Fourth playing of the national championship will see largest field in tournament history, headlined by three-time women’s champion,
Natasha Stasiuk, men’s defending champion Chris Willis and
three-time women’s stableford champion Tess Trojan
Brighton, Ont. – The 2024 Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO is set for September 10-12 with a field of 60 amateur golfers competing at Timber Ridge Golf Course in Brighton, Ont.
The fourth playing of the national championship will see an additional tournament round added, increasing to a 54-hole competition, featuring players with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments.
There are four different divisions in the Canadian All Abilities Championship that players will compete in, regardless of disability classification: Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play and Men’s Net Stableford.
The field of competitors includes three-time Women’s Gross Stroke Play defending champion Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont., who is currently the no. 1 ranked female golfer with an intellectual disability on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and three-time Women’s Net Stableford winner, Tess Trojan of St. Catharines, Ont.
Stasiuk has enjoyed a successful season thus far, she finished third overall and first in her sports class at the USDGA Championship at the PGA Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla in April. She followed that up by finished first in the intellectual disability category and eighth overall at the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan. in July. Stasiuk also placed fourth with two-time Canadian All Abilities men’s champion, Kurtis Barkley at the G4D Tour Nations Cup at Betfred British Masters at The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield, England last month. In addition to three straight national championships, Stasiuk has also won the Ontario Adaptive Championship four times and won the bronze medal at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany.
On the men’s side, defending champion, Chris Willis of Aurora, Ont. currently ranked no. 14 on the WR4GD, 2022 Men’s Net Stableford winner Kevin Delaney of Windsor, Ont. Russell Aide of Stirling, Ont. currently ranked no. 61 on the WR4GD will be competing at Timber Ridge.
Earlier this season, Willis finished third at the G4D Open at the Duchess Course at Woburn in Milton Keynes, England. Along with winning the national championship last year, Willis also won the 2023 Ontario Adaptive Championship.
In January, Stasiuk, Willis and Aide were among 12-golfers that were invited to Quinta do Lago, Portugal for the first Player Development Camp created by the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), which was supported by the European Tour Group.
“We are very proud and excited to host the largest field in tournament history for the fourth playing of the Canadian All Abilities Championship,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Sam Meek. “This year also sees our national championship expand to a 54-hole competition and is a signature event on the Golf Canada tournament schedule. We are proud to feature both a gross stroke play championship and a net stableford championship which provides equitability for the field competing in this national championship and demonstrates our continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are looking forward to a great week at Timber Ridge Golf Course and thank the staff for their efforts in making this championship a memorable one.”
Designed by Stephen Ward and opened for play in 2001, Timber Ridge offers a unique challenge to all levels of players. With wildly undulating greens and rolling fairways, the layout at Timber Ridge offers a variety of links and parkland style holes, offering two distinct styles that somehow flow together perfectly. Located in Brighton, about an hour east of the GTA, Timber Ridge offers an escape from the confines of the city to a calm, quiet country setting.
“It is an honour to have the opportunity to host an event like the Canadian All Abilities Championship and play even a small role in growing the game of golf,” said Nolan Walsh, Head Golf Professional, Timber Ridge Golf Course. “We are excited to welcome the participants to the property and hope that Timber Ridge offers the perfect setting for such an exciting national championship.”
First conducted in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course in Toronto, Ont., the competition supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.
The stableford scoring format of the Canadian All Abilities Championship awards set points based off a golfer’s net score for the hole. The points will be awarded as follows: Albatross (5 points), Eagle (4 points), Birdie (3 points), Par (2 points), Bogey (1 point), Double Bogey or higher (0 points). The golfers with the highest total of accumulated points over 54-holes will win their respective divisions.
Practice rounds are scheduled for Monday, September 9, and the tournament gets underway on Tuesday, September 10.
Golf Canada is grateful for the financial support of the Government of Ontario for the All Abilities Championship from the Ontario Sport Hosting Program.
“Our government is proud to support the 2024 Canadian All Abilities Championships through the Ontario Sport Hosting Program,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. “This event offers amateur golfers with a disability an opportunity to showcase their skills in competition with their peers from across the country. I applaud Golf Canada for their unwavering commitment to accessibility and inclusion and wish all players the best of luck for a successful tournament.”
For the full player field competing in the Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.
