A look at the Oak Island Golf with General Manager Des Koop.

For more details on Oak Island Resort & Golf, click here.

Friends, family and members of the local golf scene gathered this week inside the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame to celebrate the life of Peggy Colonello.

Colonello, a member of the Manitoba Sports and Golf Halls of Fame, passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at the age of 97.

Those in attendance spoke of her impact on women’s and junior golf in our province and across the country as an administrator. 

“As a junior golfer in Manitoba, I was fortunate enough to develop my game in many great ways thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Colonello” said Jacob Armstrong, of the Golf Manitoba program and now a student at the University of Fraser Valley. “Of many things, I got to attend multiple national championships with the help of the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation. These experiences truly grew my love for the game. I am beyond grateful for the outstanding support Mrs. Colonello has always given Junior golf in Manitoba. Thank you Mrs. Colonello”. 

Peggy’s volunteerism spanned decades and started in 1974 where she served as president of the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association until 1976. Peggy continued her administrative work in golf serving 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, for her contributions to the sport, 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.

The Colonello name was well known in golf and not only for Peggy’s contributions. Her husband Alex Colonello first moved to Winnipeg in 1941. In 1973, Alex purchased and become president of the Bay Bronze company and eventually acquired the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries to form Bayco Golf Inc. Bayco golf ball washers can still be found on the tee boxes of golf courses all over the world. Alex Colonello passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.

In 2018 and at the age of 94, Peggy Colonello established the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation with a mandate to support junior golf in the province of Manitoba. The Foundation established an unprecedented endowment of $3 million dollars that supports the development of new generations of golfers through grassroots golf initiatives and high-performance programming. Since 2019, the Foundation has supported junior golf programs including the Golf in Schools initiative, provincial junior team development and the University of Manitoba Bisons golf program. The annual induction ceremony for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is also sponsored by the Foundation.

To read Mrs. Colonello’s obituary, please click here.

It was another week to remember for Rossmere Country Club member Rob Oliphant.

After opening the season victorious in the Seniors Division of the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, Oliphant went wire to wire this week claiming the Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship.

With scores of 67, 74 and 75 for a 216 total at Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club, Oliphant earned a three stroke victory over Niakwa Country Club’s Jay Doyle (74-74-71).

Carl Lechman of Elmhurst Gofl & Country Club had the low round Friday carding a 2 under par 68 to finish in third place at 222.

Transcona Golf Club’s Brad Beghetto won the Forward Tee Division while Ken Mould of St. Charles Country Club takes home the Super Senior Championship.

For the complete Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.

Rhonda Orr continued her dominance in the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship.

The Southwood Golf & Country Club member claimed a 14 stroke victory over Niakwa’s Tammy Gibson to win her seventh consecutive title and ninth in the past 10 years.

Orr shot 74, 79 and 75 for a 228 total.

Gibson (82-80-80) finished one stroke ahead of Matty Leung (87-76-80) also of Southwood.

Nancy Porth of Niakwa won the Net Division Forward Tees Division with a 225.96 total. Wendy Minnie of the host course placed second.

For the complete Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.

Golf Manitoba would like to thank our Official Performance Partners:

adidas Golf Canada – Paige Lawrence, Territory Manager

Manitoba Blue Cross

Taylormade Canada – Eric Johnson, Sales & Marketing Territory Manager

We appreciate the time and effort of the host club, Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club led by Director of Golf / General Manager Peter Ewert, Head Professional Geoff Kehler, Superintendent Tim Larter, their staff, club members and volunteers for their warm welcome.

After carding a 3 under par 67 in his opening round, Rob Oliphant of Rossmere Country Club followed it up with a 4 over par 74 Thursday at the Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship at Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club.

Oliphant’s 141 total is six strokes better than St. Boniface Golf Club’s Al Briscoe entering Friday’s final round. Briscoe shot a 1 over par 71.

Jay Doyle of Niakwa Country Club fired his second consecutive 74 to sit third on the Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard at 148.

In the Forward Tee Division, Transcona Golf Club’s Brad Beghetto has a seven stroke cushion on Rene Abgrall, a Golf Manitoba Public Players Club member.

Menno Zacharias, another Golf Manitoba Public Players Club member, has a two stroke advantage on Edmonton’s Wayne Vande Vyvere in the Super Senior Division.

For the complete Manitoba Blue Cross Senior Men’s leaderboard, click here.

For Friday’s Final Round tee times, click here.

Defending Champion Rhonda Orr shot a 79, good for a 153 total going into tomorrow’s final round of the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship.

The Southwood Golf & Country Club member has a seven stroke lead over Cathy Derewianchuk of Glendale Golf & Country Club. Derewianchuk and Southwood’s Matty Leung carded the low rounds of the day for the ladies at 76.

For the complete Manitoba Blue Cross Women’s Senior leaderboard, click here.

For Friday’s Final Round tee times, click here.

Rob Oliphant of Rossmere Country Club was the only player to shoot below par on the opening day of the Hodson Financial Men’s & Women’s Senior Championship at Larters at St. Andrews Golf & Country Club.

Oliphant made three birdies and 15 pars to card a 3 under par 67. He leads Jay Doyle of Niakwa Country Club by seven strokes.

Pine Ridge Golf Club’s Brad Moore and Gordon Kroeker along with Golf Manitoba Public Players Club member Tom Ewert are tied for third at 5 over par 75.

Brad Bighetto of Transcona Golf Club leads the Forward Tee Division after shooting a 79. He has a four stroke advantage on Daniel Labrie of the Lorette Golf Course.

Edmonton’s Wayne Vande Vyvere (76) has a one stroke lead over Niakwa’s Barry Minish (77) in the Super Senior Division.

Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club shot a 4 over par 74 to give her an eight stroke lead over Niakwa’s Tammy Gibson and St. Charles Country Club’s Lisa Benson in the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship.

For the Men’s Senior Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.

For the Women’s Senior Manitoba Blue Cross leaderboard, click here.

Winnipeg’s Braxton Kuntz shot a 4 under par 68 in his final round of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia to finish in a tie for fifth place on the leaderboard.

Wednesday’s 68 was another impressive round this week for the Breezy Bend Country Club member, who finished with a 274 total, just five strokes back of first place.

Jean-Philippe Parr of Quebec carded a 69 to win the Championship at 19 under par.

Thomas Scott of St. Charles Country Club shot a 1 over 73 to finish tied for 42nd on the leaderboard at 289 while Whitewater Golf Club’s Jack Moro shot a 75 to end play at 293, tied for 57th.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

Winnipeg’s Braxton Kuntz shot a 2 under par 70 Tuesday in his third round at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia.

With a three round total of 206, the Breezy Bend Country Club member sits six stroke behind leader Jean-Philippe Parr of Quebec.

Dauphin’s Thomas Scott shot a 2 over par 74, which has him now tied for 41st on the leaderboard while Jack Moro of Thunder Bay, Ontario is tied for 51st after shooting a 76.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

Wednesday’s final round tees at 10am Central.

Three members of Golf Manitoba have made the cut following 36 holes of play at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, led by Winnipeg’s Braxton Kuntz.

The Breezy Bend Country Club member made seven birdies on the day shooting a 67 and sits with a two day total 136, which is good for a tie of 7th place on the leaderboard.

Jack Moro of Thunder Bay carded a 1 under par 71 while Dauphin’s Thomas Scott shot even par 72. Both players are tied for 30th at 142.

Failing to make the cut (+2, 146) were:

Ryan Blair (Winnipeg) 72-150
Jack Taylor (Winnipeg) 78-154
Eric Prokopowich (Dauphin) 81-157
Grady Chuback (Headingley) 78-159

Team Manitoba moved up two spots during the Inter Provincial Team Competition. Kuntz, Blair and Chuback combined for a -5 today to put them at -2 and into 6th place.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

Blair, Chuback, Prokopowich, Scott and Taylor are members of Team Manitoba’s Junior Development Program.

Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce a 5 year sponsorship extension with Hodson Financial for the Men’s & Women’s Senior Championships.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Gerry and his staff at Hodson Financial through the 2026 golf season” said Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk. “With the Hodson Financial Women’s & Men’s Senior Championships set to tee off later this week, our competitors will see first hand how partners like Hodson Financial are assisting in taking our events to the next level both on and off the course”.

“We are very pleased and excited to extend this partnership”, said Gerry Hodson, President of Hodson Financial Inc. “Golf is a sport of integrity and honesty. At Hodson Financial, that is how we conduct our business. For us to extend this partnership, it was an easy decision to make. We also appreciate giving back to a game that we really admire and one that I think is the greatest game of all time.”

The 2022 Championships will be contested at Larters at St. Andrew’s Golf and Country Club starting Wednesday with a field of 69 in the Men’s Senior Division followed by 20 competitors in the Women’s Senior Division.

There will be a new Men’s Senior Champion as Garth Collings of Breezy Bend Country Club will not return to defend his 2021 title, a three stroke victory at the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club over St. Boniface Golf Club’s Mike Walker.

Golf Manitoba Public Players Club member Rene Abgrall, who won last year’s Forward Tee Division and Bruce North of the Carman Golf Club who took home the Super Senior Division Championship, are vying for back to back wins.

Following a Southwood Golf & Country Club Final a year ago where Rhonda Orr edged Fran Povoledo in the Women’s Senior Championship by two strokes, both ladies are back to headline this year’s event.

Nancy Porth of Niakwa Country Club, who won the Forward Tee Division and Super Senior Division winner Michelle Gisiger of the Fly-In Club, are in the field as well.

Wednesday’s Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship tee times

Wednesday’s Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship tee times

Winnipeg’s Braxton Kuntz made four birdies on the back nine in his opening round of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The Breezy Bend Country Club member carded a 3 under par 69 placing him in a tie for 14th on the leaderboard.

James Newton of Ontario is the leader by three strokes on four players following a 9 under par 63. Newton made seven birdies and finished with an eagle on the 18th hole.

Also representing Golf Manitoba:

T23 Thomas Scott (Dauphin) -2, 70
T38 Jack Moro (Thunder Bay) -1, 71
T106 Eric Prokopowich (Dauphin) +4, 76
T106 Jack Taylor (Winnipeg) +4, 76
T124 Ryan Blair (Winnipeg) +6, 78
T124 Grady Chuback (Headingley) +6, 78

Team Quebec leads in the Inter Provincial Team Competition at 11 under par.

Team Manitoba (Kuntz, Blair and Chuback) are 8th at 3 over par.

For the complete opening round leaderboard, click here.

Blair, Chuback, Prokopowich, Scott and Taylor are members of Team Manitoba’s Junior Development Program.