Golfers tee off
Capital region hosts national tourney
The golf bags Monday during practice rounds at Gorge Vale and Royal Colwood were a logo-emblazoned virtual menagerie of UCLA Bruins, Cal Bears, Washington State Cougars and more.
For every veteran at the Canadian Amateur, such as Nanaimo’s B.C. Golf Hall of Fame-bound Sandy Harper, there appear to be bevies more of young collegians in the early stages of their golf careers.
Among the best of them to watch for in the national amateur tournament, which begins today at both clubs, is Adam Svensson of Surrey, the 2013 Phil Mickelson Award winner as outstanding NCAA Div. II freshman, 2012 Canadian Junior champion and 2010 Callaway World Junior champion at Torrey Pines.
“The younger guys will play more aggressively while the older guys will play it down the middle and take the pars,” is how the 19-year-old Svensson sees the separation in playing styles between the two distinct groups.
And this is a guy who experienced veteran prowess at the highest pro level by qualifying as an amateur for last week’s 2013 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey.
It’s a trajectory he sees himself taking. But so does every other young golfer gathered among the field of 240 this week at Royal Colwood and Gorge Vale.
Asked about a civilian fall-back career if golf doesn’t work out, Svensson admitted he hasn’t even given that a thought yet.
“I see myself [making a career] in the golf world somewhere,” said the graduate of Earl Marriott Secondary, who led Barry University of Florida to the 2013 NCAA Div. 2 title.
“Pro golf is something I’ve thought a lot about. I’m going to grind it out. I’m going to make it happen,” added Svensson, who in 2010 won both the B.C. Junior and men’s amateur championships.
Svensson will return to Barry for his sophomore season before deciding on his pro options, which could include the Web.com Tour school.
A pro career just seems destined for the four-year member of the developmental, and now junior, Canadian national team, who began golfing seriously at age eight with his dad, Frank Svensson. The Canadian team link is no small deal now with golf about to be reintroduced into the Summer Olympics at Rio 2016. That is too soon for Svensson, but 2020 or 2024 could be right in his wheelhouse.
Yet, he knows he has a lot of work to do before any potential pro career or Canadian senior national team appearances.
“I’m a great ball striker and I can get my iron shots close to the pin, but I struggle with my putting,” he said, after his practice round Monday at Gorge Vale.
Svensson may be one of the most touted young golfers in the 2013 Canadian Amateur, but he remains as cool as his game.
“I don’t really think about that [pressure] because I’ve already played in a lot of big tournaments,” he said.
He just goes out and does his thing.
The first two rounds of the 2013 Canadian Amateur are today and Wednesday at both Royal Colwood and Gorge Vale with the final two rounds Thursday and Friday at Royal Colwood.
The Canadian Amateur is being hosted on the Island for the fourth time after previous occasions at Victoria Club in 1993, when Gary Simpson won, and Royal Colwood in 1976 and 1967 when the respective winners were Jim Nelford and Stuart Jones.
The amateur began in 1895 and has been interrupted only by two world wars. Nick Taylor, Rod Spittle, Doug Roxburgh, Danny Mijovic, Richard Zokol, Nelford, Nick Weslock, Gary Cowan, Moe Norman, Ross Somerville and George Lyon are among those to have their names engraved on the Earl Grey Cup as individual champions. The two-time defending champion is Hughes Mackenzie from Dundas, Ont., winner in 2011 at the Niakwa Club in Winnipeg and repeating last year at Camelot in Cumberland, Ont. The NCAA graduate of Kent State turned pro this year on the PGA Tour Canada, so there is guaranteed to be a new champion crowned this week.
Inter-provincial team play, contested concurrently during the first two rounds in the Canadian Amateur, is known as the Willingdon Cup with Ontario the twotime defending champion. Svensson, Langley’s Charlie Hughes and Victoria’s Kevin Carrigan will represent B.C. in the event this week.
The Amateur has been contested with a mix of match and stroke play at various times in its history. It has been stroke play since 2008.