RBC Deepens Commitment to Canadian Golf

RBC becomes partner of Team Canada High Performance Program and RCGA National Amateur Championships

RBC announces new funding initiative to support Canadian pros advancing to LPGA and PGA TOUR

PGA TOUR players Stephen Ames and Mike Weir become ‘Team RBC’ Ambassadors

TORONTO, ON — RBC today announced a significant extension of its golf sponsorship programs that will help fund and enhance grassroots and developmental programs across Canada.

Building Canadian Competitive Golf Excellence
Already the title sponsor for Canada’s national golf championship, the RBC Canadian Open, RBC will help fund Team Canada, the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s high performance national amateur golf team program. RBC will also contribute support to the resurgence of Canada’s national amateur golf championships, conducted by the RCGA.

“We are proud to support the RCGA’s vision to drive excellence in competitive amateur golf, building on the recent accomplishments of national team players like Nick Taylor, Matt Hill and Jennifer Kirby at the collegiate, national and international level,” said Jim Little, RBC chief brand and communications officer.

“Extending our support to Canada’s national amateur championships not only allows talented Canadian players to compete in world class competitions on home soil, but also offers so many more golf enthusiasts and volunteers across the country the long-term opportunity to get involved and be a part of this great sport.”

“We applaud RBC for their long-term vision in supporting an environment that will build competitive golf excellence in Canada,” said Scott Simmons, RCGA executive director and CEO. “Programs that promote grassroots and amateur competition as well as those that help support training and high performance opportunities are critical to Canadian golfers developing their competitive potential.”

Supporting Emerging Talent
RBC also announced plans to deepen its relationships with Canada’s emerging and established touring professionals.

RBC is creating a new initiative to help young male and female professional golfers make the jump to the professional ranks on the PGA and LPGA Tours. Beginning in 2010, RBC has created a new initiative to support emerging Canadian professionals making the transition to the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour -- including 2010 graduates Graham DeLaet and Chris Baryla on the PGA TOUR, and Lisa Meldrum and Samantha Richdale on the LPGA Tour -- by providing a combination of funding and tailored, comprehensive financial planning and private banking services through its RBC Sports Professionals program. Athletes who elect to sign up for the program will become RBC ambassadors and carry corporate branding on their golf bags as they compete each week on the world’s stage.

“This step is a very important element of my development as a professional and my hat is off to RBC for taking a leadership role here and identifying the need,” said DeLaet. “It’s clear they really get it and are doing an admirable job connecting all the dots through support of Canadian player development from the grassroots all the way up to those of us fortunate enough to make the leap to the PGA TOUR. I’m pleased to be joining their program and am looking forward to meeting everyone on their team.”

Weir, Ames Join Team RBC
In addition, RBC is enhancing existing relationships with PGA TOUR pros Stephen Ames and Mike Weir by entering into new multi-year extensions with both players. RBC becomes the official bank for Ames and Weir and both will have RBC branding prominently featured on their staff golf bags when they compete each week on the PGA TOUR. The partnerships are anchored in philanthropy with RBC continuing on as presenting sponsor of the Stephen Ames Cup and the Mike Weir Foundation entering its second year as the national charity partner of the RBC Canadian Open.

“I have been fortunate to have had a very close partnership with RBC for a number of years now and I’m thankful to see that continue,” said Weir. “More importantly, however, I’m excited about their support at the amateur level and their investment in the future of Canadian golf. We are seeing many great young Canadian golfers coming up and the support of RBC will not only help them succeed, but will provide the opportunities for even more amateurs to pursue their dreams in the sport.”

“Canadians are showing every week that they can compete with the best in golf,” said Ames. “RBC’s grassroots commitment to the game will be a boost to the next generation of players that will pay dividends for years to come. Their strong commitment to charity, both through the RBC Canadian Open and my own charitable foundation, is also something that I’ve appreciated personally, not only for the future of the game, but also for the future of the programs that benefit communities across Canada.”

Ames kicked off his season on the PGA TOUR last week at the Kapalua event in Hawaii while Weir made his first start yesterday at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California. Weir and Ames join American standout Anthony Kim forming ‘Team RBC’ on the PGA TOUR.

“Over the past two years, supporting the RBC Canadian Open has given us an opportunity to engage so many of our clients, employees and community partners in an event that they enjoy,” said Little. “We’re very pleased to take the next step and invest further in the long-term future of golf in Canada by playing a greater role in nurturing the next generation of national golfing heroes and further developing the game that so many Canadians love.”

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, and is Premier National Partner of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

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/teamcanada.

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 http://www.rcga.org/

LPGA Names Michael Whan as its Commissioner

Sports, Golf executive assumes helm following extensive three-month search

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., October 28, 2009 - Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Board of Directors Chairman Dawn Hudson announced today that the LPGA Board has named Michael Whan the LPGA's new Commissioner. Whan, most recently President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission-Itech Hockey, has a personal and professional background in golf, including serving as Executive Vice President and General Manager (North American Region) for Taylormade-adidas Golf.

The appointment follows an extensive three-month international search led by an LPGA Search Committee comprised of LPGA Board player members Juli Inkster and Helen Alfredsson along with fellow LPGA Board members Bill Morton and Leslie Greis, who chaired the Committee.

"We established very strict criteria for the position of Commissioner and Mike impressed us not only with his background and intellect but also his passion for golf," Hudson said. "I commend the Search Committee for their exhaustive work and commitment, and we look forward to the months and years ahead with Mike as our Commissioner. We also owe a great debt of gratitude to Acting Commissioner Marty Evans. Her success over the past three months during a potentially difficult transition period not only allowed the Search Committee time to conduct a thorough search but also has provided our new Commissioner with positive momentum and a revitalized platform upon which to grow the LPGA in the sports and business marketplace."

Evans will work with Whan during a transition period before he officially assumes the Commissioner helm in January 2010. Both Whan and Evans will attend the LPGA Tour Championship Presented by Rolex the week of November 16 in Houston, where a player meeting will be held and the 2010 LPGA season schedule will be released.

"The LPGA is a resurging, resilient association, and Mike will be a leader around which the wonderful LPGA staff and all of our stakeholders-players, fans, sponsors, TV partners, tournament owners and others-will rally," Evans said. "Mike will enjoy working within the reenergized climate of collaboration that we've all worked so hard to create this season. I'm looking forward to working closely with him during the transition period as we celebrate the close of a tremendous season and look forward to the LPGA's 60th year in 2010."

"It is rare to work for an organization that combines all the passions in your life, but with the LPGA, I feel I've been presented with the unique opportunity to do just that," Whan said. "First, this is an association surrounded by passionate, value-driven people. Second, I'm energized by brand building and the work involved in marketing and growing a sport. Third, I simply love the game of golf-both the life lessons it teaches and the friendships it helps create."

Whan, 44, started his business career at the Procter & Gamble Company in 1987, rising within the ranks as a brand assistant, Brand Manager and eventually Director of Marketing, Oral Care, before branching out to follow his passion for sports. In 1994-95, he served as a Vice President and General Manager at the Wilson Sporting Goods Company responsible for all aspects of the golf ball and glove business. He also managed the marketing department, two manufacturing facilities and the Research & Development division.

At the TaylorMade Golf Company, Whan started as Vice President Marketing and over the course of his four-year tenure was promoted to Vice President, Sales and Marketing and eventually EVP/General Manager-North America for Taylormade-adidas Golf. In his role as General Manager, Whan's business unit represented more than 70 percent of the company's worldwide sales and profit.

"Mike possesses substantial leadership experience in golf and sports, the ability to build consensus in complex organizations and a proven track record of building brands," Greis said. "Equally important, his passion for golf is palpable, having grown up playing golf with his father and friends. Mike was the kid hanging around the golf courses, cutting the greens and caddying to earn extra money. He's a great fit for the LPGA on both a professional and personal level."

Whan served as President/Chief Marketing Officer for Britesmile, Inc., from 1999-2002, before returning to sports at Mission Hockey, a hockey equipment company. During his seven-year tenure in the hockey business, he restructured and redefined the company, then acquired Itech Sports to create Mission-Itech Hockey. When Whan finalized the sale of Mission-Itech Hockey late last year, it commanded market share leadership in nine product categories, sales in more than 30 countries and had more than 50 percent of the National Hockey League (NHL) players using the brands.

"We interviewed a number of great candidates, but Mike really stood out as someone with integrity, honesty and a life-long passion for the sport," Alfredsson said. "He will bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the LPGA at a critical time for our association." Added Inkster: "Mike clearly demonstrated a desire to make sure that the LPGA remains the best women's sports organization in the world. He has the whole package of what we were looking for, and he'll do what's needed to make sure that we're successful."

Whan will serve as the LPGA's eighth Commissioner. He and his wife, Meg, and his three children, Austin (15), Wesley (13) and Connor (12), currently live in California and will relocate to Florida, home of the LPGA Headquarters, next year.

The LPGA Board of Directors consists of player members Alfredsson, Inkster, Michelle Ellis, Sherri Steinhauer, Pat Hurst, Christina Kim and Stacy Prammanasudh; Patti Benson, national president of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals; and independent directors Hudson, Greis, Morton, Bill Susetka and Nancy Wiese.

About the Ladies Professional Golf Association

The LPGA was founded in 1950 and today boasts a membership comprised of world-class LPGA Tour professionals and more than 1,300 dedicated Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP). Players on the LPGA Tour, who represent more than 25 countries, compete globally showcasing the very best of women's professional golf. LPGA T&CP members directly impact the growth of the game through teaching, coaching and management positions, and oversee programs aimed at increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf. The LPGA's Vision is to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the best golf professionals in the world. Its Mission is to be a leader in the world of sports, to promote economic empowerment for all members, and to serve as role models on and off the course. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to http://www.lpga.com/.

Media Contact:
David Higdon, LPGA Chief Communications Officer, david.higdon@lpga.com, +1 386/843-007
Kim Berard, LPGA PR Manager, kim.berard@lpga.com, +1 386/843-0077

No Canadian's Make the Cut at the CN Canadian Women's Open

News and notes for Friday, September 4th at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club

Calgary (RCGA with files from the LPGA Tour) – Norway’s Suzann Pettersen (65-68) and South Korea’s Song-Hee Kim (71-62) share the top of the leaderboard at 9-under-par 133 following second-round play at the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

Pettersen, 28, trailed first-round leader Anna Rawson of Australia following first round action, but capitalized on her second-round, Friday morning tee-time.

“I haven't played late early in a while,” said Pettersen, who had an afternoon tee-time Thursday. “It’s been mostly early late. But I mean when you're on a roll, you kind of keep going, and I had it going for a while.”

Pettersen got off to a superb start with three birdies right off the bat on holes 10 through 12, but faltered with bogeys on holes 13 and 16, which sandwiched a birdie on hole 15.

It looked like she was gearing up for her back nine with three more birdies on holes two, four and five. But, she was a bit shaky on her back-nine and lost the outright lead with bogeys on holes seven and eight, falling to 9-under-par 133.

“I play every week to win,” added Pettersen. “I mean, in this game you lose more than you win. So all I can do is give myself a chance on Sunday.”

CO-LEADER KIM SHATTERS RECORD BOOKS
Song-Hee Kim fired a scorching round of 9-under par, including a string of six consecutive birdies on her opening holes at Priddis Greens en route to a tournament and new course record 62 to grab a share of the lead at 133 (71-62).

Her six consecutive birdies ties a LPGA Tour season record for most consecutive birdies. Her 7-under-par 28 on the front nine is also a Tour season-low mark on a par-35 nine-hole side.

“(After) the first 6 holes, I didn't know I had 6 birdies in a row, so it was awesome,” said Kim. “I mean, it was fantastic.”

Kim’s only bogey came on the par-4, 10th hole, before three more birdies on holes 12, 16 and 17 to card her lowest round in three seasons on the LPGA Tour.

Other players who have made six birdies in a row this season are Natalie Gulbis (LPGA Corning Classic), Ai Miyazato (Evian Masters) and amateur Ana Alicia Malagon (Corona Championship).

DAHLLOF ACES SIXTH HOLE
Eva Dahllof of Sweden carded her second LPGA Tour career hole-in-one during the second round of the CN Canadian Women’s Open. On Priddis Greens’ sixth hole, Dahllof used a 7-iron from 159 yards to land the ace.

Her only other LPGA hole-in-one came during the third round of the 1998 Star Bank LPGA Classic.

SCORING AVERAGES TUMBLE FOR SECOND ROUND
Ideal weather conditions Friday resulted in a lower scoring average than Thursday’s first round. First-round scoring average for the course was 72.513 on the par-71, 6,435-yard Priddis Greens layout, while Friday’s scoring average was 71.961. There were 461 eagles scored on both days and 31 more birdies (1762) carded on Friday than Thursday (1731).

CN MIRACLE MATCH UPDATE
For every birdie made on the 18th hole at the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open, CN will donate $500 toward their CN Miracle Match initiative, as well as $5,000 for every eagle.

So far this week, more than $840,000 has been raised for the charity.

SECOND-ROUND CANADIAN SCORES FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4:
This year will mark the first time a Canadian has not make it to weekend play at the Canadian Women’s Open. The cut was made at 1-over par.


---MISSED CUT ---
Alena Sharp, 72-72—144 +2
(a) Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, 71-74—145 +3
(a) Nicole Vandermade, 75-70—145 +3
Adrienne White, 71-75—146 +4
Jessica Shepley, 74-73—147 +5
(a) Jennifer Kirby, 73-76—149 +7
Lorie Kane, 75-76—151 +9
(a) Stephanie Sherlock, 76-78—154 +12
(a) Sue Kim, 79-76—155 +13
A.J. Eathorne, 73-83—156 +14
Kira Meixner, 81-78—159 +17
Ashley Sholer, 84-80—164 +22

DEFENDING CHAMPION MISSES CUT
Defending champion, Katherine Hull, missed the cut at this year’s CN Canadian Women’s Open. Hull is the first defending champion to miss the cut since Colleen Walker did 1997.

THIRD ROUND TEES OFF SATURDAY
Canada’s only LPGA event officially continues Saturday with round three teeing off at 8:48 a.m. MDT off the 1st and 10th tees at Priddis Greens. Pairings, start times and second-round scores are available on-line at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com and www.lpga.com.

Seventy-four players of 156 at the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open carded 1-over-par (143) or better to advance to weekend play.

TELEVISION AND WEB BROADCAST TIMES
The Royal Canadian Golf Association and CN are proud to have CBC as the official broadcast partner of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. In addition to being broadcast on CBC and CBC bold, the event will also be streamed online at www.cbcsports.ca. The Golf Channel will also broadcast weekend television coverage. Below are broadcast times for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

CBC Television
Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three
Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

CBCSports.ca
Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three
Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

Golf Channel
Saturday, Sept. 5 11:30 p.m. ET TAPED Round Three
Sunday, Sept. 6 9:30 p.m. ET TAPED Final Round

CONGRATULATIONS TO PRIDDIS GREENS SUPERINTENDENT JAMES BEEBE
As part of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association’s (CGSA) National Tournament Program, the CGSA made a special presentation to Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club superintendent James Beebe on Friday, September 4 in the CN Canadian Women’s Open media centre.

MEDIA CENTRE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPTS
Friday interview audio and/or video transcripts of Priddis Greens superintendent James Beebe, Suzann Pettersen, Song-Hee Kim, M.J. Hur, Lorie Kane, Katherine Hull, Lorena Ochoa, Angela Stanford, Alena Sharp and Catriona Matthew, are available online at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

CN MIRACLE MATCH SUPPORTS ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation has been designated as the official charity of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. To date, the CN Canadian Women’s Open has raised almost $2 million towards children’s charities since CN began its title sponsorship of the event in 2006.

KIDS 15 AND UNDER GET IN FREE ALL WEEK
The 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open will once again feature a week’s worth of family entertainment with kids age 15 and under admitted free all week with a ticketed adult. Juniors will also have the opportunity to take part in golf clinics and activities onsite through CN Future Links, Canada’s junior golf program. Additionally, tickets are still available for all remaining championship rounds.

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 ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for excellence in child health and family centred care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative family centred programs, state of the art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. For more information please visit www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.

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 http://www.rcga.org/.

The World’s Best Golfers Hit the Links for 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open on CBC, Sept. 3-6

Calgary, Alberta (RCGA) – The world’s best women golfers will descend on Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, just south of Calgary, next week for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. CBC will leave no hole unturned with extensive coverage of the event on CBC Television, CBC’s digital channel bold and CBCSports.ca. CBC Television will present coverage of each round, including live broadcasts of the third and final rounds on Sept. 5 and 6, at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.ET, respectively. Golf fans can tune into bold for Rounds 1 and 2 on Sept. 3 and 4, beginning at 5 p.m. ET, and all four rounds will also be available live and on-demand at CBCSports.ca.

Defending champion, Katherine Hull and Canadians Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp will be among the field of 156 players battling it out on the greens for the $2.75 million purse.

CBC boasts a veteran broadcast team for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. Gemini Award-winner Ron MacLean will host the show and provide play-by-play. Two-time LPGA player of the year and three-time Vare Trophy recipient (given to the player with the lowest scoring average for the season), Judy Rankin will provide analysis for the broadcast. CBC’s Steve Armitage and former LPGA tour players, Gail Graham and Dawn Coe-Jones will report from the course. In addition to being a player, Graham is a former member of the LPGA executive committee and served as president from 2001-02. Coe-Jones has recorded three LPGA tour victories, in 1992, ’94 and ’95 during her 25-year professional career. CBC’s Doug Dirks rounds out the roster with in-depth player interviews.

CBC will also share the inspiring story of Natalie Bazinet—a young girl whose courageous fight against cancer led her to become the child ambassador for Alberta’s Children’s Hospital Foundation. The hospital is this year’s beneficiary of CN Miracle Match, a national charitable initiative aligned with the tournament and designed to rally communities across Canada behind supporting Children’s Hospitals. CN pledges to match every dollar donated leading up to and during the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

bold is available on Rogers channel 277, Shaw channel 96, Shaw Direct channel 512 and Bell TV channel 641. For more information on how to subscribe to bold, viewers can call their local television service provider or visit boldtv.ca. Viewers can log on to CBCsports.ca 24 hours a day, seven days a week for comprehensive news and results throughout the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. With 28 services offered on Radio, Television, the Internet, satellite radio, digital audio, as well as through its record and music distribution service and wireless WAP and SMS messaging services, CBC/Radio-Canada is available how, where, and when Canadians want it.

2009 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN ON CBC
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(Schedule subject to change)

CBC Television

Thursday, Sept. 3 12 midnight Local Round One Wrap

Friday, Sept. 4 12 midnight Local Round Two Wrap

Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three

Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

bold

Thursday, Sept. 3 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round One

Friday, Sept. 4 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round Two

CBCSports.ca

Thursday, Sept. 3 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round One

Thursday, Sept. 3 11 p.m. ET Round One Wrap

Friday, Sept. 4 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round Two

Friday, Sept. 4 11 p.m. ET Round Two Wrap

Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three

Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

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 ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for excellence in child health and family centred care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative family centred programs, state of the art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. For more information please visit www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.

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 .

Canadian Adrienne White Joins Group of 5 Who Earn Qualifying Spots Into 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open

News and notes for Monday, August 31 at the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open

Calgary (RCGA) – The 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open, Canada’s only LPGA Tour event, kicked off a full week of world-class golf and family fun today at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

FINAL FOUR QUALIFY
51 players took to the Calgary Elks Lodge and Golf Club during Monday’s Open Qualifier in the hopes of securing one of the four final spots into the 156-player field for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. Jimin Jeong of South Korea shot 2-under par 70 to earn one of the final spots into the field while Canadian Adrienne White of Red Deer, Alta. shot a qualifying score of even-par 72 to bring the total number of Canadians in the field to 12. Also advancing from today’s qualifier were Americans Sarah Butler and Erynne Lee. Jeong and White both Monday qualified for the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

Following are the complete results from Monday’s CN Canadian Women’s Open Monday Qualifier:

Jimin Jeong, 70
Sarah Butler, 71
Erynne Lee, 72
Adrienne White, 72

- DID NOT QUALIFY –

Julianna Uhrik, 73
Ashley Smith, 73
Kirby Dreher, 73
Ryann O'Toole, 74
Brandi Jackson, 74
Brogan McKinnon, 74
Kyla Inaba, 74
Justina Yu, 74
Mallory Blackwelder, 74
Mariajo Uribe, 74
Su A Kim, 75
Susan Choi, 75
Raman Saran, 76
Karin Sjodin, 76
Bridget Dwyer, 76
Sylvie Schetagne, 77
Jillian Wyne, 77
Jennifer Ha, 77
Nicole Zhang, 78
Nicole Smith, 78
Lily Kobayashi, 78
Kim Carrington, 79
Leah Whiting, 79
Kim Bozer, 79
Jenna Pearson, 79
Brit Hayes, 80
Nicole Forshner, 80
Rhonda Carter, 80
Lisa LaFollette, 80
Laura Witvoet, 81
Jill Hardy, 82
Tara Rostad, 82
Kristin Rostad, 82
Cindy Pasechnik, 83
Sabina Imboden, 83
Susan Lipitt, 83
Emma Calderone, 83
Jennifer Greggain, 84
Kaitlin Allan, 84
Jenn Johnson, 85
Theresa McDermott, 85
Destiny Whitney, 89
Lisa Vlooswy, 90
Shelley Thompson, 91
Alexsis Skyesong, 91

MONDAY WOMEN’S ONLY PRO-AM RESULTS
26 teams consisting of four amateurs and a professional teed it up Monday for the Women’s Pro-Am to kick off CN Canadian Women’s Open tournament week. The team of pro Christina Kim with amateurs Lynne Keller, Lynn Rust, Debbie Coppock and Diane Main came away with a winning score of 56 (-15). Hats off to all participants who took part in this exciting event.

PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
The following player interviews are scheduled to take place in the on-site media centre at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club on Tuesday, September 1:

Alena Sharp - 12:00 pm
Michelle Wie - 3 pm

The following player interviews are scheduled to take place in the on-site media centre at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club on Wednesday, September 2:

Lorie Kane - 10:30 am
Cristie Kerr - 11:00 am
Paula Creamer - 2:00 pm
Lorena Ochoa - 2:30 pm
Katherine Hull - 3:00 pm

PAIRING AND START TIMES
Pairings and start times for the first and second round of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open will be available Tuesday on the CN Canadian Women’s Open website at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

Media are advised that post interview transcripts as well as MP3 audio and video files will be available online at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com in the Media Centre section.

TELEVISION AND WEB BROADCAST TIMES ON CBC
The Royal Canadian Golf Association and CN are proud to have CBC as the official broadcast partner of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. In addition to being broadcast on CBC and CBC bold, the event will also be streamed online at www.cbcsports.ca. Below are broadcast times for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

CBC Television
Thursday, Sept. 3 12 midnight Local Round One Wrap
Friday, Sept. 4 12 midnight Local Round Two Wrap
Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three
Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

CBC bold
Thursday, Sept. 3 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round One
Friday, Sept. 4 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round Two

CBCSports.ca
Thursday, Sept. 3 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round One
Thursday, Sept. 3 11 p.m. ET Round One Wrap
Friday, Sept. 4 5 p.m. ET LIVE Round Two
Friday, Sept. 4 11 p.m. ET Round Two Wrap
Saturday, Sept. 5 2 p.m. ET LIVE Round Three
Sunday, Sept. 6 3 p.m. ET LIVE Final Round

CN MIRACLE MATCH SUPPORTS ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation has been designated as the official charity of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open. To date, the CN Canadian Women’s Open has raised almost $2 million towards children’s charities since CN began its title sponsorship of the event in 2006.

KIDS 15 AND UNDER GET IN FREE ALL WEEK
The 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open will once again feature a week’s worth of family entertainment with kids age 15 and under admitted free all week with a ticketed adult. Juniors will also have the opportunity to take part in golf clinics and activities onsite through CN Future Links, Canada’s junior golf program.

GULBIS TO MAKE GOLF TOWN APPEARANCE IN CALGARY
LPGA Tour player Natalie Gulbis is scheduled to make an appearance at the Golf Town in South Calgary on Tuesday, September 1 from 6:30-8pm

During the in-store public event, the three-time Solheim Cup team member will greet fans and sign autographs. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a variety of Gulbis-signed merchandise, including adidas golf shoes and TaylorMade staff bags. Additionally, two customers will be awarded $500 adidas Golf shopping spree gift cards.

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 ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for excellence in child health and family centred care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative family centred programs, state of the art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. For more information please visit www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.

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.

Ashli Bunch Claims Back-To-Back Titles on 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour

Prange, Brown, Sholer and Team Canada’s Sue Kim earn exemptions into 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open

Mirabel, Que. (RCGA) – Ashli Bunch of Morristown, Tenn. outlasted the field at Hillsdale Golf and Country Club in Mirabel, Que. to take home top spot, the $10,000 winner’s cheque and the Tour’s Player of the Year award at the final event on the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour.

Bunch, a 10-year LPGA Tour veteran, started the day a single-stroke ahead of the pack and shot a 1-over par 73 to edge out the field and claim back-to-back wins on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour.

The 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open will mark Bunch’s third kick-at-the-can at an LPGA Tour stop north of the border.

She previously played at the Canadian Women’s Open as a rookie in 1999 where she missed the cut, and she followed that up with a T65th in 2000. Although she no longer holds an LPGA Tour card, the 33-year old looks at her recent bout of success on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour as a sign of a possible comeback.

“Calgary is going to be a great experience,” said Bunch. “I played at Priddis Greens (host of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open) back in 1999 – my rookie year on the LPGA Tour. This time it’s going to be more of a circus with my 4-year old daughter and 20-month old son, not to mention my husband.”

The win today ensured Bunch the Tour’s Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award.

Bourassa, a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the only Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event in Canada, had the trophy named in her honour in 2005.

Team Canada’s Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. made a mid-day charge at Hillsdale, momentarily overtaking the lead, but a triple-bogey seven on the par-4 13th hole proved to be costly for the 2008 Player of the Year award winner.

Kim would go on to card a 2-under par 70 (74-70-144) to finish second at even-par for the championship.

“I played great today except for the one hole,” said Kim. “I pushed my drive right off into the trees and tried to hit a 3-wood under a branch. I ended up clipping a tree before getting it out and three-putting for the triple.”

LPGA Tour member Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont. and Jaclyn Burch of Satellite Beach, Fla., shot matching final-round 71’s (75-71-146 +2) to tie for third with Noriko Nakazaki of Hanover Park, Ill. (73-73-146).

Erin Thorne of Bracebridge, Ont., was named the top club/ teaching professional for the second consecutive event after firing a 77-75-152 +8 this week.

In addition, four more exemptions were awarded after today’s round through the CN Canadian Women’s Tour order of merit final standings.

Bunch led the 2009 order of merit standings for most of the season due to her win at the second Tour’s second event held at the Cutten Club in Guelph, Ont., where she won her exemption. She finished with 1575 points rounding out her stellar year on Tour.

Also earning order of merit exemptions into this year’s CN Canadian Women’s Open is Amber Prange of Noblesville, Ind. with 570.83 points, Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz. with 537 points, Ashley Sholer of Hamilton, Ont. with 488 points and Team Canada’s Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. with 468.33 points.

The following are final-round results for Wednesday July 15, 2009 at the CN Canadian Women’s Tour - Hillsdale Golf and Country Club.

1. Ashli Bunch, Morristown, TN, 70-73-143 -1
2. Sue Kim (a), Langley, BC, 74-70-144 E
3. Jessica Shepley, Winter Garden, FL, 75-71-146 +2
3. Jaclyn Burch, Satellite Beach, FL, 75-71-146 +2
3. Noriko Nakazaki, Hanover Park, IL, 73-73-146 +2
6. Danielle Mills (a), Pointe-Claire, QC, 75-72-147 +3
7. Jessica Carafiello, Coral Springs, FL, 75-73-148 +4
7. Brogan McKinnon (a), Mississauga, ON, 72-76-148 +4
9. Jennifer Hong, Evanston, IL, 76-73-149 +5
9. Taya Battistella, Bend, OR, 73-76-149 +5
9. Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, BC, 73-76-149 +5
9. Sara Brown, Tucson, AZ, 71-78-149 +5
9. Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, ON, 72-77-149 +5
14. Adrienne White, Red Deer, AB, 79-72-151 +7
14. Christine Cho, Elmhurst, NY, 78-73-151 +7
14. Katie Miller, Jeannette, PA, 76-75-151 +7
14. Mallory Blackwelder, Versailles, KY, 76-75-151 +7
14. Jennifer Greggain, Rosedale, BC, 76-75-151 +7
14. Jessi Gebhardt, Bellingham, WA, 75-76-151 +7
20. Tonya Choate, Mount Vernon, MO, 77-75-152 +8
20. Erin Thorne, Bracebridge, ON, 77-75-152 +8
20. Bridget Dwyer, Riverside, CA, 75-77-152 +8
20. So Heui (Sophie) Jang, Los Angeles, CA, 75-77-152 +8
20. Susan Choi, Orlando, FL, 74-78-152 +8
20. Christina Lecuyer, Edmonton, AB, 73-79-152 +8

Subaru Canada Continues Partnership with RCGA as Presenting Sponsor of Golf Fore the Cure

Women’s golf events across Canada contribute to breast cancer fundraising program

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is pleased to announce that Subaru Canada will continue on as the Presenting Sponsor of Golf Fore the Cure.
Golf Fore the Cure, presented by Subaru, is a fundraising and awareness program created by the RCGA to engage women in the game of golf with non-intimidating, golf-related activities that help raise funds for breast cancer research and support programs.

“The RCGA is delighted that Subaru Canada is continuing their commitment as Presenting Sponsor of Golf Fore the Cure,” said Scott Simmons, RCGA Executive Director and CEO. Subaru Canada’s continued support of the program will help raise awareness about this disease while providing a fun, community-based women’s golf initiative to raise money for breast cancer research and support programs.”

Through their sponsorship of the Golf Fore the Cure program, Subaru Canada will be featured on all online, print and event-based program materials while gaining onsite promotional exposure at Golf Fore the Cure events across Canada. The opportunity to help make a difference within the community played a major factor in Subaru Canada’s decision to return as the program’s presenting sponsor.

“Golf Fore the Cure embodies the commitment to local communities and the support of active lifestyles that Subaru Canada supports wholeheartedly,” said Tod Sullivan, Subaru Canada’s National Director of Sales Planning, Sponsorship and Vehicle Distribution. “We are pleased to enable more Canadians to help the advancement of breast cancer research by taking part in an activity they love.”

The Golf Fore the Cure program exists through a partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society as well as the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. Since its inception in 2004, Golf Fore the Cure has helped to raise almost $1.8 million for breast cancer research and support programs through the participation of 29,490 women across Canada. In 2008, 14,450 golfers helped to raise a total of $675,000.

“On behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society, I thank Subaru Canada for continuing their support of the Golf Fore the Cure program,” said Dr. Barbara Whylie, President and CEO, Canadian Cancer Society. “Partners like Subaru Canada and the RCGA, as well as the thousands of Golf Fore the Cure participants across the country, are helping to raise funds in support of breast cancer research and support programs and we are extremely appreciative of their collective efforts.”

The Golf Fore the Cure program is aimed at growing women’s participation in the game of golf by introducing them to the game through fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society (and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation in Quebec) the program has women across the country participate in golf activities and raise money for a cause close to all women’s hearts – the fight against breast cancer.

Golf Fore the Cure, presented by Subaru Canada is also proudly supported by Tournament Sports (Nancy Lopez and Precept), Investors Group, Corona Light and Reader’s Digest.
As well, Alena Sharp – Canada’s top player on the LPGA Tour – is the national ambassador of the Golf Fore the Cure program.

The RCGA’s goal for 2009 is to have 15,800 women take part in the Golf Fore the Cure program and raise over $800,000 for breast cancer research and support programs. For a listing of sites taking part in Golf Fore the Cure across Canada, visit www.rcgagolfforethecure.ca.

ABOUT SUBARU CANADA
Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 88 authorized dealers across Canada.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

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.

CN and RCGA Announce Schedule For 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – CN and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) are pleased to announce the championship schedule for the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour, Canada’s only developmental golf tour for women.

This season’s scheduled Tour events, which include a practice round, 9-hole Pro-Am and 36-holes of competition, will be held May 24-26 at Seymour Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver, B.C.; June 7-9 at the Cutten Club in Guelph, Ont.; and July 13-15 at Hillsdale Golf and Country Club in Mirabel, Que.

A notable change to the 2009 campaign will see the total season prize money increased to $180,000 (CDN). Additionally, the total number of Tour events has been reduced from four to three for the 2009 season. With the total purse increase, each 36-hole championship purse will increase from $41,250 to $60,000 for the 2009 Tour season with each champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque.

“The 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour season is going to be our finest to date,” said Richard Kuypers, Tournament Coordinator, CN Canadians Women Open. “We have made some significant enhancements including an increase in the purse per tournament, which will undoubtedly help to attract the best field of competitors to our championships.”

Another notable change to the upcoming championship season will see an increase in the number of Tour exemptions available into the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open, August 31-September 6 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

In 2008, six exemptions were made available through the CN Canadian Women’s Tour while this season will include a seventh exemption into Canada’s only LPGA Tour event. The winner from each of the three Tour events will receive an exemption directly into the CN Canadian Women’s Open with the additional four exemptions being awarded based on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit standings.

“CN is committed to promoting the game of golf in local communities,” said Mark Wallace, Assistant Vice-President, Public Affairs. “The venues for this season are truly first-class. We look forward to helping bring the CN Canadian Women’s Tour to these great cities, as CN continues to work at positively influencing every community in which our trains operate.”

Seymour Golf and Country Club will open the Tour’s 2009 season, hosting their first RCGA sanctioned event, while The Cutten Club, a Stanley Thompson original design which has hosted several provincial championships, will be the Tour’s second stop of the season. The final tournament will be held at Hillsdale Golf and Country Club, host of the 1998 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the CN Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course. CN Canadian Women’s Tour alumnae Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Samantha Richdale, Jessica Shepley and Cindy Pasechnik have all used their experiences on the Canadian development circuit as a catalyst to future successes.

CN DELIVERS THE GREAT GAME OF GOLF
CN is proud to support golf in Canada and is pleased to bring the best of women’s professional golf to Canada with its title sponsorship of the CN Canadian Women’s Open and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. In addition to supporting women’s golf, CN contributes to the development of golf among young people across the country through its sponsorship of the CN Future Links program. CN is pleased to work with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) to help develop golf as a sport for women and juniors across Canada and to increase the accessibility of golf to recreational and competitive golfers. Visit www.cn.ca.

ABOUT CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S TOUR
Conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), the CN Canadian Women's Tour is one of the world’s premier developmental tours, attracting rising Canadian and international female golf professionals as well as top female amateurs. The only women's developmental tour in Canada, the CN Canadian Women's Tour will offer premier championship play at locations across Canada, competitive purses and the opportunity to earn exemptions into the CN Canadian Women's Open, Canada's only LPGA Tour event. LPGA Tour professionals such as Lorie Kane and Alena Sharp competed on the Canadian Women's Tour, and used their experiences as a springboard to future success. For more information about the Canadian Women’s Tour visit www.CNcanadianwomenstour.com.

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.

RCGA Signs CE Franklin as an Official Sponsor of the CN Canadian Women’s Open

Onsite activities highlighted by ‘autograph alley’ spectator engagement

Calgary, Alta. (RCGA) – CE Franklin and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) are pleased to announce an agreement in which CE Franklin will become an Official Sponsor of the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open, August 31 to September 6 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary. Alta.

As part of the agreement, CE Franklin receives Official Sponsor designation with benefits that include onsite branding, Pro-Am playing privileges, branding on tournament collateral material and corporate hospitality programming. As part of their tournament week onsite activation, CE Franklin will be the exclusive sponsor of “autograph alley”, an area where spectators can interact with the fan-friendly stars of the LPGA Tour following their rounds.

Besides affiliating their brand with one of Canada’s premier sporting events, CE Franklin’s involvement is rooted in supporting a property in the CN Canadian Women’s Open that is committed to making a major charitable contribution within the Calgary community.

“When we evaluated the CN Canadian Women’s Open as a potential sponsorship property, what excited us most was the opportunity to be a part of an event that was investing so heavily in the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation,” said Mike Boyles, V.P. of Brand Development, CE Franklin. “The event is committed to making a difference in the Calgary community and we are proud to be a part of this initiative that will benefit one of Canada’s most outstanding children’s hospitals.”

Earlier this year, CN and the RCGA announced that the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation had been selected as the designated community charity for the CN Miracle Match program. The CN Miracle Match program provides additional fundraising opportunities that will encourage public donations in support of the children’s hospital before and during tournament week that will be matched by CN.

“CE Franklin is coming on board as a way to give back to the local community and we are delighted to welcome them as a sponsor of the CN Canadian Women’s Open,” said Scott Simmons, RCGA Executive Director and CEO. “On behalf of everyone involved with the CN Canadian Women’s Open, I want to extend a sincere thank you to CE Franklin for their investment in our national women’s Open championship.”

CN Miracle Match is designed to rally communities across Canada to support children’s hospitals. Each year since 2006, CN has raised funds to support a children’s hospital by matching funds raised through various initiatives that are connected with the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Additionally, tournament proceeds from the event are donated back to the children’s hospital. Over the last three years, close to $2 million has been raised through these initiatives.

Tickets for Canada’s only LPGA Tour event can be purchased online at www.cncanadianwomensopen.com or by calling 1-866-571-LPGA.

ABOUT THE 2009 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN Stars of the LPGA Tour will be featured at the $2.75 million (USD) CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 31 to September 6 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alta. The CN Canadian Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by the Canadian National Railway Company. For updated corporate hospitality, sponsorship opportunities, daily tickets, and volunteer information please visit www.cncanadianwomensopen.com.

ABOUT CE FRANKLIN For more than half a century, CE Franklin has been a leading supplier of products and services to the energy industry. CE Franklin distributes pipe, valves, flanges, fittings, production equipment, tubular products and other general oilfield supplies to oil and gas producers in Canada. These products are distributed through its 44 branches, which are situated in towns and cities serving particular oil and gas fields of the western Canadian sedimentary basin. In addition, the Company distributes pipe, valves, flanges and fittings to the oilsands, refining, heavy oil and petrochemical industries and non-oilfield related industries such as the forestry and mining industries. For more information visit www.cefranklin.com.

ABOUT THE ALBERTA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation raises funds for excellence in child health and family centered care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative family centered programs, state of the art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. For more information please visit www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.

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.

LPGA, Golf Channel sign 10-year pact

By BETH ANN BALDRY
Senior Writer

KAHUKU, Hawaii – When it comes to television coverage, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens puts one attribute above everything else: A regular home for its tournaments. The tour’s product has never been better, she says, and fans should be able to find it.

To that end, the LPGA announced Feb. 11 an unprecedented 10-year partnership with the Golf Channel – making the tour the first stand-alone women’s sports organization to receive a rights fee agreement for domestic broadcast coverage.

“We’re not going to talk about any of the details about that,” Bivens (pictured above) said, “but it is ground-breaking.”

Beginning in 2010, Golf Channel will provide fans virtual one-stop shopping for domestic events. It will broadcast start-to-finish coverage of most domestic events, including one major championship, and international feeds of LPGA global events. In addition, Golf Channel will show early-round coverage of tournaments that will have weekend coverage on other networks. It also will continue to broadcast the Solheim Cup.

As many as six other official events – including one major – likely will be packaged and offered to one or two networks. LPGA officials didn’t provide details as to how the TV deals for these tournaments would be structured.

Historically, the LPGA has bought time, rather than receive rights fees, for its domestic events. The Golf Channel partnership marks a significant change for the tour and quickly won praise from players.

Michelle Ellis, the newly-elected president of the players executive committee, regularly receives phone calls from fans on Thursdays asking one question: What station are you on this week?

Last year the answer could’ve been ESPN2, GC, TNT or any of the three major networks. ESPN2 televised eight events from start to finish in 2008.

“The staff has worked overtime on this,” Ellis said. “It’s just an historic moment for all of us.”
When asked how much the LPGA’s coverage would be live and how much would be tape-delayed, Golf Channel President Page Thompson said it was “a little early to go into detail on that.”

Ellis isn’t concerned at all about the LPGA potentially taking a backseat to PGA Tour coverage each Sunday.

“It doesn’t really matter what time of the day it’s going to come on,” Ellis said. “If you’re a big fan of something, like myself in Australia staying up to watch the Super Bowl ...”
Said Paula Creamer: “To be able to be on a network week in, week out is very important. It’s good for the game of women’s golf.

The Golf Channel’s existing five-year deal with the LPGA expires at the end of 2009. It will continue to broadcast 12 regular-season LPGA events this year as well as the McDonald’s LPGA Championship and Solheim Cup.

• • •

Beth Ann Baldry is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach her e-mail bbaldry@golfweek.com.

CN Canadian Women’s Open Rocked The Vote

Fans rate Canadian event second amongst all LPGA events in 2008

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) - Canadian golf fans showed their support for Canada’s only LPGA Tour stop by casting their vote in the LPGA’s “Rock the Fan Vote 2008”, making the CN Canadian Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt Golf Club the second best ranked golf tournament of the 2008 LPGA tour season.

In previous years, golf tournaments were rated solely by LPGA players. The Rock the Fan Vote was introduced this past year as a way for all tournament organizers to interact with fans attending LPGA Tour events. LPGA golf fans logged on to the LPGA Fan vote website and ranked their golf tournament experience in 10 important categories.

“We’re ecstatic that the fans showed their appreciation for last years event,” said Sean Van Kesteren, Tournament Director, CN Canadian Women’s Open, “Our team did an exceptional job and worked hard to make the CN Canadian Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt Golf Club a fun and memorable tournament for everyone. We look forward to this year’s event in Calgary with the determination to make it the best experience on the LPGA tour.”

The Rock the Fan Vote survey ranked which of the 34 LPGA events in the 2008 season gave fans the best all around tournament experience. Areas of focus included promotion of the LPGA event and entertainment for fans. Feedback from the survey for the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open will be used to assist with planning the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open in Calgary.

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 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, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, 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.

Big Break Prince Edward Island announces its premiere in HD

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It is money that will matter in the 11th season of the popular Golf Channel reality series Big Break. For the first time, contestants will compete for cash - $100,000 to be exact - that can provide the winner a means to finance their dream of playing on a Tour for an entire year.

Premiering April 20 for the first time in HD, Big Break Prince Edward Island will showcase six females and six males in a competition that test every phase of their games, course management and mental toughness.

Each of the 12 contestants will compete on equal ground with no consideration of gender when it comes to elimination. Big Break showcases highly skilled golfers pitted against each other in a variety of challenges that test their physical skills and mental toughness, with the ultimate winner awarded his/her "Big Break."

The 12 competitors in Big Break Prince Edward Island are:

Kim Kouwabunpat (27, Upland, Calif.) - Focused and driven, Kouwabunpat (pronounced "Kowa boon pat") has the uncanny ability to pick herself up when she's been knocked down. The former Stanford University golfer has played on professional tours all over the world in her attempt to make it to the LPGA Tour.

Caroline Larsson (24, Orlando, Fla.) - The Stockholm, Sweden, native is considered to be one of the most talented competitors in the field. An accomplished player on the Duramed FUTURES Tour over the last two years, she competed in the 2007 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

Brenda McLarnon (25, Charleston, S.C.) - The Belfast, Ireland, native is brutally honest and outspoken, and brings humor and conflict to everything she does. Having played the Duramed FUTURES Tour the last three years, she learned the sacrifice it takes to play professional golf and is ready to capitalize on the hard-earned experience.

Gerina Mendoza (23, Roswell, N.M.) - Mendoza picked up the game in her late teens but is one of the most naturally gifted competitors in the series. A member of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, last year she competed in the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, where she missed the cut. With her length off the tee, Mendoza will be a force to be reckoned with in Big Break Prince Edward Island for both the ladies and men.

Blair O'Neal (27, Tempe, Ariz.) - A four-year starter at Arizona State University, she twice won the NCAA Long Drive Championship but has been out of professional golf since 2006 pursuing a modeling career. Before leaving the fairway for the runway, she competed on numerous Tours around the world.

Nicole Sikora (25, Yonkers, N.Y.) - Sikora may be the most inexperienced competitor on Big Break Prince Edward Island. After an unsuccessful rookie year on the DURAMED FUTURES Tour in 2007, she accepted a job on Wall Street as an executive assistant for a New York stock broker. Golf has taken a backseat, but now that her business career is on the fast track, she is slowly finding more time to re-devote to the game.

Derek Gillespie (30, Oshawa, Ontario) - The only Canadian in the cast, Gillespie was once labeled "the next great Canadian golfer" by fellow countryman and PGA TOUR professional Mike Weir. One of the most talented and experienced in the cast, Gillespie is looking to realize his dream of playing on the PGA TOUR after many years of missed opportunities and bad breaks.

Robert Read (30, Seekonk, Mass.) - Reid turned professional to play in Big Break Prince Edward Island. Read will use his humor and prodigious length to level the playing field. Quite the bomber, he has hit drives over 420 yards in long drive competitions.

Eugene Smith (30, Glen Ridge, N.J.) - Smith won the 2000 NCAA Big East Championship and later was the Seton Hall Athlete of the Year in 2001. The Canadian Tour veteran once shot 59 at his home course in New Jersey in a round that included a hole in one.

Brian Skatell (36, Virginia Beach, Va.) - A very confident player, Skatell prides himself on his meticulous work ethic and considers himself to be mentally strong. Though lacking the same amount of tournament experience as many of the other contestants, he firmly believes that even the best in the field can't match his skill level.

William Thompson (22, Bracey, Va.) - A self-admitted and rather obvious country boy, William "Football" Thompson will be one of the most unique personalities in the cast. The youngest competitor, his Big Break experience will be a trial by fire.

Aaron Wright (31, Orlando, Fla.) - Wright put his dream of playing on the PGA TOUR on hold to serve a six-year tour of duty with the Marines, including a five-month stint in Afghanistan. In 2008, the United States Navel Academy graduate played the Hooters Tour and made the cut in a Nationwide Tour event. He lost to Tiger Woods 4&3 in the quarterfinal match of the 1992 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Past Big Break champions won tournament exemptions to compete on some of the world's top professional circuits, such as the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Canadian Tour. Former Big Breakers Tommy Gainey and James Nitties, who tied for fourth in his third TOUR start at the FBR Open, will compete on the PGA TOUR in 2009 while four previous female contestants will play on the LPGA Tour.

Adding insight to Big Break Prince Edward Island as co-hosts will be former PGA TOUR professional Charlie Rymer and Golf Digest Senior Editor Stina Sternberg.

Shot at Mill River Golf Course in Prince Edward Island, it marks the first time a Canadian location has hosted Big Break. Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Canada's east coast, Prince Edward Island boasts more than 32 courses that span from one end of the Island to the other.

One of Canada's top golf destinations, Prince Edward Island offers other recreational activities, including kayaking, cycling, touring, or lazing on a sandy beach.

Serena eclipses Sorenstam for top-earner title

Canwest News Service

Australian Open Finalist Serena Williams has deposed golfing legend Annika Sorenstam as the all-time career prize money leader in women's sport, the wta tour announced early today.
The American moved to the top of the bank balance sheets by advancing to the singles final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over russia's elena dementieva and also by reaching the doubles final with sister Venus.

Ahead of the two finals, williams has earned us$22,725,475, overtaking the now-retired sorenstam who had held the record for career earnings with a total of $22,573,192.

"I'm thrilled with the news. i remember earning my first cheque of $240 at Quebec City in 1995 and while i knew that i could have a great career in tennis, i could not have imagined or dreamed of all of this," said williams.

"It's amazing how much women's tennis has grown since i joined the tour 14 years ago. i am very proud to have reached this milestone for me, my family and all women athletes out there. this achievement really shows that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."

Williams turned professional at the age of 14 in november 1995 and played her first tournament in Quebec City.

She has won every major title in addition to nine grand slams, becoming the sixth woman, other than Margaret Court, Chris evert, Martina navratilova, steffigraf and Monica seles, to achieve such a feat.

CN Canadian Women’s Open Drives Home The Gold

- LPGA’s only Canadian Tournament wins TV’s top spot -

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – The success of the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open both on and off the golf course was recently recognized by The LPGA’s Tournament Owners Association (TOA).

Canada’s only LPGA tournament, the CN Canadian Women’s Open, received a total of six awards in 12 categories at the Gold Driver Award competition which judges promotional, marketing and advertising efforts amongst LPGA events worldwide.

The event grabbed top honours for their promotional television spots and received five silver awards for their success in promoting the tournament in Magazine Advertisements, Pairings/Spectators Guides, Unique Promotional Items, 18th Green Look and Feel, and Posters/Billboards/Outdoor/Mobile Advertisements.

Lorena Ochoa Engaged

Top-ranked golfer Lorena Ochoa is engaged.

The 27-year-old Ochoa will marry 39-year-old Andres Conesa, the director general of Aeromexico airline, one of her sponsors.Local media reported Conesa popped the question late last month as the couple vacationed in Europe. Hola magazine's Mexico edition said the pair was planning a wedding at the end of this year.

Ochoa spokeswoman Monica Marron wouldn't give any details on Wednesday, but added a date for the wedding had been set.It will be the first marriage for Ochoa. Conesa has three children from a previous marriage.

Ochoa, from Guadalajara, has said she wants to eventually leave golf and have children. But the two-time major champion hasn't yet mentioned plans to retire.Her friend, Annika Sorenstam, married Mike McGee last Saturday, four weeks after the Swedish golf star ended her Hall of Fame career.

LPGA shakeup: Promotions, pink slips

By BETH ANN BALDRY
Senior Writer

The LPGA wasted little time in gearing up for a season that doesn’t begin until next month.

Several staff members were promoted in a “reorganization of business functions’’ that Golfweek has learned also resulted in as many as six layoffs.Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, speaking with Golfweek in response to the tour’s Jan. 7 news release announcing the changes, would only confirm that chief operating officer Chris Higgs was among those who were let go.

“I don’t want to pretend for a second that the economy didn’t impact (the decision); it certainly did,” Bivens said. “(But) it was not the motivating factor for the realignment.”

Bivens said less than 5 percent of the LPGA staff “will be moving on” and not be replaced. “It’s not the first time (people were cut), and I’m sure it won’t be the last,” said one longtime employee who spoke with Golfweek on the condition of anonymity. “I’m just hurt.”

Jane Reynolds confirmed that she was among those let go and was told it was strictly an economic decision. “It was more than a job to me,’’ said Reynolds, who worked as a rules official for the tour for nearly 20 years. “It was definitely a passion.’’

The tour’s new “strategic plan’’ took 18 months to develop and, according to Bivens, leaves the tour “more focused, more streamlined and more competitive.” The plan includes five promotions and three newly-created positions. Bivens said the new hires will take place over the course of the next month and include a research and planning position. The LPGA has no plans to make any more staff cuts, though Bivens concedes that there’s no telling “how deep this recession is going to be or how long.”

The three new business units:
>> Tournament operations and player services;
>> New business development and worldwide sales;
>> LPGA tournament and schedule development.

Jane Geddes was promoted to senior vice president and will oversee all activities at tournament sites. Duramed Futures Tour CEO Zayra Calderon adds the duties of new business development and worldwide sales. Nancy Henderson has been named chief operating officer of the DFT to help ease Calderon’s workload. Henderson had been the executive director of the LPGA’s teaching and club professionals; her position will be filled, Bivens said. LPGA deputy commissioner Libba Galloway will oversee two divisions: properties and sanctioned events. Mike Nichols and Kelly Hyne will report to Galloway. Nichols is the new vice president of LPGA-sanctioned events, and Hyne has been promoted to LPGA vice president and will oversee LPGA properties.

The LPGA season begins with the Feb. 12-14 SBS Open at Turtle Bay in Hawaii.What should players think about moving forward in 2009 with an even smaller staff?“

I would tell the players they are in very good hands,” Bivens said. “This allows them to compete even more successfully than we were before.”Bivens denied persistent talk on tour that the LPGA has hired an executive-search firm to help replace senior leadership. Bivens also addressed the buzz that she might be stepping down for medical reasons. “I guess that’s what happens when your foot is operated on and you’re on crutches,” Bivens said. “I’m staying put.”

• • •

Beth Ann Baldry is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach her e-mail bbaldry@golfweek.com.

Annika Sorenstam marries Mike McGee

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Annika Sorenstam and Mike McGee were married Saturday, four weeks after the Swedish golf star ended her Hall of Fame career.

About 125 guests attended the afternoon ceremony and evening reception at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club. McGee, the son of former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee, has served as managing director for her business brand since December 2006.

Travis Wilhelm, the minister at Christian Campus House at Trine University in Angola, Ind., officiated the ceremony. Swedish friend Maria Bertilskold was the maid of honor, and Stan McCamon of East Palestine, Ohio, was McGee's best man.

Sorenstam retired last month after winning 72 times on the LPGA Tour.

Before heading off on a honeymoon ski trip, Sorenstam will host the Annika Invitational, an American Junior Golf Association event for 60 top females around the world at the Ginn Reunion Resort, where she has her academy.

Sorenstam also will appear at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, then be honored at the "Annika Celebration" Feb. 1-3 at Ginn Reunion Resort, which will feature a skins game among Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.

RCGA Names 2009 Team Canada

- Eight athletes selected to Canada’s National Amateur Team Program; Under-22 Development Team welcomes eight players -

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) – The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announced today the names of the athletes who have been selected to join Canada’s 2009 National Amateur Team.
In all, eight players will comprise Team Canada including four on the women’s side and four on the men’s. Team Canada welcomes back five returning players, one rookie and a pair of former Development Team members graduating to the amateur ranks.

On the women’s side, Team Canada will have a veteran presence as all four members - Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Kira Meixner of Richmond, B.C., Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Windsor, Que. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. - are returnees from last year’s squad.
All four players enjoyed tremendous success in 2008. Sherlock captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship as well as the CN Canadian Women’s Tour event in Winnipeg while topping the 2008 National Women’s Order of Merit. Meixner claimed the 2008 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship and also earned her DURAMED FUTURES TOUR card; Leblanc took home top-honours at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship and tied for fourth in the individual standings of the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship. Kim won a pair of CN Canadian Women’s Tour events en route to capturing the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year Award and also topped the 2008 CN Future Links Junior Girls Order of Merit.

Fresh off a solid 2008 season, Team Canada veteran Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., will anchor the 2009 edition of the Men’s National Amateur Team. Taylor reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Men’s Amateur; tied for second as an individual at the World Amateur Team Championships; tied for second at the NCAA Division 1 finals; finished 53rd at the RBC Canadian Open; and missed the cut by only three strokes at the U.S. Open. The lone holdover from the 2008 squad topped the Men’s National Order of Merit in 2008 and returns for a third year with the National Amateur Team.

Rejoining the National Team program after a year hiatus is Eugene Wong of North Vancouver, B.C., who won the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, as well as the B.C. Junior Boys and Men’s Amateur Championships last year. Wong also finished second at the 2008 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and topped the 2008 CN Future Links Junior Boys Order of Merit.

Matt Hill of Forest, Ont. graduates from the Development Team to the Amateur Team after a stellar season in 2008 while rookie Lindsay Renolds of Christina Lake, B.C. rounds out the men’s squad.

As part of Team Canada, the RCGA also named a 22-and-under Development Team featuring five male and four female athletes. The Development Team is designed to help facilitate the transition for Canada’s top young players from the junior to the senior amateur ranks.

The total number of athletes in the 2009 National Team Program was reduced from 26 to 17 in order to bring a more inclusive program with amplified support to each athlete. In 2008, the Men’s Amateur Team was comprised of six athletes while the Women’s Team featured five athletes.

The Men’s Developmental Team’s was reduced from eight players in 2008 while the Women’s Developmental Team was reduced by three players for the 2009 season. One additional male Development Team member will be named to join the team by March 31, 2009.

“We are proud to welcome each of these athletes to Team Canada 2009,” said Jeff Thompson, the RCGA’s Chief Sport Development Officer. “With a concentrated focus on results, we’ve streamlined the size of the team for 2009 in order to deliver a more comprehensive program and increased coaching and sports science support to this collection of our country’s top athletes.”

The following athletes have been selected to the 2009 National Amateur Golf Team:
Women’s National Team
Sue Kim, Langley, B.C.
Maude-Aimée LeBlanc, Windsor, Que.
Kira Meixner, Richmond, B.C.
Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont.

Men’s National Team
Matt Hill, Forest, Ont.
Lindsay Renolds, Christina Lake, B.C.
Nick Taylor, Abbotsford, B.C.
Eugene Wong, North Vancouver, B.C.

The following athletes have been selected to the 2009 National Development Team (22-and-under):
Women’s Development Team
Anne Catherine Tanguay, Quebec City, Que.
Jennifer Kirby, Paris, Ont.
Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto, Ont.
Nicole Vandermade, Brantford, Ont.

Men’s Development Team
Julien Goulet, St-Roch de l'Achigan, Que.
Richard Jung, Toronto, Ont.
Mathieu Rivard, Granby, Que.
Mitch Sutton, London, Ont.
TBD (*March 31, 2009)

The 2009 coaching team remains intact with Henry Brunton returning as the men’s coach and Dean Spriddle returning as the women’s coach.

The National Amateur Team program is designed to offer athletes a year-round environment which incorporates state of the art coaching and sport science expertise. The intent of this aggressive program is to aid Canada’s top up and coming amateur players in all areas of their development to produce the best golfers in the world.

The program is year round in scope and will encompass fitness, sports psychology, nutrition, technique development and exposure in international competition. Leaders in the field of sport science are an integral aspect of building and executing the program from the perspective of mental management, strength and conditioning as well as planning and periodization.

The RCGA’s Player Development programs have helped to foster the development of many Canadian players including; Jon Mills, Alena Sharp, David Hearn; Brad Fritsch; Chris Baryla; Richard Scott; James Lepp; Dustin Risdon; Jessica Shepley and Cindy Pasechnik.

More information about the National Amateur Team is available on line at www.rcga.org/teamcanada.

ABOUT THE RCGA NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAMThe 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 and elite competitive opportunities. 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 ASSOCIATIONThe 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.

Annika's Letter to the Fans

Dear LPGA fans,

My last event is over and it is time to step away from competitive golf. As I sat on the plane home from Dubai I had a chance to reminisce about the last 15 years. It has been an incredible ride and I could not have asked for anything more. This wonderful game took me from a small town in Sweden and introduced me to the world. I have met some incredible people and traveled to so many wonderful places. I have learned many lessons, matured and built friendships that will last a life time. I have so much for which I am thankful!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support throughout the years. It has been truly humbling to witness the loyalty and commitment you have shown the other ladies and me. I have read some of the tributes out there on the different websites and they warm my heart. It is an honor to have touched so many lives and to have had the chance to make a difference. I might be outside the ropes starting next year, but I will be following the LPGA and its progress. Women's golf and the LPGA are in good hands with talents such as Lorena, Paula, Yani and Suzann.

The time has come for me to give back to the game I love in other ways. I hope to continue to inspire people to follow their dreams through my Academy, Foundation, USGA relationship, Course Design work and events that I will host. I am ready for the new challenges that the future will surely bring. I will embrace and attack them just like I did with my golf game over the years. I have ambitious goals, a great team, and a strategy to build a brand of businesses that will hopefully be my legacy. It will take patience, dedication, commitment and hard work – attributes that the game of golf has taught me well.

Thanks for sharing my passion!

Annika

Women’s Golf Month gains momentum in the U.S.

GOLFWEEK STAFF

Boosting women’s participation in golf is a top priority for industry leaders, and they touted a recent success: Participation in the American Express Women’s Golf Month increased 9.2 percent compared with a year ago.

Final results for the event, held in June, were recently tallied by organizers who reported a combined median spend of $3,320 per facility by consumers after participating in Women’s Golf Month activities. In each of its previous three years, the initiative was a week-long event.

More than 105,600 people across the country have been introduced or re-introduced to the game over the past four years during American Express Women’s Golf Month, which premiered in 2005 as Women’s Golf Week.

“We are anticipating an even greater number of courses offering clinics for new players around the country as we celebrate the fifth anniversary in June 2009,” said Anne Lyndrup, director of player development for the National Golf Course Owners Association and leader of the Women’s Golf Month organizers.

Aimed at increasing the participation of women in golf and making learning and playing golf fun, the number of participants has increased each year with a record 37,350 people attending Women’s Golf Month events in 2008. By comparison, in its inaugural year in 2005, Women’s Golf Week was supported by 225 facilities that hosted 9,500 participants.

American Express Women’s Golf Month, part of the national Play Golf America campaign, is coordinated by industry organizations such as the Executive Women’s Golf Association, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the PGA of America.