# Canadian Amateur Championship

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Men's amateur golf championship in Canada

This article is about the men's golf championship. For the women's, see [Canadian Women's Amateur](/source/Canadian_Women's_Amateur). For the snooker championship, see [Canadian Amateur Championship (snooker)](/source/Canadian_Amateur_Championship_(snooker)).

The **Canadian Amateur Championship**, begun in 1895, is the men's [amateur](/source/Amateur) [golf](/source/Golf) championship of [Canada](/source/Canada). It is staged annually by [Golf Canada](/source/Golf_Canada). It was played at [match play](/source/Match_play) until 1968, went to [stroke play](/source/Stroke_play) beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995.[1] It then returned to stroke play in 2008.

## Founding and early years

The [Royal Canadian Golf Association](/source/Royal_Canadian_Golf_Association) was founded in June 1895, at a meeting held in [Ottawa](/source/Ottawa) by ten charter member clubs, hosted by the Ottawa Golf Club (later the [Royal Ottawa Golf Club](/source/Royal_Ottawa_Golf_Club)), and the new organization was granted the prefix 'Royal' in 1896. In conjunction with the meeting, the first men's amateur championship was staged, at match play, with the [Governor General of Canada](/source/Governor_General_of_Canada), [Lord Aberdeen](/source/John_Hamilton-Gordon%2C_1st_Marquess_of_Aberdeen_and_Temair), donating a trophy, the Aberdeen Cup, to the champion. Thomas Harley of [Kingston, Ontario](/source/Kingston%2C_Ontario) won the first championship.[1]

This makes the Canadian Amateur slightly older than the [U.S. Amateur](/source/U.S._Amateur), which was first staged later in 1895, and hence the third oldest national amateur championship in the world, after the [British Amateur Championship](/source/British_Amateur_Championship), which began in 1885, and the [Australian Amateur](/source/Australian_Amateur) in 1894.

The Aberdeen Cup was granted in perpetuity to [George Lyon](/source/George_Lyon_(golfer)), after he won three straight titles from 1905 to 1907. The original cup was retained by Lyon, but was eventually lost. A new trophy was then provided, the [Earl Grey](/source/Earl_Grey) Cup. Lyon would win a total of eight Canadian titles, which is still a record,[1] and he also won the gold medal at golf in the [1904 St. Louis Olympics](/source/1904_St._Louis_Olympics).

The tournament was held annually until 1914 inclusive, but then was cancelled from 1915 to 1918 because of [World War I](/source/World_War_I). It resumed in 1919, and then was staged annually until 1939 inclusive, being cancelled again from 1940 to 1945 because of [World War II](/source/World_War_II). It has been held annually since 1946.[1]

## Willingdon Cup

In 1927, the interprovincial team matches, which had begun in 1882, and held 27 times until 1921, between teams from [Ontario](/source/Ontario) and [Quebec](/source/Quebec), but then dropped,[2] were resumed with the start of the [Willingdon Cup](/source/Willingdon_Cup) competition, playing for a cup donated by the Governor General, [Lord Willingdon](/source/Lord_Willingdon). The Willingdon Cup features teams of four top players from each province, and is held on the first two days of the Canadian Amateur, which are also the qualifying days for the balance of the tournament. The Willingdon Cup was also not played from 1940-45.[1]

## Rotation around country

The Canadian Amateur stayed in [Ontario](/source/Ontario) and [Quebec](/source/Quebec) until 1921, when it went to [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba). It went to [Alberta](/source/Alberta) for the first time in 1929, to [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) for the first time in 1932, to [Atlantic Canada](/source/Atlantic_Canada) for the first time in 1949, and to [Saskatchewan](/source/Saskatchewan) for the first time in 1950.[3] Since then, it has rotated around the country's top courses, with the current format allowing each of the six major golf regions ([Atlantic Canada](/source/Atlantic_Canada), [Quebec](/source/Quebec), [Ontario](/source/Ontario), [Manitoba](/source/Manitoba) and [Saskatchewan](/source/Saskatchewan), [Alberta](/source/Alberta), and [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia)) to have its turn on approximately a six-year cycle. Among Canada's ten provinces, only [Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador) has yet to host it.

## Dominant players

The Canadian Amateur was dominated in the 1920s and 1930s by [Ross Somerville](/source/Ross_Somerville), who won six titles, finished runner-up four times, and had several more near-misses. [Moe Norman](/source/Moe_Norman) won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956. Nick Weslock waited until age 40 to win the first of his four titles in 1957. Although [Gary Cowan](/source/Gary_Cowan) was consistently the best Canadian amateur from the late 1950s into the mid-1970s, he managed to win only one Canadian title, in 1961, but lost in the finals four more times, as well as finishing runner-up twice in stroke play. [Doug Roxburgh](/source/Doug_Roxburgh) won his first of four crowns in 1972. [Jim Nelford](/source/Jim_Nelford) won two in a row from 1975–1976, then narrowly missed a third in 1977, when he lost to [Rod Spittle](/source/Rod_Spittle), who won two in a row. [Brent Franklin](/source/Brent_Franklin) won three in a row from 1985–1987, a feat not seen since Lyon did it some eighty years earlier.[1] [Richard Scott](/source/Richard_Scott_(golfer)) won the Canadian title in three years out of four from 2003 to 2006. [Cam Burke](/source/Cam_Burke) won two straight from 2008 to 2009.[4]

From the late 1920s into the 1970s, the Canadian Amateur often attracted many of the top [American](/source/United_States) amateurs, several of whom carried the trophy south, including [Dick Chapman](/source/Dick_Chapman), [Frank Stranahan](/source/Frank_Stranahan), [Don Cherry](/source/Don_Cherry_(golfer)), [Harvie Ward](/source/Harvie_Ward), [Allen Miller](/source/Allen_Miller_(golfer)), [Dick Siderowf](/source/Dick_Siderowf), and [George Burns](/source/George_Burns_(golfer)). Other leading Americans who competed but fell short include [William C. Campbell](/source/William_C._Campbell_(golfer)), [Jay Sigel](/source/Jay_Sigel), and [Nathaniel Crosby](/source/Nathaniel_Crosby). The Canadian title has also been won by [South African](/source/South_African_people) Reg Taylor (1962), [New Zealanders](/source/New_Zealander) [Stuart Jones](/source/Stuart_Jones_(golfer)) (1967) and [Gareth Paddison](/source/Gareth_Paddison) (2001), [Mexican](/source/Mexican_people) [Rafael Alarcón](/source/Rafael_Alarc%C3%B3n_(golfer)) (1979), and [Australian](/source/Australians) Gary Simpson (1993).

To date, four players have won both the [U.S. Amateur](/source/U.S._Amateur) and Canadian Amateur titles: Ross Somerville, Dick Chapman, Harvie Ward, and Gary Cowan. Chapman and Ward also won [The Amateur Championship](/source/The_Amateur_Championship) of [Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain), a title which no Canadian has yet taken.

## Winners who won PGA Tour events

To date, eleven players who won the Canadian Amateur have also won events on the [PGA Tour](/source/PGA_Tour). These eleven (in chronological order of their Canadian Amateur wins) are: [Fred Haas](/source/Fred_Haas), Ken Black, [Frank Stranahan](/source/Frank_Stranahan), [Bunky Henry](/source/Bunky_Henry), [Allen Miller](/source/Allen_Miller_(golfer)), [George Burns (golfer)](/source/George_Burns_(golfer)), [Richard Zokol](/source/Richard_Zokol), [Garrett Willis](/source/Garrett_Willis), [Dillard Pruitt](/source/Dillard_Pruitt), [Nick Taylor](/source/Nick_Taylor_(golfer)), and [Mackenzie Hughes](/source/Mackenzie_Hughes).

[Rod Spittle](/source/Rod_Spittle), Canadian Amateur champion in 1977 and 1978, later won an event on the [Champions Tour](/source/Champions_Tour), the 2010 [AT&T Championship](/source/AT%26T_Championship) in [San Antonio](/source/San_Antonio).

## Most championships hosted

The [Toronto Golf Club](/source/Toronto_Golf_Club) (1898, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1909, 1913, 1926, 1995, and 2017) and the [Royal Ottawa Golf Club](/source/Royal_Ottawa_Golf_Club) (1895, 1899, 1906, 1911, 1914, 1925, 1951, 1991, and 2016) have each hosted nine. Next are [Royal Montreal Golf Club](/source/Royal_Montreal_Golf_Club) with seven (1897, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1931) and [Hamilton Golf and Country Club](/source/Hamilton_Golf_and_Country_Club) with six (1922, 1927, 1935, 1948, 1977, and 1994).

## Winners

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

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## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-GolfCanada_1-5) *Golf in Canada: A History*, by James A. Barclay, [Toronto](/source/Toronto), [McClelland and Stewart](/source/McClelland_and_Stewart), 1992.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *History of Golf In Canada*, by Lawrence Vincent Kavanagh, Don Mills, Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1973, p. 163.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *History of Golf in Canada*, by Lawrence Vincent Kavanagh, Toronto, Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1973, pp.160-161.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [http://www.rcga.org](http://www.rcga.org), the Canadian Amateur results archive.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Golf Canada's 2020 National Amateur Championships cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic"](https://golfcanada.ca/article/golf-canadas-2020-national-amateur-championships-cancelled-due-covid-19-pandemic). Golf Canada. June 15, 2020.

## External links

- [Official website](http://golfcanada.ca/competitions/canadian-mens-amateur-championship/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Canadian Amateur Championship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Amateur_Championship) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Amateur_Championship?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.