New Men’s Intercollegiate Team Championship at Öviinbyrd Golf Club
MacTier, Ont. – The inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational is set to take place at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont. from September 16 – 17, 2024. The tournament marks the first time that an NCAA Division I men’s golf tournament will be played in Canada. The tournament will be conducted by Golf Canada and co-hosted by Kent State University and Penn State University who are both led by Canadian head coaches, Jon Mills (Kent State) and Mark Leon (Penn State).
The tournament will feature nine NCAA Division I men’s golf teams with prominent Canadian ties along with the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds. UBC qualified after winning the 2024 Canadian University/College Championship in June at Idylwylde Golf and Country Club in Sudbury, Ont. Joining the co-hosts from Kent State and Penn State and Canadian champions UBC will be Miami University (Ohio), University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame, Rutgers University, and Washington State University.
In addition, the Team Canada – NextGen Selection Camp (Boys) will be contested concurrently with the Canadian Collegiate Invitational. A field of 19 players will compete for an automatic spot on the 2025 Team Canada – NextGen squad.
Öviinbyrd Golf Club is one of Canada’s premier golf courses, designed by Thomas McBroom and opened in 2004 in Muskoka, Ont. The 7,118-yard layout is set amongst the forests and exposed granite of the Canadian shield in Ontario’s famous cottage country and will create a challenging and memorable experience for the players. Öviinbyrd’s recently renovated practice facility features world class training conditions and state-of-the-art technology and will benefit players competing next week.
“On behalf of the membership and management team at Öviinbyrd, we look forward to hosting our reigning Canadian champions along with some of the top NCAA collegiate players and top Canadian junior boys at our club,” said Lindsay Franklin, General Manager, Öviinbyrd Golf Club. “We are excited to host the inaugural invitational and create a memorable experience for everyone with picturesque Muskoka as the backdrop for this championship.”
The inaugural championship will be contested over 54 holes in two days, with 36 holes played in Monday’s opening round followed by 18 holes in the final round on Tuesday. All three rounds will be played in a shotgun format. The team component will feature five members per team with the top four scores for the day counting to the overall team score. The individual competition will be stroke-play with the winner receiving an exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and the top five receiving exemptions into the 2025 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.
About the Teams
Kent State Golden Flashes (Co-Host): The Golden Flashes finished seventh at the Gopher Invitational earlier this month in Minneapolis, Minn. Kent State are led by head coach Jon Mills of Belleville, Ont. and have three Canadians currently on their roster with two Team Canada – NextGen members Ben MacLean of Niagara Falls, Ont., Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. and James Newton of Ottawa.
Penn State Nittany Lions (Co-Host): The Nittany Lions finished 15th in the first tournament of the season at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in Knoxville, Tenn. earlier this month. Penn State are led by head coach Mark Leon of Toronto and have one Canadian on the roster, Zach Smith, a sophomore from Brampton, Ont.
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