Antigua's Amaya Athill to tee off at ACTA golf tournament

Antiguan-born Canadian professional golfer Amaya Athill is set to join travel industry professionals for a day of fun on the links at this year’s Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) Ontario Golf Tournament. 

Scheduled for Thursday (July 13) at Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton, ON, the 2023 return of this tradition will see Athill play through the course and share a few pointers with attendees.

As the major destination sponsor, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority will be bringing a taste of the islands to the tournament. 

Multi-genre Antiguan entertainer Drastic, known for hits such as “Sugary Waistline” and collaborations with Patrice Roberts and Jah Cure, will help welcome guests to the tournament. 

He’ll be accompanied by prominent Antiguan DJ, DJ Gravity, who will be entertaining with local tunes. 

Serving up authentic Antigua and Barbuda fare for the golfers, will be Giovanni Meyer, a Toronto-based Antiguan private chef, who formerly served as sous chef at trendy restaurants Byblos and Constantine.

With a 10-year background in law, Athill is one of the few black women to become a PGA professional in Canada.

"I am a proud product of the golfing community in Antigua and pleased to represent my island in the golfing space in Canada. It's an honour to have been invited by the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority to support them in their mission to showcase all that Antigua and Barbuda has to offer to the travelling community," said Athill.

Since moving to Canada a year ago, Athill has worked on a number of initiatives to make golf more inclusive. 

In her role as Manager, First Tee - Ontario with Golf Canada she works on creating opportunities for access to golf for children from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities. 

She is a contributor for ScoreGolf Magazine where she highlights DEI initiatives in golf Canada-wide. Athill is also the founder of Black Women Golfers, whose mission is to ensure black women - from beginners to more advanced golfers - have a space and community in the sport.

“We are extremely excited and proud to be joined at the ACTA Travel Industry Golf Tournament this year by Ms. Athill, who is remarkable both for what she has achieved within the game of golf and outside it,” said Tameka Wharton, Ag. Director of Tourism at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority. “We are also excited to share the talent of all the other young Antiguans and Barbudans who will be bringing a bit of our culture to the ACTA Golf Tournament.”

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