Saskatchewan golfers are back to teeing it up in tournament play

Saskatoon Amateur, originally slated for spring, set for weekend in shortened format

There hasn’t been a whole lot of tournament golf in Saskatoon, thanks to COVID-19, but one event is about to return this weekend.

The Scotia Wealth Management Saskatoon Amateur, which was originally scheduled for this spring, will be played Saturday and Sunday at Dakota Dunes Golf Links and Moon Lake Golf and Country Club, respectively, but will not include its traditional round at the Riverside Country Club.

A number of top amateur golfers from Saskatchewan are expected to play in the field. Danny Klughart, Jehremy Ryde and Colin Coben are among the participants.

Meanwhile, the biannual Early’s Challenge Cup at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club with Team Riverside will be played Aug. 28-30. The tournament will feature 12-person teams and Ryder Cup format with two sets of eight-person matches for two days, then 12 singles matches on the final day.

SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR GOLF

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour continues to move at full speed through Saskatchewan’s summer calendar with the latest event held last weekend in Estevan.

Junior golfers competed for titles in six divisions in the

MJT Re/max Blue Chip Realty Classic at Estevan’s Woodlawn Golf Club, marking the secondto-last opportunity for players in Saskatchewan to qualify for October’s MJT National Championship at Morgan Creek Golf Club in Surrey, B.C.

Saskatoon’s Josh Nagy, 18, (69, 73 — 142) ended up in a threeway playoff in the MJT junior boys division with Estevan’s Chase Gedak, 18, (72, 70 — 142) and Jace Carlisle, 19, (69, 73 — 142). Carlisle emerged victorious and Nagy settled for third.

Saskatoon’s Chase Pochylko, 16, picked up his second consecutive 2020 MJT title in the MJT Juvenile Boys Division. Pochylko shot 70 and 73 (143) to come back from a one-shot deficit after the first round.

Max Regier, 14, of Saskatoon, recorded a seven-shot victory in the MJT bantam boys division by recording with rounds of 73 and 69 (142) to take home his third MJT title this year.

Saskatoon’s Sarah Grieve, 17, continues to dominate in the MJT girls 15-19 division adding another win to her successful 2020 MJT campaign. She fired scores of 79 and 74 (153) to pick up her third win in as many starts

Saskatoon’s Jack Maharaj, 12, placed second in the MJT peewee boys division with scores of 83 and 80.

T’kayah Sim, 14, of St. Walburg, came out to compete in her first MJT ever in the girls U15 division and recorded identical rounds of 134 (268).

The next Saskatchewan event is the MJT Golf Saskatchewan OOM Championship at the Legends Golf Club to be held Aug. 23-24 in Warman.

PGA TOUR UPDATE

The PGA Tour continues this week with the $6.4-million Wyndham Championship at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

Tom Hoge — who played at Saskatchewan’s Dakota Dunes Golf Links while on the Mackenzie TOUR-PGA Tour Canada circuit — leads after three rounds.

Interestingly, six golfers who sit among the top 10 and ties (top 16 overall) are Dakota Dunes alumni. That says something about the calibre of golf that has been played out this way.

Hoge, Talor Gooch, Roger Sloan, CT Pan, Mark Hubbard and Rob Oppenheim are all in contention.

Originally scheduled for last week, but moved back to make room for the PGA Championship, the Wyndham features Canadians Corey Conners, Michael Gligic, David Hearn and Sloan.

Also in the field this week are a number of other former Mackenzie TOUR-PGA Tour Canada alumni who played in Saskatchewan at Dakota Dunes. Others include JJ Spaun, CT Pan, Bo Hoag,

Vince Covello, Ryan Brehm, Sam Ryder and Tyler Mccumber.

The PGA Tour finally got a major under its belt for 2020 this past weekend where Collin Morikawa claimed the title, and first major, becoming the fourth player to win the PGA Championship at age 23. He joined the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory Mcilory and Jack Nicklaus.

Dakota Dunes alumnus Tony Finau placed fourth at the PGA Championship. Joel Dahmen finished tied for 10th. Hubbard was T51 and Hoge T58 along with Canada’s Mackenie Hughes and Adam Hadwin. Conners and Nick Taylor both failed to qualify for the weekend.

LPGA IN THE SWING

The LPGA women’s tour is currently making a stop out in Scotland for the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open in North Berwick where Stacy Lewis of the United States and Spain’s Azahara Munoz were leading after two rounds at 5-under-par.

Danielle Kang of the United States has moved into top spot in the LPGA’S Race to CME Globe season standings ahead of Korea’s Inbee Park. Sweden’s Madeline Sagstrom sits in third.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

The Bridgestone Senior Players Championship is being played this weekend at Akron, Ohio, where Jerry Kelly holds a threestroke lead over former Synergy 8 Drive For Kids Campaign headliner Colin Montgomerie, Robert Karlsson, Rod Pampling and Steve Stricker.

CANADA LIFE SERIES

Canada has its own professional mini golf tour this summer during the COVID-19 pandemic and there are some familiar faces taking part.

At Langford, B.C., former Saskatchewan Open participant Derek Gillespie finished tied for third this past weekend at Bear Mountain’s Mountain Course.

Meantime, at Alpharetta, Georgia, the second LOCALIQ Series tournament is being played.

Among the early contenders at The Championship at Echelon Golf Club this week was former Dakota Dunes SIGA Open player Jorge Fernandez Valdes of Argentina.