The world has lost a great friend, gentleman and a sports legend. On January 30, 2019, Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Mr. Bob Picken passed away. He was 86 years old.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Barbara as well to his family and friends.

Mr. Picken was a tremendous supporter of golf in the province of Manitoba, and, as a tribute to Mr. Picken, we thought it fitting to re-publish the biography from his induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. The biography was written by his good friend, fellow sports journalist and fellow Honoured Member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ralph Bagley.

R. J. (Bob) Picken – Builder

For more than 60 years, Robert John Picken has kept Manitobans well informed on events in the world of sports through broadcasting and writing and he has been recognized for his achievements in many areas.

His induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is a tribute to his detailed attention to golf events in the province. He is similarly honoured by his inductions in recent years to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, Winnipeg Football Club Media Hall of Fame, Canadian Football Media Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Roll of Honour.

Born in Winnipeg on September 24, 1932, Picken attended St. John’s High School and his journalistic career began in 1948 while in high school when he joined the staff of the Winnipeg Citizen to cover a variety of sports, including golf. The paper folded in 1949.

From 1965 to 1969, he was on the sports staff at CJOB and he later returned to that radio station on a free-lance basis from 1993 to 2008, covering mainly golf and curling. He was the voice of sport on CBC radio commencing in 1969 until his retirement in 1990.

During his career, Picken covered virtually every type of golf event, from provincial and national amateur championships through the Canadian Open, Canadian Senior Open, the duMaurier Classic, the America’s Cup, the World Amateur in Vancouver and two trips to the Masters at Augusta.

In addition to his extensive radio reporting, he also contributed articles in Backspin magazine from 1993 to 1998 and to the Golf Manitoba Journal since 1993.

He has been an active contributor to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, being involved as it was being formed and serving on the selection committee from 2003 to 2007. He was master of ceremonies for the first two induction ceremonies. He has also served as chair of the selection committee for the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award since its inception in 1975.

Picken has been a director of the Grey Owl golf tournament since 1979, serving as secretary for many years, a two-year term as president and currently is the drawmaster for the event, which marked its 50th year in June.

R. J. (Bob) Picken is an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., September 27, 2010

Golf Manitoba is making some changes to select events for its 2019 championship season. These changes are being introduced in response to a variety of factors including current trends in event participation and venue acquisition while still adhering to competition guidelines as per long-term athlete development.  Additionally, these changes hope to improve the overall competitor experience while at the same time maintaining the integrity and history of conducting high-level events and provincial championships.

The following events will see changes effective for the 2019 season:

• The Alternate Shot event will be discontinued with the intent of replacing this event with a new format at a date to be announced.
• The Ladies Interclub A and Interclub B events have been amalgamated into a single day event. Both events will run concurrently with a shotgun start.
• The Women’s City & District Championship will run concurrently with the Bantam Championship.
• A 54-hole cut will be introduced to the Manitoba Junior Boy’s Championship. The final day of play will see the field reduced to the top 16 players and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead.
• The Junior Interclub event will be replaced with a 36-hole team event that will run concurrently during the first two days of the Manitoba Junior Championship. The new format will see teams of 3 compete in inter-club competition.
• The Nott Autocorp Men’s Manitoba Amateur Championship will have both a 36-hole and a 54-hole cut. After 36-holes, the field will be reduced to the top 50 players and ties. After 54-holes, the field will be reduced to the top 24 players and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead.

Online registration for all Golf Manitoba events opens on April 1, 2019. For details about the Golf Manitoba 2019 championship schedule including dates and venues and to register, please visit  http://golfmb.ca/2019-championship-schedule/.

About Golf Manitoba:  Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that amateur and professional golf standout, Rod Spittle, as well as celebrated collegiate golf coach Herb Page have been selected for 2019 induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Read full news release >> 

If your winter vacation plans include golf, and if you are a Golf Manitoba/Canada Gold Member, you are covered for up to $6,000 of incident protection including lost, damaged or stolen equipment and cart and window damage. Your coverage period ends when your Golf Canada Gold membership expires. You can check your coverage period by viewing your profile on the Golf Canada Score Center or by calling the Golf Canada member services hotline.

For more information about the Golf Canada Gold membership program, visit golfcanada.ca or contact the Golf Manitoba office at 204-925-5730.

Former Golf Manitoba Junior and Match Play Champion Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Manitoba, will make his European Tour debut this week at the Australian PGA Championship being held November 29-Dec 2 at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.  Aaron earned status on the 2019 European Challenge Tour and conditional status on the European Tour by finishing in 72nd place in the 2019 European Tour Qualifying School. Aaron tees off this Thursday at 8am GMT.

For a list of tee-times including the event leaderboard, please click here >> http://bit.ly/2P3pRVi

Golf Manitoba is pleased to introduce the 2019 Board of Directors. Five members of the eleven member board were recently re-elected at the Golf Manitoba Annual General Meeting held on October 22, 2018 at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club. The Board includes the following individuals (in alphabetical order):

Tammy Gibson (Director – Past President) has been a Board Member since 2010 and is currently Past President. She has been active in Manitoba’s golfing community for over 25 years as a competitive golfer and over 10 years as volunteer with Golf Manitoba. She has been Chair of the Tournament Committee and Volunteer Committee, is a Level 3 Rules Official and has been in executive roles on the Board since 2014.

In her role as President, Tammy presided over the plans and activities for Golf Manitoba’s 100^th Anniversary in 2015. Tammy brings to the Board her 30 years of experience with the Manitoba Government in areas of policy development, training, strategic planning and performance management. She retired from government in 2013, currently owns her own business and stays active in competitive golf.

Vince Mariani (President) has been a Golf Manitoba board member since 2011 and has served as Treasurer and Vice-President.  Vince has been a proud member of Elmhurst Golf and Country Club since 1992 and served on the board of directors for several years and as president in 2009 and 2010.  A CPA, CMA, Vince is currently the Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of the River East Transcona School Division.

Craig Martin (Director) is an Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Administration in the Redekop School of Business at Canadian Mennonite University.  He has a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Business from the University of Guelph and is a CPA, CMA.  He joined the Board of Assiniboine Golf Club in July of 2016.  He became President of the Assiniboine Golf Club in 2017.  He joined the Board of Golf Manitoba in 2017.

Wayne McWhirter (Director – Treasurer) has been a Golf Manitoba Board Member since 2015 and is currently the Treasurer and Vice President. He also is the Chair of the Course Rating Committee. Wayne is a member of Southwood Golf and Country Club, and was President of the Club in 2013-2014. As part of his Community involvement, he was Chair of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and a Board member of Winnipeg and Canadian Chambers of Commerce. He retired in 2016 as a partner in MNP LLP , a national accounting firm.  He was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

F. (Bob) Peters (Director) has served as a Golf Manitoba Director since 2017 and was appointed Chair of the Sponsorship Committee this year. Bob is a Partner with the law firm Fillmore Riley LLP. and practices primarily in the area of Regulatory Law and Administrative Law representing clients in the relationship between government and its citizens. Bob has, throughout his advocacy practice, appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Manitoba Court of Appeal, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Court of Queen’s Bench, the Public Utilities Board, Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission, and numerous other Administrative Tribunals. Bob is involved with golf through St. Charles Country Club where he was a member of the committee that brought Brooke Henderson to Winnipeg in July 2018 in support of junior golf in Manitoba.

Ken Warwick (Vice President) has served as a Golf Manitoba Board member since 2014. Currently the Tournament Committee Chairman. Has represented Manitoba Golf on many occasions at the National level. Member of Niakwa Country Club since 1986 and has been on the Social and Competition Committee for 10 years. Greens Committee for many years before that. Current Captain of the Senior Putter Golf Team and Past Captain of the Mundie Putter Team. A Licensed Realtor since 1988 and has been with Century 21 Bachman & Associates since 1993.

Michael Berney (Director) has served as a member of the Golf Manitoba Board since 2016 and has been active in the Manitoba golf community since the early 80s. Mike has competed in numerous Golf Manitoba and Golf Canada sanctioned events both regionally and nationally.

Mike has been a member of Transcona Golf Club for over 35 years and has served on their Board of Directors both in the 90s and most recently from 2011 until 2017 in the role of Golf Director. He has extensive experience organizing successful tournaments.

Mike is a life long Manitoban residing in Winnipeg retired from the railroad in 2010 after 37 years of service.

Susan Wright Cassan (Director) has been an active Board member since 2016. She is also on the Tournament Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee. Sue earned her Community Coaching Certificate in the spring of 2018 and has been organizing Golf in School programs in Thunder Bay for the last 4 years. Sue also organizes and runs a mixed fun event with all raised funds supporting the Golf in Schools program.

Some additional golf, volunteer and career highlights include the following:

• President of the Superior North Ladies Golf Association.
• Chair on the McKenzie Tour Staal Open in Thunder Bay for the last 5 years.
• Volunteered for the Ryder Cup in 2016 and the LPGA event held at St. Charles.
• Past President (15 years) of Emerald Greens Golf Course
• Course rating for 14 years with Golf Manitoba and also an active tournament participant in provincial women’s championships.
• Sue grew up in Hamiota, Manitoba and currently resides in Thunder Bay where she retired from CIBC as a Manager.

James (Jim) Gosman (Director) has served as a Golf Manitoba board director since 2014 and the Rules Chairman for 1 year. He started with GM as a rules official in 2012 and has since obtained a level 4 ranking, officiating, 6-8 golf tournaments each year.  Jim was a teacher for 32 years and has been associated with sport as a player, coach, and referee for over 60 years.  He has coached basketball at the Junior High, High School, and the Provincial Levels and was the coach of a silver medal team at the Canada Games. Jim spent 30 years as a NCCP Theory of Coaching facilitator at all levels receiving the 2014 Community NCCP Coach Development Award from Sport Canada. In addition to officiating golf, he has refereed basketball and volleyball for many years. James has been part of the mission staff for Sport Manitoba at the Manitoba Games, the Western Canada Games, and the Canada Games.  He is a long-time member of the Southwood Golf and Country Club and since retirement has maintained a membership in the EDG (every day golfers) group.

Barry Hooke (Director) has served on the Golf Manitoba Board for 9 years. He has held the position of Committee Chair on Membership, Volunteer and Player Development. Presently, Barry is a member of the Tournament Committee and has also been a Rules Official for the past 8 years. Barry resides in Portage la Prairie and throughout his travels in rural Manitoba, be it as an avid golfer or a Golf Manitoba Director, a consistent message he has heard is how important it is to have a rural representation on this Board. Barry looks forward to serving his final year promoting the benefits of Golf Manitoba to all Golfers in Manitoba.

Kathy Turner (Director) – retired Assistant Commissioner Canada Revenue Agency. Kathy’s working background is in accounting, finance, information technology and tax policy and she has significant senior management experience. She has board and volunteer experience in golf at the club level and with the former CLGA.  Kathy also has board experience with charitable organizations such as the United Way and Citizen’s Advocacy of Ottawa (an organization that works with adults with disabilities).  Kathy was a founding director of Camelot Golf and Country Club.

Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the game of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.  To learn more about Golf Manitoba or programs and services available to amateur golfers, visit Golf Manitoba at golfmb.ca.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba Inc.
Office: (204) 925-5729
Cell: (204) 291-8032
jared@golfmb.ca

(Monday, October 22, 2018) – Southwood Golf & Country Club’s Rhonda Orr and Breezy Bend’s Justin McDonald were awarded the 2018 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards at Golf Manitoba’s Annual Awards Reception held at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

Rhonda Orr was the winner of the 2018 Manitoba Senior Women’s Championship and was a member of the provincial team where she finished tied for 18th in the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.  In addition to her provincial title, Rhonda finished in a tie for 4th in both the Manitoba Women’s Amateur and the City & District Championships. Rhonda also qualified to compete in the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by tying for medalist honours in a regional qualifier. Rhonda went on to qualify for the match play portion of the championship making it to the round of 64. Rhonda also finished in a tie for 12th in the Senior Women’s North & South Amateur held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, U.S.A. This is Rhonda’s second Golfer of the Year Award winning her first in 2016.

The other finalists for Female Amateur Golfer of the Year were Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge and Camryn Roadley of Southwood. Charmaine Mackid of Breezy Bend, Bobbi Uhl of the Shilo Country Club and Veronica Vetesnik of Southwood earned honourable mentions for their 2018 accomplishments.

Justin McDonald  had an impressive 2018 campaign claiming both the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur and the Manitoba Mid-Amateur titles. Justin won both events in commanding fashion finishing 8 strokes ahead of the field in the Amateur and 9 strokes ahead in the Mid-Amateur. Justin went on to represent Manitoba by competing in the 2018 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship where he recorded a T38th finish and was a member Team Manitoba that posted a 3rd place finish in inter-provincial play. Justin was the medalist in the Match Play Qualifier and also finished in 2nd place at the Grey Owl.

The finalists for the Male Golfer of the Year Award included 5-time winner Todd Fanning of Niakwa and Ryan McMillan of Elmhurst. Jacob Armsrong (St. Boniface),  Garth Collings (Breezy Bend), Jay Doyle (Niakwa), Eric Johnson (Breezy Bend) and Devon Schade (Elmhurst) received an honorable mention for their 2018 accomplishments.

The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award dates back to 1975, and was presented for the 44th time on October 22.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba Inc.
p. 204.291.8032
e. jared@golfmb.ca

(October 16, 2018) – The Golf Manitoba Selection Committee has announced the finalists for the 2018 Male and Female Amateur Golfers of the Year award, which will both be presented during the Annual General Meeting and Awards Reception on Monday, October 22 at the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.

The Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award recognizes a players outstanding performance in all levels of competition on an annual basis.

The female nominees for 2018, and in alphabetical order, are: Marissa Naylor (Pine Ridge), Rhonda Orr (Southwood) and Camryn Roadley (Southwood).

Marissa Naylor finished 5th in the Golf Manitoba City & District Championship and T4th in the Manitoba Women’s Amateur Championship. With the University of Manitoba Bisons, Marissa posted a number of top finishes including two wins, a 2nd and 6th place finish and a 16th place finish.

Rhonda Orr defended her 2017 title by winning the Manitoba Women’s Senior Championship and was a member of the provincial team where individually she finished T18 in the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. Rhonda was T4th in both the Manitoba Amateur and City & District Championships. Rhonda also qualified to compete in the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by tying for medalist in a regional qualifier. Rhonda made the match place portion of the event making it to the round of 64. Rhonda also finished in a T12 in the Senior Women’s North & South Amateur Championship played at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, USA.

Camryn Roadley won the 2018 Manitoba Women’s Amateur Championship where her victory earned her a spot on Team Manitoba and competing in the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Camryn also finished in 3rd place in the City & District Championship. As a member of the North Dakota State University Golf Team, Camryn recorded an 8th place, T18th and a T26th in NCAA Division I competition.

Three female players earned honourable mentions for their 2018 accomplishments: Charmaine Mackid of Breezy Bend, Bobbi Uhl of Shilo and Veronica Vetesnik of Southwood.

Charmaine Mackid was the winner of the City & District Championship, placed 3rd in the Manitoba Women’s Amateur, competed in the 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur as a member of team Manitoba as well recorded a T26th in the Canadian Women’s Amateur Mid-Masters and a T30th in the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Bobbi Uhl won the Manitoba Junior Women’s Championship, finished 6th in the Women’s Amateur Championship, made the Match Play finals and also finished 3rd in the Golf Canada Future Links Prairie Championship.

Veronica Vetesnik finished 6th in the 2018 Golf Canada University/College Championship and 11th in the Manitoba Women’s Amateur. Playing for the University of Manitoba Bisons, Veronica had a T3rd and a 13th place finish in the fall season.

The 2018 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year nominees are and in alphabetical order: Todd Fanning (Niakwa), Justin McDonald (Breezy Bend), and Ryan McMillan (Elmhurst).

Todd Fanning successfully defended his Golf Canada Mid-Masters (40+) Championship with his win at the Victoria Golf Club. Todd also finished T7th in the Canadian Mid-Amateur. Todd finished 3rd in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur, T9th in the Manitoba Mid-Amateur and won the Elmhurst Invitational.

Justin McDonald had an impressive season claiming both the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur and the Manitoba Mid-Amateur titles. Justin represented Manitoba by competing in the 2018 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship where he recorded a T38th finish and was a member Team Manitoba that posted a 3rd place finish in inter-provincial play. Justin was the medalist in the Match Play Qualifier and also finished in 2nd place at the Grey Owl.

Ryan McMillan defended his 2017 title by winning the Manitoba Junior Men’s Championship. Ryan went on to represent Team Manitoba by competing in the Golf Canada Junior Men’s Championship where he finished in an impressive tie for 4th place. Ryan placed 14th in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship and went on to record a T15th in the Glencoe Invitational.

Five additional male golfers are being recognized with honourable mentions:

Jacob Armstrong of St. Boniface finished T3rd in the Manitoba Junior Men’s Championship, he placed T7th in the Nott Autocorp Amateur and had a strong T4th place showing in the Golf Canada Future Links Prairie Championship. Jacob also qualified for and played in the Golf Canada Junior Men’s and Men’s Amateur Championships.

Garth Collings of Breezy Bend had another fine year finishing in second place in the Manitoba Mid-Amateur and winning the Mid-Masters division. Garth also finished T4th in the Manitoba Men’s Senior Championship which qualified him to play for Team Manitoba in the Golf Canada Senior Men’s Championship where he placed T17th overall. Garth was also a member of the provincial team that finished 3rd in inter-provincial play in the Golf Canada Mid-Amateur Championship.

Jay Doyle of Niawka made the semi-finals of the Match Play, finished T3rd in the Mid-Amateur and T14th in the Nott Autocorp Amateur. Jay went on to represent Manitoba in the 2018 Golf Canada Mid-Amateur where the team finished in 3rd place in inter-provincial play. Individually, Jay finished in a T22nd and T9th in the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Masters divisions respectively.

Eric Johnson of Breezy Bend had a great season finishing in a tie for 3rd in the Manitoba Mid-Amateur as well a 2nd place showing in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur. Eric went on to play in the Golf Canada Mid-Amateur Championship where he finished in a tie for 44th spot.

Devon Schade of Elmhurst had another solid year where he finished 12th in the Nott Autocorp Amateur, T4th in the Golf Canada College/University Championship as member of the team that finished 3rd overall and placed T15th in the Glencoe Invitational. As a member of the University of Manitoba Bison Men’s Golf Team, he had an outstanding fall showing where he recorded three individual wins.

The Amateur Golfer of the Year Award dates back to 1975.

Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award

Winnipeg’s Rick Thain has been name as the recipient of the 2018 Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award.

Rick’s involvement with the Manitoba Golf Association (M.G.A.) dates back to 1978 when he became an M.G.A. Council Representative for the City of Winnipeg Municipal Golf Courses. He remained in this capacity until 2000 serving on many and various committees and executive positions. During that time and continuing to the present, Rick has provided volunteer service to the former Manitoba Golf Association and Golf Manitoba for the past 40 years.

• The following are some of the highlights of Rick’s extensive volunteer career with the Manitoba Golf Association and Golf Manitoba:
• Council Representative from 1977 to 2000
• Junior Chairman from 1981 to 1985
• Tournament Chairman in 1986 and 1987
• Financial Chairman in 1988 and 1989
• Course Rating Chairman 1989 to 1994 where he introduced the Slope Method of course rating
• President of the Manitoba Golf Association in 1995
• M.G.A. Golf Journal Yearbook Committee member from 1980 to 1991
• Rules Official from 1982 to 2001 where he refereed club, inter-club, provincial and national level competitions
• Non-playing captain four times including the 1981 and 1982 Canadian Junior Championships, 1985 Western-Canadian Junior Championship and the 1995 Canadian Amateur Championship
• Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame Selection Committee from 2001 to 2008 and President in 2007

All of these extra-curricular activities were performed while Rick was employed with the City of Winnipeg as the Superintendent of the Municipal Golf Courses where he managed the administration, financing affairs, club and maintenance operations of the Kildonan Park, Windsor Park, Crescent Drive, John Blumberg and Harbour View Golf Courses.

After 33 successful years with the City of Winnipeg, Rick retired in January of 2005. He is now enjoying life with his wife Angie and their son Sean. Rick still remains as an active volunteer with Golf Manitoba.

Golf Manitoba is very pleased to honor Mr. Rick Thain as the Distinguished Service Award Recipient for 2018.

Past recipients include: Jerry Budyk (2007), Don Forsyth (2008), Betty Grant (2009), Brian Gilhuly (2010), Rudy Boivin (2011), Joyce Collier (2012), Bob Forcand (2013), Don MacDonald (2014), Barbara Hamill (2015), George McLeod (2016) and Irv Benne (2017).

For more information, contact:
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director – Golf Manitoba
204.925.5729

• The MGSF is a registered charity with the goal of providing financial assistance to young golfers pursuing post-secondary education at institutions in Canada
• The annual scholarships are granted based on the interest earned from the fund
• The capital fund grows annually from donations made by individuals, donations made in honor of someone and golf clubs within Manitoba and Northwest Ontario making contributions
• Tax receipts are given for donations to the Fund
• Golf Manitoba supports the Fund administratively which allows for very little administrative overhead
• The Fund began in 1986 and has awarded 182 scholarships for a total of $205,000