$50,000 charity match The Face-off returns to TPC Toronto

Canadian Olympic legend Jayna Hefford and PGA TOUR Canada star Noah Steele take on TSN’s James Duthie and Sportsnet’s David Amber

Caledon, Ont. – Two Star-studded teams will return to compete for charity at The Face-off, a $50,000 charity match held annually at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

 Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jayna Hefford and PGA TOUR Canada star Noah Steele will take on TSN’s James Duthie and Sportsnet’s David Amber in the third edition of the annual 18-hole competition for $50,000 in donations from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and the Humeniuk Foundation. 

Conducted with One Eleven Management Group, The Face-off will take place Monday, July 18 on TPC Toronto’s Heathlands course as part of a week-long schedule of events for the Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates, an official PGA TOUR Canada event.

“From interacting with some great personalities to raising some awareness and support for some outstanding charities, The Face-off has become one of our favourite highlights of each summer,” said TPC Toronto President Chris Humeniuk. “We’re thrilled to have another great group of participants coming to tee it up and have a fun day on the course again this year.”

The Face-off features an initial donation of $10,000 from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and the Humeniuk Foundation to each of the charities represented by the four players. Following the 18-hole match between teams, which will consist of six holes of net best-ball, six holes of alternate shot and six holes of scramble, the winning team’s players will earn an additional $5,000 donation each.

The competition will be covered live on social media, hosted for the second consecutive year by TSN personality Lindsay Hamilton.

Hefford, one of Canada’s most decorated hockey legends with four Olympic gold medals and seven IIHF World Championships to her name, will tee it up with Steele, the defending Osprey Valley Open champion and a TPC Toronto Player Ambassador. Hefford and Steele both attended Holy Cross Secondary School in Kingston.

“I’m so excited to tee it up and compete alongside Noah in The Face-off,” said Hefford. “As the team of actual athletes, we’ll try to take it easy on James and David, but the most important thing is that we’ll be raising awareness and money for some great charities.”

Duthie, who returns to the Face-off for the third consecutive year, won last year’s match alongside Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie, defeating NHL stars Mark Scheifele and Brandon Tanev in a remarkable comeback. Duthie will join forces with Amber, a frequent playing companion and golf travel buddy.

“Coming off last year’s win, we’re definitely the favourites,” said Duthie. “Jayna has won about 20 gold medals and World Championships and Noah has already won actual professional golf tournaments, but neither of them have won The Face-off. There’s nothing that can match that kind of experience. And at a time when the world is more divided than ever, two hockey hosts from rival networks come together to win a charity golf match? That’s magic. That’s history.”

Added Duthie about The Face-off: “This has been such a great event to be a part of for the last two years. I have so much admiration for the support The Humeniuk Foundation and TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley have shown to these charities and I can’t wait to tee it up again next week.” 

Hefford will compete on behalf of the Grindstone Award Foundation, which provides opportunities to young female hockey players who have a desire to play but are unable to for financial reasons.

Steele will play on behalf of First Tee – Canada, a youth development program offered by Golf Canada that introduces the game of golf and its inherent values to young people.

Amber will compete for JDRF, an organization focused on improving lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat Type-1 Diabetes and its complications. 

Duthie will play for KidSport Ontario, which together with a network of 18 chapters provides grants to help cover the costs of enrolment so that all kids aged 18 and under in Ontario can play a season of sport.