Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club will tee off Monday at Cherry Hill Golf Club in Ridgeway, Ontario looking to earn a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open.

Kuntz will play 36 holes on the 7,067 yard par 72 course.

For more details, click here.

Clara Peake (Minnedosa Golf & Country Club) shot a 1-over par 71 to finish in a tie for first place in the Hardscrabble Invitational in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Peake, who is attending Redlands Community College, carded four birdies, nine pars and five bogeys at the Hardscrabble Country Club.

Due to weather, competitors were only able to play 18 holes.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Fresh off another top 10 finish on the DP World Tour this past weekend, Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill checks in with Golf Manitoba Director of Communications & Development Brian Munz.

Cockerill discusses the current status of his game, how he now feels playing against the best in the world, managing family time and much more!

For the second time in three weeks, Stony Mountain’s Aaron Cockerill continued to make waves on the DP World Tour.

Cockerill shot a final round 5-under par 67 to finish T6 on the Bahrain Championship’s leaderboard at 8-under par 280.

After bogeying the first hole in each of his prior three rounds, Sunday’s final round got off to a hot start with a birdie and then followed it up with three consecutive birds on holes four through six.

This week’s placing earned him 97.5 points and 74,707.91 euros ($108,535.65 Canadian).

For the final leaderboard, click here.

The 31 year old opened the 2024 calendar year at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic where he tied for fourth.

The second half of the American College Golf season is underway with a pair of Golf Manitoba members taking part.

Braxton Kuntz, representing Nicholls State University, shot a final round 74 at the Gulf Coast Collegiate Tournament Tuesday on the Pine Course at Diamondhead Country Club in Bay St Louis, Mississippi.

He finished the three round event tied for 35th on the leaderboard with a 231 total.

For the leaderboard, click here.

Bobbi Uhl, representing Longwood University, carded an 82 Tuesday in her final round of the Rivertowne Invitational in Charleston, South Carolina.

Uhl’s tournament total was 247 and finished 74th on the leaderboard.

For the leaderboard, click here.

Golf Manitoba Director of Communications Brian Munz goes 1on1 with the new Head Professional at Glendale Golf & Country Club, Derrik Goodwin.

The PGA of Canada has announced the finalists for its 2021 National Awards.

“We are blessed to have a family of over 3,600 professionals who proudly share their passion and expertise with golfers from coast-to-coast,” said Teejay Alderdice, the association’s president. 

“On behalf of the PGA of Canada, I would like to congratulate all nominees and finalists for their outstanding accomplishments this year. I look forward to celebrating their collective achievements later this month during our virtual National Awards Ceremony.”

Golf Manitoba junior development team coaches Bri-ann Tokariwski and Derrik Goodwin have both been nominated for national awards. Tokariwski, who is an assistant professional out of the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, has been nominated for the Moe Norman Apprentice of the Year award. Goodwin, the head professional at the Glendale Golf & Country Club, has been nominated for both the Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year and the George Knudson Teacher of the Year awards.

Five PGA of Canada Manitoba Zone members have also been nominated for awards and include the following:

• Murray Tucker Club Professional of the Year: James Chapman, Glendale Golf & Country Club
• Dick Munn Executive Professional of the Year: Al Scott, Falcon Lake Golf Course
• Ben Kern Coach of the Year: Derek Ingram, Golf Canada
• Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year: Kris Ehnes, Breezy Bend Country Club
• Stan Leonard Class “A” Professional of the Year: Jeremy Gallant, St. Charles Country Club

Each year, a National Selection Committee evaluates nominations from professionals across Canada. Winners for each national award are traditionally recognized during PGA of Canada Night at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., however, this year will see winners revealed live during the association’s virtual National Award Ceremony on January 27, 2022. 

Michelle Lee is the sixteenth recipient of the volunteer Distinguished Service Award.

Michelle’s volunteerism with golf first began serving as a district representative with the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association. In this role, Michelle would visit and advocate for the MLGA with member clubs inside the district.  She also ran the district “Bronze Tournament” where she met numerous women golfers from around the city.  Michelle remained a volunteer of the MLGA until the amalgamation with the Manitoba Golf Association in 2003.

In 2004, Michelle joined the Board of Golf Manitoba where she completed a full 10-year term. During that time, Michelle was very active taking on numerous volunteer roles including the following:

• 2005 – Present: Starter/Scorer/Pace of Play Official
• 2006 – 2010: Marketing Committee
• 2007 – Chair of Membership Committee
• 2007 – 2008: Volunteer Committee
• 2009 – Chair of the Volunteer committee
• 2010 – Chair of Tournament Committee / Co-chair Medical at CN Canadian Women’s Open
• 2013 – Chair Volunteer Committee / Nominating Committee member
• 2013 – Present: Tournament Committee

Of special note in 2007/2008, Michelle assisted Volunteer Committee Chair Bonnie Stephenson in establishing the inaugural Golf Manitoba volunteer Distinguished Service Award.

In addition to her volunteerism with Golf Manitoba, Michelle also volunteered at St. Charles Country Club, her home course.   She joined the Board of St. Charles where she completed three full terms holding the following appointments:

• Chair of Play & Rules
• Honorary Secretary
• Communications Chair
• Membership Committee member
• LRP Committee
• Member of the Ladies Invitational committee (Rossbrook House)
• Member of the Ladies Mackenzie Gathering committee

Michelle continues to sit as a member of the St. Charles Ladies Executive serving as the Communications Chair.

“I feel that I have gained more than I have given as a volunteer to Golf Manitoba,” said Lee. “It is humbling and amazing to be part of a group of distinguished service recipients who have mentored me in the past and who have trained me, and they have inspired me to continue on as a Golf Manitoba volunteer.  My deepest gratitude for the nomination and I am humbled and honored to receive this award.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our entire Golf Manitoba volunteer family, it is my great pleasure and honour to recognize Michelle Lee of the St. Charles Country Club as the 2021 Distinguished Service Award recipient,” said Wayne McWhirter, President of Golf Manitoba.  “Michelle’s leadership and contributions to the sport of amateur golf during her many years of service are admirable and very worthy of this award.  Thank you, Michelle, for all that you have given.”

Golf Manitoba is very pleased to honour Michelle Lee as the volunteer Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2021.

Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill fired a final round of 3-over par 75 to finish in an 8-way tie for 26th place at the Mallorca Golf Open. Cockerill, who started the day alone in 10th position, put together a round that included 5 bogeys, 2 birdies and 11 pars. The finish is projected to move Cockerill up one spot to a 153rd place in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings.

Denmark’s Jeff Winther took top spot in the event posting a final round of even par 70 good enough for a one stroke victory over Pep Angles of Spain.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Cockerill’s next event is the Portugal Masters November 4-7, being played at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura, Portugal.

SUN CITY, South Africa — Christiaan Bezuidenhout won a second straight tournament on the European Tour when he finished with a 69 for 18 under par overall and a convincing five-shot victory at the South African Open on Sunday.

The 26-year-old South African became the first player since Justin Rose in 2017 to win European Tour events on consecutive weeks. Bezuidenhout won the Alfred Dunhill Championship, also in South Africa, last weekend and now has three career tour titles.

Bezuidenhout took a five-shot lead into the final round at Gary Player Country Club at the Sun City resort and maintained that advantage over Jamie Donaldson of Wales, who also closed with a 69. Dylan Frittelli of South Africa (71) was third on 11 under.

Canadian Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., was in the hunt after firing a 68 on Friday, but shot 72 on Saturday and followed that up with Sunday’s 74 to tie for 18th at 3 under.

After starting with a run of pars, Bezuidenhout made bogey at No. 8. But he recovered with three straight birdies after the turn and had four birdies in all on the back nine to consolidate his lead.

“It’s any South African golfer’s dream to win his national open,” Bezuidenhout said. “It’s unreal.”

His story is something of an inspiration after he nearly died as a child because of an accidental poisoning. That incident led him to be prescribed medication to help with anxiety and a stutter but the medication resulted in a doping ban when he was an amateur. The two-year ban in 2014 was later reduced to nine months.

Sunday’s victory took Bezuidenhout up to fifth in the Race to Dubai money list rankings ahead of the season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai starting on Thursday. Patrick Reed of the United States leads the season standings ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Lee Westwood and Bezuidenhout.