WINDSOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Locals DeMarco, Byrne battle pros
LaSalle’s Thomas DeMarco’s first professional round came to an abrupt halt on Thursday.
The 21-year-old DeMarco, who started play on the back nine, had just putted out on the sixth hole when the horns went off after a lightning strike to bring an end to play at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Windsor Championship at Ambassador Golf Course.
“I thought I did fine for my first pro event,” said the 21-year-old DeMarco, who birdied No. 6 to get back to 1-under par for the day. DeMarco is one of two amateurs in the event along with NHL referee Garrett Rank, who was 3-under par through 16 holes when weather pulled him off the course.
“It was good,” said DeMarco, who will be back on the course at 8:30 a.m. on Friday to finish his first round before the second round gets underway. “I thought I was hitting the ball really well. I couldn’t seem to get any putts to fall.”
DeMarco had a familiar face in his threesome in David Byrne, an Essex native, who was also given a tournament exemption.
“I’ve played with him a few times over at Essex,” the 30-year-old Byrne said of DeMarco. “It’s comfortable. We’ve been waiting 25 minutes every hole, but at least you have someone to hang out.” Byrne, who started on the back nine, was off to a strong start and was 3-under par at one point, but bogeying back-to-back holes on five and six to fall back to 1-under. He was looking at a three-foot putt for birdie on the seventh hole when play was suspended by lightning. “If I can finish this round well and then go post a number (in Round 2), we’ll see what happens,” Byrne said.
The field will be cut to the top 60 and ties after Friday’s second round and that stands at 3-under par after Thursday’s play. “Make the cut and go from there and I think that’s still realistic,” DeMarco said. Conditions were tougher in the afternoon as the temperature rose, the wind picked up and the weather turned threatening.
“It’s not playing tough, but it’s playing tougher than this morning,” Byrne said. “It’s windy. I know it wasn’t blowing like it was for us out there, but guys are still shooting well.”
Richmond Hill’s Taylor Pendrith took advantage of those early conditions to fire the best round of his pro career with a 9-under par 62. “I had a great back nine,” the 27-year-old Pendrith said after his round. “I think I made seven birdies on the back. It was good. “I was just trying to hit good shots and make as many birdies as a possible and I was hitting my driver really well today. I had a ton of wedges in and my putter got hot. It was hot all day. So, made a lot of good putts for par on the front nine and just got hot on the back and wentwithit.”
American Theo Humphrey also came in at 9-under 62, while American Carter Jenkins is one-shot back after shooting an 8-under 63. Eight other golfers, including three who have not finished their round because of the weather, are at 7-under.
“I wouldn’t say I want to make the cut,” Byrne said. “I want to do better than that, but obviously the first part of it is to make the cut.”