Canadian Senior Men’s Championship

August 31, 2012

Final Round Recap

CHIP LUTZ WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Sandy Harper Claims Low British Columbian

Mirabel, Que. (Golf Canada) – Chip Lutz of Reading, Penn. carded a final-round 4-under par 68 on Friday to capture the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Golf Griffon des Sources in Mirabel, Que.

Lutz, who started the day two shots back of leader Ian Harris of Bloomfield, Mich., birdied four of his last five holes, en route to besting Harris by five strokes for the title. Lutz finished with a four-day tally of 1-under par 287, while Harris posted a score of 4-over par 292 to place second.

Lutz’s final-round score of 4-under par 68 matched a competitive course record that was set earlier in the day by four-time Canadian Men’s Senior Championship winner, Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. Cooke finished third with a four-day tally of 7-over par 295.

“It’s just tremendous for me to accomplish this,” said Lutz, who earlier this year claimed his second consecutive British Seniors Open Amateur Championship title and also captured a Silver Medal as top amateur at the 2012 British Senior Open Championship. “I was successful in defending the British earlier this year, and to do it in Canada and back this one up is something special. I’m thrilled beyond words.”

Reflecting on a stellar final round, Lutz was particularly proud of the manner in which he was able to adhere to his game plan.

“Today, it finally came together on the final nine holes,” said Lutz, who earned a champion’s exemption into the 2012 USGA Senior Amateur Championship with the win. “I tried to stay patient and stay with my game plan and I tried to remain close in terms of the competition coming down the stretch. I felt if I was able to do that, then I may have some good fortune. That was the key.”

With the victory, Lutz became the first competitor to capture back-to-back Canadian Men’s Senior Championship titles since Cooke accomplished the feat in 2008 and 2009.

Greg Wilson of Vaudreuil, Que. was fourth at 8-over par 296, while David Schultz of Calgary and Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. finished T5 at 10-over par 298.

The following are final-round scores for British Columbians from the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship for August 31, 2012:

(6,656 Yards / Par 72)

Individual Stroke Play – FINAL STANDINGS

11. Sandy Harper, Nanaimo, BC, 78-72-72-80-302 +14
14. Rob Kemp, North Vancouver, BC, 77-76-76-76-305 +17
18. David Mears, Victoria, BC, 79-75-80-73-307 +19
27. Gudmund Lindbjerg, Port Moody, BC, 77-78-79-77-311 +23
30. Lance Lundy, Pemberton, BC, 79-80-77-76-312 +24
30. Wayne Schaeffer, Kelowna, BC, 77-76-76-83-312 +24
34. John Gallacher, Burnaby, BC, 80-80-78-75-313 +25
37. Tony Hatchwell, Nanaimo, BC, 78-80-83-73-314 +26
55. William MacPherson, Victoria, BC, 78-75-85-84-322 +34

Round Three Recap

IAN HARRIS LEADS HEADING INTO FINAL ROUND OF CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Defending champion Chip Lutz and Greg Wilson two shots back;

Sandy Harper Low British Columbian

Mirabel, Que. (Golf Canada) – Ian Harris of Bloomfield, Mich. shot 1-over par 73 on Thursday to sit atop the leaderboard after 54 holes of the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Golf Griffon des Sources in Mirabel, Que.

Harris, who posted three birdies on the day to go along four bogeys, sits at 1-over par 217 for the championship, two shots clear of defending Canadian Men’s Senior champion Chip Lutz of Reading, Penn. and Greg Wilson of Vaudreuil, Que., both of whom are T2 at 3-over par 219.

“It was a fun day,” said Harris, who finished third at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship in 2010. “The pairing with Chip and Howard (Broun), you couldn’t play with two better guys…It was a difficult day because of the wind and the pressure and there’s tension and we’re nervous, but playing with those two guys just made for a great day. It’s a day I’ll never forget.”

While Harris is excited to be playing in the final group on Friday with the lead, he noted the importance of playing conservatively and not taking too many unnecessary risks.

“If I feel like I’m really striking it well, then yes, I’ll be more aggressive,” said Harris. “This golf course, if you make a few mistakes, they end up being big mistakes. There aren’t any little mistakes on this golf course…I’m going to do my best to pretend like I’m out there playing with my buddies and just try to think well and see what happens. My goal is to play a nice round of golf and add it up at the end.”

After posting a competitive course record 3-under par 69 on Thursday, Jay Blumenfeld of Parsippany, N.J. is fourth with a three-day tally of 4-over par 220. Wilson also shot 3-under par 69 on the day, matching Blumenfeld’s mark.

Sandy Harper of Nanaimo, B.C. is fifth at 6-over par 222.

The 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship winner will earn an exemption into the 2012 USGA Senior Amateur Championship which takes place September 29 – October 4 at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, N.J.

A complete list of competitors, starting times and full post-round results for the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship can be found at www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Round Two Recap

IAN HARRIS HOLDS SECOND-ROUND LEAD AT CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

St. John’s, N.L.’s John Williams claims Super Senior title;

Team BC Finishes 4th in Inter-Provincial Team Championship

Mirabel, Que. (Golf Canada) – Ian Harris of Bloomfield, Mich. shot even-par 72 for the second consecutive day at the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Golf Griffon des Sources in Mirabel, Que. to sit alone atop the leaderboard after 36 holes of play.

Harris is at even-par 144 for the championship, two shots clear of defending Canadian Men’s Senior champion Chip Lutz of Reading, Pa., who is second at 2-over par 146.

“Today was more of a normal round of golf for me,” said Harris, who posted three birdies and three bogeys during Wednesday’s second round. “The wind came up on the back nine, but it wasn’t anywhere near as strong as yesterday (Tuesday). I just felt more comfortable. My touch was better. That’s more of how I normally play. I’m normally pretty steady, make a lot of pars, and make birdies here and there.”

Howard Broun of Calgary is third at 3-over par 147, while John Russell of Chestermere, Alta., who held a share of the lead alongside Harris after round one, is fourth at 5-over par 149.

Greg Wilson of Vaudreuil, Que., Colin Coben of Delisle, Sask. and Sandy Harper of Nanaimo, B.C. are T5 at 6-over par 150.

The Team Alberta contingent of Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta., and Frank MacKenzie and Jeffrey Gauf of Edmonton claimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship portion of the competition after posting a combined second-round score of 3-over par 147 to finish with a 36-hole tally of 13-over par 301.

Van Dornick, MacKenzie and Gauf bested the Team Quebec squad of Wilson, Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. and Adélard Collin of Quebec City by three strokes to claim the title as the trio shot 16-over par 304 over the first two days of play at Golf Griffon des Sources.

Team Ontario, comprised of Warren Sye of London, Ont., Sandy Billyard of Ridgeville, Ont. and Alasdair Cayley of Burlington, Ont. placed third at 19-over par 307, six shots back.

John Williams of St. John’s, N.L. captured the Super Senior Division title after posting a round of 8-over par 80 on Wednesday. Williams, who opened with a score of 7-over par 79 in round one, finished with a two-day tally of 15-over par 159 for a four-stroke victory over Don Lamb of McMurray, Penn. Lamb shot 19-over par 163 over the first 36 holes of the championship.

Michel Riverin of Brossard, Que. was third at 23-over par 167. David MacFarlane of Saint Basile, N.B. placed fourth at 26-over par 170, while Phillip Leckey of Tampa, Fla. rounded out the top-5 at 27-over par 171.

A total of 71 players made the 36-hole cut, which was set at 18-over par 162.

A complete list of competitors, starting times and full post-round results for the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship can be found at www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Inter-Provincial Team Championship – FINAL STANDINGS
1. Team Alberta – 154-147-301 +13
2. Team Quebec – 154-150-304 +16
3. Team Ontario – 153-154-307 +19
4. Team British Columbia – 156-152-308 +20
5. Team Saskatchewan – 158-156-314 +26
6. Team New Brunswick – 157-164-321 +33
7. Team Manitoba – 162-164-326 +38
8. Team Newfoundland and Labrador – 162-167-329 +41
8. Team Nova Scotia – 167-162-329 +41
10. Team Prince Edward Island – 164-167-331 +43

Round One Recap

JOHN RUSSELL AND IAN HARRIS HOLD OPENING-ROUND LEAD AT CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Team Ontario leads Inter-Provincial Championship by one;

Ghislain Bernard up two strokes in Super Senior category

Mirabel, Que. (Golf Canada) – John Russell of Chestermere, Alta. and Ian Harris of Bloomfield, Mich. posted opening-round scores of even-par 72 to sit tied atop the leaderboard through 18 holes at the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Golf Griffon des Sources in Mirabel, Que

While Russell shot even-par on both the front and back-nine on Tuesday, Harris produced a far different scorecard, shooting 5-over par 41 to start the day on Nos. 1-9, before posting a score of 5-under par 31 to close out the round on the back-nine.

“Well, you’ve heard of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? That was my round today,” said Harris, who posted eagles on No. 13, a par-5, and No. 16, a par-4, down the stretch. “It was very windy when we started and I struggled. I didn’t make any big errors, but I compounded my small errors with mistakes on the green… I can’t honestly say I played way better on the back, but I chipped the ball in.”

Colin Coben of Delisle, Sask. sits third at 1-over par 73, while eight players sit locked in a tie for fourth at 3-over par 75, including defending Canadian Men’s Senior champion Chip Lutz of Reading, Pa., and Warren Sye of London, Ont.

In Inter-Provincial Team Championship play, the Team Ontario contingent of Sye, Sandy Billyard of Ridgeville, Ont. and Alasdair Cayley of Burlington, Ont. posted a combined score of 9-over par 153 to lead both Team Alberta and Team Quebec by one shot heading into the final round of team competition on Wednesday.

Team Alberta’s squad of Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta., and Frank MacKenzie and Jeffrey Gauf of Edmonton, and the Team Quebec contingent of Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que., Greg Wilson of Vaudreuil, Que. and Adélard Collin of Quebec City, sit T2 at 10-over par 154.

Ghislain Bernard of Wentworth-Nord, Que. shot 5-over par 77 on Tuesday to lead the Super Senior Division by two strokes over John Williams of St. John’s, N.L., who carded a round of 7-over par 79. Oakville, Ont.’s Paul Alexander sits third at 9-over par 81, while Phillip Leckey of Tampa, Fla., Michel Riverin of Brossard, Que. and Ray Stoodley of St. John’s, N.L. are T4 at 12-over par 84.

Contested over the first 36 holes of stroke play, the winner of the Super Senior Division will be determined during Wednesday’s second round of competition.

After the second round, the field will be cut to the low 70 scores and ties.

A complete list of competitors, starting times and full post-round results for the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship can be found at www.golfcanada.ca/championships.

Preview

LE GRIFFON DES SOURCES SET TO HOST 2012 CANADIAN MEN’S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Team BC (Sandy Harper, Tony Hatchwell and Marty Holman) look to take Interprovincial title

Competitors to vie for exemption into 2012 USGA Senior Amateur Championship

Mirabel, Que. (Golf Canada) – Top male senior golfers from Canada and the United States will compete at the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship which will take place from August 28-31 at Le Griffon des Sources in Mirabel, Que.

The Senior Championship, featuring players aged 55 and over, is played over 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes to the low 70 scores and ties. The Super Senior Championship, featuring players aged 70 and over, is contested concurrently over the first 36 holes of the championship. The Senior Inter-Provincial Team Championship, featuring three-player teams representing each of the ten provinces, also runs concurrently with the first 36 holes of the tournament.

Conducted since 1962, the 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship will see 156 players take to Le Griffon des Sources’ L’Aigle and Le Lion golf courses.

“This year’s Canadian Men’s Senior Championship boasts a field of talented players looking to showcase their skills on an outstanding golf course,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Madeline Small. “Le Griffon des Sources will challenge competitors throughout the week and we look forward to an exciting championship in Mirabel.”

Defending Canadian Men’s Senior Championship titleholder Chip Lutz of Reading, Penn. comes to Le Griffon des Sources after claiming his second consecutive Seniors Open Amateur Championship title. Lutz, who bested 2010 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship winner Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C. by nine strokes at last year’s championship at Twin Rivers Golf Course in Port Blandford, N.L. for the win, also captured a Silver Medal as top amateur at the 2012 Senior Open Championship.

Simson, who also boasts a USGA Senior Amateur Championship title and three Seniors Open Amateur Championship victories, is also in the field, alongside amateur standout and four-time Canadian Men’s Senior Championship winner Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. Cooke recently claimed his fourth career Provincial Senior Championship title.

George Stokes of New Hamburg, Ont., who captured the 1998 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, is also in the field at Le Griffon des Sources, alongside five-time Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship winner Warren Sye of Mississauga, Ont. Sye recently claimed the 2012 Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Championship title.

The 2012 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship Senior Division is open to male amateur golfers who have reached the age of 55 by August 27, 2012, while the Super Senior Division is open to male amateur golfers who have reached the age of 70 by the same date.

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