MOOSE JAW — The Hillcrest Golf Club’s annual “Women Fore Women” Golf Tournament returned this year, bringing golfers together for a day of friendly competition, community camaraderie, and scholarship fundraising for local female student-athletes.
Despite some off-and-on rain that hit the greens for one final downpour near the final stretch, the event proceeded “rain or shine” as planned, with 97 participants completing the full 18-hole round.
“This year we had room for 100 participants … we ended up with 97 players, and they all showed up,” said Cheryl Templeton, chairperson of the Women Fore Women committee. “It started out with a little sprinkle early in the day, but after that it was a beautiful day … we really lucked out with the weather.”
The tournament, hosted by the Hillcrest Ladies Golf League, raised money for the Women Fore Women scholarship program, which supports high-performance female athletes from Moose Jaw as they transition to post-secondary studies.
Funds raised during the event came from basket draws, 50/50 draws, and $10 “rescue bag” sales, all of which support future scholarship awards. Templeton said the exact total raised this summer isn’t finalized yet, but “it’s in excess of $20,000.”
Awards were handed out to the top five finishers, with first-place winners Lorie Boyle and Crystal Piero recognized for their strong performances. Second place went to Shelley Ruecker and Dawn Bender, while Mary LaRocque and Jennifer Johnson rounded out the top three.
Beyond the top finishers, all participants received prizes, including recognition for the best costume of the day — awarded to Lori Johnstone, Nicole Marcyniuk, Caralie Wait, and Anna Kwasnica.
Templeton noted that the tournament continues to attract participants from across Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon, Regina, and Swift Current. Many players return year after year, reflecting the event’s growing reputation.
“In fact, we’ve had comments (stating) that this was one of the best tournaments they’ve ever been to,” she said.
The tournament’s main focus, of course, was supporting Moose Jaw’s student-athletes. Five young women were awarded $5,000 scholarships each this year — the largest total awarded since the program’s inception. Recipients included Katie Rogers, Mykenzie Shymko, Ellah Flanagan, Leoncia White, and Makaya Arnott, all high-performance athletes now moving into post-secondary studies with sports ranging from track and field to lacrosse, basketball, archery, and swimming.
“We started with one $500 scholarship,” said Deb Negraiff, chair of the Women Fore Women scholarship committee. “To date, we’ve given out just over $50,000 in scholarships.”
Templeton emphasized the importance of community support in making the program successful.
“We really appreciate our local business community as well as individuals who have contributed over a number of years. Every time they’re approached, they say, ‘Oh yes, we’re definitely going to donate again this year,’ because they feel it’s a worthy cause.”
For more information about the Women Fore Women scholarship program and the Hillcrest Golf Club, visit HillcrestGolf.ca or call 306-693-1921.
