Gary Cowan – From Rockway to Augusta
There are countless memorable golf shots witnessed while playing the game or experiencing on television. Tiger Woods is synonymous with many of those iconic shots, including his 2000 Canadian Open bunker shot at Glen Abbey Golf Club to solidify his rare status as a Triple Crown winner.
Outside of the professional tour ranks, it is another moment by a Canadian legend that included among the greatest shots in the storied history of amateur golf. With a one-stroke lead on the 18th hole at Wilmington Country Club during the 1971 U.S. Amateur Championship, Gary Cowan’s tee shot caught the last fairway bunker, kicked out, and left him with a shot in 4-inch rough, 135 yards from the green. The Kitchener native needed to bogey the hole, at a minimum, to force a playoff with American Eddie Pearce. A par, and Gary wins.
He grabs his 9-iron and swings, reliving the moment – “As I, and the hundreds of spectators crammed around the 18th green watched, the ball carried to the front of the green and began rolling. Initially, I was unhappy with my execution. I thought I had hit the ball too hard and yelled for it to stop. I lost sight of the ball as it started to skate towards the back of the green and the flagstick. That’s when I heard the spectators gasp. I thought, ‘maybe I hadn’t hit it too hard after all?’ I never imagined I had sunk the shot, but just then I heard somebody yell, “It’s gone in for an eagle!”
Gary Cowan is one of the most successful and revered amateur golfers of the past century. An honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, he chose to write a memoir with journalist David McPherson about his life in golf in his new book “From Rockway to Augusta”. To mark the 50th anniversary of his second U.S. Amateur title, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame has partner with Cowan to create a website featuring some of the stories published in the book. The website launches on September 4th, the same day 50 years ago that that eagle launched Cowan into the records book for a second time.
Golf writer and fellow honoured member Lorne Rubenstein supplied the forward to the book and wrote, “Fifty years have come and gone, but I remember and can see Cowan setting up on the tee, taking very little time, and drilling his drive down the fairway. The golf ball curved a lot more in those days, but it curved only when Cowan wanted it to. He could hit any shot he wanted to, when he wanted to, and had proven himself one of the finest amateurs in the game. He was a world-class golfer.”
Pre-order your book today at this link.
Conners inside top 20 at TOUR Championship
ATLANTA (AP) Patrick Cantlay met his goal in the first round of the Tour Championship on Thursday, and it had nothing to do with the score on his card or the size of his lead.
As the top seed in the FedEx Cup, he started with a two-shot lead over Tony Finau before even hitting a shot. He finished the warm, breezy day at East Lake at 3-under 67 with a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm.
This was all about playing another tournament round.
“I think being in the spot that I’m in, it would be easy to get ahead of yourself and easy to maybe stray from your game plan because you feel like you’re ahead,” Cantlay said. “And that’s just not helpful, so I’m not going to do that.”
Only four players had a better score, so it was a good day regardless of the format that allows player to start at various points under par depending on their FedEx Cup position.
Rahm began by chipping in for birdie, kept the round from getting away from him with a few key saves one for bogey, one for par at the turn, and ran off four birdies over his last seven holes for a 65.
Cantlay, who started at 10-under par, moved to 13 under.
Five shots behind was Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English, and only one of them managed to pick up a little ground on Cantlay while delivering one of the more exciting moments.
That would be English, who was headed in the wrong direction when he stepped to the tee at the par-3 15th over water, the second-toughest hole at East Lake, smashed a 5-iron from 224 yards and watched it drop for a hole-in-one, the first one since the Tour Championship first came to East Lake in 1998.
He followed with two more birdies for a 66, one better than Cantlay on the day, a little closer than when English started.
DeChambeau birdied his last three holes to salvage a 69. He started three shots behind and now is five shots behind, without any reports of unruly behavior outside the ropes.
The subject of name calling was who else? English.
One fan following along kept referring to him by another name Hudson Swafford which is understandable. English and Swafford were teammates at Georgia, have similar builds, look a little alike. They’re even tied in driving distance (81st) on the PGA Tour.
“He thought I was Hudson like half the people out here,” English said. ”I think he kind of had a couple beers. … He just couldn’t quite tell from 50 yards out who I was.“
Finau, meanwhile, had a 72 and went from two shots behind to seven back.
This is the third year of the format, and Cantlay doesn’t know how the lower half feels. He was the No. 2 seed in 2019 when it started, the No. 1 seed last year. That first time didn’t go well. He had one of his worst weeks of the year, which cost him nearly $2 million with how far he fell.
Justin Thomas was the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds the previous two times. Now he’s at No. 6, meaning he started six shots out of the lead. That was a new experience.
He noticed he already was in 10th place by the time he teed off, based on some early scoring, and found that to a bit jarring. Worse yet was being 1 over on the front nine. Starting out six shots behind in the first place, his hopes could have ended early.
But he shot 31 on the back nine, five birdies and one impressive par save on the 14th, and pieced together a 67. He’s still six back. It could have been worse.
“When you start behind like that, unfortunately, you just don’t have the luxury of shooting a 1 over or 2 over the first round,” Thomas said. “And I salvaged a good round out there and feel like I can easily go out there and shoot 6 or 7 under one of these next three days. And hopefully I do.”
The lone Canadian in the field, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., fired a 67 and is at 4 under. Conners finished the first round of the championship tied for the 17th spot.
Rahm started four back and, like Cantlay, chose not to pay attention to anything but the next shot, even as the good start looked as though it could get away from him. He took bogey from the left rough on No. 7, had to get up-and-down from behind the eighth green for bogey and saved par from a bunker on the par-3 ninth.
That was as important as some of his birdies. Now he’s two behind Cantlay with 54 holes left, and now matter how odd it might seem at the start, now it feels like a regular tournament.
“It’s very easy to get caught up on how far back you start. I don’t think I really once thought about it out there. I was just trying to post a score,” Rahm said. “My job is to hit the best shot I can each time and that’s all can I control.”
Christina Spence Proteau comes from behind to win at 50th Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship
BROMONT, Que. – Christina Spence Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. won the Mid-Amateur division at the 2021 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship on Thursday at Golf Château Bromont in a playoff over Vancouver’s Nonie Marler.
Proteau entered Thursday’s final round one stroke back of Marler, who held the Mid-Amateur lead for the first two rounds, and whose first-round 72 would end up being the lowest and only single-round score under par for the entire tournament.
The two B.C. golfers were tied at 5 over par after the final hole of the 54-hole tournament, forcing the division to go to a sudden-death playoff. Proteau came out victorious after a birdie on the first playoff hole.
“Feels unbelievable,” said Proteau. “I’ve had a few years – seven specifically – since my last win at the national level, and I’ve definitely had some doubts for the last few years if it would happen again. So, this one, by far, is the most meaningful and it ranks way up there just generally with anything I’ve achieved in Canadian golf,” said Proteau.
Proteau, the first golfer to ever be inducted into the University of Victoria’s Sports Hall of Fame back in 2020, collects her sixth career Women’s Mid-Amateur title—she previously won four consecutive years from 2011-2014 and in 2009.
With a final score of 7 over par, Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C., captured both the Mid-Master and Senior division titles and finished third in the Mid-Amateur division.
“It feels amazing, it feels awesome,” said Stouffer, who led the Senior division through 36 holes. “I wanted to play last year and because of COVID, it never happened. So, it’s great to be here this year.”
By winning the Senior division, Stouffer receives an exemption into the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala., from Sept. 10-15, 2021 and the fourth U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club (South Course) in Kettering, Ohio from Aug. 25-28, 2022. Both Stouffer and Proteau receive exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont., July 19-22.
Defending champion Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., finished at 8 over par for the championship, placing her in fourth for the Mid-Amateur division and runner-up to Stouffer in both the Mid-Master and Senior divisions.
Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que., took home the Super Senior title at 8 over and finished alongside Kyrinis as a runner-up for the Senior division title. Chartrand was also the 2014 Canadian Women’s Mid-Master Champion (which was conducted concurrently with the Women’s Amateur at Craigowan Golf & Country Club in Woodstock, Ont.) and the Senior Champion (held at Club de golf Milby in Milby, Que.).
“I’m thrilled,” said Chartrand. “Second behind Shelly, who’s a great golfer and with Judith, I know their resumes and they’re outstanding golfers, and to be there with them, even if it’s second, I’m really, really happy at my tournament week.”
The 2022 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship will be played at Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingly, Man., from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
Click here for full results.
Corey Conners qualifies for TOUR Championship for second time in his career
For the second time in his career, Corey Conners has qualified for the TOUR Championship.
After finishing tied for 22nd last weekend at the BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland, the 29-year-old from Listowel, Ont., will enter the PGA TOUR playoff finale at No. 21 on the FedEx Cup standings.
The TOUR Championship, which features the top 30 players on the FedEx Cup standings following the conclusion of the BMW Championship last weekend, will be held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta starting Thursday.
This is the highest Conners has been on the FedEx Cup rankings when entering the TOUR Championship. He first qualified for the TOUR finale in 2019, where he started the weekend at No. 23 and ultimately finished at No. 26.
This season, the Canadian entered the FedEx Cup playoffs comfortably at No. 28 – already in a position to qualify for the TOUR Championship. Throughout the first two tournaments of the three-part FedEx Cup playoffs, Conners was able to move up seven spots to enter this weekend’s final event at No. 21.
His position entering this weekend is a clear reflection of Conners’ performance this season on the PGA TOUR. Undoubtably his best, most consistent season to date, the Canadian played in all six major championships that were held during the 2020-2021 season, which had two more majors than normal with both the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Opens and Masters Tournaments included. Of those six majors, Conners held an 18-hole lead (PGA Championship), two top 10 finishes (both Masters Tournaments), and had two more top 20 finishes (PGA Championship, The Open Championship).
Conners also played in two of the three World Golf Championships and though it was not officially part of the PGA TOUR schedule, was selected to represent Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he finished 13th.
Known for his accuracy and iron play, Conners is currently ranked 8th in strokes gained off the tee, and 9th in strokes gained approaching the green on the PGA TOUR.
Just two weeks ago, at The Northern Trust – the first of the FedEx Cup playoffs – Conners shot a career-low round – a 62 that included five birdies and an eagle on the front nine at Liberty National Golf Club.
Due to the TOUR Championship format, Conners will start the tournament at one under, alongside four other players who finished from Nos. 21 to 25. Patrick Cantlay, whose win at the BMW Championship last weekend over Bryson DeChambeau after a six-hole playoff, was catapulted into the first place as a result, and will start the tournament at 10 under.
The FedEx Cup points – the system that determined the 30 players who qualified for the TOUR Championship – will be wiped clean entering the tournament, with the tournament results determining the final positions of the top 30 players on the FedEx Cup for the 2020-21 season.
The player who finishes first will win $15,000,000 USD, while the player who finishes at No. 30, will still make $395,000 USD.
Most recent FedEx Cup champions include Dustin Johnson (2020), Rory McIlroy (2019), and Justin Rose (2018).
Conners will tee off on Thursday alongside Hideki Matsuyama at 12:20 p.m. ET.
50th Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship heads to Golf Château Bromont
BROMONT, Que. – The top Canadian amateur golfers over the age of 25 will head to Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que., from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 for the 50th installment of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship.
The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship is a 54-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In the event of a tie at the end of three rounds, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following completion of 54-holes. The Mid-Amateur division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older, the Senior division for players 50 and older, and the Super Senior division for players 60 and older.
“We are very excited to have the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship back for 2021,” said tournament director Akash Patel. “The course is in excellent condition and will serve as a true test for this talented field of players.”
The 85-player field includes eight of the top ten over-25 women on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), including top-ranked Canadian and defending champion Judith Kyrinis. The Thornhill, Ont., product also won the event in 2016, both times claiming the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles and was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2019. She became just the seventh USGA Champion from Canada when she won the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore.
Other notables in the field include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member Terrill Samuel, who won the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship in 2015, where she too claimed the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles.
The field also includes Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary-Ann Hayward, a four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion (1993, 1996, 1999, 2004), a three-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion (2010, 2011, 2013), and the 2008 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion. On the international level, Hayward was also the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion in 2005.
The course, designed by architects Howard Watson and Graham Cook, features spectacular views of Mont Bromont. The course layout for the championship will be played at a maximum length of 5,965 yards, par-73.
The winner of the Senior division will receive an exemption into the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Alabama from September 10-15, 2021 and the 4th U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club (South Course) in Kettering, Ohio from August 25-28, 2022.
Additional information, including the full field and tee times, is available here.
NOTABLES
Judith Kyrinis
Kyrninis is a two-time Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Champion capturing the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior titles on both occasions. In 2017, she became the seventh Canadian to win a USGA championship when she won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. She was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.
Mary-Ann Hayward
Currently the sixth-highest ranked Canadian women’s amateur over the age of 25 on the WWAGR, Hayward is a four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion, three-time Canadian Women’s Senior Champion, and the 2008 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Champion. Hayward was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.
Alison Murdoch
A four-time Canadian Senior Women’s Champion and two-time Canadian Super Senior Women’s Champion, Alison Murdoch was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
FAST FACTS
Six Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members have won the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship; Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Alison Murdoch, Marilyn O’Connor, Margaret Todd and Mary Ann Hayward.
Streit (1985, 1987-88, 1993), Borthwick (1994-1995, 1999-2000) and Murdoch (2002, 2004-05, 2007) are tied for the most Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories with four each.
Nancy Fitzgerald has the most consecutive Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories – winning three straight titles from 1996-1998.
To date, Australian Sue Wooster is the only non-North American winner of the event.
Adam Svensson blitzes front nine to win Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Adam Svensson crept up the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship leaderboard all week and finally pounced Sunday, posting a 4-under par 67 to turn a two-stroke 54-hole deficit into a two-stroke victory. Svensson’s winning total, a 17-under 267, lowered the tournament scoring record (270 by Harris English in 2011 and Peter Uihilein in 2017) by three strokes.
Svensson played the front nine of The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course at 5-under par in the final round, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9. The Surrey, British Columbia native did not make a single birdie on the back nine, but he avoided disaster with par saves at Nos. 11 and 14, made his only bogey at the par-3 13th, and closed the round with four consecutive two-putt pars.
“I was only two back, but I knew I had to play well today,” Svensson said. “If you’re 5-under on the front, you’re playing pretty well. I said to myself, ‘Just par in, or at least one more (birdie) coming in and see what happens. Just don’t make bogeys because you don’t want to give the tournament away.’”
The victory was Svensson’s second of the 2020-21 season and third of his Korn Ferry Tour career. In Svensson’s previous victory this year, which came in a playoff at the 2021 Club Car Championship at The Landings Club, he played the final 10 holes of regulation at 5-under par. This time around, he played the last 10 holes of regulation at even par.
“I’m just very excited I did win this week, especially playing out here,” Svensson said. “You’ve got to hit the ball well, you’ve got to put it in spots, and just knowing that I played the golf course correctly is pretty cool.”
Svensson starred at Barry University and won the 2013-14 NCAA Division II Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award as a sophomore; he turned professional in February 2015, the spring of his junior season, and won the 2015 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament’s Final Stage by seven strokes in December. It would be two Korn Ferry Tour seasons before Svensson’s first victory, though. A win at the 2018 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club propelled Svensson to a 14th-place finish on the regular season money list and a PGA TOUR promotion.
The Canadian finished 167th in the 2019 FedExCup standings, sending him back to the Korn Ferry Tour for what became the 2020-21 season. Svensson secured a return trip to the PGA TOUR two weeks ago, as he finished 11th in the regular season points standings.
“I’m definitely excited to see where my game’s at on the PGA TOUR,” Svensson said. “My goal is to win on the PGA TOUR. Everyone wants to win on the PGA TOUR, but I think a bigger goal for me is consistent golf, so just always playing well, always in the hunt. You do that, you’ll eventually end up winning.”
Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., finished tied for 10th, while Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver finished tied for 18th, and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., finished tied for 34th.
Five other players secured PGA TOUR cards by crossing the 210-point threshold the Korn Ferry Tour is currently using as its fail-safe number for players to finish inside The Finals 25.
Bronson Burgoon rose to the top spot in The Finals 25 with a T2, securing a return to the PGA TOUR via the Korn Ferry Tour for the fourth time. The 34-year-old Texas A&M University alum previously earned a TOUR card via the 2015 regular season standings and the 2017 and 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
Alex Smalley, a 24-year-old Duke University alum, secured his first PGA TOUR card with a T4. The Greensboro, North Carolina resident made four TOUR starts during the 2021 season, logging a pair of top-25s, a T29, and a T47.
Callum Tarren, a 30-year-old native of Darlington, England, jumped to fifth in The Finals 25 with a T4. It will be the first trip to the PGA TOUR for Tarren, who turned professional in 2014, won the 2018 PGA TOUR China Order of Merit to earn Korn Ferry Tour status for the first time, and needed to earn starts for the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season via Q School.
Vincent Whaley, a 26-year-old Georgia Tech alum, will play his third consecutive PGA TOUR season following a T4 Sunday. Whaley previously earned a PGA TOUR card via a 25th-place finish in the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour regular season points standings.
Scott Gutschewski is headed back to the PGA TOUR for the first time since 2011. The 44-year-old logged a T10 at last week’s Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, and rose to a T18 Sunday with a final- round 4-under 67. The Omaha, Nebraska native previously earned PGA TOUR cards via the Korn Ferry Tour in 2005, 2008, and 2010.
“Everybody keeps getting younger and it’s just, it’s hard,” Gutschewski said. “It’s about all I can say. It’s not all I want to say, but that’s about all I can say. It’s just really hard. I can’t really compose myself, but, I mean, this is why we do it.
“I talked (my wife) into flying out and driving down to Evansville with me, so that will be fun. We’ll have a little celebration and it will be a fun drive.”
The three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals conclude with next week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance at Victoria National Golf Club in Evansville, Indiana.
Joe Durant holds off Bernhard Langer in The Ally Challenge; Weir finishes T10
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) – Joe Durant made a 5-foot bogey putt on the par-4 18th Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer in The Ally Challenge.
The 57-year-old Durant closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 17-under 199 at Warwick Hills. He won for the fourth time on the PGA Tour Champions after winning four times on the PGA Tour.
“I’ve got to give thanks to one of my best friends at home, Steve Fell, who’s a golf coach, my son’s golf coach, and Ray Schuessler and Brad Faxon,” Durant said. “They’ve all been trying to help me with my putting because I’ve been putting so poorly and those three guys have really just made some changes in my mind that helped me a lot this week. I putted beautifully and just fortunate to hang on by one.”
A stroke behind Langer and Doug Barron entering the round, Durant had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine and added a birdie on the par-5 16th. He drove left on 18 into an adjacent fairway, clipped a branch hitting over the trees, left his third short of the green and chipped past.
“I haven’t been in that position in quite a while and I had a lot of things in my brain that shouldn’t have been in my brain,” Durant said. “I’m a good driver of the ball, too, but I just stepped up there and I didn’t have a clear picture of the shot I wanted to hit and I just completely flared it.
“I was very fortunate to be in the other fairway, but still had to get the second shot up over the trees, and I clipped the tree. Actually had the perfect yardage for me, a 60-yard wedge shot is the perfect yardage for me, but that just shows you how nervous I was and I dumped that one. I was somehow fortunate to just wiggle in that second putt.”
Langer parred the 18th, hitting into two bunkers, in a 70. Two days after shooting his age on his 64th birthday, the German star had just one back-nine birdie – matching Durant on the 16th. Langer has 41 Champions victories, four off Hale Irwin’s record.
“It’s been a very memorable week with 64 on my 64th birthday. I’ll never forget that,” Langer said. “And playing really good, solid golf for the most part. Followed up the 64 with a 66 and today was a lot tougher. The wind was up, course played longer with all the rain we had last night, the pins were tough and I just didn’t make a lot of putts today. That’s why I shot 70, but it was still a good score.”
Steven Alker was third at 15 under after a 67.
Barron (72), Steve Flesch (64) and K.J. Choi (66) were 14 under.
Vijay Singh had an albatross on 16 – holing out with a 5-wood – in a 67.
“I hit a good drive,” Singh said. “I waited for a long time to hit my second, hit a 5-wood right at it, pitched to 50 and rolled right into the hole. Voila!”
A three-time winner of the PGA Tour’s Buick Open at Warwick Hills, Singh tied for seventh with Stephen Leaney (68) at 13 under.
Defending champion Jim Furyk (70) tied for 10th at 10 under.
Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., also finished at 10 under and Calgary’s Stephen Ames sat tied for 30th at 6 under.
National Junior Skills Challenge crowns eight champions at TPC Toronto
Lukas Weese
The 12th edition of the Junior Skills Challenge National Event is in the books.
Played at the picturesque TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., a selection of top Canadian junior golfers showcased their skills in one of Golf Canada’s signature events. In partnership with the PGA of Canada and Cobra-Puma Golf, this event saw participating golfers compete in putting, chipping, and driving competitions. It culminates a year-long process, which consisted of 80 qualifying events across Canada and 1,500 junior golfers.
The winners of the Junior Skills Challenge National Event received prizing courtesy of Cobra-Puma Golf with the winners of the 15 to 18 age groups receiving exemptions into their local NextGen Championship in 2022.
Below are the winners in each of the age groups:
Boys 8 and under:
Carrick Frizzell (Hartlen Point Golf Club) captured the Boys 8 and under title honours. Hailing from Halifax, N.S., Frizzell recorded a score of 140. South Surrey, B.C. native Benjamin Hannela (Peace Portal Golf Club & Langley Junior Development Program) finished second posting 100 while Borden Nicholson of Brule Point Golf Course placed third with a score of 80.
Girls 8 and under:
Four participants competed in the Girls 8 and under division. Emily Joy (The Glencoe Golf & Country Club) of Calgary finished in first place with a score of 115, dominating the putting portion with a 40 on the 5-feet and 30 on the 10-feet.
Eily Kim (Pitt Meadows Golf Club) of Burnaby, B.C., placed second, with a total of 100. Kim, like Joy, also had a strong putting performance, posting a 40 on the 10-feet competition.
McKinley Stewart (Sawmill Golf Course) of Fenwick, Ont., placed third (75) while Barrie, Ont., native Brynlee Chappell (Vespra Hills Golf Club) finished fourth (65).
Boys 9 to 11:
One of the closest competitions during the Junior Skills Challenge was the Boys 9 to 11 division. Calgary native Luke MacDonald (The Glencoe Golf & Country Club) secured the title with a 185 score, thanks in large part to his driving (multiple 30 scores) and putting (40 on the 5-feet).
Noah Moreau (Club de golf Lotbinière) of Saint Gilles, Que., placed second, only 20 points shy of first with a score of 165. Dutton, Ont., product Andrew Sudicky finished with 100+ points in third, recording a score of 115.
Girls 9 to 11:
Former Drive, Chip and Putt champion Alexis Card (Galt Country Club) continued her strong play with a complete performance, winning the Girls 9 to 11 division with a score of 205. The Cambridge, ON native shined in the driving portion of the event, posting 30+ point scores in the first, second and third driving competitions.
Claira Frizzell (Hartlen Point Golf Club) also shined with her driving, finishing in second place (145). Brooke Halbauer (Leduc Golf Club) of Edmonton, Alta., placed third registering 100 points.
Boys 12-14:
Jager Pain (Eagles Nest Golf Club) recorded the best score out of any golfer at the Junior Skills Challenge on Sunday, posting a score of 265. Winner of the 2018 MJT Ontario Series tournament, Pain delivered impressive scores in the driving and putting portions, recording 30 and above with the driver and all ’40s with the putter.
Robin Benoit (Golf Saint-Prime sur le Lac) placed second with a score of 160 while Calgary, Alta., native Andrew Leon (Lakeside Golf Club) finished third with 120 points.
Girls 12-14:
The Girls 12-14 division came down to the wire, with all four golfers separated by just 25 points.
Tatum Lohnes (Osprey Ridge Golf Club) came out on top with 160, which included a 40 on the 5-feet putting portion. Sitting in second just five points back of Lohnes was Claire Hu (Whitlock Golf and Country Club), who demonstrated her impressive driving abilities with two scores in the 30’s.
Just 20 points back of first, Sophie Dhaliwal (Wingfield Golf Club) placed third with a score of 140. Rosemere, Que., native Alexandra Botsis (Club de Golf Rosemere) finished fourth recording 135 points.
Boys 15-18:
Like Jager Pain in the Boys 12-14 category, John Kingdon (Sawmill Golf Course) had multiple 40 scores en route to winning the Boys 15-18 competition. The Grimsby, Ont., native recorded scores of 40 in two of the driving events and the 5-feet putting competition. Last season, Kingdon won two tournaments on the Golf Ontario circuit; the US Kids Niagara—Southbrook and U15 NDJT Bridgewater.
Finishing second was Jackson Wingert (The Willow’s Golf & Country Club) with a score of 175. Toronto amateur Griffin Patterson (Centennial Park Golf Course) placed third with 140 points.
Girls 15-18:
Fresh off of winning the 2021 Ontario Juvenile (U17) Girls Championship Title in Windsor, Ont., Joline Troung (Trafalgar Golf & Country Club) captured top honours in the Girls 15-18 event at the Junior Skills Challenge. The Mississauga, Ont., native posted a score of 230, the best among the Canadian girls competing at TPC Toronto. Troung’s best individual score was a 40 in the 5-feet putting competition.
In second place was Ava MacDonald (Antigonish Golf Club) with a score of 175. MacDonald, like Troung, also recorded a 40 in the 5-feet putting portion.
Sarah Maude Lefebvre (Golf Saint-Prime sur le Lac) placed third posting 115 points. The St-Prime, Que., native showcased her powerful driver, recording a 40 in the second driving event.
For more information on the Junior Skills Challenge National Event, click here.
Hole-out eagle pulls Vincent Whaley even with Stephan Jaeger at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship; Svensson in fourth
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Stephan Jaeger and Vincent Whaley electrified fans Saturday at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and reached 15-under par for the tournament, giving the pair of multi-season PGA TOUR players a one-stroke lead after 54 holes at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.
Jaeger entered the day with a share of the 36-hole lead, but early struggles left the Munich, Germany native scrambling as he tumbled down a congested leaderboard. The short-game maestro kept the round together with par save after par save until he closed the front nine with consecutive birdies. But as Whaley posted a 6-under 65 and reached 15-under par, it appeared Jaeger would end the day without a share of the lead for the first time this week.
Undeterred by the rocky start or three-stroke deficit, Jaeger climbed tenaciously to the top of the leaderboard once again, birdieing three of the final four holes for a bogey-free 5-under 66. And just like two weeks ago at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour regular season finale, Jaeger sank a riveting birdie putt at the 18th green and walked into the sunset with a 54-hole lead in hand.
“I didn’t feel that good early on. Made three incredible saves (at) Nos. 1, 2, and 3. (The next three holes) I started finding the middle of the clubface,” Jaeger said. “I hit one close on No. 15 and made two long putts on Nos. 16 and 18. If it’s kind of going your way, you see the good things, and I’ve been trying not to see the bad breaks and see the good ones. We got a few today, so I’m happy to kind of still be in this position and have a good chance to win tomorrow.”
For the fifth time this season, Jaeger holds at least a share of the 54-hole lead, and Sunday’s final round will be the sixth time he plays in the final group this season. It will also give Jaeger yet another run at a Three-Victory Promotion, which would grant him fully exempt status for the upcoming 2021-22 PGA TOUR season, no matter what happens at next week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.
In addition to the status which comes with a Three-Victory Promotion, a win Sunday would give Jaeger the strongest possible grip on the No. 1 ranking in The 25 points standings. It would also be the seventh win of his Korn Ferry Tour career, a total which would tie Jason Gore’s all-time record.
Jaeger came tantalizingly close to the historic victory at the 2021 Visit Knoxville Open this past May, brushed with it again when he lost a playoff at the 2021 REX Hospital Open this past June, and again as he played the first 10 holes at 3-over par and faded to a T4 in the regular season finale two weeks ago.
Even after those near-misses, and with questions about a Three-Victory Promotion and seventh career win arising yet again, Jaeger has not grown tired of discussing either topic.
“I’d like to have that question every time,” said Jaeger, who will begin his third PGA TOUR season this fall. “It’s so much fun being in the hunt and being in position to win. I’m going to enjoy tomorrow.”
While Jaeger thrilled the gallery with the putter, Whaley delivered the shot of the tournament at the par-4 14th – which, along with the par-4 11th, played as the toughest hole relative to par Saturday. Whaley had 142 yards to the flag at the 473-yard par 4; he landed a pitching wedge within two feet of
the hole, and watched from the fairway as it spun back into the cup for an eagle.
“I was kind of stalled at that point, so that was helpful,” Whaley said. “I knew I was somewhat up (the leaderboard), but I needed a few more coming in to really get towards that final group, so that was huge.”
Whaley, who grew up in McKinney, Texas and played alongside Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler on the state’s golf circuit, also made birdies at Nos. 1, 6, 12, and 15. The Georgia Tech alum’s 65 tied Adam Svensson for the lowest score of the third round.
Canadian Svensson is in fourth at 13 under, while Canadians Stuart MacDonald and Michael Gligic are both tied for 24th, and Taylor Pendrith is tied for 49th.
Whaley played the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the PGA TOUR following a 25th-place finish in the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour regular season points standings. The 26-year-old posted a solo second and T3 in 2019, but his only professional wins to this point are mini-tour events.
Having learned several lessons from his two seasons on TOUR, Whaley hopes those experiences will leadto his first Korn Ferry Tour victory Sunday.
“The first year (on the PGA TOUR) was a big learning experience. I don’t know how ready I was for it, to be honest,” said Whaley, who finished 183rd in the 2020 FedExCup standings, and 140th in 2021. “But I felt like I got a lot better, especially this season. I haven’t won out here and I’ve only really been in contention twice, so that’s all I want to do… I’m just going to try to win the golf tournament.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do… win at this level. That’s all I really care about.”
Charles Fitzsimmons rallies to win 34th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
Fort McMurray, Alta. – Charles Fitzsimmons shot the lowest round of the tournament to win the 34th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Fort McMurray Golf Club on Friday.
“It still hasn’t quite set in yet,” said Fitzsimmons. “This has definitely been a long-term goal of mine and definitely a dream, so it just feels unreal.”
The London, Ont., native previously held both the 18 and 36-hole leads before a third-round six-over 78 put him five shots back of the leader, Neil Thomas of Edmonton at one under, heading into Friday’s final round.
But Fitzsimmons bounced back on Friday with the championship low round – a bogey-free five-under 67 – to win by four strokes over Thomas who shot a 76.
Matt Williams of Calgary and Justin Wood of Saskatoon finished tied for third at five over, while David Lang of Toronto rounded out the top five at six over.
In addition to shooting the lowest round of the tournament, Fitzsimmons’ final score – a one-under 287 – was the only final score under par in the entire field.
Going into this week, Fitzsimmons was the highest ranked amateur in the field at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Fitzsimmons has been in the mix for the past three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships with his previous best finish coming in 2019, when he finished third. That year he also won the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Fitzsimmons played on the Western University Men’s Golf Team between the 2006 and the 2018 seasons, where he won the OUA Championship in 2017. Fitzsimmons now coaches sport psychology and said focusing on breathing and engaging in the moment – things he coaches his athletes on – were the keys to his success on Friday.
With the victory, Fitzsimmons earns exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, Aug. 1 to 4.
“Any chance to get to play a national championship is always an honour that way, and I’m just excited to be able to go and compete again next year,” said Fitzsimmons, who finished tied for fifth at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship earlier this month at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont where Max Sekulic rallied to victory.
The Mid-Master division – run concurrently with the Mid-Amateur division for players 40 and over – was decided in a playoff between Ben Bandura of Selkirk, Man., and Glenn Robinson of Middle Sackville, N.S., where the latter came out victorious.
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