Vancouver Golf Club selected to host 2012 CN Canadian Women's Open

VANCOUVER GOLF CLUB SELECTED AS HOST VENUE FOR 2012 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN
- Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship returns to Vancouver area for first time since 2003 -

Vancouver, B.C. (Golf Canada) – CN and Golf Canada are pleased to announce that The Vancouver Golf Club has been selected as the host venue for the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

The date of the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open will be August 20-26, 2012 and the prize purse will be determined at a later date.

The announcement marks the return of Canada’s only stop on the LPGA Tour to the Vancouver area for the first time since Beth Daniel won the 2003 Canadian Women’s Open at Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

“In partnership with CN, we are proud to announce that The Vancouver Golf Club has been selected to host the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open,” said Scott Simmons, Golf Canada’s Executive Director and CEO. “Vancouver is a world class city with passionate and knowledgeable golf fans as well as a tremendous track record of hosting major events.”

With the selection of Vancouver as the 2012 host city, CN and tournament officials will soon begin to explore a local community beneficiary for the event as part of the CN Miracle Match fundraising program. The CN Miracle Match program has raised more than $3.5 million dollars for local children’s causes over the last four years leading up to and during the weeks of the CN Canadian Women’s Open.

“CN is very pleased that the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open will be moving west to Vancouver,” said Claude Mongeau, President and CEO, CN. “Together with Golf Canada, CN is proud that we are able to bring this prestigious event to golf fans in CN communities across this country. Through our CN Miracle Match Program, we look forward to raising a lot of money for charity and leaving a lasting legacy in support of children’s causes in the Vancouver community.”

The Vancouver Golf Club has a history of hosting premier provincial and national golf championships, last hosting the stars of the LPGA in 1991 at the former du Maurier Classic. Located in Coquitlam, 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, the Club is widely recognized as one of the finest venues in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most respected and historic private clubs in North America.

“Our membership it extremely excited and honored to once again host the LPGA , Golf Canada, and CN as we host this prestigious and storied Championship. Our Club has nothing but fond memories of our experience when we hosted the Du Mauier Classic in 1989 and 1991. It will be wonderful for us to showcase our Club and our classic Golf Course to a new generation of LPGA players, Canadian golf fans, and Club Members”. Randy Smith – Head Golf Professional, The Vancouver Golf Club.

In addition to funds raised for children’s hospitals, the 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open is expected to generate an economic impact of close to $10 million for the province of British Columbia including over $7 million locally in the Vancouver area. The tournament’s economic impact is calculated using the Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (STEAM) as developed by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA).

The 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open is taking place this week, August 23-29 at St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg with competitors challenging for a $2.25 million (USD) prize purse.

The Manitoba Children’s Hospital has been designated as the official charity of the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open.

ABOUT THE 2010 CN CANADIAN WOMEN’S OPEN

Stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open from August 23-29 at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg. Tickets for all tournament rounds are still available and can be purchased at the main admissions gate at St. Charles Country Club or by calling 1-866-571-5742. Kids 15-and under get into the event free all week with a ticketed adult.

The CN Canadian Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by the Canadian National Railway Company along with event partners Manitoba Hydro, Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Lotteries, City of Winnipeg, Tourism Winnipeg, CVS Controls Ltd., TaylorMade adidas Golf, Corona Extra, The Globe and Mail, Manitoba’s Liquor Marts, The Glenlivet, MTS Allstream, Western Life Assurance and Petsecure, BlackBerry, LG, Mike Weir Wine, CBC, Reader’s Digest and local media partners CJOB 68 and Winnipeg Free Press.

CN MIRACLE MATCH TO BENEFIT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION OF MANITOBA

Earlier this year, CN announced the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba Inc. as the official charity beneficiary of the CN Miracle Match program that will accompany the 2010 CN Canadian Women’s Open. CN Miracle Match will rally the Winnipeg and Manitoba communities to make charitable donations to the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Each year since 2006, CN and Golf Canada have generated funds to support a children’s hospital by matching donations made through initiatives associated with the CN Canadian Women’s Open. In the past four years, this program has raised more than $3.5 million for children’s hospitals. For more information visit www.cnmiraclematch.ca.

NORTH AMERICA’S RAILROAD

CN – Canadian National Railway Company – spans Canada and mid-America, from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, serving the ports of Vancouver, Prince Rupert, B.C., Montreal, Halifax, New Orleans, and Mobile, Ala., and the key cities of Toronto, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Duluth, Minn./Superior, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Memphis, St. Louis, and Jackson, Miss., with connections to all points in North America. For further information please visit www.cn.ca.

CN DELIVERS THE GREAT GAME OF GOLF

CN is proud to support golf in Canada and is pleased to bring the best of women’s professional golf to Canada with its title sponsorship of the CN Canadian Women’s Open and the CN Canadian Women’s Tour. In addition to supporting women’s golf, CN contributes to the development of golf among young people across the country through its sponsorship of the CN Future Links program. CN is pleased to work with Golf Canada to help develop golf as a sport for women and juniors across Canada and to increase the accessibility of golf to recreational and competitive golfers. Visit www.cn.ca.

GOLF CANADA – YOU BELONG

Golf Canada is a member-based organization governed by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA). Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sport Organization (NSO) for golf in this country and representing more than 350,000 members and 1,600 golf clubs, Golf Canada is responsible for promoting participation in and a passion for the game of golf in Canada.

Golf Canada actively conducts championships, programs and services to help shape the present and future of golf in Canada. Canada’s National Amateur Golf Team program, National Golf in Schools, Golf Fore the Cure, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. As the authority for the game of golf in Canada, the association also administers the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status as well as Handicapping and Course Rating under the esteemed RCGA brand.

In addition, Golf Canada conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships provide world class competitive opportunities for Canada’s top golfers to showcase their talents.

For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit us online at www.golfcanada.ca.