This year, Alberta Golf was able to award a combined total of $5,900 of Athlete Assistance to 21 deserving golfers. Funding was given to those who will attempt to make their mark this season and compete in regional, provincial, national and international events.

Multiple-year award winner, Matt Williams, says that “funding from Alberta Golf has allowed me the opportunity to compete in Canada’s national championships in year’s past. My primary golf goal is to play my way onto the Canadian Men’s National Team. This goal has me really focused and working harder and smarter than I ever have before.”

The Team Alberta High Performance Squad member is a shining example of the self-driven enthusiasm and hard work that so many of this year’s award winners demonstrate across the province.

“A couple years ago I really struggled with golf and wasn’t sure if it was something I would want to pursue long-term, but since then I feel I have rebounded, and I certainly have a whole new appreciation for golf when I am playing well. It’s nice when golf is fun. My dad always wanted me to be a hockey player when I was younger, and while I took it pretty seriously for a while, golf eventually took over.”

Not only does he continue to raise the bar for himself on the course, but he is also a full-time student. As a University of Houston teammate, he must balance the day-to-day challenges of being a competitive amateur golfer, while completing an accounting degree. His hard work is paying off. Williams was a part of Golf Canada’s National Development squad for two years, and he is currently Alberta’s top ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for all of this year’s recipients, and we will be cheering them on! Congratulations to the following 2017 Athlete Assistance recipients:

• Matt Williams
• Brendan MacDougall
• Ethan Choi
• Evan Holmes
• Kenna Hughes
• Max Murchison
• Lauren Diederichs
• Jack Wood
• Andrew Harrison
• Sang Won Kim
• Susan Thomson
• Joan Wilson
• Owen Murray
• Jeff Murdoch
• Ethan Palmer
• Cody Adolph
• MacKenzie Baustad
• Mandy Wong
• Alex Large
• Ryan Hounjet
• Mitchell Fleming

To learn more about the Alberta Golf Athlete Assistance program, click here.