Karrel plays for women’s senior title in Pugwash
Debi Karrel believes an effective short game will play a big part in taming Northumberland Links Golf Club in Pugwash this weekend, where she’ll be compete for a provincial senior women’s golf championship.
“It’s a little bit longer than the typical course you play because it’s 5,500 yards and most of the courses are around 5,300 yards, so chipping will come into it and putting of course,” said the 65year-old Glace Bay native, who now lives in Bedford and golfs out of Ashburn Golf and Country Club in Kinsac.
“A lot of us here are the same handicap, but we’ll have a good chance to play well. I wouldn’t say I’m a long-ball hitter, so if I’m chipping and putting well, that will be it.”
Karrel is familiar with the Northumberland layout. She played in a field day draw on June 17 and finished in third place, shooting an 84.
She enters this weekend’s tournament looking for her second senior women’s title. Karrel last won the championship at Clare Golf and Country Club in Church Point in 2010. She came close at The Lakes Golf Club in Ben Eoin in 2013, losing in a twohole playoff to Heather Grant of the host layout.
Karrel has made the provincial team roster a total of six times (2001, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013). She and sister Patsy Simon, a member at Glen Arbour Golf Club, won the 2013 provincial two-ball champi- onship held at Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa in Digby.
Standing in her way are the likes of defending provincial champion Ruth Maxwell of Oakfield, as well as Northumberland’s own Helen Castonguay.
“It’s going to be interesting because it’s a great field and there’s a lot of good seniors here,” said Karrel. “It’s going to be fun.”
The 54-hole tournament with a field of 76 amateur and senior women opens today and concludes on Sunday.
The top three golfers and an alternate in the senior division will represent Nova Scotia at the national championship in Camlachie, Ont., Aug. 26-28. Also, three amateurs, three mid-masters, three seniors and one super senior will represent the province at the Atlantic Golf Championships at the Terra Nova Golf Resort in Newfoundland, Aug. 14-16.