Courtesy: Timmins Press

August 25, 2014

TIMMINS – Matt Madden was crowned the 2014 Northern Golf Association champion at the Hollinger Golf Club early Sunday evening.

It took an extra three holes, however, for the former Iroquois Falls resident who now lives in Port Colbourne to distance himself from Timmins’ own Chris Wilson.

The two golfers both shot 36-hole rounds of 145 to force the extra play.

“It was the second playoff of my life, so it was stressful, but not as stressful since at least I knew what to expect,” Madden said.

Both golfers birdied No. 18 and then parred No. 1, before Madden parred No. 2, while Wilson bogeyed the hole to end the playoff.

“Fortunately, he went first, so I got to watch what he did,” Madden said.

“I took a conservative approach, I was just trying to hit greens, like I did all weekend, to give myself a chance to either keep the playoff going, or have a birdie putt.”

Unlike Madden, Sunday’s playoff was a first in the golf career of Wilson.

“It was really, really exciting, I thought,” he said.

“It was good experience for me. Unfortunately I didn’t win the playoff, but Matt played really well.”

Wilson tried to stay aggressive throughout the extra play, a strategy that worked out OK until he got to the last hole.

“I stayed aggressive and I took an aggressive line on No. 18 and hit a really good shot,” he said.

“I wanted to make birdie on No. 18 and give myself a chance for an eagle, which I did. I had about a 16-footer for an eagle attempt, while Matt had the up and down for birdie and he got up and down and I missed my eagle putt by about a few inches.

“Normally on No. 1, both rounds, I hit a five iron to lay up on No. 1, but I decided to go with a driver on the playoff hole, to stay aggressive. I hit a good shot and then we both made par on No. 1.

“Then, on No. 2, I pulled my drive over and I got in a little bit of trouble and made a bogey, while Matt made a par.”

It all came down to that one drive, a shot that Wilson no doubt wishes he had back.

“That was definitely the turning point,” he said.

“I pulled it a little bit right off the tee and he just laid up and hit it in the fairway, just short of the green and he got up and down while I had to take an unplayable lay and punch out, which I did. I got up and down for bogey, but he got up and down for par.”

Other than losing in the playoff, Wilson was pretty pleased with his two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

“I hit the ball pretty well, but I didn’t make very many putts on the weekend,” he said.

“That was a little bit discouraging, but I hit the ball really well, tee to green.”

Prior to the tournament, it had been some time since Madden had played the Hollinger course. He moved down south for school and hockey six years ago.

“Fortunately, I play down south, so the greens weren’t like … a lot of people said the greens were very fast this week, but I was very comfortable on them,” Madden said.

“It was probably one of the better putting weekends I have had all summer and I also hit a lot of greens in regs, which helped me with the putter.”

The putter wasn’t the only club working well for Madden on Sunday.

“My driver was working well,” he said.

“I kept it in play and gave myself chances to make pars.”

Like many of the golfers who took part in the tournament, Madden found the layout at Hollinger to be pretty challenging.

“It is one of the more challenging courses that I have ever played,” he said.

“Every shot you have to think about, while other courses have the holes that you can kind of swing away and still make a par, whereas Hollinger is tight, the greens are quick and you have to think about every shot all day long.”

Madden didn’t hesitate when asked which of the 18 holes was the most challenging for him.

“I think it would be the No. 6, that cliff hole,” he said.

“I think that is everybody’s most challenging hole. It can make, or break a round. Fortunately, I birdied it today.”

Earlier in the week, the weather forecast had called for rain but there was not hint of precipitation during the three-day event that included a practice round on Friday.

“It was very hot out there today,” Madden said.

“It wasn’t supposed to be windy, but there were a few holes where the wind definitely had an effect, especially No. 10, with it already being 600 yards and the wind was in our face, so it was a very gruelling process.

“Other than that, though, it was a great day to golf.”

Steve Coutts, who co-chaired the event along with Owen Rigg, was pleased with how things turned out.

“The weather was spectacular,” he said.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The forecast looked pretty grim earlier in the week, we were fairly concerned that it was going to be pretty wet, but we got fortunate.

The tournament attracted 52 golfers, with 48 of them advancing to the final day on Sunday.

Following are the top four finishers in each of the tournament’s flights:

Championship Flight — First, Matt Madden, 145; second, Chris Wilson, 145; third, Chris Cooke, 153; fourth, Andy Bennedetti, 153.

First Flight (two-day score) — First, Mike Bilodeau, 156; second, Bob Chasse, 158; third, Brooks Dzilums, 162; fourth, Gord Ouimet, 163.

Second Flight (two-day score) — First, Gary Sullivan, 159; second, James Daniels, 161; third, Andrew Bragagnolo, 162; fourth, Mitch Guay, 164.

Third Flight (two-day score) — First, Guy Ginter, 164; second, Kevin Legault,169; third, Chris Duguay, 173; fourth, Shawn Dillon, 174.

Fourth Flight (two-day score) — First, Chad Brousseau, 167; second, Seb Vachon, 171; third, Eric Martineau, 171; fourth, Jordan Akiwenze, 176.

Fifth Flight (Sunday scores only) — First, Joe Lemaire, 82; second, Nick Oreskovich, 83; third, Louis Tremblay, 86; fourth, Mark Dillon, 91.

BRAMPTON— The Ontario golf community is mourning the loss of PGA of Ontario life member Bobby Breen, who passed away on Aug. 23 in Brampton. Breen was 75.

After turning professional in 1960, Breen won more than 160 tournaments, his first win coming in 1962. In 1968, 1969 and 1970, he won the Atlantic Open, Moncton Open, and the Dartmouth Open, all of which were part of the Canadian Tour. Then, in 1971, he captured the Bahamas International.

Breen competed in several prestigious tournaments including the Canadian Open, 10 times, and two U.S. Senior Opens. In 2013, he won the PGA of Ontario Super Seniors Championship.

Breen was also an accomplished hockey player, playing for Guelph in the Ontario Hockey League. He was inducted into the City of Guelph Sports Hall of Fame in May 2001 and the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Friends and family will be received at Meadowvale Visitation Centre (7732 Mavis Road in Brampton) on Aug. 28, from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at The Brampton Golf Club on Aug. 29, from 1-3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the Make A Wish Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society or the Golf Association of Ontario.

UXBRIDGE— After a successful run as a pilot project in 2014, the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to announce that the Regional Team Program will return in 2015. The second installment of the program will be even bigger this coming year with the addition of teams in Essex-Kent and Niagara to the current stable of Ottawa, York and Waterloo.

 “The GAO is thrilled to continue this important and exciting program as we strengthen our commitment to developmental high performance in Ontario,” said Mike Kelly, Managing Director of Sport.

The Regional Team Program, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, is designed for golfers under the age of 17. Players participate in regional fall combines and 12 players are selected to fill each of the teams. Team members then take part in an eight-month winter training program with a PGA of Canada registered head coach and strength and conditioning consultant. They participate in 11 three-hour sessions before a spring training camp and Regional Team Competition with Team Ontario in April 2015.

Coaching the teams in 2015 will be Adam Holden (Ottawa), Jeff Overholt (York), Mike Martz (Waterloo) and newcomers John White (Niagara) and Randy McQueen (Essex-Kent).

Selection for the teams are based on the skills combines, 2014 GAO tournament performance and GAO and other junior Order of Merit Standings. To be eligible, golfers must be in good standing with the GAO, have unquestioned amateur status and be a resident of Ontario.

The Regional Skills Combines are made up of a series of assessments in full swing, short game and physical fitness screening and will be conducted by PGA of Canada regional and provincial coaches.

The combines for the 2015 teams begin in early September, starting with Ottawa’s Sept. 6-7 at the Kevin Haime Golf Centre in Kanata; Waterloo’s are Sept. 6 and 20 at the Golf Performance Centre in Cambridge; Niagara’s take place on Sept. 14 and 20 at The Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls; York’s are Sept. 20-21 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham; and Essex-Kent are yet to be determined.

For more information on the combines and to register visit https://gao.ca/excelling-performing/athlete-development/skills-combines/ or contact Manager of Sport Performance Mary Ann Hayward at 905-852-1101 ext. 239 or email mhayward@gao.ca

The golf competition at the 2014 Ontario Summer Games, Presented by the Sport Alliance of Ontario and Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Aug. 8-10 at the Roseland Golf & Curling Club in Windsor, ON. The golf championship was the Golf Association of Ontario’s Juvenile (U17) Boys’ and Girls’ Championships. The winners were Gavin MacIver and Madeline Marck-Sherk.

Don’t wait register now!

Carrying Place Golf & Country Club in King, Ont., is the official hosting site for the 2014 Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event.

On September 22nd, over 100 women are expected to play 18 holes of golf in celebration of another successful year of promoting women’s golf and raising funds for breast cancer.

This marks the 11th annual National Event and signifies the growing success of the women’s participation initiative.

“It’s been a natural progression for us,” said Steve Elliot, General Manager at Carrying Place. “We’ve hosted several ‘pink-out’ nights in the past and we are very happy to be a part of the National Event and its cause.”

“An event like this is great for introducing ladies to golf with the friendly atmosphere of the scramble format,” said Brian Jones, Head Golf Professional at Carrying Place. “It’s also a great social event for ladies to enjoy their entire night with dinner and festivities afterwards.”

The National Event celebrates the collective accomplishments of all program participants from across the country. Among those in attendance will be corporate teams, club members, guests and even first-time golfers. Foursomes from the top two fundraising events will be honoured at the event, with Subaru covering their transportation and hospitality costs.

Also attending will be Evanka Osmak of Sportsnet who has been a program ambassador for three years running.

“It is truly an honour to be named an ambassador for Golf Canada’s Golf Fore the Cure Program,” said Osmak. “I am thrilled to be involved with a program that promotes women’s participation in the game of golf and raises money for such a worthy cause as breast cancer. I look forward to doing my part to make a difference and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

In addition to fighting breast cancer, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru aims to encourage women’s participation in the sport. The National Event highlights these goals with a day of care-free golf and friendly contests.

Registration for the event at Carrying Place is open to the public. Experience a ladies-only golf celebration of the national success of the program in 2014.

Register now as a Corporate Team, Recreational Team or Individual at: http://dialogue.golfcanada.ca/Extranet/95877/forms.aspx?msgid=1a57cb6c-0bdc-4bbf-9ec2-4ec5d3e64f50&LinkID=CH00095877eR00000051AD

Registration includes: Official Golf Fore the Cure apparel piece, 18 holes with a cart at Carrying Place, Lunch and dinner, Prizes and gift bags. Visit golfcanada.ca/gftcnationalevent for more information.

WELLAND, ON – It was a crowded leaderboard heading into the final round of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) 2014 Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Championship as three players entered the day with a share the lead, while nine others were all within three shots.

Conditions were windy at Hunters Pointe Golf Course in Welland for the final round on Aug. 14. First-round leader and co-leader after the second round, Oakville’s Larry Cooper was able to tame those conditions to play great golf and capture his first Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Championship.

“I came down early and played a practice round with Sandy Billyard, who co-owns the course and I really got to learn a lot about it,” said Cooper. “The wind makes a huge difference on this golf course and you really need to pick the right club and I seemed to do that today. I tried to keep the ball down in the wind and made sure I was finishing low at the target.”

Cooper attributed much of his success during the week to his flat stick. “My putter was really solid. I made a lot of good putts, putts for par when I needed to, so I was very pleased with that.”

Cooper, 57-years-old from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, took the outright lead after a birdie on the third hole. He would par the remaining six on the front nine and was at one-under at the turn. He continued to play well on the back nine beginning with a trio of birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes. He would go on to finish the round four-under (68) and four-under for the tournament.

“The senior group is a great group of guys. Everyone is pulling for each other, which is really nice. I love the spirit of they have to offer.  Last year, I played the event and lost in a playoff, this year I was lucky enough to win and it feels really nice to come back and win it.”

Finishing second was Lars Melander from the Hidden Lake Golf Club. The Oakville resident finished the final round three-over (75) and the tournament at three-over. Melander had a rough start to the day and was five-over through 15 holes. However, he would birdie 16 and 18 to claim the silver medal. Melander also was crowned champion of the 60+ Division.

Rounding out top three were Pickering’s Christopher Kertsos and Collingwood’s Michael Jackson who both ended the tournament at six-over. For Kertsos, he finished the day at three-over (75). As for Jackson, he was six-over (78).

Georgetown’s Reg Finlayson captured the 70+ Division, for the third consecutive year, with a final round of six-over (78) to end the tournament at 17-over.

With their podium finish Cooper and Melander earned the right to represent Ontario at the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship, Aug. 26-29 at Capilano Golf & Country Club in West Vancouver, B.C. Brampton’s Rick Dobbs-Hebron joined them after earning the third spot in a playoff.

For more information and the final leaderboard see the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1417/index.htm

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the staff, members, and volunteers from Hunters Pointe Golf Course for being exceptional hosts throughout the week. The GAO would also like to thank title sponsor Investors Group for their continued support of amateur golf in the province.

The Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Championship is contested annually and features Ontario’s best male amateur golfers age 55 and older. 2014 marks the 79th playing of the event, and notable past champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Stu Hamilton and Nick Weslock, Herb Carnegie, and Ed Ervasti.

Highlights from the Investors Group Ontario Senior Women’s Championship, July 29-31 from Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, ON. Mary Ann Hayward won her fourth title at the event with a final score of seven-under.

WINDSOR— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Juvenile (U17) Boys’ Championship, held in conjunction with the Ontario Summer Games, wrapped up on Aug. 10 with the final round of play. After many lead changes and names atop the leaderboard, it was Scarborough’s Gavin MacIver who took the title in the end with a final round of one-under (69) to bring his tournament total to three-over.

The 16-year-old Cherry Downs Golf & Country Club member entered the final round in a tie for third at four-over. But after round-two leader, Niagara Falls’ Jaret Chipman, faltered during the day, MacIver was able to take advantage.

“The final round started off ok,” said MacIver. “The leader (Chipman) was playing well. Then we got to the back nine and I had the lead. I soon found out that Jake (Bryson), in the second last group, was one up on me. Things really turned around on 11 and 12 when I birdied them and got the outright lead. I just brought it home from there.”

MacIver put a string of three birdies on four holes together on the ninth, 11th and 12th holes to help galvanize his round. In the process, he was also able to move ahead of Dunrobin’s Jake Bryson who also held the lead during the round.

“I was rolling in a lot of putts. I made a 20 footer on 12 downhill, which really got things going, from there I just tried to par the rest of the holes,” said MacIver.

It was that putting along with his play off the tees that MacIver attributed his success to. “My putting and shots from the tee were the strongest parts of my game this week. I gave myself good birdie chances all week. Today, I made all my short putts and drained a couple long ones that got my game going.”

Bryson, a member of the GAO’s Ottawa Regional Team, finished the day at even par (70) and was four-over for the tournament, earning the silver medal.

Rounding out the podium was Waterloo Regional Team and Greenhills Golf Club member Jackson Bowery. Bowery, the London resident, shot a three-over (73) and ended the tournament three shots back at six-over.

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the volunteers and staff from Roseland Golf & Curling Club, along with the Ontario Summer Games for hosting the championship.

For the final leaderboard see the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1422/index.htm

The Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Championship is a 54-hole competition that features the province’s best junior golfers under the age of 17 competing for the Mike Weir trophy. This year the event is contested as part of the 2014 Ontario Summer Games.

WINDSOR— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Juvenile (U17) Girls’ Championship, held in conjunction with the Ontario Summer Games, came to an end on Aug. 10 at the Roseland Golf & Curling Club in Windsor. When the final putt was drained, it was Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk who walked away with the Juvenile Girls’ trophy and the Ontario Summer Games’ gold medal.

Marck-Sherk, 16-years-old from the Bridgeway Country Club and the GAO’s Waterloo Regional Team, got out to a great start during the round with birdies on the first and third holes. She would add an eagle on the 14^th and finished the day two-under (70) to end the tournament at even par.

“It was a big week for me. I was able to drain some putts today and with a score of 70, I can’t have any complaints. It was such a great tournament and I am just so happy to have won this,” said Marck-Sherk.

After the round, Marck-Sherk credited her performance to her strong putting. “The early putts helped a lot, I was able to keep the momentum going and continue strong throughout the round. Coming into the tournament I knew there was a chance for me to win and making it to the final group, I knew there was a possibility.”

Finishing second was Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain. The Team Ontario and Hylands Golf Club member finished the day one-over (73) to end the tournament at five-over. Marck-Sherk spoke about what playing in the final group with the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls’ and Quebec Women’s Amateur champion was like. “It was tough, I knew she would be tough competition. We are good friends and I was honoured to play with her. She played well today, the nerves were there for me, but I was able to overcome them.”

Picking up the bronze medal was London resident and London Hunt and Country Club member Isabella Portokalis. Portokalis, a Waterloo Regional Team member, finished the day one-over (73) and ended the tournament at eight-over.

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the volunteers and staff from Roseland Golf & Curling Club, along with the Ontario Summer Games for hosting the championship.

For the final leaderboard, visit the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1423/index.htm

The Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Championship features the province’s best junior golfers under the age of 17 competing for the Sandra Post trophy. Past champions of the event include Post, Jessica Shepley, Alena Sharp, Stephanie Sherlock, and Rebecca Lee-Bentham. This year the event was contested as part of the 2014 Ontario Summer Games.

ASHTON, ON— Port Credit resident Chloe Currie came into the second round of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Ontario Bantam (U15) Girls’ Championship, Aug. 7 at the Canadian Golf & Country Club in Ashton, with a comfortable 11-shot advantage. She would see that lead to the end of the second and final round as she captured the 2014 championship.

“I made solid shots and had a plan. I went out and played the course according to my plan, the best I could. It was a challenging course. It wasn’t too long but it was tricky. There are a lot of 90 degree holes, tough bunkers and putting greens that become really fast when you’re putting downhill. You just need to get going and play steady. I think I was able to do well because I just played steady golf,” said Currie after the win.

The 14-year-old from the Mississauga Golf & Country Club had an opening round of two-over (74) and cruised through the second round finishing it at one-over (73) to end the tournament three-over for the win.

“This win would rank as the best career highlight for me so far. It is the best I have ever done in a tournament. I am so glad that I came to play this event. It was my last year to play in it and I wanted to come here, play strong, finish strong and I did.”

Currie had got herself to one-over for the tournament thanks to a birdie on the seventh hole. However, she would shoot two-over on the back nine. Still, it would not matter as Currie was able to hang on to win by an amazing 24-strokes.

“I was consistent on the par threes. My irons were great today and my putting was amazing, I made a lot of important putts that gave me momentum for the next holes,” added Currie.

Finishing second was Olivia Trieu from Richmond Hill, who ended the tournament at 27-over and Brampton’s Amanda Kerr was third at 29-over.

The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the members, volunteers and staff from the Canadian Golf & Country Club for hosting the championship.

For the full leaderboard see the tournament site at: http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao14/event/gao1421/contest/1/leaderboard.htm