Sam Diamond and Shirin Anjarwalla take early leads as CN Future Links Prairie Championship opens
NEEPAWA, Man. – The 2016 CN Future Links Prairie Championship opened at Neepawa Golf & Country Club amidst gusting winds reaching 50km/h. Sam Diamond and Shirin Anjarwalla claimed the 18-hole leads to top the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Divisions, respectively.
Diamond began the day with a bogey-free front nine which included two birdies and ended with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. The Winnipeg product would go on to card a 2-under 70 to seize the early lead. Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont., sits one shot back of the leader. The 16-year-old collected a trio of birdies on the day.
Six players concluded the opening round tied for third at 1-over. Keith Ng of Richmond, B.C., Victoria’s Keaton Gudz (Victoria) and Yorkton, Sask., native Kade Johnson each collected three birdies for their shares of third. The trio are tied alongside Ryan McMillan (Winnipeg) and a pair of Calgarians in Owen Murray and Max Murchison, who led all competitors with five birdies on the day.
Shirin Anjarwalla carded a 6-over 78 to claim a two-stroke lead in the Junior Girls Division. The Nanaimo, B.C., native opened with a steady 1-over 37 on the front nine. Tied for second at 8-over are Camryn Roadley ofWinnipeg and Julie (Younsoo) Ju of West Vancouver, B.C.
Surrey, B.C., native Kate (Dahye) Choi currently sits fourth at 9-over 81, while Winnipeg’s Rebecca Kuik completes the Top-5 at 11-over.
The top six players in the Junior Boys Division will earn entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L., from August 1-4. Exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff in the case of ties. All competitors within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls Division will gain exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The tournament will be conducted from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.
The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls Division tee-off at 7:30 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:20 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.
McLaughlin wins Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur title
SUTTON WEST— Conditions were finally better for the remaining field at the Investors Group Ontario Women’s Senior and Mid-Amateur Championships, on June 9, as the final round concluded at The Briars Golf Club in Sutton West.
After the cut, following the second day, 62 players remained for the final round. For the championship, all senior aged players were eligible for both titles, while a field of 13 were exclusively competing for the Mid-Amateur.
Entering the day, Wasaga Beach’s Kristy McLaughlin, held a two-shot lead in the Mid-Amateur. The 30-year-old Mad River Golf Club member had put together a strong tournament finishing with rounds of two-over (74) and one-over (73). She would continue her steady play during the final round and went on to capture the title following a two-over (74) final round.
McLaughlin (74-73-74-221) started well with a birdie on the first hole before back-to-back bogeys on two and three. She got back to even with a birdie on the fourth and finished the front nine one-over due to a bogey on six. After a pair of bogeys on the back nine, McLaughlin’s lead was down to just one after 15. However a clutch birdie on the 17th hole helped put it out of reach as she went on to win the championship.
McLaughlin summed up her win after the round. “It feels great to win this. I have the Ontario Ladies Match Play Championship under my belt, but never had a win like this. I had a great day, I was striking the ball well, so it feels good.”
“I came into the day focused on playing steady. I just wanted to make pars. If a few birdies fell then great and if I made a bogey I would just make it up. I knew it was getting close at one point, so I knew I had to grind it out. I birdied 17 and that allowed me to get to 18 with a little more confidence,” added McLaughlin.
Finishing in second in the Mid-Amateur and winning the Investors Group Women’s Senior Amateur Championship was Thornhill’s Judith Kyrinis. Kyrinis, 52-years-old and a member of the Thornhill Golf & Country Club, came into the final round sitting third overall and second in the Senior Championship at seven-over.
Kyrinis was able to battle though some tough spots early and managed to get to the turn at just two-over. She continued to be steady on the back nine and then hit back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. That ended up being the clincher as she ended the day two-over (74), for a tournament total of nine-over (75-76-74-225).
The win was a long time coming for Kyrinis who talked about what it meant to her. “It feels fantastic, I am a little lost for words. I had a little trouble early with my drives, just not getting my legs going, and had a little bit of nerves. I knew what I was doing wrong, so I just tried to be patient and I got things going on the back nine.”
Kyrinis pointed to her back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 as a real turning point for her during the round. “It really calmed me down. I made some good shots in there and when you feel like you are swinging well and the putts drop, it’s nice.”
Rounding out the top three in the Mid-Amateur Championship was a tie between Picton’s Casey Ward (Picton Golf & Country Club) and Newmarket’s Christine Ryckman. Ward (78-78-74-230) and Ryckman (80-74-76-230) each finished the tournament at 14-over.
There was a tie for silver in the Senior Championship between St. Thomas’ Mary Ann Hayward (71-78-83-232) and Uxbridge’s Gail Pimm (78-77-77-232). Thanks to their 16-over tournament total, Hayward (St. Thomas Golf & Country Club) and Pimm (Whitevale Golf Club) will join Kyrinis as the representatives for Ontario in the team competition at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship, Aug. 24-26, at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka, Alberta.
In addition to the overall champions, there were two other division champions crowned within the Senior Championship. Capturing the 60 and over division was Brockville’s Theresa deLuis, from the Brockville Country Club. She finished at 19-over (83-79-73-235) for the tournament to win the title. In the 70 and over division, it was Blue Mountain’s Maureen Burns who took the gold medal. Burns, from the Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club finished with a two-round total of 42-over (93-93-186).
District teams also competed during the championships. Winning the Senior Gross Championship was York District at a total of 474. The team consisted of Kyrinis, Marion Reid (Islington Golf Club), Joanne Noble (Weston Golf & Country Club) and Debbie Court (Toronto Golf Club).
The Senior Net Championship was won by London District at a total of 454. The team was made up of Hayward, Sue Postian (Sunningdale Golf Club), Jayne Hedges-McKinnon (Bear Creek Golf & Country Club) and Irini Perivolaris (London Hunt & Country Club).
The team from Scarboro District won both the Mid-Amateur Gross and Net division titles. The team, made up of Kathy Pilkey (Sleepy Hollow Golf Club) and Helen Williams (Station Creek Golf Club), finished with a 331 gross score and 305 net score.
Monet Chun and Callum Davison claim 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship titles
BEAUCEVILLE, Que. – A cloudy drizzle hung over Club de golf Beauceville, but the competitors played through the damp conditions as the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship drew to a close. Monet Chun and Callum Davison held the opposition at bay and emerged victorious at Golf Canada’s third CN Future Links event of the season.
The Junior Girls’ lead teetered between Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Noémie Paré (Victoriaville, Que.) throughout the day, but the resilient Chun made par on her final eight holes to secure top spot. The first-time CN Future Links champion held the lead through all three rounds of play and closed the weekend at 5-over 221.
“My round wasn’t great today, but I’m glad I finished well on the back nine,” she said. “It’s my first CN win and I’m really happy about it because it’s one of the biggest tournaments I’ve won.”
The 15-year-old collected two birdies on the day to finish one-stroke ahead of Paré, who carded a 76.
When asked about her preparations for the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Chun said today’s event was a good start. “This win is a definite confidence-booster, and it exposed me to all the good players that are in Quebec. It’s definitely going to help me prepare more for the Nationals.”
Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., remained among the Top-5 throughout the weekend, tallying a tournament total 8-over 224 to claim third place.
Competitors in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division gained entry into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., August 2-5. Chun, Paré, and Dao will be joined by Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.), Meghan McLean (Port Williams, N.S.), and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.).
Four birdies in a final-round 73 made the difference as Callum Davison registered a two-stroke win. The Duncan B.C., resident finished the competition at 3-under 210.
“As the round got going I made a couple good up-and-downs to save par, and then from there I started to play better and get more confident,” he said.
The 15-year-old says the key to his success was staying calm, despite the crowded leaderboard. “I had a little bit of pressure after nine holes, and then gave myself a little bit of a cushion. It feels good to finish well.”
A tournament total of 212 gave first-round leader Sam Meek (Peterborough, Ont.) a runner-up result, while Minwoo Park (Toronto) and Marc-Antoine Hotte (Mascouche, Que.) rounded out the Top-3 with matching 214s.
Team Canada Development Squad member Charles-Éric Bélanger finished tied for 15th. The Québec City native posted a 75 in his final round.
CN Future Links Ontario champion Brandon Lacasse (Châteauguay, Que.) joins Davison, Meek, Park, and Hotte in the Top-5 of the Junior Boys division. All have earned exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s N.L., from August 1-4. William Duquette of Laval, Que., defeated Fredericton, N.B., native Calvin Ross in a one-hole playoff to earn the final qualifying spot available in this competition.
Three more CN Future Links Championships will be played this season:
- June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
- July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
- July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club
Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship can be found here.
Monet Chun and Callum Davison take 36-hole lead at CN Future Links Quebec Championship
BEAUCEVILLE, Que. – Clear skies and good weather brought ideal playing conditions to the second round of the CN Future Links Quebec Championship. First round co-leader Monet Chun took sole possession of the Junior Girls’ top spot, while Callum Davison moved up from second place to lead the Junior Boys into the final round.
Chun, a product of Richmond Hill, Ont., tallied four birdies across her first 11 holes to card a 2-under 70 on the day. The 15-year-old reached 2-under in the competition to extend her advantage by four strokes.
Noemie Paré of Victoriaville, Que., matched Chun’s 2-under day. The 18-year-old’s 4-under back nine comprised of two birdies and an eagle on the par-4 13th catapulted her into second place.
First round co-leader Alyssa DiMarcantonio of Maple, Ont., shot 76 and sits third, while Meghan McLean of Port Williams, N.S., holds fourth-place after carding a 71. Completing the Top-5 is Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., who is 6-over after equaling DiMarcantonio’s round of 76.
A new leader took hold of the Junior Boys division as Davison shot a 67 to secure a 5-under-par, one-stroke lead. The Duncan, B.C., product notched back-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5, then another pair on 11 and 12, before adding an eagle on the par-5 16th. Mascouche, Que., resident Marc-Antoine Hotte matched Davison’s eagle on the same hole and sits second after a round of 68.
One week removed from his victory at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Midland Golf & Country Club in Midland, Ont., Brandon Lacasse equaled Davison’s 4-under 67 to take sole possession of third place. The native of Châteauguay, Que., drained four birdies in a bogey-free round.
First round leader Sam Meek carded a 71 to stand alone at fourth, while William Duquette (Laval, Que.), Minwoo Park (Toronto) and Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) hold shares of fifth at 1-under. Québec City native Charles-Éric Bélanger, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, is T16.
Exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be awarded to the top six finalists in the Junior Boys division. The event will be contested at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s N.L., from August 1-4. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff. All those in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain entry into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., August 2-5.
The final day of competition will see the first round of Junior Boys tee-off at 7 a.m. before the Junior Girls take to the course at 11:20 a.m. The second round of Junior Boys will begin play at 1 p.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring is available here.
UBC Thunderbirds make history in sweeping team and individual titles at Canadian University/College Championship
PARKSVILLE, B.C. – The University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds claimed team and individual honours on both the men’s and women’s sides at the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship at Morningstar Golf Club. All four titles have never been captured by the same school in the competition’s 14-year history.
UBC Coach Chris MacDonald who was named the Golf Coaches Association of Canada’s Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s teams, reflected positively on his team and the state of Canadian collegiate golf. “This means a lot. It’s an exciting time and we’re going in a better direction. It’s just nice to see consistent golf and to see how much this tournament has grown – not just from our team, but the entire field.”
For the second time since this tournament’s inception in 2003, UBC earned both team titles – a feat that has not been matched by another school. UBC came just shy of sweeping the four honours in 2009, only missing out on the women’s individual title. Kat Kennedy of Okotoks, Alta., ensured this year’s team would not suffer the same fate, carding a 1-over 73 en route to a four-stroke victory.
“Before we went out today, as a team, we talked about staying in our own bubble and taking it one shot at a time,” said the 21-year-old. “I think I went out there with that mindset and it helped me today. I’ve put in a lot of time and practice after some injuries this year. This was a big win for me and to see my hard work pay off is a big push for next year and for the rest of my golf career.”
The significance of the victory was not lost on the third-year science student. “Golf Canada has been a big part of my life. I have played a lot of junior golf with Golf Canada. This is a big title to have and I’m not used to it yet. It’s great to be a national champion.”
Alexandra Pelletier of the Université Laval Rouge et Or claimed runner-up honours. The Montréal native tallied two birdies and finished the competition at 16-over-par. UBC’s Barbara Neto-Bradley, of Porto, Portugal, claimed third-place with a four-day total of 22-over 310.
The UBC women claimed a 19-stroke victory over the defending champions, the Université de Montréal Carabins, and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who tied for second at a combined 79-over-par.
Kennedy beamed when asked about wearing the blue and gold of the UBC Thunderbirds. “It is a big honour. We have a great team. I feel like everyone is very supportive. We help push each other to be more competitive. Everywhere I go, I wear the T-bird with pride. I couldn’t be more proud of both the women’s and men’s teams.”
For the second straight year, UBC’s men’s team claimed a wire-to-wire victory. It was the fifth team title for the men’s side and their third in the past four years. The fivesome finished 2-over on the day to complete the tournament at 18-under 1134 – 45-strokes clear of the competition. The University of Victoria Vikes were 1-under on the day and placed second, while the Queen’s University Gaels finished third.
The men’s Thunderbirds were again led by Scott Secord, who registered a wire-to-wire win of his own. The Calgarian finished with rounds of 67-67-73-70 to reach 11-under 277 in the competition. All five members of the quintet finished in the Top-10 with Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., taking 9th, Victoria’s Nate Ollis finishing T7, Evan Holmes of Calgary claiming 6th and fellow Albertan Jack Wood of Banff placing 4th.
Secord spoke of the tight-knit group when asked about his tenure as a Thunderbird. “It’s meant a lot. I’m glad I could finish (my career with UBC) like this and as a team, as well. I’ve known Jack since he was a little tyke. We’ve had a different kind of relationship – like brothers. But that’s what it’s like with everyone. We’re such good friends with each other.”
Despite gusty conditions at times, Secord tallied four birdies on the day, including two back-to-back in a bogey-free back nine. “I was kind of steady throughout the front,” commented the champion. “It was pretty windy and it was shifting. The trees were playing tricks on us and we weren’t really certain which way it was going.”
The 23-year-old withstood the impressive play of Lawren Rowe of the University of Victoria Vikes. The Sophomore who hails from Victoria notched four birdies on the day to finish 2-under – four shots shy of the champion. Taking third was the University of the Fraser Valley’s Connor McLellan of Chilliwack, B.C., who carded the day’s low round – a four-birdie 4-under 68 showing – to finish 5-under in the competition.
Additional information regarding the championship can be found here.
Sam Meek leads Junior Boys; Monet Chun and Alyssa DiMarcantonio share lead at CN Future Links Quebec Championship
BEAUCEVILLE, Que. – Sun broke through the morning’s cloudy skies at Club de golf Beauceville for the first round of the 2016 CN Future Links Quebec Championship. Sam Meek snuck through a close group of competitors to top the Junior Boys division by one stroke, while Monet Chun and Alyssa DiMarcantonio shot matching 72s to share the Junior Girls lead.
Meek, a Peterborough, Ont., native, maintained an even-par round through 15 holes before sinking birdies on holes 16 and 18 to finish at 2-under. The 17-year-old tallied five birdies en route to the day’s low round.
Callum Davison from Duncan, B.C., and Marc-Antoine Hotte of Mascouche, Que., sit T2 after matching rounds of 1-under. Davison sunk two eagles on holes 11 and 16, while Hotte led all players in the field with seven birdies.
Charles-Éric Bélanger – a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad – began the day with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes. The Québec City native finished in a six-way tie for 4th at even par.
Two players share the Junior Girls division’s top spot, with Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., notching three birdies on the back nine to finish at even-par. Alyssa DiMarcantonio of Maple, Ont., holds a share of first after collecting four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th hole.
Ellice Hong of Thornhill, Ont., Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., and Québec City native Sarah-Ève Rhéaume sit two strokes behind the co-leaders. Dao and Hong both tallied four birdies on the day, with Hong sinking three on the back nine.
Exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be awarded to the top six finalists in the Junior Boys division. The event will be contested at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s N.L., from August 1-4. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via a hole-by-hole playoff. All those in the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will gain entry into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., August 2-5.
The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls division tee-off at 7 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 8:40 a.m. Additional information, including pairings and up-to-date scoring is available here.
Russell Bowie crowned 2016 Ontario Champion of Champions
GORMLEY, Ont. — Men’s club champions from across the province were at Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club on June 3 for the playing of the Golf Ontario 2016 Champion of Champions tournament, presented by Turkish Airlines.
It was a beautiful day for the 53 champions who teed it up, as they all looked to be crowned 2016 Champion of Champions. The event had a wide range of ages competing, as the youngest champion was just 15-years-old while the oldest was 68.
Taking the title was Brampton Golf Club’s Russell Bowie. The 24-year-old Mississauga resident fired a two-under (69) to win the title by one stroke. Following the win, Bowie spoke about how honoured he was to be following in the footsteps of other Brampton Golf Club members who have won the Ontario Champion of Champions. “It means a lot to me to win this. It is a collection of club champions, so it’s pretty special to win. For Brampton, we have had a few previous winners: Stu Hamilton won it years ago and just a few years back, a good friend of mine, Binupa Wijesinghe, won it. I’m happy to bring it back to Brampton.”
Bowie credited his win to avoiding any major mistakes during the round. “I think I just avoided any major errors. I was never in any trouble. I hit a lot of fairways and greens, so I was never really scrambling. It was a good straight-forward round.”
This is the first provincial championship for Bowie.
Finishing in second place was Cherry Down’s Golf & Country Club’s Mathew Iceton. Iceton, from Brooklin, shot a one-under (70) to take home the silver.
Rounding out the podium in a tie for third were Deer Ridge Golf Club’s Ryan Kings and St. Catharines Golf & Country Club’s Robert Ellis. Kings, from Kitchener, and Ellis, from St. Catharines, each finished at even par (70).
Neepawa Golf & Country Club set to host 2016 CN Future Links Prairie Championship
NEEPAWA, Man. – The CN Future Links circuit is heading to Neepawa Golf & Country Club for the 2016 CN Future Links Prairie Championship. The fourth-of-six events in the series will welcome a field of 57 local and national junior golfers from June 10-12 as they compete in the 54-hole stroke play event.
The CN Future Links Championships are conducted in partnership with CN in an effort to support and develop junior golfers across Canada. Competitors will participate in a practice round on June 9 to prepare for the course’s challenging landscape situated around the Whitemud River.
“Golf Canada is excited to see the field compete at Neepawa Golf & Country Club,” said Dan Hyatt, the event’s Tournament Director. “This scenic track winds around the river to offer fantastic views for spectators and players alike. Neepawa will present an excellent chance for these players to strengthen their games.”
Three competitors from last year’s Top-10 will return in a bid to capture the Junior Boys title, led by Keaton Gudz from Victoria, B.C., who finished tied for fourth at the 2015 competition held at Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask. The 17-year-old will be joined by Carson Harcourt of Kipling, Sask., and William Comeau from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., who are looking to build upon their respective seventh and T10 finishes.
Shirin Anjarwalla of Nanaimo, B.C., represents one of three returning players in the Junior Girls division. The 16-year-old, who finished third last year, will see a familiar face in the field in Winnipeg product Rebecca Kuik, who claimed 13th.
After recording a 14th-place result at her home club last year, Kayla Sawchuck of Prince Albert, Sask., completes the contingent of returnees looking to make good on lessons learned throughout the past year.
Two CN Future Links Championships remain to be played this season:
- July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
- July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club
The top six scorers in the Junior Boys division will gain entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, held August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. A hole-by-hole playoff will determine exemptions in the case of ties. All players in the Top-6 of the Junior Girls division, including ties, will earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.
Additional information on the 2016 CN Future Links Prairie Championship, including a full list of competitors and tee-times, is available here.
British Columbia Golf crowns Mid-Am & Mid-Master champions
Nanaimo, B.C. – June 2nd, 2016 – Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan led wire-to-wire in securing the BC Men’s Mid-Amateur championship today, with Greg Bismeyer of Mission taking home the Mid-Master title.
On the women’s side, Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay captured both the Ladies Mid-Amateur & Mid-Master honours after overtaking round 1 & 2 leader Alison Murdoch of Victoria.
Carrigan Goes Wire-To-Wire Winning Mid-Am At Nanaimo Golf Club
In the end, Kevin Carrigan won by six shots, but it was more of a struggle than you might think. Carrigan, who had a nine-shot lead to start Thursday’s final round of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, saw his huge cushion slipping away after a disastrous beginning to his back nine.
“It didn’t feel like I was going to win by six after I had made three consecutive bogeys and splashed one into the water,” the 29-year-old Victoria native said. “I was thinking that the wheels had fallen off and I didn’t know where they had gone.”
After bogeys on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes, Carrigan then doubled the par 3 13th at Nanaimo Golf Club. Fortunately, he was able to birdie the par 5 14th hole to steady things and he parred the final four holes to post a five-over 77 that left him at four-under for the 54-hole tournament.
Carrigan finished six shots ahead of Victoria’s Scot Kral and Greg Bismeyer of Mission. “I definitely learned some stuff today,” said Carrigan, a 29-year-old member of Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria.
“It’s the first time I have won a tournament when I haven’t played three solid rounds of golf. I guess the fact there wasn’t anybody close after two rounds, I maybe got complacent or something like that.
I came out of the gate and bogeyed three of the first four holes and I’m thinking ‘oh my gosh, here we go.’ It’s one of those games. I always tell the juniors I work with no matter how bad it gets, it can always get worse, so just bear down and try to finish your round. I was fortunately able to do that not playing my best golf.”
The B.C. Mid-Amateur, which is open to competitors 25 and older, was held at the same time as the Mid-Master Championship, which is for players 40 and over. Bismeyer, a 54-year-old retired Vancouver police officer, took the Mid-Master title after closing the tournament with a solid round of one-under 71.
“It was a bit of roller-coaster round,” Bismeyer said. “It was some bad shots, some good shots and I strung three birdies together on 14, 15 and 16. Then the nerves get going on 17 and 18. It was fun.”
Bismeyer finished one shot ahead of Victoria’s Craig Doell and Nanaimo’s Sandy Harper in the Mid-Master category. Bismeyer and Kral will join Carrigan on the three-man team that will represent B.C. at the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship, which goes Aug. 23-26 in Bromont, Que.
Carrigan has now won two B.C. Mid-Amateur titles. He is also a two-time winner of the Canadian Mid-Amateur championship. Carrigan and Doell captured the two-ball championship that was also contested during the event. They finished with a score of 21-under par. That was eight shots better than the teams of Harper and Shelly Stouffer and John Gallacher and Gudmund Lindbjerg.
Click HERE for complete scoring
Nanaimo Twice As Nice For Nanoose Bay’s Shelly Stouffer
Shelly Stouffer battled more than just her closest pursuers in Thursday’s final round of the B.C. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. She also battled the butterflies, which were in full flight as she walked the final few holes at Nanaimo Golf Club.
Stouffer, a Nanoose Bay resident, overcame her nerves and held off Alison Murdoch of Victoria and Christina Proteau of Port Alberni to win the Mid-Amateur title by two shots. “I am pretty happy,” Stouffer said. “I was able to hang in and win coming down the stretch. I was nervous, man.”
Thursday’s final round was something of a roller-coaster ride for Stouffer, who shot a final round of four-over 76 to finish the 54-hole event at 16-over par. That was two shots better than the 66-year-old Murdoch, who closed with an 80. Murdoch, a Victoria Golf Club member, had begun the day with a two-shot lead on Stouffer.
“I was just trying to hit every shot the best I could and it was a much better ball-striking day certainly than the first day, but I just put myself in some awkward spots that I couldn’t get out of,” Murdoch said.
Stouffer also claimed the Mid-Master title for players 40 and over. So she won two provincial championships in one day. Not a bad day at the office. “I’ve never won the Mid-Am before so it’s exciting. In a major tournament like this I have never beat Christina before, so it’s a good feeling.”
Last summer, when the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master events were contested separately, Stouffer won her first Mid-Master title and finished runner-up to Proteau at the Mid-Amateur. Proteau, the pre-tournament favourite, simply could not buy a putt on Thursday, or most of the tournament for that matter.
She finished alone in third place, three shots behind Stouffer. “I hit a lot of good shots at one point and then I didn’t really pull the trigger the last couple of holes,” Proteau said. “It just happens, I guess.”
Click HERE for complete scoring.
UBC Thunderbird Squads extend advantages at Canadian University/College Championship
PARKSVILLE, B.C. – Third-round action at the 14th playing of the Canadian University/College Championship at Morningstar Golf Club saw the teams representing the University of British Columbia (UBC) increase their leads atop their respective leaderboards.
The UBC men’s team continued to show its dominance by posting a collective 2-under 286 for the round. The Queen’s University Gaels occupy second with a team total of 7-over 887 – 43-strokes behind the leaders. The Kingston, Ont., university is being pursued by two institutions located in British Columbia: the University of Fraser Valley Cascades and the University of Victoria Vikes, who trail the Gaels by four and five strokes, respectively.
The Thunderbirds were led by a 3-under 69 from Jack Wood of Banff, Alta. The third-year kinesiology major collected five birdies and added an eagle on the par-5 13th hole to move to 5-under in the competition. Tied with Victoria’s Lawren Rowe of the Victoria Vikes, Wood trails individual leader and teammate Scott Secord by four strokes. The Calgary product carded a 73 after opening the competition with consecutive 67s.
For the third consecutive day, Thunderbirds Evan Holmes of Calgary and Victoria’s Nate Ollis registered matching rounds. The pair have now shot 72-71-72 and sit T5 at 1-under alongside British Columbians Connor McLellan of Chilliwack who plays for the Cascades and Richmond’s Chris Crisologo, a member of the Simon Fraser University Clan.
Completing the Thunderbird contingent is Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., who sits fourth following a 1-over performance. The 19-year-old tallied five birdies, but sees the round as a missed opportunity. “Today was a little bit disappointing,” commented the kinesiology major. “I had a good chance to shoot a good number, but made some bad bogeys. It’s a nice course, but it’s very tricky. There are lots of dog-legs that can trick you into trying to cut some corners. You have to be patient and lay back on those.”
The team’s rookie reflected pensively on his first year donning the blue and gold of the Thunderbirds. “It’s been pretty good. Jack and Evan have been great. I’ve known them for a very long time from Alberta, so it wasn’t too hard fitting in with them. We have a pretty young team and they’re great guys – easy to talk to; easy to be around – so it’s been fun.”
“College is very different, it’s interesting,” added Harrison, when asked about the experience of playing in this competition. “You’re playing against men unlike junior, where you’re playing against kids. I’m really taking it all in and learning a lot from all the older guys.”
After opening the third round with a five-stroke advantage, the UBC women’s team tallied a 16-over total on the day and now lead the Université de Montréal Carabins by 12 strokes. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues climbed into third at a combined 64-over 712, led by the T6 standings of Ontarians Sarah Dunning of Waterloo and Etobicoke’s Laura Upenieks, who made a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole.
Thunderbird Kat Kennedy made a significant climb up the standings for the second straight day. The native of Okotoks, Alta., carded a round of 5-over 77 and at 11-over-par, leads the competition by one stroke. After holding the 18- and 36-hole leads, the Université Laval Rouge et Or’s Alexandra Pelletier now sits one-stroke shy of the leader. The native of Montréal was 13-over on the day after opening 71-72 in the competition. Porto, Portugal’s Barbara Neto-Bradley of the Thunderbirds moved into third-place at 13-over.
The competition opened with 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the nation vying for team and individual honours. With the conclusion of the third round, the field has now been reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and the top six women’s teams, in addition to any individuals within 15 shots of the lead.
The final round of competition will see both the men’s and women’s sides begin the day at 7:30 a.m. off split tees. Additional information regarding the championship, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.