President

John Najev
​John was proud to join the HHJGT Board in 2015 and was the 1985 HHJGT Tour Champion. The tour assisted John in pursuing a career in golf. A NCAA Division I scholarship golf athlete at the University of Houston, Professional Golfer/Coach, PGA of Canada member, and President, Infinity Sports Services & Mgmt., assisting professional and elite amateur golfers attain their golfing career aspirations and objectives.  He is pleased to assist the community and this non-profit organization to promote the participation of young athletes while developing their personal and athletic skills and growing the game of golf in our community. John is the Head Coach for the McMaster University Women's & Men's Golf teams.

Vice President

Brent Warriner
​Brent joined the HHJGT Board of Directors in 2016, he has volunteered at HHJGT events, especially qualifying day for several years. He currently works at the Ontario Public Service (OPS) for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) human resources and organizational development for the Provincial Highways Management Division. He has been a member at Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club since 2008. Brent views joining the HHJGT Board of Directors as an opportunity support competitive junior golf at the local level, which compliments his volunteering as a Rules Official at the provincial and national levels.

Past President

Scott Niewland
Scott Niewland  was President of the HHJGT for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. ​Niewland has been an active member of the HHJGT Board of Directors since 2012, serving as Treasurer from 2012-2014 and Vice-President in 2014-2015. He competed four seasons on the Tour before accepting an athletic scholarship (Div. 1) to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. The Tour prepared Scott for his collegiate career and would like to provide junior golfers with a similar positive experience with the game. 

Treasurer

Mike Mitchell
​Mike has been a board member, for the second time, since 2013 and is the current treasurer. Mike is a CPA, CA at Taylor Leibow bringing his experience and expertise to the board.  He was a member of the Tour from 2003 -2005 and captured the Rookie of the Year award in his first season. The Tour opened many doors for Mike and for that reason he feels it is important to give back to the community and more specifically to junior golfers in an attempt to provide them with similar opportunities

BOARD MEMBER

Rick Bahula
​Rick has been a board member since the 1999 tour year and is a Past President of the HHJGT, serving in that role from 2006-2007. Rick is a CPA, CA at Taylor Leibow LLP and his financial and analytical skills are an asset to our board.  Away from the office Rick is an avid golfer and member at Glendale Golf & Country Club. He feels it is important to give back to the community and the HHJGT is a great local non-profit organization to get involved with which helps young athletes in our community develop their golf skills in a friendly, competitive environment.

Board Member

Michael Evans
​Michael has been involved with the Tour since 1991 when he first qualified as a player - he went on to hold the Tour Coordinator role over four seasons before taking a position on the Board of Directors and then President from 2004-2005. Away from the Tour, Michael is currently employed at Golf Canada as Director of Corporate Sales and is a member at RattleSnake Golf Club. He believes participation in the HHJGT many years ago provided him with the ability to foster great friendships and more importantly life skills/values. He is committed to providing the same opportunity for current and future generations in the Hamilton/Halton regions.

Board Member

Jim Kenesky
​Jim joined the Hamilton Halton Junior Golf Tour Board of Directors in 2012 and later became President for the 2014-2015 seasons. Jim is a former Tour player having competed four seasons from 1995-1998. His best finish was Runner-up in 1998. Jim turned professional in 2005 and joined the PGA of ​Canada in 2007 and attained his Class A status in the winter of 2013. Currently Jim's company, Kenesky Murray Golf Services manages the PGA of Ontario Player of Year Series events and holds majority ownership of the Great Lakes Golf Tour. The goal of Kenesky Murray Golf Services is to build golf communities and ensure the long-term sustainability for competitive golf in our country.

Board member

Ian Giles
​Ian has been a HHJGT Board member since 1994 and served as President from 1996-1998. Ian earned a Hons. BSc. from McMaster University, where he played on the golf team for four years and worked at McMaster for another 33 years. Ian is a Level 4, certified Rules Official with Golf Canada. He served as a Governor with Golf Canada for ten years and is a Past President of the OGA and the Golf Association of Ontario (2000-2001). Ian is the recipient of the GAO, Dick Grimm, Distinguished Volunteer of the Year for 2014. He continues to volunteer extensively with both Golf Canada and the GAO as a rules official and also as a starter at the RBC Canadian Men's Open and the LPGA Manulife Classic. He is happy to pass on his knowledge to the Tour's young players.

Secretary/Board Member

Ruth Giles
​Ruth's experience as a volunteer with Golf Canada and the Golf Association of Ontario (winner of the 2007 GAO Volunteer of the Year, 2007 Golf Canada Volunteer of the Year and the 2011 GAO Dick Grimm Distinguished Volunteer of the Year) helps our Tour events run efficiently. She has been on the HHJGT Board since 1999 and served as President in 2002-2003. Ruth serves as Secretary for the Tour Board of Directors. Ruth continues to volunteer regularly with Golf Canada and the GAO as a starter and scorer and feels she is helping the Tour players realize competitive golf is not just on the course, but at the scoring table as well.

​BOARD MEMBER

Bruce Heagle
Bruce has served on the HHJGT Board of Directors since 2005, serving as President in 2008 - 2009. He has an extensive and varied business background, which has included foodservice, real estate and investment management, augmented by leadership roles on private, public and volunteer boards. Bruce’s involvement with HHJGT gives back to a game that has given him years of challenge and enjoyment, and to support a well-established local junior golf tour provide a competitive tournament environment for young aspiring athletes to hone their skills, and to build character and friendships.

​BOARD MEMBER

Bob Kendall
Bob is a graduate of McMaster University with a degree in Honours History. He received his Athletic Letter from Mac in 1970 for playing football and golf for his school. Bob retired in 2011 after teaching for 25 years for the HWDSB.  Prior to that, he worked for thirteen years in the private sector as a sales rep, national sales training manager, and branch manager for five different companies both in Canada and the USA.  An active golfer for 50 years, he played in the 1973 Canadian Amateur and the 1983 and 1984 Oklahoma Open. Still active in the golf world, he works part time at Golf Town and scouts for Coach Allan Bratton of Oklahoma State and Coach Mike McGraw of Baylor University in Texas.  Bob is vitally interested in growing the game through junior golf and recognizes the important contribution the HHJGT can make to this end.

​BOARD MEMBER

Patrick O'Neill
Patrick was born and raised in Ancaster, Ontario. Patrick was the HHJGT Tour champion in 1999.  He graduated from Temple University in 2005 with a BA in Marketing and joined the PGA of Canada in 2006 and was an apprentice professional under Henry Brunton where he focused extensively on junior golf development.  He achieved his PGA of Canada Class A Professional status in 2009.  In 2012 Patrick graduated from D'Youville College with a Masters of Childhood Education.  He currently works as an elementary teacher for the HWCDSB and is an Assistant Professional at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Board member

John Valley
John was a member of the Tour through the mid-1990s and subsequently served as the Tour’s lead rules official for two summers while attending university, where he played first team golf for the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). John joined the board after graduating university in 2004 and served until 2007 when he returned to the UK to pursue graduate work at the University of Cambridge, where he played first team golf, earning his “full Blue” in the University Golf Match against Oxford University in 2008 and being elected captain in 2009.  John rejoined the Board of Directors upon his return from the UK and currently lives in Oakville and works as a corporate lawyer in Toronto. John has always enjoyed the history and traditions of the game, and his service on the Board provides an avenue to contribute to the game through an institution that has developed in the best spirit of that history and tradition.

BOARD MEMBER

Garry McKay
​Garry returns to the HHJGT Board of Directors in 2018. Garry has been covering golf for more than 40 years. He was a huge contributor to the success of the tour in its early years. Well before the days of the internet, Garry insured that the tour received regular media coverage in The Hamilton Spectator. He has contributed to all the major Canadian golf publications and periodicals in the U.S.A. and Germany. In 2009, he moved into radio hosting the "Canadian  PGA Golf Radio Show." He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the Past-President of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. Garry is a voting member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. Also, he sits on the Score Golf Top 100 and the Ontario Golf Magazine Best New Course and Top 50 panels.

Tour Coordinator

Deborah Lee Eldridge
Deb joined the HHJGT in 2016 as our Tour Coordinator. Deb has been a PGA of Canada member for over 25 years with a background as a LPGA Tour touring professional, teaching professional, and collegiate coach.  Deb was a NCAA Division I golf athlete at Indiana University where she was a four time tournament champion and a two time Honourable Mention All-American. She was the Big 10 Player of the Year in 1990. Has competed in almost 200 professional tournaments, winner of 10 professional tournaments, 88 top-10 finishes. Previously ranked #1 Amateur in Canada, 5 time Ontario Women's Amateur Champion, National Amateur Champion (France).  Deb is the Mohawk College Head Golf Coach, Men’s and Women’s Teams. A Coaching Association of Canada Certified Instructor, she has a special interest in wanting others to enjoy this amazing game and enjoy the process of learning how to play it as well.