Team Canada Members Earn Exemptions Into RBC Canadian Open And CN Canadian Women’s Open

Nick Taylor, Matt Hill, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc and Nicole Vandermade to tee-it-up at Canada’s men’s and women’s national open golf championships

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announced today that Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. and Matt Hill of Bright’s Grove, Ont. will be exempt into the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, while Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont., will be exempt into the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

The Team Canada members earned their exemptions into Canada’s Open golf championships after stellar starts to their 2009 seasons.

“These four talented players have showcased their pedigree so far this season,” said RCGA Executive Director and CEO Scott Simmons. “They are among the best amateur golfers in the world and we are certain to see exciting play from them as they compete with the PGA TOUR’s and LPGA Tour’s biggest and best names.”

Currently the number-one ranked player on the Royal and Ancient (R&A) World Amateur Rankings, Nick Taylor returns to the RBC Canadian Open looking to build upon his 2008 performance at Canada’s lone PGA TOUR stop, where he finished T53rd, the best showing by a home grown amateur at the Open since 1972.

Taylor is coming off his second consecutive appearance in the United States Golf Association’s U.S. Open Championship, where earlier this week he made the cut and finished as the low amateur for the event. The 21-year old University of Washington junior has broken many of his school’s golf records, including most victories (4) and become the first Husky to win Pac-10 Player of the Year. Taylor has amassed eight top-10 finishes in his 11 college tournaments this year, and has 17 career top-10 finishes.

Number-two World Ranked player, Matt Hill, also earns his exemption after a stellar run on the 2009 NCAA Div. I golf circuit. Hill fired a 2-under par 69 at the final round of the NCAA Division I National Championship to clinch his seventh win in his last eight tournaments. The NC State sophomore also became the second Canadian to claim the NCAA individual title and the first Canadian to win the Jack Nicklaus award. His eight tournament wins—the most in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) history—earned him the ACC Player of the Year award. With his exceptional season, Hill joins an eminent group of former NCAA champions including Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc has enjoyed tremendous amateur success over the past three seasons, dating back to her victory at the 2006 Royale National Junior Girls Championship. After finishing T4th at the 2008 Royale Canadian Ladies Amateur Championships, the 20-year old went on to finish fourth in both team and individual standings at the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship. In 2008, as a freshman on the Purdue University Boilermakers golf team, LeBlanc earned six top-15 finishes and fired 11 rounds of even-par or better. This year, she tied for first at the Big-10 Championships, both as an individual and with her team. LeBlanc also competed at the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

Team Canada Development Team member Nicole Vandermade earns her exemption into the CN Canadian Women’s Open after her strong showing at the 2009 British Women’s Amateur. Vandermade was the low Canadian at the championship, making it to the second round of match-play. In her freshman year at Texas University, Vandermade had five top-15 finishes, including the Texas State Match (T4th) and the Dick McGuire Golf Invitational (T4th). The 19-year old also placed 10th at the Big 12 Invitational and T32nd at the NCAA Div. I West Regional Championships.

Taylor and Hill will join PGA TOUR stars Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, Anthony Kim, Trevor Immelman, Camilo Villegas and defending champion Chez Reavie as they compete in the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, July 20-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ont. For more information and tickets, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.

LeBlanc and Vandermade will join LPGA Tour sensations Paula Creamer, Lorena Ochoa, Michelle Wie, Yani Tseng and defending champion Katherine Hull, as well as Canadians Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp at the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open, August 31-September 6 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary. For more information and tickets, please visit www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

ABOUT THE 2009 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
An exciting new era has arrived for Canada's national championship. Part of the FedEx Cup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $5.1 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 20-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. Established in 1904, the tournament is the third-oldest national Open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Bell, Pengrowth and BMW Group Canada. For updated corporate hospitality, tickets, volunteer and sponsorship information please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-OPEN.

RBC AND THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN
In partnership with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), RBC is the title sponsor of the RBC Canadian Open, the third oldest national golf championship worldwide, next only to the British Open and the U.S. Open. With a history of great players and premier fields, the RBC Canadian Open provides golf fans with the opportunity to experience the excitement of a world class event on Canadian soil. RBC also sponsors all levels of amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport organizations and elite-level athletes.

ABOUT THE 2009 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN
Stars of the LPGA Tour will be featured at the US$2.75 million CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 31 to September 6 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary. The CN Canadian Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by the Canadian National Railway Company along with event partners CVS Controls Ltd., TaylorMade adidas Golf, Corona Extra, The Globe and Mail, CE Franklin Ltd., Calgary Sport Tourism Authority, Safeway, Mexico Tourism, CBC, The Glenlivet, Bell, Reader’s Digest and local media partners Calgary Herald, Corus Entertainment and Global Calgary. For updated corporate hospitality, sponsorship opportunities, daily tickets, and volunteer information please visit www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

NORTH AMERICA’S RAILROAD
CN – Canadian National Railway Company – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For further information please visit www.cn.ca.

ABOUT THE RCGA NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM
The RCGA National Team Program incorporates advanced coaching, sport science expertise, training camps and world-class competition. The RCGA allocates over $1 million of its resources annually to the National Team program, encompassing strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, biomechanics and technique development. Players who are selected to the National Amateur and National Developmental Teams represent Canada at six to 10 internationally-sanctioned golf competitions throughout the year. The intent of this comprehensive program is to aid Canada’s top up-and-coming amateur players in all areas of their development, helping Canada produce the best golfers in the world.

Team Canada, the pinnacle of the RCGA’s High Performance Program, provides access to world class resources including coaching, nutrition, sport science, mental management, equipment, elite competitive opportunities and builds on the support that team members have received in their development years from their family, member clubs, personal coaches, university programs and provincial golf associations.

The RCGA’s High Performance Program and Team Canada are proudly sponsored by Titleist, Foot-Joy and Under Armour.

For more information about Team Canada or to make a donation towards the development of Canada’s future golf stars, please visit www.rcga.org.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.

For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.