Strong start for Heat teams in Richmond

UBCO hosts 2nd event of season at Okanagan Golf Club this weekend

The UBC Okanagan Heat golf teams came out swinging at their season-opening event in Richmond this past weekend.

Stellar rookie performances led the Heat women to victory, while the men settled for second place overall, with Marcus Apchin capturing the men’s individual title.

The women pulled out a narrow one-shot victory over the Vancouver Island Mariners at the Quilchena Golf and Country Club. The Heat finished with a two-day total of 339, with Calgary product Samantha Copeland taking the women’s individual title following rounds of 83 and 84. The first-year player prevailed by two shots over VIU’s Alex Foston.

Another rookie making her first PacWest start was Kelowna’s Rebecca Reitsma. The two-sport athlete made two birdies on Day 1 on her way to an 84 and followed that up with an 88 on Day 2.

The other member of the Heat travel team was McKenna Lesiuk from the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, who fired rounds of 93 and 94 to start her third season with the Heat.

Cody Bell, the women’s coach and a Heat alumni player, was very impressed by the performance of his two rookies, noting their maturity and patience were the key to the team’s success.

“It was tough out there all weekend in the wind and rain, and I thought both rookies did a fantastic job staying patient and not getting ahead of themselves,” Bell said.

MEN’S GOLF

Apchin, another rookie sensation, led the Heat men to a runner-up showing at the Langara Invitational at Quilchena.

Apchin carded rounds of 71 and 69 on the par-73 layout for a two-day total of 6-under 140 to win the men’s title.

The Heat, as a whole, had a two-day total of 8-over 592, which was nine shots back of the UFV Cascades, who claimed the team title at 1-under 583.

Apchin, also from the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, played nearly flawless with just five bogeys in the 36-hole tournament.

The highlight for him was an eagle on the par-5 14th after Apchin hit his second shot to a couple of feet on the 495-yard hole during his first round.

“My short game saved me all day on Sunday (in the second round), as it was tough to play well tee-to-green in the rainy and windy conditions,” Apchin said. “My mindset as the rain and wind picked up was to focus on hitting greens and letting the putter do the work which I was able to do.”

On Day 1, three rookies paced the Heat with Apchin firing a 71 and Ethan Hunt not far behind at 1-under 72.

The other two scores that counted on the first day were veterans Oliver Rizun and Nik Federko, who each came in at 3-over par. The final member of the Heat travel squad was Naoki Takahashi, who was 6 over after the first round.

On Day 2, scoring conditions were tougher with everyone battling the elements, but Apchin produced UBCO’s low round again at 4-under 69 on the strength of five birdies and just one bogey.

The Heat finished with a second-day total of 297 on rounds of 74 from Rizun, 76 from Federko and 78 from Hunt.

“They all showed great maturity, which is a very valuable asset in tournament golf,” said Heat coach Cass Hritzuk, who praised Apchin’s calmness en route to winning.

The Heat will be on home turf this weekend when they host the second conference tournament at the Bear Course at the Okanagan Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday.