Finalists announced for 2024 Female & Male Amateur Golfer of the Year
Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2024 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards.
This year’s female and male award finalists were chosen by the selection committee of former Golf Manitoba Champions Jill Hardy, Rob McMillan and Adam Speirs along with Clayton Dreger of Golden West Radio and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press.
The winners will be announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at St. Charles Country Club.
During the awards ceremony, we will also honour the Golf Manitoba Volunteer Distinguished Service Award winner.
The 2024 Female Amateur Golf of the Year Finalists are Charmaine Hayden, Addison Kartusch, Jeri Lafleche and Rhonda Orr.
Hayden, 47, from Winnipeg, won the Women’s City & District Championship. She finished second in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and lost in the semi final of the Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also placed T4 at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Masters Championship, seventh in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and T11 at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Kartusch, 18, from Winnipeg, won the Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. The St. Charles Country Club member also finished T3 at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and T48 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Lafleche, 17, from Winnipeg, won the NextGen Prairie Championship and Manitoba Summer Games. She finished second in the Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. The Niakwa Country Club member also placed T58 on the leaderboard at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Orr, 63, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship and Super Senior Championship. She finished sixth in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and ninth a the the Canadian Women’s Mid-Masters Championship. The Southwood Golf & Country Club member also finished T17 at the Canadian Women’s Super Senior Championship, 22nd at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and T24 at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
The 2024 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year finalists are Zostrianos Giordani-Gross, Braxton Kuntz, Allan McDonald and Marco Trstenjak.
Giordani-Gross, 18, from Brandon, won the Junior Boys Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. The Shilo Country Club member also finished T13 on the leaderboard at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship and T56 at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Kuntz, 20, from Winnipeg, won the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship and was T2 on the leaderboard at the Elmhurst Invitational. The Breezy Bend Country Club member finished T3 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, the NCAA Bryan National Collegiate Championship and at the NCAA Butler University Don Benbow Invitational. He also placed T12 at the NCAA Fighting Illini Spring Collegiate Championship.
McDonald, 32, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. His opening round 10-under par 62 set a new course record at Minnedosa Golf & Country Club. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also finished T6 at the Elmhurst Invitational and T7 in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.
Trstenjak, 24, from Winnipeg, won the Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and the Elmhurst Invitational. He finished T7 at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. The Elmhurst Golf & Country Club member also placed T74 on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
A limited number of general admission tickets are available for purchase until 10am on Monday, October 21st.
Tickets are $25 per person, appetizers and food stations included.
To purchase tickets, click here.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award recognizes outstanding performance by Manitoba golfers in all levels of competition with the first award presented in 1975. In 2015, the award was re-established to include both a female and male category.
Past Amateur Golfer of the Year recipients >>
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 sport of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.
For more information:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications & Development
Golf Manitoba
(204) 223-1119
brian@golfmb.ca
WATCH | Ryan Hart at the Presidents Cup in Montreal
Winnipeg’s Ryan Hart is the Executive Director of the Presidents Cup, September 24-29 at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
WATCH | Inside the Ropes with Rob Damsgaard at The Players Course
PGA of Manitoba Head Professional and General Manager Rob Damsgaard talks about the rich tradition of The Players Course.
For tee times, call the proshop at (204) 697-4976.
Portage Golf Club wins Men’s Four-Ball Championship at Grand Pines Golf Club
Carson Inman and Kenny Keeler (Portage Golf Club) captured the Men’s Four-Ball Championship at Grand Pines Golf Club.
Inman and Keeler combined for a round of 6-under par 66, one stroke better than the team of Aaron & Cam McIntyre (Rossmere Country Club) and the team of Matt Glowa (Whispering Winds of Warren Golf & Country Club) and Chris Plishka (Golf Manitoba Public Players Club).
For the Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.
Golf Manitoba would like to acknowledge our Official Performance Partners:
Manitoba Blue Cross
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
PUMA GOLF – Ryan Sommerfeld, Territory Manager
Sport Manitoba
Taylormade Canada – Eric Johnson, Sales & Marketing Territory Manager
We appreciate the time and effort of the host club, Grand Pines Golf Club led by General Manager and PGA of Manitoba Head Professional Ivan Koop, Superintendent Bruce Gray, Food & Beverage Manager Barb McLennan, their staff, club members and volunteers for their warm welcome.
New and exclusive Golf Manitoba coverage, presented by Manitoba Blue Cross, is available by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and online at www.golfmb.ca.
Grand Pines Golf Club to host Men’s Four-Ball Championship
32 two person teams will be at Grand Pines Golf Club Thursday to compete in the Men’s Four-Ball Championship.
The 18 hole event features teams representing Delahunt Golf & Country Club, Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, Kildonan Park Golf Course, Niakwa Country Club, Pine Ridge Golf Club, Portage Golf Club, Quarry Oaks Golf Course, Rossmere Country Club, St. Boniface Golf Club, St. Charles Country Club, Selkirk Golf & Country Club, Shanks Driving Range, Shilo Country Club, Southwood Golf & Country Club, Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club, Transcona Golf Club, Whispering Winds of Warren, Windsor Park Golf Course and Winkler Centennial Golf Club.
This year’s format features:
- Play where sides of two partners compete, with each player playing their own ball.
- A side’s score for a hole is the lower gross score of the two partners on that hole.
- The partner with the lower score on each hole provides that team’s score for that hole.
- Each team is responsible for recording their gross score on a hole on a single scorecard
For tee times, click here.
For live scoring on the Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.
In memory of Jim Collins
It is with profound sadness to have learned of the passing of Jim Collins, the beloved golf professional at St. Charles Country Club for 37 remarkable years. Jim passed away the evening of September 10th, at the age of 86 years.
Jim became the Head professional at St. Charles in 1961 and retired in 1997. For nearly four decades Jim dedicated his life to St. Charles. Teaching, coaching, operating the Pro Shop and most of all, making the members at St. Charles feel special each and every day. His unwavering commitment to the Club, coupled with his kindness, patience, and infectious love for the game, made an indelible impact on everyone fortunate enough to know him.
Throughout his career, Jim has been a 3-time winner of the Manitoba Zone Championship (’65, ’77, ’78), a 5-time winner of the Manitoba Zone Seniors’ Championship (’89, ’90, ’91, ’94, ’00), and in 1980 Jim was the PGA Club Professional Champion of Canada.
Internationally, Jim has won 8 other Championships including the Bermuda Beefeater Championship, the Royal Oak Seniors Championship, and the Lake Nona Senior Invitational Championship.
In 1985, Jim was selected as a Rules Instructor and Member of the Golf Canada (formerly RCGA) Rules Advisory Committee. Jim was recognized and inducted into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame in 2007 and the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jim remained a fixture at the Club as he was awarded an honorary membership at St. Charles upon his retirement and active at the Club until his passing. He remained passionate about St. Charles and the game of golf, shooting his age too many times to count.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s wife Lucette, sons Glenn and James, and their families during this difficult time.
(courtesy PGA of Manitoba)
Fanning finishes T9 at Canadian Men’s Senior Championship
For the third time in four rounds, Todd Fanning (Niakwa Country Club) shot a 1-under par 71 to conclude the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO at Saugeen Golf Club in Saugeen Shores, Ontario.
Fanning’s round on Sunday featured four birdies and 11 pars along with three bogeys. At even par 288, his 72 hole tournament total is good for a three way tie for ninth place on the leaderboard.
Jay Doyle (Niakwa) finished T58 following a final round 80 while Ron Cornell (Clear Lake Golf Course) shot an 84 to end play T68.
For the final leaderboard, click here.
Cockerill finishes T9 at DP World Tour’s Amgen Irish Open
Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill shot even par 71 during Sunday’s final round of the DP World Tour’s Amgen Irish Open to finish T9 on the leaderboard.
He concluded play at 2-under par 282, seven strokes back of winner Rasmus Hojgaard. Rory McIlroy finished in second at 8-under par.
Cockerill’s performance his week earned him 107,717 euros or just over $165,000 Canadian.
For the final leaderboard, click here.
Polanski leads University of Manitoba Bisons in Minnesota
Tyler Polanski shot rounds of 77 and 74 to finish T20 on the leaderboard and was the University of Manitoba Bisons highest finishing competitor at the Saint John’s University Fall Invitational.
The 36 hole tournament was played at St. Cloud Country Club and Blackberry Ridge Golf Club.
Also representing the Bisons were:
T27 Rory Neill 82-71-153 (+9)
T35 Jordon McDonald 75-80-155 (+11)
T35 Jack Rudick 76-79-155 (+11)
T43 Lachlan Allerton 79-78-157 (+13)
T49 Trent Robertson 86-73-159 (+15)
53 Eric Prokopowich 82-78-160 (+16)
T72 Brent Ingram 85-81-166 (+22)
T72 Cole Peters 83-83-166 (+22)
77 Derek Benson 80-91-171 (+27)
For the final leaderboard, click here.
WATCH | Team Manitoba’s Payne Wood hits 292 yard Hole-in-One at St. Boniface Golf Club
For the second time in St. Boniface Golf Club history, a Hole-in-One has been recorded on a par 4.
Following in the footsteps of David Borowski (Breezy Bend Country Club), who aced the 330 yard 15th hole in 2006, Team Manitoba member Payne Wood recently made a Hole-in-One on the 292 yard 2nd hole.