada or playing on the Fresno State Bulldog Golf Team.

Thursday was day 2 of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. It was also moving day. An opening round 79 saw Thibault sitting at 7-over but more importantly, 5 shots removed from reaching the goal of making the cut.

All 72 competitors in the inaugural event play Augusta National on Friday in what is billed as a practice round, but only the top 30 come back Saturday to finish the event.

Brigitte Thibault Is Canada's Lone Entry In The Inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship - _{Image Courtesy Golf Canada}

Courtesy Golf Canada

AUGUSTA, GA – The field for the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship is taking shape as the tournament announced the first 66 players who accepted invitations into the 72-player field for the April 3-6 event.

Included in the field announcement is Team Canada member Brigitte Thibault. The 20-year-old, who is a native of Rosemère, Que., is currently the highest ranked Canadian (221) on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings. Thibault, a sophomore at Fresno State, will tee it up at 11:12 a.m. ET in Wednesday’s opening round.

British Columbia Golf CEO Kris Jonasson And New President Of BC Golf Michelle Collens Hold The Signed 'Women In Golf Charter' Endorsed By The British Columbia Golf Board - BC Golf Image

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Kris Jonasson, the longtime Chief Executive Officer of British Columbia Golf, knows from personal experience about the challenges of bringing more women into the game.

At British Columbia Golf’s Annual General Meeting at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club, Jonasson told a story about his daughter, who is not a golfer, and his granddaughter, who is on her way to becoming one. “It’s an easy statement to make, it’s not an easy thing to do,” Jonasson said of the challenge of welcoming more women to golf.

“In certain ways, I failed as a father because I didn’t get my daughter involved in golf. I am doing a much better job with my grandchildren. And I can say with a whole lot of pride I am doing a very good job with my granddaughter, who is 12, and likes to go out and play with me.”

The R&A unveiled a new Women in Golf Charter on May 29th, 2018 in London as part of the organization’s global drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

Adoption of the Charter requires national associations and other golf bodies to build on and develop initiatives which will focus on encouraging more women and girls to play golf and stay within the sport as members of clubs, while also empowering women to enjoy successful careers working within the golf industry.

First International Hemp Oil Company, Functional Remedies, To Sponsor PGA TOUR Champions Tournament The Rapiscan Systems Classic March 25-31 In Biloxi, Mississippi - Image Courtesy Functional Remedies

(DENVER) - Functional Remedies, the only award-winning, vertically integrated hemp oil company, announced its expanded reach into professional golf by becoming the first-ever hemp oil company to sponsor a PGA TOUR Champions Tournament, the Rapiscan Systems Classic on March 29-31 at Fallen Oak Golf Club in Saucier, north of Biloxi.

The Early Odds to win the Masters includes two winners from this season...

Angela Bowers Of Victoria Has Become The First Female Caddy From The Victoria Golf Club To Earn The Prestigious Evans Caddie Scholarship Award - Image Credit Alisa Kerr/Victoria GC

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

In caddie parlance, they are called 'loops' and Angela Bowers has made more than 140 of them at Victoria Golf Club.

That’s a lot of walking, sometimes in the rain and wind, with a heavy bag slung over your shoulders, but Bowers never lost sight of the potential reward waiting at the end of her journey.

And now that she has officially earned that proverbial pot of gold at the end of her caddying rainbow -- a prestigious Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship that will take her to the University of Washington this fall -- Bowers is also proud of the fact she made a little history along the way.

For many of us trying to squeeze in the last few rounds of the season, or for those still planning on heading south this winter, it’s important to note the “active season” in the region, province or country you’re playing in.

Golf Canada’s Handicap System stipulates every player is responsible for returning all acceptable scores into one’s scoring record from rounds played on courses observing their active season, which is part of the golf season when courses have acceptable playing conditions.

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of authorized provincial golf associations to declare active and inactive periods, and it is the responsibility of the area club and golfers to observe these dates for posting purposes.

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