The soaring firs and oaks that line the 1913 A.V. Macan-designed Royal Colwood course have provided the picturesque frame for some challenging golf over more than a century.
The tradition will continue with the announcement Friday that Royal Colwood will host the 110th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship from July 29 to Aug. 2. The winner will earn an exemption into the LPGA CPKC Canadian Women’s Open in 2025 and an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship from Aug. 5 to 11 at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The winner at Royal Colwood will join a starry list of past Canadian Women’s Amateur champions, including current LPGA pro players Yealimi Noh of the U.S. in 2018, fellow American Jennifer Kupcho in 2017, Choi Hye-jin from South Korea in 2016, Brooke Henderson of Canada in 2013, Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand in 2012, the late LPGA players Dawn Coe-Jones of Lake Cowichan in 1983 and Jocelyne Bourassa of Shawinigan, Que., in 1965 and 1971, and the iconic Canadian amateur Marlene Streit 11 times between 1951 and 1973.
Streit is among three former champions of the event who are in the World Golf Hall of Fame, including Dorothy Campbell of Scotland and American Glenna Collett-Vare.
The tournament is going coast to coast as the Ashburn Club in Halifax hosted last year when Lauren Kim of Surrey won the 109th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in 2023 to earn the right to play in this year’s 2024 LPGA CPKC Canadian Women’s Open July 25-28 at the Earl Grey Club in Calgary.
There were no Canadian Women’s Amateur Tournaments in the war years from 1914-1918 and 1939-1946 or the pandemic year of 2020.
The tournament was first held at Royal Montreal in 1901 with Lily Young the inaugural champion. There’s a connection there with this year’s championship venue as Royal Montreal and Royal Colwood are among only six Canadian golf clubs awarded the Royal designation along with Royal Ottawa, Royal Regina, Royal Mayfair in Edmonton and Royal Quebec. Royal Colwood received its designation in 1931 from King George V.
The 2024 Canadian Women’s Amateur continues a strong recent run of hosting by Royal Colwood, including the Astor Trophy, formerly the Commonwealth women’s championship, in 2019 and the Americas regional qualifying tournament for the Junior World Cup in 2022. Royal Colwood has also hosted the Victoria Open pro tournament on six occasions.
