Glace Bay golfer wins provincial crown
Final round 65 propels Brett McKinnon to victory at Nova Scotia men’s amateur
Glace Bay’s Brett McKinnon fired a brilliant final round 65 to win the Nova Scotia men’s amateur golf championship on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who plays out of the Lingan Golf and Country Club, entered the last day of play trailing in fourth place, three strokes behind 2001 winner Robert Collins of Church Point’s Clare Golf and Country Club that played host to the tournament.
McKinnon recorded seven birdies, including a stretch of five in a row, and one bogey on Saturday for a round of sixunder par. His four-day total was 279, five-under for the tournament, and two shots better than second-place finisher Jody Swim of River Hills.
The former member of the Jacksonville University Dolphins golf team is the first Cape Bretoner to claim the men’s amateur crown since 2007 when River Bourgeois’ Leon Campbell captured the last of his four championships. Baddeck’s Peter Campbell, who now plays professionally, won the title in 2006 and Lingan’s Harvey Ellsworth claimed the trophy back in 1989.
While McKinnon’s 65 was good enough to carry him to victory, it wasn’t the lowest score on the day as Oakfield’s Andrew MacPherson carded a bogeyfree round of 64 to go along with earlier rounds of 76, 76, and 74.
After McKinnon, Baddeck’s Trevor Chow, who now golfs out of the Ashburn Club, finished tied for 10th position after a final round 71 left him at sixover par, 11 strokes behind the champion.
Following the championship, McKinnon was selected to represent Nova Scotia at the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at the Royal Ottawa and Eagle Creek golf clubs, Aug. 8-11.
Meanwhile, Anne Balser of Halifax won the Nova Scotia women’s amateur by five strokes at the Brightwood Golf and Country Club in Dartmouth. The 28-year-old had previously won the championship in 2011.
Ruth Maxwell of Dartmouth captured her third consecutive provincial women’s senior title after cruising to a nine-shot victory over her nearest rival. Debi Karrel of Bedford, originally from Glace Bay, placed third at 27 over par. The competition was also held at the Brightwood course.