Jones leads local golfers to Windsor
He arrived at last year’s Ontario men’s amateur championship with high hopes and left with a second-place finish under his belt.
He makes a return visit next week with a nothing-to-lose attitude and modest expectations.
Kitchener native Keaton Jones, who finished behind Unionville’s Maxwell Sear at last summer’s championship at The Thornhill Club, is part of a large local contingent that starts play Tuesday at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor.
Jones, who recently finished his fourth and final year of NCAA Division 1 golf at Florida Gulf Coast University, said his game was trending in the right direction Wednesday after playing a round at Whistle Bear with a group that included Waterloo’s Luke Moser and Kitchener’s Colton Clemmer, who will both compete in Windsor.
“The game is off and on, hot and cold. I haven’t been in too many tournaments so I’m excited to play next week, really looking forward to it,” said the personable Jones, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday this month.
“I’m not expecting a lot going into but you never know. Sometimes when you don’t expect it, things happen.”
Jones has been working full time at the Westmount Golf and Country Club since finishing school and admits he’s still learning the ropes when it comes to balancing work, life and golf.
He’s played in a pair of invitational tournaments since returning to Kitchener and also competed in the Ontario men’s match play championship, winning twice before falling to eventual champion Chase Comaromi in the round of 16.
On the plus side, a recent round of 8-under-par 65 at Westmount provides a shot of confidence for Jones, who hopes to have a practice session or two with his coach, Dave Smallwood, before heading to Windsor.
“I’ve had to use my time wisely now that I’m working,” said Jones.
“It’s not just golf, golf, golf anymore.”
In addition to his second-place finish last year, Jones finished in a tie for 36th at the Canadian amateur championship and was victorious at National Golf Club of Canada’s invitational tournament.
In his final year at Florida Gulf Coast University — a.k.a. Dunk City — he played in 10 of the Eagles’ 11 tournaments and had a scoring average of 74.32 over 28 rounds. His season featured a pair of top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at the Patriot Intercollegiate in Virginia. He was named the Atlantic Sun Conference’s golfer of the week for that result.
In addition to Jones, Moser and Clemmer, the local contingent features Andrew Cox (Kitchener, Whistle Bear), Jordy Denomme (Waterloo, Whistle Bear), Paul Edgar (Kitchener, public player), Eric Flockhart (Waterloo, public player), Matt LeMay (Waterloo, public player), Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Whistle Bear), and Dean Weber (Kitchener, public player).
Kitchener’s Chris Hemmerich won the championship in Georgetown in 2014; four years after Listowel’s Corey Conners turned the trick in Sudbury. Jon Drewery of Cambridge won the event in 1997
Kitchener’s Gary Cowan won the tournament nine times between 1964 and ’84, and Mike Weir won the event in ’90 and ’92.
Leonard on a roll
Cambridge native Brendan Leonard continued his strong season by winning the inaugural JT Classic pro-am golf tournament at Trillium Woods in Belleville.
Leonard, who currently occupies the top spot on the Great Lakes Tour order of merit, won last week’s 18-hole tournament by shooting a 5-under 67, which was good for a share of the course record.
Earlier this season, Leonard shot a 7-under 64 to win a Great Lakes Tour event at Grey Silo in Waterloo.
He finished in sixth place, three strokes behind Hemmerich, at Paris Grand and finished in a tie for second, one stroke behind Drew Nesbitt, at the previous Great Lakes stop at Settler’s Ghost in Horseshoe Valley, near Barrie.
Leonard will play in the Monday qualifier for this year’s RBC Canadian Open because of his first-place standing on the Great Lakes Tour. The qualifier is scheduled for July 24 at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster. CHIP SHOTS: Victor Ciesielski (Cambridge, Galt) and James Skrypec (Kitchener, Deer Ridge) are also in the field for the RBC Canadian Open qualifier. … The 72-hole Southern Ontario Open, set for July 12-15 at Burlington’s Hidden Lakes Golf Club, is the next event on the Great Lakes Tour. … Golf Ontario will stage a qualifying tournament Sunday at Grey Silo for next month’s boys juvenile (under 17) championship. Local entrants include Ben Bauer (Waterloo, Westmount), Ryan DeWolfe (Waterloo, Grey Silo), Jacob Foxworthy (Waterloo, Grey Silo), Zachary Hart (New Hamburg, Whistle Bear), Isiah Katsube (Elmira, Elmira), Hayden Scott (Waterloo, Westmount) and Sean Tippin (Waterloo, Saugeen). … The Ontario junior boys’ and junior girls’ championships are currently underway in Minett and Elmira.