The draw for the annual G&G Golf Company Pro-Pro Best Ball presented by Allstate Insurance is now available. The event will see 46 teams of Professionals from throughout the province head to the picturesque Stewart Creek G&CC in Canmore on Monday, August 13th. The shotgun will begin at 2pm with a meal before and after the round including the prize presentation.
The event this year will see the creation of a Ladies’ Division in which female teams will compete against one another for a separate purse.
TrackMan Level 1 Education Course Registration is Live
Registration is now live for the TrackMan Education Courses for the PGA of Alberta membership and non-members. Cody Miller and Ryan Cunningham will be hosting two separate TrackMan Level 1 Education Courses in Alberta in the month of September. These courses will be consistent with the Level 1 certification test through TrackMan University. All attendees will be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to pass this test online and begin working towards their level two certification.
Takeaways from this course; all attendees will be fully equipped to take the TrackMan Level 1 Certification test, note this is not required. Attendees will also have the ability to schedule time with both Ryan and Cody to come to your facility to provide further information.
The draw is now available for the first round of the PGA of Alberta Senior Championship sponsored by MKRAK Management Inc. Forty Professionals aged 50 and over will head to the beautiful Cottonwood G&CC next week on September 4 & 5 to compete for the title. Players will look to dethrone 5-time and reigning Champion Scott Allred of Elbow Springs GC who has won the last three Senior Championships in a row.
The winner will go on to represent the Alberta Zone at the 2019 PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada. Tee times will begin at 1:03pm for round one of the Championship.
Alberta’s finest female Professionals will head to Cottonwood G&CC on September 4th & 5th for the annual Ladies’ Championship sponsored by Dexim Golfwear. Tee times will begin at 12:36pm for round one of the Championship.
Invitations have been sent to all members who have qualified for the 2018 Sunice Fall Championship hosted at Royal Mayfair GC in Edmonton. This two-day 36-hole competition is comprised of the top 30 money leaders from the Golf Supply House Series and the top 20 money leaders from the Association’s individual money list who have not otherwise qualified.
After battling the wind and rain at Alberta Springs GR, 6 players successfully passed their Playing Ability Test. Congratulations to Austin Keller (River Spirit GC), Matthew Link (Strathmore GC), Garrett Thomas (Radium Resort), Jonathan West (Cottonwood G&CC) for passing the Class A Target Score of 155. Congratulations to Luke Anderson (Jasper Park Lodge GC) and Matt Dykstra (Windermere G&CC) for achieving the CFM Target Score of 160.
After a battle at The Hamptons GC in Calgary, four players stood above the rest to qualify for the Shaw Charity Classic event held at Canyon Meadows G&CC on August 31st - September 2nd. Congratulations to Gibby Gilbert III (63), Stephen Mondshine (68), Tom Werkmeister (68) and Michael Long (69) who claimed the four spots advancing to the Shaw Charity Classic. Special congratulations to Gibby Gilbert III for shooting the course record at The Hamptons GC with a 9-under 63.
A cool day in Leduc didn’t stop Dallas Cantera (Cardiff G&CC) from capturing the final Golf Supply House Series event of the year. Cantera shot a 2-under 69 to win by 1-shot over Wes Heffernan (Golf Canada Centre). Host professional James Whitton (Leduc GC) had a great showing finishing a solo third with a 72.
Shaw Charity Classic Event Qualifier Draw – The Hamptons GC
The draw is now available for the Shaw Charity Classic Event Qualifier hosted at The Hamptons GC in Calgary on Tuesday, August 28th. Twenty-five players aged 50 years and older from throughout North America will compete for 4 spots advancing to the Shaw Charity Classic! Good luck to our two PGA of Alberta Professionals playing in the event, Scott Allred and Gord Courage!
The Shaw Charity Classic will be taking place at Canyon Meadows G&CC from August 29th to September 2nd.
Congratulations to the five competitors who shot 76 or better today at Elbow Springs GC for the Pre-Qualifer. Chris Hunsucker, Jim Karr, Stephen Mondshine, Tim Bogue and Gord Courage all qualified for the main Event Qualifier at The Hamptons GC on Tuesday, August 28th. The Shaw Charity Classic will be taking place at Canyon Meadows G&CC from August 29th to September 2nd.
Tracy Moffatt will be hosting a live Webinar for the PGA of Alberta on September 12th. This Webinar is available for all PGA of Alberta Members as well as Non-Members.
The Buying Show in Edmonton is fast approaching! Building off her 2018 Spring Seminar presentations, this Webinar session will help you develop a buying plan for the 2018 Buying Show. During this hands on two-way interactive Webinar, Tracy will look at key numbers you need to review and forecast for next year and then take those numbers and develop a simple buying plan for the upcoming season. Additionally, vendor analysis and planning for the upcoming season will also be discussed. This Webinar is designed for anyone from your facility that has any involvement with the Buying Show process. General Managers, Head Pro’s, Teaching Pro’s and Assistant Professionals are all encouraged to participate.
Leduc GC is ready to host the ninth and final Golf Supply House Series event of the season taking place on August 27th in Leduc, AB. The event will see a competitive field of 54 players competing for a purse of $7,050.00. Tee times will begin at 9:00am with the last tee time at 11:50am.
This tournament will be the last opportunity for members to earn money to qualify for the Fall Championship (formerly the Tour Championship) being hosted at Royal Mayfair GC on September 10 & 11. Click here to view the money earned list for this season (*Fall Championship is based on Individual money earned).
Round two of the PGA of Alberta Championship sponsored by Club Car LLC, TaylorMade and adidas Golf saw a brisk start to the day as the early tee-times had to deal with cool winds. As the leaders from round one teed off in the afternoon, they saw much warmer temperatures and minimal wind. All in all it was tremendous playing conditions throughout the day which helped encourage low scores as the deep leaderboard battled it out to the very end.
Riley Fleming (NGA Dome) started the day off with the outright lead sitting at 6-under 66. Maintaining his consistent round one play, Fleming was able to build upon his opening round score by coming into the Clubhouse with a 4-under 68 which put him at a two-round total of 10-under 134, cementing his second Association Championship victory of the season. Riley had an excellent second round posting 14 pars and 4 birdies. Exchanging the lead all day with Fleming in a showdown until the final putt on 18 was Wes Heffernan (Golf Canada Centre) who finished in sole possession of second place. Heffernan was able to draw from his round one play with a 4-under 68 to finish the Championship with a two-day total of 9-under 135. In third place Eric Locke (Priddis Greens G&CC) finished with a two-day total of 7-under 137. Rounding out the top 5 in a two-way tie for fourth place was Mike Belbin (Royal Mayfair GC) and Keith Whitecotton (The Quarry) who both finished with a 5-under 139.
In a three-way tie for 6th place was Braden Chown (Desert Blume GC), Stefan Cox (Calgary G&CC) & Jason Stanier (Inglewood G&CC) who shot a two-round total of 140. Close behind Chown, Cox and Stanier was Dustin Risdon (NGA @ McCall Lake) and Scott Stiles (Inglewood G&CC) who were both at a 3-under 141.
The next Championship on the PGA of Alberta schedule is the Ladies’ and Senior Championship hosted by Cottonwood G&CC in Foothills, Alberta. On September 4th, approximately 45 of the top Female and Senior Professionals in Alberta will compete for their respective titles.
PGA of Alberta Championship Draw - River Bend G&RA
The time has finally come! The draw is now available for the first round of the prestigious PGA of Alberta Championship Sponsored by long time partners Club Car LLC, TaylorMade & adidas Golf. Players will once again head to River Bend G&RA on August 20 & 21 for the second consecutive year to compete in the two round stroke play event. The Championship this year will see a field of 93 competitors from throughout Alberta hoping to take home a piece of the largest purse of the season which is $34,200! Tee times for both rounds will begin at 7:30am.
Winner of the Championship will be awarded 40 Order of Merit points and will be that much closer to securing a spot on the Alberta Assistants’ or Club Pro Team. Click here to view the current standings.
The latest issue of the PGA of Alberta Digital Magazine... the "Golf Report" is now live. Content in this issue includes stories on the Rebuild at Kananaskis Country GC; Recap on PGA of Alberta Tournaments; Stampede Breakfast at the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, and more!
Shaw Charity Classic Qualifiers - Deadline August 17th
The PGA of Alberta is proud to host two Qualifying tournaments for the 2018 Shaw Charity Classic. The Pre-Qualifier which is open to Amateurs and Professionals alike, aged 50 years or older, will be taking place at Elbow Springs GC in Calgary on August 24th. Those who qualify from there will advance to the Event Qualifier being played at The Hamptons GC on August 28th. The Shaw Charity Classic will be taking place at Canyon Meadows G&CC from August 29th to September 2nd.
Deadline to register for the Pre-Qualifier is Friday, August 17th @ 5pm. For more information on how to qualify, please click Read More below.
It was perfect weather conditions for the 46 teams today at Stewart Creek G&CC for the 2018 PGA of Alberta Pro-Pro Best Ball, sponsored by G&G Golf Company and Allstate Insurance. Riley Fleming (NGA Dome) & Scott Stiles (Inglewood G&CC) win the Pro-Pro Best Ball over Eric Locke (Priddis Greens G&CC) & Samuel Kirkness (Priddis Greens G&CC) in the first playoff hole to clinch the victory. Competition was strong as 19 teams posted scores of 66 (5-under) or better.
Winners of the new Ladies’ Division this year was the team of Tiffany Gordon (Heritage Pointe GA) & Shelley Charlton (Pinebrook G&CC).
Lastly, we are proud to have raised nearly $1,200 for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation thanks to the contributions made from our Members playing in the event!
The brackets for Semi Finals of the PGA of Alberta Team Match Play Championship have now been updated! Congratulations to all teams advancing on to the next round. Competition is heating up as all remaining teams are now in the money for both brackets of the Championship! Each team has until September 7th to complete their next match. Click Read More below to be directed to the brackets.
Round two of the Assistants’ Championship sponsored by Cobra Puma Golf saw an excellent start to the day with minimal wind and beautiful weather. The favourable playing conditions helped encourage low scores as the players started off in the morning. The players at the top of the leader board were playing leap frog all day as they exchanged their share of the lead.
Starting the day off with the outright lead was Riley Fleming (NGA Dome) as he was sitting at 5-under 66. Maintaining his consistent round one play, Fleming was able to improve upon his opening round score by coming into the clubhouse with a 4-under 67 which put him at a two-round total of 9-under 133, cementing his victory at the second Championship of the season. Riley had an excellent round-two as he posted 10 pars, 4 birdies and 1 eagle which separated him from the rest of the pack. Exchanging the lead all day with Fleming was Wes Heffernan (Golf Canada Centre) who was able to lock in sole possession of second place as he was able to draw from his round one play with a 4-under 67 to finish the tournament with a two-day total of 8-under 134. Mike Belbin (Royal Mayfair GC) was able to finish the tournament in third place with a two-day total of 4-under 138. Rounding out the top 5 and in a two-way tie for fourth place was Dustin Risdon (NGA @ McCall Lake) and Kent Fukushima (Redwood Meadows G&CC) who both finished with a 3-under 139.
Finishing in 6th place was Murray Walter (Redwood Meadows G&CC) who shot a two-round total of 140. Close behind Murray in a tie for 7th place was David MacComb (Blackhawk GC) and Dillon Batsel who were both at a 1-under 141. In sole possession of 9th place was Sam Kirkness (Priddis Greens G&CC) who was able to finish the tournament with an even-par 142.
The next Championship event on the schedule is at River Bend G&RA in Red Deer, Alberta on August 20th & 21st which will see approximately 100 of the top Professionals in Alberta.
After a two-day grind at The Ranch G&CC, three players successfully passed their Playing Ability Test. Congratulations to Cameron Kyle of Lewis Estates GC (145), Brendan Kuny of Lewis Estates GC (158) & Ben Mathews of Miskanaw GC (158) on being the newest Members of the PGA of Canada and achieving their Class A/CFM Target Score.
The PGA of Alberta along with River Bend G&RA would like to invite you to the PGA of Alberta Championship Media Day. We again are hosting this event on the Sunday before our premier Championship (August 19th) at River Bend G&RA. We would be thrilled if you could join us for a great day of golf before the Championship!
For Media Day this year, River Bend G&RA would like to open this event to our Members plus Amateurs to make this event as big as possible and create some excitement for the Championship. Below are some of the key details:
Sunday, August 19th @ River Bend G&RA
Shotgun starting at 1:30pm with Cocktails & Appetizers to follow round
Prizes will be available to be won such as KTP, Longest Drive and Longest Putt
Teams can consist of two PGA of Alberta Professionals (Class A or CFM of any category) or one PGA of Alberta Professional and one Amateur of their choice (amateur does not require a Golf Canada index)
Skins game available for Professionals ($20 cash entry)
Everyone will play their own ball
Entry fee is $160 per team (plus GST)
This event is a great way to show support to the Host Club, Sponsors, and the Association if you are unable to play in the PGA of Alberta Championship.
Members playing in the Championship can use this as their practise round heading into round one on Monday, August 20th.
Spots are limited and will be given on a first come, first serve basis. To register, please do so on the website by CLICKING HERE.
Tournament News
Assistants’ Championship Heading to The Ranch G&CC
The PGA of Alberta and long-time sponsor, Cobra Puma Golf, are thrilled to announce that the 2018 Assistants’ Championship will be heading to The Ranch G&CC.
The Ranch G&CC’s par 71 layout shows a wide blend of unique and challenging holes, such as hole #10. This par 5 is typically played as a 3-shot hole, unless an absolutely perfect tee shot is hit into the narrow uphill fairway. Hole #5 is what many call the “signature hole” at The Ranch. Known as the Pit-Hole, it demands a drive in the fairway which is difficult due to the severe left to right slope. Stretching approximately 6,500 yards from the back tees, this scenic course will tempt players with the harmony of the natural beauty and woodland surroundings that flow through the 18-hole course.
“We are looking forward to hosting all the Assistant Pro’s this year at The Ranch G&CC” said Murray McCourt, Executive Professional at The Ranch G&CC. “The course is in phenomenal shape right now and should be a great test of golf for these players. It can be a tough course for how short it is but I’m looking forward to see what the scores will be over the two-days”.
With sixty of Alberta’s top Golf Professionals heading to one of Edmonton’s premier clubs, competition will be fierce not only vying for a piece of the $15,800 purse, but also in hopes to claim a spot on the Alberta Assistants’ Team. The winner of the Championship will automatically be granted a spot on the Team that will represent the zone at the National Championship in September being hosted in Calgary at The Winston GC.
Competitors will look to over shadow reigning champion Craig Gibson’s (#7 on Order of Merit, Sirocco GC) impressive tournament low of 2-under 140 at last year’s Championship hosted at Cottonwood G&CC as he defeated Eric Locke (#5, Priddis Greens G&CC) in a playoff. In a two-way tie sitting only 1-stroke back was Kasey Timms (#16, Glendale G&CC) and Braden Chown (Desert Blume GC) who posted scores of 1-under 141.
Other top contenders this year include: Riley Fleming (#2, NGA Dome), winner of three PGA of Alberta events this year including the Vulcan G&CC, Lynx Ridge GC and the River Spirit GC GSH Series events. Dustin Risdon (#11, NGA @ McCall Lake), winner of the 2016 Assistants’ Championship and the 2018 GSH Series at Stony Plain GC in July. Wes Heffernan (#4, Golf Canada Centre), winner of the Pro-Junior individual side and the GSH Series event at Valley Ridge GC. Dillon Batsel (#6, Connaught GC) finished second at the Wolf Creek GR GSH Series and finished third at the Lynx Ridge GC GSH Series. Holding a number of impressive titles, including four Assistants’ Championship titles since 2008, four Tour Championship titles since 2010 and the 2014 PGA of Alberta Championship, Mike Belbin (#32, Royal Mayfair GC) will be looking to add this trophy to his collection.
Round one on Tuesday, August 7th will kick off with tee times starting at 8:00am and the final group to tee off at 11:10am. The second round will be a crossover start beginning at 8am, followed by the Championship presentation beginning at approximately 3:00pm on Wednesday, August 8th.
All media are invited to attend the Championship as guests of the PGA of Alberta. Please contact Tournament Manager Trevor Rioux for more information, [email protected].
Partner News
PGA of Alberta Establishes Partnership with Inside Golf Media Group
The PGA of Alberta is excited to announce two partnerships with Inside Golf Inc.
Starting in 2018, Inside Golf will become a Presenting Sponsor of the PGA of Alberta Awards Cocktail Reception held prior to the Awards Banquet during the Buying Show in October. Further, Inside Golf will be known as the “Official Editorial Partner of the PGA of Alberta”.
"We are very proud to be able to take our partnership with the PGA of Alberta to the next level with these initiatives," said Inside Golf Publisher and President, Jeff Sutherland. "The digital publication we have done in partnership for the past three years has proven to be a significant success for both organizations and we were looking to build upon that. This sponsorship fits extremely well and recognizes the value we put on the relationship. We believe the designation as ’Official Editorial Partner’ reflects the trust that the PGA has in our team’s ability to effectively get their messages to the golfing public."
As part of this editorial relationship, Inside Golf will be producing full colour, glossy print programs for the Consumer Shows both in Edmonton and Calgary next March. Programs will be given to all attendees upon entry. Digital copies suitable for viewing on desktop and mobile devices will be made available during the weeks leading up to the shows. Inside Golf has more than five years of experience in producing programs for events of these types.
About Inside Golf Incorporated: Established as a scorecard company in 1988, the "iG" brands have expanded to include Inside Golf Magazine (print and digital), and the insidegolf.ca news website. Also over the past decade, Inside Golf has established long-term publishing partnerships with British Columbia Golf,The WCTA (Western Canada Turfgrass Association) and most recently the PGA of Alberta. For more information call TF 800.764.6537.
Tournament News
Assistants’ Championship Draw - The Ranch G&CC
The draw is now posted for the first round of the PGA of Alberta Assistants’ Championship sponsored by Cobra Puma Golf and hosted this year at The Ranch G&CC on August 7 & 8. The Championship will see a field of 60 competitors hailing from all over the province in hopes of becoming this years Champion. Winner of the Championship will automatically be granted a spot on the Alberta Assistants’ Team that will represent the zone at the National Championship in September at The Winston GC. Tee times for round one will begin at 8am.
Team Sirocco GC with pro Craig Gibson and amateur Joe Hirsch win the 2018 Pro-Senior event at Highlands GC. Team Sirocco was able to solidify their spot in first place by posting a team-net total of 8-under 63. They had a very impressive scorecard as they had 9 birdies and 1 eagle. Right behind team Sirocco GC was team Priddis Greens G&CC with professional Eric Locke and amateur Gerry Stoddart. Winning the low pro side was Craig Gibson (Sirocco GC) who finished his amazing round with a 4-under 67 with 7 birdies on his scorecard. In second place on the low pro side was Keith Whitecotton (The Quarry) who finished with a 3-under 68. Thanks to all golf course staff and competitors for making this event a successful one.
