OTTAWA, Ont. – Two of Canada’s emerging Indigenous golf talents, Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, B.C., and Bennett Love of Red Deer, Alta., have been recognized with regional 2026 Tom Longboat Awards, one of the highest honours bestowed upon Indigenous athletes in Canada.
Presented by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, the Tom Longboat Awards have celebrated Indigenous athletic excellence since 1951. The awards recognize athletes not only for their competitive achievements, but also for their leadership, sportsmanship, community impact and role-model qualities, making them among the most prestigious distinctions in Indigenous sport.
Krahn and Love were among the 22 regional recipients honoured at the 2026 National Indigenous Sports Gala in Ottawa on October 24, representing British Columbia and Alberta, respectively. Their recognition highlights the growing presence and impact of Indigenous athletes within golf and reflects the sport’s ongoing efforts to create more inclusive pathways for participation and high-performance development.
Austin krahn. Photo: Chuck Russell/Golf Canada
For Krahn, the honour adds to an already impressive rise through Golf Canada’s national team program. A member of Team Canada – NextGen, the 19-year-old captured the Canada Summer Games title in 2025 and earned victories at the British Columbia Amateur Championship, British Columbia Junior Championship and B.C. Indigenous Championship. He also earned his place on Team Canada after winning the national NextGen selection camp in 2024. Krahn is currently in his freshman year at Liberty University and won his first individual collegiate title at the Bryan Bros Collegiate in September.
Love, meanwhile, has emerged as one of Alberta’s promising young golfers and was recognized not only for his achievements on the course, but for the example he sets for future generations of Indigenous athletes. The 16-year-old has spoken proudly about embracing his Indigenous heritage and hopes his journey in golf can inspire other young Indigenous players to pursue their dreams both in sport and beyond.
Bennett Love
Recognizing both golfers underscores golf’s growing role in Indigenous sport communities and the importance of representation at every level of the game. Through initiatives such as First Tee – Canada, Indigenous participation programs delivered in partnership with provincial golf associations and Indigenous organizations, and the Team Canada high-performance pathway, Golf Canada continues to support opportunities for more Indigenous athletes to discover, develop and excel in the sport.
As recipients of the Tom Longboat Award, Krahn and Love join a distinguished group of Indigenous athletes whose accomplishments extend beyond competition and serve as a source of pride and inspiration within their communities and across Canadian sport.
For a complete list of winners and more information on the 2026 National Indigenous Sports Gala, click here.
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