Alex Schmidt

Regina’s Alex Schmidt followed up her third-place finish in her opening event of the year with a second at the Carroll College Fighting Saints Classic in Helena, Montana on Sept. 23 and 24.

The Lewis-Clark State freshman shot 78 during the first round and sat fourth but chopped three shots off her card during round two jumping into second place. Schmidt’s teammate Madilyn Brown won the event. Lauren Hamm completed a podium sweep for the Warriors.

The women’s team won the event with a 41-stroke cushion over Rocky Mountain.

Lewis-Clark is hosting the Warrior Invitational on Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 for their next championship.

Josh Nagy

Josh Nagy competed in his first collegiate tournament on Sept. 23 and 24 in Union, Kentucky.

The Robert Morris University freshman from Saskatoon carded rounds of 81 and back-to-back 79’s. Nagy’s 54-hole total of 239 was 68^th overall in the field of 75 players.

The Colonials finished 10^th as a team at the event. The squad is back on the links at the Tom Tontimonia Invitational on Oct. 7 – 8 hosted by Cleveland State.

Jace Carlisle

Jace Carlisle of Estevan also recently competed in his first collegiate tournament.

The 2019 Saskatchewan junior men’s champion is playing golf at Lake Superior State University in Michigan.

The team finished fourth overall at the GLIAC North Invitational at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan on Sept. 14 and 15.

Carlisle rounds of 80 and 79 to finish in 25th place.

The Lakers travel to South Haven, Michigan on Sept. 28 and 29 for the Hawkshead Invitational for their next event.

Connor Scissons/Connor Tate

Saskatoon’s Connor Scissons and Kindersley’s Connor Tate were on the course in Phoenix, Arizona on Sept. 23 and 24 for the 54-hole Firestorm Invitational.

Both players attend Arizona Christian University (ACU), Scissons tied for 27^th with a three-round score of 230 (76, 80, 74). Tate’s three-round score of 248 (75, 84, 89) landed him in 45th. As a team, ACU placed third in the seven-team event. Scissons and Tate were competing in the event as individuals.

The school’s next competition will be Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 at the OUAZ Fall Invitational in Goodyear, Arizona.

Brody Istace

Kindersley’s Brody Istace and his Columbia International University (CIU) teammates competed in the Bryan College Invitational on Sept. 23 and 24 in Crossville, Tennessee.

During round one Istace stroked a score of 82. On day two the Kindersley Golf Club member shot 88. He finished in 51^st place at plus-26.

The CIU team placed eighth overall in the tournament. The Rams are in action next when they host the NCCAA South Region Tournament at Columbia Country Club from Sept. 30 – Oct 1.

You can see more about Saskatchewan’s college athletes here.

A pair of Saskatchewan golfers have returned from the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) National Team Challenge event in Niagara Falls with lifelong memories.

Cole Jenkins, 17, qualified for the event with a second-place finish at the Saskatchewan Zone Junior Championship at Dakota Dunes earlier this summer. The Prince Albert product placed 43^rd in a field of 60 players during the 54-hole tournament at the Royal Niagara Golf Club from Sept. 20 to 22. He said competing against international players at the event was a memorable experience.

“It was nice, it was a super good experience,” he said to Golf Saskatchewan. “Just getting to know people from all over the world really. There was people from Australia, Mexico, and Florida.”

Jenkins improved by a stroke each day at the championship, he opened with an 84, shot 83 on day two and capped his tournament with an 82. He said he struck the ball well, but his short game abandoned him a little bit over the week.

“I was hitting the ball well but once I got up next to the green I had no feel it seemed like. I probably lost 20 strokes just putting and chipping. I was hitting putts on my line but, I didn’t understand what the reads were doing. It was strange,” Jenkins admitted.

While in Niagara Falls the players took in many of the tourism spots and mingled with each other. Jenkins said that made the trip extra special.

“It was awesome, I have never been there so a really cool place to be. It’s crazy how big those falls are. Everything around there is pretty cool,” he beamed.

The grade 12 student is getting set for the high school provincial championship this Friday and Saturday in Estevan at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club. He will also attend the MJT National Championship in Florida in November. Upon graduating he hopes golf continues to be involved with his education.

“I’ve been talking to colleges and trying to get something going there. I’ve gotten asked by a couple Div. III schools and a couple junior colleges, I am just not sure which route I want to take,” he explained.

Regina’s Autumn Neiszner qualified for the event through the Dakota Dunes tournament that she won in July. The 15-year-old also performed remarkably at the MJT National Team Challenge placing third overall and being the top Canadian girl in the field of 29. Neiszner said she’s happy with her score despite a somewhat different process to get there.

“I am not super pleased, I hit the ball really great, but my putting was not very good at all,” the Wascana Country Club member admitted. “I managed to make the putts that mattered and that was good but, I didn’t play my best. I hit the ball probably better than I ever have, I hit more greens than I ever have, I hit more fairways than I ever have, my putting just wasn’t great so, it all kind of evened out in my score because usually it’s opposite for me.”

Neiszner shot a three-round total of 239 (78, 80, 81), +23 which was just three strokes back of second. She was 14 shots off the winner, Annika Rathbone of Australia. Overall the 2019 Saskatchewan junior girl’s champion was pleased with the result.

“I’m pleased with third obviously, but I feel I could have shot better every single day. I had way too many putts the last day. For the number of putts I had I am pleased with how I scored,” she said.

Much like Jenkins, Neiszner was overwhelmed by the trip and experience in Ontario. She said the relationships she gained added to the memorable trip.

“We met some very nice people from Australia, I’m friends with the two girls now,” she said. “We talk on the phone still even though we’re on the opposite sides of the world. We are really great friends. They are so nice and supportive; it was a really great experience.”

Neiszner had never been to Niagara Falls prior to the event. She was able to go behind the falls and rode of the Maid of the Mist among other tourism highlights. She said sharing those moments with her new-found friends will potentially stick with her longer than her bronze medal.

“It was so great, just walking down the street, it was almost like a mini Vegas strip. It was really cool, it was so fun hanging out with the Australians and Mexicans, all that was so fun,” Neiszner lamented.

The grade 11 student will also compete in the high school provincials this weekend and the MJT National event in November.

Both Neiszner and Jenkins competed for Central in the 15 team competition, they placed seventh. Australia was the winner.

On Wednesday the MJT announced they have dispersed over $20,000 across Canada in funding to assist players attending the national event in Florida. Neisnzer, Ella Kozak (Yorkton), Dane Giesbrecht (Warman), Thomas Danielson (Saskatoon), Alex Swinnerton (Saskatoon), Jayden Dudas (Estevan) and Keighton McNab (Saskatoon) will all be eligible to receive funds.

The event runs from Nov. 7 to 10.

It was a marvelous night at Riverside Country Club on Saturday as the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame welcomed three new members.

Tyler Wright, Dr. Randy Gilewich, and Gary Brandon made up the 2019 class that grows the Hall to 53 individual inductees and four teams.

Gary Brandon

Brandon was the lone inductee enshrined posthumously, he was represented by his wife, Bonnie, and children Skye and Bobbi. Skye said the evening was emotional but memorable.

“It was, there was an element of not sure how to proceed at the same time too, you know our dad, in the case of our mother, her husband is being inducted posthumously so, you never know how much to speak, how much not to speak, how many friendly faces are you going to see? It turned out quite a few, it was a great revisiting of friends and to have that respect shown to our dad was fantastic,” he said after the gala dinner.

Gary succumbed to cancer in 2009. Golf was his profession, but he excelled at many different sports and is inducted into several Hall of Fames. Skye said had he been able to attend Saturday’s event he would have been very proud.

“He would have been blown away,” Skye said. “He was always about community, when we were growing up in Melfort when he was the pro there and then again when he moved to Dauphin he always showed so much support to businesses in town because he knew those were the people that were going to support his course and golf there. To see the golf community at large recognize him back would have meant a great deal. I think he would have been overwhelmed.”

The ninth Hall of Fame banquet was attended by over 70 people. Many of the people in attendance were mentioned during all three inductees speaking at the podium. Skye said that proves how tightknit the golf world is in Saskatchewan.

“I mentioned Kenny Morrow and Graham Coulter, I’ve known them since I was a kid and to see them still part of this community and to see how someone like Graham is connected to both the other inductees as well, it’s a small, tightknit community and to see those cross sections is pretty fantastic,” Skye added.

You can see Brandon’s full biography here.

Skye spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork following the induction.

Dr. Randy Gilewich

An amateur career that has spanned four decades, Dr. Randy Gilewich was inducted on Saturday. A lifelong Wascana Country Club member shared the evening with family, friends, and employees of his dentistry business in Regina. Gilewich said the event exceeded his expectations.

“The whole night has been fantastic, better than one could have expected,” he said. “All the support from friends and family, reliving a lot of the memories, and hearing all the stories. The night for me has been fantastic.”

Gilewich and Wright rented a charter bus from the Queen City to transport their attendees to the event in Saskatoon. Not everyone he wished to be in attendance could make it, but he said the support he received was special.

“I had girls from work, friends from all over the place, my mom and my kids, that was very special. My dad, like I said who passed away years ago, he’d be so proud for this night. It really amplifies the value of it that they’re supporting you. To have the support from everybody in an individual sport is remarkable,” he said.

“It’s truly an honour, a privilege to be accepted into the Hall, this is the highest honour bestowed upon us. I will cherish it forever,” he concluded.

Gilewich will be inducted into the Wascana Hall of Fame later this year.

His biography can be seen here.

Gilewich also spoke with Stork following the gala.

Tyler Wright

Regina’s Tyler Wright is just 40 years old and became the youngest inductee in the history of the Hall.

Winning his first tournament at the age of 12 success has followed him all the way to a 2019 Mid-Masters (40 +) provincial championship at the Royal Regina Golf Club, his first course he had a membership as a junior. Much like the other two speakers, Wright said the evening was one he won’t forget.

“It’s surreal, it’s phenomenally special to be able to spend this opportunity with my family, friends, the mentors that have came out, it’s overwhelming and I think my speech reflected that. I tried to keep it together but it’s tough when you have an opportunity to thank those people who have impacted your life so significantly. To do it in a public forum it’s emotional, it’s been an emotional overwhelming night but, what a special night,” he said.

When Wright first spoke about the induction he credited his Grandpa Louie and his love for the game being passed down to him. Louie has since passed away and was mentioned by Wright in his speech. He said he was with him along the way.

“My grandpa was a big joker, he’d be celebrating, he would be smiling, he’d be keeping us loose and laughing. He was here,” Wright smiled.

Being so young with likely many more national appearances and championships to come Wright will become a mentor for young golfers. He’s a teacher and vice-principal so leadership follows him. He said that may not have been the case without his golf mentors including Gilewich.

“We had some really quality golfers at the Regina when I started as a kid, there is a long list there,” he explained. “We had a strong list at the Wascana including Randy and Tom McNall (inducted in 2017) and I always looked up to those guys, I wanted to emulate them. I watched them play when I had an opportunity, it’s just really special. Randy and I are tied deeply, my wife has worked for him for 17 years now. Anytime you can experience something with someone you’ve looked up to as a leader and mentor I think it makes it that much more special.”

Wright will also be added to the Wascana Hall of Fame with Gilewich later this year.

His biography can be found here.

His interview is below.

Ball lies in a greenside bunker with temporary water …now what do you do?

Situation and Question: Your ball lands in a bunker adjacent to the putting green. A heavy rainfall overnight has left “a temporary accumulation of water” everywhere in the bunker except for a high, narrow strip at the end which is where your ball lies. Presumably you are entitled to relief for your stance but complete relieve is not available without leaving the bunker. What are the player’s options?

Answer:

1. The ball is in the bunker which has a temporary accumulation of water, which is important as it is different from an unplayable ball.
2. The player is entitled to Free Relief, if available, however as the ball is in the bunker it holds some special properties. A player cannot get out of the bunker without either:
   1. making a stroke, or
   2. proceeding under a rule (in Stroke play or similar format).
3. In this case the player can stand in the water or take the “maximum” available relief possible, without penalty and play the ball in the water or having to stand in the water.
4. If the players does not like this option, she/he can add 1 penalty stroke and take the ball back-on-the-line and drop a ball outside the bunker in the reference area.
5. Neither of the options are great for the player but it is what the rules allow.
6. See picture below for a description of the situation.

Autumn Neiszner will head into the final round of the 2019 MJT National Team Challenge on Sunday at Niagara on the Lake seeking a medal performance.

The 15-year-old Wascana Country Club member followed an opening round 78 with an 80 on Saturday to sit in a third-place tie at the international team tournament. The Regina product’s two round total of 158 is seven shots back of the leader, Annika Rathbone of Barden Ridge, Australia.

Neiszner will tee off at 6:02 a.m. Saskatchewan time.

Prince Albert’s Cole Jenkins is tied for 20^th in the boy’s field of the event. Jenkins shot 84 on Friday and 83 on Saturday.

Jeffrey Yu Guan of Sydney, Australia leads the tournament with a score of 141 through 36 holes.

Jenkins begins his third round at 6:18 a.m.

Team Australia continues to lead the event, the Saskatchewan juniors are on the Central team, they are in eighth place out of 15 teams.

More details on the event can be found here.

Regina’s Autumn Neiszner and Prince Albert’s Cole Jenkins are competing at the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) National Team Challenge at Niagara on the Lake.

The event is run by the MJT under the International Players Series banner and has a very deep field, hosting elite players from across Canada in an invitation-only event where 15 teams compete against each other.

Each six-player team is made up of two junior girls and four under-19 boys in a daily best four of six aggregate team scoring format.  The event will also include an individual 54-hole medal play format in each division.

Neiszner shot the third lowest round of the day among the girls, the Wascana Country Club member posted an opening round 78.

Jenkins in in a logjam in 13^th with an opening round of 84.

Both are competing for Team Central; the squad sits in 10^th place. Australia is leading the tournament.

Jenkins will tee off at 6:48 a.m. local time Saturday, Neiszner begins her second of three rounds at 6:32 a.m.

All the tournament details can be seen here.

The Saskatchewan seniors who represented the province at the Canadian championship are pleased with the event and their performances after the fact.

Colin Coben was the top local golfer finishing in a tie for 25^th at the event in Scarborough, Ont. from Sept. 10 to 13. The Delisle golfer was 19-over, 303 (74, 72, 80, 77) after four rounds at Cedar Brae Golf Club. The 64-year-old said overall the week was a great experience.

“It was a beautiful golf course, and this never gets old,” he said. “You want to go, and you want to compete, and you want to do well. It’s always nice to be on the team and part of that too.”

The field started with 156 golfers from across Canada and the United States. The cut line was the top 70 players plus ties. Coben said the way you play doesn’t always reflect the score, but he managed to show well during the event.

“The top-25 is okay but, I was 12^th after the second day. I didn’t play well the first day and shot 74 with bogeys on the last two holes which is still an okay score. The next day I played pretty well and shot 72, and then that 80, I don’t know where they come from but, you’re playing hard. The next day was a real tough day, it was windy and cool.”

The team consisting of Coben, Ken Rodgers, and Brent Wotypka finished well in fourth place during the inter-provincial competition. After round one the team was in seventh but a strong second day bumped them up the leaderboard. Coben said they did have bragging rights over our neighbours to the East.

“We weren’t good the first day, but we had a couple really good scores the second day and got into fourth,” Coben explained. “We were hanging out with all the Manitoba boys and they had us but we surpassed them and beat them by a shot so that was good.”

Overall this was Coben’s 31^st national championship experience. He’s made the cut in all but one senior event he’s participated in. While in Toronto the Saskatchewanians joined some friends from other provinces and took in a Blue Jays game as part of the trip. Coben said the golf is important but other memories will last a lifetime.

“I keep track of what I’ve done, and it will look good on there, you make the cut and top-25 but, the comradery is second to none. You see a lot of guys you see once a year at this thing, you are happy to see them, and they are happy to see you. It’s really good, hopefully a guy can get back next year,” he added.

2018 provincial senior champion Rick Hallberg was the team alternate this year at nationals, the Weyburn product had a strong showing finishing as well tying for 32^nd. Hallberg shot rounds of 76, 75, 78, and 75 to finish at plus-20. The Golf Kenosee member was encouraged with his week.

“I’m not going to complain, that’s for sure,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “I am happy with the way I played, I played with a lot of really good guys and had a good time. I played my practice round with a member there who was on the Ontario team so, he gave me and Rick Hillestad lots of good teams. There was lots of great guys out there, the comradery was really good.”

Arguably Hallberg was the most consistent Saskatchewan golfer at the event, although he didn’t reach par like Coben or Rodgers who also made the cut, he didn’t shoot hire than 78. Hallberg said limiting mistakes is key, but hole eight at Cedar Brae caused him some issues or his score potentially gets him inside the top 20.

“You try not to make any mistakes, if you get in a little bit of a pickle just try to play smart and settle for a bogey. I had a couple bad holes the first two days on the same hole, I shanked the ball off the tee both days which I don’t normally do. That cost me a double and a triple but, that’s golf. It’s not an easy game,” he said.

Travelling to Scarborough and playing Cedar Brae was a highlight for Hallberg as well. He said national events never disappoint.

“I’ve played a couple courses in the top-15 or so in the country and Cedar Brae was as good as anything I’ve ever played,” he said. “Spectacular conditions, excellent staff, back shop guys looking after our bags, the proshop people, everything as far as that was absolutely spectacular.”

Rodgers placed tied for 48^th at the event. Hillestad was a couple shots back of the cut line at 16-over. Wotypka, playing in his first national amateur in over 40 years finished at 20-over.

The Saskatchewan amateur senior Order of Merit season is over, Hallberg is the back-to-back champion. He’s the first defending champion since Coben won three straight years from 2011-13. Hallberg said he’s pleased to win the standings as he edged Coben by 50 points.

“I was happy with the way I played this year. I got to play with a lot of good players this year again. I got to play against Colin several times. It’s always tough to compete against him, he’s a good player and one of the nicest guys you will ever play with. All the guys at provincials too, Ken, Brent, great bunch of guys, I can’t imagine going to a golf tournament without those guys around,” Hallberg concluded.

Deer Valley’s Carey McLean made her collegiate debut for Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) on Sept. 14 and 15 at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) North Regional in Edmonton.

McLean carded rounds of 83 and 80 finish at plus-19, 163 at the 36-hole tournament. She placed second overall in the event held at RedTail Landing.

Kennedy Turcotte won the event at six-over.

As a team the Trojans tied for second with Medicine Hat College.

The women’s ACAC Championship will be held at Coal Creek in Ryley, Alta. from Sept. 27 – 29.

Harcourt finishes with Minot State team low

United States college golf teams were on the course in various locations again to start this week.

On Monday, Sept. 16 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Kipling’s Carson Harcourt helped the Minot State Beavers to fifth-place team finish at the King’s Walk Invitational. Harcourt shot a two-round total of 147 (72, 75) to finish in a tie for 13^th.

As a team the Beavers shot plus-22 for the event.

Next up for MSU is the Flyer Men’s Intercollegiate in Romeoville, Illinois on Sept. 29 and 30.

Muleriders place sixth; Johnson & Timmerman inside top-15

After missing an event dealing with a minor injury Yorkton’s Kade Johnson is back on the course.

The Southern Arkansas University senior ended the 21^st NSU Golf Classic in Muskogee, Oklahoma with a three-under, 210 (71, 68, 71) on Wednesday. Johnson finished tied for 11^th.

Saskatoon’s Roman Timmerman, coming off his first collegiate win tied for 15^th in the event. The Riverside Country Club member shot a 54-hole score of 211 (67, 68, 76).

The Muleriders finished in sixth place as a team at eight-over par. Their next action is Oct. 7 and 8 in St. Joseph, Missouri for the Central Region Invitational.

Sweeney picks up top-10 finish

Saskatoon’s Marc Sweeney picked up a top-10 finish on Friday, Sept. 13 in a single round event for the University of South Carolina Beaufort Sand Sharks.

Sweeney shot four-over, 76 to finish in a tie for 10^th while helping his team tie for first at plus-seven at the Battle of the Bridge at the Club at Savannah Quarters in Pooler, Georgia.

The Sand Sharks will host their annual USCB Innisbrook Invitational in Tampa, Florida from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

Kydd competes in Battle at the Rock

The Indiana Wesleyan men’s golf team was in action at the Battle at the Rock in Peru, Ind. on Sept. 16 and 17.

Jacob Kydd, a Royal Regina Golf Club member posted a round one score of 90 and followed that up with an 86 during day two. Kydd landed in 30^th at 32-over par.

Indiana Wesleyan had two teams competing at the tournament, their A team won the event at plus-42. The B squad (the leaderboard didn’t determine which team Kydd was competing for) finished in fourth place overall.

The Wildcats will now prepare for the Spring Arbor Bill Bockwitz Classic on Sept. 23 and 24.

You can follow along with all of the Saskatchewan collegiate players here.

This past Sunday at Eagle Point Resort in La Ronge nearly 40 junior players took part in the 2019 Fall Golf FORE Juniors event.

Golfers from three different age categories were eligible, there was a five to 14 par 3 division, a 10 to 18 age group, those players competed for the Eagle Point Junior Open Championship. They also had a collegiate division for players 19 to 23 years of age.

Organizer Devin Bernatchez spoke with MBC Radio sportscaster Braden Malsbury on Monday following the event, you can see more here.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Wondering how Canada’s Olympic golf team will be selected? You’re not alone.

In 2016, golf made its historic return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years, dating back to when Canadian George S. Lyon won gold for Canada at St. Louis 1904. A lot has happened since 2016 (new Rules of Golf and new PGA TOUR schedule just to name a few) and many golf fans have forgotten how Olympic qualifying works, which is why we’re writing this article.

The field for the 2020 Olympic golf competition will include 60 women and 60 men competing over 72 holes of stroke play in a men’s individual event (July 30-August 2) and a women’s individual event (August 5-8).

Athletes earn their spots on their respective Olympic Golf Team based on their standing in the respective men’s and women’s Olympic golf rankings. The final day for qualifying is June 22, 2020 for the men’s teams and June 29, 2020, for the women’s teams.

The top-15 players will qualify with a limit of up to four golfers per any one country. Any remaining spots will go to countries who do not already have two golfers qualified, with a limit of two per country. As well, the International Golf Federation (IGF) has guaranteed at least one golfer from the host nation and each geographical region (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania) will qualify.

If Canada’s team was determined today (Sept. 12, 2019), Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp represent Canada. However, there’s still plenty of golf to be played before the selection is made.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our vision is to be a world leader in golf.

Prior to being named to the final Canadian 2020 Team, all nominations from Canada are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations.