For the Townsman
Kimberley's Jared du Toit is set to make his latest mark in the golfing world, after being named to Canada's national team.
This week, Golf Canada announced the six golfers representing Canada at the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship, conducted by the International Golf Federation. The championships — featuring both a women's (September 14-17) and men's (September 21-24) competition — will take place in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Representing Canada on the women's side will be Maddie Szeryk, 20, of Allen, Tex., Josée Doyon, 23, of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., and Naomi Ko, 18, of Victoria, B.C. The trio will compete for the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Mayakoba El Cameleón Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.
The men's team selected to represent Canada consists of Jared du Toit, 21, of Kimberley, B.C., Garrett Rank, 28, of Elmira, Ont., and Hugo Bernard, 21, of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que. Also contested on both Mayakoba El Cameleón Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club, the men compete for the Eisenhower Trophy.
"The World Amateur Team Championships are two of the pinnacle events that we use to benchmark our players performance and development globally," said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada's Chief Sport Officer. "Our recent success in this event is a reflection of our commitment to supporting and developing some of the world-class talent that we have here in Canada, and we hope to demonstrate that again this year with the remarkable group of athletes chosen to represent us. Though the selection process was difficult, I remain confident that this team will represent our country in a very positive light."
Du Toit became a familiar name to Canadians following his performance at the PGA TOUR's RBC Canadian Open. The Kimberley product had a thrilling run at Glen Abbey Golf Club, where he played in the final group on Sunday to crack the Top-10 in a tie for ninth. The 21-year-old is entering his senior year of collegiate golf for the Arizona State Sun Devils, following a junior season that saw him post five Top-10 finishes.
His campaign also features Top-5 finishes at the Monroe Invitational and Porter Cup, a win at the Glencoe Invitational and a T15 finish at the Canadian Men's Amateur. In 2015, du Toit was the B.C. Men's Amateur champion.
On the women's side, Maddie Szeryk, a member of Team Canada's National Squad for the past two years, will lead the women's squad into competition as the top-ranked Canadian at No. 40 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). Josée Doyon, in her rookie year on Team Canada's National Amateur Squad, is fresh off completing her collegiate golf with the Kent State Golden Flashes, where she was named the Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Year in her junior season on the heels of three consecutive wins. Naomi Ko is in her fourth year with the Team Canada program. The 18-year-old spent three years with the Development Squad before graduating to the Amateur Squad this season.
On the men's side, along with du Toit, Garrett Rank has competed for three years as part of Team Canada's Amateur Squad. At 28 years old, Rank is balancing a busy career on the road as a full-time NHL referee, while continuing to compete at high-level amateur golf events. And Hugo Bernard made a lasting impression in his rookie campaign with the Saint Leo Lions, posting six Top-5 finishes in eight events, including medalist honours at the NCAA Div II Championship.