PGA of BC

E-NEWS

MAY 29, 2024

Proudly Canadian and family-owned since 1953, the first Kal Tire store was opened in the friendly town of Vernon, BC. Now with over 260 locations from coast-to-coast, Canadians across the country can count on Kal Tire for quality service and expertise for all things tires, wheels and mechanical services.

Kal Tire is a proud supporter of the PGA of BC, sponsoring the Association’s Kal Tire Cup Order of Merit to recognize excellence in competition by members across the province.

Read the full feature HERE

PGA of Canada Class "A" and LPGA Class "A" Professional Taylor Kim was immersed in golf from a young age. Her father, a former Teaching Professional in Korea, began coaching Kim when she was nine years old, growing up in Surrey. Following several years of training, at thirteen Kim began competing in junior tournaments and amateur events all over North America, demonstrating her elite abilities. Her high-level of play during her teenage years earned Kim a selection to Team Canada, as well as a scholarship to Kent State University and an opportunity to represent the Kent State Golden Flashes golf team.

In the years that followed, Kim’s career blossomed. In 2014, Kim won the British Columbia Golf Women’s Amateur, a major accomplishment in her young career. At Kent State, she was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 2016, with her squad winning the conference championship in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Per Kent State, in her senior season Kim posted the best single season scoring average in school history.

Following the close of her college career, Kim turned pro and earned a massive opportunity: she qualified for the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California, her first tournament as a professional. Despite missing the cut, Kim said the experience served as a formative experience to help drive her career forward.



Kim competed on the Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour) for several years before earning her PGA of Canada and LPGA Class “A” Professional designations in 2019. She currently serves as a Professional at Tsawwassen’s Beach Grove Golf Club, where she focuses on coaching.

This interview feature is part of the Association's celebration of Women's Golf Week presented by adidas Golf Canada. Women’s Golf Week is an annual initiative running May 28 to June 4, 2024 to engage, empower and support women and girls in golf, leading to a culmination with International Women's Golf Day on June 4. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media for content from a variety of exciting events around the province.

We encourage you to follow Women's Golf Day (Instagram | Facebook | X) and The Women's Golf Project (Instagram | Facebook | X) for additional resources, and tag them in your social media posts for Women's Golf Week.

Via Brendan Stasiewich, PGA of Canada. Read the full article HERE.

On Sunday of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, Kevin Stinson, along with a large contingent of PGA of Canada pros preparing for the PGA Championship of Canada, sat around a television inside the Bigwin Island Clubhouse, watching anxiously.

A day before the first round of the biggest event on the PGA of Canada schedule, the practice facilities were empty.

While all Canadians had vested interest in the playoff between Nick Taylor and Tommy Fleetwood, none at Bigwin Island felt the nerves of fellow British Columbia native Stinson, who grew up playing, practicing, and competing against his friend Taylor.

The rest: the putter throw, Mark Zecchinos’s iconic radio call, Adam Hadwin’s vice-grip strength on the champagne bottle and the celebration that followed, is history.

Three days later, Stinson was holding a trophy of his own, winning the PGA Championship of Canada, fittingly enough, in a playoff.

At the end of the PGA of Canada season, Stinson was on top of the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by ECCO Golf, earning a coveted spot in Canada’s biggest event.

While his biggest fan, his then fiancé and now wife, Alley, was able to celebrate with Stinson after his PGA Championship win, he now has a second fan on site in Hamilton with him; baby William - “Billy”.

This will be Stinson’s second PGA TOUR event, the other coming 10 years ago at the 2014 Canadian Open after Monday qualifying into the event. While the biggest difference between life now compared to then (other than, of course, having a new-born and wife), is he played golf full time a decade ago, he says that maturity is what has led to him playing some of the best golf of his career recently.

The mentality seems to be working. In his past five PGA of Canada and PGA of British Columbia events, Stinson has finished no worse than 5th place, with two wins, at the aforementioned PGA Championship of Canada and the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.

Stinson also won recently on the Vancouver Golf Tour and claimed the Order of Merit in 2021 in addition to winning the 2021 Whistler Open with a closing-round 65.

Prior to baby Billy’s arrival, Stinson says he “worked his tail off” to make sure the players he coaches at Cheam Mountain Golf Club were in a good spot with their games so he could take some time off. And now, preparing for the biggest event on the Canadian golf calendar, his full-stable of players learning under him along with his fellow PGA pros at the club are fully behind him.

Stinson won’t be the only PGA of Canada professional in the field this week. Marc-Olivier Plasse defeated Clement Lepine in a playoff at the Quebec Regional Qualifier at Club de golf Le Blainviller, in Blainville, Que. to earn a direct exemption into the event.

Stinson tees off alongside Myles Creighton and Michael Gligic at 2:12 on Thursday off the 10th tee, while Plasse is in the morning wave alongside Jared du Toit and Stuart Macdonald at 8:57 off the 10th tee. They will flip on Friday with Stinson at 8:57 and Plasse at 2:12.

The 2024 COBRA PUMA GOLF Assistants' Championship takes place June 3-4 at Nk'Mip Desert Canyon Golf Course in Oliver. Limited space remains available in the field, and we encourage any Assistant Professional interested in competing to register today. Registration will close tomorrow, May 30 at 4pm PT.

The total purse for the Assistants' Championship will be approximately $23,000. The champion will take home $4,500. In addition, competing professionals will earn points towards the Kal Tire Cup Order of Merit, including points for participation as introduced this year. With a total purse of $5,000, the winner of the Kal Tire Cup Order of Merit will be awarded $1,000 plus a $500 Kal Tire gift certificate.

REGISTER: COBRA PUMA GOLF Assistants' Championship

The 2024 Women's Championship presented by Honma Golf, Levelwear & GolfBC Group takes place June 24-25 at Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler. The PGA of BC would like to kindly remind any interested parties to register for the Women's Championship by Friday, May 31 at 4pm PT. Following this date, Senior Professionals currently on the waitlist for the Seniors’ Championship will fill any remaining spots currently reserved for the Women’s field.

With incredible support from our co-presenting sponsor, GolfBC Group, we are proud to offer a reduced entry fee of only $100 for the Championship! The purse for the tournament will be approximately $7,000, with the winner taking home $1,750. 

In addition, we are excited to offer a draw to all competitors for the following prizes:

• One free entry for the 2025 PGA of BC Women's Championship
• One free entry for the 2025 GolfBC Group BC Women's Open

Through GolfBC’s affiliation with Whistler’s Crystal Lodge, competitors can reserve their accommodations at a reduced rate. For details on preferred hotel rates for competitors, please click here.

REGISTER: Women's Championship presented by Honma Golf, Levelwear & GolfBC Group

With next week's Women's Championship presented by Honma Golf, Levelwear & GolfBC Group and Seniors' Championship presented by Honma Golf & Levelwear, we urge competitors to plan and schedule their Sunday practice rounds as soon as possible.

Participants can schedule a Sunday practice round by reaching out to Nicklaus North Golf Course Head Professional Andrew Smart at asmart@golfbc.com. Please be aware that practice round availability is limited in the morning and early afternoon, but there will be a block of tee times available to competitors starting at 3:30pm. We are happy to let competitors know that there will be a gourmet dinner served Monday evening, following Round One. 

The PGA of Alberta will be hosting its Summer Teaching Summit on June 5th and 6th at Red Deer G&CC in central Alberta, and PGA of BC members are invited to partake in this great opportunity to earn Operation 36 certification!

Start your golf season by learning from Ryan Dailey, Co-Founder - Operation 36, who will be joining attendees to facilitate his level 1 coach certification from 8 am - 3:30 pm both days. Each event is led by a team of PGA golf professionals who are on staff at Operation 36 HQ. These pros have run the program successfully and have helped thousands of golf pros execute successful programs. This will be the first time the certification has been hosted at a venue in Canada in 15 years.

The PGA of Alberta is pleased to offer the program at 50% off the regular rate at $500 to attend the level 1 certification course with food and beverage courtesy of Red Deer G&CC included.

Here is the link to the education portal Operation 36 will use to post updates, schedule, and any other information leading up to the summit: Operation 36 - Education Portal

Here is the link to the Itinerary for both days: Teaching Summit Itinerary

To register today and for more information, please contact PGA of Alberta Education & Community Lead Thomas Powley at Thomas.Powley@pgaofalberta.com

The 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship is coming to Sammamish, Washington's Sahalee Country Club on June 20-23. The PGA of BC has partnered with the KPMG Women's PGA Championship to offer PGA of BC members the opportunity to volunteer throughout the Championship.

Volunteer Registration for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will run until 2 weeks prior to the Championship.

A waitlist has been started, however, PGA of BC members are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

HOW TO REGISTER: 

· Visit the official Volunteer Portal

· Click ‘Register Here’ on the right-hand side of the page 

· Select ‘Waitlist’ as your volunteer type

· Create a username and password and fill out all necessary contact information

Not interested in volunteering, but still want to attend? PGA of Canada members will gain free grounds access when presenting your current membership card. Daily Grounds Tickets are also available for as low as $40 a day for any additional guests.

For more information, please contact Communications & Marketing Manager Graham Abraham at graham@pgabc.org.

The Lower Mainland's G&G Tour hosted their latest tournament at Pitt Meadows Golf Club on May 27. Christine Wong (University Golf Club) took the victory with a two-stroke winning margin, shooting a 5-under 67. Curtis Baldwin (Meadow Gardens Golf Club), Zac Carson (Nicklaus North Golf Course) and Craig Titterington (Capilano Golf & Country Club) tied for a share of second at 3-under 69.

The Vancouver Island Club Pro Tour played Bear Mountain Resort on May 14. Lucas Nonni (Bear Mountain Resort) earned the win at home, shooting a 3-under 68 for a two-stroke victory. Jake Scarrow (Gorge Vale Golf Club) finished in second place at one-under par, while Nate Ollis (Cordova Bay Golf Course), Ben Griffin (Uplands Golf Club) and Christof Appel (The Golf Performance Project) shared third place at even-par.

The Westland Insurance Interior PGA Tour hosted their latest event at Bighorn Golf & Country Club on May 27. Jordan Relling (Tobiano Golf Course) dominated en route to a four-stroke victory, shooting a 7-under 65 for the win. Lee Alarie (Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club) and Austin Bosquet (The Rise) tied as runners-up at 3-under.

The Kootenay Pro Tour took on Copper Point Resort on May 27. Nicklaus Kennedy (Granite Pointe Golf Club) earned the victory with a 2-under 69 to win by five strokes. Jamie Curiston (Wildstone Golf Course), Scott Merriam (Cranbrook Golf Club) and Harold Simkins (Bootleg Gap Golf) each posted a 74 to share second place.

Make sure to read the Regional Tour Roundup every week to stay up-to-date with the achievements of our members and to never miss any information!

The UBC Thunderbirds Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC professionals Chris MacDonald, Tim Wilson, Patrick Lago and Tyler McNeil, took home sixth-place at the NAIA Men's Golf National Championships at Dalton Golf & Country Club in Georgia last week. Dylan MacDonald excelled for the Thunderbirds, finishing in a tie for 20th overall. Captain Mackenzie Bickell tied for 37th, while rookie Manu Gandhi earned 43rd place. UBC will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read a full recap via UBC, please click here.

The UBC Thunderbirds Women's team, coached by McDonald, Wilson, McNeil and Keri Moffat, achieved a third-place finish at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championship at TPC Deere Run on May 14-17! The consistently stellar team was paced by Elizabeth Labbe, who shot 75-75-75-76 across four rounds for a share of eighth place on the individual leaderboard. Teammate Grace Bell also shined throughout the Championship, ultimately finishing in 14th place. All five Thunderbirds starters were named NAIA All-Americans: Bo Brown, Una Chou, Jessica Ng, Grace Bell and Elizabeth Labbe. The Thunderbirds will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read a full recap via UBC, please click here.

SFU Red Leafs Men's Golf, coached by PGA of BC pros Matt Steinbach, Krysta Schaus and Matt Cella, competed in the NCAA Division II Men's Golf West/South Central Regional Championships in Las Cruces, New Mexico on May 9-11. The Red Leafs finished in 12th place overall. Michael Crisologo concluded his phenomenal season as SFU's low individual, earning a tie for 14th on the individual leaderboard. Crisologo was recently named GNAC Player of the Year, while teammate Denby Carswell was named Conference Freshman of the Year.

The SFU Red Leafs Women's Golf team, coached by Steinbach, Schaus and Cella, travelled to Stockton, California from May 6-8 for the NCAA Division II Women's Golf West Region Championship. The team finished in a tie for 11th place at the championship. Meera Minhas paced the Red Leafs as their low individual, earning a 27th place finish on the individual leaderboard. Minhas was recently awarded GNAC Player of the Year, while teammates Dana Smith, Kassie Muanyam and Anaya Bhandal joined her on first team all-conference. Smith was named Rookie of the Year, and coach Matt Steinbach was awarded Coach of the Year.

The UVic Vikes Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pros Justin Clews and David Rands, earned a T25 finish at the NAIA Men's Golf National Championships last week. Maguire Lines led the way for the Vikes, shooting 78-75 across two rounds. Teammate Aiden Craig-Steele finished second among the UVic team, shooting 79-76. UVic will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6.To read a recap via UVic, please click here.

The UVic Women's team, also coached by Clews and Rands, earned a 15th place result at the NAIA Women's Golf National Championships at TPC Deere Run on May 14-17. Cindy Koira led the way for the Vikes, posting the team's lowest round score in round one and round four and tying for lowest in round three. Teammates Brynne Davies and Fiona McCombe also played well, ultimately tying for 68th on the individual leaderboard. The Vikes will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read the full recap via UVic, please click here.

The UBCO Heat Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pro Clay Stothers, wrapped up their Spring season at the Vikes Spring Shootout in Victoria. The Heat earned a fifth-place finish, with Max Regier pacing the team and finishing in 11th-place on the individual leaderboard. Ryan Gillis also finished inside the top-20. The Heat will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6. To read the full recap via UBCO, please click here.

The UBCO Women's team, also coached by Stothers, closed out their Spring schedule by taking home the victory at the Vikes Spring Shootout, with an incredible 18-shot win to earn the gold. Emily Cornwall led the way for the Heat as she captured the individual title at the tournament by firing a two-round total of 7-over par to hold off teammate and runner-up Julia Alexander-Carew by one shot. UBCO will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6.To read the full recap via UBCO, please click here.

The UFV Cascades Men's Golf team, coached by PGA of BC pros Sean Douglas and Connor O'Dell, competed in the Southwest Oregon Community College Invitational, which they dominated on their way to a 13 shot victory over the runner-up hosts. Lucas O'Dell earned a second-place finish on the individual leaderboard, while Jacob Armstrong finished third. The Cascades will compete at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6.

The UFV Women's team also competed in the Southwest Oregon Community College Invitational, winning the tournament by 11 shots to complete the UFV sweep of the event. Morgan Best played great to earn a second-place finish, with teammate Avery Biggar close behind in third. The team will look to continue their winning ways at the Canadian University/College Championship on June 3-6.

The PGA of BC extends our congratulations to the BC University golf teams that have wrapped up their seasons, and wishes good luck to those competing in the Canadian National Championship in June! Thank you to all the PGA of BC professionals who are committed to helping develop our province's student-athletes through coaching. Your time and effort does not go unnoticed and we appreciate your vital contributions to the sport!

For more information on BC's collegiate golf programs, including their 2023-24 results and schedules, please visit the links below:

UBC Men's | UBC Women's

SFU Men's | SFU Women's

UVic Men's | UVic Women's

UBCO Men's | UBCO Women's

UFV Men's | UFV Women's

If you would like to place an advertisement in the Classifieds section, please contact Marketing & Communications Manager Graham Abraham at graham@pgabc.org to place a listing.

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

Michael Vanderwolf has joined Riverway Golf Course as a Class "A" Professional 

Maxwell Sobczuk-Fisher has left Modern Golf Vancouver and joins Riverway Golf Course as an Apprentice Professional 



Vince Liu has joined Riverway Golf Course as a Class "A" Professional 

Derek Whipple has joined CaddyPro Golf Products Ltd. as a Class "A" Professional 

Daiki Aoyama's application to the PGA of Canada has been approved and he becomes an Apprentice Professional at Nicklaus North Golf Course

Jin Jing Liang's application to the PGA of Canada has been approved and she becomes an Apprentice Professional at Delta Golf Centre

For all Members on the Move information, please click HERE.

Teaching Professional - Overlander Golf & Events Centre

For any job postings that have been approved and published on the PGA of BC website, the Association will share relevant social media posts to assist your facility in the search for a candidate. We will share one post/story per job posting. Please ensure that you tag the PGA of BC's social media account in any post or story relevant to the posting. To ensure that we share the post/story in a timely matter, please also reach out to Communications & Marketing Manager Graham Abraham at graham@pgabc.org to notify us of the post.

For all job opportunities listed on the PGA of BC website, please click HERE (Log-in required).

For all job opportunities listed on the PGA of Canada website, please click HERE.

June 3-4

COBRA PUMA GOLF Assistants' Championship

Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course, Oliver, BC

REGISTER HERE

June 24-25

Seniors' Championship presented by Honma Golf & Levelwear

Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler, BC

REGISTER FOR WAITLIST

June 24-25

Women's Championship presented by Honma Golf, Levelwear & GolfBC Group

Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler, BC

REGISTER HERE

Cancellation deadlines for PGA of BC tournaments are 30 days prior to the event. Please ensure that you communicate your withdrawal to the PGA of BC Office Team before this date.

CONTACT THE PGA OF BC OFFICE TEAM