LPGA Tour here in 10 days
LPGA CN Canadian Women’s Open ready to roll Aug. 22-25
Just 10 days left until the $2-million LPGA CN Canadian Women’s Open at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.
“It’s going to be special,” said Brent McLaughlin, tournament director for Golf Canada.
“The fans are going to be in store for a real treat.” Are they ever. “It will arguably be the strongest field of any tournament this year. It will definitely rank right up there with the U.S. Open and the (Women’s) British Open.
“We fully expect all the top players in the world to be there,” said McLaughlin, who has been in Edmonton since July 29 making sure that everything is ready.
Inbee Park, the world’s No. 1 player, Stacy Lewis, No. 2, and third-ranked Suzann Pettersen on the Rolex Rankings have already confirmed their appearances.
Park has won six times on the LPGA Tour this year, including taking three of four majors. Lewis just won the Ricoh Women’s British Open, the fourth of five majors on the LPGA calendar. Pettersen has won 11 LPGA events.
“Unless they are injured, we expect all the top players in the world to be in Edmonton next week (Aug. 22-25) ,” said McLaughlin.
Scene
“Highlight of my career,” said Camrose’s Andrew Harrison after he won the recent Golf Canada Canadian Juvenile Championship in Sudbury, Ont., with rounds of 71-6970-73.
“My short game finally kicked in. I had been struggling with anything 20 yards and in, but especially with my putting.”
Part of the overall Canadian Junior Championship, the juvenile division is open to boys 16 and under. Harrison, who just turned 16, finished fourth overall — four behind B.C.’s Kevin Kwon, 18.
“I didn’t finish as well as I had hoped,” he said of his 73 in the final round. “But it was still great.”
Earlier this year, Harrison finished second in the Alberta Junior Masters. He also made the cut in this past week’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
The Alberta Junior Boys also won the inter-provincial team portion of the tournament by two shots over Team Ontario. Representing Team Alberta were Calgary’s Nicholas Scrymgeour, who won this year’s Alberta Junior Boys Champion, Edmonton’s Ty Saunders and Ian Mmbando of Lethbridge. ❚ Mike Belbin finally broke through to win the Alberta PGA’s Assistant’s Championship for his first win of the season.
“I simply haven’t played very well this year,” said Belbin, whose 7-under total of 137 was three shots better than Calgary’s Garett Jenkinson. Jasper Park Lodge’s Tom Flockhart tied for third along with Calgary’s Tyler LeBouthillier.
“It hasn’t been horrible; it’s been sloppy. There have been too many two and three-hole stretches where I’ve gone to sleep,” said Belbin, who won the Assistant’s Championship for the fourth time.
While Belbin had two runner-up appearances on the APGA Tour — at Wetaskiwin, where he lost in a playoff to Keith Whitecotton of the Edmonton Petroleum Club, and at Calgary’s River Spirit golf course.
As well as winning $3,500, the Assistant’s victory also earned Belbin a spot on the 2013 Alberta Assistants’ team which will compete in the national championship next month at the Willows in Saskatoon. ❚ Playing at his home Edmonton Country Club course, Brock Crosson pulled off one of the most rare shots in golf when he made a double-eagle, albatross deuce on the 505-yard Par 5, 6th hole.
Starting off with a 325-yard drive, Crosson then hit a 180-yard seven-iron into the cup.
“Pretty exciting,” said Crosson.
Noted
Playing with her husband, Garrett, and son, Ryan, Trish Hagan aced No. 2 at Glendale from 145 yards with a seven-iron. Trestle Creek had its second ace of the year. This one was by Darrell Walde, who hit the perfect shot on No. 7 with a nine-iron from 111 yards. At The Ranch, a seven-iron on No. 3 from 100 yards gave Jill Gee a hole-in-one. Glen Demke got his second hole-in-one with a great fiveiron shot from 180 yards on No. 13 at the Edmonton Country Club. Two aces at Cougar Creek. — and both on the same day. Both on No. 17. First it was Val Brown, who did it with a seven- iron from 179 yards; two hours later, Mike Lemieux matched him with an eight-iron from the same tee box. ❚ At Camrose, it was Rees James from 157 yards on No. 8. ❚ Three more from the Derrick Club. Maureen Brown used a nine-wood on No. 13 from 140 yards while playing with Sandy Hasinoff and Carole Shields. Then it was Craig McElroy who used a nine-iron from 110 yards on No. 7 while playing with Rob Daniels, Randy Tighe, Gordon Taylor and Rob Miller. And then it was Blaine Jackson with a gap wedge from 98 yards, also on No. 7. Jackson played with Blake Martin and Colin Cackett. ❚ Two more from Highlands. Noll Sheldon aced Highlands’ popular 16th hole with an eightiron from 135 yards while in the company of Carol Zebreski, Ray Martin and Dave Colbourn, while George McCorry aced one of the toughest Par 3s in the country — the 245-yard 7th — using a “stinger driver” while playing with Gary Carleton and Brian Carleton.