03/08/2010

Oakville, Ont. (RCGA) - The Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (CGHF) and other  historical institutions have banded together to launch the online exhibit of the Lou Marsh Legacy: Honouring Canada’s Top Athletes. This award has been presented to one Canadian athlete a year showing exceptional talent and has been awarded since 1936.

Throughout this period, golf has taken the award four times: Marlene Stewart Streit (1951, 1956), Sandra Post (1979) and Mike Weir (2003). These players have also been inducted as members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (CGHF).  The Canadians were inducted into the CGHF in 1971, 1988 and 2009 respectively.

Marlene Stewart Streit was the first golfer and only the second woman to win the Lou Marsh Memorial Award since its inception in 1936.

Marlene Stewart Streit was still very much a rookie and had only been playing golf for two years when she won the 1951 Canadian Women's Amateur Championship by defeating the U.S. and World Amateur Champion, Grace Lenczyk.

The 17 year old high school student continued her 1951 season with wins at the Ontario Ladies Golf Championship, Ontario Junior Girls Championship and the Canadian Closed Amateur Champion played at Montreal's Laval Sur Le Lac.

She was known even from this young age for her effortless rhythmic swing, accuracy, especially around the greens and overall toughness in an age bereft of the sports psychologist and mental training many professional athletes have today. It was with these attributes and winning the 1953 British Amateur Championship, the very same year the Hogan won “The Open” at Carnoustie she was given the nickname “Little Ben”.

She also had another excellent year, 1956, which produced eight tournament wins and the title of U.S. Woman Golfer of the Year.

Meanwhile, Sandra Post catapulted herself onto the world stage at the 1968 LPGA Championship. In an 18 hole playoff against the reigning LPGA champion Kathy Whitworth, she carded a five-under-par 68 to beat Whitworth by seven strokes.

This win set an authoritative pace, singlehandedly setting four records: first foreigner, first Canadian, first rookie and the youngest to win the LPGA title.

It wasn’t until 10 years later that she would again taste victory. In 1978, 10 years after her first LPGA Tour victory, she would earn her second and third Tour wins to catapult her up in rankings. In 1979, she would defeat Nancy Lopez to earn back-to-back championship titles.

She won two more tournaments in1979 and finished second on the LPGA Tour Money List.

Mike Weir’s Lou Marsh Award came in 2003 after his stunning Master’s performance. With his Masters victory, Weir became the first Canadian to win one of golf’s four majors. He also happens to be the first left-handed player to win the Masters and the first ‘lefty’ to win a major in 40 years.

Winning the Masters is one of golf’s greatest accomplishments. The exclusive venue, the history and the coveted winners’ green jacket all heighten the stature of this renowned tournament. Victory at Augusta is one that secures a golfer’s career, whether as a newly turned pro or as a 10 year veteran like Weir, with its special celebrity, tour exemptions and entry to all major tournaments for five years.

This stunning victory and the impact of this on the sport of golf in Canada made the Lou Marsh award in 2003, a crowning achievement to an already stellar year for Weir.

ABOUT THE LOU MARSH EXHIBIT
Lou Marsh, along with the athletes whose names are etched on the trophy that bears his name, collectively represent one of the most fascinating mosaics in all of Canadian sports history.
The Lou Marsh Memorial trophy is a cherished prize that symbolizes the highest achievement in Canadian sport. Its recipients represent the fabric of Canadian sport. The names of women, men, amateurs, professionals, team players, rookies and veterans, from a diverse Canadian sporting landscape, occupy a place on this revered trophy.
A natural all-round athlete and a pioneer in sports journalism, Lou Marsh embodied the highest principles and ideals of sport. When he died suddenly in 1936, Canada lost its most widely read sportswriter and a sporting career the likes of which had never been seen. Appropriately, his name was immediately equated to a quintessential Canadian athletic award; its first winner announced that very year.
This very special exhibit is both a tribute to a most intriguing man, for whom life and sport were intertwined, and a celebration of the unique stories behind some of Canada's finest athletic achievements.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN GOLF HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame celebrates the outstanding individuals of Canadian golf from players, both amateur and professional, to the builders, architects and others who have been fundamental to the evolution of the game in this country.  Operated by the Royal Canadian Golf Association, the Hall of Fame, museum and library are open to visitors to discover more about the game and the inductees. For more information please visit www.cghf.org.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 350,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA 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 showcase the best in Canadian golf. 
For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org. 

Media Contacts:

Dan Pino
Director, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 406
Mobile: 416-434-5525
Email: dpino@rcga.org 

Terry Lenyk
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office 905-849-9700 ext. 335
Mobile: 416-407-3893
Email: tlenyk@rcga.org