On September 17th, 1950 the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club then called Royal Niagara was the site of the inaugural Niagara District Champion of Champions. Walter McCollum and Rex Stimers conceived the idea for this tournament during locker room talk after the Club Championship at Royal Niagara in 1950. Every year since then the Niagara District Club Champions get together and compete for the title of Champion of Champions. This brings together the region’s top Juniors, Men’s, Ladies, and Senior golfers. In 1950, it started with just the Men’s Club Champions and the runners up from eight area clubs; Dunnville, Oaklands, Port Colborne, Lookout Point, St. David’s, Erie Downs, St. Catharines, and Royal Niagara. The following year the ladies division was added. During the late 1960’s more clubs participated and divisions were added including Junior Boys and Girls. With the final division being added in the late 1970’s for the Senior division.

Walter McCollum was one of the originators of the Niagara District Champion of Champions. He was the Chairman of the tournament for 30 years and the Vice-Chairman afterwards. Walter was one of the most prominent sportsmen in St. Catharines in his time. He was a staunch supporter of golf in the Niagara Peninsula at both the amateur and professional levels. If it were not for Walt, this tournament would not exist as he carried the tournament after Rex passed away.

Rex Stimers, a co-founder in 1950, considered the Niagara District Champion of Champions tournament his pride and joy. He promoted just about every sport played in the Niagara District and did so for over 32 years as a sportscaster at CKTB Radio in St. Catharines. Stimers broadcasted the first-ever Champion of Champions played at Royal Niagara in Niagara-on-the-Lake and was able to get over 1,500 people to take in the inaugural tournament. Stimers helped get the tournament off the ground and also took out the Rex Stimers trophy for the Men’s Champion and had CKTB sponsor the team championship award.

If it were not for these two men, the Niagara District Champion of Champions tournament would not exist today. No one is certain who made the first suggestion to launch the tournament but to this day, it is still a very large part of the amateur golf stage in the Niagara region and is the largest and longest running tournament of its kind in Canada.

Stepping stone for amateur golfers

Many Niagara District Champion of Champions competitors have gone on to win major championships or have become club professionals and even tour players. Two ladies champions have certainly made their mark in amateur golf after dominating the Champion of Champions.

Marlene Stewart Streit of Lookout Point has won – 9 Canadian Ladies closed titles, 11 Canadian Ladies Opens, 11 Ontario Ladies Championships plus victories in the British, U.S and Australian Ladies Amateur Open Championships and 4 Canadian Senior titles plus 1 in the U.S. Marlene also won the first 3 Ladies titles in the Champion of Champions.

Cathy Sherk, who was first with Willodell and then went to Lookout Point was a 4 time Ladies Champion in Niagara, won the Canadian Amateur crown, U.S Ladies Amateur, and a World Women’s Amateur Championship. She then played professionally and later became a CPGA professional.

Divisions of Competition of the Event

• Team Division
• Men’s Division
• Ladies Division
• Senior Men’s Division
• Senior Ladies Division
• Junior Boys Division
• Junior Girls Division

Host Sites 

On behalf of Niagara, thank you to all of the clubs that have hosted the Walt McCollum Champion of Champions over the past decades.   The golf courses have shown support by making their facilities available to amateur golfers of all ages for the chance to compete at the highest level of competition offered in Niagara.

2022: Jaret Chipman, Cherry Hill

2021: Dave Toulouse, Grand Niagara

2020: Dave Bunker, Cherry Hill

2019: Matt Graham, Port Colborne

2018: Robbie Ellis, St. Catharines

2017: Kham Vong, Rockway Glen

2016: Michael Mottola, Cherry Hill

2015: Michael Mottola, Cherry Hill

2014: Brian Eden, Hunters Pointe

2013: Matt Graham, Lookout Point

2012: Matt Graham, Lookout Point

2011: Kham Vong, Queenston

2010: Matt Graham, Port Colborne

2009: Bob Goss, Long Beach

2008: Bob Berg, Rolling Meadowns

2007: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley

2006: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley

2005: Andy Labelle, Willodell

2004: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley

2003: Mike Claxton, ICC

2002: Jim Briggs, Peninsula Lakes

2001: Ange Bozza, Twenty Valley

2000: Jeremy Julie, Sawmill

1999: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1998: Mike Claxton, Lookout Point

1997: Jeremy Julie, Sawmill

1996: Jim Brown, Rolling Meadows

1995: Bill Lipsett, Twenty Valley

1994: George Fairgrieve, Bridgewater

1993: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1992: Lorne Demoe, Rockway Glen

1991: Sandy Billyard, Peninsula Lakes

1990: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1989: John Drynan Jr. Dunnville

1988: Les Westlake, St. Catharines

1987: Sandy Billyard, Peninsula Lakes

1986: Don Andrusiw, Twenty Valley

1985: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1984: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1983: Les Westlake, St. Catharines

1982: Les Westlake, St. Catharines

1981: Brian White, Lookout Point

1980: Woody McKaig, Lookout Point

1979: Bob Noyes, Port Colborne

1978: Bob Noyes, Port Colborne

1977: No tournament

1976: Les Westlake, Lookout Point

1975: Mike McNiven, Twenty Valley

1974: Lee Kelly, Willodell

1973: Mike McNiven, Twenty Valley

1972: Bill Reynolds, St. Davids

1971: Alan Billyard, Lookout Point

1970: Gary Bannister, Lookout Point

1969: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point

1968: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids

1967: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point

1966: Bill Bevan, St. Catharines

1965: Ed Muto, Erie Downs

1964: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids

1963: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point

1962: Dave Gillings, St. Catharines

1961: Bob Mason, Lookout Point

1960: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids

1959: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne

1958: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne

1957: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne

1956: Joe Mate, Lookout Point

1954: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids

1954: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids

1953: Jim Neale, Dunnville

1952: Jim Neale, Dunnville

1951: Jim Neale, Dunnville

1950: Al Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

2022: Cole Thompson, Sawmill

2021: Caleb Shorthouse, Twenty Valley

2020: Aiden Hawkins, Whiskey Run

2019: Jackson Strecker, Twenty Valley

2018: Ben MacLean, Lookout Point

2017: Luke DelGobbo, Lookout Point

2016: Ethan Bennett, Twenty Valley

2015: Jason Maloney, Twenty Valley

2014: Sam Piccolo, Lookout Point

2013: Sam Piccolo, Lookout Point

2012: Hanish Nagrani, Lookout Point

2011: Sam Piccolo, Peninsula Lakes

2010: Patrick Toppazzini, Bridgewater

2009: Steven Baltjes, St. Catharines

2008: Jack Gibson, Bridgewater

2007: Brandon Moore, ICC

2006: Kyle Griffis, Bridgewater

2005: Stephen McInnis, Port Colborne

2004: Kyle Griffis, Rio Vista

2003: Aaron Wagner, Willodell

2002: Derek Billyard, Hunters Pointe

2001: Kurt Ledwez, Beechwood

2000: Stephen Billyard, Peninsula Lakes

1999: Bob Pelletier, Beechwood

1998: Chris Holmes, Bridgewater

1997: Ryan Buckner, Port Colborne

1996: Rich Houghton, Port Colborne

1995: Brian Eden, Port Colborne

1994: Craig Lipischak, Twenty Valley

1993: Jamie Johnstone, St. Catharines

1992: Jeremey Rivando, Port Colborne

1991: Darren Mansell, Twenty Valley

1990: Cliff Wynhofen, Twenty Valley

1989: Ton Newton, Willodell

1988: Charlie Climenhage, Thunder Bay

1987: Todd Turonski, Port Colborne

1986: Chuck Holmes, Queenston

1985: Bill Lipsett, Twenty Valley

1984: Tom Vallee, Dunnville

1983: Ian Webb, Bridgewater

1982: Ken Robertson, Dunnville

1981: Mike Krowchyk, Lookout Point

1980: Joe Myers, Lookout Point

1979: Pete Harrison, Twenty Valley

1978: Drew McGlynn, Lookout Point

1977: No tournament

1976: Ted Bishop, Lookout Point

1975: Gary Stickl, Willdell

1974: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1973: Steve Fellinger, Willodell

1972: Al Kmety, Highlands

1971: Dave McKenzie, St. Catharines

1970: Rod Spittle, Willodell

1969: Bill Huizer, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1968: John Walker, Lookout Point

2022: Brian Lee, Bridgewater

2021: Derek Divok, Rockway Vineyards

2020: Des Brady, Lookout Point

2019: Bernie Bodogh, St. Catharines

2018: Bernie Bodogh, St. Catharines

2017: Bob Goss, Port Colborne

2016: Jim Briggs, Peninsula Lakes

2015: Larry Anderson, Hunters Pointe

2014: Tony Ravenda, Riverview

2013: Des Brady, Lookout Point

2012: Elmer Debenedet, Willodell

2011: Des Brady, Lookout Point

2010: Bob Goss, Port Colborne

2009: Des Brady, Lookout Point

2008: Glenn Edmonds, Willodell

2007: Tom Yurcich, St. Catharines

2006: Don McQuaig, Bridgewater

2005: Woody McKaig, Lookout Point

2004: Chris Nicolaou, Pelham Hills

2003: Chris Nicolaou, Welland

2002: Don McQuaig, Bridgewater

2001: Les Westlake, Hunters Pointe

2000: Glen Keffer, Lookout Point’

1999: Bob Jarvis, Rockway Glen

1998: Bill Bockel, Bridgewater

1997: Al Shaw, Lookout Point

1996: Gerry Pelletier, Beechwood

1995: Glen Keffer, Lookout Point

1994: Mike Lococo, Rockway Glen

1993: Glen Keffer, Lookout Point

1992: Glen Keffer, Lookout Point

1991: John Benko, Highlands

1990: John Benko, Highlands

1989: John Benko, Highlands

1988: John Benko, Highlands

1987: Doug Garrett, Queenston

1986: Stan Luke, Westbrook

1985: John Watson, Twenty Valley

1984: Sandy Middleton, Willodell

1983: George Wiemert, Cherry Hill

1982: Frank Boychuk, Twenty Valley

1981: Al Spear, Bridgewater

1980: Al Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1979: George Wiemert, Cherry Hill

1978: George Wiemert, Cherry Hill

1977: No tournament

1976: Al Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake

1975: George Wiemert, Cherry Hill

1974: George Wiemert, Cherry Hill

1973: Bill Dolishney, Riverview

1972: Lloyd Rundle, St. Catharines

1971: Joe Leigh, Dunnville