Calgary-raised golfer a proud returnee on Team Canada squad
Macdougall will miss out after national amateur tourney at Glencoe cancelled
After being selected to Golf Canada’s national amateur squad, Brendan Macdougall was planning to put a lot of wear and tear on his suitcase this summer, travelling around the country, the continent and perhaps even overseas for tournament action.
The highlight of his schedule, however, was going to be a marquee shootout at his home hangout, the Glencoe Golf & Country Club.
Not anymore.
Glencoe was slated to play host to the 2020 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, but the Aug. 3-6 event was cancelled Monday due to the COVID-19 crisis.
“That was priority No. 1 this summer, not only to be able to play it but also compete and hopefully give myself a chance to win,” said Macdougall, a born-and-raised Calgarian and product of the junior program at the 45-hole private facility. “It’s not often — I mean, hardly ever — that somebody gets to play in a huge national event on their home course. I know that a lot of other people were also extremely looking forward to it — a lot of the members and juniors out at the Glencoe that were hoping to play in it.
“So it’s a little gut-wrenching, if I’m being honest. That’s the one tournament that we kind of gear everything towards trying to play our best at.”
Monday’s news, while not unexpected, came as a bummer for birdie-seekers — both male and female — from coast to coast.
The health crisis also forced the cancellation of the 2020 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Montreal, plus the junior, mid-amateur and senior showdowns.
“National amateur competitions have been a proud focus throughout our 125-year history and while we share in the disappointment of competitors, our host clubs and event volunteers, the most important consideration is the health and safety of the people who come together at our championships,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum in a statement. “Ongoing travel restrictions — both international and across some provincial borders — in addition to continued restrictions on larger group gatherings and limitations on player training were significant contributors to this decision. We are also sensitive to the needs of our host clubs to ensure a safe and healthy environment for their staff and members.”
Macdougall, 22, was just starting to build his summer schedule before COVID -19 changed everything.
He probably would have headed to Rochester, N.Y., for the Monroe Invitational and to Seattle for the
Sahalee Players Championship.
He certainly would have been at home this week for the 2020 DC Bank Glencoe Invitational, and a victory — or any solid result — on the Forest Course would have only upped his excitement for a crack at winning the Canadian Amateur on this oh-so-familiar turf. (With a 264-man field, typically featuring rising stars from all around the globe, the national showdown would have been contested on both the Forest and Meadows layouts at Glencoe.)
Since Alberta Golf will still hold most of its provincial championships, with no caddies or spectators as a pandemic precaution, Macdougall’s next tournament will likely be the Alberta Amateur in Medicine Hat in late July.
In the meantime, he’ll stay sharp by playing practice rounds with his pals. He’s also working in the pro shop at brand new Mickelson National.
“It’s true that there is no substitute for real competition, but we’re always doing our best to try to simulate it,” Macdougall said. “I’ve got a few friends at the Glencoe that I’ll go out and play with, and we’ll always have some sort of little competition between us. And that’s fun. It gets the competitive juices flowing. But I’m super excited for when I can get back out on the course and hear your name called on the first tee.”
It’s an honour to see his name on Golf Canada’s roster, too, even if he’s been stuck at home instead of travelling to represent his country.
The five gents on the men’s amateur team are in constant contact via group chat. They connect for Zoom workouts once or twice a week. Their coach has started a friendly stats competition.
“Nothing is the same as being able to get out and see each other every few weeks at different tournaments,” Macdougall said. “But for the circumstances we have, I think we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping tabs on everyone.”
Macdougall, who will complete his collegiate career with the University of Nevada Wolf Pack after transferring from the High Point Panthers program, is the lone returnee on Golf Canada’s men’s amateur squad.
That means he knows exactly what he’s missing out on this summer.
“One of the best things is waking up in the morning and looking at the gear you have and being like, ‘Wow, I get to wear this again,’” Macdougall said. “It has the maple leaf on it, and all sorts of cool designs. So I think the best part is being able to put that on.
“You’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m representing my country.’ It may not always be a huge national event but wherever I go, I get to say that I’m part of Team Canada.”