Alberta Golf Amateur

Ritson and Pal win Qualifier Number 4 – Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship

Alberta Golf (Turner Valley) – The fourth qualifier for this summer’s Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship was held Monday at the Turner Valley Golf Club.

Spencer Pal from the Carnmoney Golf Club and Zander Ritson from Inglewood Golf and Curling Club fired rounds of 71 to share low medalist honours.

In all 12 qualifiers and 3 alternates emerged from the 39 player field.

The Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship will be held at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort from July 16th-19th.

Amateur Professional

Amateur Andrew Harrison dominates the pros at the Alberta Open

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – Camrose amateur Andrew Harrison led wire to wire at this year’s Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers and dominated a field including Alberta’s top professionals. Harrison shot rounds of 67-67-68 to win by 6 strokes, the first amateur since Brett Hogan in 2016 to win the title.

2013 and 2014 champion Riley Fleming and Matthew Codd went to a playoff to settle honours for top professional and the first place cheque for $5,000. Fleming birdied the first playoff hole to take top professional at this year’s event played at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.

Despite losing the playoff Matthew Codd ends the day with a course record 64, a runner-up cheque for $3,000 and a flag to take home for his amazing hole-in-one on the third hole in the final round.

Photos from the 2019 Alberta Open here on FLICKR

 

 

Amateur Professional

Harrison brothers sit first and second at Alberta Open

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – Day 2 of the Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers saw first round leader Andrew Harrison repeat his course record 67 at Trestle Creek Golf Resort to lead by 5 strokes heading into the final round.

Tied for second and 5 shots back is Andrew’s brother Michael. Both brothers say Thursday’s final round will be special.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had an opportunity like this since we were 13 or 14 years old,” said Andrew Harrison. “I’m looking forward to it tomorrow, it should be a lot of fun.”

Michael, older by 2 years, feels the same way.

“This is cool, I don’t know if it will ever happen again,” said Michael Harrison. “It’s the first time it has happened at a big event like this so it’s special.”

Tied with Michael Harrison in second spot are pros Patrick Murphy and Riley Fleming.

Kent Fukushima sits 6 shots back while fellow pro Mitchell Fox is 7 shots out of the lead.

Considering both Andrew and Michael Harrison are amateurs the battle for the $5,000 first place cheque is a tight one. Scott Stiles and defending champion Wes Heffernan are within 4 shots of Fleming and Murphy for the top pay day.

The final round of the Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers tees of Thursday morning at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.

VIDEO: Round 2 wrap

Alberta Golf Amateur Team Alberta

VIDEO: “Shot by Shot” app with Ethan De Graaf and Randy Robb

Alberta Golf (Entwistle)– During this week’s Alberta Open Championship at Trestle Creek Golf Resort, UBC amateur Ethan De Graaf is using an app called “Shot by Shot” after every round to help improve performance. De Graaf and Alberta Golf technical advisor Randy Robb discuss the benefits of using the program.

VIDEO: 

Andrew Harrison shoots course record to lead the Alberta Open

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – Brother act Andrew and Michael Harrison stole the show during round one of the Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers. Andrew Harrison shot a course record 5 under 67 at the Trestle Creek Golf Resort west of Edmonton, while his brother Michael shot 4 under 68 to sit one shot back. Also tied for second with a 4 under 68 is Glencoe Golf and CC member Patrick Murphy.

Andrew Harrison’s course record included 8 birdies and an eagle offset by a double bogey and 3 bogey’s. It was the first time the Camrose golfer played at Trestle Creek.

6-time and defending champion Wes Heffernan shot an even par round of 72 and tied for 11th heading into Wednesday’s second round. The low 60 players and ties after Wednesday’s action will make the cut for Thursday’s final round.

ROUND 1 VIDEO WRAP HERE:

 

VIDEO: One-armed golfer Jesse Florkowski flooring spectators at Alberta Open

Amateur Professional

Preview: 2019 Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR Lawyers

Alberta Golf (Entwistle) – The 2019 Alberta Open Championship presented by SVR lawyers is set to begin on Tuesday at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alberta.

The Alberta Open was first contested in 1935. Legendary Canadian golfer Stan Leonard won the event a record 9-times between 1937 and 1955. The event was a regular stop on the Canadian Professional Tour at Wolf Creek Golf Resort for 13 years in the late 1980’s and 1990’s.

This year a field of 105 amateur, junior, PGA of Alberta professionals as well as veteran professionals on various developmental tours will compete for a purse of $18,000 with $5,000 going to the champion.

6-time champion Wes Heffernan is back to defend the title he won last spring at River Spirit Golf Club.

KEY INFO

Dates: June 11-13th, 2019

Course: Trestle Creek Golf Resort

Yards/Par: 7,212 /72 (Jackpine and Creekside nines)

 

Field: 105

2018 champion: Wes Heffernan

Format: 54 holes of stroke play with a 36-hole cut to the low 60 and ties

Social: #abopen

VIDEO PREVIEW:

HISTORY

The Alberta Open Championship began in 1935. There was a brief pause in the tournament from 2000–2002 which ended with the next Open champion being awarded in 2003. The distinguished Championship continues to bring together some of Alberta’s most outstanding touring professionals, club professionals, amateurs and juniors vying for the coveted “Alberta Open Champion” title.

2008 – Wes Heffernan

2009 – Ryan Yip

2010 – Jamie Kureluk

2011 – Wes Heffernan

2012 – Wes Heffernan

2013 – Riley Fleming

2014 – Riley Fleming

2015 – James Love

2016 – Brett Hogan

2017 – Dustin Risdon

2018 – Wes Heffernan

NOTABLES

  • Wes Heffernan– 6-time Alberta Open champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2018) is back to defend his title.
  • AJ Armstrong – The 2018 Alberta Amateur Champion has recently turned pro after a stand out career at Washington State University.
  • Riley Fleming – The 2-time Alberta Open champion (2013, 2014) has settled into his teaching career but still has the game to compete at the highest level.
  • Dustin Risdon – The 2017 champion is back in the field after missing last year’s event.
  • Max Sekulic – The amateur from Calgary won last week’s Alberta Match Play championship.
  • Patrick Murphy – Recent graduate from UCLA making his pro debut this week.
  • Tyler Saunders – Former Alberta Amateur champion and Alberta Open runner-up

FAST FACTS

  • The low amateur at this year’s Alberta Open will earn a team position for the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. They will also be joined by the Match Play Champion (Max Sekulic) and the champion of the 2019 Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship.
  • The are 88 amateurs in the field.
  • The 17 professionals will be competing for the $18,000.00 total purse.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Trestle Creek Golf Resort offers a spectacular 27 hole championship golf course and a innovative 9 Hole Par 3 course both designed by Brad Dupuis of Dupuis International Golf Design. Brad has built golf courses for Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Peter Dye and Von Hagge Design, around the world for over 35 years. You’ll find all the essential amenities and more, including an 11 acre, elevated two tier driving range with six target greens at GPS distances that will help you refine your golf game. The range has a combined 11,000 square feet of practice green and separate chipping green with practice bunkers.

More information on Trestle Creek Golf Resort can be found here.

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP is a multi-service law firm based in Calgary, Alberta. Since its establishment in 1986, Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP has become one of Calgary’s leading legal service providers, focusing on delivering high quality, efficient solutions for clients. The partners, associates and staff of Scott Venturo Rudakoff LLP come from a wide range of backgrounds, and this experience enables us to offer responsive, effective and creative legal solutions to our clients.

MEDIA

Alberta Golf Amateur

VIDEO: 1 on 1 with Max Sekulic, Alberta Match Play champion

Alberta Golf Amateur

Max Sekulic wins 2019 Alberta Match Play Championship

Alberta Golf (Calgary) – 2-time defending Alberta Match Play champion Brendan MacDougall pulled out some heroics in his semi-final match winning on the second playoff hole over Chandler McDowell after being 3 down with 3 holes to play while Max Sekulic had an easier go of it, defeating Jace Oullette 5 & 4.

The Thursday morning semi-final victories by MacDougall and Sekulic pitted the two Glencoe Golf and Country Club standouts together in the Thursday afternoon final at River Spirit Golf Club.

MacDougall birdied the 2nd and 5th holes to go 2up, but Sekulic went on a run taking 5 of the next 7 holes to go 3up through 12 holes.

MacDougall hit the par 4 15th hole on his tee shot and drained the eagle putt to be only 2 down with three to play, but Sekulic hit his tee shot on the par 3 17th hole to 4 feet and the match ended there with a 2 and 1 victory for Max Sekulic.

The victory gives Sekulic a spot in the 2020 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

Alberta Golf’s Kevin Smith has a full video wrap on the Match Play finals.

Photos of the 3-day event here MATCH PLAY FLIKR PHOTOS

 

 

Amateur

VIDEO: Highlights of Max Sekulic’s Match Play Victory