Mike Duggan, head coach of the Durham Lords varsity golf program, will join Team Canada as an assistant coach at the 2008 World University Golf Championship in South Africa. The tournament will take place September 2 to 5.
Before Mike Duggan tees off for another season as head coach of the Durham Lords varsity golf team in September, he'll travel halfway across the world to help Canada's best university and college golfers take aim at a world title.
Duggan was recently selected as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2008 World University Golf Championship at Sun City, located in the North West Province, South Africa.
"This is a fantastic opportunity and I'm honoured to be selected as a member of the coaching staff," said Duggan. "I look forward to working with the other coaches and all of the athletes while representing Canada at the championship."
Duggan will join an elite coaching staff that also includes head coach Ray Chateau of Humber College, and assistant coaches Carla Munch of the University of Waterloo, Bryan Carbery of the University of Victoria and Karen Danylchuk of the University of Western Ontario.
The tournament, which runs from September 2 to 5, will feature 11 of Canada's best university- and college-level golfers hoping to take home a world medal. Duggan and the rest of the coaching staff will guide and coach the six men and five women, who come from across the country.
Duggan has been head coach of the college's golf team for the past 10 seasons, helping reinvigorate the program in 1996. Since that time, Durham golfers have had consistent success on the provincial and national levels.
Tyler Martin won provincial titles in 2004 and 2006 and a national title in 2005, while Will Mitchell won a provincial title in 2005, a national title in 2006 and finished eight at the World University Golf Championship in the same year. Both are now playing professionally on the Canadian Tour. Stephanie Brown also brought an individual provincial gold medal to Durham in 2005.
In addition to leading Durham College's finest golfers, Duggan has served as the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association's (OCAA) senior convenor of golf since 1999. In 2000, he was named the national senior golf convenor for the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA).
The team will leave for South Africa in late August. Golfers will have a chance to participate in two practice rounds prior to the main event. Both courses to be played during the championship were designed by golf legend and native South African, Gary Player.