In the News

[Jeffrey Reed]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 13, 2009





2010 CANADIAN MEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE CO-HOSTED BY LONDON HUNT AND COUNTRY CLUB AND REDTAIL GOLF COURSE



- Field increased to 240 players for 106th playing of Canadian Men’s Amateur as part of RCGA’s 5-year Amateur Championship Enhancement Plan -



Blainville, Que. (RCGA) – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announced today that as part of an enhancement plan for Canada’s national amateur championships, the 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be co-hosted at the London Hunt and Country Club as well as Redtail Golf Course.



The first two rounds of the 72-hole stroke play championship will be split between London Hunt and Redtail with the field size for the Canadian Men’s Amateur increased from the current 156 to 240 players beginning in 2010.



The field for the 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur will be cut to the low 70 and ties after 36 holes with the final two rounds to be contested at London Hunt and Country Club.



Planned enhancements to all of the RCGA’s amateur competitions include elevating the on-site player experience, conducting the events at Canada’s very best courses, attracting top fields including international competitors and securing exemptions into top international events for tournament champions.



With the field size increasing to 240, the RCGA will now be able to invite the world's top 100 ranked players, including U.S. College and U.S. Walker Cup players to London, Ont. for the 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur in addition to the tradition field of Canada’s finest players, the bulk of whom qualify through their respective provincial amateur golf championships.



During the championship, competitors will receive first-class hospitality including a players’ banquet, courtesy hotel shuttles complimentary food and beverage. All RCGA national championships will also feature live scoring allowing fans from across Canada and the world to follow scoring in real-time.



“Players who compete in our national amateur competitions should feel like they are playing in a world-class championship,” said Scott Simmons, RCGA’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. “Increasing our field size to 240 players will allow us to invite and attract the world’s best amateurs to compete for Canada’s national amateur title. Our goal with these championship enhancements is to increase the international prestige and overall player experience at the Canadian Amateur while showcasing the finest in Canadian golf excellence to the rest of the golf world.”



The championship enhancements are being implemented as part of a five-year plan spearheaded by RCGA Championships sub-committee members, Rob Laing, Dennis Kavelman, Peter McCarthy and Kelly Roberts.



“Our vision is about putting excellence to the test in all of Canada’s national championships,” added Kavelman. “It’s about getting the best players, the best courses and trying to attract top international players to Canada to play in our championships.”




Kavelman, the chief operating officer at Blackberry maker Research in Motion, will help provide funding for Amateur Championships through his foundation, the Kavelman-Fonn Foundation. He will also join Laing, McCarthy, Roberts and the RCGA championships sub-committee in recruiting additional donors to invest into Canada’s national amateur golf championships.



The 106th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will run from August 10-15, 2010.



The winner of the 2010 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will receive an exemption into the 2011 RBC Canadian Open at the renowned Shaugnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.



An Inter-provincial Team Championship for the Willingdon Cup will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds featuring four-member teams competing with the best three of four scores counting towards the overall team total.



The 2009 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is being conducted this week at Club de golf Le Blainvillier in Blainville, Que. Live scoring, tee times and pairings for the 2009 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship are available online at www.rcga.org/championships.