KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Josh Hunke of New Dundee, Ont. and Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. were able to navigate wet conditions throughout Wednesday’s second round to keep their opening round leads intact at the Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, at The Dunes at Kamloops in Kamloops, B.C.
Hunke steered around a pair of bogeys on his scorecard with three birdies to shoot a 1-under 71 while Stasiuk added some major insurance over Emma Bittorf of Strathmore, Alta. with a 14-over par performance to get a hand on her fifth-straight title. Both hold outright leads in the Men’s and Women’s Gross Stroke Play division respectively heading into Thursday’s final round.
A close race for the Men’s Gross Stroke Play Championship emerged in the early stages of Wednesday’s second round as Josh Williams of Tavistock, Ont. reeled in birdies at holes two and four to slice his deficit in half and get within a stroke of Hunke.
Williams – who started two shots back of Hunke on Wednesday – stayed in limbo with his playing partner, remedying a pair of bogeys on his front nine with birdies at Nos. 8 and 12 to shoot a 2-under 70 and enter his final round one stroke off the pace.
A bogey at the par-3 16th reeled in Hunke from entering the clubhouse with the same two-stroke lead he ended his round with on Tuesday and sets the Ontarian up for a tight race to claim the Men’s Gross Stroke Play Championship in less than 24 hours.
“The round was a difficult one with the weather. It was just one of those rounds you needed to be patient, and I was proud of myself that I stayed in it for the most part,” commented Hunke, who teed off at 9:20 a.m. PST and endured wet conditions until the rain exited the Kamloops region at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time.
“Today was all about trying to keep dry and stay within myself,” continued Hunke. “I was trying to keep it in play and in front of me which I did for the most part. There were a couple of errant shots due to weather but all in all I played within my game plan.”
Hunke has been surrounded by his family all tournament long and praised his support system for being a major motivational element to help find success in Kamloops. Personally, the week is a special one for the Hunke family, marking the seventh birthday of one of their close family friends that has led Josh to illustrate his ball with seven dots in their honour. He is hopeful that the practice will bring him luck in the form of birdies throughout his final round as he contends for a maiden win at the event.
“It is really exciting to be in this position. I have worked really hard to hopefully have these types of opportunities… really looking forward to tomorrow,” he added.
Similarly to Hunke, Kelly Masson of Grande Prairie, Alta. was able to maintain his first round lead in the Net Stableford division on Wednesday, adding 35 Stableford points to get in a two-player tie with Dustin Boydell of Chilliwack, B.C. The two hold a two-point lead over Randall Mackus of Prince George, B.C. and sit at the top of the leaderboard with 73 total Stableford points.
In the Women’s Net Stableford division, Stasiuk was able to overtake Bittorf for the top spot after picking up 27 Stableford points on Wednesday to get to 59 total points. The four-time Canadian All-Abilities champion enters Thursday’s final round with a one-point lead over Bittorf and a seven-point lead over reining Women’s Net Stableford Champion Tess Trojan of St. Catharines, Ont.
“With one more round to go I am determined to play my best tomorrow…I am a proud Canadian and I want to show Canada what I can do,” said Stasiuk, who plans on getting a good night’s sleep and some pasta for dinner before heading out to the range early Thursday morning.
“With all the rain today, it was about tough for me, I don’t play with a glove due to a sensory issue so my goal for the whole round was to keep them dry during the round” added Stasiuk. Her game plan on Wednesday hinged on keeping her golf ball in play and staying out of trouble in which the perimeter of The Dunes at Kamloops can offer.
The Canadian All Abilities Championship debuted in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course in Toronto, Ont. and has since run annually while supporting Golf Canada’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive and respectful sport environment throughout the nation’s golf community. The Women’s Gross Stroke Play, Women’s Net Stableford, Men’s Gross Stroke Play and Men’s Net Stableford make up the four different divisions that players compete in – regardless of disability – throughout the competition’s 54 holes.
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.
The gross champions will earn exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Adaptive Open taking place July 6-8 at Woodmont Country Club (South Course) in Rockville, M.D. Last month, Stasiuk and Chris Willis of Aurora, Ont. each competed at Woodmont Country Club for the 2025 U.S. Adaptive Open through exemptions from their 2024 titles, finishing first in the intellectual impairment category and second in the men’s upper limb impairment category respectively.
To view the full leaderboard from Wednesday’s second round at Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.
GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including 11 National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Coca-Cola, Sport Canada, and Levelwear. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions-calendar/.
ABOUT GOLF CANADA
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing over 360,000 golfers and 1,522 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our vision is to be a world leader in golf. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca/.
Media Contact
Mike Masaro
Sr. Manager, Communications
Golf Canada
647-482-1853
mmasaro@golfcanada.ca