November 10, 2021 – Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the Selection Committee has chosen their finalists for the 2021 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Award. This year’s female and male award winners, along with our Volunteer of the Year, will be announced virtually on the official Golf Manitoba website (golfmb.ca) as well as the official Golf Manitoba Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages on Wednesday, November 17 at 3pm CST.
The finalists for the 2021 Female Amateur Golfer of the Year are Hannah Diamond (St. Charles Country Club), Rhonda Orr (Southwood Golf & Country Club) and Bobbi Uhl (Shilo Country Club).
Hannah Diamond started the 2021 competitive season with a third place finish in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and placed second in the Mid-Amateur flight. Diamond then went on to play in the 2021 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship where she cracked the top 10 with an eighth place finish. The St. Charles Country Club member finished the competitive season by making it the round of eight in the Manitoba Women’s Match Play Championship.
Rhonda Orr began her season with a second place finish at the Women’s City & District Championship. She then went on to finish second at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur and won the mid-amateur flight. Orr capped off her provincial competitive season with a win at the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship, her eighth senior title in nine years. Orr then added a seventh place finish at Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
Bobbi Uhl had a flawless 2021 provincial competitive season. She started with a win at the Women’s City & District Championship, her first ever title in the event. She carried that momentum going on to capture the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. It was the first provincial women’s amateur title for Uhl and her second straight tournament victory. With the amateur win, Uhl has now won every single Golf Manitoba major women’s event including the Junior Girls, City & District, Match Play and Amateur championships.
Three golfers received honourable mention for their play in 2021. They include Addison Kartusch of St. Charles Country Club (eighth in the Women’s Amateur and winner of the Women’s Match Play Championship), Cala Korman, Golf Manitoba Public Player (seventh in the City & District Championship, tied for fourth in the Girls Junior Championship, ninth in the Women’s Amateur, T57 in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and runner-up in the Match Play Championship), and Clara Peake, Golf Manitoba Public Player (Junior Girls Champion, 10th in the Women’s Amateur and T68 in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship).
The finalists for the 2021 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year are Todd Fanning (Niakwa Country Club) Braxton Kuntz (Breezy Bend Country Club) and Ryan Sholdice (Breezy Bend Country Club).
Todd Fanning took home a pair of wins on his home course, Niakwa Country Club, at the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He took top spot in the overall championship four shots clear of the runner up and top honours in the Mid-Masters division (40 and over age division) eight shots clear of second. The double win was the second time Fanning took home double gold in the Mid-Amateur Championship dating back to his victories in 2017.
Braxton Kuntz was a perfect 2-0 in provincial competition in 2021. He led wire-to-wire at the Junior Boys Championship shooting a three-day total of 219 and good for a three-shot victory. He carried the momentum from his first junior boys title into the Nott Autocorp Amateur Championship where he posted an impressive 16-under par total winning his first men’s amateur title. With the win, Kuntz set a new Men’s Amateur scoring record in relation to par and becomes only the 4th golfer in Manitoba golf history to win both the junior boys and the men’s amateur championships in the same year joining Todd Fanning, Rob McMillan and Mike Keast, who also accomplished the feat.
Ryan Sholdice was no stranger to leaderboard in 2021. He began his competitive season with a third-place finish at the Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He then bested that in second place at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur shooting a four-round total of 15-under par. The Breezy Bend Country Club member went on to compete at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and placed T58.
Four golfers received honourable mention for their play in 2021. They include Ben Bandura of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club (T13 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and second in Mid-Masters division), Jay Doyle of Niakwa Country Club (fifth in the Mid-Amateur Championship, 2nd in the Mid-Masters Championship, T17 in the Men’s Amateur, T19 in the Canadian Mid-Amateur and fourth in the Canadian Mid-Masters), Jordy Lutz of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club (second in the Men’s Mid-Amateur, fifth in the Men’s Amateur, T41 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship), and Jack Werhun also of Elmhurst Golf & Country Club (T7 Men’s Amateur, T18 Men’s Mid-Amateur, 11th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship).
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award recognizes outstanding performance by Manitoba golfers in all levels of competition with the first award presented in 1975. In 2015, the award was re-established to include both a female and male category.
About Golf Manitoba – Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf for the benefit of all participants.
For more information:
Brian Munz
Director Communications
Golf Manitoba
204-925-5729
brian@golfmb.ca