Golf Canada Golf Ontario Judith Kyrinis Terrill Samuel U.S. Sr. Women's Amateur USGA

Judith Kyrinis wins 2017 USGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship

PORTLAND, ORE – For the first time in United States Golf Association (USGA) history, two Canadians, both from Ontario, met in the finals of an amateur championship. Etobicoke’s Terrill Samuel and Thornhill’s Judith Kyrinis teed it up on Sept. 14 at the Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon to see who would be the one to bring the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur title back to Ontario.

Simply making the final was an accomplishment, but both women were looking to become the first Canadian USGA champion since St. Thomas’ Mary Ann Hayward captured the 2005 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. The most recent Canadian to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur was none other than World Golf Hall of Famer, Marlene Stewart Streit, in 2003.

The championship match began with Kyrinis, a member at the Thornhill Club, taking the lead on the first hole. Samuel, from Weston Golf & Country Club would respond with a par on the fifth to even the match. Kyrinis moved back in front thanks to a birdie on the seventh and held onto that lead as they made the turn. Kyrinis would take the 12th and 13th to move to 3up. Then, on the 15th, she made birdie to win the match and the championship 4&3.

Kyrinis, 53, was the highest ranked Canadian coming out of the stroke-play portion of the competition at ninth. She beat American Jen Holland 6&4 in the round of 64, 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion Martha Leach (USA) 5&4, in the round of 32, 2009 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champion Sherry Herman (USA) 2up in the round of 16, American Lisa McGill 2&1 in the quarterfinals, before ousting former LPGA Tour professional Tara Fleming (USA) 2&1 in the semifinals.

Samuel, 56, entered the match play portion of the championship ranked 47th. She began with a win over Terri Frohnmayer (USA) 1up in the round of 64, then defeated Liz Waynick (USA) in the round of 32 in 20 holes, Carolyn Creekmore (USA) 2up in the round of 16, followed by a 5&3 win over American Patricia Cornett in the quarterfinals, she then needed 19 holes to get past former LPGA Tour player Patricia Schremmer (USA) in the semis to reach the finals.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, open to female amateurs age 50 and older with a Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4, consists of two 18-hole rounds of stroke play and six rounds of match play.

Both finalists receive an exemption from qualifying into the inaugural 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship at the historic Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., with the winner receiving a two-year exemption into the championship. Both finalists also receive a two-year exemption into the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (2017 and 2018) and exemptions for future U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs – 10 years for the winner and three for the runner-up.

Golf Ontario would like to congratulate both Kyrinis and Samuel for their excellent showing.

Round by round scoring can be found on USGA’s tournament site at: http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2017/u-s–senior-women-s-amateur.html

Golf Canada R&A Rules of Golf USGA

Golf’s governing bodies announce proposed changes to modernize the Rules of Golf

By Golf Canada

As the National Sport Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has unveiled a preview of the proposed new Rules of Golf. This joint initiative was designed to modernize the Rules and make them easier to understand and apply. 

The online release of this preview by the R&A and USGA begins a six-month feedback and evaluation period during which all golfers worldwide can learn about the proposed changes and provide input before they are finalized in 2018 and take effect on 1 January 2019.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review process that began in 2012 with a working group of key R&A and USGA Rules administrators, a Golf Canada representative, professional tour officials and other Rules experts. While the Rules are revised every four years, this is the first fundamental review since 1984, and was established to ensure the Rules fit the needs of today’s game and the way it is played around the world.

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “Our aim is to make the Rules easier to understand and to apply for all golfers. We have looked at every Rule to try to find ways to make them more intuitive and straightforward, and we believe we have identified many significant improvements. It is important that the Rules continue to evolve and remain in tune with the way the modern game is played, but we have been careful not to change the game’s longstanding principles and character.”

“We are excited and encouraged by the potential this work brings, both through the proposed new Rules and the opportunities to use technology to deliver them,” said Thomas Pagel, Senior Director of Rules & Amateur Status for the USGA. “We look forward to an ongoing conversation with golfers during the feedback period in the months ahead.”

“There was considerable effort, exploration and dialogue around how these proposed changes would both modernize the Rules and make them easier for all golfers to understand and apply,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “We encourage Canadian golf enthusiasts to review the proposed Rules changes and participate in the feedback process of the next six months.”

The proposed 24 new Rules, reduced from the current 34, have been written in a user-friendly style with shorter sentences, commonly used phrases, bulleted lists and explanatory headings. The initiative also focuses on assessing the overall consistency, simplicity and fairness of the Rules for play.

The Rules are currently delivered in more than 30 languages, and the proposed wording will support easier translation worldwide. When adopted, the Rules will be supported by technology that allows the use of images, videos and graphics.

Highlights of the proposed Rule changes include: 

– Elimination or reduction of “ball moved” penalties: There will be no penalty for accidentally moving a ball on the putting green or in searching for a ball; and a player is not responsible for causing a ball to move unless it is “virtually certain” that he or she did so.

– Relaxed putting green rules: There will be no penalty if a ball played from the putting green hits an unattended flagstick in the hole; players may putt without having the flagstick attended or removed. Players may repair spike marks and other damage made by shoes, animal damage and other damage on the putting green and there is no penalty for merely touching the line of putt.

– Relaxed rules for “penalty areas” (currently called “water hazards”): Red and yellow-marked penalty areas may cover areas of desert, jungle, lava rock, etc., in addition to areas of water; expanded use of red penalty areas where lateral relief is allowed; and there will be no penalty for moving loose impediments or touching the ground or water in a penalty area.

– Relaxed bunker rules: There will be no penalty for moving loose impediments in a bunker or for generally touching the sand with a hand or club. A limited set of restrictions (such as not grounding the club right next to the ball) is kept to preserve the challenge of playing from the sand; however, an extra relief option is added for an unplayable ball in a bunker, allowing the ball to be played from outside the bunker with a two-stroke penalty.

– Relying on player integrity: A player’s “reasonable judgment” when estimating or measuring a spot, point, line, area or distance will be upheld, even if video evidence later shows it to be wrong; and elimination of announcement procedures when lifting a ball to identify it or to see if it is damaged.

– Pace-of-play support: Reduced time for searching for a lost ball (from five minutes to three); affirmative encouragement of “ready golf” in stroke play; recommending that players take no more than 40 seconds to play a stroke and other changes intended to help with pace of play.

– Simplified way of taking relief: A new procedure for taking relief by dropping a ball in and playing it from a specific relief area; relaxed procedures for dropping a ball, allowing the ball to be dropped from just above the ground or any growing thing or other object on the ground.

A series of materials have also been prepared to explain the proposed Rule changes and provide background on the initiative. Found on randa.org and usga.org/rules, they include:

– Overview of the Rules Modernization Initiative: goals, proposed changes and process for implementation in 2019

– Draft New Rules of Golf for 2019: the full text of proposed Rules 1-24 and Definitions

– Draft Player’s Edition of the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Written from the perspective of “you” the golfer, this shorter version covers the most commonly used Rules and is meant to be the rule book golfers will use when finalized and adopted in 2019

– Explanation for Each Major Proposed Change in the New Rules of Golf for 2019: Short summaries of each major proposed change

– Summary chart of major changes

– Videos and Infographics: Visual explanations of the proposed Rules.

Golfers are encouraged to review the proposed changes and submit feedback online via worldwide survey technology that can be accessed at randa.org or usga.org/rules from now until 31 August 2017.

The feedback will be reviewed by golf’s governing bodies in establishing the approved final version of golf’s new Rules. These are due to be released in mid-2018 ahead of a 1 January 2019 implementation. Social media users can also follow the discussion using #GolfRules2019.

Players are reminded that the current 2016 Edition of the Rules of Golf remain in force when playing, posting scores or competing, until the new Rules are officially adopted by The R&A and the USGA as well as Golf Canada in 2019. The Rules of Amateur Status and the Rules of Equipment Standards were not part of this review process.

 

Golf Canada Golf Ontario R&A USGA

Golf’s Governing Bodies Announce New Local Rule: Local Rule: Accidental Movement of a Ball on the Putting Green

As golf’s governing body in Canada, Golf Canada, in conjunction with The R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), has announced a new Local Rule which will come into effect January 1, 2017.

Along with the R&A and USGA, Golf Canada holds a unique position as the only other governing body that sits on the Joint Rules Committee.

Golf Canada will be implementing this Local Rule as part of their Standard Local Rules which will be formally ratified at their annual general meeting by the Rules and Amateur Status Committee. The Local Rule will be available for any committee in charge of a competition to use starting Jan. 1, 2017. It will be adopted by the USGA and The R&A in all of their championships, qualifying competitions and international matches. Golf Ontario has also opted to make this part of its Standard Local Rules and will be effective in all its qualifying and championships in 2017.

If a committee wishes to introduce this Local Rule, the following wording is recommended: “Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1 are modified as follows:

When a player’s ball lies on the putting green, there is no penalty if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved by the player, his partner, his opponent, or any of their caddies or equipment.

The moved ball or ball-marker must be replaced as provided in Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1.

This Local Rule applies only when the player’s ball or ball-marker lies on the putting green and any movement is accidental.

Note: If it is determined that a player’s ball on the putting green was moved as a result of wind, water or some other natural cause such as the effects of gravity, the ball must be played as it lies from its new location. A ball-marker moved in such circumstances is replaced.

Further reading:

R&A – Click here for The R&A News Release including video

 

Golf Ontario USGA Women's Senior Championship

Judith Kyrinis Earns Medalist Honours At The USGA Senior Women’s Championship

Scott MacLeod – Ontario Golf News

It’s already been a busy summer for Thornhill’s Judith Kyrinis but we’re betting there is still enough room for another trophy on her mantle.

The Thornhill Golf & Country Club member is the leading threat at this week’s United States Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

She will be the #1 seed as the event turns to match play on Monday after two rounds of stroke play qualifying at the Wellesley Country Club just outside Boston.

During stroke play Kyrinis was the only player to match par, doing so with back to back rounds of even par, 74.

The 52 year-old registered nurse has been having quite a year so far. She won the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior Championships, as well as repeating as champion at the Senior Women’s North & South Championship at famed Pinehurst Resort.

On Monday the top seed will face American Jen Holland in match play.

Other Canadians advancing to match play include Marie Torti and Helene Chartrand of Quebec, Sandra Turbide of British Columbia and Ivy Steinberg and Mary Ann Hayward of Ontario.