Top amateur golfers converge on Glencoe
Prestigious Invitational event returns after a three- year hiatus
Patrick Murphy was explaining, pre- round on Wednesday, how he didn't see a single approach shot all spring stick onto any of the greens at the Glencoe Golf and Country Club's Forest Course. He almost had to eat his words. An hour later, early into his media day practice round for this week's Glencoe Invitational, his wedge plopped onto the front edge of the second green and spun, checking up short of a downslope that would have released it toward the hole. A smile. Yes, the recent rain has softened up the Forest monster just in time for the Glencoe Invitational, one of Western Canada's most prestigious amateur golf tournaments, which returns after a three- year hiatus, running Thursday through Saturday at the Elbow Valley track.
“Honestly I think we're a little lucky that it's rained recently,” said Crossfield's Murphy, one of 54 players set to tackle the Par72, 7,505- yard, tree- lined, sandbellied beast. “I think it's going to help, especially for the newcomers who've come here because they don't need to know as much where the ball needs to run up to the greens ... if they can stick an 8- iron on there, rather than playing for a 20- foot release, it becomes a lot easier.
“If it gets windy and dries out a little bit, that's when some course knowledge could come into play.”
And Murphy, a member of Team Canada's development team, has that in abundance. The 18- year- old estimates he's played the renovated Forest course 20 to 25 times since it opened last year and has the unofficial renovated course record of 67.
Will we see scores that low this week?
Co- chair Dale Goehring, the 1997 Canadian Amateur champion, doesn't think it's likely anyone challenges Lindsay Bernakevitch's 2003 record of 9- under for the tournament.
“I honestly believe the record will continue,” he said. “I don't think we'll break that record this week unless someone really lights it up. I think the course is tougher than it used to be. So I think it will stand up pretty well.”
Goehring will also play in the event, his 17th time, dating back to 1992 when he was here for the tournament's first year. He hasn't won yet, but that doesn't mean the now 44- year- old can't try to beat all those kids.
“It's funny. I joke now because I don't know exactly when I became an old guy, but it happened somewhere along the way,” he said. “I enjoy it. I still played the Canadian Am last year. Seventeen years ago I won the Canadian Amateur, so for me personally this is just giving back to golf a little bit. It's a little token of what I can do as a volunteer and help support the young guys coming up.”
What a field it is — from reigning Alberta Amateur champ Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon County to five- time Manitoba amateur winner Todd Fanning to internationals Jarryd Dillas of Bermuda and American Conner Hayden. Then there's the rest of Team Canada's development squad — joining Murphy and Saunders is Trevor Ranton, A. J. Armstrong, Etienne Papineau and Tony Gil.
“It's a good experience to be with the team and play with other good players across Canada,” said Gil, the top- ranked amateur on the development squad, who is from Vaughn, Ont. “It's just motivation, really. Let's say Etienne has a good week this week. It just motivates the rest of us to play better.”
Murphy has been giving tips on how to play the course.
“At dinner last night we just talked about what the expectation was playing a harder golf course than we usually do for junior tournaments,” he said.
“I think the biggest key here is limiting mistakes. You hear ' patience' a lot, but in junior golf when the courses are easy, we fire at almost every pin. Here I might fire at 12 pins a day. The others it's ' hey, if I hit it to 20 feet, I've got a decent look at birdie. I'm not going to get too greedy.'
“The big story this week is the course. There are a lot of good players and you're going to see some high numbers this week.
“If you're a little bit off, this golf course can beat you up if you're not playing well.”
CHIP SHOTS: Tee times begin at 8 a. m. each day with the final round leaders teeing off at 10: 30 a. m. Saturday.