Hockey referee holds his own on the links
Since mid- June, Garrett Rank has played amateur golf tournaments in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina ( twice), New York and Illinois, and in between, he teed it up in a PGA Tour event near Toronto.
While travelling, he spends down time flipping through the pages of ... a National Hockey League rulebook.
The 28- year- old from Elmira was hired as a full-time NHL referee in July, just before the RBC Canadian Open, where he earned recognition from the wider sports community by surviving the 36-hole cut and playing all four rounds.
“Hopefully, that creates some interest in me and my golf game and my story, and maybe down the road it helps me parlay this into a professional career or maybe get a few more starts as an amateur in professional golf events,” Rank said Monday after an even-par 70 at Royal Ottawa Golf Club left him tied for 17 th after the first round of the Canadian Amateur.
Rank double-qualified for the 112th edition of the Amateur based both on his tie for second last year at the Weston club in Toronto and his second- consecutive title in the Canadian Mid- Amateur for golfers 25 and older.
The reward for the latter included his spots in the Canadian Open. He missed the cut at Glen Abbey in 2015, but tied for 77 th this year.
Most of Monday’s best scores relative to par were recorded at the par-72 Eagle Creek Golf Course, the other layout being used for the first two rounds.
Blair Bursey of Gander, N. L ., seized top spot with a nifty 8- under 64, including six birdies and an eagle-3 on the closing 18th. Marco Trstenjak of Winnipeg and Josh Whalen of Napanee shared second at 5- under 67 with American Andy Zhang.
The best score at Royal Ottawa was a 2- under 68 by Steven Diack of Port Coquitlam, B. C. He was tied for fifth overall with Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta. and Nicholas Ross of Dundas. Tied for seventh with 69 were Stuart MacDonald of Vancouver and American J.D. Domes.
Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., who made a memorable run at the Canadian Open and in fact, played in the final pairing on Sunday before eventually finishing in a tie for ninth, had 73 on Day 1, tied for 46th place.
Golfers switch courses for Round 2, after which the field is trimmed to 70 and ties for the final two days.
Rank’s life story also includes chapters on a successful fight with testicular cancer diagnosed in 2011, and 2015 Pan Am Games golf, where he placed 15th for Canada. He was also on the men’s national amateur team until he turned his focus to officiating.
That’s why, as soon as his extended run of tournaments ends with the Canadian Amateur, next week’s U. S. Amateur in Michigan and defence of his Canadian Mid- Amateur title at Montreal, it will be time to get back in hockey shape.
That’s what pays the bills and, for now, what hockeymad Canada knows best about Garrett Rank.
“It’s what I do. It’s my job, and, if it comes up in conversation, I love talking about it,” he said. “I talked about it a little bit ( Monday) out there on the course.’’
Full- time NHL official status could aid Rank as a golfer. He expects 73 regularseason assignments, slightly less than last season’s combined total of about 30 in the NHL and 50 in the American Hockey League, and travel is mostly between major population centres. When work and local weather forecasts create windows of opportunity, he’ll take his golf clubs with him.