Jack Hall also wins the Super Senior Division title in playoff
Saugeen Shores, Ont. – Playoffs were the name of the game on Sunday for the final round of the 2024 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO. Canadian born Miles McConnell began his day four shots back to come from behind and win the national championship in a playoff at Saugeen Golf Club in Saugeen Shores, Ont.
“I am very honoured and happy to have won,” said McConnell. “I was born in Toronto and lived just north of Toronto for ten years before I moved to the States and I am Canadian, so this means a lot to me.
“It also means a lot to me, just the way I won. I was able to come back and make some good shots down the stretch under pressure and a good putt there in the playoff which really means a lot to me because I’ve not always had great success in playoffs like that so I’m very happy.”
McConnell of Tampa, Fla. started the final round, four back of leader, Stephen Jensen of Milton Keynes, England. Following nine both McConnell and Jensen were 1-under on the day, keeping the Englishman ahead by four.
McConnell posted back-to-back birdies on holes 10 and 11 to pull within two shots of Jensen. After bogeying no. 12, McConnell birdied again on no. 13 to pull back within two shots, Jensen opened his second nine with four straight pars.
“I was happy to make the birdies on 10 and 11 and I kind of lost track at that point of where I was. I knew I was a couple back, but I wasn’t sure if I was two or three,” said McConnell.
Both exchanged pars on no. 14 and 15 before Jensen gave a shot back with a bogey on 16. After pars on 17, McConnell birdied no. 18 to come all the way back and force a playoff.
“I didn’t know for sure where I stood until the 17th hole, I asked some people behind the green after we putted and I thought I was two back and they said no, you’re only one back so I thought well, if I can get a birdie on 18 I can get in the playoff and fortunately, I did that,” said McConnell.
McConnell admitted that playoffs are always nerve racking, but on the first hole of the playoff he went on to record a birdie and with it he completed the come back to win the national championship.
“I felt better with my swing today than any of the other days so I just stood up on that tee and made one of my better swings, hit a good tee shot and then I couldn’t tell he (Jensen) wasn’t that close to the hole, he had about a 30-foot putt so if I can birdie this again, I’m going to win. I hit a nice shot in there to about ten feet behind the hole and I hit some good putts this week and fortunately that was another one.”
McConnell finished the tournament at 8-under following rounds of 74-68-70-68-280. Jensen finished as runner-up also at 8-under with scores of 75-68-65-72-280.
The Super Senior Division title was also decided by a playoff, with Jack Hall of Savannah, Ga. winning on the second playoff hole to defeat the defending Men’s Senior and Super Senior champion, Doug Hanzel also of Savannah, Ga. Hall fired a 2-under 70 on Sunday to finished 4-under for the tournament. Both Hall and Hanzel finished tied for third in the Senior Division standings.
On Friday, Team Alberta came from four back to start the day to win the Inter-Provincial Team Championship for the fourth consecutive time. Alberta was tied for second entering play on Friday but shot a collective 2-under to finish at 1-over to edge the host province by three. Alberta was represented by Brian Laubman of Edmonton, Alta., David Schultz of Calgary, Alta. and Senan Foley of Calgary who shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to help lead his team to the title.
The Canadian Men’s Senior Championship featured golfers aged 55-and-over and included a Super Senior division for golfers 65-and-over. The Super Senior Championship was contested concurrently over the four rounds of the championship.
In addition to the national championship, McConnell will receive an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Biltmore Forst Country Club in Asheville, N.C., August 23-28.
For the final leaderboard following the 2024 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.