Country Hills GC Claims the 2020 Tournament of Champions
The annual Tournament of Champions sponsored by Sunice / Bobby Jones saw some great weather and a mint condition Glendale G&CC giving players a first class golf experience from start to finish!
Coming away with another Tournament of Champions win was the team of Country Hills GC, winning the title through retrogression over Picture Butte GC at 5-under 67. Professional Kurtis Foote and his 2019 Club Champion Kevin Temple played bogey-free golf while sinking five clean birdies, one of which on the final hole, to claim this year’s title. Country Hills GC previously won the Tournament of Champions back in 2015 and 2016.
Finishing at 5-under 67 as well placing in 2nd after retrogression was the team that hailed from southern Alberta Picture Butte GC. Professional Jamie Gerlitz and partner Kris Wasylowich made a huge eagle on hole 17 to move to 6-under however their only blemish on the day came on hole 18 after making bogey to open the door for Country Hills GC.
In a four-way tie for third place at 4-under 68 was the teams from The Winston GC (Scott Anderson and Dave Stuart), Broadmoor GC (Corey Strong and Jodi Kirchner), Miskanaw GC (Jason Vaughan and Ryan Coish) and Edmonton CC (Greg Kincade and Brock Crosson).
Thank you to our Title Sponsor Sunice / Bobby Jones for the continued support of the Association and host venue Glendale G&CC for putting on a first class event.
The draw is now available for the third Play Ability Test of the season hosted at The Winston GC in Calgary on Thursday, August 6th. Tee times begin at 2pm. Good luck to the 30 players we have going for their Apprentice Professional status with the PGA of Canada!
The draw is now posted for the annual Pro-Junior event Presented by Impact Canopy Canada and AHEAD Canada. Forty teams of Professionals and their junior amateur partners will head to Sundre GC on Wednesday, August 5th for a fantastic round of golf and to battle for the Pro-Junior title in the new Team Net Stableford format. Tee times will begin at 10am.
Sundre GC offers unique challenges and breathtaking countryside beauty. Each hole is tailor-made, which provides unique characteristics that will offer a fun challenge to all competitors next week.
The draw is now available for the second final Golf Supply House Series of the season heading north to the Edmonton Garrison Memorial G&CC next week on Tuesday, August 4th. The event will see 49 players competing for a purse of $6,300. Tee times will begin at 9am.
Winner of the 1-day GSH Series event will receive 20 Order of Merit points. View the standings HERE.
Pro-Lady @ Mill Woods GC - Rescheduled to August 27th
The Mill Woods GC Pro-Lady event has been rescheduled to Thursday, August 27th and the start time will remain the same at 9am (tee times).
Please be advised that if you were signed up for the event previously, your registration has automatically transferred over to the new date. If you would like to withdraw before penalty, you have until Thursday, August 13th by 4pm.
If you’re now available to play in this event, please click the button below.
Tournament News
McArthur Wins His Second Club Pro Championship in Four Years
Players were treated to another perfect day at the PING Club Pro Championship hosted at the prestigious Windermere G&CC. The course provided an excellent challenge for players throughout the two days as they battled to keep scores low as possible.
After a back and forth battle, Craig McArthur of Edmonton Junior Golf at Jagare Ridge came out victorious over Jeff Cuthbertson (Stony Plain GC) on the first playoff hole to win the 2020 Club Pro Championship title!
Both players played excellent today shooting 1-under 70’s with three birdies and two bogeys each. Craig maintained the lead for the better part of today until making a bogey on hole #16 par 4 to drop to 2-under for the Championship to split the lead with Jeff. Both players missed their par putts on #17 to fall back to 1-under setting the stage for an exciting finish on the challenging par 4 eighteenth.
After making a great recovery chip for his third shot, Craig saved par on #18 to tie Jeff and force a playoff after both players finished 71-70 (1-under) for the Championship.
On the first playoff hole, Jeff just missed his par putt leaving the door open for Craig to win his second Club Pro Championship in 4 years after winning in 2017 at The Derrick G&WC.
Falling a bit back of the leaders in 3rd place at 3-over for the Championship was Jamie Gerlitz (Picture Butte GC). Starting the day at even par with the leaders, Jamie finished the front nine at 2-over and was unable to keep up with his playing partners falling out of contention.
Moving up three spots today on the leaderboard and finishing in 4th place was Jeremy Lavallee (Northern Bear GC) after turning his game around to shoot an even par 71 today to finish 6-over for the Championship.
Rounding out the top 5 in a three-way tie was Host Professional Brice MacDermott (Windermere G&CC), Josh Fleming (GOLFTEC Calgary Beacon Heights) and Eric Porter (Lethbridge CC). All players ended the Championship at 7-over.
Special shoutout to Adam Pederson (Westlock GC) for making an ace today and winning a skin on hole #8 (par 3) playing 155 yards!
Thank you to our host venue Windermere G&CC for a terrific two days. Next Championship stop on the schedule is the one and only PGA of Alberta Championship hosted at River Bend G&RA in Red Deer on August 17 & 18.
Tournament News
Three-Way Tie for Top Spot at the Club Pro Championship
Coming ready to play today and sitting in a three-way tie for 1st is the likes of Jeff Cuthbertson (Stony Plain GC), and former Champions Craig McArthur (Edmonton Junior Golf at Jagare Ridge) who won in 2017 at The Derrick G&WC, and Jamie Gerlitz (Picture Butte GC) who won two years ago in 2018 at Innisfail GC. All players made their fair share of birdies today mixed in with a few bogeys to finish at even-par 71, giving them a two-stroke lead over their nearest competitors heading into tomorrow.
Sitting at a respectable two-over par 73 and tied for 4th is Host Professional Brice MacDermott (Executive Professional at Windermere G&CC) and PGA of Alberta President/former Champion Greg McGarry (Glendale G&CC), who won the Championship back-to-back years in 2005 and 2006.
Alone in 6th place is Eric Porter (Lethbridge CC) after carding a 74 (3-over) to maintain some pressure on the leaders. Right behind Eric in 7th sits our other Host Professional Jason Hnatiw (Head Professional at Windermere G&CC) at 75 (4-over).
In a four-way tie for 8th at 77 is Dallas Cantera (Cardiff G&CC), Gord Courage (Hamptons GC), Jeremy Lavallee (Northern Bear GC), and former Champion Jason Stanier (Inglewood G&CC) who won the Championship back in 2010 at Earl Grey GC.
Round 2 will resume early tomorrow morning (July 27th) at 7am. Final group of Gerlitz, Cuthbertson and McArthur tee it up at 9:30am.
Follow the action on our live scoring link HERE for tomorrow’s round.
Tournament News
Club Pro Championship Draw - Windermere G&CC
The draw is now available for Round 1 of the prestigious Club Pro Championship sponsored by PING Canada on July 26th & 27th. Forty-seven Head, Executive and Head Teaching Professionals will head to the picturesque Windermere G&CC in Edmonton for the chance to be to crowned this year’s Champion. Purse for the event is set at $13,250.
Defending Champion Scott Borsa of Devon G&CC will look to go back-to-back after winning the Championship in 2019 at Elbow Springs GC carding a 72-69 (3-under) to win in a playoff. Click here to see past champions.
Tee times begin at 1:40pm on Sunday, July 26th and at 7:00am sharp for Round 2 on Monday, July 27th. Winner of the Championship will receive 40 Order of Merit points.
The latest issue of our digital magazine the Golf Report is now available. In this special edition of the magazine, learn up to 15 helpful tips on simple ways to improve your game from our certified PGA of Canada Professionals, The Most Trusted Resource in Golf!
Other content in the magazine includes a story on the recent passing of Dave Mayes, the first ever Executive Director of the PGA of Alberta (1986-2000), and a highlight on the new Mickelson National Golf Club.
The Pro-Lady event today (July 23rd) at Mill Woods GC has officially been CANCELLED due to the following reasons:
Recent weather resulting in the course being extremely saturated.
The expected forecast for today calling for more rain and potential lightning during the event.
With our new COVID-19 Tournament Guide policy, players would have to wait in their cars for any weather delays to prevent group gatherings in the clubhouse. We always want to ensure the safety of all our players and give everyone the best possible experience at the event. We will look to reschedule to a later date.
Thank you for your understanding.
Association News
2020 PGA of Alberta Buying Show & Awards Banquet Cancelled
Dear Members, Exhibitors, Partners and Guests,
As you are already aware, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has meant that it’s now vital to limit social contact and avoid large group gatherings. For that reason, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 PGA of Alberta Buying Show. While we know this is disappointing, we hope you can understand the steps we are taking to help keep everyone safe who attends the Show.
The Buying Show is a big part of our culture at the PGA of Alberta. It’s where our members get to do business, socialize, and catch up with one another after a busy season. Even though we will not be hosting this year, we want to keep the momentum we built last year to move into 2021.
In addition to the Buying Show, the Awards Banquet traditionally held on the second day of the Show will be cancelled as well. We will still be running the Awards Program this year since it’s an important part of our Association as we recognize the accomplishments of our hard-working members and industry representatives. More information will be released on the Awards Program in the coming weeks.
We will be processing refunds for everyone who purchased floor space at the Show this year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ashley Van Kroonenburg by email at [email protected] or at our office line, 403-256-8894.
Thank you for your continued support of the PGA of Alberta Buying Show and for your understanding during these unprecedented times.
Take care of one another, stay healthy and we look forward to seeing you in the near future.
Tournament News
Tournament of Champions Draw – Glendale G&CC
The wait is finally over for the annual Tournament of Champions hosted this year in Edmonton at the Glendale G&CC. Our new Title Sponsor for the event is now Sunice/Bobby Jones!
The event will see thirty-three teams of Professionals and their 2019 Club Champions compete in a team gross best-ball format to determine this years Champions. Tee times will begin at 10am on Monday, July 20th.
Last year’s Champions of Gord Courage and Ethan Banks from The Hamptons GC have paired up once again and will look to defend their title against the competition.
With the golf season just about half-way through, we wanted to send a standings update on the PGA of Alberta Top 100 Program. If you are unaware, the Top 100 Program presented by Foresight Sports Canada is based on pre-defined measurable criteria and is designed to recognize PGA of Alberta members who dedicate their time and demonstrate proven abilities in advancing the Association’s interests for the benefit of all Golf Professionals.
As of July 17th, Chris Ward from the Edmonton Petroleum G&CC remains in the lead of the Top 100 at an impressive 81 points! Chris will be looking to keep his lead during the final stretch of the program year which ends at the end of September as well as surpass last year’s Top 100 Award winner Sean Thompson’s (currently in 2nd place this year) point total of 91. The current Top 10 in the standings are:
Current leader Chris Ward
Leader - Chris Ward (Edmonton Petroleum G&CC) - 81 points 2nd - Sean Thompson (Cottonwood G&CC) - 74 points 3rd - Josh Fleming (GOLFTEC Calgary Beacon Heights) - 66 points 4th - Jeff MacGregor(Glendale G&CC) - 63 points 5th - Michael Graham (Cottonwood G&CC) - 62 points T-6th - Sam Kirkness (Priddis Greens G&CC) - 59 points T-6th - Dave Henzie (Nanton GC) - 59 points T-8th - Michael McEachern (Country Hills GC) - 55 points T-8th - Taylor Van Tighem (Royal Mayfair GC) - 55 points T-10th - Paul Horton (Golf Channel Academy @ Heritage Pointe) - 53 points T- 10th - Todd Halpen (Golfuture) - 53 points
There’s still lots of time to earn points and move up in the rankings. A few areas where members can receive points right now is by playing in PGA of Alberta events, attending education webinars or workshops, or just by completing the compensation survey if not done so already. See where you can earn points by clicking the link below and looking under "Points Allocation".
Please remember that theTop 100 point earners will be recognized as a “Top 100 Professional” for this program year. Learn more about the program and see where you currently sit in the standings by clicking the link below.
Riley Rallies to 3-Peat at the Cobra Puma Golf Assistants’ Championship
Day two of the Assistants’ Championship sponsored by Cobra Puma Golf at the picturesque Stony Plain GC saw a continuation of the tricky wind conditions throughout the day for our competitors. Successfully defending his title for a third year consecutively (you read that right) was Riley Fleming (Lynx Ridge GC) who came from behind in the second last group after starting the day 3-strokes behind the leader. Riley fired in 6 birdies today to card an outstanding 4-under par 68 in very difficult conditions to finish the Championship with a total of 140 (4-under).
In sole possession of 2nd place was Wes Heffernan (Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Centre) who played solidly throughout his round today and was the only other competitor to go under-par carding 1-under par 71 for a Championship total of 145 (1-over).
In 3rd place was newcomer Mitchell Fox (Speargrass GC) who finished the Championship at +2 for a total of 146. In 4th place was Dillion Batsel (Desert Blume GC) who finished the Championship at +4 for a total of 148. In a two-way tie for 5th place was Dustin Risdon (The Golf Box) & Taylor Irvin (Silver Springs G&CC) who both finished the Championship at +5 for respective totals’ of 149. In 7th place was Eric Locke (Priddis G&CC) who finished the Championship at +6 for a total of 150.
Rounding out our Top-10 in a five-way tie for 8th place was Braden Chown (Desert Blume GC), Jeremy Maher (Modern Golf), Kent Fukushima (Redwood Meadows G&CC), Tyler LeBouthillier (GOLFTEC Calgary Beacon Heights) & new to the Association Sean Sinclair (Elbow Springs GC) who all finished the Championship at +7 for respective totals’ of 151.
Special thanks to host course Stony Plain GC for putting on a top-notch event and to Sponsor Cobra Puma Golf for their continued support!
Day one of The Assistants’ Championship at Stony Plain GC saw some tricky conditions throughout the day for our competitors. Leading the pack was Mitchell Fox (Speargrass GC) who knocked in 6 birdies and carded a stellar 3-under par 69 to enjoy a 2-stroke lead going into the final round tomorrow.
Heading up the pack chasing our leader is Logan Hill (River Bend G&RA) who locked down his spot in the final group tomorrow by carding a solid 1-under par 71. In a three-way tie for 3rd place after carding respectable even-par 72’s was Dillon Batsel (Desert Blume GC), Riley Fleming (Lynx Ridge GC) & Jerome Thorne Jr (Hinton GC).
Still within striking distance of our leaders tomorrow in a two-way tie for 6th place was Joseph Busetto (Glendale G&CC) & Scott Stiles (Earl Grey GC) who both carded 1-over par 73’s. Rounding out the Top-10 in a three-way tie for 8th place was Braden Chown (Desert Blume GC), Dustin Risdon (The Golf Box) & Wes Heffernan (Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Centre).
Tee times kick off at 8am sharp tomorrow (July 14) with our final group of Batsel, Fox & Hill heading out at 11:00am sharp.
The second Play Ability Test of the season hosted at Stony Plain GC saw a total of 10 players pass and receive their Apprentice Professional status with the PGA of Canada! All players shot on or under the respective target scores (79 for men & 84 for women) for the event. Congratulations to the following:
The draw is now posted for Round 1 of the PGA of Alberta Assistants’ Championship proudly Sponsored by Cobra Puma Golf.
This year we will have 57 of Alberta’s finest Assistant Professionals heading west of Edmonton to Stony Plain GC on July 13th & 14th to compete for the first Championship title of the season and a take of the $13,900 purse.
Players will look to dethrone back-to-back defending champion Riley Fleming after winning the Championship at his now home course Lynx Ridge GC in 2019 and at The Ranch G&CC in 2018. Click here to see past champions.
Tee times will begin at 12:30pm on July 13th and at 8:00am on July 14th. Winner of the Championship will receive 40 Order of Merit points.
The draw is now available for the second Play Ability Test of the season hosted at Stony Plain GC on Monday, July 13th. Tee times will begin at 3:40pm. Good luck to the 27 competitors we have going for their Apprentice Professional status with the PGA of Canada!
Scott Stiles (Earl Grey GC) had a bogey free round to win the third Golf Supply House Series event hosted at Lakeside GC. Stiles had birdies on 15 and 16 on his way to a 7-under par 64. It was a close battle all day with last week’s winner Wes Heffernan (Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Centre) who finished the day at 6–under 65. Spencer Vandermey (Edmonton Petroleum G&CC) and Riley Fleming (Lynx Ridge GC) both shot 67’s to round out the top four.
Come join The Education Committee - PD Series sub-committee over the lunch hour this Friday, July 10th from 12:00PM - 1:00PM for our weekly offering of: Open Forum Friday, for up to 100 of our Members’ to have a chance to get together and discuss a variety of topics including:
Tee Sheet Managementduring this time of elevated demand. Lottery Draws, Ballots, 5-balls, intervals, Double Tee Starts, Limited Guest play at private clubs. For example, last week for Troy and the team up in Jasper, how to manage a 273 guest/member tee sheet, with main arteries into Jasper backed up 10-15km with delays of up to 6-8 hours
Corporate Operations and how they have been impacted throughout COVID-19. Group Events? Outings? Etc.
Retail Buying Plans for the 2021 season and beyond. What does this look like?
How to Build (continue to build) successful relationships at Public/Resort facilities, and understanding retention is a huge aspect of this side of the Golf Industry
The fourth session will be moderated by Education Committee Member - Troy Mills. There will be an agenda shared the day prior with related info. Please feel free to send in any questions/comments/issues that are coming up or being dealt with at your respective facility that you’d like to see some discussion about. We hope to have a variety of members that will be attending that can offer some differing perspectives from Public, Semi-Private & Private courses. This week we are continuing with a R.S.V.P. based model for this session, if you want to attend please email [email protected]to receive the meeting link. All members encouraged to attend!
*Please email R.S.V.P & all topics/questions/concerns to [email protected]*
Date
Time
Location
July 10th
12:00PM - 1:00PM
Zoom Conference
Association News
GSH Series Draw – Lakeside GC
Lakeside GC will play host to the third Golf Supply House Series of the season and their first tournament since 2014. The event will see another field size of over 50 Professionals competing for the $6,650 purse. Tee times will begin at 8am on July 6th.
Located in beautiful Chestermere, Alberta, Lakeside’s meticulously manicured layout awaits you with large greens and many attractive yet challenging water features.
Winner of the 1-day GSH Series event will receive 20 Order of Merit points.
Each year the PGA of Alberta recognizes several Members and Industry Representatives for their achievements throughout the season and their career, as well as for their contributions to the Association and the Game of Golf. Members and Industry Partners are given the opportunity to vote for deserving individuals in the following categories of Awards, presented to recipients at the Annual Awards Banquet in the fall.
Based on application forms received by each Member who has been nominated by one of their peers or industry affiliates, their application is graded by an Awards Sub Committee.
The Sub Committees for each Award are comprised of past winners of that particular Award.
The 5 Nominees whose application ranks the highest from Members of the sub-committee are presented to the Selection Committee as Finalists.
The Selection Committee reviews all Award Finalists & submits confidential votes based on a point system.
Awards are presented to the recipients with the most total accumulated points.
The finalists and application forms are forwarded to the PGA of Alberta Selection Committee Members who then submit confidential votes based on a point system. The Award recipient for each category is the Member who receives the most total accumulated points from the Selection Committee.
On October 1st, the top five Nominees who have completed the Application Form and ranked the highest in their respective Award categories, as voted on by the PGA of Alberta Award Selection Committee, will be advertised on the PGA of Alberta as Finalists, from which one will be selected as the Award Winner.
The ultimate goal of the Awards Program is to recognise the accomplishments of many Members and Industry Representatives through a nomination process.