DECEMBER 21, 2022 – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of the 57 athletes and eight coaches named to Team Canada as major enhancements to Golf Canada’s national team program continue to take effect.

Golf Canada’s 2023 national team system now features three program tiers: Team Canada (both amateur and professionals); Team Canada – NextGen (U21 amateurs); and a national talent identification system aimed at growing the pool of future national team prospects.

The updated program tiers for 2023 including a record-breaking number of athletes and coaches reflect the enhancements to the high-performance program announced last year to accelerate Canada’s position in the global professional golf landscape with a goal to increase the number of Canadians on the LPGA and PGA Tours to 30 by 2032.

The Team Canada tier (formerly the Young Pro Squad and Amateur Squad) now includes both professionals and amateurs with training focused on helping players reach the major tours. Feeding into Team Canada is a new tier called Team Canada – NextGen (formerly the Junior Squad) focused on supporting top juniors and bridging the gap for players transitioning into amateur golf and the U.S. college system.

“Thanks to the Golf Canada Foundation as well as our generous donors and partners, the enhanced Team Canada program structure is well positioned to support more of this country’s top athletes towards our goal of getting 30 Canadians to the major tours over the next decade,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue. “We have continued to evaluate and analyze the current player development system, have made refinements to competition and training environments, and are working collaboratively with athletes, parents and PGA of Canada coaches toward a shared goal of enhanced Canadian excellence on the global golf stage. Canada has made significant progress in the development of world-class golfers and is poised to take another step forward.”

The enhancements to Golf Canada’s high-performance program, which were outlined in a detailed update authored by Blue in 2022, were made possible through major gift funding support from the Golf Canada Foundation’s network of Trustee donors.

TEAM CANADA – MEN                                                  

A.J. Ewart (23)	Coquitlam, BC	Barry University (Sr.)	The Vancouver GC [AM]
Ashton McCulloch (20)	Kingston, ON	Michigan St. (So.)	Cataraqui G&CC [AM]
Johnny Travale (22)	Hamilton, ON	UCF (5th Yr.)	Hamilton G&CC [AM]
Laurent Desmarchais (21)	Bromont, QC	Tennessee (So.)	Vallée Du Richelieu Golf Club [AM]
Matt Anderson (22)	Mississauga, ON	San Francisco (5th Yr.)	Credit Valley G&CC [AM]
Piercen Hunt (21)	Hartland, WI	Illinois (Jr.)	The Club at Lac la Belle [AM]
Remi Chartier (21)	Naples, FL	East Tennessee State (Sr.)	Royal Montreal GC [AM]
Brendan MacDougall (25)	Calgary, AB	High Point/Nevada (’21)	The Glencoe C&CC [PRO]
Chris Crisologo (27)	Richmond, BC	Simon Fraser (’18)	Marine Drive GC [PRO]
Chris R. Wilson (27)	Toronto, ON	Colgate University (’17)	|N/A| [PRO]
Etienne Papineau (26)	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC	West Virginia (’21)	Pinegrove CC [PRO]
Henry Lee (24)	Coquitlam, BC	University of Washington (’21) [PRO]
Jared du Toit (27)	Kimberly, BC	ASU (’16)	[PRO]
Jeevan Sihota (18)	Victoria, BC	turned pro after high school [PRO]
Joey Savoie (28)	La Prairie, QC	MTSU (’17) [PRO]
Max Sekulic (23)	Rycroft, AB	Washington State (’22)	The Glencoe C&CC [PRO]
Myles Creighton (27)	Digby, NS	Radford (’18)	Banyan GC [PRO]
Noah Steele (25)	Kingston, ON	Sam Houston State (’20)	Cataraqui G&CC [PRO]
Stuart Macdonald (28)	Vancouver, BC	Purdue (’16)	[PRO]
Sudarshan Yellamaraju (21)	Mississauga, ON	turned pro after high school [PRO]

TEAM CANADA – WOMEN                                                        

Angela Arora (18)	Surrey, BC	Tennessee (Jan 2023)	Marine Drive GC [AM]
Brooke Rivers (17)	Brampton, ON	Wake Forest (2023)	Brampton GC [AM]
Celeste Dao (21)	Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, QC	Georgia (Sr.)	Summerlea G&CC [AM]
Katie Cranston (18)	Oakville, ON	Auburn (Jan 2023)	Oakville GC [AM]
Lauren Kim (17)	Surrey, BC	Texas (2023)	Morgan Creek GC [AM]
Lauren Zaretsky (18)	Thornhill, ON	Texas Tech (Fr.)	Maple Downs G&CC [AM]
Leah John (22)	Vancouver, BC	Nevada (Sr.)	Marine Drive GC [AM]
Michelle Liu (16)	Vancouver, BC	High School (grade 11)	Shaugnessy GC [AM]
Monet Chun (21)	Richmond Hill, ON	Michigan (Jr.)	Summit GC [AM]
Nicole Gal (18)	Oakville, ON	Ole Miss (Fr.)	Oakville GC [AM]
Sarah-Eve Rhéaume (22)	Boischatel, QC	Furman (5th Yr.)	Royal Quebec [AM]
Savannah Grewal (21)	Mississauga, ON	Clemson (Sr.)	Piper’s Heath GC [AM]
Brigitte Thibault (24)	Rosemere, QC	Fresno/Texas (’22)	Rosemère Golf Club [PRO]
Maddie Szeryk (26)	London, ON	Texas A&M (’18) [PRO]
Selena Costabile (24)	Thornhill, ON	turned pro after high school	Ladies GC of Toronto [PRO]

The 2023 Team Canada roster is comprised of 35 players who are competing at the highest levels of amateur golf and refining their games on developmental professional tours. The program provides individualized training and competition support by collaborating with players’ support teams, including personal and college coaches, and adding value where gaps are identified. Members of Team Canada have access to The Legacy Golf Club in Phoenix, Ariz. where players can live and train in the winter months.

Salimah Mussani returns as the Stollery Family Team Canada Women’s Head Coach supported by Associate Coach and fellow PGA of Canada professional Jennifer Greggain. Derek Ingram returns as Men’s Team Head Coach and will be supported by Assistant Coaches Louis Melanson and Benoit Lemieux.

The Team Canada coaching staff will be joined by an integrated support team that includes Greg Redman (Strength, Conditioning & Physio, Men’s Team), Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood (Mental Performance & Psychologist, Men’s Team), Andrea Kosa (Strength, Conditioning & Physio, Women’s Team), Lindsay Berard (Mental Performance & Psychologist, Women’s Team), and Kelly Anne Erdman (Performance Dietician).

TEAM CANADA – NEXTGEN (BOYS)                                                    

Alex Zhang (14)	Richmond, BC	High School (grade 9)	Marine Drive GC
Ben MacLean (18)	Niagara Falls, ON	Kent St. (Fr.)	Cherry Hill Club
Cooper Humphreys (17)	Vernon, BC	Oregon St. (2023)	The Harvest Golf Club
Eric Zhao (15)	Toronto, ON	High School (grade 10)	Bayview G&CC
Ethan Wilson (18)	St. Albert, AB	University of Illinois (2023)	Glendale G&CC
Félix Bouchard (19)	Otterburn Park, QC	Univ. of Kansas (2024)	La Vallée du Richelieu GC
Gavyn Knight (18)	Parksville, BC	Boise St. (Fr.)	Morningstar GC
Hunter Thomson (19)	Calgary, AB	University of Michigan (So.)	Calgary G&CC
James Newton (19)	Ottawa, ON	Rutgers (Fr.)	Royal Ottawa
JP Parr (18)	Saint-Celestin, QC	University of Tennessee (2023)	Club de Golf Ki-8-Eb
Owen Kim (18)	Oakville, ON	Coastal Carolina University (Fr.)	Hamilton G&CC
Owen Mullen (19)	Shortts Lake, NS	University of Notre Dame (So.)	Truro Golf Club

TEAM CANADA – NEXTGEN (GIRLS)

Alissa Xu (17)	Richmond Hill, ON	Dartmouth (2023)	Station Creek GC
Anna Huang (14)	Coto de Caza, CA	Junior High (grade 8)	Coto De Caza G&RC
Carlee Meilleur (14)	Lansdowne, ON	High school (grade 9)	Loyalist G&CC
Lindsay McGrath (15)	Oakville, ON	High School (grade 10)	RattleSnake Point GC
Luna Lu (15)	Burnaby, BC	High School (grade 10)	Pitt Meadows GC
Martina Yu (16)	Coquitlam, BC	High School (grade 11)
Michelle Xing (14)	Richmond Hill, ON	High School (grade 9)	Station Creek GC
Vanessa Borovilos (16)	Etobicoke, ON	High School (grade 11)	Weston G&CC
Vanessa Zhang (16)	Vancouver, BC	High School (grade 11)	Marine Drive GC
Yeji Kwon (16)	Port Coquitlam, BC	High School (grade 11)	Swaneset Bay Resort & CC

The 22-player Team Canada – NextGen roster will include both top junior golfers and U21 amateurs in a program to support their transition from junior competition to high-level amateur golf.

The NextGen coaching staff will be led by Head Coach Robert Ratcliffe with support from Assistant Coaches Jennifer Ha and Jeff MacDonald.  The coaches will be joined by an integrated support team that includes Dr. Emily Wiggin (Strength & Conditioning) and Dr. Adam Kingsbury (Mental Performance & Psychologist).

Supporting the overall growth of elite golf in Canada is the national talent identification system, established in 2022 and led by Tristan Mullally, Head of National Talent Identification. The talent identification system provides assistance to younger juniors (11-16 years old) and their existing coaching support teams to grow the pool of future Team Canada prospects.

A key activity within the talent identification system will be the engagement of the National Talent ID Network, a group of more than 80 coaches across Canada working towards collaborative player development initiatives. Additionally, 2023 will see a broader introduction of talent ID camps across the country led by network members to deliver educational and skill-building opportunities to players, parents, and coaches.

The strategic enhancements for Golf Canada’s player development program were shaped by in-depth feedback from numerous stakeholders in Canadian high-performance golf and a global comparative analysis of other countries’ efficiency success in producing world top-200 players. The analysis considered factors such as participation base, culture, and financial investment into high-performance golf, with a particular focus on countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Australia, and England that are geopolitically and culturally similar to Canada.

PGA TOUR Canada announced it will hold six Qualifying Tournaments to determine Tour membership for the 2023 season – five in the U.S., beginning in late-February and concluding with a final qualifier in Canada a week before the Tour’s regular season begins.

PGA TOUR Canada completed its season in September, crowning the Fortinet Cup Points List leader – Edmonton’s Wil Bateman – as Player of the Year. Bateman became the inaugural winner of the Fortinet Cup after winning twice in 2022 and is now a fully exempt member of the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2023 season. Players hoping to follow in Bateman’s footsteps can begin by earning PGA TOUR Canada membership, with playing spots available at the six Qualifying Tournaments. 

“We are coming off a remarkably successful season, and we will continue to build on that momentum in 2023. The first steps are at our Qualifying Tournaments, where players can get on the path that will take them to their ultimate destination, which is the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “Through the years, we’ve been fortunate that so many players are interested in pursuing their professional dreams by playing on PGA TOUR Canada. We anticipate there will be strong demand by players to come to our Tour, as players know about the quality of courses, the cities we visit and the caliber of competition PGA TOUR Canada offers.”

The qualifiers begin with two tournaments in Florida (Weston and Howey-in-the-Hills) on consecutive weeks in late-February, early March. The action starts February 21-24 at The Club at Weston Hills’ Tour Course, as it hosts a Qualifying Tournament for a second consecutive year. The Howey-in-the-Hills tournament is at historic Mission Inn Resort and Club, a long-time host of both PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournaments. It has hosted six previous PGA TOUR Canada qualifiers. The following week, the RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Alabama, is the site for a third consecutive year.

A month later, the qualifiers move west, with events at Wigwam Golf Club in the Phoenix suburb of Litchfield Park, Arizona (April 4-7) and at Soboba Springs Golf Course in San Jacinto, California (April 11-14).

Notable PGA TOUR members to emerge from these sites in recent years include Cameron Young (medalist at Dothan in 2020), Will Zalatoris (runner-up at Wigwam Golf Club in 2019), Alex Smalley (T3 at Howey-in-the-Hills in 2020), Hayden Buckley (T4 at Wigwam Golf Club in 2019), Carson Young (T7 at Howey-in-the-Hills in 2020) and Philip Knowles (T9 at Howey-in the-Hills in 2019).

Bateman finished T5 at the Wigwam Golf Club site in 2021, retained membership for 2022 via the points list and won the Fortinet Cup with his two-win season.

The final Qualifying Tournament is set for June 6-9 in Courtenay, British Columbia. Crowne Isle Resort and Golf Club has previously hosted seven Qualifying Tournaments. PGA TOUR Canada’s season begins the week after this Q-School.

Here is a look at the six tournaments that will all be 72-hole, Tuesday-to-Friday, no-cut events:

Date	Course	Location
February 21-24	The Club at Weston Hills (Tour)	Weston, Florida
February 28-March 3	Mission Inn Resort and Club (El Campeon)	Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
March 7-10	RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands/Marshwood)	Dothan, Alabama
April 4-7	Wigwam GC (Gold)	Litchfield Park, Arizona
April 11-14	Soboba Springs GC	San Jacinto, California
June 6-9	Crowne Isle Resort and GC	Courtenay, British Columbia

“This is a great lineup of tournaments that will test players’ skills and abilities. Those who emerge with Tour cards will have another strong PGA TOUR Canada schedule to play in 2023, with a chance to continue progressing in their professional careers,” Pritchard added.

Among player benefits available, a three-time winner on the Tour would earn automatic promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour. Additionally, the top five players on the 2023 Fortinet Cup Points List will receive 2024 Korn Ferry Tour membership, with the player finishing first earning fully exempt status. The top five players will also be exempt into the Final Stage of the 2023 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, competing for a PGA TOUR card, which will be awarded to top-five finishers and ties. Those in the sixth-through-25th Fortinet Cup positions are exempt into the Second Stage of the 2023 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. In addition, the top 60 players on the final Fortinet Cup standings will retain their PGA TOUR Canada playing privileges for 2024.

PGA TOUR Canada will announce its complete regular season schedule in early 2023.

Maddie Szeryk played her way onto the LPGA Tour for the second straight year through the Q-Series.

The 26-year-old London, Ont., native finished the eight-round marathon series with a -17, good enough for T-17. The top 45 and ties from the Q- Series receive their cards for the 2023 season. This year saw 46 players advance.

Hae Ran Ryu of South Korea finished first with a score of -29, with American Bailey Tardy two shots behind in second at -27.

Two courses from the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama were the site for the Q- Series this year. The first four rounds occurred at Crossing Course from Dec. 1-4, with the second set of 72 holes hosted at Highland Oaks from Dec. 8-11.

While Szeryk started off the first round of the Q- Series shooting even par, she came out hot in round 2. After starting with a birdie on the first hole, Szeryk would convert seven more birdies and no bogeys to shoot -8. She finished her final two rounds at Crossing Course with scores of -4 and even par.

The second set of four rounds proved to be slightly more challenging, but Szeryk more than rose to the occasion. She shot -2 in the fifth round and -4 with the help of an eagle in the sixth round. Szeryk closed out the seventh and eighth rounds with 1-over par and even.

The T-17 finish for Szeryk improves on her finish in last year’s Q-Series, where she finished T-35. The improvement is significant, as the top 20 finishers this year will receive higher priority than the rest of the field who qualified.

Throughout her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2022, Szeryk made five cuts in 14 starts. Her career best finish is T-24 at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America. She has made over $47,000 in career earnings on the LPGA Tour so far.

Playing at home for the first time as an LPGA Tour member this year, Szeryk used two bogey-free opening rounds to make the cut for the first time at CP Women’s Open. Szeryk would go on to finish T-26, the second best Canadian in the tournament.

Szeryk turned pro in 2018 after playing collegiately at Texas A&M. While in college, Szeryk was a three-time All-American and holds the SEC record with 32 career top-10 tournament finishes. 

Since turning pro, Szeryk has earned $80,197 on the Epson Tour, where she has five top-10 finishes. She is also a winner on the Women’s All Pro Tour, capturing the 2020 Kingwood Island Championship.

After the tournament of champions kicks off the season in January, the LPGA Tour will go to Thailand for the Asian swing of the calendar. The CP Women’s Open is scheduled for Aug. 24-27 in Vancouver.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation (IGF) has announced DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley has been elected as its new Chairman.

The announcement was made following an IGF Board Meeting which was conducted December 7, 2023.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Annika Sörenstam was also reelected as IGF President.

“We are grateful for the leadership of Keith Pelley and Annika Sörenstam as we continue to encourage the international development of the sport of golf,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “As two prominent members in the international golf landscape, Keith and Annika will bring extensive experience and knowledge to our overall strategy and we are thrilled to have them in these key roles. I also want to thank PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan for his tenure as the IGF Chairman and we’re delighted to have him continue on the Board moving forward.”

Pelley, from Canada, became the fourth CEO in the DP World Tour’s history in August 2015, will serve as the Chairman of the IGF from 2023-2027.

Prior to joining the DP World Tour, Pelley was President of Rogers Media in Toronto. Before that, he was Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning at CTVglobemedia, President of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, President and CEO of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club and President of The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada.

Sörenstam, who has 97 worldwide professional victories during her prestigious playing career, was reelected for a second two-year term as IGF President, which she’ll serve from 2023-2024.

When Sirocco Golf Club Head Professional Craig Gibson stood on the 16^th tee on Thursday afternoon, he trailed by four strokes.

That left just three holes to make up those four strokes on his playing partner, Rob Tadey, who entered the day with a one-stroke lead at the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and supported by G&G Brands.

Oh yah; he also trailed Stephen Cox by four strokes; who was about to tee off on No. 18 at about the same time Gibson was hitting his tee shot on the par 3 16^th at Verrado Golf Club just outside of Phoenix.

Peeking at the leaderboard around this time, Gibson knew he needed something special to happen if he was going to stamp his name in PGA of Canada championship history.

The next half hour you almost had to see to believe:

2:34 PM: Gibson nails 30-foot birdie putt on 16 to move to -9, trialing Cox and Tadey by 3.
2:45 PM: Cox hits his second on the par-5 18^th short left of the green into the desert, takes an unplayable lie, moving backwards on-line with the pin up a 30-foot, 45-degree grade hill to take a drop in (less dense) desert, ending up with a bogey to finish at -11, one back of Tadey.
2:47 PM: Gibson hits it to an inch on No. 17 to move to -10.
2:55 PM: With a one-stroke lead, Tadey hits his approach shot left, losing his ball in the desert, and makes a double bogey with his provisional to finish at -10.
3:05 PM: Gibson hits a tidy chip to kick-in length for birdie on 18 to finish at -11.

Gibson vs. Cox playoff.

Four playoff holes later, Gibson fought back tears on the 18^th green after making his fourth birdie of the day.

The six-footer he made on his 22^nd hole of the day wasn’t just for him – not this time – but also for his wife and baby daughter at home, 2,500 km away.

“I can’t wait to take a picture of Georgia [his daughter] and the trophy,” said Gibson, who celebrated Georgia’s first birthday alongside his wife Courtney just weeks before making the trek to Verrado Golf Club. “It’s special. I started to kiss my ball marker with her name on it, so this one, it is awesome.”  

Gibson was stellar all week long, firing 66-68-71 to finish on top at the final PGA of Canada national championship of the season.

“This came out of left field, I haven’t played well in 2022,” said Gibson. “To have three rounds like this and to make six birdies in the final seven holes including the playoff, it’s crazy and I didn’t expect this to happen. I’m at a loss for words.”

In addition to the win, which netted him a cool $9,000, Gibson also takes home an additional $500 as the low club professional.

Finishing in a tie for third behind Gibson and Cox was first-round leader John Cochrane and Rob Tadey at 10-under, while Nathan Leonhardt and Sam Kirkness finished in a tie for 5^th at 9-under.

FULL LEADERBOARD

Mississauga, ON – The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) announced Brian Youell of Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. as its John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2022. 

The CGSA John B. Steel Award commemorates the CGSA’s first President, who was also the first superintendent to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. This award is presented annually to an individual, chosen by the CGSA Board of Directors, who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent. The recipient is presented with an original soap stone carving designed and carved by Bill Fach, retired Master Superintendent, and a past CGSA President.

“Brian Youell is one of the most devoted and respected colleagues in the turf industry and a mentor to many,” said Pierre Vezeau, CGSA President. “He has overcome many challenges over the years and continues to give back to the industry and his community. He is a dedicated husband and father to two daughters. His successful career and leadership in the industry is truly inspirational. Congratulations on this well-deserved award Brian.”

Youell has been a CGSA member since 1993 and has held the association’s Master Superintendent (MS) designation since 2002. He is in his 42nd year at Uplands Golf Course which was established in 1922 and celebrated their centenary on December 1st, 2022. His career in the industry spans almost 45 years.

He was the CGSA Environmental Achievement Award winner in 2017, the 2016 CGSA Gordon Witteveen winner and the CGSA Superintendent of the Year Award winner in 2012.

“What an honour to win such a prestigious award,” added Youell. “I’ve had an amazing 42 years with Uplands Golf Club, and I’ve been very fortunate to host 20 PGA Tour Canada events. I’m so happy to have chosen this career path and networked with amazing people.”

TORONTO – Canadian golfing great Mike Weir added another new experience to his storied career on Thursday.

Gold confetti rained down as Weir pressed the button that formally stops trading for the day at the Toronto Stock Exchange.

“I swear, I thought it was still the bell not the button, I guess I’m getting old,” Weir said with a laugh. “It was really fun to do that. Get out to a new network of people, bring golf to the business side of Canada, get those people engaged, not just the golfers.”

The 52-year-old from from Brights Grove, Ont., is the winningest men’s golfer in Canadian history with eight victories on the PGA Tour, including earning the green jacket at the 2003 Masters.

Weir was formally introduced as the captain of the international team for the 2024 Presidents Cup on Wednesday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Although Royal Montreal Golf Club will host the next Presidents Cup, Weir said it was “very important” to include all of Canada in the event and give the international event a true home-course experience.

“We have a huge country land-wise to try to bring everybody together as best we can and make sure that they feel like this is part of our golf legacy,” said Weir. “We want people coming from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, from the East Coast, Halifax.

“I’m hoping they want to come and see the best players in the world compete.”

Weir was the first Canadian to ever play in the star-studded event that sees the best golfers from around the world, minus Europe, play the top players from the United States.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., both played for the international team at the 2022 edition, making it the first time two Canadians played in the tournament.

Weir was an assistant captain for the third time this past September when the Americans won 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 at the Quail Hollow Club outside Charlotte, N.C.

He said that as soon as he was officially named the captain his phone started blowing up with messages from Canadian golfers hoping to make the team in two years’ time.

“We’ve had a WhatsApp chat going for a long time and yeah, I got a bunch of nice texts in there from the guys,” said Weir.

The 49th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship is set for August 21-August 27, 2023 in Vancouver

(Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), is pleased to announce tickets for the 2023 CP Women’s Open in Vancouver are now on sale.

The 2023 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be held at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club August 21-27, marking the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

The 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club was recently named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA. The tournament, which set an attendance record of more than 73k fans, also received Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement, as well as Best Sponsor Activation.

As the only Canadian stop across 33 official LPGA Tour events, the week-long event will draw the world’s best players including 10-time LPGA Tour winner and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson. 

Title-sponsor Canadian Pacific will once again be making a charitable donation to the host community through its CP Has Heart campaign. Since CP assumed title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open in 2014, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This is the third time in the last four years the awards were handed out that the CP Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver for Best Community and Charity Engagement.

The week-long national championship features something for everyone including The Rink, Golf Canada’s signature Canadian themed hole that has grown in popularity at both national opens, a premium food experience at the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way, as well as partner activations, photo-ops, terrific golf and more.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has enabled the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and has inspired the nation’s next generation of female golfers. 

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets
for the 2023 CP Women’s Open 

Join us to witness world-class LPGA Tour golf, activities for all ages, outstanding food and patio experiences and more. Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Golf Canada’s signature events.  

MONTREAL – Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR officials officially announced Canadian and Masters champion Mike Weir has been named captain of the International Team for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will return to Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal for the first time since 2007. 

Primed for his first captaincy, Weir has served as captain’s assistant in three consecutive playings, most recently under the leadership of Trevor Immelman at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club. He was an assistant for Ernie Els in 2019, which saw the International Team build its biggest lead in Presidents Cup history before falling to a Tiger Woods-led U.S. Team, 16-14, at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia. His first appearance dates back to 2017, serving for Nick Price at Liberty National Golf Club. 

“Presidents Cup has become such a big part of my career, so to be here in this moment announced as captain of the 2024 International Team is surreal,” said Weir. “When I look back, I have so many incredible memories associated with this event whether it be my debut in 2000; winning my Singles match against Tiger in 2007 at Royal Montreal; witnessing Ernie create the shield in 2019; and then seeing Trevor carry that momentum in 2022. Now as I look with anticipation toward 2024, I couldn’t be more excited to lead the International Team into my home country of Canada for what will surely be the experience of a lifetime.” 

Weir, who was the first Canadian to ever compete in the Presidents Cup, has appeared in five Cups (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009). An eight-time PGA TOUR winner, he is 13-9-2 all-time at the Presidents Cup and one of six International Team members with 10 or more match wins in competition. In 2007, the Presidents Cup was staged in Canada for the first time, with Weir delivering a 3-1-1 record highlighted by a 1-up victory over Tiger Woods in Singles. 

“As the International Team Captain in 2024, Mike Weir will continue the upward trend of the Internationals with his unwavering support for his players and the Presidents Cup,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With his pedigree as a player combined with his history with the Presidents Cup both as a player and a captain’s assistant, Mike is the right leader at the right time as the Presidents Cup returns to Montreal. As an icon in his homeland, he certainly will have the full support for the Canadian fans in building a distinct homefield advantage for the International Team.” 

After turning professional in 1992, Weir won his first PGA TOUR title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship with a two-stroke victory over Fred Funk, becoming the first Canadian to win on TOUR since Richard Zokol. He went on to win seven additional titles, including the 2003 Masters – one of three victories collected that season. The 52-year-old currently competes on PGA TOUR Champions, where he notched his first victory at the 2021 Insperity Invitational. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to congratulate Mike and his family on this incredible honor,” said Presidents Cup Executive Director Ryan Hart. “It will be a momentous occasion to welcome him home to Canada for what will be a historic moment in this country’s sports history, as evidenced by the incredible level of interest and support we have received from partners and fans in the city and throughout the country. It’s no secret that Canadian fans love their golf, so we’re excited to see the momentum build toward 2024 knowing one of their own has the reins of the International Team.”

Founded in 1873, The Royal Montreal Golf Club is the oldest club in North America. Its Blue Course was designed by Dick Wilson and updated by Rees Jones in 2004 and 2005. In addition to hosting the Presidents Cup, Royal Montreal also held the RBC Canadian Open on 10 occasions, most recently in 2014. 

“Captaining the team at this golf course is going to carve out an entire new piece of history in my career that can’t be replaced,” Weir said. “I have such a deep sense of pride bringing the team home knowing that in my opinion, the people of Canada are the most loyal and passionate sports fans in the world. We are hopeful to have a few Canadians on the team that will help muster up some of the loudest roars the event has ever heard.” 

The 2024 Presidents Cup will be held at Royal Montreal Golf Club, September 24-29. For more information about the Presidents Cup, please visit PresidentsCup.com. 

By: Marshall Healy

After first representing his country on the international stage at the turn of the century, Mike Weir is ready to captain the International squad on home soil.

After serving as an assistant the previous three Presidents Cups and representing the Internationals five times as a player, Weir has been tabbed to lead the perennial underdog team in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Few International golfers match the pedigree of Weir at the Presidents Cup, and even fewer are still actively involved in the bi-annual competition. And despite never being on the winning side of the team event, Weir always brought his consistent, steady play to the world stage.

The Sarnia, Ont. native never had a losing record in a single Presidents Cup appearance. Australian Steve Elkington is the only other International player with at least three team appearances that can make the same claim.

Further, Weir has the second-highest win percentage among International players with at least three appearances. His 58.33 per cent win percentage places him just above fellow major winner Louis Oosthuizen and behind Elkington.

Here is a look at how Weir journeyed from rookie to captain.

Steller Start

Weir’s first ever PGA Tour win at the 1999 Air Canada Championship helped vault him onto the team in 2000, one of three rookies to compete for the Internationals that year. Despite losing his opening match, like all his teammates, Weir was the bright spot for the Internationals the rest of the competition.

Weir was the only player from either team to win both his Friday matches, which meant he and Nick Price were the only Internationals to win a foursomes match all competition, besting Phil Mickelson and David Duval.

Weir would then hand Mickelson his second loss with a 4 & 3 win in Sunday singles. Weir ended the 2000 Presidents Cup with a 3-2-0 record and the highest point total for the Internationals.

Continued Success

In 2003, Weir picked up where he left off, recording another 3-2-0 record in his sophomore outing. Weir’s three points were instrumental in ensuring the Internationals tied with America, the only time Weir was not on the losing end of the team event.

Playing in four matches in 2005, Weir bookended the competition with a foursomes win with Trevor Immelman and a singles win over Scott Verplank. With the teams tied at 11 after Saturday, Weir was one of only four Internationals to record a win during Sunday singles play.

Homecoming

A captain’s selection when the Presidents Cup first came to Royal Montreal in 2007, Weir proved he could be more than just a lightning rod to get the crowd roaring.

Weir compiled a 3-1-1 record to lead the Internationals in points for the second time. And while the team outcome was a forgone conclusion come Sunday, Weir still put on a show for the crowd when going up against the number one player for the United States, Tiger Woods.

Weir fended off Woods in the early stages and built a 3-up lead after 10 holes. However, Woods stormed back to take a 1-up lead after 15. A birdie on 17 by Weir evened the match, sending the players to the 18th, a hole Woods had not played all week.

An errant drive hindered Woods, forcing him to attempt a greenside chip for par that fell short. Woods conceded the match to Weir, to the delight of the Montreal crowd.

“To have that kind of support being in your home country was fantastic,” Weir said at the time. “It was something I’ll never forget.”

Elder Statesman

Weir would finish his playing days at the Presidents Cup with a 2-2-1 record in 2009, winning both of his matches in fourball with Ernie Els.

After being away for a few years, Weir returned in 2017 as a captain’s assistant for Nick Price. He kept the same role in 2019 and 2022, mentoring Canadians like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.

In 2007, Weir was the lone Canadian on the team. Come 2024, he likely won’t be alone.