WATCH | Rhonda Orr wins 2022 Female Amateur Golfer of the Year
Orr & Kuntz named 2022 Female & Male Amateur Golfers of the Year
On behalf of selection committee members Clayton Dreger, Jill Hardy, Adam Speirs and Ken Wiebe, Golf Manitoba is pleased to recognize the 2022 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Award winners.
This year’s recipients were announced at the annual Golf Manitoba Awards reception that was held at the Breezy Bend Country Club.
Rhonda Orr of Southwood Golf & Country Club is the Female Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Orr, 61, from Winnipeg, won the Mid-Amateur Flight and finished second overall at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. She represented Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. The Southwood Golf and Country Club member won the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship, her seventh senior provincial championship in a row and ninth in the last ten years. Orr went on to finish 10th on the leaderboard playing for Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. Orr also tied for eighth place at the AGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship in the United States.
With the selection, it is the fourth time that Orr has been recognized as Female Amateur Golfer of the Year (2016, 2018, 2019).
Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club is the Male Amateur Golfer of the Year.
Kuntz, 18, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Junior Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and represented Team Manitoba finishing in a tie for fifth place at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also won the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. Kuntz is the first player in Manitoba to win both the Manitoba Junior and Amateur Championship in back to back seasons (2021 and 2022). He also finished tied for third place at the Elmhurst Invitational.
With the selection, it is the second time in as many years that Kuntz has been named Male Amateur Golfer of the Year (2021).
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.
Finalists announced for 2022 Female & Male Amateur Golfer of the Year
Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Awards.
This year’s female and male award finalists were chosen by the selection committee of Clayton Dreger of Golden West Radio, Ken Wiebe of Rogers Sportsnet as well as former Golf Manitoba Junior and Amateur Champions Jill Hardy and Adam Speirs. The winners will be announced at the Golf Manitoba Awards reception on Tuesday, November 2, 2022 at the Breezy Bend Country Club.
The 2022 Female Amateur Golf of the Year Finalists are Addison Kartusch, Jeri Lafleche, Charmaine Mackid and Rhonda Orr.
Addison Kartusch
Kartusch, 16, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation and represented Manitoba with a 30th place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. She was a semi-finalist in the Manitoba Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre, placed fourth in the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship, tied for fifth at the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship and finished ninth at the Canada Summer Games. The St. Charles Country Club member also qualified to take part in the 2022 Golf Canada NextGen Selection Camp that was held at TPC Osprey Valley in Toronto, Ontario.
Jeri Lafleche
Lafleche, 15, from Winnipeg, won the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and was a member of Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. The Clear Lake Golf Course/Niakwa Country Club member placed fifth at the Manitoba Junior Girls Championship presented by the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation, made the cut at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship (T61), seventh at the Women’s City & District Championship and eighth at Golf Canada’s Prairie NextGen Championship.
Charmaine Mackid
Mackid, 45, from Winnipeg, was a semifinalist in the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. She finished second in the Mid-Amateur Flight of the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship and third overall. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also tied for sixth place on the leaderboard in the Mid-Master Flight of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship where she finished in a tie for ninth place overall.
Rhonda Orr
Orr, 61, from Winnipeg, won the Mid-Amateur Flight and finished second overall at the Diamond Athletic Women’s Amateur Championship. She represented Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. The Southwood Golf and Country Club member won the Hodson Financial Women’s Senior Championship, her seventh senior provincial championship in a row and ninth in the last ten years. Orr went on to finish 10th on the leaderboard playing for Team Manitoba at the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship. Orr also tied for eighth place at the AGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship in the United States.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Cala Korman (1st Women’s City & District and 3rd at the Manitoba Junior Girls), Marissa Naylor (2022 Women’s Match Play Champion) and Veronica van der Meer (T19 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion) on their accomplishments during the 2022 season.
The 2022 Male Amateur Golfer of the Year finalists are Braxton Kuntz, Curtis Markusson, Rob Oliphant and Marco Trstenjak.
Braxton Kuntz
Kuntz, 18, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Junior Championship presented by the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation and represented Team Manitoba finishing in a tie for fifth place at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The Breezy Bend Country Club member also won the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. Kuntz is the first player in Manitoba to win both the Manitoba Junior and Amateur Championship in back to back seasons (2021 and 2022). He also finished tied for third place at the Elmhurst Invitational.
Curtis Markusson
Markusson, 41, from Winnipeg, won the Canadian Men’s Mid-Master Championship and tied for 12th place representing Team Manitoba at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. He tied for second place in the Mid-Masters Flight and tied for ninth place at the Manitoba Mid-Amateur Championship. The St. Charles Country Club member also tied for seventh place at the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship.
Rob Oliphant
Oliphant, 57, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Senior Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. The Rossmere Country Club member also won the Hodson Financial Men’s Senior Championship. While representing Team Manitoba, he tied for 65th on the leaderboard at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.
Marco Trstenjak
Trstenjak, 22, from Winnipeg, won the Manitoba Match Play Championship presented by St. Vital Dental Centre. He finished second at both the Elmhurst Invitational and the Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur Championship. The Elmhurst Golf and Country Club member placed 54th on the leaderboard while representing Team Manitoba at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Golf Manitoba Awards selection committee would also like to recognize Jacob Armstrong (T2 Canadian College/University Championship), Jay Doyle (T7 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship), Ryan McMillan (T7 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur & T76 Canadian Men’s Amateur) and Ryan Sholdice (2022 Mid-Amateur Champion) for their play during the 2022 season.
Tickets for the 2022 Golf Manitoba Awards reception Tuesday, November 2, 2022, at Breezy Bend Country Club are available by contacting Golf Manitoba.
About the Golf Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year Award – The Golf 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.
Past Amateur Golfer of the Year recipients >>
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 in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.
For more information:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications
Golf Manitoba
204.899.1092
brian@golfmb.ca
Golf Manitoba Awards to be held November 2
The 2022 Golf Manitoba Awards reception will be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2022, at the Breezy Bend Country Club. The annual Golf Manitoba Awards event recognizes and celebrates all that’s great about the sport of golf in the province – from volunteers to elite performers, teams and milestone achievements including the annual male and female Amateur Golfer of the Year awards.
The Golf Manitoba Annual General Meeting will also be held on November 2 and just prior to the start of the Awards event. Under Golf Manitoba by-laws, notice of the annual meeting has been sent to all member clubs and leagues via email and to the attention of the Club President & Member Club Representative. All member clubs are invited to RSVP one voting delegate to attend the meeting and to vote on behalf of the club/league.
For more information about the Golf Manitoba Awards event and annual meeting, please contact Golf Manitoba Executive Director Jared Ladobruk at jared@golfmb.ca.
Bobbi Uhl & Braxton Kuntz named 2021 Amateur Golfers of the Year
November 18, 2021 – On behalf of selection committee members Clayton Dreger, Jill Hardy, Adam Speirs and Ken Wiebe, Golf Manitoba is pleased to announce the 2021 Female and Male Amateur Golfer of the Year Award winners.
Bobbi Uhl of Shilo Country Club is the Female Amateur Golfer of the Year.
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 and 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.
Having won this award in 2020, the 21 year old follows in the footsteps of 2018 and 2019 winner Rhonda Orr.
Uhl is currently in her senior year at Longwood University majoring in Athletic Training.
Braxton Kuntz of Breezy Bend Country Club is the Male Amateur Golfer of the Year.
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, good for a three-shot victory. The 18 year old 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.
Kuntz is currently in his first year at Nicholls State University majoring in Finance.
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 interview requests with Uhl and Kuntz, contact:
Brian Munz
Director of Communications
Golf Manitoba
(204) 899-1092
Email: brian@golfmb.ca