Ken Griffith wins Mens Senior Championship after dramatic finish
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – The final hour of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship had the type of drama fitting for a provincial title. Edmonton’s Brian Laubman birdied the 16th hole and drained another birdie putt on 17 to tie Red Deer’s Ken Griffith heading to the final hole at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club. Both Laubman and Griffith had makable birdie putts on 18, Laubman missed his attempt setting the stage for Griffith who drained the winning putt to take his first Alberta Senior Mens title.
“I was still expecting Brian to make his putt on 18, that’s what you have to do.” said Griffith ” I just said gotta do it and rolled it in. I loved it, it’s a real honour to compete with so many good friends I have and I feel very fortunate to come out as the winner.”
Former Senior Mens champion Frank Van Dornick of Camrose defeated 2nd round leader Peter Major of Calgary on the first playoff hole to secure his spot alongside Griffith and Laubman on Team Alberta at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Cedar Brae Golf Club in Scarborough, Ontario Sept 10-13 2019.
Team Alberta (L-R) Frank Van Dornick, Ken Griffith, Brian Laubman
Frank Van Dornick also takes the title as the super senior champion.
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Major move for Peter Major at Senior Mens Championship
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – Peter Major of the Calgary Golf and Country Club started the second round of the Alberta Senior Mens Championship in a tie for 6th place but made a major move on Wednesday to take the lead heading into the final round. The 1989 Canadian Amateur Champion shot an even par round of 70 to post 1 over par for the tournament as the rest of the field went south in the late afternoon. Major’s 70 tied for the 2nd lowest round of the day at the Derrick Golf and Winter Club in Edmonton. Frank Van Dornick of Camrose shot the low round of 68 and sits 2 shots back.
Major has a 1 shot lead on Ken Griffith and Brian Laubman while 11 players are within 3 shots of the lead.
Griffith & Smith lead Senior Mens Championship after round one
Alberta Golf (Edmonton) – 2018 Team Alberta member Ken Griffith of the Red Deer Golf & CC and Howard Smith from the Cottonwood Golf & CC are co-leaders at the Alberta Senior Mens Championship after round 1. Griffith & Smith shot matching 2 under 68’s at The Derrick Golf & Winter Club on Tuesday for a one shot lead over Alan Ross.
Rob Gerwing of Stony plain had the shot of the day, getting an ace on the 16th hole.
Bob MacDermott is a double amputee who is one of the world’s most inspiring golfers.
The Edmonton resident is one of 120 competitors in this week’s Alberta Mens Senior Championship. He’s also preparing for the Canadian Amputee and Disabled National Open next month in Okotoks at the River’s Edge Golf Club. Bob says the sport of golf saved his life after a horrible series of events one day in 1987.
WATCH:
Former champion Jackie Little moves to the top at Senior Ladies Championship
Alberta Golf (Rocky Mountain House) – Former Alberta Senior Ladies champion Jackie Little tied Lacombe’s Lynn Kuehn for low round of the day with a 2 over 75 at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House. Little is now the co-leader with 2017 champion Kim Carrington, one shot clear of Kuehn and 2 strokes ahead of defending champion Barbara Flaman heading into Thursday’s final round at the provincial championship.
Preview: 2019 Alberta Senior Ladies Championship
Alberta Golf (Rocky Mountain House) – The 2019 Alberta Senior Ladies Championship is set to begin Tuesday July 23rd at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House with 49 players competing for the provincial senior crown. The 54-hole stroke play tournament field is made up of competitors who are over the age of 50 as of the first day of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.
KEY INFO
Dates: July 23-25
Course: Pine Hills Golf Club
Yards/Par: 5,675 yards/73
Field: 49 players
2018 Champion: Barbara Flaman
2018 Super Senior Champion: Alison Murdoch
Format: 54 holes of stroke play
Social: #absrladies
LOOKING BACK
Barbara Flaman entered the final round of the 2018 Senior Ladies Championship at Woodside Golf Course with a two stroke lead over a decorated champion in Jackie Little.
The 56-year-old from Sherwood Park looked to be on cruise control early on by making all pars and a single birdie through the first seven holes. After a rough patch in the middle of her round Flaman executed perfectly on the closing hole making a clutch par four to win by a single stroke over Little.
During the awards presentation Flaman credited her mentor, an eight-time Alberta Senior Ladies Champion, Diane Williams for providing sage advice that helped calm her nerves during the final round.
Flaman has already had a great 2019, winning the Mid Master championship at the Sun Life Financial Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship at The Ranch Golf & CC in Edmonton.
Flaman has also been given direct entry into the 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship Aug 24-29 at Cedar Rapids Country Club in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
HISTORY
The Alberta Senior Ladies Championship was first contested in 1964.
2010–Alison Murdoch
2011–Diane Williams
2012–Alison Murdoch
2013–Jackie Little
2014–Jackie Little
2015–Kim Carrington
2016–Lynn Kuehn
2017–Kim Carrington
2018- Barbara Flaman
NOTABLES
- Barbara Flaman – Defending champion. Alberta Ladies Mid Master Champion (2018 and 2019)
- Kim Carrington – Two-time Senior Ladies Champion (2015 and 2017)
- Alison Murdoch – Two-time Senior Ladies Champion (2010 and 2012)
- Jackie Little – Three-time Senior Ladies Champion (2009, 2013 and 2014)
FAST FACTS
- There are three contests up for grabs this week. The Senior Championship for those aged 50 & over, the Super Senior for those aged 65 & over and an overall low net contest.
- The top three competitors at weeks end will make up Team Alberta at the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship at Osoyoos Golf Club Aug 18-20 2019.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Pine Hills Golf Club is the perfect balance of challenge and beauty. 18 performance inspiring holes embraced by countless awe inspiring scenic views…perfectly secluded with nature. A delight to play yet difficult to master.
Pine Hills was established in 1964 originally as a 9 hole layout. In 1989 renowned Canadian golf course architect Sid Puddicombe integrated an additional 9 holes in unison with other improvements. The result…an 18 hole par 72 championship golf course that harmonizes perfectly with nature.
More information on the Pine Hills Golf Club can be found here.
MEDIA
Alberta Set to Host Two National Events
Alberta Set to Host Two National Events
When competitors in this year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship arrive in Alberta, they will not only be playing for history, they will be playing on it.
Red Deer Golf and Country Club plays host to the Amateur from July 23 to 26 and Lethbridge Country Club welcomes the Junior Girls the following week, July 30-Aug. 2.
The Amateur, first played in 1901, boasts an impressive list of champions with World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit topping the list. Other winners include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Jocelyn Bourassa, Ada Mackenzie, Dawn-Coe Jones, Alberta’s own Marilyn O’Connor, and several others. Brooke Henderson won the Amateur in 2013 prior to embarking on a phenomenal pro career on the LPGA Tour.
While the Junior Girls Championship is comparatively young, dating back “only” to 1955, its roster of winners also includes some of our finest female golfers such as Sandra Post who won the title in three consecutive years: 1964, 1965 and 1966. Unbelievably, her accomplishment was outshone by Heather Kuzmich who won four straight from 1981 through 1984. Henderson won it in 2012 and other Canadian girls who went on to the pro ranks with a Junior Girls victory on their resume include Maddie Szeryk, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, and Alena Sharp among others.
Like the championships themselves, this year’s venues have impressive histories of their own.
Red Deer G&CC can trace its roots (literally) to a rudimentary six holes laid out on leased land in 1919 before moving to its current location in 1922. Similarly, Lethbridge CC was founded in 1913 before moving permanently in the mid-1920s. Each has welcomed prestigious professional and amateur events throughout the years.
Photo: Red Deer Golf and Country Club
In fact, says Brian Huculak, General Manager and PGA of Canada Executive Professional at Lethbridge CC, it was the gratifying experience of playing host to the 2012 Canadian Women’s Amateur that motivated his club to invite another national championship. Current LPGA star Ariya Jutanugarn, then 16, was the winner.
“It was a great experience,” he says. “Everyone from the players to the spectators to our members enjoyed it thoroughly. That’s why we reached out to Golf Canada for another tournament.”
Photo: Lethbridge Country Club
Don McFarlane, General Manager and PGA of Canada Executive Professional at Red Deer G&CC, says his club eagerly anticipates welcoming the Women’s Amateur for a number of reasons. The club loved hosting the Alberta Ladies Amateur a couple of years ago, for one. Showcasing their historic, beautiful and challenging golf course is another, but there is a more altruistic motive, he says.
“It’s a matter of giving back to grow the game,” says McFarlane. “In our opinion, every club is obligated to help in any way they can, so when we host any event, we feel we are doing just that. It’s not just about hosting a tournament. It’s about doing our part for the game.”
Huculak agrees, having seen promising signs of growing interest among girls and women recently. “It was tough there for a while, but we’re seeing an improvement.”
His observation is reflected by recent research by the World Golf Foundation which reports that the percentage of junior golfers who are female has doubled over the past 10 years. This increase is due to a number of factors including not only more focus on girls by forward-thinking golf facilities, but provincial and national initiatives such as Golf Canada’s Girls Club, part of the Future Links program.
“Girls Club was designed to provide a welcoming atmosphere in which girls can excel at developing their skills and interest in the sport with their female peers,” says Golf Canada. “Developed for girls ages seven to 18, Girls Club hopes to bridge the gap between the high number of boys playing golf in comparison to girls.”
Then, according to Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, there’s the ‘Brooke Effect’.
“Certainly, from a participation standpoint, we are seeing a bump in girls interested in golf in our country because of the Brooke Henderson factor and I am sure that will surge as she continues to succeed on the LPGA Tour,” says Thompson.
So, if the trend of more girls taking up the game continues, we can thank forward-thinking clubs such as Red Deer and Lethbridge, along with progressive initiatives from Alberta Golf and Golf Canada. But golf can’t progress with just them “growing the game.” It will take a commitment from everyone who cares about the future of the game.
Alberta Set to Host Two National Events
This article was originally published in the 2019 edition of The Alberta Golfer Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
3rd and Final round of Alberta Mens Amateur cancelled due to bad weather
Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – The 3rd and final round of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship have been cancelled due to bad weather. The provincial championship played at Wolf Creek Golf Resort ends after 36 holes with Andrew Harrison the champion. Prize presentation will happen at 9:30 in the Wolf Creek clubhouse.
Play suspended until Friday morning at Mens Amateur
Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – Competitors in the Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka started round 3 on Thursday after a 4 hour weather delay. The leaders were mid way through their front 9 when play was suspended for the day due to heavy rain. Round 3 will resume Friday morning at 8am with the hopes of getting all 72 holes in by Friday evening. Andrew Harrison of Camrose had a 4 shot lead on Canmore’s Matt Bean at the start of round 3.
Harrison extends lead at Alberta Mens Amateur Championship
Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – Andrew Harrison of Camrose shot a 2nd consecutive 2 under 69 to extend his lead at the midway point of the Sun Life Financial Alberta Mens Amateur Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka. The 22-year-old won the Alberta Open Championship in June and had a solid Wednesday with 5 birdies and 3 bogeys including a birdie on 18.
Matt Bean of Canmore was 6 under par after 8 holes but a quadruple bogey on the back nine derailed his round until a birdie at the last kept his round in the 60s with a 2 under 69 and has him sitting in second place 4 shots back.
Andrew Harrison in his own words after round 2. WATCH:
VIDEO: Alberta Junior Tour introduces kids to competitive golf
Alberta Golf (Wetaskiwin) – Alberta Golf now runs the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour. The 24 event tour across Alberta hit Montgomery Glen Golf & CC in Wetaskiwin on Wednesday and is a great place for kids aged 10-18 to get exposed to tournament golf, learn the rules, acquire life skills, meet new friends and have fun playing the game.
McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour Video. WATCH: