SAUNDERS BITTEN BY THE GOLF BUG AGAIN
Not so long ago Tyler Saunders appeared to be on the verge of something special.
In 2014, a week after winning the Alberta Junior Boys, he won the Alberta Amateur as an 18-year-old by nine shots shooting a 12-under in the final two rounds for a four-day total of 17-under.
In 2015 he finished second — against the pros — in the Alberta Open. That same year Saunders qualified for the U.S. Amateur when he shot a 9-under, courserecord 63 at Colorado’s Columbine Country Club’s 7,400-yard sectional qualifier. A member of Golf Canada’s national team, the sky appeared to be the limit.
And then in February of that year, he put his clubs away. Seemingly for good.
“I had enough. Golf was no longer a game. It was too much of a job. I just wasn’t enjoying golf anymore,” said Saunders. “I never planned on picking them back up again. My favourite thing was going out to practice. But I stopped loving that grind.”
Then, last winter and almost by chance, his attitude changed again.
“I was Christmas shopping for my dad,” he said of his father, John, an accomplished golfer himself, one of only a handful of golfers to have won all four of the Edmonton Golf Association events. “I picked up an iron. I hit it a few times and I got hooked again.”
Just like that.
And, just like that, Glendale’s Saunders won last week’s twoday Edmonton Amateur by two shots over Sturgeon Valley’s Ryan DenBraber at DenBraber’s home course.
Saunders shot back-to-back rounds of 3-under 69s while DenBraber went 68-72.
“The game is a lot of fun again,” said Saunders, now 22, who had six birdies and an eagle in the first round and then added four birdies — including one on the final hole — and an eagle in the second round. “I played pretty well and I got some good breaks when I hit some bad shots. My golf swing is still a work in progress.
“For the most part, it was my putter that was solid.”
It was the opposite for DenBraber, the defending champion.
“My putter was ice cold in the second round. I couldn’t putt. I had the lead through 30 holes but I three-putted twice, on
No. 14 for a bogey and then again on the following hole, a Par 5, when I three-jacked from about 12 feet for a par,” said DenBraber.
Saunders doesn’t know what his long-term plans are.
“I want to get back to enjoy playing golf and at a high level the way I was,” said Saunders, who has been working as a bartender for the last year and a half. “In 2014 and 2015 I was playing some really good golf. But I don’t want to make too big of plans and put too much pressure on myself.”
Doug McKinnon won the senior division with a two-day total of 151, one better than Ron Mercier and three ahead of Robin Laurie. The tournament had a sold-out 84 players with four more on the waiting list.
AROUND THE LOCAL SCENE
Playing in a steady drizzle, Medicine Hat’s Mathieu Chapdelaine, 18, won the McLennan Ross Championship finale at Wolf Creek, the annual host course for the Tour Championship.
Chapdelaine shot a 75, one better than the trio of the Edmonton Country Club’s Kaiden Nicholson, Broadmoor’s Chase Bodoano and Calgary’s Brendan Weiland.
It was a great comeback for Chapdelaine, who found himself seven-over par after just six holes but played his final 12 holes in two-under.
In the Junior girl’s division, Jayla Kucy, only 12-years-old, won by six shots over the Derrick’s Kaitlyn Wingnean to become the youngest-ever Tour Champion, boy or girl, in McLennan Ross Tour history.
Cardiff ’s Dallas Cantera continued his solid play winning the PGA of Alberta’s Golf Supply House stop at Leduc with a 69, one better than Calgary favourite Wes Heffernan.
HOLES-IN-ONE RECAP
Carmen Merrill, 81, got his fifth hole-in-one — this one coming on No. 6 at Broadmoor using a 5-hybrid from 140 yards.
A couple of aces at Glendale both on No. 2: Dave Hut from 168 yards with a 7-iron and Sean McGeown from 170 yards with a 6-iron.
Li Yu got the job done on No. 8 at Northern Bear from 128 yards with a pitching wedge.
At Cougar Creek it was Jamie Ewatski’s turn when he holed out from 134 yards with an 8-iron.
Andy Horvath got the best of No. 11 at Coloniale with a 7-iron from 146 yards.
At Royal Mayfair, Chris Otto aced No. 16 in the first round of the Men’s Club Championship from 149 yards with an 8-iron. The next day, Doug Rae, playing with Otto, aced No. 11.
Keith Eccles also got an ace at Royal Mayfair: also on No. 11 from 170 yards with a 5-iron.
At Victoria Glen Christensen used a 9-iron on No. 17 for his hole-in-one.
Shaun Piercey, head pro at The Ranch, got his 4th ace — this one on his home course — a gap wedge from 114 yards on No. 14. Also at The Ranch, Stephen Leenheer on No. 17 from 101 yards.
Finally, after 56 years of playing golf Dunc Mills finally got a hole-in-one, No 7 on the Traditions 9 at The Legends from 146 yards with a 7-iron. “I’ve seen 14 live but my first,” said Mills.