The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by Golf Canada. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995.[1] It then returned to stroke play in 2008.

Founding and early years

The Royal Canadian Golf Association was founded in June 1895, at a meeting held in Ottawa by ten charter member clubs, hosted by the Ottawa Golf Club (later the Royal Ottawa Golf Club), and the new organization was granted the prefix 'Royal' in 1896. In conjunction with the meeting, the first men's amateur championship was staged, at match play, with the Governor General of Canada, Lord Aberdeen, donating a trophy, the Aberdeen Cup, to the champion. Thomas Harley of Kingston, Ontario won the first championship.[1]

This makes the Canadian Amateur slightly older than the U.S. Amateur, which was first staged later in 1895, and hence the third oldest national amateur championship in the world, after the British Amateur Championship, which began in 1885, and the Australian Amateur in 1894.

The Aberdeen Cup was granted in perpetuity to George Lyon, after he won three straight titles from 1905 to 1907. The original cup was retained by Lyon, but was eventually lost. A new trophy was then provided, the Earl Grey Cup. Lyon would win a total of eight Canadian titles, which is still a record,[1] and he also won the gold medal at golf in the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.

The tournament was held annually until 1914 inclusive, but then was cancelled from 1915 to 1918 because of World War I. It resumed in 1919, and then was staged annually until 1939 inclusive, being cancelled again from 1940 to 1945 because of World War II. It has been held annually since 1946.[1]

Willingdon Cup

In 1927, the interprovincial team matches, which had begun in 1882, and held 27 times until 1921, between teams from Ontario and Quebec, but then dropped,[2] were resumed with the start of the Willingdon Cup competition, playing for a cup donated by the Governor General, Lord Willingdon. The Willingdon Cup features teams of four top players from each province, and is held on the first two days of the Canadian Amateur, which are also the qualifying days for the balance of the tournament. The Willingdon Cup was also not played from 1940-45.[1]

Rotation around country

The Canadian Amateur stayed in Ontario and Quebec until 1921, when it went to Manitoba. It went to Alberta for the first time in 1929, to British Columbia for the first time in 1932, to Atlantic Canada for the first time in 1949, and to Saskatchewan for the first time in 1950.[3] Since then, it has rotated around the country's top courses, with the current format allowing each of the six major golf regions (Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia) to have its turn on approximately a six-year cycle. Among Canada's ten provinces, only Newfoundland and Labrador has yet to host it.

Dominant players

The Canadian Amateur was dominated in the 1920s and 1930s by Ross Somerville, who won six titles, finished runner-up four times, and had several more near-misses. Moe Norman won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956. Nick Weslock waited until age 40 to win the first of his four titles in 1957. Although Gary Cowan was consistently the best Canadian amateur from the late 1950s into the mid-1970s, he managed to win only one Canadian title, in 1961, but lost in the finals four more times, as well as finishing runner-up twice in stroke play. Doug Roxburgh won his first of four crowns in 1972. Jim Nelford won two in a row from 1975–1976, then narrowly missed a third in 1977, when he lost to Rod Spittle, who won two in a row. Brent Franklin won three in a row from 1985–1987, a feat not seen since Lyon did it some eighty years earlier.[1] Richard Scott won the Canadian title in three years out of four from 2003 to 2006. Cam Burke won two straight from 2008 to 2009.[4]

From the late 1920s into the 1970s, the Canadian Amateur often attracted many of the top American amateurs, several of whom carried the trophy south, including Dick Chapman, Frank Stranahan, Don Cherry, Harvie Ward, Allen Miller, Dick Siderowf, and George Burns. Other leading Americans who competed but fell short include William C. Campbell, Jay Sigel, and Nathaniel Crosby. The Canadian title has also been won by South African Reg Taylor (1962), New Zealanders Stuart Jones (1967) and Gareth Paddison (2001), Mexican Rafael Alarcón (1979), and Australian Gary Simpson (1993).

To date, four players have won both the U.S. Amateur and Canadian Amateur titles: Ross Somerville, Dick Chapman, Harvie Ward, and Gary Cowan. Chapman and Ward also won The Amateur Championship of Great Britain, a title which no Canadian has yet taken.

Winners who won PGA Tour events

To date, eleven players who won the Canadian Amateur have also won events on the PGA Tour. These eleven (in chronological order of their Canadian Amateur wins) are: Fred Haas, Ken Black, Frank Stranahan, Bunky Henry, Allen Miller, George Burns (golfer), Richard Zokol, Garrett Willis, Dillard Pruitt, Nick Taylor, and Mackenzie Hughes.

Rod Spittle, Canadian Amateur champion in 1977 and 1978, later won an event on the Champions Tour, the 2010 AT&T Championship in San Antonio.

Most championships hosted

The Toronto Golf Club (1898, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1909, 1913, 1926, 1995, and 2017) and the Royal Ottawa Golf Club (1895, 1899, 1906, 1911, 1914, 1925, 1951, 1991, and 2016) have each hosted nine. Next are Royal Montreal Golf Club with seven (1897, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1931) and Hamilton Golf and Country Club with six (1922, 1927, 1935, 1948, 1977, and 1994).

Winners

Year Venue Winner Country Score Runner-up
2023 The Pulpit Club, ONT Ashton McCulloch  Canada 277 Canada Phil Arci 282
2022 Point Grey Golf & Country Club, BC Luis Carrera  Mexico 274 Canada Robbie Latter 276
2021 Ambassador Golf Club, ONT Max Sekulic  Canada 267 Canada A.J. Ewart 269
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5]
2019 Glen Arbour Golf Club, NS William Buhl  Norway 273 United States Calvin McCoy 281
2018 Duncan Meadows, BC Zach Bauchou  United States 266 United States Philip Knowles 269
2017 Toronto Golf Club & Islington Golf Club, ONT Zach Bauchou  United States 272 United States Shintaro Ban 273
2016 Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE Hugo Bernard  Canada 271 China Andy Zhang 273
2015 Weston Golf and Country Club, ONT Billy Kennerly  United States 275 Canada Hugo Bernard 281
Canada Garrett Rank 281
United States Jake Shuman 281
2014 Elmhurst Golf Club, MAN James Beale  New Zealand 276 United States Jonathan Garrick 276
Canada Taylor Pendrith 276
2013 Royal Colwood Golf Club, BC Eli Cole  United States 276 Canada Corey Conners 277
Canada Taylor Pendrith 277
2012 Camelot Golf Club, ONT Mackenzie Hughes  Canada 276 Canada Brian Churchill-Smith 277
Canada Chris Hemmerich 277
2011 Niakwa Country Club, MAN Mackenzie Hughes  Canada 274 Canada Albin Choi 276
2010 London Hunt Club & Redtail G&CC, ONT Albin Choi  Canada 271 Canada Eugene Wong 274
2009 Club de golf Le Blainvillier, QUE Cam Burke  Canada 275 Canada Mitch Sutton 276
2008 Paradise Canyon Golf & Country Club, ALTA Cam Burke  Canada 274 Canada Scott Stiles 278
Canada Eugene Wong 278
2007 Riverside, SASK Nick Taylor  Canada 38 holes Canada Michael Knight
2006 Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, ONT Richard Scott  Canada 2 & 1 Canada Todd Halpen
2005 Bell Bay Golf Club, Baddeck, NS Richard Scott  Canada 10 & 8 Canada Jay Snyder
2004 Beaconsfield GC, QUE Darren Wallace  Canada 5 & 3 Canada Marc Bourgeois
2003 Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, BC Richard Scott  Canada 4 & 3 Canada Chris Baryla
2002 Fraser Edmundston Golf Club, NB Dillard Pruitt  United States 6 & 5 Canada Michael Mezei
2001 Credit Valley G&CC, ONT Gareth Paddison  New Zealand 8 & 7 Canada Graham Cooke
2000 Glendale G&CC, ALTA Han Lee  United States 5 & 3 Canada Blair Buttar
1999 Rivershore Estates & Golf Links, BC Han Lee  United States 1 up Canada Wes Heffernan
1998 Hillsdale G&CC, QUE Craig Matthew  Canada 2 & 1 Canada Steven Davies
1997 The Links at Crowbush Cove, PEI Dale Goehring  Canada 1 up Canada David Anthony
1996 Glendale G&CC, MAN Rob McMillan  Canada 4 & 3 Canada Craig Matthew
1995 Toronto Golf Club, ONT Garrett Willis  United States 3 & 2 Canada Stu Hamilton
1994 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT Warren Sye  Canada 280(P) Canada Bryan DeCorso 280
1993 Victoria Golf Club, BC Gary Simpson  Australia 281 Canada Stu Hamilton 282
1992 Riverside CC, NB Darren Ritchie  Canada 282 Canada Mike Weir 284
1991 Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE Jeff Kraemer  Canada 283 Canada Rob Anderson 285
Canada Steven Davies 285
Canada Mike Weir 285
1990 Weston Golf and Country Club, ONT Warren Sye  Canada 281 Canada Jeff Cannon 283
Canada Arden Knoll 283
1989 Oakfield G&CC, NS Peter Major  Canada 279 Canada Harvey Ellsworth 285
1988 Gallaghers Canyon, BC Doug Roxburgh  Canada 285 United States Orrin Vincent 288
1987 Derrick, AB Brent Franklin  Canada 283 Australia David Ecob 285
1986 Mactaquac, NB Brent Franklin  Canada 286 Canada Jack Kay, Jr. 287
1985 Riverside, SASK Brent Franklin  Canada 283(P) Canada Stu Hamilton 283
1984 Sunningdale CC, ONT Bill Swartz  Canada 285 Canada Danny Mijovic 287
1983 Capilano, BC Danny Mijovic  Canada 277 United States Jay Sigel 284
1982 Kanawaki, QUE Doug Roxburgh  Canada 287(P) Canada Brian Christie, Jr. 287
Canada Stu Hamilton 287
1981 Calgary G&CC, ALTA Richard Zokol  Canada 271(P) United States Blaine McCallister 271
1980 Halifax GC (New), NS Greg Olson  Canada 290 Canada Stu Hamilton 293
Canada Steve Hayles 293
1979 Brantford GC, ONT Rafael Alarcón  Mexico 282 Canada Graham Cooke 286
1978 Laval-sur-le-Lac Club, QUE Rod Spittle  Canada 276 Canada Gary Cowan 286
United States Bob Mase 286
1977 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT Rod Spittle  Canada 279 Canada Jim Nelford 281
1976 Royal Colwood G&CC, BC Jim Nelford  Canada 287(P) Mexico Rafael Alarcón 287
1975 Riverside, NB Jim Nelford  Canada 280 Canada Doug Roxburgh 284
1974 Niakwa Country Club, MAN Doug Roxburgh  Canada 280 Canada Gary Cowan 284
1973 Summit, ONT George Burns  United States 284 United States Richard Ehrmanntraut 285
United States Daniel O'Neill 285
1972 Earl Grey, ALTA Doug Roxburgh  Canada 276 Canada Dave Barr 280
1971 Oakfield G&CC, NS Dick Siderowf  United States 293(P) Canada Doug Roxburgh 293
1970 Ottawa Hunt, ONT Allen Miller  United States 274 Canada Stu Hamilton 284
United States Billy Kratzert 284
United States Dick Siderowf 284
United States Jim Simons 284
1969 Westmount, ONT Wayne McDonald  Canada 284 United States Dick Siderowf 285
United States Leonard Thompson 285
1968 Mayfair, ALTA Jim Doyle  Canada 4 & 3 Canada Gary Cowan
1967 Royal Colwood, BC Stuart Jones  New Zealand 3 & 2 New Zealand Ross Murray
1966 Summerlea, QUE Nick Weslock  Canada 1 up United States William Brew
1965 Pine Ridge, MAN Bunky Henry  United States 1 up United States William C. Campbell
1964 Riverside, SASK Nick Weslock  Canada 1 up Canada Gary Cowan
1963 Riverside, NB Nick Weslock  Canada 7 & 6 Canada Bert Ticehurst
1962 Sunningdale CC, ONT Reg Taylor  South Africa 4 & 2 United States Tom Draper
1961 Edmonton CC, ALTA Gary Cowan  Canada 1 up Canada Ted Homenuik
1960 Ottawa Hunt, ONT Keith Alexander  Canada 4 & 3 Canada Gary Cowan
1959 Marine Drive, BC John Johnston  Canada 1 up Canada Gary Cowan
1958 Scarboro, ONT Bruce Castator  Canada 1 up Canada Eric Hanson
1957 St. Charles Country Club, MAN Nick Weslock  Canada 9 & 8 Canada Ted Homenuik
1956 Fraser Edmundston Golf Club, NB Moe Norman  Canada 5 & 4 Canada Jerry Magee
1955 Calgary G&CC, ALTA Moe Norman  Canada 39 holes Canada Lyle Crawford
1954 London Hunt, ONT Harvie Ward  United States 5 & 4 United States William C. Campbell
1953 Kanawaki, QUE Don Cherry  United States 1 up Canada Don Doe
1952 Capilano, BC Larry Bouchery  United States 37 holes United States William C. Campbell
1951 Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE Walter McElroy  Canada 2 & 1 Canada Phil Farley
1950 Saskatoon GC, SASK Bill Mawhinney  Canada 6 & 4 Canada Nick Weslock
1949 Riverside, NB Dick Chapman  United States 38 holes Canada Phil Farley
1948 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT Frank Stranahan  United States 9 & 7 Canada C.J. Stoddard
1947 Royal-Quebec Golf Club, QUE Frank Stranahan  United States 6 & 5 Canada Bill Ezinicki
1946 Mayfair, ALTA Henry Martell  Canada 6 & 5 Canada Ken Black
1940-45: No Championships due to World War II
1939 Mount Bruno, QUE Ken Black  Canada 8 & 6 Canada Henry Martell
1938 London Hunt Club, ONT Ted Adams  United States 37 holes Canada Ross Somerville
1937 Ottawa Hunt, ONT Ross Somerville  Canada 2 & 1 Canada Phil Farley
1936 St. Charles Country Club, MAN Fred Haas  United States 8 & 7 Canada Bobby Reith
1935 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT Ross Somerville  Canada 7 & 6 Canada Gordon Taylor, Jr.
1934 Laval-sur-le-Lac Club, QUE Albert Campbell  United States 1 up Canada Ross Somerville
1933 Shaughnessy Heights, BC Albert Campbell  United States 3 & 2 Canada Ken Black
1932 Lambton Golf Club, ONT Gordon B. Taylor  Canada 5 & 3 Canada Jack A. Cameron
1931 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE Ross Somerville  Canada 3 & 2 United States Arthur Yates
1930 London Hunt Club, ONT Ross Somerville  Canada 11 & 10 United States J. Wood Platt
1929 Jasper Park Golf Club, ALTA Eddie Held  United States 3 & 2 United States Gardiner White
1928 Summerlea, QUE Ross Somerville  Canada 3 & 2 United States William K. Lanman, Jr.
1927 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT Donald Carrick  Canada 9 & 8 Canada Frank Thompson
1926 Toronto Golf Club, ONT Ross Somerville  Canada 4 & 3 Canada C.C. Fraser
1925 Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE Donald Carrick  Canada 5 & 4 Canada Ross Somerville
1924 Rosedale Golf Club, ONT Frank Thompson  Canada 3 & 1 Canada Ross Somerville
1923 Kanawaki Golf Club, QUE W.J. Thompson  Canada 3 & 2 Canada Redvers Mackenzie
1922 Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT C.C. Fraser  Canada 37 holes Canada Norman Scott
1921 Winnipeg GC, MAN Frank Thompson  Canada 38 holes Canada C.W. Hague
1920 Beaconsfield GC, QUE C.B. Grier  Canada 5 & 4 Canada Tom Gillespie
1919 Lambton Golf Club, ONT William McLuckie  Canada 6 & 4 Canada G.H. Turpin
1915-18: No Championships due to World War I
1914 Royal Ottawa Golf Club George Lyon  Canada 8 & 7 United States Brice Evans
1913 Toronto Golf Club, ONT G.H. Turpin  Canada 1 up Canada Gerald Lees
1912 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE George Lyon  Canada 6 & 5 Canada A. Hutcheson
1911 Royal Ottawa Golf Club G.H. Hutton  Canada 39 holes Canada A.E. Austin
1910 Lambton Golf Club, ONT Fritz Martin  Canada 37 holes Canada George Lyon
1909 Toronto Golf Club, ONT E. Legge  Canada 1 up Canada G.F. Moss
1908 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE A. Wilson, Jr.  Canada 1 up Canada Fritz Martin
1907 Lambton Golf Club, ONT George Lyon  Canada 3 & 2 Canada Fritz Martin
1906 Royal Ottawa Golf Club George Lyon  Canada 5 & 4 Canada Douglas Laird
1905 Toronto Golf Club, ONT George Lyon  Canada 12 & 11 Canada R.S. Strath
1904 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE J. Percy Taylor  Canada 5 & 3 Canada George Lyon
1903 Toronto Golf Club, ONT George Lyon  Canada 10 & 8 Canada M.C. Cameron
1902 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE Fritz Martin  Canada 1 up Canada R.C.H Cassells
1901 Toronto Golf Club, ONT W.A.H. Kerr  Canada 38 holes Canada J. Percy Taylor
1900 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE George Lyon  Canada 38 holes Canada Gordon W. McDougall
1899 Royal Ottawa Golf Club Vere C. Brown  Canada 5 & 3 Canada Stewart Gillespie
1898 Toronto Golf Club, ONT George Lyon  Canada 12 & 11 Canada G.H.F. Pattison
1897 Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE W.A.H. Kerr  Canada 5 & 4 Canada R.T. Henderson
1896 Royal-Quebec Golf Club, QUE Stewart Gillespie  Canada 4 & 3 Canada W.A. Griffith
1895 Royal Ottawa Golf Club Thomas Harley  Canada 7 & 5 Canada A. Simpson

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Golf in Canada: A History, by James A. Barclay, Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1992.
  2. ^ History of Golf In Canada, by Lawrence Vincent Kavanagh, Don Mills, Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1973, p. 163.
  3. ^ History of Golf in Canada, by Lawrence Vincent Kavanagh, Toronto, Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1973, pp.160-161.
  4. ^ http://www.rcga.org, the Canadian Amateur results archive.
  5. ^ "Golf Canada's 2020 National Amateur Championships cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic". Golf Canada. June 15, 2020.

External links

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