Salimah Mussani Wins PGA of BC Women’s Championship Presented by Dexim Golfwear
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2019-10-04
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Salimah Mussani put together another impressive round at Point Grey Golf & Country Club to become a two-time winner of the PGA of BC Women’s Championship presented by Dexim Golfwear.
Building off the first round’s 38 par-points in the tournament’s stableford-scoring format, the Riverway Golf Course Professional made four birdies against three bogeys in the final round to finish with 75 total points, two clear of the field. In the stableford format, players earn one point for a bogey, two for a par, three points for a birdie, and so on.
Mussani, who last claimed the Women’s Championship crown in 2014, took home the top prize of $1,000 for the victory. Christine Wong (Langara College) was the runner-up with 73 points after her tournament-best round of 39 points, while three-time champion Jennifer Greggain (Chilliwack Golf Club) finished third with 68 points. Wong and Greggain earned $700 and $550 for their results, respectively.
“I’m glad it’s over,” said a relieved Mussani, who entered the day with a four-point edge over Wong. “It was a great day to play golf with Christine and Jen. They played awesome, so it was super competitive. To feel those juices boiling again and be in the thick of competition was a lot of fun.”
The 40-year-old has had limited playing time this season as she’s been ailing from bronchitis over the past couple of months. Despite feeling less than 100 per cent to start her final round, she made back-to-back birdies to close out her opening nine, then stiffed her approach on the par-3 17th for another birdie that restored her four-point lead heading into the final hole.
“I didn’t feel good about (my lead) until the 18th when I was hitting my second shot, to be perfectly honest,” said Mussani.
“It’s just been nice to be around the golf course, and knowing that this was coming up, I had a bit of a cram session, doing a lot of practicing. I’m just happy to compete again.”
Wong put in a solid effort trying to catch Mussani late in the last round, making birdies at the 10th, 12th and 18th holes but ultimately coming up just short.
“I played way better today than I did yesterday,” said Wong, who found a hot putter on the final day after having a tougher time with Point Grey’s greens in Round 1. “I was making bombs – I made three 30- or 40-footers today – it was crazy. Those saved me, and the last putt on the last hole was a good one to finish off the round.”
The event was a good test for Wong as she prepares to play on Canada’s team for the inaugural PGA Women’s Cup, happening Oct. 22-26 at OMNI Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. The five-member squad will compete against teams representing the PGAs of America, Great Britain & Ireland, Australia and Sweden.
“I’m so stoked,” the 27-year-old said of competing in the event. “I’m excited to go down. I haven’t travelled with a team in years, and I know the girls pretty well so it should be a good week.”
Defending champion Ashley Zibrik (Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club) managed a fourth-place finish this year with 67 points, while Kat Kennedy (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) rounded out the top five with 63 points.
Hosting the Women’s Championship for the second consecutive year, once again in conjunction with the Point Grey Ladies Pro-Am during the first round, the modified 18 holes at Point Grey drew rave reviews from competitors.
“The venue is fantastic. It was in great shape; the greens were really fast,” said Mussani.
“Definitely, I will say I have not putted on anything this fast this year, so I really strategized to be below the hole as much as possible.”
CLICK HERE to view final results.