Golf Canada – ABELLA FERGUSON AND MALIK DAO CAPTURE FUTURE LINKS, DRIVEN BY ACURA ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

Girls division decided in playoff

HARTLAND, N.B. – Isabella Ferguson of Ottawa completed an incredible comeback to win the girls division, while Malik Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., maintained his lead to the win the boys division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club on Thursday.

Ferguson was in a tie for third entering the final round, trailing leader and defending champion Haley Baker of Halifax by 10 strokes. The 14-year-old carded the only under par round in the girls division over the three tournament days. Her 2-under-par performance was enough to surpass the defending champion, but Baker forced a playoff with birdies on each of her final two holes.

On the first playoff hole, Baker missed a ten-foot birdie putt, and Ferguson dropped her four-footer to birdie the par-5 1st and win the title. 

“I started with two birdies on the first four holes. That definitely gave me confidence,” said Ferguson. “I was very nervous [in the playoff]. I had a good drive which calmed me down a little bit. I was all shaky over my putt, but I kept it together.”

It was the second consecutive year that Baker and her younger sister, Abbey, both finished in the top-three at the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship. Abbey finished third at 15 over for the tournament, one shot ahead of Heather McLean (Port Williams, N.S.), with Julie Gauvin of Dieppe, N.B. in fifth.

The top five golfers earned exemptions to the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29-August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Dao, recorded an even-par 72 in the final round to win the tournament by two strokes. He is the second member of the Dao family to capture a Future Links title – his older sister, Céleste, won the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship. 

“On No. 16, which is a tough hole, I made two really good shots,” said Dao. “I knew that I had the tournament at my fingertips then. This year I was really struggling, and this is a big win for me. It’s my first national win.”

Daniel Kirby, a Hartland, N.B., native who was playing at his home course, led for the majority of the final round. A double-bogey on the par-4 16th from Kirby opened the door for Dao, who made two clutch birdies on his final four holes to win the tournament. 

Felix-Antoine Levasseur (Nicolet, Que.) and Jake Smith (Dartmouth, N.S.) finished tied for third at 1-under-par for the tournament. 

Defending champion Owen Mullen (Truro, N.S.) rounded out the top five finishers receiving an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos from the final round can be found here. Credit: (Fran Harris/ Golf Canada). 

Full results from the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship:

Junior Boys Division

1. Malik Dao, Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, QC, *73-67-72-212 -4

2. Daniel Kirby, Woodstock, NB, *70-71-73-214 -2

3. Felix-Antoine Levasseur, Nicolet, QC, *70-75-70-215 -1

3. Jake Smith, Dartmouth, NS, *70-73-72-215 -1

5. Owen Mullen, Truro, NS, *72-71-73-216 E

6. Mark Chandler, Chester, NS, *75-73-70-218 +2

7. Felix Boucher, Dieppe, NB, *75-76-68-219 +3

8. Ben Callaghan, Stellarton, NS, *70-78-72-220 +4

9. Kieran Allain, Halifax, NS, *76-75-72-223 +7

9. Rory White, Fall River, NS, *71-79-73-223 +7

11. Mathieu Lafontaine, Vaudreuil, QC, *74-78-72-224 +8

11. Nicholas Ritchie, Quispamsis, NB, *72-80-72-224 +8

11. Justin Caron, Summerside, PE, *76-74-74-224 +8

14. Ross Cleary, Ottawa, ON, *73-78-74-225 +9

14. Nathan Hogan, Miramichi, NB, *74-73-78-225 +9

16. Cam White, Belfast, PE, *77-74-75-226 +10

16. Isaac MacNaughton, Truro, NS, *76-74-76-226 +10

18. Benjamin Childs, Halifax, NS, *79-77-71-227 +11

18. Logan Tramble, Bedford, NS, *74-81-72-227 +11

18. Owen Canavan, Hammonds Plains, NS, *77-75-75-227 +11

21. Antoine Lauzon, Montreal, QC, *76-76-77-229 +13

21. Patrick Cormier, Dieppe, NB, *78-74-77-229 +13

23. Brett LeBlanc, Hammonds Plains, NS, *77-77-76-230 +14

23. Hunter Baird, Waterloo, ON, *72-79-79-230 +14

25. Pierre Luc Arsenault, Saint-Louis, NB, *81-74-76-231 +15

26. Sam McNeill, Summerside, PE, *78-81-74-233 +17

26. Craig Landry, Antigonish, NS, *77-80-76-233 +17

26. Dimitri Mihelakos, Halifax, NS, *75-80-78-233 +17

26. Gavin Ives, Middle Sackville, NS, *76-79-78-233 +17

26. Simon Savaria, La Prairie, QC, *79-75-79-233 +17

31. Jordie Cooper, Fall River, NS, *81-76-77-234 +18

31. Liam Llewellyn, Edgetts Landing, NB, *77-76-81-234 +18

33. Brayden Sappier, Woodstock First Nations, NB, *74-83-78-235 +19

33. Luke Baldwin, Hammonds Plains, NS, *74-81-80-235 +19

35. Luke Dillon, Charlottetown, PE, *83-79-74-236 +20

35. Liam Brann, Sydney, NS, *77-81-78-236 +20

35. Alex Smith, Irishtown, NB, *80-78-78-236 +20

38. Jared Fraser, Lower Sackville, NS, *81-80-76-237 +21

39. Zach Brown, Lantz, NS, *77-82-79-238 +22

39. Andrew Cash, Upper Tantallon, NS, *78-77-83-238 +22

39. Isaac Drake, Vernon Bridge, PE, *77-77-84-238 +22

42. Hans Garon, Lac-Beauport, QC, *79-78-82-239 +23

43. Mitchell Collins, New Maryland, NB, *82-78-80-240 +24

44. Ethan Barter, Upper Coverdale, NB, *77-81-83-241 +25

45. Jacob Hall, St-Isidore, NB, *80-83-80-243 +27

45. Nathan Clow, Fall River, NS, *85-75-83-243 +27

47. Joseph Cluney, Charlottetown, PE, *83-80-81-244 +28

48. Logan Forward, Enfield, NS, *83-82-80-245 +29

48. Caleb Drake, Vernon River, PE, *82-83-80-245 +29

50. Morris Garon, Lac-Beauport, QC, *76-89-81-246 +30

50. Olivier Aucoin, Moncton, NB, *82-84-80-246 +30

50. Devon Gionet, Miramichi, NB, *87-80-79-246 +30

53. Ethan McFadden, Upper Coverdale, NB, *84-81-82-247 +31

53. Jacob LeBlanc, Dieppe, NB, *76-83-88-247 +31

55. Cedrik Sara, Laval, QC, *76-71-101-248 +32

56. Matthew Cole, Charlotetown, PE, *84-79-86-249 +33

57. Carson Lund, Stratford, PE, *85-83-84-252 +36

58. Bradley Chisholm, Cornwall, PE, *89-82-82-253 +37

59. Nicholas Colton, Bathust, NB, *88-84-87-259 +43

60. Cameron McQuaid, Wheatley River, PE, *87-85-89-261 +45

61. Hudson Forward, Enfield, NS, *87-90-85-262 +46

62. Ryan Curtis, Fredericton, NB, *92-92-81-265 +49

62. Max Baldwin, Hammonds Plains, NS, *88-91-86-265 +49

62. Ben Willis, Charlottetown, PE, *87-94-84-265 +49

65. Julien Babineau, Dieppe, NB, *81-95-91-267 +51

66. Jack MacKinnon, Charlottetown, PE, *95-92-81-268 +52

66. Yannick Babineau, Dieppe, NB, *82-100-86-268 +52

68. Ethan Clark, Southampton, NB, *90-97-93-280 +64

DID NOT FINISH

WD. Ewan Jr Kelly, Beaver Bank, NS, *71-78-0-149 +5
 

Junior Girls Division

1. Isabella Ferguson, Ottawa, ON, *77-79-70-226 +10

1. Haley Baker, Halifax, NS, *74-72-80-226 +10

(Ferguson wins with a birdie on the first playoff hole) 

3. Abbey Baker, Halifax, NS, *77-78-76-231 +15

4. Heather McLean, Port Williams, NS, *79-77-76-232 +16

5. Julie Gauvin, Dieppe, NB, *77-79-82-238 +22

6. Mackenzie Deveau, Moncton, NB, *84-83-74-241 +25

7. Taylor Cormier, Corner Brook, NL, *84-78-89-251 +35

8. Sarah Holt, Waterville, NB, *85-87-82-254 +38

9. Alexandra Guitard, Moncton, NB, *84-92-87-263 +47

10. Amelie Guitard, Moncton, NB, *93-90-84-267 +51

11. Claire Tramble, Bedford, NS, *91-88-90-269 +53

12. Jacquelyn Taylor, New Glasgow, PE, *100-89-86-275 +59

13. Charlotte Cluney, Charlottetown, PE, *102-110-99-311 +95

DID NOT FINISH

 

NS. Grace Yeo, Stratford, PE, *

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FUTURE LINKS, driven by Acura
Future Links, driven by Acura is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. Proudly supported by Acura, Puma, The R&A, NGCOA Canada, ClubLink and Sport Canada, the program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. The program features three core areas of focus—in-school programming, facility programming and community outreach—including elements such as Golf in Schools, Learn to Play, Girl’s Club, Mobile Clinics, Junior Skills Competition and Community Golf Coach, along with six regional Future Links Junior Championships.  Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 1.4 million young Canadians have taken part in Future Links.  For more information, visit www.golfcanada.ca/futurelinks. 

GOLF CANADA 
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 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.

For more information:

Graham Neysmith
Media & Public Relations
Golf Canada
(t) 514-435-4389
(e) gneysmith@golfcanada.ca