Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2026 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards.
This year’s female and male award finalists were selected by a committee comprised of veteran golf media member Clayton Dreger; former Golf Manitoba champions Rob McMillan and Adam Speirs; PGA of Manitoba Executive Director Deb Pritchard; and Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press.
The winners will be announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF on Monday, November 2nd at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club.
During the awards ceremony, we will also honour the Golf Manitoba Volunteer Distinguished Service Award winner, who will be announced on Thursday, October 8.
New in 2026, the Golf Manitoba Impact Award celebrates member facilities that are leading the way in innovation, breaking down barriers, and creating welcoming, inclusive environments for golfers across Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. The inaugural Golf Manitoba Impact Award winner will be announced on Thursday, October 15.
The 2026 Female Amateur Golf of the Year Finalists are Charmaine Hayden, Addison Kartusch, Angelina Sitarz and Camryn Thomas.
Hayden, 49, from Winnipeg, won the Taylor McCaffrey Women’s Four-Ball “A” Gross Division Championship with partner Stacey Borowski. She was the silver medallist in the Women’s Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and Women’s City & District Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member earned a third place finish in the Alberta Women’s Mid-Master Division and fifth place in the Mid-Amateur Championship. She was T14 at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Master Championship, 22nd in the Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship and T28 at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Kartusch, 20, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, the NCAA National Golf Invitational and NCAA A-Ga-Ming Invitational. She finished second in the Ohio Women’s Amateur Championship and earned a silver medal representing Manitoba in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The St. Charles Country Club member placed third at the NCAA’s Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational and fourth at the Bowling Green Invite. Kartusch was T6 at the MAC Women’s Championship and T9 at the Powercat Invitational. She finished T31 at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.
Sitarz, 14, from Winnipeg, won the U15 Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and the Junior Girls Division of the Elmhurst Invitational. A member of Team Manitoba, she also won three Maple Leaf Junior Tour U15 Girls division championships at the Order of Merit Series, Zeal Series and PLYR Series. Sitarz won silver medals at the Notah Begay III Western Championship and MJT Junior World’s Qualifier. The Elmhurst Golf & Country Club member finished third in the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and sixth at the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship. She was ninth on the leaderboard at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and finished T27 at the Canadian U15 Championship.
Thomas, 16, from Winnipeg, won the Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and the Women’s City & District Championship. A Team Manitoba member, she also won the Maple Leaf Junior Tour’s Girls 15-19 Division at Junior World’s Qualifier and Zeal Series. Thomas finished second in the MJT’s Order of Merit Series and along with teammate Hannah Diamond won a silver medal at the Taylor McCaffrey Women’s Four-Ball “A” Division Gross Championship. The St. Charles Country Club member finished T3 at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and was a semi-finalist in the Women’s Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. Thomas finished fifth at Golf Canada’s NextGen Prairie Championship and 74th at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
The 2026 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year finalists are Todd Fanning, Evan Nachtigall, Rory Neill and David Spurr.
Fanning, 58, from Winnipeg, won the Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship. He was a member of Manitoba’s first ever gold medal victory representing our province in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. The Niakwa Country Club member finished third in the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, T16 at the Elmhurst Invitational and T24 at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.
Nachtigall, 25, from Brandon, earned a gold medal as a member of Team Manitoba during the Inter-Provincial Team Championship at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He finished in second place at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and at the Men’s Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Elmhurst Golf & Country Club member finished T2 in the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the Match Play Qualifier presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. Nachtigall was T3 at the Elmhurst Invitational, fourth on the leaderboard at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship, finished sixth with teammate Drew Jones at the Taylor McCaffrey Men’s Four-Ball Gross Division Championship and T23 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Neill, 23, from Winnipeg, won Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. Representing the University of Manitoba Bisons, he finished second at the Canada West Fall Invitational and Augsburg Invitational. He was T2 at the Canada West Championship and Match Play Qualifier presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Glendale Golf & Country Club member was fourth on the leatherboard at the Canada West Cougar Cup. Neill finished T29 at the Canadian University Championship.
Spurr, 43, from Oakbank, won the Men’s Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre and the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Master Division. He also won the gold medal with teammate Patrick Perrin at the Taylor McCaffrey Men’s Four-Ball Championship and was a member of Team Manitoba’s first place finish in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The Elmhurst Golf & Country Club member finished T2 in the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, T3 at the Elmhurst Invitational and T8 in the Match Play Qualifier presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. Spurr was T9 on the Mid-Masters division leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur. He finished T19 in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship and T32 at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur.
Details on ticket sales for the Golf Manitoba Awards presented by AVID GOLF will be released in the near future.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards – 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
Past Distinguished Service Award winner recipients
About AVID GOLF: Located at 1580 Taylor Avenue in Winnipeg, AVID GOLF houses six indoor simulators using Foresight Sports technology, has an indoor putting green and a bar and lounge. AVID GOLF caters to both serious and recreational golfers in addition to providing a social venue for people looking for a fun and interactive experience.
For more about AVID GOLF including winter leagues and membership information, visit avidgolf.club.
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.
