Winnipeg’s Kristian Hammerback is our province’s lone representative in this week’s field as the 2023 Canadian All Abilities Championship tees off today at The Kamloops Golf and Country Club in Kamloops, B.C.
The third playing of the national championship will be contested as a 36-hole competition and will feature players with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments.
There are four different divisions in the Canadian All Abilities Championship that players will compete in, regardless of disability classification: Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play; and Men’s Net Stableford.
Hammerback is looking to build on last year’s T5 finish in the Men’s Net Stableford Championship and an 8th place finish in the Men’s Gross Stroke Play Championship. He won the 2022 Manitoba All Abilities Championship at La Broquiere Golf by nine strokes.
In 2021, he finished 4th in the Men’s Net Stableford and 5th in Men’s Gross Stroke Play.
For the opening round tee times, click here.
For the opening round leaderboard, click here.
The field of competitors includes two-time Women’s Gross Stroke Play defending champion Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. and two-time Women’s Net Stableford winner, Tess Trojan of St. Catharines, Ont. On the men’s side, two players ranked in the top-20 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) will be in the field including Jesse Florkowski of Medicine Hat, Alta. (no. 17) who finished third in last year’s tournament and 2022 runner-up Chris Willis (no. 20) of Aurora, Ont. The 2022 Men’s Net Stableford winner Kevin Delaney of Windsor, Ont. is also set to defend his title this week in Kamloops.
“We are very proud to get the third playing of the Canadian All Abilities Championship underway this week at an incredible golf course,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Adam Cinel. “This national championship is a signature event on Golf Canada’s calendar and demonstrates our continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are proud to feature both a gross stroke play championship and a net stableford championship that provides equitability for the field competing in this national championship. The staff and volunteers at Kamloops Golf and Country Club have been preparing the course to ensure that the field competing is treated to a memorable experience.”
The stableford scoring format of the Canadian All Abilities Championship awards set points based off a golfer’s net score for the hole. The points will be awarded as follows: Albatross (5 points), Eagle (4 points), Birdie (3 points), Par (2 points), Bogey (1 point), Double Bogey or higher (0 points). The golfers with the highest total of accumulated points over 36-holes will win their respective divisions.
with copy courtesy Golf Canada