CJGA National Championship Season is Upon Us

By Jenna Wasserman
Jenna.Wasserman@cjga.com

Already over three months into the summer, the golf season is beginning to wind down in many parts of Canada, however, as August arrives, the Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) is ready to host two of its national championship events. 
Two of the most prestigious national championship events of the season, the Mizuno National Golf Championship and The Nike Golf Junior Championship are scheduled to take place in the next few weeks.

First on the schedule is the annual Mizuno CJGA National Golf Championship presented by HSBC Bank Canada, taking place from August 20th to 23rd, for the fourth year in a row at National Pines Golf Course, in Barrie, Ont.  The tournament is considered the national stroke play championship for the CJGA, will feature a strong national field of competitors including division winners of the event last year, Brittany Henderson, 16, of Smith Falls, Ont., and Lucas Kim, 13, of Toronto, Ont.  Other notable players include 2007 division winners Gajan Sivibalisingham, 13, of Markham, Ont., Benjamin Murray, 15, of Toronto, Ont., Robert McCombe, 18, of Claremont, Ont., Will Thornburrow, 17, of Toronto, Ont., Michelle Lee, 15, of Mississauga, Ont., and Hailey Ingleson, 16, of Oakville, Ont. 

The Mizuno CJGA National Golf Championship is one of only two four-round stroke play events on the CJGA schedule.  All juniors are guaranteed at least two rounds with cuts being made after the second day.  Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. all four days with a crossover start.

National Pines Golf Club opened in 1992 and has only improved over time. It is a very demanding course with challenging greens.  Dense pines tower over golfers who can traverse wide fairways and enjoy the natural beauty of the gorgeous Georgian Bay. Always highly regarded, National Pines Golf Club is currently ranked #80 on SCOREGolf Magazine’s ranking of courses in Canada.

The final National Championship of the CJGA season is also the CJGA’s newest, the Nike Golf Junior Championship, which is in its third year of existence, will be held from August 28th to 30th, at Wooden Sticks, in Uxbridge, Ont.  The tournament is the culmination of the nine tournaments Nike Golf Junior Series schedule that took place over the course of the 2007 season from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. 

The division champions from each of the eight events will be competing in a stroke play format.  Tee times begin at 1:50 p.m. all three days.

Wooden Sticks ensures that every aspect of your golf experience reflects the spirit found in some of today's most famous golf holes. 12 of the 18 holes at Wooden Sticks were each inspired by a different famous golf hole from the PGA. Together with the balance of the course, they present a challenging and unforgettable golf experience.

Winners from as far away as British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia will fly to Toronto where they will receive a pair of Nike Golf shoes and a dozen Nike One golf balls just for participating in the event. Tight competition is expected in all divisions since the exclusive field will consist only of already-crowned 2007 champions including CJGA standouts Juanita Rico of Calgary, Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Richmond Hill, North Vancouver’s Bryan Lichimo, and Toronto’s Lucas Kim among others.  Winners of the event will receive a tremendous prize package courtesy of Nike Golf Canada.

The CJGA national championships have proven to be a stepping stone for many juniors as they move forward with their golfing endeavours.  Several past winners have gone on to have successful golf careers both with the CJGA and at the collegiate level, including Robbie Greenwell (Memphis), Leslie Booth (Eastern Kentucky), and Michael Pickering (Graceland University).  A strong performance over the next couple weeks could just help these juniors realize their lofty golfing goals.