Burlington golfer gets moral, financial support
When you’re a young golfer out trying to establish yourself and make a living as a professional, it can be expensive — actually, more than expensive.
So it came as a very pleasant surprise to Burlington’s Blair Hamilton when he was recently told he’d won the 2018 Mackenzie Investments — Golf Journalists Association of Canada Player Bursary.
(Note of disclosure here: I’m a member and past-president of the GJAC and took part in the voting which chose Hamilton for the award.)
“I was surprised and so thankful,” said Hamilton, who is dividing his time this year between playing the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica and PGA Tour Canada.
“It’s so expensive to play the PGA Tour Latin America. First of all, everything is in American dollars, so you’re taking a 25 per cent haircut right off the bat. This sets me up to be able to afford to go and play, and honestly, that’s half the battle.
“It also gave me the confidence that somebody believes in me.”
Fittingly, just a couple of weeks after winning the $3,000 bursary, Hamilton had his best finish of the year so far in South America.
At the Quito Open in Quito, Ecuador, Hamilton finished second by a shot. That was the second-to-last event before the LatinoAmerica Tour took its winter break.
When the schedule resumes in the fall, Hamilton will start 17th on their order of merit and will be in decent position to earn one of the 10 spots that are guaranteed at least some Web.Com Tour status next year.
Hamilton has another story to tell about his year. The LatinoAmerica Tour opened its season at the Guatemala Stella Artois Open at the La Reunion Golf Course at Fuego Maya, Antigua, Guatemala, in March. That golf course sits at the base of the Fuego Volcano.
“The volcano was erupting the whole time we were there and we could watch it as we hit balls on the range but the eruptions when we were there were nothing compared to the eruption in June,” said Hamilton. “Now the whole golf course is covered in ash.”
Hamilton, who is a former national amateur team member, is going to try to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in Oakville next month, although he’s still hopeful that Golf Canada will give him an exemption.
*** Whole-in-one: Brian Brack aced the 93-yard 15th hole at Willow Valley with a sand wedge.