Brian's year has been highlighted with a T2nd at the Spring Championship, a 3rd place showing in the Match Play Championship, finished 6th in the Canadian Assistant's Championship, was runner up to Bryn Parry at the Canada Cup, lost to Vincent Dumouchel in the final match at the PGA Championship of Canada, and of course he won the Ontario PGA Championship in July.  The Ontario PGA Championship is the Association's biggest and most sought after title of the year.  The rest of his Ontario PGA results have not been outside the top 10.  To cap the year off, McCann overtook the top spot on the PGA of Canada's Player Rankings, and if he remains on top of the list by the end of the season, he'll be punching his ticket to the 2012 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton G&CC.  In the past two seasons, no player has put up the results like McCann.  He is currently the hottest player in the Ontario Zone, and deserves to be recognized. 

The two players nominated in the Player of the Year category are Ken Tarling (Ken Tarling's Golf Academy) and Danny King (The Performance Academy at Magna).  Tarling deserves to be in the mix for player of the year, as he captured the Ontario PGA Senior Championship and the PGA Senior's Championship of Canada.  Tarling also won numerous times on the senior circuit in Australia.  Danny King, the third ranked player in the PGA of Canada, is a surprise nominee as he's only had two top 10 finishes within the Ontario PGA in 2011.  Even Danny himself has been outwardly disappointed with his performances so far this season.  So it seems the Ontario PGA may have missed a marquee player in this category.  Also, at last glance, Bill Walsh (Fairtree Golf Centre) sits number two on the money list, was the winner of the Ontario PGA Spring Championship, and has yet to finish outside the top 10 this season. 

Three Professionals from the Hamilton/Halton Region have been nominated in three different categories.  Brandon Dyment (Hamilton G&CC) is up for Apprentice of the Year, Doug Lawrie (Within Range) has been nominated for the Professional Development Award, and Scott Cowx (Hamilton G&CC) is looking to become the next OPGA Teacher of the Year. 

Listed below are all seven award categories and their nominees:

The Final three nominees for Apprentice / Candidate for Membership are:

-        Megan Chapman (The Academy at The Georgian Bay Club) -        Brandon Dyment (Hamilton Golf & C.C.)
-        Cameron Thin (St. Catharines Golf & C.C.)

The final three nominees for Junior Leader of the Year are:

-        Jon Blomme (St. Catharines Golf & C.C.)
-        Randy McQueen (Roseland Golf & Curling Club)
-        Jeff Moore (Northridge Public Golf Course)

The final two nominees for Player of the Year are:

-        Danny King (The Performance Academy at Magna)
-        Ken Tarling (Ken Tarling's Golf Academy)

The final three nominees for the Professional Development Award are:

-        Henry Brunton (Henry Brunton Golf)
-        Doug Lawrie (Within Range Golf Centre)
-        Ian Webb (Credit Valley Golf & C.C.) 

The final two nominees for Retailer of the Year are:

-        Ryan Ennis (The National Golf Club)
-        Jamie Trenholme (Eagles Nest Golf Club)

The final three nominees for Teacher of the Year presented by FlightScope are:

-        Shawn Clement (Richmond Hill Golf Club)
-        Scott Cowx (Hamilton Golf & C.C. Teaching Academy)
-        Bradlee Ryall (The Academy at BraeBen) 

The final three nominees for Golf Professional of the Year are:

-        Colin Imrie (Weston Golf & C.C.)
-        Shawn Morey (BraeBen Golf Course)
-        Chris Wehrle (Whistle Bear Golf Club)

To view more details please visit the Ontario PGA




   

 

Callowhill fired a 1 under par 70 on the wet Trafalgar layout, which was good for a one shot victory over Reggie Millage.  The win gave Alf his second outright win on the GHT this season to go along with a co-win in Event #3.  Alf's season will go down as one of the best season's in GHT history.  He also, captured the overall money list taking home $1,800.00 in seven events played. 

Reggie Millage will finish in the Runner Up position on the John H. Davis Cup Standings.  In 2009, Reggie had a record breaking performance on the GHT with 4 wins in five events played and stands as the most commanding season in GHT history. 

The Golden Horseshoe Area Golf Tour was established in 1985 and is home to many of the PGA of Canada's and Ontario PGA's top playing club professionals.  The Tour schedule is contested over 7 events and are hosted at various courses in the Hamilton/Halton regions of Ontario.  The GHT limits  the number of members and allows only 40 area players on the tour each season.

To view more details on the Golden Horseshoe Area Golf Tour and the final event standings please visit the website click here

   

Burlington ON - Monday October 3rd is not only the final event on the 2011 Golden Horseshoe Area Golf Tour (GHT) but it will also determine the outcome for the John H. Davis Cup.  The final event is to be held at Trafalgar Golf & Country Club in Milton, ON this coming Monday.  The race for the Cup began in May and will be concluded upon the completion of play at Trafalgar.  In Past years, the outcome was already determined prior to the final event commencing.  However, this season is a different story.  There are currently 6 players with a chance to win the year long prize.  Ed Maunder of Deerfield Golf Club is the current leader on the GHT Order of Merit.  The John H. Davis Cup is awarded to the player on the GHT whom accumulates the least amount of points through their best 5 of 7 events played.  A player is given a point for every competitor that finishes ahead of them.  A first place finish sees the player accumulate 1 point.... 

Maunder currently sits with 18 points through 6 events played.  Other players with a chance to win include Alf Callowhill (Glen Abbey Academy) 20 points, Ron Kenesky (Hidden Lake GC) 21 points, Jim Zwolak (Braeben Academy) 23 points.  Those players have leeway, as they will be eligible to drop their worst events.  However, two tour members have played only 4 events and have an outside chance to win the Cup.  Reggie Millage (Glen Abbey Academy) has 15 points and Jim Kenesky (Hidden Lake GC) sits with 19 points. 

-"The Golden Horseshoe Tour is home of the John H. Davis Cup, which is decided each year by the order of merit winner.  John Davis has been a recognized name within our industry for many years.  He was the Head Golf Professional at Burlington Golf & Country Club for over 30 years and turned Master Professional in 1976.  The name "Davis" still lives on in our tour not only from the salute by our year end trophy but also by his two sons, John Davis (Joshua Creek Golf & Tennis) and Jeff Davis (Granite Ridge Golf Club)" - www.goldenhorseshoetour.weebly.com.

St.Catharines, ON - St.Catharines Golf and Country Club was a strong test for the players competing on Tuesday in the Ontario PGA Fall Championship.  Recent rain and a cool change in temperature gave most players a taste of the Fall season even though we still have 2 weeks of Summer left.  The rain soaked 6775yds par 72 course was playing long but most players were commenting that this was the best tournament set up of the season.  When play finished on Tuesday three players were tied at the top with 3 under par 69....

Included in the tie at the top was local Hamilton/Halton area golf professional and former Canadian Tour veteran Ed Maunder (Deerfield Golf Club), along with Bruce Rogerson (Brantford G&CC), and Steve Rodriguez (Whitevale GC).  After four playoff holes, Bruce Rogerson captured the title and took home the $1,900 first place check. 


Hamilton/Halton Area Players finishing in the Top 20

• T2 Ed Maunder (Deerfield GC) 69
• T4 Scott Cowx (Hamilton G&CC Teaching Academy) 70
• T6 Dan Greenwood (Heron Point Golf Links) 71
• T10 David Banks (Within Range Golf Centre) 72
• T10 Reg Millage (Glen Abbey Academy) 72
• T10 Ron Kenesky (Hidden Lake GC) 72
• T16 Jim Kenesky (Hidden Lake GC ) 72

To view the full field results of the OPGA Fall Championship
click here

Last year's Fall Championship was held at Emerald Hills Golf Club in Stouffville, ON and Piero Poletto (The Country Club) shot 68 to take top spot.  The last winner of the event to come from the Hamilton/Halton Region was in 2006 when Dan Greenwood fired 73 at The Club at Bond Head to win by one.

Bay Area Professionals Competing on Tuesday: 

• Jerry Anderson (Golf Town Hamilton)
• David Banks (Within Range Golf Centre)
• Alf Callowhill (Glen Abbey Academy)
• Scott Cowx (Hamilton GCC Teaching Academy)
• John C. Davis (Joshua Creek Golf & Tennis)
• Scott Foster (Royal Ontario)
• Dan Greenwood (Heron Point Golf Links)
• Brian Hutton (Southbrook Golf & Country Club)
• Jim Kenesky (Hidden Lake Golf Club)
• Ron Kenesky (Hidden Lake Golf Club)
• Ed Maunder (Deerfield Golf Club)
• Reg Millage (Glen Abbey Academy)
  
• David Moro (Credit Valley G&CC) **
• Colin Murray (Penninsula Lakes) **
• Matt Robinson (Heron Point Golf Links)

** denotes currently reside in Hamilton/Halton Region

To view the draw and more details on the event please visit the tournament page at www.ontariopga.com

Binbrook ON - The Inaugural Pro/Junior Golf Classic benefiting the Hamilton/Halton Junior Golf Tour was contested on August 18th at Southbrook Golf & Country Club.  On the line for the top junior golfer that day was an exemption into a Great Lakes Tour Platinum Event in 2012.  The format for the event was a stableford scoring system where one point was awarded for bogey, two points awarded for par, three points awarded for birdie, and four points awarded for eagle. Both the Junior Division and Pro Division had exciting conclusions. 

In the Junior Division Brad Hildebrandt from Northridge Golf Club in Brantford and John Majerovich from the host club Southbrook tied at the top with 36 points.... 

The field will be compiled of 36 juniors and 36 professionals.  They will be competing in both a team competition and an individual competition throughout the day.  36 junior golfers will qualify off the Hamilton/Halton Junior Golf Tour's overall point standings as of August 15th.

Junior Tour President and former Tour Champion Jeff Ollinger stated "At our recent orientation day for our tour members, we announced this great new event and it was like all the kids eyes lit up in anticipation.  This is going to be a great event and we can't wait to see how it benefits our juniors in the long run."  

Professionals committed to the event include Great Lakes Tour All Time Money Leader and former Nationwide Tour Player Brian McCann, 2010 Ontario PGA Champion Ron Kenesky, 2010 Canadian PGA Club Professional Champion and 2011 RBC Canadian Open participant Brian Hutton, 2009 Ontario PGA Champion David Moro, and many more.  The event will still be adding more key names in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

The event has a couple great sponsors lined up and they include The Great Lakes Tour, a Canadian developmental tour based out of Southern Ontario, who has put a platinum event exemption and regular series exemption on the line for the top two individual junior finishers.  Also, Tour Lock Pro, who specialize in counterweighting and golf club optimization will be available throughout the day to offer their services to all players and spectators of the event.

The Inaugural Pro/Junior Golf Classic is growing by the day and will certainly become a successful event in the years to come.  Admission is free and tee times will begin at 7:45am.  People are encouraged to attend this event and watch some of the province's best professionals and  rising junior stars. The premise is to build a solid relationship with the junior golfers and ensure they remain competitive and have fun with golf for many years beyond their high school days.

For more details on this event please contact:
Jim Kenesky:  
jimkeneskygolf@gmail.com

View more links below
Hamilton/Halton Junior Golf Tour
Tour Lock Pro
Southbrook Golf & Country Club
Great Lakes Tour

Ancaster, ON - The Hamilton/Halton Junior Golf Tour got underway today and Nicholas Ross (Oak Gables GC) fired a 2 over par 74 at Knollwood Golf Club in Ancaster, ON to take the first event of the season.  Last season, Ross was the youngest overall winner of the Tour since it's inception in 1984.  Ross was 15 years old last year and finished the 2010 season with that honour, and now begins the 2011 season with a .  Ross' round featured 4 birdies, 9 pars and 6 bogies on a tough set up 6460 yard Knollwood New Course layout.  His 74 was two shots better than Nathan Brown (Southbrook G&CC).  Ronnie Foxcroft, Daniel Knapp, and Craig Stefureak tied for third place with respectable rounds of 77 each.  In the Girl's Division, Lorelle Weavers (Glendale G&CC) shot 75 to win her division, while Luke Fantauzzo (Glendale G&CC) posted an 81 to capture the bantam boys division.   

Nick Ross earned 300 points for the victory and jumps out to an early lead in the overall standings that will eventually crown the Junior Golf Champion of the Hamilton/Halton district of Ontario. Nathan Brown received 250 points and is sitting in second.  Criag Stefureak (Sundrim GC) sits on top of the Rookie of the Year standings with 200 points.

The next event on the schedule is set for Monday July 4th at Beverly Golf & Country Club in Copetown, ON.

To view full results please click here

Komoka, ON - Jason Wellings of Dundas, ON broke through and won for the first time as a professional golfer.  Jason posted a 5 under par 67 on the par 72 Firerock Golf Club, located in Komoka, ON just west of London.  It was a day of different colours as the morning was calm and sunny, but as the afternoon went on, clouds rolled in and dropped more rain on the already wet golf course.  Players had to build on a solid start and hold on as the conditions became increasingly difficult.... 

Jason held on and made 5 birdies and no bogies to card his 67 which was two shots clear of Craig Hicks of Tecumseh, ON and red hot Michael Gligic of Burlington, ON, who both shot 3 under par 69.  Brett Walker from Burlington, ON and Ben Ferguson of Ancaster, ON cracked the top 5 with 2 under par 70's. 

Wellings qualified for the Canadian Professional Golf Tour at the 2010 Fall Q-School and turned professional mid way through the 2010 season.  Jason had a fine amateur career including wins at the 2010 Toronto Star Amateur and the 2006 Canadian University Championships.  The next event on the Great Lakes Tour schedule is the first Platinum Event of the season at Grand Niagara Golf Resort in Niagara Falls, ON May 30-31.

For complete details please visit www.greatlakestour.com 

Michael Gligic of Burlington, ON continues his hot play as of late by winning The Great Lakes Tour Regular Series Event #2 at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, ON.  Gligic carded 3 birdies and two late bogey's for a 1 under par 70.  His score was good by one shot over a handful of players tied at even par 71's, including home course favourite and former PGA Tour player Ben Ferguson.  As the day progressed the conditions became more difficult with gusty east winds, inconsistent green speeds, and even a little rain.  Michael teed off in the first group of the day on number one and posted his score early.  He sat in the clubhouse and waited as the scores kept creeping upwards, and eventually was crowned the winner.....  

Gligic earned $1,750 for the win and moves into first place on the GLT Order of Merit with $2,750.  Alan McLean of London, ON sits in second with $1,865 and Brian McCann of Mississauga, ON finds himself in third spot with $1,200. 

The next event on the Great Lakes Tour schedule is set for Wednesday May 25th at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, ON just outside London.

To view GLT Youtube video of Michael Gligic Interview click here

For further results, player standings, and statistics please visit
www.greatlakestour.com