Back-To-Back Sup-Par Rounds Cement Locke’s First PGA Of Alberta Major Title
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- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2024-08-29
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
STONY PLAIN, Alberta — Conventional wisdom in championship golf says that it’s difficult to put two good rounds together. That may be the case for many players; just don’t attach that tag to Calgary’s Eric Locke.
The teaching pro from the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary put two solid rounds of 66-68 together at the Stony Plain Golf Course to grab his first-ever win on the PGA of Alberta tournament tour, as he captured the Cobra Puma Golf & Mobilicab PGA of Alberta Championship. The thing was, it wasn’t just a walk in the park for the victor.
Although he led after both rounds of the 36-hole event, he was chased by some big names on the club’s professional roster. Asked about how he approached the event, Locke noted: “The last time I played here was back in 2020 so I had a bit of familiarity with it. To be perfectly honest, this is the fourth time I’ve played in a month — I have a two-month-old at home so I was just hoping the ball was going to go where I was looking.”
Over these 36 holes, it did just that for the most part.
Of the guys chasing him, Locke noted how good they were. While he didn’t meet the number he had in mind for his final 18 holes, he was close enough.
“With Mitch Fox, Sam Kirkness, Wes Heffernan, and Dillon Batsel behind me, it didn’t matter that I was at the top because I knew I was going to have to go out there and shoot a number today. I didn’t think 68 was going to be good enough, to be honest, and I figured I had to shoot another 66 or better to compete with those gentlemen. They made their push early and came out of the gates fast. Seeing them start to make birdies kind of settled me down because you have to do that too.”
As for winning, breaking the ice on many a runner-up position was a sweet way to end this event, Locke said.
“I’ve come second and third in this event a few times and I’ve come second three times in the Assistants’ Championship. I’ve been a bridesmaid a few times so it’s nice to cross the finish line for once. This means quite a bit. I was nervous but we’re out there to try and put yourself in these positions,” and this time, he took full advantage of where he found himself.
Host professional Jeff Cuthbertson praised his superintendent Bill Gregoire for having this municipal track in prime condition for the pros. “The big thing is, look at the number of entries,” the host pro said. “There are 124 players and I think last year (at the same event in a different location) there were 85. It was also Stampede Week in Calgary and I get that, but, Bill continues to do a good job and it shows the guys enjoy coming to play Stony Plain.”
This is a course that can play harder than it looks as it’s on quite level terrain with no hidden hazards. Players think they can shoot lights out and while that can be the case, it doesn’t hold for everyone as more than half the field finished above par for the two days.
Said Cuthbertson: “You know what, the fact is it’s playable but the greens are the biggest defence. It’s in such good shape right now. It gives you opportunities to score. It won’t embarrass you but it gives you a chance to be really good and I think that’s why guys like coming here because they can shoot a number,” which is exactly what Eric Locke did for two days in a row.