Elmira, Ont. – The inaugural Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO, is set to take place at Elmira Golf Club this week in Elmira, Ont.
The 36-hole stroke play competition gets underway with a practice round on Tuesday, August 27 followed with the championship rounds beginning on Wednesday. As this tournament is only a 36-hole limited field event, there will be no cut for the championship. The final round will wrap up on Thursday, followed by a half-day player development educational summit on Friday.
The Canadian U15 Championship will bring together a starting field of 39 Junior boys and 39 Junior girls, aged 15 and under vying to win the first Canadian U15 individual championship.
Saskatchewan will be represented by Grace Odnokon, Lucas Sturgeon, and Austin Nesbitt.
Following the U15 championship, all competitors will have the opportunity to attend an interactive education summit, where they will learn about navigating the modern pathway in high-performance golf. The Education Summit features four topics including, sport psychology, physical training for young golfers, parenting high-performance athletes, and talent development research. As part of their development process, players will also have the opportunity to participate in select skills assessments with Team Canada and gain insight into the organization and operations of the national team program.
“We have a tremendous field ready to compete for the Inaugural Canadian U15 Championship at Elmira Golf Club. We would like to extend our gratitude to the wonderful staff and volunteers at Elmira Golf Club for all of the work that they have put in to prepare the golf course that will provide an excellent setting for the championship,” said Rogan Doyle, Tournament Director, Golf Canada. “I am excited to see the impact that hosting a junior national championship will have on Elmira Golf Club and the surrounding Waterloo Region as a whole, when players from across Canada to display their skills in competition, showcasing the level of play other junior golfers can reach following similar dedication and hard work. We are looking forward to getting play underway in what is shaping to be an amazing championship.”
The boys and girls individual champions will earn exemptions into their respective 2025 Canadian Junior Championship, presented by BDO. The boys winner will also receive an exemption into the 2024 Team Canada NextGen Selection Camp. The top five golfers in both the Junior Boys division and the Junior Girls division will also earn exemptions into two 2025 NextGen Championships.
Elmira Golf Club will play host to the inaugural championship. Founded in 1963, the picturesque 18-hole, par 70 course is situated in a country setting just west of Elmira. The clubhouse sits perched above the 18th green and provides panoramic views of the golf course below as it flows through the “Eldale Valley” below. Gently winding through the valley and rolling hills is Larches Creek, offering players interesting shots through the unique mixture of finishing holes. Elmira Golf Club celebrated it’s 60th anniversary in 2023 and recently underwent renovations that saw the addition of 20 new tee decks along with a complete white sand bunker restoration.
“To host a national championship at the club and showcase some of the top junior golfers in the country, is super exciting. It’s an incredible opportunity, not only for the club and members, but the entire community. Our team, along with our membership, is looking forward to seeing the competition this week with the up-and-coming young talent,” said Adam Ferraro, Head Golf Professional at Elmira Golf Club.
For more information on the 2024 Canadian U15 Championship, please click here.
To follow the First Annual Canadian U15 Championship leaderboard and full tee-off times, click here.