Golf Manitoba is excited to announce that the men’s and women’s teams that will represent Manitoba in the sport of golf at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games have been finalized. The teams are as follows:

Men
Braxton Kuntz
Noah Fiks
Adam Ingram
Carter Johnson
Trey Ross

Women
Cala Korman
Crystal Zamzow
Armaan Dhillon
Jeri Lafleche
Sarah Farmer

Head Coach
Garth Goodbrandson, PGA of Canada

Manager
Bri-ann Tokariwski, PGA of Canada

The training program for the games started in early January of 2019 when Golf Manitoba selected twenty-five girls and boys ages 16 and under. Training consisted of weekly practices at the Golf Dome, an athlete fitness combine and rules seminars. At the start of the golf season, the training squad also participated on the junior teams that competed in the Mundie Putter and Nassau leagues. As part of the team selection process, the players competed in a number of junior events concluding with the Manitoba Junior Championship. The program has been led by Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development and 2018 PGA of Manitoba Coach of the Year, Garth Goodbrandson. Also helping with the program was Elmhurst Assistant Professional Bri-Ann Tokariwski and the University of Manitoba Bison men’s and women’s golf teams.

As a final preparation for the games, the teams recently attended a coaching and preparation seminar that was lead by Team Canada Men’s Olympic Golf Coach and Head Coach of the Men’s National Amateur Team and coach to multiple PGA Tour winners, Derek Ingram.

At the Games, teams will compete in both a 54-hole individual stroke-play event and a 36-hole team event at the Chinook Golf Course August 13-18. More information about golf at the games is available on the Wester Canada Summer Games website.

Head Coach of the University of Manitoba Bison Women’s Golf Program and Elmhurst Golf & Country Club assistant PGA of Canada professional Bri-ann Tokariwski, was recently awarded a $500 grant as part of the Sport Manitoba Women In Sport Grant Program.

Women to Watch

Working in partnership with Provincial Sport Organizations and Coaching Manitoba, Sport Manitoba provides grant awards to female coaches to assist them in further developing the skills necessary to attain a higher level of coaching or increased level of coaching experience.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive this grant and to continue to grow in my professional career,” said Bri-ann Tokariwski. “This will help offset some of the costs of going to the tee talks and national and coaching seminars in November. These two seminars, put on by the PGA of Canada, allow golf professionals from across Canada to learn about all aspects of the game from the ever changing business side to new techniques and technology for teaching and coaching. I was able to go this past year to the one in Toronto and I am very excited to be able to go back this upcoming year.”

As part of the Women in Sport Grant Program, Sport Manitoba also provides grants to female athletes, teams, officials or volunteers to assist them in enhancing their women in sport career. Annual Application Deadlines: June 15, November 15, and February 15.

About Sport Manitoba: Sport Manitoba is the leading planning, programming, and funding agency for the development of amateur sport in Manitoba. The primary focus of Sport Manitoba is on the development of athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers. We believe that sport is a healthy and positive tool to build strong and vibrant citizens and communities.

For more information:

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

On April 13, three members of the Manitoba golf community will be recognized for their achievements and contributions in 2018 during the annual Sport Manitoba Night of Champions.

Rhonda Orr of the Southwood Golf & Country Club has been nominated in the Labatt Open Female Athlete of the Year category. Rhonda had an impressive 2018 golf season where she won the Manitoba Senior Women’s Golf Championship, finished t18th in the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and also qualified for the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Rhonda was also named the Golf Manitoba Female Golfer of the Year in 2018. Also nominated in this category is Kelsey Wog – Swimming, Kaitlyn Lawes – Curling, Emily Potter – Basketball and Jennifer Saunders – Racquetball.

Justin McDonald (Breezy Bend) and Todd Fanning (Niakwa), have both been nominated in the Nott Autocorp Open Male Athlete of the Year category. Justin McDonald had a memorable 2018 season taking top spot at both the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur and the Manitoba Mid-Amateur championships. Justin went on to secure a top-40 finish in the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship and was also named the Golf Manitoba Male Golfer of the Year. Todd Fanning also had another banner year where he successfully defended his Golf Canada Canadian Mid-Masters title contested at the Victoria Golf Club.  Rounding out the male nominees include Andrew Harris – Football, Mitch Hupe – Tenpin Bowling, Patrick Lamont – Trap Shooting, Matthew Lehman – Table Tennis, Tyler Mislawchuk – Triathlon, David Onyemata – Football, and Dennis Thiessen – Curling.

Long-time Golf Manitoba volunteer Rick Thain has been nominated in the Great-West Life Outstanding Volunteer category. Rick served in a variety of volunteer capacities at the international, national and provincial levels including his role as president of the Manitoba Golf Association in 1995. Rick’s commitment to volunteerism is unparalleled. By providing his time, expertise and enthusiasm, he was an instrumental part of Golf Manitoba being able to deliver its programs, events and services that helped to develop, promote and grow the game of golf in the province over the course of the past forty years.

Each year, Sport Manitoba’s annual Night of Champions presented by Manitoba Chicken Producers, celebrates sports excellence in Manitoba. Manitoba is rich with countless remarkable sport people of all ages with amazing stories of success, service and dedication. We have young individual athletes and teams garnering national and international attention for their athletic abilities, volunteers of all ages dedicating their time to ensure a brighter, stronger amateur sport system in Manitoba, officials who guarantee decorum and fair play, and coaches who lead, develop, and mentor Manitobans who participate in sport. Held annually in the spring.

The Western Canada Games training squad has already started preparations for the upcoming Games being held August 9-18, 2019 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The squad has been practicing weekly at the Golf Dome since the beginning of January and will continue to do so until mid-March. In addition to the weekly practices, athletes attend a fitness combine, receive a Golf Dome membership and will attend two rules seminars.

Twenty-five girls and boys ages 16 and under are participating in the Golf Manitoba performance pathway program that is overseen by Golf Manitoba’s Director of Player Development and 2018 PGA of Manitoba Coach of the Year, Garth Goodbrandson. Also helping with the program is Elmhurst Assistant Professional Bri-Ann Tokariwski. Players from the University of Manitoba Men’s and Women’s Bison Golf teams are also assisting with the indoor practices.

As the finale to the training program, 5 boys and 5 girls will be be selected to represent Manitoba via a qualification schedule that concludes with the Manitoba Junior Championship.  At the Games, teams will compete in both a 54-hole individual stroke-play event and a 36-hole team event.

Next time you’re at the Golf Dome, watch for these dedicated and talented young junior golfers.