Team Ontario Wins Canadian Mid Am Title By Two Over B.C. Squad
Wednesday, 07 September 2011 23:17
Team Ontario, comprised of Graham Hill of Sarnia, Ont., Drew Symons of Woodstock, Ont., and Larry Cooper of Oakville, Ont., captured the Inter-Provincial title at the 2011 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Coppinwood Golf Club in Goodwood, Ont., posting a two-shot victory over Team British Columbia.
The Team Ontario contingent, who took home the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the third consecutive year, combined to card a two-day tally of 3-under par 285, besting the Team British Columbia squad of Cory Renfrew of Victoria, B.C., Stephen Watson of Nanoose Bay, B.C., and Brent Wilson of Victoria, B.C., who carded a combined 1-under par 287.
Team Québec, comprised of Adélard Collin of Québec, Que., Dwight Reinhart of Renfrew, Ont., and Jeff Crowe of Ottawa, Ont., finished T3 alongside Team Saskatchewan’s squad of Cadmus Delorme of Cowessess First Nation, Sask., Torrie Coghlin of Saskatoon, Sask., and Colin Coben of Delisle, Sask., at 10-over par 298.
Team Prince Edward Island’s squad of Tim Yorke of Kensington, P.E.I., Martin O’Brien of O’Leary, P.E.I., and John Schurman of Summerside, P.E.I., rounded out the top-5 at 11-over par 299.
In the Mid-Amateur division, Rob Couture of Dallas, Tex., and Michael Brown of Cheltenham, Penn., sit tied atop the leaderboard at 4-under par 140 through 36 holes of play.
Couture, a two-time Texas Golf Association Statewide Player of the Year, followed-up an opening-round 3-under par 69 with a score of 1-under par 71 in round two.
“I played solid again today and I putted well,” said Couture, who placed seventh at the 2010 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. “I three-putted the last hole, but other than that I played consistently and I just kept it in play. I had a lot of looks and putted well from four feet.”
Brown, meanwhile, who carded a score of even-par 72 in round one, posted a round of 4-under par 68 on Wednesday that included five birdies and only a single bogey.
“We teed-off early. It was a little cool and we played some holes into the wind to start. I was fortunate enough to get away with a few pars early and I got to the easier stretch in the back-nine,” said Brown, who finished fourth at the 2010 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and was named the 2010 Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) Amateur Player of the Year.
“My putting was abnormally strong for the first couple of days. The guys were laughing about it. I had a feeling I could putt like that, but I haven't to this point.”
Wilson, Symons and Nick Ushijima of Hillsborough, Calif., sit T3 at 1-under par 143, while opening-round co-leader, Chris Moore of Guelph, Ont., is sixth at even-par 144.
Three-time defending Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., is T48 at 9-over par 153.
Ushijima also holds a three-stroke advantage in the Mid-Master division over Yorke, Mark Knecht of Paducah, Kent., David Steingart of Edina, Minn., and Rob Cowan of Waterloo, Ont.
A total of 70 players made the cut, which was set at 11-over par.
The 2011 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship resumes, Thursday, September 8, 2011, with third-round play beginning at 8:00 a.m. (EST). Starting times, post-round results, full field list and live scoring are available here.
The 2011 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will earn an exemption into the 2012 RBC Canadian Open at the historic Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.
