After a long season featuring plenty of highs for the young UBC Thunderbirds golf program, both the men's and women's teams will be aiming for a final strong performance at the 2026 Golf Canada Canadian University/College Championship.
 
Held this year at Club de Golf La Tempête in Lévis, Quebec, the Canadian Championship is a four-day tournament that runs from Tuesday, June 16 through Friday, June 20. 20 men's teams and 12 women's team from across the country will battle it out for national glory, with UBC entering as two-time defending champs on the men's side and having won a staggering eight in a row on the women's side dating back to 2016.
 
"Club de Golf La Tempête is an amazing championship course," said UBC Golf Program Advisor Cory Renfrew. "Every hole looks incredibly unique and challenging based on length, elevation and water. It is sure to be a true test of all aspects of the game.
 
"We'll have to make sure we manage our emotions and stick to our game plan. Four rounds of team golf is a marathon, and maintaining our routines and emotions throughout the entire championship will give us the best chance to succeed."
 
This week will mark the final time that Jessica Ng – the lone fourth-year athlete on either UBC roster – will compete as a Thunderbird. A three-time NAIA All-American, Ng has won the individual title at all three of the NAIA, Cascade Collegiate Conference and Canada West championships in her career. The Canadian University Championship is the only one she's missing in her trophy cabinet, with her best finish being a tie for second last year.
 
"Jessica's impact on the UBC Golf program has been monumental to say the least," added Renfrew. "Her unwavering leadership and amazing personality will be greatly missed by the program and we wish her all the best in her next chapter."


 
The women's team is coming off a sixth-place finish at the NAIA Championship, after they were impressively tied for first heading into the final round. After winning both the CCC and Canada West titles earlier this season, the Thunderbirds aim to make it three banners for the 2025-26 campaign.
 
The men's team is hungry for their first banner of the season, after finishing as runner's up at both the Canada West and CCC championships, the latter particularly unfortunate given that UBC won all three of the regular season CCC events. The 'Birds will aim to get one over on the UBC Okanagan Heat – who won the Canada West title in the fall by just two strokes – and claim victory at what is the first time competing at the Canadian University Championship for everyone on the team.
 
This week will also be a good test for the T-Birds to show their resolve and bounce back ability, after missing the cut at the NAIA Championship last month.
 
"We're very proud of the compete level and performance of the men this year," said Renfrew. "As a young team they had a lot to learn and they did a great job supporting each other in the process…we have spoken a lot with the team about championship preparation and mindset. We're disappointed with the result at the NAIA's but we are all refreshed and ready to write a different script for the final championship of the season."
 
The Thunderbirds' women's team will help tee off the tournament with Sienna Harder in the first trio of golfers beginning play on Tuesday at 4:40 a.m. (PT). She'll be followed by Ng at 4:50, Keira Hou at 5:00 and Katherine Hao at 5:10, with each T-Bird paired up with a golfer from both Waterloo and Laval.
 
The men are paired with Queen's and Champlain St. Lawrence on the opening day, with Shunkichi Yamamoto the first Thunderbird to hit the course at 10:20 a.m. (PT). Manpreet Lalh (10:30), Aneesh Kaura (10:40), Jake Houston (10:50) and Leighton Wright (11:00) round out the team.
 
You can follow along as the week progresses by checking out the tournament home page HERE.