Mawhinney’s last-minute comeback is enough to
Defending champion Ashton McCulloch

Saskatoon, Sask. – The last round of 119^th The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, was an unforgettable event on Thursday at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Sask.

The leaderboard had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster throughout the day, with five players holding a share of the lead at various times and numerous lead changes on the back nine holes. In the end, the name at the top of the leaderboard is the one that has been there all week, as Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island, Florida, won the Earl Grey Cup as the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion.

“I don’t have much to say at the moment, I’m still at the very beginning, but I’m proud that I was able to finish it after some great golf,” said a visibly moved Mawhinney.

Mawhinney began the first day ahead of defending champion Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ontario. He began his round with a birdie and followed it up with an eagle to move three shots ahead, but a triple bogey on the par-4 3rd hole allowed McCulloch to move one shot ahead after a birdie.

Mawhinney tied McCulloch at 12 under par on the fifth hole. The two made birdies on the sixth hole before Mawhinney moved into the lead with another birdie on the eighth. Storming ahead of the leading group was Garrett Rank of Waterloo, Ontario. Rank, an NHL referee during the season, made three birdies and a par to finish the first nine holes one behind Mawhinney, who was at 14 under par.

The back nine holes continued to offer the drama befitting a national championship, as Rank and Mawhinney were joined by Rylan Shim of Centreville, Virginia, in the lead at 13 under par after 11 holes. Mawhinney birdied the 12th hole to regain a one-stroke lead, but he made a bogey on the 13th hole to put Shim back in the lead.

Further twists and turns followed on the 14th hole, when Rank made a birdie to move to 13 under par and draw level with Mawhinney. Declan O’Donovan of New South Wales, Australia, joined them after making a birdie on the 14th hole. The joint lead was short-lived, however, as both Rank and O’Donovan made bogey on the 15th hole, putting Mawhinney back in the lead with three shots to go.

Rank made a birdie on No. 16 as Mawhinney approached the tee where a crucial decision was made.

“We decided to hit a 3-wood from 16, which we did for the first time this week. That kept us back and didn’t have to turn the corner, and you could still have made a birdie. I think I had 205 on the green and hit it in the middle of the green and needed two putts,” Mawhinney said of his birdie, which reclaimed the one-stroke lead.

Rank finished with two pars to take the clubhouse lead at 13 under par. Mawhinney responded with what he described as “the best shot I’ve ever made in my life” on the 17th hole, hitting the ball to within a foot of a hole from 170 yards for birdie to move to 15 under par and two shots ahead.

“We think the wind shifted and it went downhill 178. I have to take the altitude into account because I’m at sea level. With the wind and a perfect 8-iron, it was about a 72 shot and I hit the ball right on the flag, which was the right number,” Mawhinney said.

McCulloch made the finish even more exciting by continuing to fight and finishing at 13 under par after another eagle on the 16th hole, his third consecutive achievement. McCulloch made a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 14 under par.

Mawhinney played No. 18 as he has done all week, using a 3-iron off the tee followed by a pitching wedge into the green and two-putting for the win. Mawhinney shot rounds of 65-69-70-69-273 to claim the national championship title.

After finishing his interview with the media, the 16-year-old asked: “What’s next?”

“A few people said we’ll see you in Hazeltine. I guess that’s next, but we’ll figure that out when we get there,” he replied.

With the win, Mawhinney receives a free ticket to the 2025 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ontario, and to the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held August 12-18 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. He also receives a free ticket to local qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championship, and $1,200 CAD.

McCulloch finished in sole second place at 14 under par, and Shim and Braxton Kuntz of Winnipeg, Man., finished in joint third place at 12 under par. Rank finished in sole third place at 13 under par, but was unfortunately disqualified after his round for signing an incorrect scorecard.

On Tuesday, Team British Columbia won the Willingdon Cup as Interprovincial Team Champions. Team British Columbia shot a total of 9 under par and was represented by Wyatt Brook of Heffley Creek, BC, James Fahy of Vancouver, BC and Cooper Humphreys of Vernon, BC, a member of Team Canada NextGen. Team Ontario finished second with a total of 5 under par, while Team Manitoba finished in the top three at even par.

Click here to view the final rankings after the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO.