Around the regional fairways

Here’s a bit of this, that and the other as the local golf season hits the home stretch.

Newish event at Deer Ridge

Seventy or so golfers will be in attendance Monday for an event that will benefit at least one junior golfer with ties to The Academy at Deer Ridge.

Members Ryan Kings and Josh Hunke, who are organizing the sixth Deer Ridge Masters, say between $2,500 and $3,000 will be raised at Monday’s event for approximately 50 mid-amateur players and 20 seniors.

All proceeds from the competitive event will be forwarded to Deer Ridge director of instruction James Skrypec, who oversees teaching programs at the private club and knows of several youngsters who would benefit from the help.

“James has mentioned that there are kids in his program that don’t necessarily have the means to upgrade their equipment or purchase a membership so he’ll know what to do (with the money),” said Kings.

“Golf is expensive but it’s a great game and teaches a lot of good values.”

This will be the sixth year for the Deer Ridge Masters, said Kings, but the first time it has a charitable component attached to it. In previous years, the events was strictly a marketing tool for the outstanding Thomas McBroom layout that was ranked No. 63 by ScoreGolf in its lists of Canada’s top courses.

The club wont profit from the tournament in its new format and has made a five-year commitment to run it this way, said Kings.

In conjunction with the newish tournament, the university golf teams from Wilfrid Laurier and Waterloo will renew their Battle of Waterloo ‘Gold Cup’ rivalry.

Speaking of university golf

Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier have unveiled their rosters for the Ontario University Athletics season that starts Thursday at the Western Invitational.

The tournament is being staged at the St. Thomas Golf and Country Club.

The Waterloo men’s roster, under first-year head coach Mike Martz, features Devin Barlett (Cambridge), Andrew Cooke (Hammonds Plains), Tyler Cormier (Collingwood), Jack Deighan (Cambridge), Jordy Denomme (Waterloo), Tommy Giblin (Hunstville), Sam Kreze (Kitchener), Phillip Martin (Manotick), Isaac Maxwell (Mono), Ethan O’Farrell (Haslett), Satshia TepChhun (St. Thomas), Alex Turchan (Conestogo) and Tyson Turchanski (Calgary).

Waterloo’s women’s team is headed by longtime coach Carla Munch and includes Arrington Bard (Guelph), Claire Konning (Moncton, N.B.), Elanna Lachaine-DeMarchi (Cambridge), Valerie Tsang (Mississauga) and Laura Wesselius (Petitcodiac).

Jeff Colley is the head coach of both Wilfrid Laurier teams. Jaron Brown (Thornhill), Andrew Cox (Kitchener), Jonny Cramton (Toronto), Ganden Doherty (Toronto), Paul Edgar (Kitchener), Henry Luel (Oakville), Ryan Murphy (Ancaster), Desi Primeau (Burlington), Jack Quirke (Waterloo) and Kevin Taddeo (Guelph) are on the men’s roster, while Stephanie Elsey (Toronto), Jamie Elsey (Toronto), Harriet Kitchen (Collingwood) and Sam Zulian (Burlington) compete for the women’s team.

The Waterloo Invitational is set for Sept. 29-30 at Rebel Creek and the OUA championship is Monday, Oct. 15 at Heron Point in Ancaster.

Local lad off to Arizona

New Hamburg golfer Zachary Hart earned a spot in the Maple Leaf junior tour’s national championship in Arizona by finishing first in the juvenile division of a recent qualifying tournament at Tangle Creek, near Barrie.

The Waterloo-Oxford student shot rounds of 73-77 to qualify for the tour’s Nov. 8-11 national championship at The Legacy Golf Club in Phoenix.

“It feels amazing to win my first event and at the right time,” he said on the MJT website.

“Now I can go to Arizona.” CHIP SHOTS: Deer Ridge director of instruction James Skrypec won the PGA of Ontario Fall Classic on Tuesday (68-70), defeating Brian Hadley and Danny King on the first playoff hole. ... The Toronto Star amateur runs Monday through Wednesday of next week. No local players are entered . ... In case you missed it, Elmira’s Garrett Rank finished T51 in individual play at the recent world amateur team championship in Ireland. The Canadian team, which also included Hugo Bernard and Joey Savoie, finished ninth. Denmark finished first.