WINNIPEG, MB – The coaching staff for golf for the 2020 Manitoba Summer games met on Monday, March 9 for a learning and development session in preparation for the Dauphin 2020 Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro.  This was the first meeting for the coaching staff that included a coaching development session lead by PGA of Canada professional, head coach of the 2020 men’s Canadian Olympic golf team and PGA Tour coach, Derek Ingram. Also in attendance was three-time PGA of Canada Manitoba Zone Coach of the Year and Golf Manitoba Director of Player Development, Garth Goodbrandson.

This will be the 5th year that golf will be included in the provincial multi-sport games event with the first participation taking place in 2004. The City of Dauphin will be hosting over 1500 athletes at the 2020 Manitoba Games from August 9 – 15, 2020 with golf athletes competing on the gorgeous Gilbert Plains Golf & Country Club.

Regional coaching staff for golf include current and former members of the PGA of Canada and include Dave Scinocca (West), Dean North (South), Ryan MacKenzie (East), Greg Hesom (Winnipeg) and Bri-ann Tokariwski (Winnipeg). For more information on the 2020 coaching staff, please click HERE >>.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge program schedule, which now includes 10 Provincial Qualifiers hosted at member clubs across Canada and will conclude with the 12^th edition of the Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC on August 29-30.

Important Dates for 2020:

• Facility Events:

July 19, 2019 – June 22, 2020 at local Future Links facilities

• Local Provincial Qualifier:

July 5, 2020 at St. Charles Country Club

• National Event:

August 29-30, 2020 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, BC

To become an official Future Links Junior Skills Challenge site, a facility must register with Future Links – providing access to program materials and online login information. Offered to golf facilities across Canada at no cost, the objective of the program is to develop key golf skills, while serving as an important introduction to competition.

Following registration, facilities can host a Junior Skills Challenge event at a date of their choosing (not required to report to Golf Canada). Once the event has been completed, players scores are entered to the National Leaderboard by the site coordinators. Participants can track their results to see how they measure up to other players in their age category across their own province or across Canada. The four age categories are 8 and under, 9 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 18 years old. Future Links facilities will host Junior Skills Challenge events between July 19, 2019 and June 22, 2020.

Beginning in 2020, the program structure includes the addition of another level of qualifying events, at the provincial level. On Monday, June 22, 2020 at 12:00pm ET, Golf Canada will select the top four (4) ranked players in each province, in each age and gender category and invite them to compete in their respective Future Links Junior Skills Challenge Provincial Qualifiers. Each province will host a Provincial Qualifier between July 3, 2020 and July 20, 2020 and report scores to Golf Canada thereafter.

Following the Provincial Qualifiers, the top four competitors, in each age and gender category, with the highest scores nationally will be invited to compete in the 2020 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event, hosted by Golf Canada. The National Event will take place on August 29-30, 2020 at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC.

For more information and to renew your registration or to register your facility, please visit or log-in at https://futurelinks.golfcanada.ca/

The 2020 Manitoba Games are coming to Dauphin. Want a chance to represent your region in the sport of golf?

The City of Dauphin will be hosting over 1500 athletes at the 2020 Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro from August 9 – 15, 2020, and once again Golf will be teeing it up. Golf athletes will be competing on the gorgeous Gilbert Plains Golf & Country Club from August 9 – 11.

TaylorMade Canada has agreed to extend its partnership with Golf Manitoba as the association’s official performance partner.  Under the agreement, TaylorMade Canada will continue as the sole provider of performance equipment for Golf Manitoba for the 2020 season.

“TaylorMade Canada is excited to extend this partnership with Golf Manitoba,” said Eric Johnson, Territory Sales Manager for Manitoba and Ontario, Lake Head. “Our partnerships with many of the provincial golf associations around the country like Golf Manitoba is something we are very proud of here at TaylorMade Golf Canada,” said TaylorMade Golf Canada GM David Bradley. “We are so excited about continuing our partnership this year and supporting amateur and junior golf in the province of Manitoba.”

“We have been fortunate to have had a successful partnership with TaylorMade Canada over the past two seasons,” said Jared Ladobruk, Executive Director of Golf Manitoba. “And we are looking forward to continuing this relationship for another year. TaylorMade is well recognized as one of the premier ball and equipment manufacturers in golf and we are thrilled to extend the benefits of this relationship to our competitors and provincial teams.”

In 2018 and 2019, TaylorMade Canada equipped all provincial teams with TaylorMade high-performance carry bags, TP5 balls and headwear. Additionally, Golf Manitoba competitors received TP5 balls when playing in events.

About TaylorMade Golf Company

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf is a leading manufacturer of high performance golf equipment with industry-leading innovative products like SIM metalwoods, SIM irons, TP5/TP5X golf balls and Spider putters. A major force on the PGA TOUR, TaylorMade has an unrivaled athlete portfolio that includes Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa.

Follow TaylorMade Canada at taylormadegolf.ca

About Golf Manitoba

Golf Manitoba is recognized by Sport Manitoba as the Provincial Sport Organization and governing body of amateur for golf in the province. 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.

Follow Golf Manitoba at golfmb.ca

For more information:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204.925.5729
jared@golfmb.ca

Golf Manitoba is pleased to release its 2020 Championship schedule.

The provincial amateur golf governing body will host 11 championships at 11 different clubs across the province. Golfers who tee it up in Golf Manitoba competitions in 2020 will get a chance to compete at some of the province’s top facilities.

“We are very excited to release our championship schedule for 2020,“ said Jared Ladobruk, Executive Director for Golf Manitoba. “When planning our event calendar, we were fortunate to have so many quality facilities willing to host a Golf Manitoba championship and we are extremely appreciative of their commitment to support our events. Consequently, our participants will be able to experience and test their game on many of our provinces top golf courses.”

The 2020 championship season will officially kick off with the Match Play Championship with the qualifying matches being held May 23 & 24 at the Winkler Golf Club. The championship matches will then move to the St. Charles Country Club from May 30 to June 7.

2020 Championship Schedule

Match Play Championship – Winkler Golf Club / St. Charles Country Club (May 23-June 7)

Women’s City & District & Junior Bantam Championships – Portage Golf Club (June 27 & 28)

Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur and Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships – Bel Acres Golf & Country Club (July 6-8)

Manitoba Junior Men’s & Women’s Championship – Selkirk Golf & Country Club (July 12-14)

Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship – Minnewasta Golf & Country Club / Glendale Golf & Country Club (July 16-19)

Senior Men’s & Women’s Championship – Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club (July 27-29)

Ladies Interclub Championship – Carman Golf & Curling Club (August 27)

Men’s Provincial Interclub Championship – Neepawa Golf & Country Club (August 28)

Men’s Senior Interclub Championship – Grand Pines Golf Club (September 1)

Other events on the local golf calendar for 2020 include the Golf Canada junior Future Links driven by Acura Prairie Championship June 12-14 at Quarry Oaks Golf Course in Steinbach, Manitoba and also the Manitoba Summer Games that will run August 9-11 at the Gilbert Plains Country Club in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba.

Entry for registration for most Golf Manitoba championships opens on April 1, 2020. For more information on the events including dates, times, eligibility, host venue and more, please visit our competitions schedule page at golfmb.ca.

While the frigid January temperatures would suggest otherwise, golf season has officially begun for the 2020 Golf Manitoba Junior Development Teams.

Seventeen U18 boys and ten U18 girls started their training at the Golf Dome in early January and will continue to do so until the end of March. The program includes weekly practice sessions where the athletes will work on skills development under the guidance of Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development and 2019 PGA of Manitoba Coach of the Year, Garth Goodbrandson. Also helping with the program is Elmhurst Golf & Country Club Assistant Professional Bri-Ann Tokariwski along with players from the University of Manitoba Men’s Golf team.

Upon completion of the winter program, the teams will start their green grass season with a two-day development camp in early May and then move into club season where the teams will compete in the men’s Mundie Putter and women’s Nassau leagues.

For more information on the Golf Manitoba Junior Development Teams, contact Garth Goodbrandson at garth@golfmb.ca.

Golf Manitoba is saddened to have learned that Eric Henke, formally of Rapid City, Manitoba passed away in Minnedosa, Manitoba on December 20, 2019 at the age of 68 years. 

Eric was a volunteer rules referee with Golf Manitoba since 2008. Over the past 11 years, Eric officiated at numerous provincial and national level amateur golf championships.  In the spring of 2019, he completed his Level 3 certification, the highest level of referee certification offered through Golf Canada.

In order to increase his knowledge of the rules, Eric attended a number of Golf Canada and USGA golf rules seminars, at his own expense, in Canada and the U.S.  Invariably his exam marks were amongst the highest, if not the highest, in a class composed of senior golf referees. In the words of one of the top USGA referees: “Eric REALLY knew the rules.”

Eric also was very helpful in sharing his knowledge and understanding of the rules with his fellow officials . He thoroughly enjoyed volunteering his time and expertise and he will be missed both as a colleague and a friend.

If you wish to leave a note on a tribute wall in memory of Eric, you may do so here >> https://www.whitesfh.ca/notices/Eric-Henke

Golf Manitoba wishes to extend our sincere thanks to our member clubs who have made their golf facilities available to host Golf Manitoba events in 2019:

• Carman Golf & Curling Club
• Breezy Bend Country Club
• Elmhurst Golf & Country Club
• Glendale Golf & Country Club
• Links at the Lake
• Minnewasta Golf & Country Club
• Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• Pine Ridge Golf Club
• Portage Golf Club
• Quarry Oaks Golf Course
• Rossmere Country Club
• Selkirk Golf & Country Club

WINNIPEG, MB – The Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award Selection Committee has announced the finalists for the 2019 Male and Female Amateur Golfers of the Year award, which will both be presented during the Annual General Meeting and Awards Reception on Wednesday, October 23 at the St. Charles Country Club.

The female nominees for 2019, and in alphabetical order, are: Hannah Diamond (St. Charles Country Club), Charmaine Mackid (Breezy Bend Country Club) and Rhonda Orr (Southwood Golf & Country Club).

Hannah Diamond of St Charles started the year with a win at the Golf Manitoba Women’s Match Play Championship. The win was her second in a row in the event. She followed her Match Play victory with a runner-up finish in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. The runner-up finish in the amateur helped to earn Diamond the opportunity to represent Manitoba in the inter-provincial team competition at the 2019 Golf Canada Women’s Amateur Championship where the team finished 5^th in the event.

Charmaine Mackid started her 2019 competitive campaign by making it to the semi-finals in the Women’s Match Play Championship. She also took the first women’s stroke play event of the year with a win at the City & District Championship and also finished 4th in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship.

Rhonda Orr won the 2019 Women’s Senior Championship; it was her fourth straight title in the event and 6th Senior crown in the last 7 years. Orr went on to represent Manitoba in the 2019 Golf Canada Senior Women’s Inter-provincial Team Competition where the team finished 5th. Individually, Orr finished 11th in the stroke play portion of the championship. Orr also finished 5th in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. Orr also qualified for a second straight year to compete in the 2019 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship where she qualified for the match play portion of the event and winning her first match and making it to the round of 32.

Four female golfers received honourable mention for their performance in 2019 and include Kate Gregoire of Quarry Oaks Golf Club (2019 Manitoba Junior Women’s Championship and 7th in the Women’s Amateur), Cala Korman of Kilarney Lakeside Golf Club (2nd in the Junior Bantam Championship and 3rd in the Manitoba Junior), Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge (3rd in the Women’s Amateur) and Crystal Zamzow of Swan River Golf Club (Junior Women’s Bantam Champion and 4th in the Manitoba Junior Women’s Championship).

The Male Amateur Golfer of the Year nominees for 2019, and in alphabetical order, are: Colwyn Abgrall (Southwood Golf & Country Club), Jacob Armstrong (St. Boniface Golf Club) and Austin Dobrescu (Shilo Country Club).

Colwyn Abgrall of Southwood had a successful start to his year with a runner-up finish in the Match Play Championship. He followed that performance with a 7th place in the Grey Owl and a 3rd at the Elmhurst Invitational. At the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur, he led the event after the second round and completed the run with a win, his first Amateur crown. Abgrall went on to represent Manitoba at the 2019 Golf Canada Men’s Amateur Championship where the team finished in 5th place. Abgrall completed his 2019 campaign by tying for medallist honours at the regional Qualifier in Fargo, ND to earn a spot in the United States Amateur that was held at the Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina, USA.

Jacob Armstrong of St. Boniface Golf Club kicked off his 2019 campaign with a T3rd in the Golf Canada Future Links Prairie Championship. The finish earned him direct entry into the 2019 Golf Canada Junior Amateur Championship. Armstrong didn’t require that exemption as he went on to win the Manitoba Junior Men’s Championship and a spot on team Manitoba. Armstrong helped the team to a 6th place showing and a T59th individually in the Golf Canada Junior Men’s Championship. Armstrong also finished T10th in the Elmhurst Invitational, won two Maple Leaf Junior Tour events and T12th in the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.

Austin Dobrescu of Shilo Country Club took the first men’s event on the Golf Manitoba calendar with a win at the Match Play Championship. He followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the Elmhurst Invitational. That was followed up with a runner-up finish at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur which earned him a spot on team Manitoba that competed in the Golf Canada Men’s Amateur Championship. The team went on to finish in 5th place; Dobrescu was the only Manitoban to make the cut in the event where he finished in a tie for 31st overall and T11th among all Canadians to make the cut. Dobrescu also competed in the Players Cup where he posted opening rounds of 78-75.

Six male golfers received honourable mention for their play in 2019 and include Garth Collings of Breezy Bend (Senior Match Play Champion, T3rd in the Manitoba Senior, T15th Canadian Senior), Eric Johnson of Breezy Bend (2019 Mid-Amateur Champion), Drew Jones of Shilo Country Club (Semi-Finalist in Match Play Championship and winner of Elmhurst Invitational), Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend (2nd in Manitoba Junior and silver medalist in Western Canada Summer Games), Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club (3rd in Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur, 11th in Mid-Amateur and T38th Golf Canada Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship) and Neel Soni of St. Charles Country Club (T3rd in Future Links Prairie Championship, 3rd in Manitoba Junior and T72 in Golf Canada Junior Men’s Championship).

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.

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:

Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
jared@golfmb.ca

The world has lost a great friend, gentleman and a sports legend. On January 30, 2019, Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Mr. Bob Picken passed away. He was 86 years old.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Barbara as well to his family and friends.

Mr. Picken was a tremendous supporter of golf in the province of Manitoba, and, as a tribute to Mr. Picken, we thought it fitting to re-publish the biography from his induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. The biography was written by his good friend, fellow sports journalist and fellow Honoured Member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ralph Bagley.

R. J. (Bob) Picken – Builder

For more than 60 years, Robert John Picken has kept Manitobans well informed on events in the world of sports through broadcasting and writing and he has been recognized for his achievements in many areas.

His induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is a tribute to his detailed attention to golf events in the province. He is similarly honoured by his inductions in recent years to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, Winnipeg Football Club Media Hall of Fame, Canadian Football Media Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Roll of Honour.

Born in Winnipeg on September 24, 1932, Picken attended St. John’s High School and his journalistic career began in 1948 while in high school when he joined the staff of the Winnipeg Citizen to cover a variety of sports, including golf. The paper folded in 1949.

From 1965 to 1969, he was on the sports staff at CJOB and he later returned to that radio station on a free-lance basis from 1993 to 2008, covering mainly golf and curling. He was the voice of sport on CBC radio commencing in 1969 until his retirement in 1990.

During his career, Picken covered virtually every type of golf event, from provincial and national amateur championships through the Canadian Open, Canadian Senior Open, the duMaurier Classic, the America’s Cup, the World Amateur in Vancouver and two trips to the Masters at Augusta.

In addition to his extensive radio reporting, he also contributed articles in Backspin magazine from 1993 to 1998 and to the Golf Manitoba Journal since 1993.

He has been an active contributor to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, being involved as it was being formed and serving on the selection committee from 2003 to 2007. He was master of ceremonies for the first two induction ceremonies. He has also served as chair of the selection committee for the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award since its inception in 1975.

Picken has been a director of the Grey Owl golf tournament since 1979, serving as secretary for many years, a two-year term as president and currently is the drawmaster for the event, which marked its 50th year in June.

R. J. (Bob) Picken is an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., September 27, 2010