Golf Canada has announced its 2018 championship schedule which includes a record-30 amateur and professional competitions plus qualifiers hosted at golf facilities in communities across Canada.
The 2018 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships—the RBC Canadian Open from July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., and the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask. from August 20-26.
The 2018 competition calendar includes eight National Amateur Championships, six Future Links, driven by Acura regional junior competitions and the World Junior Girls Championship.
Golf Canada will also host 11 qualifying events in 2018 including qualifiers for prestigious international competitions such as the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup and the U.S. Open (Local Qualifying), as well as the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur.
As the National Sports Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition.
“Competing in a national championship is an incredible accomplishment for each of the more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers who take part in our competitions,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The depth of talent, engagement among thousands of volunteers, the quality of our host venues and the committed support of corporate partners who have aligned their respected brands with our properties have been core to our competitions for more than a century. We are excited to welcome the next wave of Canadian golf champions.”
Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off April 9-12 with the Toyota Junior Golf World Qualifier at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C. (home to Golf Canada’s National Training Centre) and concludes in September with the World Junior Girls Championship at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
“We’re proud to be working with many of Canada’s most renowned golf clubs from coast to coast,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “Our 2018 venues are set to showcase an exciting season of competitive golf in communities across Canada and we thank our host clubs for their support.”
Golf Canada’s Championship Season at a Glance…
British Columbia will be a hotbed for Canadian golf in 2018, with the province hosting 11 Golf Canada events including the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian University/College Championship and the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The 114th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be contested at Duncan Meadows Golf Course in Duncan, B.C. and Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., August 4-9. A field of 240 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes, with the final two rounds contested at Duncan Meadows. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an invitation to the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive an exemption into local qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open, and if applicable, the U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur or USGA Senior Amateur Championships.
The 105th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship takes place July 23-27 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive exemptions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.
The 16th Canadian University/College Championship will be held May 28 to June 1 at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C. The national championship features both a team and individual component and will serve as the Canadian team qualifier for the 2018 FISU World University Golf Championship.
The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be held August 20-24 at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. with the champion earning entry into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.
On Saturday, July 21, as a kick-off event to the 2018 RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey will also open its fairways to junior competitors from across Canada for the 10th annual Future Links, Junior Skills Challenge National Event.
The 2018 RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR will be contested July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. and will mark the 109th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. As part of a two-stage qualifying process, a trio of RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers will take place in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. The regional qualifying event in B.C. will be held at Ledgeview Golf Club, home course of Canadian PGA TOUR stars and Team Canada alumni Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.
The CP Women’s Open will make its first-ever stop in Saskatchewan as Wascana Country Club in Regina will host the stars of the LPGA Tour from August 20-26.
At the junior level, the 80th Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be contested from July 29 to August 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta., with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. That same week the 64th Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.
Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship September 3-7 with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Amateur. The Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship will be held August 27-30 at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ont., with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.
Ottawa’s Camelot Golf & Country Club will open its fairways to elite talent from across the globe when it plays host to the World Junior Girls Championship from September 9-14, 2018. This year marks the fifth playing of the annual event. Camelot has previously hosted the Canadian Junior Girls Championship as well as qualifying for the CP Women’s Open. Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free.
For the second straight year, Golf Canada, in collaboration with the USGA, will host a U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont. The 18-hole event conducted on May 7 will be one of 112 local qualifiers across 45 states and Canada which serve as the first of a two-step process to qualify for the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Local Qualifier will run June 27 at the Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, while the U.S. Amateur Local Qualifier will take place July 16 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.
The Golf Fore the Cure will be held at The Thornhill Club on September 24. The one-day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure events held nationwide during the 2018 season. To date, the fundraising efforts of thousands of golfers have totaled more than $6 million for breast cancer research since the program’s inception in 2003. The program’s goal is to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities.
GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts championships nation-wide 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.
FUTURE LINKS
Future Links is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. The program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. The program features three core areas of focus—in-school programming, facility programming and community outreach—including elements such as Golf in Schools, Learn to Play, Girl’s Club, Mobile Clinics, Junior Skills Competition and Community Golf Coach, along with six regional Future Links Junior Championships. Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 1.3 million young Canadians have taken part in Future Links.
