Qually's golf volunteer work to include U.S. Open in June

One local volunteer will be busy on the links this summer, volunteering for no less than four golf tournaments, including the U.S. Open in June.

Joan Qually was named the chair of the Canadian Ladies Amateur Championships to be held in Lethbridge from July 23 to 27 at the Lethbridge Golf and Country Club. She will also be volunteering for the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at River Spirit Golf Club in Calgary from July 30 to August 2 and will be chairing the Western Future Links tournament in Sundre from July 9 to 12 at the Sundre Golf and Country Club.

“To me, this is quite an honour being the chair for the ladies amateur because in Lethbridge, they're using that to kick off their (100th anniversary) in 2013,” she said.

Despite the hectic schedule, Qually said she has made a lot of friends in Canada due to her volunteering and will be seeing many of them at the Canadian events.

“In Canada it's going to be pretty awesome because I've made over the years … a lot of friends across Canada. A lot of players that are going to be in the (ladies) amateur are certainly old friends, so that's going to be fun and … you get to see some great golf,” she said.

Before each of those tournaments, Joan will be volunteering at the Olympic Club in San Francisco at the U.S. Open from June 14 to 17 with the merchandising committee.

Qually applied to the U.S. Golf Association to become a volunteer at the tournament and was selected as one of about 1,200 volunteers to work the tournament. Husband Al has also been selected as a volunteer. He will also be working the CLAC as a rules official.

Qually, who has been involved in golf in Alberta since her own daughters competed at the junior level in the late 1980s, said she is honoured to be named chair of the CLAC, which will coincide with the centennial of the club in 2013. What started out as a way to stay connected to what was going on with her own daughters branched off to the Alberta and Canadian golf community in general.

“It's been kind of fun. We've made some excellent friends and it's been good,” she said.