An Emotional Golf Québec Fundraiser Tournament

Patrick Rhéaume, and Fred Colgan
 
Québec, September 20, 2023 – On Monday, Golf Québec celebrated the 16th edition of its Fundraiser Tournament at Club de Golf Royal Québec. Over 288 golfers, 60 young caddies, and a hundred guests gathered to pay tribute to Patrick Rhéaume, a long-time Golf Québec friend, former coach, and ex-Regional Director of Golf Canada for Québec, who was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in the past year, and to announce some good news for golf.
 
This Fundraiser Tournament is one of the components of the "My Golf, My Community, and I" fundraising campaign, which is designed to encourage children and families to discover the game of golf and learn how to play. This year, however, the event took a very special twist.
 
Several personalities from the Québec golfing community paid a heartfelt tribute to Patrick Rhéaume, who left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered throughout his career. Everyone had nothing but good things to say.
 
"Patrick has had and still has many ideas to foster the next generation of golfers, and we wanted to support him. Golf Québec wished to acknowledge Patrick's 31 years in the golf community, but above all, to celebrate him. Even though it's a very emotional day, it was all in good fun, and we wanted to highlight Patrick's achievements over the years." -François Roy, Assistant Executive Director of the Federation.
 
"We're stirring up a lot of emotions and we wanted to do an event that matches Pat’s strong character! We've worked together for 25 years, developed some amazing projects, and cared for young athletes as if they were our own children. We're very proud of this initiative and hope it lives on." -Fred Colgan, AGFC Golf Professional and Teacher.
 
" At Golf Québec, we're thrilled to help raise money for the Patrick Rhéaume Fund. Pat is passionate about golf. In a way, he transmitted his passion to me. It was very important for us to honour him today and to involve him as much as possible." -Jean-Pierre Beaulieu, Executive Director of Golf Québec.
 
"Pat was my first golf coach and it meant a lot to me to be here today. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. He built my character, toughened me up, and taught us a good work ethic. He's one of the most important people in my golf career." -Anne-Catherine Tanguay, former golf professional and Patrick's former student.
 
"Pat has been part of my life for a long time. He's helped me tremendously, he's made me a good golfer, but also a better human being. He's a great man! He's helped me achieve many of my goals, and he's always believed in me. I owe him one! -Étienne Papineau, golf professional and Patrick's former student.
 
"He had an outstanding career and he had a definite impact on golf in Québec. It's important to highlight all of that with everyone here for the cause. He was important in my sporting career, but also professionally, and I know I'm not the only one who benefited from Pat's advice." -Julien Proulx, Co-Honorary President of the tournament and Patrick's former student.
 
The man himself, who normally prefers to stay away from this kind of recognition and attention, was extremely touched by the organization of such an event.
 
"It's absolutely breathtaking to see how much support I have. I'm speechless! I want the Patrick Rhéaume Fund to continue year after year to support Québec athletes. It's important to help young people who work hard and commit to their sport. It's a pleasure to see everyone again today," said a delighted Patrick Rhéaume.
 
Creation of the Patrick Rhéaume Fund
 
The event was an opportunity to announce an initiative in support of young athlete golfers. Involved in many ways in the golf industry in Québec and Canada for 31 years, Rhéaume was keen to leave a legacy for the sport he loved. He and his entourage therefore set up the Patrick Rhéaume Fund to support athletes whose commitment to their sport has reached a remarkable level.
 
The first six recipients of these bursaries were named on Monday after the Fundraiser Tournament. William Bellavance and William Forget-Savard (regional bursary, $2,000), Anne-Léa Lavoie and Thomas Carrière (provincial bursary, $3,000), as well as Laurent Desmarchais and Étienne Papineau (national bursary, $4,000) were the first athletes to be supported by the Patrick Rhéaume Fund.
 
"It's super important for us to contribute to the Patrick Rhéaume Fund to help players evolve in the game of golf. I've been thinking about this day for a long time, and I'm proud to be at Patrick's side today and to have the chance to celebrate him." -Martin Ducharme, Director of Golf Château-Bromont.
 
Donations can still be made to the Patrick Rhéaume Fund.
 
An Impactful Regional Investment
 
Golf Québec also took the opportunity to announce a $5,000 investment in the Québec City Regional Golf Association to support the discovery of golf for children and families. This funding will be invested in the region's Introduction Tour, to make the game more accessible and easier to discover for a greater number of children.
 
Formerly held in the Greater Montréal area, Golf Québec is now changing the format of its event to travel annually to other regions to meet the golfing community and golf clubs.
"Golf Québec will be travelling to other areas over the next few years to showcase the initiatives of regional golf associations and also to support a regional cause. It's important for us to reach out to regional golf clubs and golfers," explained François Roy.
 
About Golf Québec – Initiate passions, build dreams
 
Founded in 1920, Golf Québec is the provincial sport federation whose mission is to increase participation in golf, to develop excellence in golf, and to promote and govern the game of golf. Golf Québec provides discovery and introduction programs such as First Tee – Premier départ Québec as well as core services such as the Rules of Golf, Course Ratings, World Handicap System, and the Québec Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, Golf Québec conducts regional and provincial championships to bring the local golf enthusiasts to surpass themselves and eventually reach the upper spheres of professional tours. For more information, please visit https://www.golfquebec.org.
 
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Sources:
François Roy, Assistant Executive Director
Philanthropy, sponsorships, and communications
514 252-3345, ext. 3392; Cell.: 514 349-4653 – froy@golfquebec.org
 
Émilie Bérubé, Marketing, Communications, and Business Partnerships Manager
514 252-3345, ext. 3393; Cell.: 514 463-5229 – eberube@golfquebec.org