NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – Garrett Rank successfully defended his Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title at the 2015 edition of the national championship. Hosted by Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S., Rank led wire-to-wire and completed his title defence with a final-round of 1-under 69 to finish 3-under 277 in the competition.

“This means a lot to me. I worked really hard on my game this summer,” reflected the champion. “To win another national championship feels really good. I played solid again today and gave myself a lot of chances. I was just really steady.”

The native of Elmira, Ont., opened with an even-par 36 across the front nine and totaled four birdies on the day. With the victory, Rank has captured his second consecutive President’s Cup as Canadian Mid-Amateur champion, following a thrilling 2014 playoff victory. He joins a list of five past champions who have claimed more than one title at this event.

“This championship allows you to meet the different guys and hear their stories,” said Rank. “Playing with Dave (Bunker) again was nice. There are guys here like Graham Cooke who has won this tournament seven times. It’s great to play against those guys and then also learn what they do and where they come from.”

The 27-year-old has earned his way into the field for the 2016 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. It will be his second foray into Canada’s National Open Championship after playing in the 2015 edition by way of last year’s victory in this tournament. The 107^th playing of the RBC Canadian Open is slated to take place July 18-24, 2016.

“I’m excited to get back to the RBC Canadian Open,” added the former University of Waterloo Warrior. “Playing this year was a great experience. I’ll be able to play a little more settled next year. I won’t have as many nerves. I know if I play my game and if I play the way that I can play, I can compete out there.”

Finishing in second place was Dave Bunker. The native of Woodbridge, Ont., collected back-to-back birdies on holes 3 and 4 before finishing the day at 2-over 72. Michel Landry of Saint John, N.B., carded three birdies across the back nine to complete the competition in third place at 7-over 287.

With his four-day total of 4-over 284, Bunker captured the over-40 Mid-Master division of the championship. “I had a really good start. I felt really good,” said Bunker, who notched two birdies across his first four holes. “I ran into some trouble on holes 11 and 12. That kind of put me out of the chance to catch Garrett. In the end, a 72 is not a bad round in the wind and in the conditions we played through today.”

This is the seventh Mid-Master title for the 50-year-old. “I feel great about that. It means that I’m playing well because there are so many really good players over 40. To be able to finish second overall is really good. Garrett is a great person, first of all. He’s also a really good player. This is really good for him. He deserves everything he’s getting with the chance to play in the RBC Canadian Open again.”

Bunker finished six-strokes clear of Matlock, Man., product Garth Collings, who completed the tournament with a 1-over 71 showing. Three players finished tied for third at 295 – Calgary’s Kevin Temple; Moncton, N.B., native Stu Musgrave; and Glenn Robinson of Middle Sackville, N.S.

Played concurrently with the first 36 holes of the competition, Team Ontario emerged victorious in the inter-provincial team championship to claim the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy. Garrett Rank and teammates Kevin Fawcett of Toronto and Josh Hunke from New Hamburg, Ont., totaled 5-over 285. Playing in their home province, the members of Team Nova Scotia took runners-up honours with an 8-over 288 score while Team New Brunswick captured third-place at 12-over 292.

Additional information regarding the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship is available here.

NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – Garrett Rank tamed cool temperatures and gusty 47 km/h winds to maintain his lead atop the leaderboard at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The defending champion carded an even-par round to mark his third straight day ahead of the field at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S.

“The weather was tough today. It got really windy in the middle of the round,” said Rank. “But I played good and putted really well again. I made a few good six to 10-footers for par. I gave myself a few more chances today. It was just a solid round altogether.”

Rank registered another steady day, matching a bogey on hole 8 with a birdie on No. 15 to finish at even-par 70. The 27-year-old is four-strokes clear of his nearest competitor. Despite the advantage, Rank maintains a need to stay focused.

“I’m not really going to worry about what other guys are doing and just control what I can control,” added the native of Elmira, Ont. “I’ll just go out there and play against the golf course. I’ll stay patient again and give myself a lot of looks.”

At stake are the President’s Cup as Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion and an exemption into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. Next year’s edition of Canada’s National Open Championship will return to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

In second place is another competitor familiar with emerging victorious at this competition. Dave Bunker is hoping to return to the winning form he found during three consecutive championships between 2008-10. Bunker tallied four birdies on the day en route to a round of 2-under 68.

“I hit the ball really well considering how windy it was,” said the 50-year-old. “I think anything around par or under-par is going to be a good score today. It was very difficult out there, I think.”

The native of Woodbridge, Ont., reflected positively on his competitors when asked about the possibility of adding a fourth championship. “Another title would be special. Now that the younger guys are playing – and they’re playing very well – if I can put a good round together tomorrow and challenge for first place, that’d be pretty good.”

Paul Raycroft of Humboldt, Sask., completes the top-3 following a round of 2-under 68 to move to 4-over 214 in the competition. The 34-year-old collected five birdies on the day and registered a bogey-free 1-under 33 across the back nine.

At a combined 2-over 212, Dave Bunker leads the over-40 Mid-Master division. A victory would give Bunker a fifth Mid-Master championship following four consecutive titles from 2007 to 2010. He sits seven-strokes clear of 2003 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garth Collings of Matlock, Man., and Middle Sackville, N.S., product Glenn Robinson.

Team Ontario captured the inter-provincial competition played concurrently with the first two rounds of the tournament. Garrett Rank and teammates Josh Hunke of New Hamburg, Ont., and Toronto’s Kevin Fawcett combined to shoot 5-over 285 to claim the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy by a three-stroke margin. Finishing in second was the team representing the host province while Team New Brunswick completed the competition at 12-over 292.

The final round will see players begin the day at 7:30 a.m. ADT with the leaders teeing off at 9:30 a.m. ADT. Additional information regarding the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship can be found here.

Team Ontario captured the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy as provincial team champions at the 2015 edition of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The three-man unit combined for a total of 5-over 285 at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S.

“When you make the team, the goal is to come here and win,” said team member Garrett Rank. “It’s really nice for me and the guys to bring it back home to Ontario.”

Rank, the competition’s defending champion, reflected on his time together with teammates Kevin Fawcett of Toronto and Josh Hunke from New Hamburg, Ont., as a building block to their victory. “I played with them in the final round at the (Golf Association of Ontario’s Investors Group Men’s) Mid-Amateur so I knew them pretty well. I grew up with Josh’s brother, so I knew his family a little bit better, too. (Kevin and Josh) are nice guys and good players.”

For the past 23 years, provincial teams at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship have contested the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy – awarded to the provincial team with the combined two lowest daily scores through each of the first two rounds of competition.

Finishing in second was the team representing the host province, made up of Dartmouth native Stuart Lenehan, Biblehill product Paul Coulson and Glenn Robinson of Middle Sackville that tallied 8-over 288. In third place with a combined effort of 12-over 292 was another maritime province – Team New Brunswick, comprised of Brett Taylor (Grand Bay-Westfield), Michel Landry (Saint John) and Greg Jones (Berry Mills).

Despite gusty conditions, Rank carded a 3-over 73 to maintain his lead in the individual competition. The 27-year-old’s round was highlighted by three straight birdies on holes 11 to 13.

“It was harder out there today in the wind,” reflected the native of Elmira, Ont. “I made a few mistakes and they cost me a couple of double (bogeys), but I putted really well. It wasn’t a good day, but I managed well out there.”

When asked about his mindset heading into the third round, the former Waterloo Warrior said, “I need to stay patient and give myself more looks. I didn’t give myself too many opportunities today. It seemed like I was working for par a lot more than I was yesterday.”

Kevin Carrigan and Glenn Robinson are knotted for second following identical rounds of 72 and 69. Carrigan from Victoria, B.C., opened with two bogeys on his first nine holes, but recovered with three birdies across the remainder of his round.  Likewise, Robinson began the day with a 2-over 38 on the front nine before registering three birdies, including two back-to-back on holes 14 and 15, to complete the day.

With today’s 69, Robinson also took over top spot in the over-40 Mid-Master division. First-round leader Garth Collings of Matlock, Man., moved to second place following a round of 73 that including four birdies. Tied for third with two-day totals of 144 are Allan Stanley of Windsor, Ont., and fellow Ontarian Dave Bunker of Woodbridge.

In addition to claiming the President’s Cup, the winner of the 29^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will earn a coveted exemption into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to be played at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Advancing to the third round are 78 players who shot 15-over 155 or better. Additional information regarding the tournament can be found here.

NEW GLASGOW, N.S. – Garrett Rank wasted little time in opening his title defence at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Rank was one of three players to register a round below par on the opening day of the nation’s premiere competition for those over 25.

“I was pretty good off the tee today,” reflected the 27-year-old, who tallied five birdies en route to a 5-under 65 performance. “I got it in play and gave myself a lot of chances. I hit a few close and then hit a few really good wedge shots. I tried to give myself as many opportunities as I could from 15 feet all day.”

Rank is the defending champion after claiming the President’s Cup in 2014 following a playoff victory over Rob Couture of Dallas, Texas. The native of Elmira, Ont., recognizes the challenges of playing as a past winner, but likens the experience to the difficulties of participating in the many big events that have highlighted his season.

“There’s a little bit of pressure, but it’s not really anything that’s new or different. There’s pressure playing in the RBC Canadian Open. There’s pressure playing in the Pan Am Games. There’s pressure playing in the U.S. and Canadian Amateurs. You just have to try and take it one shot at a time.”

The former University of Waterloo Warrior remains focused on the task at hand – claiming victory and a prized exemption into the 2016 edition of Canada’s National Open Championship.

“The goal here is to win and get into the RBC Canadian Open again next year,” said Rank. “But you can’t think about that stuff. You’ve just got to worry about playing golf. You just need to stay patient. You can’t try and get too aggressive. If you just keep grinding away and hitting solid shots, hopefully some good scores will follow.”

Sitting with a share of second is another competitor looking to build upon his legacy at this championship – Garth Collings of Matlock, Man. The 57-year-old, who won this competition in 2003, opened with three birdies across a bogey-free front nine and would go on to finish 1-under on the day. Tyler Wright of Regina, Sask., notched three birdies to also end the first day of competition tied for runner-up.

With his round of 69, Collings leads the over-40 Mid-Master division. Woodbridge, Ont., product Dave Bunker’s 18 even-par holes has him in second. The 50-year-old is a three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, having collected three consecutive titles from 2008-2010. Stony Plain, Alta., native Jeff Murdoch is in third at 1-over 71.

Team Ontario leads the inter-provincial competition that is played concurrently with the first 36 holes of the tournament. Comprised of Garrett Rank, New Hamburg, Ont., native Josh Hunke and Toronto’s Kevin Fawcett, the trio registered a combined score of 3-under 137 to lead by five strokes.

In second place totaling 142 is Team Alberta made up of Jeff Murdoch, Kevin Temple (Calgary) and Brandon Markiw (Edmonton). Rounding out the top-three is the host province – Team Nova Scotia. The efforts of Stuart Lenehan (Dartmouth, N.S.), Paul Coulson (Biblehill, N.S.) and Glenn Robinson (Middle Sackville, N.S.) have the hosts at 4-over 144. British Columbia, which hoisted the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy in 2014 as team champions, currently sits T6 at 148.

Following the two opening rounds of play, the field will be reduced to the low 70 competitors and ties.

For more information regarding the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, please visit the tournament website.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Canada’s premiere competition for amateur golfers over 25, will make its way to Abercrombie Golf & Country Club from August 24-28.

“Golf Canada is looking forward to returning a national championship to Nova Scotia,” said Tournament Director Russell Mackay. “It is always a pleasure to bring competitions to golf fans across the entire country. The course is in great shape and will provide our competitors with an excellent challenge.”

The town of New Glasgow, N.S., in the heart of Pictou County is home to Abercrombie Golf & Country Club. Situated among the region’s picturesque woodlands, the course offers scenic backdrops across sprawling fairways and well-groomed greens. Throughout its 96 years, Abercrombie has accumulated a wealth of history and has hosted a number of championships at both the provincial and national levels.

In addition to claiming the President’s Cup as Canadian Mid-Amateur champion, competitors will vie for a prized exemption into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to be held at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 18-24.

A field of 152 golfers will take to Abercrombie, including defending champion Garrett Rank. The Elmira, Ont., native will continue a busy summer which has included representing Canada at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and competing in his first RBC Canadian Open, as well as, a five-stroke victory at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and a T2 finish at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Rank, 27, is currently playing in the U.S. Amateur Championship being hosted by Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.

Joining Rank in the field is a number of players who have seen success at the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship. The competition’s most decorated winner, Graham Cooke, won the first edition of the event in 1987. The Hudson, Que., native followed the performance with six subsequent victories, including a string of three-in-a-row between 2000 and 2002.

Kevin Carrigan will look to become a three-time winner in this competition. The product of Victoria, B.C., registered back-to-back victories in 2012 and 2013. The 29-year-old’s final-round 7-under 65 at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship propelled him into a tie for sixth place.

Woodbridge, Ont., native Dave Bunker is hoping to add a fourth Canadian Mid-Amateur title to his resume after three consecutive victories from 2008-2010. The 50-year-old is coming off his second of back-to-back GAO Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship titles.

Introduced in 2006, the Mid-Master division will be contested by competitors over 40. Darren Shaw of Stoney Creek, Ont., will return to defend his title following his seven-stroke victory in 2014. First contested in 1992, an inter-provincial competition will be played concurrently with the opening two rounds of stroke play for the prestigious R. Bruce Forbes Trophy. Team British Columbia emerged victorious in 2014 with a combined total of 1-over 289 – four strokes clear of Team Alberta.

Following the first 36 holes of play, the field will be reduced to the low-70 competitors and ties. Additional information regarding the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship can be found here.

BARRIE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Garrett Rank rolled in a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to capture the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Barrie Country Club.

Rank, 27, finished the championship tied with Rob Couture of Dallas, Texas at 4-under 284 after Couture forced the pair into a playoff by birdieing the par-5 18th hole in regulation.

The pair headed back to No. 18 tee for the first playoff hole, where Rank found the right rough off the tee. He went on to hit a magnificent 3-iron, leaving just 20 feet for eagle, putting the pressure squarely on Couture.

“It wasn’t a great lie, it was advanceable and I knew I could get some club on it,” Rank said. “I just took one extra club and it came out perfect. When it was in the air I knew it was going to be pretty good.”

After Couture’s approach from the fairway came up short, he left his third shot 20 feet below the hole and couldn’t convert his birdie putt after watching Rank’s eagle putt slide by. The stage was then set for Rank who was left with only a tap-in birdie for the victory and a spot in the field at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

“The reason I came here was to win and I was trying to get into the RBC Canadian Open,” Rank said. “Anytime you can win a national championship is a huge honour and I’m glad I pulled it out.”

The Elmira, Ont. native carded rounds of 73-70-69-72 to finish the championship at 4-under 284. His win adds to the list of successes the Team Canada National Amateur Squad program has amassed this season.

“The boys [Team Canada] have been playing really well, we’ve got a lot of trophies to the Golf Canada and Team Canada name in the last couple of years and it’s nice to just add another one my behalf,” he continued.

In the Mid-Master division, second round leader Darren Shaw narrowly missed a spot in the playoff for the overall title after a final round 2-under 70 that left him in solo third. The Stoney Creek, Ont. native ran away with the Mid-Master division finishing seven strokes ahead of Dwight Reinhart of Renfrew, Ont. at 2-under 286.

Complete scoring and results can found online by clicking here.

BARRIE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Rob Couture edged into the lead at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after a third round 3-under 69 at Barrie Country Club.

Couture, of Dallas, opened a three-stroke lead at the turn after a front-nine 4-under 32, but carded two bogeys on his closing stretch to finish a stroke ahead of Team Canada’s Garrett Rank at 5-under 211.

“I feel like obviously I can get it done and it’s one thing to hope you can get it done and think you can get it done but I know I can,” said Couture, the 2011 Mid-Amateur champion. “I don’t think there’s any concern with Garrett either, he’s won plenty of tournaments and he knows that he can do it too so I’m just going to go and try to play a really good round of golf, add it up at the end and see what happens.”

Playing alongside Couture, Rank of Elmira, Ont. cut into the lead with a back nine 2-under 34.  His third round 3-under 69 leaves him in striking distance of a spot into next year’s RBC Canadian Open and a second national championship title — Rank captured the Canadian University/College Championship Individual title in 2012.

“I finished well, I made three birdies in the last six holes so that was good because I think at one point he [Couture] had stretched out to five or six ahead of me,” Rank said. “I like being one back better than two back but I can’t really worry about what he’s doing. I just have to go out there tomorrow, control what I can control, stick to my game plan and continue to play some pretty good golf.”

Windsor, Ont.’s Michael Rutgers will join the final pairing on Friday after carding even-par 72. Rutgers sits in solo third at 1-under 215 for the championship, while Darren Shaw of Stoney Creek, Ont. is in fourth at even-par 216.

Shaw, the overnight leader, struggled in the third round with a 3-over 75, but remains ahead in the Mid-Master competition by three strokes over Calgary’s Kevin Temple.

The champion of the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online by clicking here.

BARRIE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Rob Couture edged into the lead at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after a third round 3-under 69 at Barrie Country Club.

Couture, of Dallas, opened a three-stroke lead at the turn after a front-nine 4-under 32, but carded two bogeys on his closing stretch to finish a stroke ahead of Team Canada’s Garrett Rank at 5-under 211.

“I feel like obviously I can get it done and it’s one thing to hope you can get it done and think you can get it done but I know I can,” said Couture, the 2011 Mid-Amateur champion. “I don’t think there’s any concern with Garrett either, he’s won plenty of tournaments and he knows that he can do it too so I’m just going to go and try to play a really good round of golf, add it up at the end and see what happens.”

Playing alongside Couture, Rank of Elmira, Ont. cut into the lead with a back nine 2-under 34.  His third round 3-under 69 leaves him in striking distance of a spot into next year’s RBC Canadian Open and a second national championship title — Rank captured the Canadian University/College Championship Individual title in 2012.

“I finished well, I made three birdies in the last six holes so that was good because I think at one point he [Couture] had stretched out to five or six ahead of me,” Rank said. “I like being one back better than two back but I can’t really worry about what he’s doing. I just have to go out there tomorrow, control what I can control, stick to my game plan and continue to play some pretty good golf.”

Windsor, Ont.’s Michael Rutgers will join the final pairing on Friday after carding even-par 72. Rutgers sits in solo third at 1-under 215 for the championship, while Darren Shaw of Stoney Creek, Ont. is in fourth at even-par 216.

Shaw, the overnight leader, struggled in the third round with a 3-over 75, but remains ahead in the Mid-Master competition by three strokes over Calgary’s Kevin Temple.

The champion of the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online by clicking here.

BARRIE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Darren Shaw’s 5-under 67 lifted him into the top spot on the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur leaderboard after the second round at Barrie Country Club.

The Stoney Creek, Ont. native carded six birdies on Wednesday and closed with a 3-under 33. His back-nine was highlighted by an incredible greenside up-and-down on the par-5 9th hole for birdie and the outright lead.

“It feels good, honestly I played better golf yesterday and couldn’t make a putt,” Shaw said. “I changed putters today and I made some putts, I switched to this one and it seemed to work.”

At 3-under 141 for the championship, Shaw currently leads by a stroke over of Rob Couture of Dallas, Texas. He also sits four strokes ahead of Calgary’s Kevin Temple and Dwight Reinhart of Renfrew, Ont. in the Mid-Master (40+) title race.

Couture, the 2011 Mid-Amateur champion, carded an even-par 72 and sits in solo second in the overall competition, one-stroke ahead of Team Canada’s Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. and Michael Rutgers of Windsor, Ont. Rank and Rutgers both finished runner-up at last year’s championship in Edmonton.

“I struggled early, I really didn’t play well until probably the last 13 or 14 holes,” Couture said. “I was a couple over early and I just didn’t hit very good shots for whatever reason, but I hit it well the last 10 or 12 holes and got it back to even.”

In the Inter-Provincial team competition, the Team British Columbia contingent of Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan, Vancouver’s Patrick Weeks and Sandy Harper of Nanaimo held onto their opening round lead to win the overall title by four strokes over Team Alberta. The trio finished at 1-over 289 for the 36-hole championship.

The champion of the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online by clicking here.

BARRIE, Ont. – Rob Couture took control of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after a 2-under 70 at Barrie Country Club on Tuesday.

Couture, the 2011 Mid-Amateur champion, overcame gusty conditions during the afternoon draw to finish one-stoke ahead of two-time defending champion, Kevin Carrigan, of Victoria, B.C. and Greg Jones of Berry Mills, N.B.

“[The golf course] is very good, it’s the kind of golf course that if there wasn’t any wind you could certainly make a lot of birdies and shoot a good score but especially in wind like this anything under par is a good round,” Couture said. “The greens get quick, you can certainly get in the wrong spot and there’s not much you can do to two putt in some areas.”

The Dallas, Texas native made five birdies during the opening round and closed with a clutch par save on the par-5 18th to finish atop the leaderboard heading into Wednesday’s second round.

“I putted well, I didn’t get off to a great start, I bogeyed No. 2 from 95 yards in the middle of the fairway but then I chipped in on No. 4 off the front of the green for birdie to get back to even,” Couture said of his turning point on course. “That’s kind of something that can change things a little bit so that was good and from there on I played pretty solid.”

Carrigan and Jones currently trail Couture by a stroke after opening with a pair of 1-under 71’s. Jones birdied the difficult par-4 17th on his closing nine to grab the lead in the Mid-Master race by two strokes over Toronto’s Dennis Kavelman, Calgary’s Kevin Temple and Paul Coulson of Biblehill, N.S.

Four players finished the day at even-par to share fourth spot in the Mid-Amateur division including Toronto’s Marc St-Germain, Andrew Tomchuk of London, Ont., Alex Palmer of Fredericton, N.B. and Michael Rutgers of Windsor, Ont.

In the Inter-Provincial team competition, the Team British Columbia contingent of Kevin Carrigan, Patrick Weeks and Sandy Harper leads by two strokes over Team Alberta after carding an even-par 144.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online by clicking here.