Saskatoon’s Brian Humble is the 2019 Auto Clearing Senior Men’s Championship winner.

Humble held off six-time, and reigning champion Colin Coben by a stroke over three days at the Moon Lake Golf and Country Club just outside Saskatoon. Humble, 57, fired a total of 225 (75, 78, 72) to finish at nine-over par. The win earns the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member 750 points on the Senior Men’s Order of Merit Tour (OMT). He managed to put together a line of birdies to win the championship for the first time.

“I went on a birdie string, I got five birdies in a row,” Humble said to the Star Phoenix’s Darren Zary after the win on June 20. “That really got me back into it. The golf gods rained down on me today.”

Rain was the key word, the field battled heavy winds and precipitation during the final round. Humble said the conditions were some of the worst he’s played through.

“The last six holes were really wet, it really started coming down a lot harder and the wind came up so it got colder. By the wettest I’ve played in, not as windy but as wet,” he said.

Saskatoon’s Don Monson and reigning senior men’s OMT champion Rick Hallberg finished tied for third, five strokes behind Humble, at 230.

Hallberg leads the OMT standings again early on this year, Coben is in second place. Humble jumps into the mix with the win sitting in fourth place behind Lional Fauchox, he placed seventh in the Auto Clearing event.

Next up for the seniors is the Publinx in Regina this Saturday and Sunday.

Estevan’s Melle claims Crocus

Down in Weyburn on the Men’s OMT, Estevan’s Anthony Melle was a two-shot winner over hometowner Carter Hilkewich at the Weyburn Crocus Men’s Open on June 16.

Melle carded one-under 143 (73, 70) over two rounds to win the championship and earn 500 OMT points. Hilkewich’s 145 earned him 375 points. Ryan McNall of Regina continued his strong start to the year with a third-place finish. McNall sits in second behind Lobstick champion Danny Klughart on the Men’s OMT leaderboard.

Carson Harcourt of Kipling was four strokes back in fourth-place, Weyburn products Marshall Bakken and Travis Mryglod tied for fifth.

The Publinx event at Tor Hill this weekend is the next OMT event for the men as well.

Established in the 1960’s Little Loon Regional Park provides all the amenities for a Saskatchewan summer getaway.

Located approximately 10 kilometres east of Glaslyn, the park sees plenty of traffic from nearby communities including Medstead, Cochin, Jackfish, and Glaslyn itself. Park manager Heather Schneider said the site has all bases covered for a family looking to get away.

“We have camping, we have a concession, boating, swimming, a playground, an 18-hole mini golf course, and a beautiful, nine-hole grass green golf course,” Schneider explained.

Schneider said hole four is their most picturesque on the track. She said the natural landscape and some tricky parts of the course make it stand out.

“We have natural rolling hills and a few water hazards spread out on the course. We also have a few I’m going to get you in the end bunkers,” Schneider laughed.

The park has 35 electrical sites to go with 28 non-electrical spots. They also have 58 seasonal campsites. She said the golf course caters to visitors and is busy through the summer months.

“We work well with all the golf courses around the area, everybody is really good at playing our course and helping others out. We’re nine holes and Spiritwood is nearby with 18 holes so people travel around and can make a day or weekend out of playing. We also pull a lot of people from the surrounding areas, our lease holders and our daily campers,” she added.

The course hosts a list of tournaments starting on June 24 with their Senior Open. The club will have a Four Person Scramble on July 13, their Men’s and Ladies’ Open takes place on July 27, a Five-Person Scramble is slated for Aug. 10. The Ladies’ Open will be played on Aug. 17, the Club Championship is on Aug. 25. The Senior Cash Scramble will close their schedule on Sept. 7.

Schneider said their superintendent, Darren Ironbow keeps the course in great shape on an annual basis.

For more details on the Little Loon Regional Park golf course call the clubhouse at 306.342.2176 or visit the provincial parks website.

Golf in the province is over a century old and the stories are endless. Over the past five weeks Golf Saskatchewan, with the remarkable precision of provincial golf historian and tireless volunteer Lori Harvie we’ve brought you the stories of half a century from 1900 to 1950.

In this weekly publication Harvie provides historical data that outlines interesting facts as the governing body of the “greatest social game on earth” looks back and shares the history of the sport within Saskatchewan’s boundaries.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Most of the information in this history of golf in Saskatchewan comes from the newspaper accounts of the day.  Their colourful and detailed reporting makes fascinating reading.  Many newspapers are available on line at Google News Archive, or on microfilm at local libraries.

In Regina: The Morning Leader published from March 1907 to April 30, 1930.  The Leader-Post published from May 1, 1930 to the present (online to 1987).

In Saskatoon: The Daily Phoenix, 1907-1912; Daily Star 1912-1927; Saskatoon Phoenix, variously between 1902 and 1928; Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, 1928 to the present.

PRIMARY SOURCES:

Saskatchewan Golf Association.  Cash Book, Mar. 1926 to —–.  (Golf Saskatchewan)

“Saskatchewan Golf Association, Annual Tournament, August 17-20, 1915, Wascana Country Club.”  (Saskatchewan Archives brochure S-G 372, pamphlet collection in Saskatoon.)

“Western Canada Golf Association.  First Annual Tournament Programme, 9^th August to 16^th August, 1924.”  (Riverside Country Club/ L. Harvie)

“Saskatchewan Open Championship at Riverside Country Club, July 26 & 27, 1958.”  Saskatoon Public Library – Local History Room, Pamphlet PM2008-89.  Note: contains a list of all previous open winners; has a history of Riverside Country Club.

 BOOKS:

Barclay, James A.  Golf in Canada, a history.  McClelland & Stewart, c1992. 626p.

Boyle, Mickey:  Ninety years of golf; an illustrated history of golf in Saskatchewan.  Saskatchewan Golf Association, 1987.  175 p.  (title page: … golf on the prairie)

Bradley, Kenneth A.: Out-of-bounds: a century of golf in Moose Jaw.  Golf Saskatchewan & Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, c2012, 231 p.

Guest, Penny:  Over the course of a century; the Saskatoon Golf & Country Club 1907-2007.  c2006, 176 p.

Harvie, Lori:  Playing through 100 years at Riverside Country Club.  Riverside Country Club, c1912, 132 p.

MacMillan, Marnie:  A History of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association in Northern Saskatchewan, 1914-1975.  Typewritten, 23 p., 1976.

GOLF ASSOCIATION NAMES:

Saskatchewan Golf Association (SGA) – formed Sept. 1913 in Regina.  SGA and SLGA amalgamated Jan.1, 1999 to become Saskatchewan Golf Association (SGA).  Saskatchewan Golf Association was renamed Golf Saskatchewan in 2011 (GolfSK).

Canadian Ladies’ Golf Union (CLGU), Saskatchewan Section – formed Sept. 1926; name changed nationally to Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA) in 1966 and changed provincially to CLGA – Saskatchewan Section; known informally as Saskatchewan Ladies’ Golf Association (SLGA) until amalgamation with SGA in 1999.

Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) – name changed to Golf Canada in 2005.

 MARRIED WOMEN’S NAMES:

Until the 1960s married women were always referred to in print by their husband’s name (Mrs. A.Z. Smith).  When we were able to discover her first name we have used that (Lola Smith).

 SASKATCHEWAN CLUB NAMES:

ESTEVAN: Woodlawn Golf Club; 2013 – renamed TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club

MOOSE JAW: 1906 – Moose Jaw Golf Club (MJGC); 1944 – became Moose Jaw Elks Golf Club; 1948 – named Willowdale Golf Club; 1968 – named Moose Jaw Country Club; 1976 – named Hillcrest Golf Club.

MOOSE JAW:  1924 – Citizen’s Golf Club; 1937 – renamed Lynbrook Golf Club

NORTH BATTLEFORD: 1920 – Battleford Golf and Country Club; 1929 – renamed Riverside Golf Club; 1933 – renamed North Battleford Golf and Country Club (NBGCC)

PRINCE ALBERT: 1909 – Prince Albert Golf Club; 1967 – renamed Cooke Municipal Golf Course

REGINA GOLF CLUB (RGC): 1899 – organized and opened 9 holes; 1906-1911 – Barracks course opened at RNWMP; 1999 – designated “Royal” Regina Golf Club (RRGC)

REGINA: GYRO CLUB: 1926 – opened with sand greens

REGINA: 1993 – named Joanne Goulet Golf Course

REGINA: WASCANA COUNTRY CLUB (WCC): 1911 – Wascana Country Club formed; 1912 -opened 9 holes and clubhouse

SASKATOON GOLF CLUB (SGC): 1907 – organized; 1933 – renamed:  Saskatoon Golf & Country Club (SGCC)

SASKATOON: RIVERSIDE COUNTRY CLUB (RCC): 1912 – established as Saskatoon Country Club; 1915 – named Riverside Country Club.

SWIFT CURRENT: 1917 – Swift Current Golf Club; 1920 – renamed Elmwood Golf Club

WASKESIU: 1934 – Waskesiu Golf Club, first 9; 1936, 2^nd nine

YORKTON: 1921 – Deer Park Golf Club

After a record-breaking year for the Southern Arkansas University golf team, Yorkton’s Kade Johnson is back home for the summer.

Golf Saskatchewan was able to catch up with the reigning amateur men’s champion ahead of the Future Links driven by Acura Prairie Championship last week.

The year that was

Johnson picked up his first career collegiate win earlier this year with the Muleriders golf team. Along the way the team, that includes Saskatoon’s Roman Timmerman set high marks all season long. Johnson said the year was memorable and included some big moments for the squad.

“It was awesome,” he said from the 10^th tee at his home course of Deer Park. “We set quite a few records this year for the school, with strokes on holes and overall scoring. It was awesome to be a part of that and be in the record books. We got off to a hot start in the spring, the postseason didn’t really go the way we wanted with some injuries which is too bad, but I’m really happy with the year we had.”

Johnson played in nine tournaments over the season, his junior year earning the one victory, three top fives, and six top-10 finishes. He was also named to the Division II All-District First Team.

Timmerman was a large part of the golf team’s success as well. As a sophomore he also competed in nine events. Timmerman had four top-10 finishes including a second-place spot in the opening tournament of the year. He was a finalist for the male athlete of the year for the school as well. Johnson said sharing the last couple years with a fellow Saskatchewanian makes the success more special.

“It is awesome to have Roman down there. We’re both pursuing the same thing and have the same goals so it’s nice to have a guy to push each other and make sure were working hard and doing the right thing. Plus we’re having a tonne of fun doing it, it’s awesome to have a guy like that down there,” Johnson said.

In the fall he will return for his final year, Timmerman has two seasons left.

Future Links at Deer Park

Johnson has been back in Yorkton for about a month since the school year ended.

With a week off from any tournaments he had a chance to be around Deer Park practicing as well as volunteering for the Future Links Prairie Championship. He has competed in several junior tournaments at his home course as well as a Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur Championship in 2012 as a teenager. He said seeing the over 60 young golfers and their excitement brought back memories of his junior days.

“It’s awesome to see, it’s been a couple years since I’ve been able to play these events and it brings back a lot of good memories. It’s nice to see a lot of the Golf Saskatchewan crew again, it’s awesome. 63 is a good number, it’s awesome to see all these kids out here,” he said during their practice round on June 13.

Johnson has a provincial junior championship under his belt in 2016 and several other junior golf titles. He had some advice for young golfers competing in events across Saskatchewan and Western Canada.

“If you hit a bad shot on one hole you don’t need to get mad, you don’t need to throw clubs, you don’t need to be down on yourself. If you have a bad round you have a bad round but looking back on my junior career I don’t remember any bad shots. It’s all the good shots and those shots wouldn’t be possible if you are mad or down the whole time. Live one shot at a time, enjoy it, it goes fast, have fun,” he said.

Johnson has had a chance to watch the progression of Ella Kozak, a 13-year-olf golfer from Yorkton. Kozak participated in both the national junior girl’s and amateur women’s championships last year plus numerous Maple Leaf Junior Tour and Future Links events. Johnson provided some advice to her as well.

“To play your best golf you can’t be golfing all the time,” he explained. “You need to do other things, mix it up in life, that would be my biggest thing. She has all the talent in the world, golf swing is great, hits the ball great, short game is good, you just need to stick with it but not too much. In other sports you have to be good when you are young, in golf you don’t. It helps but do other things, it’s not all about golf and in my opinion it will help you play better.”

Defending the Am

Johnson bypassed the Lobstick in Waskesiu this past week to practice what he is preaching taking time off following the Scotia Wealth Management Open in Nipawin where he tied for sixth place. He will now travel to Calgary and compete in the Glencoe Invitational from June 20 to 22. Following that he will enter the US Amateur qualifier in Fargo, N.D. before coming back to Saskatchewan and prepare for defending the amateur championship. Johnson said he’s looking forward to playing the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club in July.

“It’s in really good shape. I’ve been learning more about it since it’s been announced,” he explained. “I don’t know much about it but I’m excited to get up to the Reliance Gregg’s Central Amateur and look at it for the first time and play.”

A year after his dissection of the Dakota Dunes Golf Links Johnson said the amateur win is still special.

“I knew I was proud of it and everything but after you go home and look at the names on that trophy it’s awesome,” he beamed. “My coach, Brad Birnie is on it twice, Dave Stewart, his dad, Ron Stewart, Colin Coben, you learn history about names even before that. Obviously Graham DeLaet is on it, I’m so proud to win it, it’s a big accomplishment for sure, I was happy to get it done.”

Johnson will look to become the first back-to-back winners since 2009 – 2010 when Scott Thompson accomplished the feat. He said that is the goal going into the summer.

“It’s another great field, another good golf course, I’m definitely working towards it. That’s one of the biggest goals of the summer to try and defend it. If I have a good week I will have a chance to get it done,” he added.

The future

Johnson will head back to the Southern United States in August and complete his final year of college.

The decision then needs to be made about what’s next for the talented player. He said his options are open and he’s looking forward to the challenge of potentially earning a professional career.

“I’m going to give it try and if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work,” he admitted. “I definitely want to give it a shot, I don’t really know at this point what my best route would be. Maybe the Mackenzie Tour and Q-school at the beginning of the year, that’s a possibility. Maybe some Mini-Tour events in Arizona, I am not exactly sure what my plan is lying ahead but I guess we will see when the time comes,” Johnson laughed.

You can hear the complete interview with Johnson who spoke with Golf Saskatchewan’s Clark Stork.

It was a clean sweep at the Lobstick in Waskesiu for Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart.

The Cooke Municipal member won the open portion of the tournament as well as the match play event taking down Delisle’s Colin Coben in the final match on June 15. Klughart has had a great start to the season, he was fourth in the Legends 2 Man Scramble and finished in a tie for third in the Scotia Wealth Open. Klughart’s 1,475 Order of Merit (OMT) points has him on top of the standings early on. He said his game has treated him well early on this season.

“I have been hitting it pretty good off the tee. My iron game is always strong. I’ve been putting better than normal which is something I’ve been working on so that’s paying off. I putted really well at Waskesiu this week,” Klughart told Golf Saskatchewan.

He shot rounds of 70 and 67 during the open portion of the Lobstick to finish at minus-three, two strokes better than Pat Marcia and Jerry Christiansen. This is Klughart’s first open win after being second on three previous occasions.

“It’s super strange,” he said of the Lobstick format. “You are kind of playing conservative the first round because you just want to make the championship flight to set up the rest of the week but at the same time you are playing the open to win. I found in the past I was playing too conservative the first round and that’s all I was thinking about. I shouldn’t shoot above 76 out there and thinking that number isn’t likely the right way to go about it. I just tried to play the open as a two-day tournament instead of worrying about qualifying for the championship flight because I figured that would take care of itself.”

Still seeking his first open win Klughart said topping the stacked field was important to him.

“That was my goal going up there, I really wanted this one. The Lobstick and the Scotia Wealth are probably the two strongest fields with the pros playing in them, so it was my goal. I was really pumped to win,” he said.

Klughart started the match play portion with an 11-hole win over Gary Hagen. It took him 12 holes to defeat Doug Kozak in the second round. He felt fresh going into the Friday where the players play two matches, he downed Trevor Bloom in the morning and defeated Jason Galon in the afternoon to punch his ticket into the final against Coben. Klughart got off to a great start in the final and held off the Hall of Famer. He said was optimistic going into the week.

“I felt so confident going up there and I’ve felt confident for the last couple weeks,” he said. “I felt if I kept the ball in play and play the way I have been I would be tough to beat up there.”

The win was Klughart’s third Lobstick win. He also won the junior Lobstick event as a youngster.

Next on the OMT schedule for Klughart will potentially be the Reliance Gregg’s Central Amateur in Saskatoon. He couldn’t confirm he’d be in the field due to purchasing a home in Prince Albert but said if he doesn’t play that event he will use the Scotia Wealth Management Saskatoon Amateur Championship as a tune up for the 108^th Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur and 32^nd Saskatchewan Mid-Amateur Championships in July at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

Klughart did qualify for the Canadian Mid-Am Championship last year but didn’t attend due to a promise with Anna Young and being her caddy at the CP Women’s Open. He said a trip to nationals this year is hopefully in the cards.

“I will definitely play the Canadian Mid-Am if I qualify and I don’t know, I would have to get the okay from the boss for the Canadian Amateur,” he chuckled.

Sunday was all about Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy at the Future Links driven by Acura Prairie Championship in Yorkton.

The Riverside Country Club member came into the final round a shot back of Tae Kyoung Yun but by the time the smoke settled on the 54^th hole of the event at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course Nagy was the winner by seven shots with a six-under, 66. He finished the event at three-under par overall. The reigning Saskatchewan junior champion started sluggish however he found his groove on the back nine and never looked back.

“Obviously this is an honour,” he said to media after the event. “I came in playing alright and it was nice to turn the week around on the last day,” he said.

Knowing he had to make a move if he wanted to win the Future Links event on the last day he didn’t change his routine after 36 holes.

“I came to the course, did my same routine,” he said. “I had a little hiccup on two and then I bared down on the greens and I was able to pass a couple guys.”

After the double-bogey on the second hole Nagy rattled off three birdies on the front nine to sit at one-under on the day. Another five birdies on the back nine allowed him to run away with the win. He said it was shortly after the turn when he could feel the day may belong to him.

“When I went up and down from the green side rough on 11 I knew if I kept the ball in play on the tee I could make birdie on a couple tough holes,” Nagy said.

With the win Nagy receives an exemption into the national junior boy’s championship later this summer and doesn’t have to qualify through the provincial junior tournament he won last year. He hopes to go play a Maple Leaf Junior Tour event in San Diego that would conflict with the Saskatchewan championship in Nipawin, so he is happy to receive the exemption on top of the win.

“I qualified through the tour a couple years ago and it was really nice so I didn’t have to worry about it at provincials so now hopefully I can go to San Diego and play well down there,” he concluded.

Hyeji captures girl’s championship

On the girl’s side of the championship, Hyeji Yang of Langley B.C. was the winner.

She was the leader after the second round and like Nagy got off to a slow start in the third round but found her game and cruised to the win.

“I was playing not bad overall during the week but today my game was struggling on the front and I couldn’t make my birdies when I had a chance,” she said. “On the back nine I knew Sherri (Yang, second-place) was close so I was pushing myself harder to get away from her. Starting on 13 my shots were coming back. On 16 I made a 15-footer birdie putt which gave me confidence and momentum.”

Yang finished her day five-under par and held off the field by seven strokes. She said her confidence was high coming into Saskatchewan this week.

“Coming into the Future Links Prairie Championship I knew I had a good chance to win this tournament. It means a lot to me,” Yang told Golf Canada.

Calgary’s Brooke Frerichs finished in third place. The top Saskatchewan player was Regina’s Autumn Neiszner. The Wascana Country Club member finished in fourth place at 28-over par. Her finish was enough to punch her ticket to the national junior girl’s championship. She said her play this week exceeded her own expectations.

“Reaching nationals was not my goal, honestly I just wanted place top-10 and golf my best,” she said. “I golfed really well and better than I thought and ended up finishing fourth which is good.”

Neiszner will now prepare for a couple Maple Leaf Junior Tour events in the next couple weeks prior to playing in the provincial junior championship despite her exemption. The 15-year-old said she’s happy with the start to her season.

“I’m really excited. I have a lot of tournaments coming up and this is great momentum.”

The complete leader boards and results can be found here.

The community of Moosomin, near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border knows how to come together. Proof of the town’s resiliency and determination was on display June 14 when a crowd gathered at the Pipestone Hills Golf Club clubhouse to celebrate the facility’s grand opening.

The golf course itself has been a nine-hole gem for decades but now the course has a gathering place to match the impressive small-town track. Until this year the clubhouse was a 60-year-old building with several add-ons and issues from electrical to near closing health code concerns. Three years ago the town’s tourism centre was closing, and community members got to work. Board president Pat McDonald said the opportunity was what the town needed.

“When they announced the tourism facility was going to close down we said, okay, what are they going to do with that?” McDonald explained to Golf Saskatchewan. “We thought we had the where withal to go after that building. We will repurpose it and make it a facility worthy of what it is. It’s a beautiful arched facility, it’s got a lot of charisma and character about it. That was the start about three years ago.”

The town obtained the building from the provincial government and moved it to the valley south of the town on the Trans Canada Highway. Banking on local contractors, suppliers and volunteers, the building was moved and upgraded at a cost of $500,000. The value is now $750,000.

The grand opening celebration was combined with the community’s annual awards banquet where they honour dedicated members of the town and region. McDonald said hosting the event in the new clubhouse was very special.

“This is euphoria. In a community like this this is a major spend in a 3,000-population community. We all love the golf course and it was like, where are we going to get the money? How is it going to happen? Will it ever happen? It’s like Field of Dreams, if you build it they will come. Tonight is about we’ve done it, here it is, now let’s support it going forward,” McDonald said.

There was one concern regarding the overall project, how can the clubhouse coincide with the already drawing golf course. McDonald said the board of directors made it clear early on that the course would not suffer next to its shiny new neighbour.

“This will be a stand-alone project that we will follow through with to enhance the product,” McDonald said. “Groundskeeper Dave Myers did the deck and some of the interior work, I laughed because Dave says it takes the clubhouse and the course to draw the people in. He could see the benefit of having a great facility compliment the course, the course was already complimenting the facility. We just needed the facility to compliment the course and that’s where we are today.”

The town is not new to coming together and building recreation facilities. Moosomin has top of the line baseball fields, a marquee small town arena, rodeo grounds, and parks. All either built or upgraded with thousands of volunteer hours and local corporate donations. McDonald said any small town can make their amenities the heartbeat of their community, he said you need to come together and get to work.

“If you have the community that will do it, you have to have that its proven,” he said. “We have done community events before, we have our ball diamonds, our sportsplex with our four golf simulators and things like that. Those things happen but it takes the support of the community to do that. We have a fantastic community in Moosomin, if we didn’t know we could do these things before hand we may have shied away. We know we have the support, so we knew we’d be here today.”

McDonald added the building is equipped for winter and events such as a Grey Cup party and opening on Saturday’s for families using the nearby ski hill and tobogganing area. Weddings and family reunion rentals are in the plans as well for the building and town.

Two out of province golfers tackled a saturated Deer Park Municipal Golf Course Saturday and will take leads into the final round of the Future Links driven by Acura Prairie Championship on Sunday.

Hyeji Yang, of Langley B.C. is the 36-hole leader in the girl’s category in Yorkton after posting her second straight round of 75. The second round was pushed back five and a half hours but that didn’t deter Yang from scattering three birdies and six bogeys over the round. She managed to avoid any double-bogeys in at points, a driving Saskatchewan wind.

Yang will take a three-stroke lead into the final round over fellow B.C. golfer Sherry Yang. The Richmond based player sits at nine-over par in second place. Brooke Frerichs of Calgary rounds out the top-three at plus-12. Regina’s Autumn Neiszner is the top Saskatchewan girl she’s in fourth at plus-19.

The girl’s leaderboard can be seen here. Their first tee time is Sunday at 8:50 a.m.

On the boy’s side, Tae Kyoung Yun of Richmond Hill, Ont. followed up opening round of 74 with an even-par 72 to leapfrog first round leader Richard Dou. Dou was the lone player to shoot under par in the event but fired a six-over, 78 on Saturday to drop back to a tie for third with Winnipeg’s Jacob Armstrong at plus-four.

Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy stayed right in the hunt, the Riverside Country Club member shot 74 Saturday, couple that with his first round of 73 and Nagy is at three-over par in third place.

Neel Soni of Winnipeg is within striking distance at plus-five, Estevan’s Chase Gedak is still in the hunt as well after being in second place after the opening round. The TS&M Woodlawn player from Estevan sits in sixth at seven-over.

The boy’s leaderboard can be found here, their tee times begin at 7 a.m.

The top five boys and top five girls (plus ties) will qualify for the national junior championships later this summer.

Round one of the Future Links Prairie Championship, driven by Acura is complete at Yorkton’s Deer Park Golf Course.

Calgary’s Richard Dou set the pace on day one of the three round event with a two-under par, 70. The Pinebrook player scattered five birdies over his round to stake a three-shot lead over a pair of Saskatchewan golfers. Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy of the Riverside Country Club (below, right) and Chase Gedak (Estevan, TS&M Woodlawn) each carded rounds of 73, one-over.

Tae Kyoung Yun, of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Carson Rody, also of Calgary are tied four fourth at two-over.

18 Saskatchewan boys are in the field; the complete leaderboard can be seen here.

On the girl’s side, Sherri Yang of Richmond, B.C. will sleep on a round one lead. The Mayfair Lakes Golf Club member has a two-shot edge on fellow British Columbian Hyeji Yang. Sherri shot one-over 73, Hyeji posted a solid 75, plus-three.

Calgary golfer Brooke Frerichs is in third at plus-five, Ashley Chow is fourth at eight-over, Abby Chow rounds out the top five at nine-over par.

Six Saskatchewan girls are competing in the 54-hole tournament, Creighton’s Lauren Fox (left) leads the way of locals in sixth. She shot a 10-over, 82.

For a complete list of the girl’s leaderboard click here.

Round two will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday in Yorkton. The final round goes Sunday.

The top five boys and top five girls (plus ties) will earn a qualifying spot at the national junior championships.

1950 – Canadian Amateur and Junior Golf Championships, Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 15-22

The first Canadian golf championship held in Saskatchewan took place at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club July 15-22 with 105 competitors taking part.  The club worked hard preparing the course, renovating the clubhouse and looking after all the details for a successful national event.  The course was set at 6,681 yards par 70.  The Willingdon Cup teams and provincial junior teams of two were entertained at a Board of Trade luncheon on Friday and a banquet at the Bessborough Hotel on Saturday attended by Premier T.C. Douglas and Mayor J.S. Mills.

In the final amateur match Bill Mawhinney of Vancouver met Nick Weslock of Ontario.  Weslock had five stymies during the day including one on the tenth hole in the morning round when he knocked Mawhinney’s ball into the cup.  Opposition to the stymie rule had been building and it was hoped that there would be a change when the rules were next revised.  Mawhinney won the Amateur Championship 6 and 5.  Ontario’s team won the Willingdon Cup with Saskatchewan placing fifth out of eight teams.   The Junior Championship was tied at 152 after 36 holes and Doug Silverberg, AB won an 18-hole playoff to claim the title.  Saskatchewan’s Junior champion Pat Cassidy took fourth place, having the advantage of playing his home course.  

1950 Men: Riverside Country Club, July 10-13

Dr. Bob Reid won the Saskatchewan Amateur for the fourth time.  The best sand green player in the qualifying round was Rudy Homenuik who also won the Juvenile competition and was runner-up in the Junior.

The SGA annual meeting voted to run future Willingdon Cup trials over two days instead of four, still playing 72 holes.  The previous year’s balance sheet showed a profit of over $700 which was the best year ever for the organization.

The 1950 Senior Men’s Provincials were held at the Regina Golf Club ending on August 11.  A unique situation in tournament play featured a final with two left-handed competitors.  A.E. Neville won 2 and 1 over Arthur Baird, becoming the first left-hander to win in the 24-year history of the senior tournament.  Fourteen of the forty-two competitors were from out of town, including C.R. Moore – a former Regina resident now living in Los Angeles who tied for low gross.  The oldest golfer was A.W. Irwin, an 82-year-old from Moose Jaw.  A new slate of officers was elected, headed by president J.R. Smith of Regina.

1950 Women: Moose Jaw Willowdale Golf Club, August 7-11

Mabel Palko claimed her third provincial title when she won 2 and 1 over her Saskatoon Golf and Country Club mate Phylis Barclay.  Her other two titles were in 1939 and 1947 and she was runner-up four times.  Those two were on the Saskatchewan team along with Rene Robins of Wascana qualifying for the team for the fourth straight time, and Helen MacDougall of Riverside making the first of her five straight team appearances.

1951 Men: Wascana Country Club, July 18-22

It was an eventful week for Gordon Beattie who was elected president of the Saskatchewan Golf Association at the annual meeting.  He was the first-round medalist but had to withdraw from further competition after his young son was in a serious farm accident.  However, he was placed on the Willingdon cup team and made the trip to Ottawa with Moe Young, Boy Ashworth and Cliff Soberg.  Harry Burns claimed his third Saskatchewan Amateur title after a gap of eleven years, winning the final over Ian Ross, the young son of Regina Golf Club professional Tom Ross.   Ray Marsh of Moose Jaw won the junior title.

 1951 Women: Prince Albert Golf Club, July 9-13

Phylis Barclay of the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club finished first in the Monday qualifying round of provincials with Joanne Goulet of Regina’s Gyro Club in second place.  These two met on Friday in the championship final with Barclay prevailing 3 and 2.  Both qualified for the Saskatchewan team along with Helen MacDougall of Riverside CC and Mrs. McQuarrie of Prince Albert and travelled to the Canadian competition in Montreal.

Hoping to encourage young players the first Junior girls’ competition was held in conjunction with the women’s provincials.  Gerry Evans won the title at age 16, the first of four she would win in the six years she was eligible for the under-21 event.  Sandra Hay of Riverside was the runner-up.

Interest in golf was growing and 943 members in thirteen clubs were now affiliated with the Saskatchewan Section of the CLGU.

1952 Men: Waskesiu Golf Club, July 7-12

Waskesiu was the provincial tournament site July 7-12 and newspaper reports included both the golf and fishing prowess of the competitors.  Even though Dr. Bob Reid of Prince Albert had been out of golf for a year he practiced when had time and entered the tournament.  Using his father’s clubs, as he liked those irons better than his own, he won the Saskatchewan Amateur for the fifth time.  Ross Reibling scored a hole-in-one during the Willingdon Cup team trials but still ended up in fifth place, making him a team alternate.

At the SGA annual meeting, the treasurer reported a sound financial situation with a surplus.  A committee was formed to organize a new junior program with money available from the RCGA junior development fund.  The province was divided into four zones with the best players in each participating in clinics held by local pros.

Professional Competition:  Pat Fletcher, SGCC pro, won the Canadian PGA championship with 210, three strokes under par over 54 holes on Winnipeg’s Niakwa course.

1952 Women:  Riverside Country Club July 14-18

Riverside was turned into the “Golfers’ Gulch Hotel” for a Klondike-themed evening of costumes, skits, music and singing waiters for the final evening of the tournament.  After such a fun evening the golfers playing in the finals had to get up and compete the next day.  The championship match was decided on the nineteenth hole when Joanne Goulet of Regina’s Gyro Course won over Helen MacDougall who was playing her home course.

A report at the annual meeting of the CLGA Saskatchewan Section listed thirteen affiliated clubs and five members who had handicaps of six or under.

The second annual Junior Girls’ title was won by Gerry Evans with 185 over 36 holes.  Her sister Lynne Evans tied with Joanne Goulet for second place at 193 but lost the 18-hole playoff the next day.

1953 Men: Regina Golf Club and Wascana Country Club, July 1-5

Regina Golf Club hosted the provincial tournament although players had to contend with a large puddle of water on the tenth fairway which had overflowed from a nearby creek.  When it became impossible to play the back nine without getting wet to the ankles the tournament was moved to Wascana Country Club.  A hailstorm interrupted some matches there requiring them to be finished the following day.  When it was all over the youngest Saskatchewan Amateur winner since 1927 was crowned champion.  Wilf Homenuik, 15 years of age, beat his 17-year-old brother Ted 4 and 2 in the 36-hole final.  Wilf also won the Juvenile title and was runner-up to Ted for the Junior title.  Both attended nationals in Montreal, Wilf as a member of Saskatchewan’s Willingdon Cup team and Ted as the junior champion.

At the SGA annual meeting, six honourary life memberships were awarded: Dunc Sinclair of Prince Albert, Russ Smith and N.C. Byers of Regina, Archie Trotter and J.D. Miller of Saskatoon, and Clem Alexander of Moose Jaw.

The SGA reported ten affiliated clubs with 1,541 members, an increase of 200 members since 1950. 

1953 Women: Wascana Country Club, July 13-17

All competitors in team play were allowed to improve their lies with an extra stroke added for each round.  When Joanne Goulet shot a par 77, she had to record a score of 78.  It was a big upset when Joan Caswell, Saskatoon Riverside, eliminated Goulet in the quarter-finals.  The champion was Rene Robbins with a 5 and 3 victory on her home course over Helen MacDougall of Riverside CC.

At the national Junior tournament in London, Ontario the CLGU organized a Western vs. Eastern competition with teams made up of a representative from each province.  Gerry Evans took part as the Saskatchewan representative. 

1954 Men: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 7-10

Two members of Saskatoon GCC played for the championship title, with Morris Thompson winning over Ted Annear on the 35^th hole.  Two of the Homenuik brothers from Yorkton were in contention for the junior title, with Wilf edging out Ted by two strokes.

The SGA announced at its annual meeting that eight new clubs had affiliated this year.   One committee was appointed to revise the constitution and another to select the Willingdon Cup team.  Trophies were now going to be provided for the junior boys 15-and-under and 13-and-under events.  The junior development program was financed by National Golf Day.

1954 Women: Waskesiu Golf Club, July 12-16

Waskesiu Golf Club hosted its first CLGU-Saskatchewan tournament in 1954.  Four Saskatoon women claimed spots in the Championship semi-finals, with Gerry Evans of SGCC winning the title to add to the provincial junior title she won the week before.  Gerry played on the Saskatchewan women’s team along with Joanne Goulet, Helen MacDougall and Rene Robbins, while Sandra Hay represented Saskatchewan on the Western junior team at Nationals.

1954 Canadian Open, Point Grey Golf Club, Vancouver, July 14-17

Pat Fletcher, Saskatoon Golf and Country Club’s 38-year-old professional, got off to a good start on the first day of the Canadian Open by shooting a 65.  Bob Rosberg took the lead with a Point Grey tournament course record of 63.  On the second day of competition Fletcher shot 70 and Rosberg 72, so the two were tied for the lead at 135.  Day three’s leader was Gordie Brydson whose 68 put him at 207, ahead of Fletcher at 209 and Rosburg at 210.  On the final day of competition Pat Fletcher was playing with an 8-iron borrowed from Stan Leonard of Vancouver.  This 8-iron acted as a 9-iron for Pat whose clubs were calibrated a half-degree differently from most others.  He birdied the 12^th hole and his challengers were not playing well.  When he sank a thirty-foot putt on the 17th for a birdie he felt he had the victory.  He finished with a 72-hole total of 280.  Golf enthusiasts in Saskatchewan were thrilled to hear of Pat Fletcher’s accomplishment but they could never have imagined that 64 years later they would still be waiting for another Canadian to win the Open.

1955 Men: Prince Albert Golf Club, July 20-24

Saskatchewan’s fiftieth anniversary as a province was celebrated when Prince Albert hosted the “Golden Jubilee Golf Championship.”  For this occasion, the Amateur was held jointly with the Open and Professional championships which had been held separately over the last few years.  Stan Leonard of Vancouver won the Open with 132 strokes and followed that up by winning the Professional title and pocketing $700 for his total of 269 strokes.  An extra event was added to the program, a pro-am best-ball, which was won with a score of 63 by Harry Martel, an Edmonton pro partnering with Claude Shackell of Wascana.

For the first time in the history of the Saskatchewan Amateur the Champion was from out of province.  Doug Silverberg of Red Deer, AB set a course record of 64 while playing the last eighteen holes of the championship and winning over Charles Bodzioch on his home course.

Qualifying for the Willingdon Cup team was an endurance test of six games over four different courses.  In each game, the low scorer received eight points, graduating down to one point for eighth place.  At the end, those with the most points were Kelly Carin, Wilf Homenuik, Dr. Bob Reid and Gordon Beattie and they represented Saskatchewan at nationals in Calgary. 

1955 Women: Moose Jaw Willowdale, July 11-15

Heavy rains caused Spring Creek to flood the low parts of the Moose Jaw course making the last nine holes of Wednesday’s round unplayable, so competitors had to do two rounds of the front nine to get in their 18-holes.  Joanne Goulet of Regina won the junior title over Gerry Evans of Saskatoon, but the women’s final featuring the same two young players had the reverse result with Gerry Evans winning 3 and 2.  They were required to play on the women’s team at nationals so Sandra Hay and Lynne Evans represented Saskatchewan at the first junior team competition organized by the CLGU.  This took place after two years of having a junior competition in which one player from each province played on the four-person East or West team (won both years by the East).

1956 Men: Moose Jaw Willowdale Golf Club, July 19-22

Young Bob (Rob) Kennedy was very much at home on the Moose Jaw course.  He had been golfing in Calgary that summer and pocketed the Alberta Junior championship before coming home and winning the Saskatchewan Junior.  It was believed he was the first two-province champion however he competed at nationals for his home province, Saskatchewan.  In the Amateur final against Dr. Doug McAlpine of Wascana, Kennedy hit his sixty-foot approach shot into the hole for a birdie on the 26^th hole.  When he walked up to the hole and retrieved his ball from the cup without removing the pin, he was penalized and lost the hole.  The rule at that time was that the pin had to be removed and the ball had to touch the bottom of the cup.  This unnerved the youngster for the next few holes before he bounced back and evened the match on the 35^th hole.  McAlpine won the title on the final hole.

Phil Lederhouse won the first Western Canada Blind Golfers’ Tournament in Prince Albert.

 1956 Women: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 16-20

Gerry Evans won her third successive Saskatchewan women’s golf title in 1956 along with her fourth junior women’s title.  Joanne Goulet was runner-up in the women’s event but was now too old for the junior event.  The newspaper referred to her as a colourful Regina player who won her Wednesday match on the thirteenth green then finished the round in bare feet!  Lynne Evans and Pat Kiggins from Yorkton were the Junior team.

1957 Men: Riverside Country Club, July 11-14

118 players, including 22 juniors, competed for the provincial championships.  Del Wilson of Wascana defeated Herb Pinder on his home course for the amateur title.

At the SGA annual meeting Robert (Robbie) Robinson was presented with an engraved gold wrist watch to honour his service as Secretary-Treasurer of the organization from 1941 to 1957.   A decision was made that only members of clubs affiliated with the SGA would be eligible to play in the amateur championships.  In future, juniors would be required to show birth certificates as proof of age.  Junior records for 1954 and 1955 were revised regarding Wilf and Ted Homenuik.  A committee was formed to work out financial agreements between the SGA and clubs hosting the amateur and open tournaments. 

1957 Women: Regina Golf Club, July 8-12

Sixteen-year-old Patricia Kiggins from Yorkton was the story of the 1957 women’s championship.  She won the junior competition by 17 strokes over Mona Finlayson of Prince Albert.  Then, she qualified as one of the top three in the women’s team trials.  She continued to play well all week even though she had not played on grass greens this year prior to the competition.   In the women’s final Joanne Goulet made short work of Pat’s winning streak, finishing her off on the thirteenth green.  Pat and Mona were the Saskatchewan junior representatives to nationals in Montreal, while Joanne Goulet and Mesdames Oliphant, Glass and Balmos made up the women’s team.

1958 Men: Wascana Country Club, July 10-13

A dilemma occurred after the qualifying round in the men’s amateur when eight golfers shot 79, the cut-off mark for the 32 spots available in the championship flight.  A playoff was held to determine the final four spots but Merv Folk of Saskatoon GCC was playing in the second round of the junior competition that afternoon and couldn’t participate.   After three playoff holes, three golfers were eliminated and the championship flight was set.  It included both Merv’s father, Alex Folk, and his younger brother, Ron.  The final round was played in high winds, steady rain and some hail.  Ultimately, Dr. Doug McAlpine won the title on the 37^th hole over his young Wascana clubmate, Bob Stovin.

A prize was awarded after the qualifying round to the golfer with the best score who played at a sand-greens course.  During the 1950s this was frequently won by one of the Homenuik brothers from Yorkton but also included others from around the province.

1958 Saskatchewan Open Championship, Riverside Country Club, July 26-27

The Saskatchewan Open title went to amateur Doug Silverberg of Calgary with a three-round score of 215.  Vern Mohs, one of 15 pros, was one shot back and took home the $500 cash prize.  Seventy-eight amateurs competed, including Dr. Bob Reid of Prince Albert who received permission to use a bicycle to travel around the course.  This event was chaired by Jack Heywood with Ed S. Ross serving as Secretary-Treasurer.  (Reference: pamphlet of the event is in Saskatoon Public Library Local History Room, PM2008-89)

 1958 Women: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club and Wascana Country Club, July 7-15

With the National Women’s Championships scheduled for Saskatoon in August, the CLGU Saskatchewan section executive decided that the team trials and individual provincial championship would be a four-round competition.  After two rounds at Saskatoon GCC and two rounds at Wascana CC, Joanne Goulet was declared champion with 327 and Barbara Turnbull, making her debut on the provincial scene, was runner-up with 343.  Filling out the team was Phylis Barclay, 344, and Flo Short, 349.  The junior competition was held in Saskatoon with Bonnie Phillips declared the winner at 168 and Patricia Kiggins of Yorkton at 174.

1958 Canadian Women’s Championship, Saskatoon Golf & Country Club, August 1-9

This was the first time that a Canadian women’s championship was held in Saskatchewan.  Mrs. Phyllis Trotter, president of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Union, and her tournament committee planned many social events to go along with the golf competition during the ten days at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.  Marlene Stewart Streit at age 24 won her fifth Canadian championship defeating Mary Gay of Calgary 8 and 6.  Gail Harvey won the junior championship and Ontario won both women’s and junior team competitions. 

1959 Men: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 9-12

The Canadian Junior Championship was newly organized and Saskatchewan sent a team of four to Montreal consisting of junior champion Ed Ross, runner-up Jim Scissons, Pete Lukoni and Merv Folk.

Keith Rever of Wascana received a watch as his amateur championship prize after defeating Jack McLellan of Saskatoon Golf and Country Club 7 and 6.

The Saskatchewan Seniors’ Golf Association held their tournament at Riverside Country Club July 13-14.  Al Marcroft, SGCC, won the championship 1 up over Hon. J.H. Sturdy of Wascana, while Jack Wakeford won the low net trophy for those over age 65 just two weeks short of his 85^th birthday.

At the SGA annual meeting a new constitution established a directorate made up of representatives from the two Saskatoon clubs, two Regina clubs, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Swift Current, Estevan and Nipawin, all representing the other clubs in their districts.  A discussion was held on whether juniors could play in trials for both the Junior and Willingdon Cups, and a committee of two was appointed to select the junior team.  The SGA decided to purchase small cups as mementos for Willingdon Cup team members.  The treasurer reported that the association was in a sound financial situation. 

1959 Women: Prince Albert Golf Club, July 1-17

Gerry (Evans) Yoos and her longtime provincial rival Joanne Goulet met in a closely fought final which Joanne lost after hitting her second shot on the eighteenth hole out-of-bounds.  The match finished with Gerry winning her fourth provincial crown 2 up.  Gerry, Joanne and Barb Turnbull were joined on the Saskatchewan team by Junior champion Pat Kiggins who qualified for the women’s team.  Sisters Coralie and Bonnie Phillips from Saskatoon GCC made up the junior team.

This publication is produced by Saskatchewan golf historian Lori Harvie.