HAMILTON, Ont.  — Using a loonie as his ball marker, Rory McIlroy fired a final round 9-under par 61 to win Canada’s National Open Championship, the RBC Canadian Open in his first appearance.

McIlroy’s 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score ever carded at the RBC Canadian Open. The previous record of 263 was held by Johnny Palmer (1952), Scott Piercy (2012) and Tim Clark (2014). His final round 61 is also the best final round at the 110-year-old event, breaking the record of 62 held by Andy Bean (1983).

The 30-year-old entered Sunday’s final round sharing the lead with Americans Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson. He started his round by lipping-out a chip for eagle on the first hole, en route to birding four of his first five holes. With the win the Northern Irishman claimed his 16^th PGA TOUR title.

“It’s been a while since I played like this and sort of put my foot down, but it was so nice to do it today,” said McIlroy. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done today. Hopefully this sets up well for the rest of the year, too.”

McIlroy becomes only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, having won the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014. He joins an exclusive club that includes Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods.

“The reception from the Canadian crowds have been incredible this week,” added McIlroy. “They couldn’t have been any better. They’ve been so welcoming all week. I can’t wait to come back next year.”

McIlroy is the first golfer to win the RBC Canadian Open on his first attempt since Chez Reavie in 2008 and the first European to capture the title since Sweden’s Carl Pettersson in 2010.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and American Web Simpson finished tied for second at 15-under par 265 for the tournament. Americans Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker finished tied for 4^th at 13-under.

Adam Hadwin fired an even-par 70 in the final round, finishing as the low Canadian at 12-under par 268 on the tournament. Hadwin was awarded the Rivermead Cup for the fourth time of his career as low Canadian.

“The crowd was amazing all week,” said Hadwin. “That reception coming up 18 was something special. I pictured it with being a few more [strokes] under earlier in the week, but they were amazing. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get it done in front of them.”

By virtue of his sixth-place finish, Hadwin qualifies for the 2019 Open Championship being held July 14-21 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Also earning an exemption in the 2019 Open Championship was Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. New for 2019, the RBC Canadian Open is included in The Open Qualifying Series. Up to three players who are not already exempt earned places in the 148^th Open Championship at Royal Portrush

The 2020 RBCCO is being held at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8 to 14.

Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

ANCASTER, Ont. – Golf Canada’s plans to elevate the RBC Canadian Open have paid off.

Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada’s CEO, called the 2019 edition of the tournament a success on Sunday, even as the national sport organization was still adding up its figures.

“I can categorically say that the RBC Canadian Open 2019 will be a record year,” said Applebaum at a morning news conference before most pairings had teed off in the final round of the national championship. “It’s going to be a record on basically every single metric we look at.”

Golf Canada reported a 65 per cent increase in attendance, a total of approximately 120,000 people over seven days. Beer sales, always a point of pride for the only Canadian stop on the PGA Tour, doubled from last year’s event at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Setting the stage for a thrilling Sunday finish at the #RBCCO

Tickets ➡️https://t.co/7mfBsjhFcY pic.twitter.com/ZoSzqMSSUn

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 9, 2019

That growth was part of a plan initiated by Golf Canada, lead sponsor RBC, and the PGA Tour, to raise the RBC Canadian Open’s profile.

The overall purse was increased to US$7.6 million for 2019, up from $6.4 million. The date was also moved from late July to the first week of June, a more advantageous position in golf’s calendar, a week before the U.S. Open instead of a week after the British Open.

A pair of concerts were added to the event, with country music stars Florida Georgia Line playing on Friday night and Kingston, Ont., rock group the Glorious Sons performing on Saturday night.

“I think we saw on Friday and Saturday that music and golf do work together,” said Mary DePaoli, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for RBC. “Anecdotally there were so many people that came to hear music but got here early to see some golf.”

The Hamilton Golf and Country Club hosted the Canadian Open for the first time since 2007. It will welcome the national championship in 2023. St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto will hold the event in 2020 and 2024, with the hosts for 2021 and 2022 expected to be announced by the end of this year.

June 6, 1944 is remembered as a historic day and one of the most important dates of the Second World War. Considered the turning point in the Allied victory in World War II, nearly 150,000 troops including 14,000 Canadians landed or parachuted in Normandy off the coast of France. On Thursday, June 6^th, the RBC Canadian Open will pay tribute to the 75^th anniversary of D-Day with a 6:30am opening ceremony at the 10^th tee War Memorial. The HMCS Star Navy Band and Colour Guard will perform the national anthems and a bugler will also perform just before the first group tees off. At 12:10pm, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum will perform a WWII ceremonial fly over including a Lancaster Bomber, Dakota Paratroop Plane and B25 bomber—all three of which served as part of D-Day. As a thank you for their service, all active duty and veteran members of the Canadian Armed Forces will receive FREE admission on Thursday and discounted admission throughout the week.

For the eighth time in nine years Colin Coben is the Men’s Senior Lobstick champion.

The Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Famer had won seven tournaments in a row before West Kelowna’s Glen Erickson claimed the title last year. The Delisle product found his groove again this year and shot one over par over 54 holes to win and hold off super senior champion Gary Tuffs (below). Coben said he knows the Waskesiu Golf Course very well and that helps him be successful on the marquee track.

“I’ve paid my dues, I’ve played there since I was a young man,” he said. “And I’ve been hitting the ball well.”

After firing a meticulous 65 during the practice round last Monday, Coben shot a consistent 211 (70, 71, 70) to beat Tuffs by four strokes. He said playing consistent over the three rounds is key to winning the event.

“It is, I can’t remember all the other years, but I think it was very similar to being around par. You don’t shoot a lot 65’s where everything goes in the hole. I just like the golf course and the greens were awesome. It helps when you get a good feel for them,” Coben said.

Warren Gnam placed third at plus-six. Lionel Fauchoux was in the hunt at seven-over, Blair Sterling rounded out the top five of the 239 player field. Coben said the event itself is a must play on his yearly schedule.

“It’s a testament to the golf course, Waskesiu, it’s comradery. I just see all the groups there and how much fun they are having. On the night we had off about a dozen of us went on a great fishing trip, so that makes it all. It’s a social event, everyone is up there to socialize and try to make some birdies,” he said.

The complete results can be seen here.

Coben is in the field for the Men’s Lobstick that begins Monday. For the eighth time he will try to become the first golfer to win both the senior and men’s event in the same season.

The team of Jerry Christiansen, Carla Odnokon, Carrie Lambden, and Carol Spanks are at the top of the Pro Lady mountain.

The PGA of Saskatchewan event was held at the Moon Lake Golf and Country Club on June 4 to coincide with International Women’s Golf Day. The format for the annual event is one PGA professional and three amateur women making up the foursomes. Scoring is based on two best net.

Christiansen’s team shot minus 19 to win the one day, 18-hole tournament. The foursome of Dean Brown, Karen Sullivan, Chris Macgregor-Kristoff, and Tarina Ly were a shot back at minus 18. Sam Wills, Karen Mario, Jolaine Arndt, and Kathy Erhardt rounded out the top three at 17 under par.

The tournament features an individual pro leaderboard as well, Clinton Schmaltz was the low professional at 67. Four golfers made up a logjam in second place at four under, John Greenough, Brown, Sloane Harder, and McLaren Taylor all fired 68’s. Odnokon and Chambers tied at three under.

The complete results can be seen here, click “guest” login.

The sun is shining on a beautiful Saskatchewan day, you load your clubs ready to hit the links with friends, league night or for a quiet round on your own, but you see sand covered greens at your favourite course. The let down is there but aerating the putting surfaces of a course is crucial for the health of the greens.

Terry McNeilly has been the superintendent at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club (SGCC) since 1997. The Saskatoon product also worked at Beacon Hall in Aurora, Ontario and on the west coast at Furry Creek Golf and Country Club prior to coming home. He said there are several reasons clubs aerate their greens.

“We aerify to relieve compaction, get air to your roots, you want to release any gas build up below that could negatively effect your turf plant,” McNeilly explained to Golf Saskatchewan.  “We’re basically preparing the greens for winter and the heavy traffic of summer.”

The SGCC staff aerate their greens two times a year. Once in the spring and again in late August or early September. McNeilly said the timing of aerating is important to green health.

“We want to encourage deep roots, as the summer goes along and it’s hot and dry your roots tend to go from maybe six inches to four or less. You want to encourage deep root growth so they can take the wear and tear from the traffic of golfers and mechanical equipment,” he said.

Top dressing is an important aspect of the aeration process. McNeilly said proper sand must be used as well to do the job properly. He said the grains need to vary in size to allow proper drainage and water flow.

“The sand reduces compaction because it doesn’t compact,” he said. “It’s basically a bunch of different sized rocks you are putting in the holes and in between those rocks it allows oxygen and water movement down into the soil. It allows air in there that helps your roots grow.”

Weather plays a factor in the process as well. Weather dependant, McNeilly said it take two days for them to complete the aeration process.

“If your sand isn’t dry it tends to seal the holes when you drag it across the green and not drop down into the holes, so it almost trowels it. You want your sand to be as dry as possible, depending how sunny it is that day it has to sit there for a couple hours with direct sun for us to brush the sand into the holes,” McNeilly described.

The SGCC tries to work on the aeration process around golfer’s tee times and their annual September tournament. McNeilly said the process is not something his crew desires to do but it’s crucial to their green’s health.

“We’re not suckers for punishment, we don’t do this because we enjoy frustrating the golfers,” he said. “We do it for the health and future health of the greens. Aeration is the most important thing we do to the greens all year. It’s something we can’t get around and anybody that thinks they can is fooling themselves in my opinion.”

In July the best amateur men’s golfers will converge on the SGCC for the provincial amateur and mid-amateur championships. The course is in top form in early June and McNeilly said the players will have a tough test but nothing earth shattering.

“We’re not going to jeopardize the future health of our greens for any tournament or anything. We’re just going to provide them with a little quicker product than day to day but nothing crazy,” he said.

The Regina High School Athletics Association (RHSAA) golf championships took place Wednesday in the Queen City.

Almost 50 competitors took part in the one day, 18-hole tournament at the Murray Golf Club.

Martin Collegiate student Josh Babcock won the senior boys championship holding off Aiden Shanks and Adam Husli. Babcock fired 79 to edge Shanks by two strokes. Husli was only two back on route to a gold medal.

Junior Boys

Riffel High School student Hunter Kutcher is the junior boys golf champion for 2019.

Kutcher carded at 42 through the front nine at the Murray followed by a sparkling 38 on the back to secure the gold medal. Luke Cote and Will Blake, both out of Martin Collegiate won silver and bronze respectively. Cote was one back of Kutcher at 81, Blake posted a round of 84.

The boy’s results can be found here.

Girl’s Division

The gold medalist for the RHSAA girl’s category is Wascana Country Club member and Campbell Collegiate student Autumn Neiszner.

Neiszner cruised passed the field winning the tournament by 25 shots. She was the only golfer under 100 shooting a round of 78. Fellow Campbell athlete Alexia Gosselin won the silver with a round of 103.

Sol Park claimed the bronze with her round of 109.

The complete girl’s results can be seen here.

Most golf tournaments were cancelled during World War II due to motoring restrictions but started again as clubs reorganized in 1946. 

1940 Men: Moose Jaw Golf Club, July 2-5

Harry Burns of Regina Golf Club defended his Saskatchewan amateur title by defeating Angus “Scotty” Cameron, the winner of the Junior Championship.  The award for the best sand-greens player in the qualifying round went to Estevan’s Roy Sanquist.  After the first two rounds of Open competition Regina pros Tom Ross and Wilf Greenwood were tied for the title with 147 strokes.  The winner was declared the next morning after eighteen holes in the professional competition.  This turned out to be Wilf Greenwood who took both the Open and Professional titles.

For the first time a Juvenile event was held for boys under age 16.  The trophy donated by D.P. Pile of North Battleford was won by Par Fletcher, son of pro Fred Fletcher.  The Junior changed to a 36-hole medal competition, as the juniors could also compete in the amateur.

Edmonton was supposed to host the national championship in 1940 but the RCGA cancelled it due to the war, disappointing western golfers in particular.  

1940 Women: The CLGU Saskatchewan section had planned to hold their championship at Riverside Country Club but cancelled it. 

1941 Men: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 7-10

There were 102 amateurs entered, 9 pros, 6 juniors and 4 juveniles.  Army dentist, Captain Bob Reid, decisively won the Amateur Championship, defeating his SGCC clubmate Bill Thorpe.  Kelly Carin of North Battleford was Junior champion.  The best sand-greens player in the opening round was Ralph Carin.  In a repeat of last year’s results in the Open, Wilf Greenwood and Tom Ross were tied at the end of the first two rounds with 148.  Greenwood shot a sizzling 69 the next day to establish a course record as well as win the Open.

The SGA annual meeting voted to open amateur tournaments to golfers who, because of their location, were unable to belong to member clubs.  Fees were waived for future tournament entries from members of His Majesty’s Forces. 

1941 Women:  Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 14-17

Margaret Esson of Rosetown won her third provincial championship, 5 and 4 over Isabel Dalby of Saskatoon.

Eight local rules were in effect for the tournament, including: #2: “A ball embedded in the putting green may be lifted and placed without penalty, as close as possible to its original position but not nearer the hole.”  Rule #5 stated: “If a player’s ball is not found on a fairway where the ball is supposed to have come to rest and gopher holes are in the vicinity, the ball may be deemed to have gone down a gopher hole, and a further ball may be dropped in the vicinity and played without penalty.”

1942 – 1945

No Saskatchewan Golf Association or CLGU Saskatchewan section tournaments were held from 1942 to 1945 due to motoring restrictions during the war.  Twelve to fourteen clubs listing 800-900 members continued to pay affiliation fees to the Saskatchewan Golf Association.  Reduced fees of about $22 were paid to the RCGA during these years.

The provincial Senior men’s championship, organized separately, was held at Wascana Country Club in 1942 and 1944 and at Regina Golf Club in 1943 and 1945. 

1946 Men: Regina Golf Club, July 8-11

After the war Newt Byers took up the reins as president of the Saskatchewan Golf Association and was reelected to the post the following year.  Now, fifteen clubs belonged to the SGA claiming a total of 1324 members.  Tournaments were reinstated and Regina Golf Club was chosen as the venue for the first post-war event.  There was a new optimism on the golf course as things got underway.  A columnist in the Leader-Post mused:

As they tramped over the rich green, carpet-like fairways of the Regina Club this week, golfers must have paused a moment to recall tournaments that were held when the deck was stacked against them.  They played in Saskatchewan when yawning cracks gobbled up balls on the fairways and there wasn’t a blade of grass this side of Winnipeg.  The dust blew and hordes of grasshoppers covered what was left of the greens.  Those were grim days.  But the golfers were like the farmers.  They stuck with it and rode out the storm.  This week they are competing over a layout that is a reward for their faith.  The smell of good, prairie earth is in their nostrils.  They bite into the turf with iron shots and smile when they get that solid feeling in their wrists and divots follow the flight of the ball.  Golf is a game to enjoy again.  (Leader Post, July 9, 1946, p. 12, Dave Dryburgh column)

The 1946 Amateur final match turned out to be a repeat of 1936 with the Reid brothers, both dentists, playing for the title.  Dr. Bob Reid, 29 years old from Prince Albert, prevailed again over Dr. Ben Reid, 30 years old from Regina, in a match that went to the 36^th hole.

Wilf Greenwood as an amateur again, not a professional, won the Saskatchewan Open with 143, his third Open title in a row after wins in 1940 and 1941.

Saskatchewan sent a Willingdon Cup team to Nationals, with expenses for the train travel to Edmonton shared between the national and provincial associations.  The provincial junior champion was Ernie Greenley, whose trip to compete at Nationals was covered by the RCGA.  To conform with dominion rules, the provincial age limit for future junior competitions was raised from 18 to 20 by a vote at the annual meeting.

The RCGA officially adopted the synthetic golf ball for all their tournaments in place of natural rubber balls.  Players could use either Canadian balls or the larger American ones.  (Bradley, p.89) 

1946 Women: Prince Albert Golf Club, July 15-19

In the championship match Rene Robbins of Regina achieved a hole-in-one on the 193-yard eighth hole on her way to defeating Alice Cooke of Prince Albert 2 and 1.

The annual meeting went on record as wanting the stymie to be taken out of match play.

[Note:  A stymie occurred in match play when one player’s ball was on the putting green between the hole and the opponent’s ball.  It could not be lifted out of the way unless the two balls were within six inches of each other.  When the USGA and the R&A finally issued joint Rules of Golf in 1952, marking and lifting a ball on the putting green was allowed regardless of the distance between balls.  That’s when stymies were no longer a factor in golf.] 

1947 Men: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, July 7-10

Pat Fletcher, SGCC professional, won both the Saskatchewan Open and the Professional event, with Par Fletcher (young son of Freddie Fletcher) placing second in both.  The Amateur Championship went 39 holes, the longest in the event’s history, before Geoff Cooke, son of Prince Albert’s golf professional, prevailed over Elliott Andrew of Saskatoon.

The annual meeting of the SGA confirmed sending the junior champion and the Willingdon Cup team to Quebec City for nationals.  It was decided that in future the executive of the SGA would consist of the elected officers plus the presidents of affiliated clubs.  With a reduction in affiliation fees it was hoped that smaller clubs in the province would join the association. 

1947 Women: Wascana Country Club, August 25-29

Saskatchewan selected a team to go to the first post-war inter-provincial tournament in Toronto consisting of the two finalists in the provincial tournament, Mabel Palko and Gladys Rideout, along with Rene Robbins and Eileen Price.  Robbins and Palko were listed nationally as having handicaps of five and six respectively. 

1948 Men: Prince Albert Golf Club, July 1-4

In the Saskatchewan Amateur, Claude Shackell beat his clubmate from Prince Albert, Eric Ridington, on the 37^th hole.  Pat Fletcher, the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club pro, won both the Open and the Professional categories, taking home $300.  He broke the P.A. course record with a three under par 68 and finished with a score of 139, the best since the start of the Open event.  Ernie Greenley won the Junior Championship and a trip to nationals in Hamilton, ON, along with the Willingdon Cup team of Shackell, Ridington, Gordon Beattie, and Cliff Soberg.

At the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Golf Association, Dr. Ben Reid was re-elected president, and vice-presidents were elected for both northern and southern regions.  A new “dollar plan” from the RCGA was adopted for collecting one dollar from each affiliated golfer to be split between the national and the provincial associations.  Saskatchewan contributed $625 for this year, up from the $60 it had been sending.

Ernie Holiday was Saskatchewan’s long-time representative to the RCGA.  In 1941 when he was reelected it was noted he had held that position “for some years.”  He was instrumental in the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club being awarded the 1950 Canadian Amateur.  He golfed at Riverside Country Club and excelled as a competitor in tournaments around the province.  The golf community was saddened when he passed away suddenly just as the 1948 Saskatchewan tournament was about to start. 

1948 Women: Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, August 2-6

The provincial team was chosen through a point system based on trials at their home course during the season as well as the annual tournament.  The champion, Phyllis Barclay and her final match opponent, Mabel Palko, were joined by Mrs. Van Impe and Rene Robbins on the trip to nationals in Saint John, NB.

The Saskatchewan Section of the CLGU consisted of ten clubs with 805 lady members. The annual meeting adopted the dollar-a-year plan to raise money for the team fund.  The provincial tournament was closed to golfers from other provinces.

1949 Men: Willowdale Golf Club, Moose Jaw, June 30-July 3

After the first day of competition at the provincial tournament the Star-Phoenix suggested that it would probably go down in history as the “big blow” event.  “Playing in a fifty-mile-an hour gale that almost blew the golfers off Moose Jaw’s rugged Willowdale course and sent scores skyrocketing, Tom Ross, veteran Regina Club pro, captured the Saskatchewan Open crown.”  (Star-Phoenix, July 2, p.14)  During two rounds Ross scored 183, 23 strokes over par.

Cliff Soberg eked out a 2 and 1 win over Bill Woolley for the Amateur Championship, and joined Gordon Beattie, Clarence Ashworth and Bob Gray on the Saskatchewan Willingdon Cup team.  Along with the Junior Champion, Bob Turner of Saskatoon, they travelled to New Brunswick to compete at nationals. 

1949 Women: Regina Golf Club, August 8-12

A 14-year-old competitor made her debut on the golf scene:  Joanne Goulet won the long-drive contest for the bronze division and made an impressive showing in her matches, causing the Leader-Post reporter to predict, “she’ll likely be heard from in future years.”

Rene Robbins and Phyllis Barclay, the finalists, along with Mrs. Van Impe and Eileen Price were chosen for the provincial team and competed in Vancouver at nationals.  Four Saskatchewan women golfers had a handicap of six or under.

Attracting a lot of attention at the 1946 provincial tournament were the Kaddy Kars brought in from Edmonton by Tom Ross, the Regina Golf Club professional.  These were described as “nifty little two-wheeled affairs for toting golf clubs around the course”.  (Leader Post, Jul.8, p.12)

This publication was produced by Saskatchewan golf historian, Lori Harvie. Golf Saskatchewan thanks Lori for the contributions. 

With what started as a casual golf conversation over coffee with a co-worker, Blair Lothian took it upon himself to get an eye-witness account of every 18-hole, grass green golf course in Saskatchewan, two decades later the bucket list is complete.

In late May, the retired 60-year-old SaskTel employee used the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club’s “member for a day” promotion to play his 60^th course and wrap up his provincial tour. Growing up in Carlyle, Lothian has always been an avid golfer, as his life progressed he stopped short of saying the sport has become an addiction, he simply says he’s passionate. The first “qualifying” course he said he played was Golf Kenosee, which makes sense being a youngster from the region. Lothian explained that he can’t recall the first course he played regarding this task, if he had teed off at a course prior to his idea to play the courses he didn’t make a point to revisit the club. Of all the courses he’s visited, he said one private club in Saskatoon stood out.

“Riverside Country Club,” he said to Golf Saskatchewan via email. “The entire course is so meticulously maintained and includes spectacular views along the South Saskatchewan River.”

Although he pointed to the Bridge City club as his favourite he said the province boasts several amazing facilities.

“There are many fantastic courses in Saskatchewan, Golf Kenosee, White Bear, the Evergreen in Nipawin, and Dakota Dunes all come to mind. My home course of Deer Valley has one of the most beautiful natural layouts in the province as well and the rebuilt 12^th green is only days away from being in play,” Lothian said.

Many of the rounds he played alone, but in 1998 a group of his co-workers started an annual trip playing courses in Saskatchewan. The group of golf fanatics “christened” the event the “The Spackler,” named after Bill Murray’s famous character from Caddy Shack. The friends even got their own green jacket for the winner to proudly where. He said one trip took them to Blueberry Hill Golf Course near Livelong, SK. During the round a proud peacock strutted onto the course. One of the group quickly quipped, “I wonder what those taste like?”

“It’s a pet!” replied the course owner, much to the hilarity of the rest of their playing partners.

When asked about memorable shots or moments Lothian recounted a mid-week round at York Lake in Yorkton, which is now a 12-hole facility that wouldn’t make Lothian’s list today. He said he was close to that magical ace, but he was alone.

“I hit my tee ball solid and right at the flag, but then strangely as the ball was in mid-flight I had a brief anxiety attack as it occurred to me that as I was playing alone, what would I do if it went in?” he said. “The elevated heart rate was short lived as the ball rolled over the edge of the cup and about six feet right past.”

He did secure his first, and only hole-in-one on March 27, 2015 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Aside from playing the many beautiful courses the province has to offer, Lothian said the people he’s met and just the roads leading far and wide across the province added to the value of his completed mission. He said many trips stand out for more than the golf.

“Perhaps most memorably was the trip on the July long weekend in 2014,” he recalled. “At this point I had four courses remaining to play, Riverside and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, and two in the northwest, Meadow Lake Golf Club and Northern Meadows near Goodsoil. My wife (Val) and I drove up there for the singular purpose of playing these two golf courses. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Pierceland that was spectacular in every way. One is very far north and west at this point in Saskatchewan, so we drove 50 mins to Cold Lake, Alberta for dinner one evening.”

Lothian’s passion for the game continues and he is now spreading his golf experiences across North America and across the ocean. He recently attended a practice round at Augusta National during the Masters, he’s going to take in an Open practice round at Royal Portrush and in July he’s “fulfilling a lifelong dream” of playing the Old Course at St. Andrews.

The Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate (SSSAD) held their 2019 golf championships Monday (June 3) at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

St. Joseph student Sarah Grieve won the girl’s gold medal by four strokes over Halle Hindmarsh of Aden Bowman. Grieve posted a 43 through the first nine holes, she finished the back at 46 to cap the 18 hole event at 89. Jadyn Hue, also of Aden Bowman placed third after shooting 103.

In the senior boys age group, which is grade 11 and 12 students, Bedford Road’s Parker Dale edged Holy Cross student Josh Nagy in a playoff. Both golfers were tied at 78 at the completion of the round. The pair went toe-to-toe posting identical scores of 37 through the front nine and 41 on the back. Carter Wingert placed third, just a stroke back. The Centennial Collegiate golfer lost the deciding shot on the front nine of his round.

The junior boys (grade 9 and 10) category also went to a playoff with Centennial athletes Jackson Wingert and Alex Swinnerton battling for the gold medal. Wingert came out on top over his classmate. The pair swapped strokes over the 18 holes, Swinnerton had a four shot lead after nine holes but Wingert battled back after the turn to force the playoff with both players tied at 76. Chase Pochylko of Aden Bowman picked up the bronze medal, he was just a shot back.

You can see the complete results here, including the overall team standings.