Rudney tries to go long and straight in Nevada
The Kitchener native won the Amateur Long Drive open women’s event last year near Chicago
Kitchener’s Kelly Rudney, the 2021 Amateur Long Drive world champion, boarded a plane for Nevada on Friday to participate in this weekend’s Pro Long Drive Association event in Mesquite. The Diamond in the Desert is the third event of the PLDA season and Rudney, 47, already has one win to her credit, taking top spot last month in Hobe Sound, Fla., with a drive of 326 yards.
Rudney, the daughter of former Elmira Golf Course professional Herb Rudney, won the ALD open women’s amateur event last year at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club near Chicago and turned professional earlier this year.
“It’s fabulous, I love it,” said Herb Rudney of his daughter’s decision to join the pro circuit. “She wants to show, at 47, that she can compete with the best.”
Kelly Rudney banked about $2,000 (U.S.) for her victory, said Herb, so she’s definitely not in it for the money. Still, the travel costs add up and she’s actively pursuing sponsors. Her one shot at securing a bigger paycheque will come at the Sept. 7-9 PLDA world championship in Japan, an event with a $100,000 purse.
Former women’s world champions Phillis Meti of the Cook Islands and South Carolina’s Kanani Lodge, who won the season’s first event in Mesquite, will also participate this weekend.
The competition, including the men’s event, is available free of charge on the PLDA’s YouTube channel. Amateurs start at 11 a.m. (EDT), seniors at 4:30 p.m. and women at 10 p.m. The open division is Sunday at 11 a.m.
Bryson DeChambeau of the PGA Tour has a financial interest in the Pro Long Drive Association and is quoted as saying, “I want to do everything and anything I can to promote the sport and help grow the sport in the best way possible.”
PLDA will stage events in Colorado and Tennessee in June before making its lone Canadian stop, the July 8-10 Bash for Cash at Stark’s Golf Course in Port Rowan, Ont.
Pros, amateurs in Canadian Open regional qualifier
Cambridge resident Victor Ciesielski, a teaching professional at Galt, is attempting to make his fourth Canadian Open appearance, a task that starts Wednesday in a regional qualifier at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
The low qualifier goes to the June 9-12 RBC Canadian Open at St.
George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto and the top 10 per cent of finishers, beyond the low qualifier, are eligible to compete at final qualifying June 6 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto. Regional qualifiers are also being held in Quebec and British Columbia.
Ciesielski, who played at the Canadian Open in 2006, 2007 and 2012, is joined at Wednesday’s regional qualifier by Austin Ryan of Kitchener, Brock Brown (amateur) of Waterloo, Marcus Roth of New Hamburg and Mark Hill (amateur)
of Kitchener. Keaton Jones, James Skrypec and Ryan Kings (amateur) of Kitchener, Luke Moser of Waterloo and Derek Grota of Cambridge are on the wait list.
Gaelic football forward a fan of Conners
Google alerts will direct you to interesting tidbits, including an interview with Gaelic football forward/golf fanatic Cormac Costello.
Asked by reporter Brian Keough of the Irish Independent about his favourite golfer, Costello said the pride of the Listowel Golf Club was at the top of his list. “My favourite golfer at the minute is Corey Conners, the Canadian golfer. I just like the way he plays. He’s just solid and very rarely has a bad hole. Obviously, Tiger would be the favourite of all time, and Shane Lowry is just a hero. He’s playing serious golf at the moment.”
So who is Cormac Costello, you ask? Turns out he’s a seven-time Dublin all-Ireland winning footballer, who was also in the news late last year for punching a player in the mouth while he was a sideline spectator at a match.
Juniors open campaign on long weekend
A handful of local players will compete at the first two events of the Golf Ontario schedule — the Junior Boys (U19) Spring Classic at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge and the Junior Girls Spring Classic at Sawmill Creek in Camlachie.
Whistle Bear will be represented at the May 22-24 boys championship by Andreas Diogenous of Cambridge, Andrew Rouble of Wellesley, Jameson Stabb of Kitchener and Matthew Whitehead of Cambridge, and Adam Brenton of Cambridge will fly the Galt colours.
Whistle Bear golfers Peyton Costabile of Ayr and Tara O’Connor of Guelph will play at the May 21-23 girls tournament.
Asked by reporter Brian Keough of the Irish Independent about his favourite golfer, Gaelic footballer Cormac Costello said the pride of the Listowel Golf Club was at the top of his list