ESCAPE FROM COMING STORM
A wind-blown golfer heads for the clubhouse as the lightning horn sounds during the 95th Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Golf Championship at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor on Wednesday. Play resumed after a short delay.
Beach Grove’s Curtis Hughes was one of the few local golfers smiling after Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Hughes fired a four-under par 67 to move into the top 10 after two rounds of play at the 95th Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Golf Championship, which is being held Ambassador Golf Club.
“Today, I tried to breath more on the golf course,” said Hughes, who sits at four-under 138 after two rounds. “(Tuesday), I got a little frustrated, but (Wednesday) I wasn’t as frustrated.”
His even-par 71 score in Tuesday’s opening round was actually better than it appeared.
“I hit the wrong ball on 17 and that cost me two shots,” Hughes said. “Not much changed since last round. I just putted a little bit better and got it done.”
His birdie on the par-five 13th hole was actually the highlight of his round on Wednesday.
“I sliced a ball to the right,” Hughes said. “I didn’t think I was going to find it and somehow, I was walking out of the rough, and was like, ‘Oh, here it is.’
“I found it, hit pitching wedge out of the rough, pitching wedge onto the green and made the putt for birdie and I thought I was going to make double or triple (bogey).”
Hughes sits four-shots back of the lead, which is shared by defending champion Maxwell Sear, John Foster and Shyamal Nagindas, who are each at eightunder 134.
“It’s definitely possible to win,” Hughes said. “Being at home, and I’ve played this golf course so many times, I’ve played some of my best golf here, and for the tournament to be here is perfect.”
Michael Rutgers, who golfs out of Kingsville, is one-shot back of Hughes at three-under 139 after shooting one-over 72 on Wednesday.
“I survived a long, long day,” said the 33-year-old Rutgers. “It was a battle, but overall it was good. That 72 could have turned into a 78 and basically three bad swings cost me four strokes, but there’s still 36 holes left.”
For first-round leader Thomas DeMarco, it was a frustrating round on Wednesday. After shooting seven-under 64 on the opening day, he was six-over par after eight holes on Wednesday and never got those shots back as he finished at six-over 77 for the day. He’s now tied for 26th at one-under 141.
“I’ve had better days,” the 20-year-old DeMarco, who golfs out of Essex, said. “It was a little more windy, but that wasn’t the problem. It seemed every hole there was a shot that killed me.
“That’s golf. You have to forget about what happened and move on. I’ll forget about it and (Thursday’s) a new day and I’ll try to get back to where I was (on Tuesday.”
The only other area player to make the cut was Windsor’s Bryce Evon and he had to rally to make the cut to 60, which was set at three-over 145.
“I was definitely thankful to make the cut,” the 21-year-old Evon said. “My game hasn’t been as sharp as I’d like it the last couple days, but I’ll see if I can improve my position the next couple days.”
Evon shot one-over 72 to make the cut at 145. After five bogeys on his first eight holes, he hit five birdies over nine holes before closing with a bogey.
LY TIED FOR EIGHTH
Jasmine Ly, who golfs out of
Kingsville, is tied for sixth place overall after Wednesday’s second round of play at the 102nd Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Golf Championship.
Ly fired a four-over par 76 on Wednesday and has a two-day total of six-over par 150. Ly sits eight-shots back of leader Madeline Marck-Sherk heading into Thursday’s third round of play at Galt Country Club in Cambridge.