It’s fair to say that BC has had some exceptional golfers come through the ranks many of whom have gone on to turn pro competing around the world.

We are hearing that BC or rather Team BC has also turned out exceptional qualified young golfers who are taking major steps to turn pro which we wish them much success.

We recently received the following from Golf Canada and want to share. Enjoy the read and thanks to Golf Canada for the press release!

After consecutive runner-up finishes the past two years, Team British Columbia (B.C.) has reclaimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship from Team Ontario in the 111th playing of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.

Team B.C. finished with a two-day collective score of 9-over, six shots clear of the two-time defending champions to claim the title for the first time since 2022 on Wednesday at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

The team was represented by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley, B.C.

“This win means a lot, we all have a lot of B.C. pride and any chance to play for our province is really good and being able to win for our province is a super great accomplishment,” said Arora.

The team mindset was to play smart heading into Wednesday, which has certainly been a requirement at Riverside Country Club over the first two rounds. For Kwon, the team dynamic played a key role in securing the title.

“Our team is very supportive of each other and the team made me feel very welcome and a very positive environment. This team was amazing and worked very well in the tournament,” she said. “Overall, I am proud and happy that I could play on the course with Team B.C.”

Lee, the lone returning player from last year’s team added, “I think it was great, I had really great teammates, and it was nice creating a bond with Team B.C.”

Arora’s back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 and Kwon’s scores of 73 and 76 counted on both days for Team B.C. The two lowest scores from the three-person team counted towards the combined team total for each round.

Team Ontario finished as runner-up with a combined score of 15-over.

Team Alberta and Team Quebec finished in a tie for third at 30-over, with Team Manitoba rounding out the top five at 32-over.

Pate keeps pace

Day two began with warmer temperatures, but the winds picked up as the day progressed, flipping the script on Tuesday’s opening round conditions.

Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. maintains a one-shot lead following a 2-over 74 to now sit at 2-under for the tournament, ahead of Kaitlyn Schroeder from Jacksonville, Fla. who shot a 1-over 73 to move up one spot on the leaderboard at 1-under.

Pate began play on the back nine, recording a birdie and two bogeys before heading to the challenging front nine, where the winds played havoc for the field.

After carding a birdie on the fifth hole, Pate struggled with consecutive bogeys before regaining her lead with a birdie on her final hole of the round.

Team Canada NextGen member, Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. was one of only two players that shot under par on Wednesday, following a 1-under 71 to move to even par for the tournament to jump up to third. Xing opened with five birdies through her first seven holes.

“I got off to a good start,” said Xing. “Hitting my wedges well and putting the ball well. 

I didn’t think too much of it because it was the morning and was just trying to have some fun.”

Xing added that her putting has been a strong point over the first two rounds of the championship despite some challenging conditions for the field coupled with stronger winds over the first two days.

“It’s been tough, the pin positions today were really tough, the course has been pretty firm, and the greens have slope, but I think there are still some scoring holes, especially the par fives,” she added.

Angela (Yilin) Liu of Irvine, Calif., Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand, Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan and Team Canada member, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. are tied for fourth at 2-over.

Fellow Team Canada member and 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. is tied for eighth with four others at 3-over.

The field has been reduced to the top 68 and ties (73 players total) advancing to the final 36-holes with a cut line of 15-over.

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Trophy, the Canadian Women’s Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24.

The winner will also earn an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

For Thursday’s Third Round tee times, please click here. For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the second round of the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including 11 National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. 

In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, 

Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships.

Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Coca-Cola, Sport Canada, and Levelwear. 

For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions-calendar/.

The post TEAM BC WINS 111TH CANADIAN WOMEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The annual event ironically is the 10th event that works to “help protect the lungs of the lower mainland” where you can stroll on walkway’s throughout the bog to explore old growth spruce trees.

Registration opens at 1130 AM with Tee off set for the first group at 1230.

The day’s event will wrap up with Dinner with the auction all scheduled to end around 8pm  

Over the years we have had many loyal sponsors and supporters which are greatly appreciated which gives you lots of time to spend with the family in the evening.

At the same time you can watch various birds such as owls, hawks and eagles that inhabit tree tops which has over 300 plant and animal species as well as around 175 bird species.

This weekend which is an annual fund raiser event is where you can help support the Bog by attend their annual Golf Tournament which supports the environment as well as a fun time for everyone.

Fundraising for this event isn’t an easy task and to everyone helping your help is greatly appreciated.

It is the largest raised peat bog and the largest undeveloped urban land mass on the West Coast of the Americas. 

Burns Bog was originally 4,000–4,900 hectares (9,900–12,100 acres) before development and currently, only 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) remain of the bog.

The post Burn’s Bog 10th Annual Golf Tournament first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Let’s face it BC has some of the most impressive looking golf courses in Canada and knowing that golfers in the lower mainland can golf year-round.

No just in the lower mainland but also on Vancouver Island as well as BC’s Interior that has some of the most scenic picturesque views in Western Canada.

We received the following from BC Golf which was published on  their site September 2013 and wanted to share the read.

Enjoy the read:

British Columbia retained bragging rights after winning its second straight Indigenous Challenge Match with Ontario at the Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria.

Team B.C. outscored Ontario 9-7 in the two-day match-play event at Bear Mountain’s Valley and Mountain courses.

Christina Spence Proteau of Port Alberni and partner Joan Hinkey of Nanoose Bay won both of their matches. Proteau and Hinkey beat the Ontario duo of Lorraine Elijah and Sophie Malenfant 4&3 in their Tuesday match.

They won their opening match Monday by the same 4&3 score over Kathy Jamieson and Melanie Burgess of Team Ontario. “Joan definitely carried me a fair bit yesterday, so I earned my keep a little more today,” said Spence Proteau, a winner of multiple provincial and national championships.

“We balanced each other out really well and had a lot of fun at the same time. Both matches started off a little bit slow at our end, but we had really great back nines both days.”

Winning was obviously nice, but Spence Proteau noted this event is about much more than that. “Everyone is competitive and wants to do their best, but there’s a collegiality that is different from other events,” said Spence Proteau, who won the inaugural B.C. Indigenous Championship in 2023.

“One of the players from Ontario has brought a gift for each of us the last two years. So I am going to send some smoked salmon from Port Alberni as a gift. There are some friendships being forged across the provinces.”

B.C. won last year’s inaugural Indigenous Challenge Match against Ontario, which was also played at Bear Mountain, by a score of 18-14.

“We’d love to see the other provinces get involved, beyond British Columbia and Ontario,” Spence Proteau said. “I think Golf Canada would support a national match play event.”

Each team was composed of 16 players — four two-person teams in net and gross divisions. B.C. Junior Boys champion Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, who repeated as B.C. Indigenous champion this past spring, played at Bear Mountain with Cody Bailey of Prince George. 

They won both of their matches, but had to battle from behind to seal their victory on Tuesday over Team Ontario’s Daylon Gee and Ron Atatise.

“Our match went right to the 18th hole,” said the 16-year-old Krahn. “We were three down through three after a tough start. Then we battled back pretty hard. We were down two with three to play and then we won the last three holes to win it by one. It was a pretty good battle. There were really good shots by both teams. It was just great golf all-round.”

It was a family affair of sorts for Krahn, whose older brothers, Mitchell and David, were also part of Team B.C. “This year the competition was really, really high level,” Krahn said.

“My two brothers and I all had our matches go to the 18th hole today. It was a great experience and you get the same kind of pressure you get in this tournament that you do in the B.C. Junior. It was the same kind of stuff going down the stretch. It was really fun and having the whole family here is really special.”

The other members of Team B.C. included 2024 Indigenous Championship winner Kylie Jack of West Kelowna , Hayley Geremia of Langley, Harry Ferguson of Invermere, James Ivers of Surrey, Josh Charles of Victoria, Robert Louie of Kelowna, Sharon Jack of West Kelowna, Erin Duhaime of Victoria, Gloria Morgan of Vernon and Cherie Williams of Victoria.

Stephen Tooshkenig, Ontario’s non-playing captain, said his team thoroughly enjoyed the competition. “We were tied after day one and B.C. went into a different mode today, played quite well, made some putts and ended up beating us 9-7,” he said. “It was very close all the way through. Several matches went to the 18th hole.”

The post Inaugural Indigenous Challenge Cup first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Over the last decade, if not more, Laird and I have been privileged to cover various sporting events with the help of some exceptional individuals who have “pitched-in” to assist us.

Our main focus is covering Amateur Athletes who are looking to excel in their chosen sport and win or lose they are “winners” in our circles.

Brook has just competed in her first  Olympics 

We managed to watch a “young” Lydia Ko compete in two of her Canadian Open Championships (2012, 2015) at the Vancouver Golf Course in Coquitlam, BC.  

At the time she was indeed a “young and eager” 15 year old prodigy attending her very first LPGA managing to capture the coveted Championship. 

She has won the LPGA Canadian Open three times; 2012, Coquitlam, BC, 2013, Edmonton, Alberta, 2015, Coquitlam, BC. 

Over the last three weeks a young woman, Lydia Ko, New Zealand stamped her name in golf history with her golf victory at the Paris Summer Olympics and then won the Major AIG Women’s Open at the prestigious St. Andrews Links Course in Scotland this last weekend.  

Throughout my photo career I have met and captured a lot of sports stars in action.  

She was young and single but recently got married December 30th 2022 to Chung Jun, the son of the Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Chung Tae-young, at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.

Laird had the luck and privilege to capture Lydia in two championships who has an upcoming birthday next April 24th and has managed to have a net worth of $25 Million, so practice does pay off!!!!

Congratulations to Lydia from the Sportswave.ca team

The post Lydia’s Journey Through Laird’s Camera first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Given the soggy weather we are currently facing there is no doubt that by July it’ll take a turn for the better so everyone can get out and  hit the course of their choice.

Everyone has a favorite and one group or Society is the Burns Bog Conservation Society who are pleased to announce that they have finalized the date for their Annual Charity Golf Tournament. 

It is presented by the Burns Bog Foundation and is a full 18 hole event with a shotgun start and a Texas Scramble held at the scenic Delta Golf Course teeing off July 13, 2024 11:30am, 

We received the following from Bev and wanted to share so make the date in your planner and get set to get “Tee-d” off.

What to expect: Dinner, contests for Best team, Long Drives, KP, closest to the pin, Putting contest, Silent auction, 50/50’s, Hole in one

Early Bird until June 1,2024 is $140.88 per person or $563.00 for a group of four.
(Save $5 per person if you register before June 1st!)

After June 1st it is $145.88 per person, or $583.88 for a group of four.
*Power carts are extra

Want to be a sponsor?(hole, major, putting, best team, media, course contests) or donate a gift basket? Contact Bev, bev@burnsbog.org, 604 572 0373.

Thank you for supporting the lungs of the lower mainland!

The post 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

In light of the recent RBC Open played at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club we received the following press release from Griff Bordignon and wanted to pass it on which we do when we get articles from Cr!er Media.

They also submitted the photo along with the article.

Enjoy the read:

Good morning from a rain-soaked Hamilton Golf & Country Club, where Scotsman Robert MacIntyre holds a 4-stroke lead over Ryan Fox, local player Mackenzie Hughes, and Benjamin Griffin. 

The rain shouldn’t affect the conditions or the golfers. Last year, at a similarly rain-soaked Oakdale, Canadian Nick Taylor took the title. Will history repeat itself this year? Only time will tell.

One player to watch is last year’s runner-up, Tommy Fleetwood, who shot a 70 on Friday but rebounded with an impressive 64 yesterday. 

He and his partner for today, Sam Burns, are just one stroke behind the tie for second place with Fox, Hughes, and Griffin. 

If any of these players, including MacIntyre, falters on this rainy Sunday,

Tommy could potentially have a great day and win his first PGA Tour event. It’s worth noting that, like Fleetwood, MacIntyre has yet to secure a career tour win.

The day started with Rory McIlroy on the first hole, but I was focused on following the local player, Mackenzie Hughes.

Mackenzie got off to a good start, birdieing three of the first four holes of the day. However, two bogeys on holes 5 and 9 have left the Dundas native feeling a bit unsettled. 

Still, he managed to shoot a 33 through the first nine holes, something I could only dream of achieving.

By the time Mackenzie reached the Rink, he had parred the first three holes on the back nine. Unfortunately, a bogey on the Rink dashed his hopes for consecutive strong performances.

The story of the day was all about Robert Macintyre. 

Despite having some challenging moments that nearly opened the door for players like Victor Perez and Tom Kim, MacIntyre, with his father by his side, ultimately secured his first career PGA Tour win at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

For the second year in a row, the tournament concluded with a great story and a memorable ending. Golf Canada did a fantastic job, and Hamilton Golf & Country Club proved to be an excellent venue for the event. 

Now, we look forward to the 2025 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Thanks to Cr!er Media for the press release!!!

The post Robert McIntyre Wins 2024 RBC Open first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Sunday kick’s off with an early start again for the volunteers who began arriving shortly after six in preparation for the day’s events.

Different from the golfers who never made the cut, the volunteers are the ones who keep the event running smooth and on time.

The media tent was ready, the greens were manicured , the sand traps were reshaped and the sunscreen was prevalent as was the bug spray.

To the frustration of some Brooke Henderson was starting the day with a T-time of 11:35 in group 18 paired with Alexa  Pano.

There is no doubt that Sunday would see young up and coming golfers following every move Brooke makes on each hole and watching her walk the fairways there is no doubt who everyone came to watch.

One addition to our story about the hockey rink it was interesting to know that the Zamboni is on loan from the City of Vancouver as well as having the Canucks Mascot here interacting with the youngsters on the 17th.

Sunday saw the sun come out as did the spectators and by mid morning the course was packed knowing several of the players by name cheering them on throughout the day.

The other area that stood out was when they mentioned about how the golfers were being billitted by local families

It was mentioned that some families are hosting one player and a caddie while other families are hosting three which depends on what they can offer.

In conversation with one family they mentioned that they are learning lots from the player while the player is learning a lot about not only the family but also the Canadian lifestyle.

The players have missed the Canadian hospitality as well as the International crowd feel comfortable in Canada and in particular Vancouver.

Canada is known as one of the more friendly countries in the golf world in part due to our friendly and accommodating nature and allowing the golfers to be bellitted is their home away from home.

The interaction between both the kids and the golfers continues to impress me and for some of the billet families who have young families that are involved in golf this can be more exciting than a trip to Disneyland.

Players who are quite often stay in touch with the family which is unique for everyone regardless of who the player is.

The conversation got around to what Brooke brings to the event and with a quick response Leanne mentioned “she brings the crowd and you\ll see it throughout the day as she has that Brooke magic which seems to attract everyone.”

Brooke mentioned that this was one of her first ever PGA events she competed in and winning in 2018 was a huge event and looks forward to playing in BC.

Bringing this to Shaughnessy is huge and it’s been a long three-year wait and seemed to disappear from public view but Golf Canada wrapped it up bringing it back to BC.

Golf Canada and the LPGA have strict rules in place as to how each event has to work with the Doctors on site and with UBC close by it makes it much easier for everyone.

For those who  are volunteering age means nothing as some of the youngest on the T-box range from 6 to 10 with the oldest volunteers in their late 80s and loving every minute of the day.

It was interesting to note that some of the volunteers have signed on for three years with others traveling from as far away as Calgary and have been involved for years.

Next year the event moves east to Calgary and will be held at the Earl Grey Golf Club  being played from July 22nd to the 28th

Earlier this year Golf Canada held a golf day in Calgary that focused on Equidity, Inclusion and Diversion to help get women’s golf moving forward earlier in the week working with the Musqueam being a major player and partner.

Given the cost of everything in today’s world and the prices continuing to go up and up, golf on the other hand is family-affordable that allows you to start the youngsters off on the first “T” program.

Having the junior starters out on the course they mention that it’s  a life changing experience to meet the pros and they will continue with this program.

If you talk with some of the pros they mention about the first PGA players they met when they were about six or seven with their parents they met Brooke or Morgan which has stayed with them over the years.

I thanked both Leanne and Diana for their time and appreciated their honesty with any and all questions I asked.

Say what you will – volunteers made this a success for everyone.

Thanks to the CPKC and Golf Canada for their assistance during our time at Shaughnessy.

The post Young Girls Drive The Program – Part 2 first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

2023 Women’s Open, at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, in Vancouver, British Columbia, August 26, 2023.

If you’re talking about pressure you need look no farther than day three for the  CPKC Women’s Open played at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club that has world class players competing for the coveted trophy..

During the event I had the opportunity to catch-up with Assistant Tournament Director Leanne Schellenberg and Diana Maughan who is one of three tournament co-chairs representing Shaughnessy. 

Knowing that there are three curiosity got the better of me so I had to inquire who the other two were and found out that they are Ken Woods who was the top volunteer as Chair in both 2005 and 2011 with the other being Past President Ian MacLean. 

Diana  has been working with Leanne ever since she arrived at Golf Canada and has stayed in touch with what decisions have been made starting back in April in addition to using Zoom  calls  for all the  Chairs and Vice Chairs to stay in touch.

CPKC is the title sponsor and they help determine where they would like to have the event year to year as their railway runs across Canada so they like to make sure that the event is held across Canada.

CPKC has been the title sponsor of the Women’s Open for the past nine years managing to raise over $13.5 million to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities with this year’s charitable beneficiary being the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. 

Tournament Director Ryan Paul spent time visiting Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club which they previously knew about and the club had to indicate they were interested and then they started planning.

The one thing they were looking for was that the venue was one that was played on by the men as well knowing it’s historical, family friendly, accessible for everyone including Sportswave photographer Mark Steffens.

While the event focuses on Women’s Golf the event could not be a success without the overall support of the over 1000 volunteers who have traveled from various areas of Canada to make this event successful. 

Not just for Golf in Canada and CPKC but also golf in BC which shows how the game has not only changed but also  continues to grow in the lower mainland.

In conversation with not only the volunteers but some of the younger fans the one thing they enjoy is the interaction with the players who ironically are being billitted with families for their time here.

One golfer mentioned “It’s so nice to be with the family as they are not only telling me about the area but also teaching me about life on Canada’s West Coast.”

In conversation with one of Golf Canada’s media personnel it’s nice to hear that this is the largest women’s event hosted by Golf Canada.

The growth for women’s golf clearly depends on the development and training for the young girls who are playing the sport regardless of where you live or play.

The training of young girls in any sport depends solely on  the teaching, instruction and knowledge of the instructor or pro who has come through the system knowing what’s required to achieve success.

Not all instructors can grasp this, but the ones that do will advance to the higher level of the game all for the betterment of their student, which only leads to success.

The young players today have far too much on their mind given the outside pressures put on them and fitting into today’s society isn’t the easiest for some and to be successful you have to believe in yourself.

Canadian’s flocked to the course on Saturday knowing that Brooke Henderson made the cut  hitting the first tee at two following a rough start that saw her have to climb up the leaderboard to make the cut.

We forgot to mention that on hole 17 it’s truly Canadian being set up with a hockey theme “The Rink” that some of the players had a hard time understanding, but eventually understood our pastime.

Known as Canada’s pride and joy she has a personality that bubbles with excitement and never has a down-side that shows through, yet her overall demeanor  was what one described jokingly as one of a kind.

We should remember that this was on the schedule to be on the docket to be played in 2020 but due to COVID-19 and cancelled twice as was put on hold along with other sporting events.

So realistically it’s been a three year battle to get to the first tee and as we were doing the interview there were about 1000 volunteers all working in different areas such as planning, scheduling and knowing their goals as well as getting oriented.

Being a volunteer isn’t a nine to five job, it’s all about getting here early driving players, setting up the practice range and doing what’s needed to make the day a success.

The shifts are long and one volunteer mentioned that he arrived at 5 and finished about 10:30 Thursday evening then only turned around to do it all over again the next day.

Stay tuned Part Two Sunday!!

The post Volunteers Drive CPKC Women’s Championship first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.