Canmore GC ::

Canmore GC

Date:	07/27/2009
Course:	Camrose GC
Location:	Camrose
Pro:	Bill Penny
Phone:	(780) 672-2691
Email:
Website:	http://www.camrose.com/leisure/golf

What's the best thing about the Canmore tournament? Is it the spectacular Rockie Mountain scenery, with the Three Sisters staring down on you as we start the kids off on their round today? Is it the nonpareil organization from Head Pro Rick Eichele and his team? Or just the chance to have a mid-Tour weekend in Canmore to recharge my own batteries for the stretch drive to the Tour Championship? All of this, and more!

Just another wonderful event today at the Canmore Golf and Curling Club, sandwiched in the Bow Valley in the heart of some of the world's most stunning scenery. We had an excellent turnout of 85 juniors including a very strong field of 11 junior girls on hand today, and the play was outstanding. Chris Cooke of Canmore made it two wins in two starts on the Tour this year (Golden) by eagling the par-5 18th hole for a 2-under 69, pipping clubmate Jamie Cartwright and Red Deer's Jesse Teron by one shot. Did you like that term 'pipping'? I've been watching too much European Tour on The Golf Channel, I guess.

Four players tied for third at 73, and because of time constraints and lack of access to the course for a playoff, all four were awarded Wild Card spots in the August 31 Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort and will join Cartwright in the field. The Wild Card qualifiers were Chris Bonli of Bearspaw, Liam Wolfe of the Calgary GCC, Sam Gregory of Stewart Creek and Priddis Greens' Mike Kolody. (Mike, if you're reading this, you took off before I could get your contact information for the Tour Championship,,,,phone or email me!....Dunc)

They will be joined at Wolf Creek by Scott Secord of Country Hills and Calgary Elks' John McKiernan, both of whom shot 76 in the flight for boys born in 1993/94. The qualifying spot for boys born in 1995 and later went to Eric Field (81) of Silver Springs. A word or two about young Mr. Fields....he's only 13, less than 5 feet tall and MAYBE weighs 100 lbs soaking wet; but every time I saw this youngster today, he was walking briskly down the fairway to his ball, always a bit ahead of the bigger and older players he was paired with. Let's not hear any more talk about how the 'little kids' need to play shorter tees in order to keep up the pace! Just use this young man as a role model for "hustle" on the golf course! Way to go, Eric!

We had an excellent field of 11 junior girls on hand today, headlined by Christie Lin of Country Hills who last week finished third at the Alberta Junior Girls' Championship and who will represent Alberta at both the RCGA Canadian Junior Girls' Championship and the Canada Summer Games! Congratulations, Christie on your fine play to earn those two team spots. Christie needed her "A" game today to hold off two-time defending Tour Champion Kaitlin Allan, as Kristie's even-par 72 was only two shots ahead of Allan. Pinebrooks' Evann Parker was third with a 78, and Kristy Macdonald of Banff also broke 80 with a 79.

Christie Lin (L) and Chris Cooke, shown above, won their respective Junior Girls' and Junior Boys' championships today in Canmore.

The Grande Prairie Junior Open winds up tomorrow and the next events on Tour will be next week at the Kevin Hipple Memorial Junior Open next Wednesday at Pinebrook GCC in Calgary, followed the next day by the inaugural Country Hills Junior Open. Both events promise to be excellent tests for the players, but have entry deadlines this weekend. DON"T BE DISAPPOINTED!!! Enter today for these two exciting events.

OVERALL TOP TEN

1. Chris COOKE Canmore 69

T2. Jesse TERON Red Deer 70

T2. Jamie CARTWRIGHT Canmore 70

T4. Mike KOLODY Priddis Greens 73

T4. Chris BONLI Bearspaw 73

T4. Liam WOLFE Calgary GCC 73

T4. Sam GREGORY Stewart Creek 73

8. Jack WOOD Banff Springs 74

T9. Mac KEATS Bearspaw 75

T9. Joel HISLOP 75

T9. Jeremy VOLD Cottonwood 75