Several future Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame members added to their impressive amateur careers with Saskatchewan championships on Thursday in Estevan.
The 2022 Saskatchewan Senior Women’s (50+), Senior Men’s (55+), and Mid-Masters (40+) concluded on Thursday at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club after three days and 54 holes of play.
In the women’s championship Regina’s Kim Walker repeated as champion with a three round score of 15-over par, 231 (73, 80, 78). She held off Regina’s Tamara Harasen by three shots to win her third senior championship in four years since being eligible in 2019.
Moose Jaw’s Lorie Boyle already a member of the provincial golf hall won the Mae Balmos Award for being the top senior woman over 65. She finished with a score of 24-over par, 240 to claim third overall. Fellow Moose Jaw resident and Hillcrest Golf Club member Shelley Ruecker placed fourth at 26-over par, Lloydminster’s Jo-Anne Schiller rounded out the top five with a score of 27-over par.
The complete results can be seen here.
Walker is optimistic about the chance to lead a team into the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship later this summer in Headingly, Manitoba.
Senior Men’s Championship
Two-time defending senior men’s champion Rick Hallberg had to fight from behind to complete the trifecta and win his third title in a row on Thursday near his hometown of Weyburn.
Delisle’s Colin Coben led through the first and second rounds but was passed by Hallberg on the final day. Hallberg stayed steady through three days shooting 1-over par in Wednesday’s middle round and bookending the tournament with even-par 72’s to win the event by one shot over Swift Current’s Brent Wotypka.
Saskatoon’s Rick Hillestad was just one of three golfers (Hallberg, Wotypka) to not shoot over par on the final day, the Riverside Country Club member’s 72 on day three vaulted him into third place overall and first in the super senior (65+) age division. Hillestad earned a spot at the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship as did Hallberg.
Coben shot 80 in round three, he placed fourth overall and earned the alternate spot on Team Saskatchewan.
Brad Phelps jumped two spots on the leaderboard to round out the top five.
Moose Jaw’s Ken Bradley was the lone competitor in the Legends (75+) age group, he shot an impressive score of 15-over par, 231. Bradley, 79, outscored 11 other players competing from a forward set of tee boxes.
In the Mid-Masters (40+) Championship, Hallberg was the winner of that title as well thanks to his 1-over par, 217. With the win, Hallberg earns an exemption into the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship in Thornhill, Ontario later this season.
Wotypka was second, Kris Carley of Carnduff and Chris Reid of Meadow Lake tied for third in the division.
The complete results of all the age categories can be seen here.
