Tely Tour wraps 11th season
The Tely Tour’s 2016 season, its 11th, wrapped up Monday with the Tour Championship over the Twin Rivers course at Terra Nova. Thirty-six players participated. Results of the event count toward the CN Future Links National Order of Merit.
At stake was the Order of Merit Trophy in each of the Tour’s five divisions. The Order of Merit recognizes strong sustained play over the season. The story this year was that the frontrunners in each division retained their leads Monday after the Tour’s final event.
In Junior Boys, Matthew Bonnell of Blomidon had a slim half point lead entering Monday’s play over Nathan Tucker and Grant Lane both of Clovelly. Sixteen-year-old Bonnell fired a one-under-par round of 70 at Twin Rivers to capture the Order of Merit and the GNL Trophy. In Junior Girls play, Taylor Cormier of Blomidon won by 12 strokes over Paige Hickey to take the Junior Girls division.
In Juvenile Boys, Michael Simms of Clovelly and Joseph Cluney of Blomidon were tied entering the final event. Simms fired an impressive 73 to take the trophy. Moving up six spots was Nash Denic of Clovelly who finished 3rd behind Cluney in the Order of Merit. Bantam winners were Aideen Nelson of Blomidon in Girls and Ethan Efford of Clovelly in Boys. Efford successfully defended the crown he captured last season.
In other awards announced on Monday, the Charles Earle Trophy went to Bonnell for the best performance on the “West Coast Swing.” The swing consists of Tely Tour events at Harmon, Blomidon and Humber River. The Hutchinson Cup went to Nelson. The Hutchinson is awarded to a female golfer who is at an early stage in her competitive career on the Tely Tour. The Most Improved Female was Megan Colbourne of Blomidon while the trophy for Most Improved Male went to Simms.
The Tely Tour Executive of Miller Ayre (Tour Commissioner), Kay Thompson (Rules) and Bruce Watson (Executive Director) extends a big thankyou to all the players, rules officials and volunteers for supporting the Tour. Thanks also to the twelve golf clubs that hosted events. Finally, we thank GNL, who take over operational control of the Tely Tour in 2017, and our title sponsor, The Telegram, for their continued support.