Canadian Amateur Championship

Men's amateur golf championship in Canada

This article is about the men's golf championship. For the women's, see Canadian Women's Amateur. For the snooker championship, see Canadian Amateur Championship (snooker).

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Year | Venue | Winner | Country | Score | Runner-up

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2025  | Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE  |  |  |  |
2024 | Riverside Country Club, SASK | Tyler Mawhinney |  United States | 273 |  Ashton McCulloch 274
2023 | The Pulpit Club, ONT | Ashton McCulloch |  Canada | 277 |  Phil Arci 282
2022 | Point Grey Golf & Country Club, BC | Luis Carrera |  Mexico | 274 |  Robbie Latter 276
2021 | Ambassador Golf Club, ONT | Max Sekulic |  Canada | 267 |  A.J. Ewart 269
2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5]
2019 | Glen Arbour Golf Club, NS | William Buhl |  Norway | 273 |  Calvin McCoy 281
2018 | Duncan Meadows, BC | Zach Bauchou |  United States | 266 |  Philip Knowles 269
2017 | Toronto Golf Club & Islington Golf Club, ONT | Zach Bauchou |  United States | 272 |  Shintaro Ban 273
2016 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE | Hugo Bernard |  Canada | 271 |  Andy Zhang 273
2015 | Weston Golf and Country Club, ONT | Billy Kennerly |  United States | 275 |  Hugo Bernard 281
Garrett Rank 281
Jake Shuman 281
2014 | Elmhurst Golf Club, MAN | James Beale |  New Zealand | 276 |  Jonathan Garrick 276
Taylor Pendrith 276
2013 | Royal Colwood Golf Club, BC | Eli Cole |  United States | 276 |  Corey Conners 277
Taylor Pendrith 277
2012 | Camelot Golf Club, ONT | Mackenzie Hughes |  Canada | 276 |  Brian Churchill-Smith 277
Chris Hemmerich 277
2011 | Niakwa Country Club, MAN | Mackenzie Hughes |  Canada | 274 |  Albin Choi 276
2010 | London Hunt Club & Redtail G&CC, ONT | Albin Choi |  Canada | 271 |  Eugene Wong 274
2009 | Club de golf Le Blainvillier, QUE | Cam Burke |  Canada | 275 |  Mitch Sutton 276
2008 | Paradise Canyon Golf & Country Club, ALTA | Cam Burke |  Canada | 274 |  Scott Stiles 278
Eugene Wong 278
2007 | Riverside, SASK | Nick Taylor |  Canada | 38 holes |  Michael Knight
2006 | Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, ONT | Richard Scott |  Canada | 2 & 1 |  Todd Halpen
2005 | Bell Bay Golf Club, Baddeck, NS | Richard Scott |  Canada | 10 & 8 |  Jay Snyder
2004 | Beaconsfield GC, QUE | Darren Wallace |  Canada | 5 & 3 |  Marc Bourgeois
2003 | Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, BC | Richard Scott |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  Chris Baryla
2002 | Fraser Edmundston Golf Club, NB | Dillard Pruitt |  United States | 6 & 5 |  Michael Mezei
2001 | Credit Valley G&CC, ONT | Gareth Paddison |  New Zealand | 8 & 7 |  Graham Cooke
2000 | Glendale G&CC, ALTA | Han Lee |  United States | 5 & 3 |  Blair Buttar
1999 | Rivershore Estates & Golf Links, BC | Han Lee |  United States | 1 up |  Wes Heffernan
1998 | Hillsdale G&CC, QUE | Craig Matthew |  Canada | 2 & 1 |  Steven Davies
1997 | The Links at Crowbush Cove, PEI | Dale Goehring |  Canada | 1 up |  David Anthony
1996 | Glendale G&CC, MAN | Rob McMillan |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  Craig Matthew
1995 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | Garrett Willis |  United States | 3 & 2 |  Stu Hamilton
1994 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | Warren Sye |  Canada | 280(P) |  Bryan DeCorso 280
1993 | Victoria Golf Club, BC | Gary Simpson |  Australia | 281 |  Stu Hamilton 282
1992 | Riverside Country Club, NB | Darren Ritchie |  Canada | 282 |  Mike Weir 284
1991 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE | Jeff Kraemer |  Canada | 283 |  Rob Anderson 285
Steven Davies 285
Mike Weir 285
1990 | Weston Golf and Country Club, ONT | Warren Sye |  Canada | 281 |  Jeff Cannon 283
Arden Knoll 283
1989 | Oakfield G&CC, NS | Peter Major |  Canada | 279 |  Harvey Ellsworth 285
1988 | Gallaghers Canyon, BC | Doug Roxburgh |  Canada | 285 |  Orrin Vincent 288
1987 | Derrick, AB | Brent Franklin |  Canada | 283 |  David Ecob 285
1986 | Mactaquac, NB | Brent Franklin |  Canada | 286 |  Jack Kay, Jr. 287
1985 | Riverside, SASK | Brent Franklin |  Canada | 283(P) |  Stu Hamilton 283
1984 | Sunningdale CC, ONT | Bill Swartz |  Canada | 285 |  Danny Mijovic 287
1983 | Capilano, BC | Danny Mijovic |  Canada | 277 |  Jay Sigel 284
1982 | Kanawaki, QUE | Doug Roxburgh |  Canada | 287(P) |  Brian Christie, Jr. 287
Stu Hamilton 287
1981 | Calgary G&CC, ALTA | Richard Zokol |  Canada | 271(P) |  Blaine McCallister 271
1980 | Halifax GC (New), NS | Greg Olson |  Canada | 290 |  Stu Hamilton 293
Steve Hayles 293
1979 | Brantford GC, ONT | Rafael Alarcón |  Mexico | 282 |  Graham Cooke 286
1978 | Laval-sur-le-Lac Club, QUE | Rod Spittle |  Canada | 276 |  Gary Cowan 286
Bob Mase 286
1977 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | Rod Spittle |  Canada | 279 |  Jim Nelford 281
1976 | Royal Colwood G&CC, BC | Jim Nelford |  Canada | 287(P) |  Rafael Alarcón 287
1975 | Riverside Country Club, NB | Jim Nelford |  Canada | 280 |  Doug Roxburgh 284
1974 | Niakwa Country Club, MAN | Doug Roxburgh |  Canada | 280 |  Gary Cowan 284
1973 | Summit, ONT | George Burns |  United States | 284 |  Richard Ehrmanntraut 285
Daniel O'Neill 285
1972 | Earl Grey, ALTA | Doug Roxburgh |  Canada | 276 |  Dave Barr 280
1971 | Oakfield G&CC, NS | Dick Siderowf |  United States | 293(P) |  Doug Roxburgh 293
1970 | Ottawa Hunt, ONT | Allen Miller |  United States | 274 |  Stu Hamilton 284
Billy Kratzert 284
Dick Siderowf 284
Jim Simons 284
1969 | Westmount, ONT | Wayne McDonald |  Canada | 284 |  Dick Siderowf 285
Leonard Thompson 285
1968 | Mayfair, ALTA | Jim Doyle |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  Gary Cowan
1967 | Royal Colwood, BC | Stuart Jones |  New Zealand | 3 & 2 |  Ross Murray
1966 | Summerlea, QUE | Nick Weslock |  Canada | 1 up |  William Brew
1965 | Pine Ridge, MAN | Bunky Henry |  United States | 1 up |  William C. Campbell
1964 | Riverside, SASK | Nick Weslock |  Canada | 1 up |  Gary Cowan
1963 | Riverside Country Club, NB | Nick Weslock |  Canada | 7 & 6 |  Bert Ticehurst
1962 | Sunningdale CC, ONT | Reg Taylor |  South Africa | 4 & 2 |  Tom Draper
1961 | Edmonton CC, ALTA | Gary Cowan |  Canada | 1 up |  Ted Homenuik
1960 | Ottawa Hunt, ONT | Keith Alexander |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  Gary Cowan
1959 | Marine Drive, BC | John Johnston |  Canada | 1 up |  Gary Cowan
1958 | Scarboro, ONT | Bruce Castator |  Canada | 1 up |  Eric Hanson
1957 | St. Charles Country Club, MAN | Nick Weslock |  Canada | 9 & 8 |  Ted Homenuik
1956 | Fraser Edmundston Golf Club, NB | Moe Norman |  Canada | 5 & 4 |  Jerry Magee
1955 | Calgary G&CC, ALTA | Moe Norman |  Canada | 39 holes |  Lyle Crawford
1954 | London Hunt, ONT | Harvie Ward |  United States | 5 & 4 |  William C. Campbell
1953 | Kanawaki, QUE | Don Cherry |  United States | 1 up |  Don Doe
1952 | Capilano, BC | Larry Bouchery |  United States | 37 holes |  William C. Campbell
1951 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE | Walter McElroy |  Canada | 2 & 1 |  Phil Farley
1950 | Saskatoon GC, SASK | Bill Mawhinney |  Canada | 6 & 4 |  Nick Weslock
1949 | Riverside Country Club, NB | Dick Chapman |  United States | 38 holes |  Phil Farley
1948 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | Frank Stranahan |  United States | 9 & 7 |  C.J. Stoddard
1947 | Royal-Quebec Golf Club, QUE | Frank Stranahan |  United States | 6 & 5 |  Bill Ezinicki
1946 | Mayfair, ALTA | Henry Martell |  Canada | 6 & 5 |  Ken Black
1940-45: No Championships due to World War II
1939 | Mount Bruno, QUE | Ken Black |  Canada | 8 & 6 |  Henry Martell
1938 | London Hunt Club, ONT | Ted Adams |  United States | 37 holes |  Ross Somerville
1937 | Ottawa Hunt, ONT | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 2 & 1 |  Phil Farley
1936 | St. Charles Country Club, MAN | Fred Haas |  United States | 8 & 7 |  Bobby Reith
1935 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 7 & 6 |  Gordon Taylor, Jr.
1934 | Laval-sur-le-Lac Club, QUE | Albert Campbell |  United States | 1 up |  Ross Somerville
1933 | Shaughnessy Heights, BC | Albert Campbell |  United States | 3 & 2 |  Ken Black
1932 | Lambton Golf Club, ONT | Gordon B. Taylor |  Canada | 5 & 3 |  Jack A. Cameron
1931 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 3 & 2 |  Arthur Yates
1930 | London Hunt Club, ONT | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 11 & 10 |  J. Wood Platt
1929 | Jasper Park Golf Club, ALTA | Eddie Held |  United States | 3 & 2 |  Gardiner White
1928 | Summerlea, QUE | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 3 & 2 |  William K. Lanman, Jr.
1927 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | Donald Carrick |  Canada | 9 & 8 |  Frank Thompson
1926 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | Ross Somerville |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  C.C. Fraser
1925 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club, QUE | Donald Carrick |  Canada | 5 & 4 |  Ross Somerville
1924 | Rosedale Golf Club, ONT | Frank Thompson |  Canada | 3 & 1 |  Ross Somerville
1923 | Kanawaki Golf Club, QUE | W.J. Thompson |  Canada | 3 & 2 |  Redvers Mackenzie
1922 | Hamilton Golf and Country Club, ONT | C.C. Fraser |  Canada | 37 holes |  Norman Scott
1921 | Winnipeg GC, MAN | Frank Thompson |  Canada | 38 holes |  C.W. Hague
1920 | Beaconsfield GC, QUE | C.B. Grier |  Canada | 5 & 4 |  Tom Gillespie
1919 | Lambton Golf Club, ONT | William McLuckie |  Canada | 6 & 4 |  G.H. Turpin
1915-18: No Championships due to World War I
1914 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club | George Lyon |  Canada | 8 & 7 |  Brice Evans
1913 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | G.H. Turpin |  Canada | 1 up |  Gerald Lees
1912 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | George Lyon |  Canada | 6 & 5 |  A. Hutcheson
1911 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club | G.H. Hutton |  Canada | 39 holes |  A.E. Austin
1910 | Lambton Golf Club, ONT | Fritz Martin |  Canada | 37 holes |  George Lyon
1909 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | E. Legge |  Canada | 1 up |  G.F. Moss
1908 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | A. Wilson, Jr. |  Canada | 1 up |  Fritz Martin
1907 | Lambton Golf Club, ONT | George Lyon |  Canada | 3 & 2 |  Fritz Martin
1906 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club | George Lyon |  Canada | 5 & 4 |  Douglas Laird
1905 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | George Lyon |  Canada | 12 & 11 |  R.S. Strath
1904 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | J. Percy Taylor |  Canada | 5 & 3 |  George Lyon
1903 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | George Lyon |  Canada | 10 & 8 |  M.C. Cameron
1902 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | Fritz Martin |  Canada | 1 up |  R.C.H Cassells
1901 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | W.A.H. Kerr |  Canada | 38 holes |  J. Percy Taylor
1900 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | George Lyon |  Canada | 38 holes |  Gordon W. McDougall
1899 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club | Vere C. Brown |  Canada | 5 & 3 |  Stewart Gillespie
1898 | Toronto Golf Club, ONT | George Lyon |  Canada | 12 & 11 |  G.H.F. Pattison
1897 | Royal Montreal Golf Club, QUE | W.A.H. Kerr |  Canada | 5 & 4 |  R.T. Henderson
1896 | Royal-Quebec Golf Club, QUE | Stewart Gillespie |  Canada | 4 & 3 |  W.A. Griffith
1895 | Royal Ottawa Golf Club | Thomas Harley |  Canada | 7 & 5 |  A. Simpson

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## References

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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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* Official website