Golf By David McPherson What struck me most is that these scratch golfers have no caddies, no entourage and no six-figure paydays awaiting them after they sign their scorecards. What they do have are pure swings and a passion for the sport. They are playing for pride, prestige and world rankings. Sure, some are still chasing that professional dream – honing their chops while playing college golf and competing against the best amateurs from around the world throughout the summer season. I grew up playing at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ontario – home to many amateur greats including two-time U.S. Amateur champion (1966, 1971) and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Gary Cowan. There are amateur events and competitions for every age group, fromopen competitions to 65+ divisions. For example, the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship takes place Sept. 11-14 at Kanawaki Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec. Amateur golf allows the competitor in you to test your skills even as you age. Take another Canadian Golf Hall of Famer and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Marlene Stewart Streit. She is an incredible story. Born in Cereal, Alberta, she’s the only golfer in history to win the British, U.S., Canadian and Australian amateur titles. In mid-July, she attended our annual Golf Journalists Association of Canada event and played with a few of our members, staying for dinner and enjoying the camaraderie. At 83 years old, she still plays and displays a passion for the game. She’s won the Ontario Senior Ladies’ Amateur six times, and the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur three times – in three different decades (1985, 1994, 2003). As a fan, watching amateur golf is truly an enjoyable and exciting experience. There are no ropes keeping you off of the fairways. You can wander where you like. There is no security walking behind the players. And the atmosphere is loose. To illustrate, while I was following the final group atThe Porter Cup, the marshals held a ‘Quiet, Please!’ sign in one hand and a Molson Canadian can and a cigar in the other. The crowds are also not as large as a professional event, allowing you to get a close-up view of the players. Next time an amateur event comes to your town, why not sign up to help? Tournaments are always looking for volunteers. It’s a great way to give back to your community, get some exercise and watch some great golf. When it comes to amateur competitions in this country, there is no golf championship in Canada with a richer history than the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. More than a century old, the Amateur was first contested as one of the newly formed Royal Canadian Golf Association’s first orders of business in 1895 at the Ottawa Golf Club. When T.M. Harley of Kingston Golf Club defeated A. Simpson of Ottawa Golf Club 7 & 5, a proud tradition of Canadian championship golf was born. Golf Canada moves this tournament around the country every year. Mackenzie Hughes won backto-back titles (2011, 2012); now, he’s a full-time player on the PGA Tour and won his first professional event last fall, when he captured the RSM Classic in a five-man playoff. There are endless stories like Hughes, of Canadians playing amateur golf. Take Garrett Rank. At 28, he’s a cancer survivor and he only plays golf half of the year – in amateur competitions across North America. When winter comes, he laces up his skates and dons his black-and-white striped uniform as a National Hockey League (NHL) referee. As a part-time amateur (you could say that golf is now his hobby), Rank has won three consecutive Canadian Mid-Amateur titles, and twice he has reached the match-play round at the U.S. Amateur. I watched Rank at the Porter Cup, where he finished T5; he then followed that up with competing in the PGA TOUR event the following week at the RBC Canadian Open, along with fellow amateurs Hugo Bernard and Augusta James. Golf Canada is a big supporter of these amateur players through their national programs. Each club – public and private – from St. John’s to Victoria – offers junior programs that are encouraging more youth to get involved in this great game. Do your part to keep amateur golf thriving. Get out to your local course when there is an event. Volunteer, play, or simply go as a fan to cheer on and encourage these players. Next time you see them could be on TV, competing for a professional title and that big paycheque. Learn more about some of the tournaments in which you can volunteer, watch, or participate at: www.amateurgolf.com. Gary Cowan CSANews | FALL 2017 | 41
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