Saskatoon’s Dave Stewart has his second men’s Order of Merit Tour (OMT) victory of the season after a seven-stroke win at the Mine Supply Central Amateur Championship over the Canada Day long weekend.

The Saskatoon Golf and Country member won the Scotia Wealth Open in Nipawin earlier this season as well. He said winning one of the top tournaments of the season is a great feeling.

“It’s one you try to win every year but the level of competition in the tournament is so high, there’s 30 to 40 guys in the field can win,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “I am proud and excited to win among the field, especially at my home club.”

Stewart was tied with Publinx winner Carson Harcourt after two rounds but pulled away with a 69 in the third and final round on Monday. Despite being the lone golfer under par at -5, Stewart said the outcome wasn’t a foregone conclusion until the 50^th hole.

“Last year I had a two-shot lead and lost the golf tournament,” he said.

Stewart had a two-stroke lead going into the final five holes, he said he was able to pick up some late shots.

“Carson had a bit of a miscue on 14 which allowed me to pick up a couple strokes. At that point I felt confident but there was still some work to do,” he said.

Stewart collects 750 points in the OMT standings race with the win, he now sits in second place behind Roman Timmerman. Harcourt is in third place. Stewart said the race is close heading into the final five events.

“At the end of the year winning the OMT shows the most consistent year in terms of performance. Roman and myself will both be playing the Amateur, so I want to ensure I am maximizing the points, so I don’t have to scramble and play a few extra events,” Stewart said.

The 107^th Saskatchewan Men’s Amateur Championship is from July 17 to 19 at Dakota Dunes.

On the senior side at the Mine Supply Central Murray Eddy was victorious.

He fired a three-round total of 214 (71, 75, 68) finishing five strokes ahead of George Janson.

The event was Eddy’s first OMT of the season, he picks up 750 OMT points as well. That leaves Eddy in sixth place in the standings. Lionel Fauchoux tied for fifth place in the event, the Moon Lake member leads the OMT standings with seven events left to play.

The Mercator Financial South West Senior Men’s Championship is next on the tour. That will take place at the Elmwood Golf and Country Club in Swift Current from July 9 to 11.

You can catch up on the complete results of a busy weekend of golf in the province here.

The Elk Ridge Golf Course will be painted pink on Thursday.

Not literally but the northern Saskatchewan course is set to host their annual Golf for the CURE event with over 80 golfers taking part in the fundraising event. Chairperson Verna Schneider said the club was the first Saskatchewan location to host the nationwide event raising funds to battle breast cancer. Last year the participants raised over $23,000. Schneider, a two-time cancer survivor herself said everyone is somehow affected by the disease which leads to fantastic support.

“Everybody has somebody who has had cancer,” she said. “We do this to support programs in Saskatchewan, we ask that our money stays here.”

During the event the group has a silent auction, a buy the pro auction, they sell ribbons in memory of loved ones plus a dinner after the round of golf. The entry fee is $100, $25 of that is immediately donated to the cause by the course. The team that raises the most funds is invited to participate in the national Golf for the CURE event later this year. Donna Dutchak, Cora Lee Dutchak, Brenda Dutchak, and Lee Anne Osler travelled to Brantford, Ont. last year. Schneider said the group had a great experience.

“They had an excellent time. They were looked after from the minute they got there until they left. People were very surprised that we could raise $23,000 in a small community like Elk Ridge,” she said.

Schneider said there is still room as of Wednesday afternoon to enter but the organizers need to know by the end of today. Anyone interested in participating can call Schneider at 306.961.2364.

For 20 years the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) has been developing athletes and young people into not just golf champions, but life champions.

Launched in British Columbia, the MJT branched out to other areas of western Canada including Saskatchewan before the tour expanded nationwide. Founder Murray Poje, a long-time PGA of Canada Professional, worked alongside several PGA Pros with the goal of developing young golfers through a high-level program. MJT Marketing Director Elaine Denton said over 1,000 junior golfers across Saskatchewan have participated in tournaments or clinics under the MJT umbrella over the years. She said the lessons learned through the tour spread well beyond the golf course.

“Our motto is developing champions, in golf, in life,” Denton said. “Many go on to careers in other fields than golf, hence the ‘in life’ perspective. The values instilled via the great game of golf play a massive role in developing the character and experiences of these young kids.”

Along with participating in tournaments, the kids receive prizes, tee gifts, college recruitment assistance, scholarship opportunities, travelling, and the potential to take part in international events. MJT athletes have played in tournaments in China, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, Scotland, Singapore, Finland and all over the USA. There are also several MJT alumni playing on the PGA and LPGA Tours, the Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Canada and Symetra Tour.

You can learn more regarding the outreach of the MJT here.

Golf Saskatchewan has crowned their women’s champions for 2018.

Saskatoon’s Carla Odnokon and Lloydminster’s Jo-Anne Schiller are the Women’s Amateur and Senior Women’s champions following tournament wins this weekend at the Harbor Golf Club and Resort at Elbow.

Odnokon led wire to wire over the 54-hole event finishing at plus-15, five strokes ahead of both Chloe Sies and Brooke Hill. She also has the Saskatoon Ladies’ Open under her belt this season. Odnokon said her game is going well right now.

“Yeah, sure,” Odnokon said. “It’s getting better so we will see how it develops going to nationals.”

Odnokon played the women’s Canadian championship two years ago. She said the event will be an exceptional experience.

“I hear the Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver is a great course, I haven’t been to Vancouver for awhile so I will go out there and enjoy it. There is a great crew to go with so I’m going to enjoy it,” she said.

Fresh off a national appearance last year, Lloydminster’s Jo-Anne Schiller is heading back.

Schiller completed back-to-back titles in the Senior Women’s Championship Sunday outlasting Moose Jaw’s Lorie Boyle in a two hole playoff to eek out a second straight championship. Schiller said the win feels great, especially after the weather featured 50 kilometre per hour wind in the final round.

“I’m feeling really good right now, it was a difficult day but with Lorie it was just back and forth. It was a great competition,” she said.

Melfort’s Judy Sefton placed third in the senior event just four shots back of Schiller.

Aside from secured trips to national events, Order of Merit (OMT) standings were on the line, Odnokon leads the race at 1,500.  Ann Kirkland, who placed fourth at the tournament is in second in the overall standings.

The Regina Ladies’ Open is the next event on the OMT schedule on July 16 and 17.

Moose Jaw’s Lorie Boyle was a stroke better than Jo-Anne Schiller of Lloydminster on Saturday setting up a potential dramatic finish in the 55^th Saskatchewan Senior Women’s Championship at the Harbor Golf Club and Resort.

Schiller, the defending champion carded a 76 Friday in round one, she shot 81 on Saturday, regained the stroke with an 80 on day two to go with her 77 during the opening round in Elbow. Melfort’s Judy Sefton is still in the conversation in third-place at plus-20, 162 (82, 80).

Senior’s Day 2 Results:

T1. Jo-Anne Schiller, Lloydminister G & CC, *76-81-157 +15
T1. Lorie Boyle, Golf SK Public Player, *77-80-157 +15
3. Judy Sefton, Melfort Golf & CC, *82-80-162 +20
4. Robin Acton, Lloydminister G & CC, *83-82-165 +23
T5. Sue Skinner, Rosetown G&CC, *85-81-166 +24
T5. Ann Kirkland, Saskatoon G&CC, *80-86-166 +24
7. Maureen Bowerman, The Legends GC, *88-87-175 +33
8. Shari Forsythe-Hohm, Deer Park Municipal GC, *90-88-178 +36
9. Angela Prystay, The Legends GC, *101-98-199 +57

The complete Championship results can be found here.

In the 100^th Saskatchewan Amateur Women’s Championship, Saskatoon’s Carla Odnokon (pictured above) continued her strong play tying Chloe Sies of Melville and Shaunavon’s Hannah MacNeil with the low round of the day at 78. Odnokon retained her four-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round of the centennial event sitting at plus-8, 150 (72, 78). Sies sits alone in second-place at plus-12, 154 (76, 78).

Defending champion Brooke Hill of Regina is five strokes back in third-place.

Amateur’s Day 2 Results:

1. Carla Odnokon, Saskatoon G&CC, *72-78-150 +8
2. Chloe Sies, Melville Regional Park GC, *76-78-154 +12
3. Brooke Hill, Wascana CC, *76-79-155 +13
4. Ella Kozak, Deer Park Municipal GC, *78-80-158 +16
5. Hannah MacNeil, Willows G & CC , *81-78-159 +17
6. Kimberly Brown, Golf SK Public Player, *81-79-160 +18
7. Carrie Lambden, Saskatoon G&CC, *87-82-169 +27
8. Kayla Sawchuk, Cooke Municipal GC, *81-89-170 +28
9. Veronika Duchscherer, Nipawin Evergreen G&CC, *94-105-199 +57

The Championship leaderboard can be found here.

The final round will tee-off at 9 a.m.

Day one of the Saskatchewan Amateur Women’s and Senior Women’s Championships are in the books; recent Saskatoon Amateur Women’s winner Carla Odnokon is the first-round leader in the Amateur, defending Senior’s champ Jo-Anne Schiller has a one-stroke lead in the Senior field.

Odnokon played consistent for all 18 holes, carding a 36 on the front nine and the final nine for a 72, one-over par. She said overall the day went well.

“I was striking the ball well, I made some good shots, it was a nice day. All around it turned out well,” she said.

Defending champion Brooke Hill of Regina sits in a second-place tie with Chloe Sies of Melville at plus-5; four back of Odnokon. Ella Kozak, 12, fired an impressive 78 to sit in fourth place. Odnokon said her game will need to be better if she wants to hold off the field during the weekend.

“I need to attack the greens a little bit better, I wouldn’t say my approach shots were great today. I want to figure out the greens a little bit more too and make some more putts,” she said.

Schiller (pictured above) carded a pair of birdies on the front nine to go with a trio of bogeys, the Lloydminster product finished with four bogeys in a row from holes 15 to 18. Moose Jaw’s Lorie Boyle sits in second-place at 77 (plus-6), Ann Kirkland of Saskatoon rounds out the top three at 80.

The middle round of the 54-hole event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Harbor Golf Club and Resort at Elbow.

The Amateur results are here; the Senior’s scores can be found here.

Saskatoon’s Anna Young is now a two-time professional golf tour champion.

The former Riverside Golf Club member won the New Hope Oklahoma Championship on June 23 in Indian Springs. The event was a mini-tour tournament managed by the Women’s All Pro Tour. The five-time Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Champion said it was fantastic to collect her second professional tour victory.

“It is great to have a little more money in the bank, but I think what I am more excited about is that I’ve been working on a couple more things in my game and my swing and it finally all came together,” Young told Golf Saskatchewan. “I still made some mistakes, but I came back from them which I am really proud of. I was very patient, I’ve needed to do that, I am glad I could let myself do that.”

Young, 24, shot 68, 74, 73 for a three-round total of 215, four shots better than the rest of the field. The victory earned her $5,000. The former University of Florida Gator has a third-place finish on the tour this year as well. She said her eyes were opened when she first relocated to the United States to pursue a golf career.

“Having a good short game and having a good outlook on the game and being realistically positive is important coming out of Saskatchewan. As terrible as the weather is sometimes I feel I have an advantage now than if I would have grown up anywhere else,” she said.

Young is on the Symetra alternate list meaning her schedule fluctuates, she is not guaranteed to be included in tournaments but does qualify through certain event criteria. She will play in this weekend’s event in Ohio and tee-off just after 2 p.m. Friday. Back home, Golf Saskatchewan will hold their Amateur Women’s Championship in Elbow this weekend with 12-year-old Ella Kozak in the field. Young said it’s great to hear of upcoming talented female golfers.

“Another young one is playing, and she is shooting in the 80’s, I am already pumped for her,” Young said.

She is continuing to work at claiming a position on the LPGA, the Symetra Tour is considered a developmental tour equivalent to the Web.com Tour on the men’s side. Despite the uncertainty Young plans to keep working hard towards her end goal.

“I fell like I am playing really well, I just want to get out to the tour I want to be on,” she said.

Photos courtesy Brandon Bradford and Rick Eades.

Rule 1-1 My group allows “Gimmies”

QUESTION:

Dave’s group allows players to pick up the ball, without holing it, when it is “inside” the leather. What is the rule for allowing “gimmies”? Are they allowed under the rules of golf?

ANSWER:

The rules of golf do not permit the use of “gimmies.” Rule 1-1 states the game of golf consists in playing a ball from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the rules. Additionally, in stroke play, if a player fails to hole out and does not correct the error prior to playing a stroke from the next teeing ground, he shall be disqualified – see Rule 3-2. In match play, if the putt has not been conceded, (Rule 2-4) the player shall lose the hole.

In recreational play, this process happens every day. It only takes a couple of seconds to tap it in the hole. Remember, even the professionals have missed a six inch putt.

Tap it in and reward yourself with the satisfactory sound. Don’t be like Dave!

Regina’s Brooke Hill will be considered one of the favourites heading into this weekend’s Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur Championship, the Wascana Country Club member is the defending champion.

A little bit of a self proclaimed late bloomer, Hill spent plenty of time at the course with her father who was a teaching professional when she was young. She didn’t know up until high school if golf was something she would pursue. Eventually the game landed her at the University of Illinois Springfield, even then she wasn’t sure if competitive golf was in her future.

“It took a while for me to feel comfortable in a competitive setting,” Hill admitted. “Even when I went away to college I wasn’t quite convinced, but eventually you get into a groove and I realized I could compete with the best.”

In her junior year of college Hill played a tournament in 1 degree Celsius with 60 kilometre per hour wind and rain. In a field of over 100, one golfer finished sub-80 while Hill shot an 80 with nothing over a bogey dotting her scorecard. She said that was when she realized she could handle just about anything on the course. Winning last year’s Amateur Championship was a “life-long” goal of Hill’s and she said it assisted in her final year of university golf experience wise. She said going into the 100^th anniversary event this year will have a different touch.

“I just graduated in Illinois and am now done with collegiate golf. I will always try to come back to Saskatchewan and play competitive golf in the summer but, I feel like my focus has shifted. That being said, I can rely on my competitive experience and can’t wait to get out there and compete,” she said.

The 54-hole event begins Friday at Harbor Golf Club and Resort. The historic tournament will finish on Canada Day. Hill said to be involved in the centennial version of the championship will have a defined feel.

“The 100th anniversary will be very special and I’m greatly looking forward to the little things Golf Saskatchewan may do to make it feel that way. It’s a representation of how far women’s golf has come in this province, and hopefully we can continue to grow our great championship for many years to come,” she said.

Saskatoon’s Roman Timmerman is making an early case for Saskatchewan’s best Amateur golfer right now. The 19-year-old won the Great Western Brewing Saskatoon Amateur Championship on Monday at the Riverside Country Club.

The Riverside member pulled ahead of the 28-player field with an opening round of 69 at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club. Liam Courtney, also a Riverside golfer posted a 69 in round one as well but at Holiday Park on Sunday Timmerman rattled off a 67, Courtney dropped back with a 72. Saskatoon GCC player Taylor Afseth climbed into the conversation also posting a 67 in the second of three rounds. The weather conditions at the Riverside turned the final round into a battle but Timmerman safely shot 75 staying seven strokes up on Afseth for the victory. Timmerman is coming off a win at the Lobstick, he said nothing changed in his game from event to event.

“Really nothing was different, I hit the ball good, hit a lot of greens, minimized my mistakes. I putted decent, basically it was a continuation from Waskesiu,” he said.

Defending champion Justin Wood finished in third place firing 219 (71,74,71), eight strokes back of Timmerman. He said the weather helped him hold off the field on day three. Timmerman said he was a little shocked at the wide margin of victory.

“Conditions were pretty tough the last day, not a whole lot of low scores,” he said. “With the strength of the field the gap was a little surprising but I’m not complaining.”

Timmerman, who leads the Men’s Order of Merit Tour standings won’t be in the field for the upcoming Mine Supply Central Amateur from June 30 – July 2 at the Saskatoon GCC. Ty Campbell, the sixth-place finisher along with Timmerman are travelling to North Dakota for a United States Amateur qualifier event. He said he is playing his best golf going into the tournament.

“I couldn’t be too much happier, I’m playing really good I guess. I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he said.