GOLF: UBC sweeps team titles at 2026 Canada West Golf Championships

Recap by Taylor Crozon / UofL Pronghorns Sports Information

LETHBRIDGE – A calm, beautiful morning at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort gave way to a championship finish Tuesday, as the wind picked up and the Canada West Golf Championships came down to the final hole.

For the University of Alberta Golden Bears, Kai Baerg saved his best moment for last.

Locked in a tight individual battle with defending champion Owen Croft of Victoria, Baerg arrived at the ninth hole with the championship still in the balance. With the crowd gathered around the green, the Alberta golfer took aim from approximately 80 yards out.

The shot looked good off the clubface.

Then with a bounce, it disappeared into the cup.

The crowd erupted as Baerg jarred his approach for an eagle, sealing the individual Canada West championship with a six-under 136 over 36 holes.

“I hit it pretty well, so I knew it was going to be close,” said Baerg. “I couldn’t see it from where I was, but when the crowd started cheering, I had a pretty good idea it had gone in.”

The 19-year-old, third-year Golden Bear finished one stroke ahead of Croft, who carded a six-under 66 in the final round to finish at five-under 137. UBC’s Aneesh Kaura placed third at four-under 138, followed by teammate Jake Houston at one-under 141.

Baerg opened his final round with a birdie on hole 10 and added birdies on holes 4 and 8 before finishing with an eagle on hole 9. Croft kept pace with six birdies of his own.

Baerg entered the final hole believing he needed a birdie just to force a playoff.

“Going into the last hole, I thought I was two back,” said Baerg. “I had just made birdie on the second-last hole, so I thought I needed another one to tie Owen. I didn’t realize he had made bogey, so it was a pretty cool way to finish.”

The victory marked the first individual men’s Canada West championship for a University of Alberta golfer.

“It was really special,” said Baerg. “We get to play this course quite a bit, so I feel comfortable out here. The greens are really interesting and give you a lot of opportunities to be creative with your shots.”

On the women’s side, UBC Thunderbird Katherine Hao successfully defended her Canada West individual championship, carding a five-under 67 in Tuesday’s final round to finish at two-under 140.

Hao, who started her round on the first tee, recorded five birdies to finish five strokes ahead of teammate Sarah Yang and Victoria’s Cindy Koira, who both finished at +7 (149). Yang claimed second on countback.

Hao entered the final round tied for the lead following Monday’s opening-round 73 before pulling away with one of the lowest rounds of the championship.

“I just focused on sticking to my game plan and controlling what I could,” said Hao. “I knew if I stayed committed to that, I would give myself the best chance to play well.”

Hao’s individual title was part of a championship sweep for the Thunderbirds, who captured both the men’s and women’s team championships and were presented with the Canada West championship banners following Tuesday’s final round.

UBC posted a 14-under 276 in the men’s final round to finish first at +2 (570), eight strokes ahead of UBCO at +10 (578). Victoria finished third at +14 (582), followed by Alberta at +20 (588) and Calgary at +26 (594).

The host Lethbridge Pronghorns improved by 13 strokes from Monday to post a 306 Tuesday, finishing tied for eighth with Regina at +57 (625).

In the women’s team competition, UBC finished at +9 (435) after a 211 final round, 20 strokes ahead of UBCO at +29 (455). Victoria placed third at +45 (471), followed by Alberta at +61 (487), Calgary at +78 (504) and Lethbridge at +89 (515).

The Pronghorns women's team improved one position in the final standings after posting a 257 in the second round.

“Golf can be such an individual sport, so winning as a team is really special,” said Hao. “We support each other throughout the tournament and are always cheering each other on, so it’s really rewarding to win together.”

The Thunderbirds’ two team championships came alongside strong individual performances throughout their rosters, with Kaura finishing third on the men’s leaderboard and Yang tying for second on the women’s side.

UBC’s Cory Renfrew and Kier Smith were also recognized as Canada West Coaches of the Year.

“I’m incredibly proud of both teams,” said Renfrew. “They battled through some challenging conditions and competed really hard throughout the championship. To come away with both titles is a great result.”

Renfrew credited preparation between rounds, particularly short-game work, for helping the Thunderbirds manage the changing conditions at Paradise Canyon.

The two-day championship brought together seven men’s teams and seven women’s teams from across Canada West, with individual and team titles decided over 36 holes.

The championship marked the first time Canada West golf was hosted in Alberta, bringing the conference’s top university golfers to Paradise Canyon for two days of competition.

For the host Pronghorns, the championship provided an opportunity to compete on home ground, while Baerg and Hao claimed individual titles and UBC left Paradise Canyon with both Canada West championship banners.

Awards Recipients

Women’s First Team All-Stars

Katherine Hao, UBC Thunderbirds

Sarah Yang, UBC Thunderbirds

Cindy Koira, Victoria Vikes

Ayda Matthews, UBC Okanagan Heat

Women’s Second Team All-Stars

Cadence Ko, UBC Thunderbirds

Keira Hou, UBC Thunderbirds

Julia Alexander-Carew, UBC Okanagan Heat

Ally Ruston, UBC Okanagan Heat

Men’s First Team All-Stars

Kai Baerg, Alberta Golden Bears

Owen Croft, Victoria Vikes

Aneesh Kaura, UBC Thunderbirds

Jake Houston, UBC Thunderbirds

Men’s Second Team All-Stars

Oakley Mayner, UBC Okanagan Heat

Saahil Kaura, Calgary Dinos

Andrew Rouble, UBC Okanagan Heat

Manny Lahl, UBC Thunderbirds

Women’s Individual Medalists

Gold – Katherine Hao, UBC Thunderbirds

Silver – Sarah Yang, UBC Thunderbirds

Bronze – Cindy Koira, Victoria Vikes

Women’s Team Medalists

Gold – UBC Thunderbirds

Silver – UBC Okanagan Heat

Bronze – Victoria Vikes

Men’s Individual Medalists

Gold – Kai Baerg, Alberta Golden Bears

Silver – Owen Croft, Victoria Vikes

Bronze – Aneesh Kaura, UBC Thunderbirds

Men’s Team Medalists

Gold – UBC Thunderbirds

Silver – UBCO Heat

Bronze – Victoria Vikes

Coaches of the Year

Cory Renfrew and Kier Smith, UBC Thunderbirds