The national experience is over for both Brooklin Fry and Autumn Neiszner in Lethbridge.

The two Saskatchewan golfers showed great this week at the Lethbridge Country Club making the cut at the event.

Fry, 14, concluded the event Friday finishing in 63^rd place at plus-33. The 2018 Saskatchewan junior champion has had a busy couple weeks playing both the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and junior nationals. She also qualified to represent the province at the Western Canada Summer Games (WCSG) in Swift Current later this month, but a schedule conflict is keeping her off the squad. At one point in the event, Fry was as high as 10^th on the leaderboard.

Neiszner, 15, qualified for the national junior championship after winning the provincial event in Nipawin in July. Unfortunately, a wrist injury, that kept the Wascana Country Club member from playing in the Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Championship flared up Friday forcing her to withdraw from the national event. Neiszner is scheduled to represent Team Saskatchewan at the WCSG.

Emily Zhu of Richmind Hill, Ont. won the event at a sparkling 13-under.

Brooklin Fry and Autumn Neiszner, along with 68 other junior women continue to chase a national golf championship in Lethbridge.

Round three of the 72-hole Canadian Junior Girls Championship has concluded at the Lethbridge Country Club.

Fry, 14, posted a round of 13-over, 85 on Thursday landing her in a tie for 55^th at plus-21. Neiszner, the Saskatchewan champion shot 12-over par during round three, she is tied for 67^th at plus-30.

The pair will conclude their national championship experience on Friday.

Yanjun Liu of Vancouver will take a two-stroke lead into the championship round at minus-11.

The leaderboard can be seen here.

It’s a feat that has likely been accomplished by several people in Saskatchewan, or maybe teeing off at 100 different courses in the province is a rarity but, Melville’s Jake Stolar is getting close.

A member at the Melville Regional Park Golf Course for 45 years, the former railway employee has used his travel time to his advantage over the years playing 87 different clubs in Saskatchewan heading into this season. As Stolar nears the century mark, he said reaching the milestone wasn’t a set goal.

“I don’t think I ever had the plan that I was going to play 100 golf courses,” Stolar told Golf Saskatchewan earlier this summer.

Along with being a member in Melville for nearly half a century he also operated the proshop for seven seasons. Stolar said bug to visit other courses picked up at that point.

“I started collecting logoed golf balls, selling logoed golf balls, it just kind of snowballed. I have always travelled out of town, I probably play more different golf courses in a season than an average golfer plays period,” he said.

Stolar said he routinely visits over 20 different courses a year, that includes trips with golf buddies outside the provincial borders. He had recently returned from a four-day trip to Alberta when the interview was conducted. When he was working on the rail lines his work took him to Watrous and the Biggar area consistently so he’s familiar with the clubs in those small communities. As the years have passed and Stolar is retired there is plenty to keep him going back to the course, and the Saskatchewan highways.

“Probably the cold beer,” he laughed. “I enjoy the comradery, the friends you make over many years and the challenge of new courses. If I had to play the same nine-hole course day after day I’d quit. I like the different courses; I’ve never played a bad one yet. To quote Arnold Palmer, my favourite one is the one I’m playing this afternoon.”

He does have some courses that do stand out among his travels. Several nine-hole courses are near the top of his list.

“Katepwa is very nice, beautiful conditions all the time,” Stolar boasted. Kelvington is another favourite, my son-in-law is a member there. Another beautiful nine-holer is Willowbunch. It’s very nice and one more is The Creek at LeRoy. LeRoy is really nice; I like it and have taken friends there and they’ve enjoyed it.”

When it comes to 18-hole favourites, Stolar spreads his thoughts from one end of the province to the other.

“I feel Golf Kenosee and Whitebear is the best one-two punch in Saskatchewan for playing two good quality golf courses,” he said. “Whitebear is a little harder for the average Joe. I also favour the northern courses, I really like North Battleford, I like the Cooke in Prince Albert, the Evergreen in Nipawin is one of everyone’s favourites. I like Dakota Dunes and a new find for me last year was Northern Meadows at Goodsoil, a really special place.”

Honourable mentions for Stolar are close to his home in the Parkland region that include Deer Park in Yorkton, Good Spirit Lake Golf Course, and Madge Lake in the Qu’Appelle Valley. Despite travelling to many “hidden gems” and top-notch facilities and being on the regional park board for over two decades, Stolar would be remised if he didn’t plug his home course in Melville.

“It’s a hard golf course,” he explained. “The people we get here, they may play it once, especially mediocre golfers. They will lose six or eight balls and say screw it, I’m not going back there, I shot 105 and lost eight balls. Then the next guy likes it because it’s a very challenging course. The reason we don’t get the traffic it’s a very difficult course but on the other side it’s a great place to learn how to play because I can go to any golf course in the world and handle what it throws at you.”

Stolar had plans to head south again this season and knock at least three more courses of the list, those being Moose Creek at Oxbow, Carnduff, and Carlyle. That would put his total over 90.

He expects to surpass the 100 mark sometime next summer.

Two of the five Saskatchewan players participating in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Lethbridge, Alta. have made the cut and will play two more rounds.

Brooklin Fry of Shell Lake and Regina’s Autumn Neiszner placed in the top 70 golfers at the event. Fry, 14, followed her opening round of 74 with another solid score of 78 on day two. She sits at eight-over par and in a tie for 36^th overall. The Memorial Lake Golf Club member tees off Thursday at 7:30 a.m.

Neiszner, who golfs out of the Wascana Country Club is in a tie for 66^th place after her round of eight-over, 80 on Wednesday. She will begin her third round at 9:31 a.m. Thursday.

Ella Kozak of Yorkton finished the event at 21-over, Creighton’s Lauren Fox was 33-over, and Veronika Duchscherer of Nipawin finished at plus-57.

As a team, Saskatchewan placed sixth at 26-over par.

Yanjun Liu of Vancouver leads the field at minus-10.

The leaderboard can be found here.

TaylorMade’s new M6 driver is bringing more forgiveness and distance to golfers of all levels. Played by tour professionals and high handicap players, the M6 a complete golf club designed for ease-of-use and exceptional performance. M6 features ball speed and distance technology to help golfers achieve a stable ball flight that can keep their shots more online and further down the fairways. Improved aerodynamics and an Inertia Generator combine to help golfers get the most out of their swing and Injected Twist Face ensures industry-leading ball speeds and distance. The M6 driver is perfect for golfers looking for a simplified approach off the tee box without foregoing performance.

Key Features

• Speed tuning resin is injected behind each M6 driver club face to ensure each piece is at the USGA designated legal limit for ball speed production.
• Twist Face and Hammerhead 2.0 technologies combine to offer golfers more accuracy on mishits from the heel, toe, and bottom of the club face.
• An Inertia Generator has been installed to allocate more weight low and back in the golf club head for maximum club head speeds and more forgiveness.

TaylorMade M6 Driver Detailed Review

Design and Technology

TaylorMade engineers reallocated 54% more carbon in the M6 driver club head versus the previous generation M4. A lighter weight skeleton allowed for an Inertia Generator to be added to the club head for improved club head speeds and more forgiveness when golfers don’t find the middle of the club face. The total redistribution of weight makes the M6 both more forgiving and more aerodynamic than any other driver in TaylorMade’s lineup. Going beyond forgiveness, TaylorMade is promising that everybody gets faster thanks to their proprietary process of optimizing every driver using their tuning resin injection.

The M6 driver is one of the most well-accepted drivers in this year’s class. M6 appeals to golfers of all skill levels and swing types. For players that simply want to get a club and have more fun playing golf, the M6 is the perfect option. The larger footprint and sharp silver to black contrast make the M6 easy to align and confidence inspiring on the tee box. Twist Face helps add directional stability for players that need to hit more fairways. M6 is designed for simplified distance and forgiveness and can help make you better this season.

I tested the TaylorMade M6 driver and was immediately surprised by how forgiving this driver seemed to be. The larger size filled me with confidence, and I knew I had enough protection to swing freely without fearing a big miss. During strikes that I would consider very poor, my ball speeds remained stable. My biggest takeaway from hitting the M6 was just how forgiving it was while still producing some of the lower spin, long drives that I have seen from smaller profiles. This season, I believe the M6 driver will be TaylorMade’s best-selling product due to its diverse performance and attractiveness to so many golfers. I would never hesitate to put this club into the hands of golfers of almost every ability. The M6 driver is long at a variety of club head speeds and much more stable than other low spin drivers it competes with.

Anytime you are testing equipment it is important that you match the specification of that club to clubs that perform well in your hands. For this testing session, I outfitted the M6 with my gamer shaft, the Tensei Pro Orange 70TX model and grip of choice. I set the hosel of the 10.5-degree club head down to 9.25 for a more penetrating ball flight and a slightly open club face at address. My most common miss is to the left and using the loft sleeve to manipulate my shot shape is invaluable for my confidence standing over my tee shots. My final thoughts of the M6 were simply how effortless it seemed to be to get the maximum performance from this club. All-together, TaylorMade has succeeded in producing a club that is friendly and can be used by golfs of any category.

Specs

The TaylorMade M6 driver is available in three separate club heads with differing degrees of loft. 9, 10.5, and 12-degree head exist to help golfer dial in their launch and spin characteristics. There is also a D-Type M6 driver that comes in lofts of 9 and 10.5-degrees. The D-Type driver is designed to help players eliminate their sliced tee shots by presenting a closed club head at address. Both models feature a loft sleeve that is adjustable up to 4-degrees to either increase or decrease loft.

Stock shaft options for the M6 driver include the Fujikura Atmos Orange shaft in 50-gram weights with amateur, regular, and stiff flexes. The Fujikura Atmos Black shaft is also available in 60-gram weights and regular, stiff, and extra-stiff models. We always recommend that each golfer be custom fit for their new club to ensure they receive a complete build made for their swing. TaylorMade offers an extensive selection of aftermarket and exotic shafts and grips that can be purchased for an additional price.

Conclusion

The M6 driver is TaylorMade’s superior option for average golfers and many weekend players. M6 provides distance advantages for many swing types and more forgiveness than smaller profiles such as the M5. M6 is more consistent on golf shots that are struck in the toe, heel, and bottom sections of the club head and make the ideal choice for players that frequently see their strikes patterns divert away from the sweet spot. Injected Twist Face, Hammerhead 2.0, and the Inertia Generator technologies combine to make M6 one of the most complete and forgiving driver options ever produced and if you are in the market for a new club at the top of your golf bag, the M6 is a must-try.

Author Bio

Paul Liberatore was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been an avid and passionate golfer for over 30 years, and loves learning and increasing his knowledge on the game. While still in college, Paul co-founded the AccuHit Company with his father and helped it to become one of the most recognized golf training aids in the world. A lawyer by day, his true passion is his website Golfers Authority which delivers the very latest in golf equipment reviews, buyer guides, tips, and advice that helps players take their golf game to the next level.

Saskatoon’s Kathy Ziglo has entered three events on the Women’s Order of Merit Tour (OMT) this season, she has wins in all of them.

The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member followed her Saskatoon Ladies’ Open and Women’s Amateur Championship win with a victory in the Pharmasave Ladies’ Open at the Weyburn Golf Club on July 27.

Ziglo shot a two-over, 74 in the one-day event to hold off Regina’s Kim Walker by three shots. Denise Hersikorn, also of Regina placed third with a score of eight-over, 80. Moose Jaw’s Lorie Boyle was fourth at 81, Tara Busch used her home course advantage to finish in a top-five spot tied with Carolyn Kryba and Karen Mario, both from Regina at plus-15, 87.

The win netted Ziglo 250 OMT points, she jumps over Saskatoon’s Kim Brown for first place in the standings. Abra Thompson is in third.

All the results and the OMT leaderboard can be seen here.

Next up on the schedule is the TS&M Woodlawn FrameTech Ladies Classic in Estevan on Aug. 3 and 4.

Brooklin Fry is picking up more and more national golf championship experience as the weeks pass and it is showing in the 14-year-old’s results.

Coming off an appearance at the Canadian Amateur Women’s Championship last week Fry, 14, sits in a tie for 24^th after round one of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Lethbridge, Alta.

The Shell Lake product shot two-over, 74 in the opening round on Tuesday setting herself well ahead of the cut line and within a shot of the top-10. The Memorial Lake Golf Club member kept her card quite clean during the opening round posting a couple birdies and two bogeys. A seven on the par five, 15^th was her biggest blemish on the day.

Provincial junior girls champion Autumn Neiszner is hovering near the projected cut line after day one, the Wascana Country Club player shot a plus-10, 82, she’s tied for 74^th. Ella Kozak of Yorkton sits in a tie for 82^nd at plus-11. Creighton’s Lauren Fox shot a 91 to open her first national championship event, she’s in a tie for 111^th and Veronika Duchscherer of Nipawin is tied for 117^th at plus-25.

In the inter-provincial competition, Saskatchewan sits in fifth place overall at plus-12. British Columbia leads at minus-two.

The full leaderboard can be seen here including the ladies’ round two tee times. The cut line is expected to be the top 70 golfers with ties.

Euna Han of Coquitlam, B.C. is the leader at eight-under.

One of the biggest drawing cards for a golf course is simply the beautiful views nature can provide along with playing on top-notch surfaces such as perfectly trimmed greens to finely manicured tee boxes. Without maintenance staff, none of this would be possible, I guess you could say the crews are unsung heroes.

Late in the afternoon on July 18, out of nowhere a plough wind blew through the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club (SGCC) forcing the final four players, referees, and staff beelining it for the clubhouse. Everyone was safe but the course was littered with fallen trees and branches, benches and even a cart windshield but, according to SGCC superintendent Terry McNeilly said the course conducted some tree thinning ahead of this year that helped with the situation.

“We did a lot of pruning in the spring and took down a lot of the big branches,” McNeilly said a week after the storm postponed the Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur Championship playoff between Danny Klughart and Jehremy Ryde. “That saved us having to clean up a big mess. Without the pruning we did in the spring that storm would have been three times as bad.”

The referees met and decided to postpone the playoff until the next morning. The weather did clear up in the evening, but most golf course maintenance staff works early in the day and wasn’t available to assist in the cleanup as the 18^th fairway and green was unplayable. The SGCC staff was out bright and early getting the hole free for play. McNeilly said preparing the course for large events or on tight timelines is nothing new.

“We’ve had situations where we’ve been flooded out and stuff,” he said. “It’s all hands-on deck, you start by getting rid of the water and debris, that type of thing. You then work on the playing surfaces, and then into the rough and non-playing areas, you just clean it up”

The SGCC has about 12 to 14 staff on their maintenance crew. McNeilly said the staff got the course back to normal about four days later but, Mother Nature had other plans.

“The morning of the playoff everyone was working on cleaning up, we finished cleaning up from that storm yesterday (July 24) and then we got another storm this morning so we’re starting all over again,” he explained.

In case you are out on the course and threatening weather is coming, safety is the number one concern, even with their eyes on an amateur and mid-amateur championship both Klughart and Ryde put their safety first.

“There was a branch pretty close, I turned around and asked an official if we could go in?” Klughart explained shortly after marking his ball. “I turned around and there was one pretty close to me. That was pretty wild.”

Ryde said he thought they had time to finish the hole as the weather moved in.

“It wasn’t in my mind to hurry,” Ryde said. “I saw the TaylorMade flag by the green whipping, I yelled at my caddy to not go anywhere near the trees and let’s get out of here.”

Klughart eventually went on to win the championships Friday morning.

Stroke Play

How to Proceed When Unsure of Rules in Stroke Play

Q. What should I do when I don’t know how to proceed in stroke play?

A. When you don’t know what to do in stroke play, you may seek a ruling from the Committee or play two balls if you are uncertain of what to do (see Rule 20.1c). Before playing two balls, you should declare which of the two balls you would like to score with. When you are done and prior to returning your scorecard, the facts must be communicated to the Committee, otherwise the player is disqualified.

Nine Canadians, including two members of the Team Canada National Amateur Squad have qualified to play the 119th U.S. Amateur Championship.

Ninety-six sectional qualifiers were held across North America from July 1-24, including one at The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., on Monday, July 22. Cougar Collins of Caledon, Ont., and Jackson Bowery of London, Ont., earned the two automatic exemptions at The Thornhill Club.

Julien Sale (Reunion Island) produced one of the lowest scores of any qualifier when he carded 10 under 132 at Mendon Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y. on July 8.

Calvin Ross (Fredericton, N.B.) was the low qualifier at The Ledges Golf Club in York, Maine on July 15. The 2017 Canadian Junior Boys champion finished one stroke ahead of Team Canada member Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.), with both players earning qualification.

Colwyn Abgrall (Niverville, Man.) finished as the low qualifier at the sectional at Fargo Country Club in Fargo, N.D.

Étienne Brault (Mercier, Que.), Tristan Mandur (Mill Bay, B.C.) and Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.) all finished as runners-up at their respective qualifiers, therefore earning exemptions.

Eight additional Canadians are alternates for the championship; Jacob Presutti (Brampton, Ont.), Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.), Tyson Turchanski (Calgary), Kade Johnson (Yorkton, Sask.), Jeevan Sihota (Victoria), Cameron Kellett (Lambeth, Ont.), Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) and Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.).

Each qualifier consisted of two stroke play rounds on the same day. Over 7,000 players attempted to qualify for the 312-player field.

The 119th U.S. Amateur Championship is being held at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C., from August 12-18.

Full results from all U.S. Amateur Championship sectional qualifiers can be found here.