A self described “late-bloomer” Estevan’s Chase Gedak has developed his game at the right time allowing him to land a Div. II NCAA golf scholarship.

The TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club member will attend the University of Arkansas at Monticello starting next year. The 17-year-old grade 12 student at Estevan Comprehensive School student made the announcement on Instagram over the weekend. Despite a later start to competitive golf, the 2019 Saskatchewan boy’s high school champion said he’s been around the course thanks to his dad.

“The first I remember I would go to the practice hole with my dad when we were camping at Woodlawn,” Gedak said to Golf Saskatchewan. “We’d drive the cart over, and I’d have my set of four clubs, and I’d chip balls around the green and then ride around in the cart with my dad. I ended up getting a membership at the par-3 course here near Woodlawn as well. I didn’t get a membership at Woodlawn until grade 7 or 8 and never started playing tournaments until 14 or 15 so I got into it a little later than most, but I’ve been playing a lot over the past few years.”

Playing through his junior golf career, Gedak wasn’t eyeing a potential golf commitment, but with the season he had opportunities started to arise.

“Before this summer I really didn’t think I’d be going to the States,” he admitted. “I was expecting to go to the University of Saskatchewan and go up there with my friends and go to school there. After the summer I felt like it was a good opportunity. I played good, my game is moving in the right direction, with Arkansas coming forward I thought that was the opportunity to progress my game.”

It was just announced that Prince Albert’s TJ Baker would attend the same school. Gedak said he reached out to Baker and is excited to have a familiar face at the school.

“We had similar options, and both thought Arkansas was the best option. It’s going to be great having someone down there I know, it will make the transition a lot easier,” Gedak said.

Gedak will finish the school year and graduate in Estevan before playing his final year of junior golf with the hopes of winning a provincial title and representing Saskatchewan at nationals. He said several people have been key contributors to his success and the next step of his career.

“Amanda (Minchin) has been a great help at the golf course, and my dad, he’s been a great help. Whenever I want to go to tournaments he doesn’t ask questions, he gives me the Visa and says here you go. Whenever I need new equipment he doesn’t ask questions, he is there to support me all the time. My mom too, they are both great supporters of me,” he said.

Gedak plans to study business management with a career in golf in some avenue on the other side of his four years of university.

After nearly four decades in the golf industry, Randy Volk is set to retire from the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

Volk has been on a golf course for much of his life, his father managed the Wildwood Golf Course in Saskatoon when Volk was “seven or eight years old” so that’s where it started. He was a lefthanded player but with hand-me-down clubs from his older brothers he learned to play righthanded under his father’s tutelage.

Volk went to work at Holiday Park in Saskatoon under Peter Semko performing the usual tasks, picking range balls, cleaning clubs, assisting members, along with other duties as a young golf employee. When Volk was 18 years old he began working at Silverwood under Don Ludwig. Volk completed his junior golf career that included five provincial junior teams and played one year of amateur before deciding to turn professional. After a few more years under Ludwig, back at Holiday Park in the 1980’s he became the first head professional at Silverwood Golf Course. He said that’s where the retail end of his career began.

He became a Class “A” professional and moved over to Moon Lake Golf and Country Club in the early 1990’s and stayed there for a couple years. Volk then made the move to the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club where he will retire at the end of the year marking 26 seasons at the club. He said the industry has been very gratifying on different levels.

“It was rewarding when I was younger, I played a lot of competitive golf and was quite successful,” Volk told Golf Saskatchewan. “When I became a head professional I taught a little more and sold more merchandise and then when I came over to the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club (SGCC) there is more demands and it’s more servicing the members and making sure their needs are looked after. I think the most gratifying for me is being able to be the head professional at a prestige, private golf club in Saskatchewan for 26 years.”

Volk will end his career at the end of 2019. He said under normal circumstances January and February were slow months and he would take some time off before returning to work in the spring. He admitted this upcoming season will be quite different.

“It’s going to be tough when March 1^st comes and I’m not going to the golf course to receive merchandise, to get sponsorship, get the tournaments organized, just the day to day operations,” he said. “Another thing is, I was a workaholic. I worked seven days a week during the summer because I loved it so much. The second hardest thing is I’m going to miss the membership here a lot.”

Looking back on his career, Volk said the list to thank is long but starts with his father. From getting him clubs to getting him going in the sport. He thanked Ludwig and Semko for allowing him to work under them in the beginning.

“I am totally in awe of those people and they helped me get to where I am today,” he acknowledged.

Being in the industry for nearly four decades, Volk has seen countless changes, especially in equipment. He said, much like every sport the game of golf has become harder and faster.

“In golf you have guys that are 5’7”, 140 lbs. hitting the ball 340 yards,” Volk explained. “When I was growing up it was more the bigger bodies like Jack Nicklaus, who was built like a tree. He could because of brute strength, now these golfers are fit, fit, athletes. When I was growing up it wasn’t such a fit sport, lots of smoking, lots of drinking. Now these guys train, they are in the weight room, they are ripped.”

Volk also said seeing so many golf fads come and go over 40 years and that’s been entertaining. Infomercials pop up with the latest get better gadget and as quickly as they appear on the market the gear is gone. Volk said any harness type product was always the most comical to him.

“It’s hard to pin point one or another but I think you can realize it with the commercials, they will flood the market for a week, and you will never see it again. There’s so many, I think a lot of them are harnesses, they put you in a straight jacket so to speak,” he laughed.

Overall Volk said the game is simple, “it’s all about balance and coordination” and too much “between the ears.”

“Golf is a great sport, it’s a great recreational sport. You can enjoy it as much as you want,” Volk concluded.

Volk is a multi PGA of Saskatchewan award winner including Professional of the Year in 1995 and 2007. He’s also been named the Merchandiser of the Year on several occasions.

The SGCC announced in October that Brennen Gee would succeed Volk as the head professional.

Prince Albert’s TJ Baker is going to continue his education and play golf while doing it.

The 17-year-old Carlton Comprehensive High School student has committed to the University of Arkansas at Monticello for next year.

For Baker, getting started in golf was simple, his father Tyler was the manager at Nipawin’s Evergreen Golf Course before taking that position at Waskesiu where Baker now spends his summers. He said he’s been fortunate to grow up on two of Saskatchewan’s premiere tracks.

“We’re going into my dad’s 11^th year at Waskesiu and before that he was at the Evergreen where the junior provincials were held this year. That’s where I really started, I’ve been lucky to grow up on some pretty sweet courses,” Baker said.

Baker played his first competitive event when he was 10 years old, that was the Junior Lobstick. His first Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour event was when he was 12. Baker admitted he’s always had a competitive edge allowing a seamless transition into tournament golf.

“I really like the competitiveness,” he said. “Knowing you’re in contention to win any tournament in the province, it makes you feel so much better about the game of golf. If you aren’t very good at it that’s when people say it’s no fun, I like the competitiveness the most.”

Baker’s competitiveness and confidence are key components in him taking his game to the college level. He has been thinking about playing college golf since he started attending high school.

“I was on the 17^th tee at Waskesiu, on a fall day with my cousin and she watched me hit a ball. She said, wow, you’re really good. That’s when I really started to think, I kind of am, I could really do something with this,” he said.

After doing some research on schools, Baker had his choice narrowed done to either Arkansas at Monticello or Minot State University but in the end the chance to play all year solidified his decision to attend the NCAA Div. II school.

“The thing that made up my mind between the two is in Arkansas I can play and practice year-round” he explained. I don’t want to say better schooling, but the student-teacher ratio is better too, but basically there is snow in Minot and barely snow in Arkansas.”

Baker will graduate in 2020 from Carlton before playing out his final year of junior golf in Saskatchewan. He wanted to recognize his high school coach, Baker credited Taryn Rieger and her efforts as a large part of his success.

Baker will study business in university, he said he wants to work in the golf industry and follow in his father’s footsteps.

The USGA and The R&A are conducting a review of the Rules of Amateur Status to make them easier to understand and apply.

The comprehensive evaluation is part of the continued joint effort to modernize the Rules by reducing complexity and ensuring the Rules effectively guide how the game is played today.

As part of a review process that began earlier this year, the governing bodies will seek the perspectives of golf’s stakeholders as an integral component of the review process, including elite amateur golfers, golf event organizers, national golf associations, professional golf associations and other industry partners.

The aim is to provide the golf community with a modernized set of the Amateur Status Rules in late 2021, with the goal of an effective date of January 1, 2022.

Adam Helmer, director of Rules and Amateur Status for Golf Canada, said, “We are embarking on an important review with golf’s governing bodies to take a fundamental examination of the implications of the Rules of Amateur Status to our sport. We will work closely with our provincial and national association partners to gain valuable feedback from all our stakeholders to ensure the best interests of our golfers and being met. As our sport evolves, it’s paramount the Rules remain relevant to provide fair competition and help with our continued efforts to grow the game.”

Thomas Pagel, senior managing director of Governance at the USGA, said, “One of golf’s greatest benefits is that it can be played by all ages and played for a lifetime. It is our goal to ensure that the fundamental concept of what it means to be an amateur golfer is clear and retained to promote fair competition and enjoyment for everyone, while still addressing many issues that seek to protect the game. This is a forward-thinking approach and engaging golfers is a key component of doing what’s best for golf.”

Grant Moir, director – Rules at The R&A, said, “We will be looking at the Rules of Amateur Status carefully and considering ways in which we can modernize them and bring them more into line with the way the modern sport is played. The code remains a fundamental framework for amateur golf and we will be listening to the views of players, officials and associations to give us a fully rounded view of how we can improve them.”

In a separate move, effective January 1, 2020, the USGA and The R&A will introduce one change to Rule 3-2b of the Rules of Amateur Status, which regulates hole-in-one prizes. The Rules will no longer limit the prize an amateur golfer may win when making a hole-in-one outside a round of golf, including “stand-alone” and “multiple-entry” hole-in-one events. It is hoped the change will help to promote the game and cater to new audiences as well, and eliminate unnecessary restrictions for event organizers.

New Rule 3-2b will read as follows:

Rule 3-2b. Hole-in-One Prizes

An amateur golfer may accept a prize in excess of the limit in Rule 3-2a, including a cash prize, for making a hole-in-one during a round of golf on a golf course.

An amateur golfer may also accept a prize in excess of the limit in Rule 3-2a, including a cash prize, for making a hole-in-one during contests held outside a round of golf, including multiple-entry contests and contests conducted other than on a golf course (e.g., on a driving range, golf simulator or putting green) provided in all cases that the length of the shot is at least 50 yards.

Swift Current’s Brennan Rumancik is coming home with a top-20 performace at the PGA Head Professional Championship this week at Wigwam Resort.

The Elmwood Golf Course pro went even par (72, 74, 70) over 54 holes at the event to finish in a tie for 19^th.

Regina’s Kevin Dietz tied for 56^th at 13-over par. The Tor Hill Golf Course professional shot rounds of 78, 76, and 75 this week. Jeff Chambers, also from Swift Current finished in a tie for 60^th place at plus-14 (75, 78, 77).

John Greenough, the professional at Deer Valley Golf & Estates finished at 19-over (78, 77, 80) good enough for a placing of 67^th.

Former Regina resident Lindsay Bernakevitch tied for 11^th at five-under.

Ontario’s Gordon Burns led wire to wire and ran away from the field winning the individual championship by seven strokes at 21-under par. Burns’ win nets himself $9,000.

Shadow Ridge Golf Club pro Mark Kitts was the Low Club professional winner at minus-eight.

The complete results can be found here.

Elmwood Golf Club professional Brennan Rumancik is still the low Saskatchewan golfer at the PGA Head Professional Championship after two rounds.

Rumancik followed his opening round of even par  shooting two-over, 74 on Wednesday to sit at plus-two after 36 holes at Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona. Rumancik is tied for 29^th, well above the cut line of the top 70 golfers.

Jeff Chambers, also out of Elmwood is tied for 56^th at nine-over par. He carded a six-over, 78 during round two.

Regina’s Kevin Dietz, playing out of Tor Hill Golf Course is at 10-over, he’s tied for 62 following a 76 in the second round.

John Greenough, the pro at Deer Valley Golf and Estates is at 11-over, he’s tied for 64^th.

All four golfers made the cut. Former Regina resident Lindsay Bernakevitch is at plus-one through 36 holes. He’s the head pro at Victoria Golf Club.

Ontario’s Gordon Burns continues to scorch the field and course, he leads at minus-17 going into Thursday’s championship round.

The Interzone competition concluded on Wednesday, Saskatchewan placed eighth.

The complete results can be seen here.

Swift Current’s Brennan Rumancik shot even par Tuesday at the PGA Head Professional Championship and sits tied for 22^nd after round one of the 54-hole event.

The Elmwood Golf & Country Club pro is the lead local of four Saskatchewan competitors in the 90-player field.

Jeff Chambers, also from Elmwood shot plus-three, 75 in round one, he is tied for 44^th.

Kevin Dietz (Tor Hill Golf Course) and John Greenough (Deer Valley Golf & Estates) both carded rounds of six-over, 78 at Wigwam Golf Resort in Arizona.

Former Regina resident, Lindsay Bernakevitch, Victoria Golf Club’s head professional is tied for 35^th after shooting 74.

Saskatchewan sits eighth in the Interzone competition.

Gordon burns leads the event at minus-10. Ontario is the Interzone leader after the first 18 holes.

Round two goes on Wednesday from Litchfield Park.

The full results can be found here.

Growing up in Melfort, and then Saskatoon, Troy Bulmer golfed, a lot, most of the time with his father.

Rod Bulmer was an accountant by day, by night a father on the course with his son as much as possible, and between the two of them, they were often found in the winner’s circle. The Melfort Men’s Open was a huge tournament for western Canadian golfers, the elder Bulmer won the event “several” times according to Troy. Rod was also the Saskatchewan amateur champion in 1984. Troy won the 2005 under-15 provincial title, a year later he was the under-17 victor.

Rod had a stellar amateur career, Troy was on his way to more wins, then everything changed.

In August of 2010, Rod was driving his son back to college in Misenheimer, N.C. when their car was toss from the road by a tornado in North Dakota. Rod was killed, Troy suffered serious injuries, but survived.

In July of 2011, Troy won the Saskatchewan amateur title as well putting his name on the same trophy as his late father.

“That’s obviously a huge point of personal pride as well as for my family and friends, that was a very significant moment,” Troy said to Golf Saskatchewan last week. “Twelve, thirteen months before that it didn’t look like I was going to be able to play golf again because of the damage I sustained. That was a huge piece. To have the same championship as my dad has, that’s hugely important, it’s very meaningful. Especially now, it’s something I can look back on and say as much as it was a point of satisfaction or goal I had, it was almost a personal reassurance that I was going to be ok. Regardless of losing dad or not, our names will be tied to a piece of history.”

The Bulmers joined the Stewarts (Ron and Dave) as the only other father-son combo to win the amateur championship.

(Troy with his dad, Rod in 2006)

Bulmer now calls Vernon, B.C. home and is still very involved in golf playing “as much, wherever possible.” He enters events in the Vancouver Golf Tour, State Opens and the McKenzie Tour keeping the 28-year-old busy. This past summer he won his first event as a professional, the storied Ogopogo at the Kelowna Golf & Country Club. The Predator Ridge member stormed back from four shots down on the final day to win the 68^th running of the tournament that had a field of 162. Bulmer said the win had significance thanks to Mike Smith, a long-time friend of his dad’s as his caddy during the championship.

“By proxy that’s the closest thing that I could get to having dad around, it was really nice having Mike out there caddying. Someone to talk with and after the completion of the event basically realizing it would be my trophy and my tournament that I had won, it was very nice of him to say, your dad would be very proud of you. It was very nice for Mike to remind me of that,” Bulmer said.

Still healing from his injuries after the amateur win, Bulmer felt a warmer climate would be beneficial for his health, and his game. Only practicing a couple times per week, he started to play more in the B.C. and had success pushing him on.

“Over a span of a couple weeks I set five course records, and that was without practicing or playing that much,” Bulmer explained. “I figured I would go down south and play a couple Mini-Tour events and just see where the game is actually at. Those Mini-Tour guys grinders are good. Whatever the mental hang-up or getting out of their comfort zone, whatever the case me be that they don’t progress further, those guys that have made money on the Mini-Tour are good golfers.”

Chasing a PGA TOUR card is still the goal for Bulmer. He will continue to play through the qualifying school of the McKenzie Tour and work from there. He did admit that as determined as he is to make the dream work, time doesn’t stop.

“It’s something that is within grasp, but at the same time you need to see it in a timely matter,” Bulmer explained. “You can’t spend three, four years grinding it out on the McKenzie Tour and another handful on the Korn Ferry Tour. Playing professional golf isn’t a cheap thing to do, so it’s going to be one of those with results and success becomes that much more exposure to yourself and that much more opportunity to pursue it. Right now I’m all in on progressing my game.”

Saskatchewan currently has about ten players, both men and women playing college golf in Canada and the United States. Some may have professional aspirations; others might be using the game to get their education. Whatever the reason and their goals, Bulmer said his eyes were opened once he climbed to the higher level after his college career was complete.

“When you go out and play, yeah your short game, your putting can be great, but you are not shooting 63 each day hitting it to 25 feet or putting it up-and-down for par all day. My greatest recommendation which when I was first out there I caught on really quick, we’re finding ball striking and trying to get closer to the hole is. Sixty-nine isn’t good golf anymore at this level. If you are shooting 69 or 70 everyday you are going to go awfully hungry,” he said.

Bulmer works at Predator Ridge during the season and has a girlfriend who also plays golf out of the Okanagan course. In the off-season Bulmer works for one of the resorts in the Vernon area.

You can hear more from Bulmer below in his interview with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork.

Almost 100 of Canada’s top golf professionals have converged on Wigwam Golf in Litchfield Park, Arizona for the annual PGA Head Professional Championship this week.

The 54-hole stroke play championship opens Tuesday with the players chasing a $55,000 prize purse for the next few days. Moose Jaw born Adam Hadwin, a rising star on the PGA Tour was on hand for the practice round on Monday.

Saskatchewan has four players in the field of 90 players. Brennan Rumancik, Jeff Chambers, Kevin Dietz, and John Greenough. Former Regina resident and four-time Saskatchewan amateur champion Lindsay Bernakevitch is also in the field. Rumancik tees off at 11:33 a.m., Chambers is in the 11:42 a.m. group, Dietz will begin at 11:51 a.m., and Greenough starts at noon.

Aside from the individual championship, the event features a two-day Interzone competition. The club’s represented in that portion of the tournament are the Elmwood Golf Club (Chambers, Rumancik), Tor Hill Golf Course (Dietz) and Deer Valley Golf & Estates (Greenough).

The leaderboard can be found here.

We recently received a Rules inquiry about substituting a ball on the putting surface from a reader.

“I have seen golfers use a different golf ball on the greens; is this allowed? He asked.

ANSWER: No. You may not substitute a ball on the putting green unless your ball is cut, cracked or out of shape (see Rule 4.2c(2)).

Rule 4-2 The Ball:

Rule 4-2 c. Ball Becomes Cut or Cracked While Playing Hole

(2) When Another Ball May Be Substituted. The player may only substitute another ball if it can be clearly seen that the original ball is cut or cracked and this damage happened during the hole being played – but not if it is only scratched or scraped or its paint is only damaged or discoloured.

• If the original ball is cut or cracked, the player must replace either another ball or the original ball on the original spot (see Rule 14.2).
• If the original ball is not cut or cracked, the player must replace it on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).

Nothing in this Rule prohibits a player from substituting another ball under any other Rule or changing balls between two holes.

Penalty for Playing Incorrectly Substituted Ball or Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Rule 4.2c: General Penalty Under Rule 6.3b or 14.7a.

Therefore, if a player on the putting green changes her/his ball to their “lucky ball,” it will cost them the general penalty (two strokes) in match play. Therefore, it is not recommended they do such an action.

Remember, the Rules matter!