Gord’s Alberta Golf Notes
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2023-08-18
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
Every golfer’s dream is of course to can a tee shot. That’s exactly what 15-year-old Tyler Kidd did recently, but then he went one step beyond. Kidd, who was playing in the Priddis Greens G&CC club championship in Calgary, did what is basically deemed as impossible — he followed that ace up with an albatross in the same round. When you Google this feat, what comes up is amazing. It is suggested that Irishman Rowan McCarthy may be the only person to ever have achieved this sort of feat, but of course, that page hadn’t been updated since Kidd turned that trick.
The big difference between the two is that McCarthy is a 20-handicap player while Kidd is a plus-3. They both earned a place of distinction in the golf world. Speaking on The Golf Show, an Edmonton podcast that is hosted by Murray McCourt and Curtis Stock, Kidd said he didn’t see his ace go in the cup as the hole was located above his line of sight. He didn’t see the albatross fall either as he blasted his second shot on the par-5 hole at the Speargrass GC from well out. As it turned out, to warm up for his second magnificent hole, Kidd birdied the two holes after his ace, then recorded a couple of pars, then the albatross, meaning he went 7-under in a six-hole stretch.
Alberta golfers fared quite well in the recent Shaw Charity Classic pre-qualifying round in Calgary, with hopes of advancing to the second stage to eventually earn a spot in the Champions Tour event in Calgary. As it turned out, two Albertans made it through the first stage, Keith Whitecotton, the teaching pro from The Quarry in Edmonton, and Wes Martin from the River’s Edge GC in Okotoks tied for the top spot and advanced to the next stage.
Another member of the Alberta PGA, Kent Fukushima from Redwood Meadows GC, lost in a one-hole playoff for the final spot available. The second and final stage of qualifying was set to take place on August 15, 2023, in Calgary, with the Shaw Charity Classic teeing up on August 18, 2023, at the Canyon Meadows G&CC.
Calgary’s Kiefer Jones proved he knows how to play when he captured Alberta Golf’s All Abilities Championship in early August 2023 at the McCall Lake GC in Calgary. Jones, who plays out of the Heritage Pointe GC, and is a legally blind player, is ranked the No. 1 player in the world for that impairment category. He showed his skill by carding identical rounds of 2-under 69 each day to take the title by seven shots over Chilliwack’s Dustin Boydell.
Capturing the Net Stableford title was Emma Bittorf from Strathmore, AB. With 92 points topping, she topped Allie Price from the Corsairs GC who recorded 77 points. 24 players competed in the event, the first of its kind in Calgary.
A total of 117 players were expected to tee it up at the fantastic Coal Creek Golf Resort to battle for the 2023 Alberta Open championship. This event is the only one in the calendar year that features both amateur and professional players. The pro purse is the largest of the year, while the winning amateur receives a spot on the 2024 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship Morse Cup Team.