Alberta Golf (Ponoka) – It was a scorcher today at the Ponoka Community Golf Club as temperatures soared over 30C for the junior golfers on hand today from Calgary to Grande Prairie and points in between. For a while at the scoring table, it looked like 78 was the number for today, as no less than 5 players were tied for low gross at that number with only a handful of competitors yet to post their scores. The largest playoff in Tour history was looming, but Reid Casavant of Westlock saved the day by coming in with a 77 to capture his second Tour title in two days. Casavant won the RedTail Landing Jr. Open on Monday in a sudden-victory playoff, and had he come in one shot higher this afternoon , we might STILL be out on the course trying to identify a champion.
Noah Hackett of Ponoka, Jarrett Bossert of Broadmoor, Grande Prairie’s Ben Lovrod, Blake Hammel of Ft. Saskatchewan, and Forestburg’s Jace Shannon finished in a 5-way tie for 2nd overall with their 78s. Lovrod punched his ticket for the Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on August 23, just a few miles south of the beautifully groomed Ponoka layout. Other players earning Tour Championship spots today were Wild Card qualifiers Bailey Butz (79) of Ft Saskatchewan and Brendan Grabo (80), playing out of the host club. Owen Lai of Goose Hummock and Riley Buffalo of Montgomery Glen snagged the spots available in the flight for boys born in 2003/04 with matching 83s, while Glendale’s Fergus McGarry seems to have overcome his father Greg’s coaching (Greg is the head pro at Glendale and a fine player, just kidding Greg) and earned his spot at Wolf Creek out of the flight for the boys born in 2005 and later, along with RedTail Landing’s Sahaj Klair. Both players were tied on 88. We didn’t have the heart to send any of the players back out on the golf course in that heat to break any ties for qualifying spots.
Four junior girls were on hand today and Earl Grey’s Brynne Davies continued her fine play on Tour this summer with an 84, ten shots clear of Mikayla Wood of RedTail Landing and Suraiya Suleman of Royal Mayfair. Because Davies and Suleman had already qualified for Wolf Creek, Wood earned her own spot today.
Two events in the Calgary area are up next on Tour. Wednesday morning, we are at McKenzie Meadows GC in southeast Calgary, before the Tour swings east of Calgary on Thursday for the Strathmore Junior Open.
Top Six and Ties in Each Age Group
Boys Born in 2000/01/02
T1. Noah Hackett, Ponoka – 78 PQ
T1. Jarrrett Bossert, Broadmoor – 78 PQ
T1. Benjamin Lovrod, Grande Prairie GCC – 78 Q
T1. Blake Hammel, Ft. Saskatchewan – 78 PQ
5. Bailey Butz, Ft. Saskatchewan – 79 WC
6. Brendan Grabo, Ponoka – 80 WC
Boys Born in 2003/04
1. Reid Casavant, Westlock – 77 PQ
2. Kaedin Wolfe, Ponoka – 82 PQ
3. Owen Lai, Goose Hummock – 83 Q
4. Riley Buffalo, Montgomery Glen – 83 Q
Boys Born in 2005 & Later
1. Jace Shannon, Forestburg – 78 PQ
2. Ryan Garbutt, Windermere – 83 PQ
3. Fergus McGarry, Glendale – 88 Q
4. Sahaj Klair, RedTail Landing – 88 Q
Junior Girls
1. Brynne Davies, Earl Grey – 84 PQ
T2. Mikayla Wood, RedTail Landing – 94 Q
T2. Suraiya Suleman, Royal Mayfair – 94 PQ
4. Nicole Rohr, Camrose – 112
