Next on the national stage, Team Manitoba heads out to the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, New Brunswick for the 2019 Golf Canada Canadian Junior Men’s Championship. Jacob Armstrong (Southwood Golf & Country Club), Neel Soni (St. Charles Country Club) and Josh Shuster (Pine Ridge Golf Club) will represent the province in the inter-provincial team championship August 12-15.

Also playing in the event and from Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario include Jack Taylor (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club), Jack Moro (Chapples Golf Club, Thunder Bay) and Jordan McDonald (Breezy Bend).

Austin Dobrescu of Shilo Country Club continued his hot play this season with a T31 finish at the Golf Canada Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship that was played August 5-8 at the Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia. Dobrescu, a member of Team Manitoba that finished 5th in the Willingdon Cup inter-provincial team championship, was the lone Manitoban to make the cut in this year’s event shooting rounds of 76-74-72-71 for a 293 total. Equally impressive in his feat, Dobrescu was in a tie for 11th for Canadians who made the cut in what has now become a top international event on the world amateur golf circuit.

See final leaderboard >>

Adding to his impressive finish at the Canadian Amateur, Dobrescu, who plays collegiate golf for the Chicago State NCAA Division I Cougars, started the season with a win at the Golf Manitoba Match Play Championship, finished T3rd in the Elmhurst Invitational and had a runner-up finish in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.

Upon his return to Manitoba, Dobrescu will have little time to rest as he was recently awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the 2019 Players Cup, the local stop on the PGA Tour Canada Mackenzie Tour, that will take place August 12-18 at the Southwood Golf & Country Club.

WINNIPEG, MB – The selection committee for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to announce the class of 2019.

Brionie Brown and Bruce North will be inducted as Honoured Members in the Athlete category. Rob Officer will be inducted in the Builder category and the 1985 Manitoba Junior Men’s Team that won the Canadian Junior Men’s Inter-Provincial Team Championship will be inducted in the Team category.

“The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is very pleased to announce this year’s inductees and to thereby permanently recognize their outstanding achievements in golf and their contributions to the game. We look forward to the Induction Ceremony, which is sponsored by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation, to celebrate the accomplishments of the new Honoured Members” said Don MacDonald, President of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc.

The official induction ceremony will take place on Monday, September 30, 2019 at the Southwood Golf & Country Club.

Accomplishments, Contributions & Highlights:

Brionie Brown
Born Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Alberta Junior Women’s Champion (1992)
• Manitoba High School Girls Champion (1992)
• Manitoba Junior Women’s Champion (1993)
• Canadian Junior Women’s Champion (1993)
• 5-time Manitoba Junior Women’s Team Appearances (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
• Manitoba City & District Champion (1995)
• Manitoba Women’s Team Appearance (1995)
• Member of 1991 Manitoba Team that won the Canadian Junior Women’s Team Championship
• Canadian 15 and Under Junior Women’s Champion (1989 – Age 13)
• Canadian 16 and Under Junior Women’s Champion (1991 – Age 15)
• Competed in 1991 and 1992 U.S. Girls Junior Championship – in 1992 qualified for match play round, low 32, but lost first match
• 1993 Score Magazine Canadian Junior Women’s Golfer of the Year
• 1993 Canadian Ladies Golf Association #1 ranked Canadian Junior Woman
• 1993 Runner up for Manitoba Golfer of the Year

Bruce North
Born in Carman, Manitoba

• 8-time Manitoba Rural Amateur Champion (1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1993 1998, 2001, 2003)
• Manitoba Senior Champion (2018)
• Mid-Amateur Team Appearances (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005)
• Senior Team Appearances (2011 and 2019)
• Willingdon Cup Appearances (1986, 1992)
• Runner Up , Canadian Mid-Amateur (2001) to Graham Cooke
• On Manitoba Mid-Amateur Team that won the Canadian Mid-Amateur Team Competition (2005)
• 3-time Manitoba Amateur Golfer of Year Runner Up (1982, 1998, 2001)
• 8-time winner of Tamarack Golf Tournament (7 Men, 1 Junior)
• 3-time winner of International Golf Tournament (1979, 1980, 1982)
• 2-time winner of the Grey Owl Golf Tournament (1982 and 1984)
• 2^nd place, Manitoba Men’s Amateur (1996)

Rob Officer

• Since 1997 has been integral in developing the Greenspace Program at Red River College
• Grow in and Construction Superintendent at Grand Pines Golf Course (1995 – 1996)
• Canadian Golf Superintendents Association John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award (2015) – awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent
• Member of CGSA Board of Directors (1992 – 1998) Member of CGSA Education and Certification Committee (1994 – 2001)
• Chairperson CGSA National Occupational Standards (1994 – 1998)
• President of MGSA (1994 and 1995)
• Diploma, Turfgrass Management, Fairview College (1987)
• University of Winnipeg Bachelor of Arts (Business Administration – 2008) and (Environmental Studies – 2009)
• University of Manitoba Master of Environment (2012)
• Assistant Golf Superintendent, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club (1987)
• Golf Superintendent, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club (1988 – 1992)
• Assistant Golf Superintendent, Selkirk Golf & Country Club (1993)
• Golf Superintendent, Swan River Golf & Country Club (1993 – 1994)
• Lead Instructor, Fairview College Grounds and Golf Course Program (1994 – 1995)
• Golf Superintendent, Grand Pines Golf Course (1995 – 1997)
• Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors member 1996-1998.
• Member Membership Standards Committee Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, 1997.
• Member of the Canadian Golf Superintendents National Occupational Standards Marketing/Communications Committee 1994-2000.
• Member of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association Education and Certification Committee’s, 1994-2001
• Recipient of the Inaugural (1991) Gord Witteveen Article of the Year Award for Greenmaster Magazine- National Magazine of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
• Member, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association Public Relations, Communications & Marketing Committee, 2005-2013
• Member, City of Winnipeg Advisory Committee, Golf Courses Operating Agency, 2005-2009
• Member, City of Winnipeg Topsoil Advisory Committee, 2005- 2008
• Member of the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association Environmental Resource Manual Committee, 1999.
• Advisory Committee Member for the Red River College/Assiniboine Community College Turfgrass Management Committee 1992-1997.
• Vice Chairman of the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation 1997.
• Red River College:
  • Program Facilitator/ Instructor – Greenspace Management Program (1997 – 2005)
  • Program Instructor – Greenspace Management Program (2005 – 2016)
  • Program Instructor and Academic Planner – Civil Engineering and Landscape technician Programs (2016 – June 2019)
• Executive Director – Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association (June 2019-present)
• During 12 years as Superintendent had 10 staff members go on to become Superintendents; while teaching at RRC has had over 300 graduates including over 30 who have become Superintendents
• Director of Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association (1988 – 1998)

1985 Manitoba Junior Men’s Team

• Won the Canadian Junior Men’s Interprovincial Team
• Team members:
  • Glenn Collins, St. Charles Country Club
  • Todd Fanning, Southwood Golf & Country Club
  • Dave McMillan, Rossmere Country Club
  • Ken Tresoor, Jr., Rossmere Country Club
  • Jim Bristow, non-playing captain
• Played during first two days (August 27 and 28) of Canadian Junior Men’s Championship at Rossmere Country Club from August 27 – 30, 1985
• Second time that Manitoba won the Interprovincial Junior Men’s Team Championship (1967 at Toronto Golf Club with Steve Bannatyne of Rossmere, Dave Hill of Southwood, Kenny Redfern of Elmhurst and Manfred Braovac of Thunder Bay)
• Led by Provincial Junior Men’s Champion Todd Fanning with rounds of 69 and 71
• Won by 4 shots over New Brunswick and Ontario
• Manitoba was 7 shots back starting Day 2
• Todd Fanning won the Canadian Junior Golf Championship in 1985 and in 1986

About the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. – The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. was formed to acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments made by Manitobans as competitors, both amateur and professional, builders and course superintendents to the game of golf.  It is a tripartite organization, the partners being Golf Manitoba, Manitoba Golf Superintendents’ Association and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of Manitoba.

Individual members and member clubs wishing to nominate an individual (amateur or professional golfers, superintendents, builders, media, etc.) for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame may obtain nomination forms through any of the three member organizations or at manitobagolfhalloffame.com

About the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation – In 2018, the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was established with a mandate to support junior golf in the province of Manitoba as well act as the title sponsor of the annual Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Foundation will eventually commit a total of $3 million dollars to an endowment that will aid in supporting the development of new generations of golfers through grassroots golf initiatives and high-performance programming.

Peggy Colonello served as president of the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association in 1974 – 76 and was an active participant at her home course, the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, where she and husband Alex had been members since the 1940s.

Peggy also served a two-year term as president of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association from 1982-83. During her time on the national executive, Peggy attended World and Commonwealth championships in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Britain and Switzerland, including the various Canadian events in which she participated. Peggy was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was an inaugural inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame on September 29, 2003.

Alex Colonello first moved to Winnipeg in 1941 where, in 1949, Bay Bronze Company asked him to start a machinery division for them. Alex eventually bought control of the company in 1973 becoming President until his retirement in 1996. In 1998, Alex purchased the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries to form Bayco Golf Inc. Alex Colonello passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.

For more information:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca

Team Manitoba placed 5th in the 2019 Willingdon Cup that was contested during the first two rounds of the 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The team of Jordy Lutz (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club), 2019 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Champion Colwyn Abgrall (Southwood Golf & Country Club) and 2019 Match Play Champion Austin Dobrescu (Shilo Country Club) shot a two day total of 306 to finish just 12 shots back of first place Ontario. This year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur is being held August 5-8 at the Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia.

Willingdon Cup results >>

Austin Dobrescu is the only member of team Manitoba and Manitoban to make the cut in this year’s event. Dobrescu moved on to the final 36-holes of playing by carding rounds of 76 and 74 in rounds one and two respectively to make the cut by 2 shots. Other Manitobans playing in the event include Drew Jones (Shilo Country Club), Ryan McMillan (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club), Sylvain Ruest (Niawka Country Club), Jack Werhun (Elmhurst Golf & Country Club) and Cole Peters (Quarry Oaks Golf Course).

Individual results >>

About the Willingdon Cup – Awarded to the winning Interprovincial Team at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship since 1927. The Interprovincial Challenge Cup, also known as the Willingdon Cup was donated by the Governor General of Canada to be awarded to the best inter-provincial men’s team.  This cup has been awarded annually to the best provincial team that competes during the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

WINNIPEG, MB – Mike Walker of St. Boniface Golf Club and Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club are the 2019 Manitoba Senior Champions.

In the men’s side event, Mike Walker held off a late round charge from 2018 Senior Champion Bruce North of the Carman Golf & Curling Club. North, playing in a group ahead of Walker, carded an eagle and two birdies in his last four holes to post an inward nine score of 4-under 30 and a round of 71. Despite the push from North, Walker bounced back from a late round double-bogey with an eagle on the 16th hole and closed with final round 72, good enough for a two shot victory over North.

Rounding out the top three was Garth Collings of Breezy Bend who posted a final round of 73 to finish four shots back of Walker. Walker, North and Collings make up the team that will represent the province and their home clubs in the inter-provincial competition of the Golf Canada Senior Men’s Championship that will take place September 10-13 at the Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario.

View the men’s final leaderboard >>

In the women’s event, it was the steady and consistent play from Rhonda Orr that helped her claim her second straight senior women’s championship. Orr played three solid rounds of golf on the Rossmere layout posting scores of 77-78-77 that was good enough for an 18-shot victory over runner-up Tammy Gibson of Niakwa Country Club who posted rounds of 82-83-85. Rounding out the top three was Diane Eyford of St. Charles Country Club.

Orr, Gibson and Eyford have qualifed to represent the province and their homes clubs in the inter-provincial team competition that will take place during the Golf Canada Senior Women’s Championships that will be held August 18-20 at the Osoyoos Golf Club in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

View the women’s final leaderboard >>

To view the photo gallery from this year’s senior championship, please click HERE >>

The 2019 Manitoba Senior Men’s and Women’s Championship is happening July 29-31 at the Rossmere Golf & Country Club. The first round started today with tee times beginning at 9am. Both Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club and Bruce North of Carman Golf & Curling Club are in the field hoping to defend their 2018 titles.

The top three men at the conclusion of the event will form the inter-provincial team that will represent the province at the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Men’s Championship that will be held September 10-13 at the Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario. The top three women at the conclusion of the women’s event will represent the province at the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Women’s Championship that will take place August 18-20 at the Osoyoos Golf Club in Osoyoos, British Columbia.

To follow the championship scores, please follow Golf Manitoba on Twitter or view the leaderboards below:

Men’s Leaderboard >> http://bit.ly/2MqaloE

Women’s Leaderboard >>http://bit.ly/2Oo4rad

We are pleased to announce that a new staff member has joined the Golf Manitoba team! We wish to announce that Amy Coggan has assumed the position of Director of Administration with Golf Manitoba effective immediately.

Amy brings with her over 16 years of experience in the golf industry with a strong background in accounting and administration, member services and special events. Most recently, Amy was a member of the management team at the Niakwa Country Club where she served as the club’s bookkeeper since 2011. In her new position, Amy’s will oversee and provide leadership for all administrative, accounting and finance operations with the association.

Welcome to the team Amy!!!

Golf Manitoba is excited to announce that the men’s and women’s teams that will represent Manitoba in the sport of golf at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games have been finalized. The teams are as follows:

Men
Braxton Kuntz
Noah Fiks
Adam Ingram
Carter Johnson
Trey Ross

Women
Cala Korman
Crystal Zamzow
Armaan Dhillon
Jeri Lafleche
Sarah Farmer

Head Coach
Garth Goodbrandson, PGA of Canada

Manager
Bri-ann Tokariwski, PGA of Canada

The training program for the games started in early January of 2019 when Golf Manitoba selected twenty-five girls and boys ages 16 and under. Training consisted of weekly practices at the Golf Dome, an athlete fitness combine and rules seminars. At the start of the golf season, the training squad also participated on the junior teams that competed in the Mundie Putter and Nassau leagues. As part of the team selection process, the players competed in a number of junior events concluding with the Manitoba Junior Championship. The program has been led by Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development and 2018 PGA of Manitoba Coach of the Year, Garth Goodbrandson. Also helping with the program was Elmhurst Assistant Professional Bri-Ann Tokariwski and the University of Manitoba Bison men’s and women’s golf teams.

As a final preparation for the games, the teams recently attended a coaching and preparation seminar that was lead by Team Canada Men’s Olympic Golf Coach and Head Coach of the Men’s National Amateur Team and coach to multiple PGA Tour winners, Derek Ingram.

At the Games, teams will compete in both a 54-hole individual stroke-play event and a 36-hole team event at the Chinook Golf Course August 13-18. More information about golf at the games is available on the Wester Canada Summer Games website.

The 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is officially underway.  This year’s event is being played at the Red Deer Golf & Country Club from July 23-26. Representing Team Manitoba in the inter-provincial competition are Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge Golf Club, Veronica Vestesnik of Southwood Golf & Country Club and Hannah Diamond of St. Charles Country Club. The team of three will play 36-holes with the best two scores of three counting toward the team total.

Also in the field from Manitoba include Shannon Wales of Glendale Golf & Country Club, Bobbi Uhl of Shilo Country Club and 2019 Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Champion Greer Valaquenta who plays out of Southwood Golf & Country Club.

View the leaderboard >> bit.ly/2YccfLV

WINNIPEG, MB – In a rematch of sorts, Colwyn Abgrall of Southwood Golf & Country Club claimed the 2019 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship at the Quarry Oaks Golf Course.

After three rounds of 71-71-72, Abgrall found himself in the final group with first round leader and 2019 Match Play Champion Austin Dobrescu who plays out of the Shilo Country Club. The two were no strangers to one another as they met earlier this year in the Match Play Championship Final. But for Abgrall, the outcome was in his favour this time around. Dobrescu made things interesting with a birdie on the 70th hole to tie for the lead at 1-under, however Abgrall made birdie on the 72nd hole to post a final round even-par score of 72 for four-day total of 286 and a two shot victory over Dobrescu; Abgrall was the only player to score under par for the championship.

View the final leaderboard >>

Finishing in third place was Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club who finished seven shots behind of Abgrall on rounds of 74-74-72-73. Abgrall, Dobrescu and Lutz will now represent Golf Manitoba, the province and their homes clubs in the 2019 Willingdon Cup inter-provincial team competition that will take place at the 115th Golf Canada Men’s Amateur Championship August 5-8 at the Glen Arbour Golf Course and The Links at Brunello in Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia.

August will turn out to be a busy month for Abgrall who also recently qualified to compete in the U.S. Amateur that will take place August 11-18 at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Abgrall earned one of two spots in the championship by finishing second in the sectional qualifier held at the Fargo Country Club on July 8, 2019.