By Martin Cleary
The amateur golf tournament season has come to an end in Ottawa and it concluded with a big bang over two days at the Hylands Golf Club. The Ottawa Valley Golf Association staged its annual Tournament of Club Champions last week for men and women in the A, B, C and senior divisions.
There were some familiar notes at the top of the scoreboard as well as several new ones. Here’s a review of how some of the best golfers in the city signed off on their local competitive season.
CLASS ‘A’
The number three was a big part of Jonah O’Connor’s final stat sheet. The Renfrew Golf Club member fired a three-under 69 to capture the men’s title by a three-stroke margin for his third OVGA title of the season.
O’Connor also was the lone golfer in his class to finish under par, but runner-up Stephen Veenema of The Marshes came close at even-par 72. Steve Martineau of Prescott and Jared Coyle of Carleton Golf and Yacht shared third at two-over-par 74.
The 2022 victory list for O’Connor also includes the OVGA match-play championship and the OVGA Cup.
“It was nice to win three OVGA events this year, especially today (Sept. 27) competing against so many good golfers,” O’Connor told Joe McLean of Flagstick magazine.
“The wins were unexpected, but when you get to play with and against our top-end guys at Renfrew, they drive you to play better. They are so hard to compete against, but it benefits me in these OVGA competitions.”
O’Connor opened and closed his round with a birdie and marked three more birdies and two bogeys in between.
Sheila McKeen of Royal Ottawa needed to play three extra holes to win the women’s championship in sudden-death fashion over Dylann Armstrong of Rideau View.
Both golfers were deadlocked at four-over 76, which forced the playoff. Lise Jubinville of Hyland was third at seven-over 79 and The Canadian‘s Avery Nordman, who is only 14 years old, took fourth at eight-over 80.
“It was pretty neck and neck all day as well as in the playoff with Dylann,” McKeen told Flagstick. “We both had birdie putts on the first (playoff) hole and I could have finished it there, but I left it on the edge.
“On the second hole, the same thing. We both missed the fairway and took pars. On the third hole, I hit it on the green, while Dylann missed. She made a good chip and missed her putt, after making everything all day from everywhere. I tapped in for par, after missing my putt for birdie. It was so much fun all day with Dylann.”
CLASS ‘B’
A playoff also was needed to determine the women’s ‘B’ title, which went to Pat Young of Greyhawk as she defeated Lori-Anne Davies of Morrisburg on the second hole.
Young, an OVGA rules official, and Davies tied for first place in regulation at 14-over 86. Elizabeth Stoqua of Eagle Creek finished third at 15-over 87.
Playing in the OVGA’s Tournament of Club Champions for the first time, Steve Chapman of Vieux Moulins took top spot in the men’s competition, after shooting a seven-over 79. His consistent round had 12 pars, five bogeys and one double bogey.
Roger Beckley of Rideau View was second at nine-over 81 and Jacob Fourney of Brockville and Jason Winters of Ottawa Hunt shared third place at 11-over 83.
CLASS ‘C’
The Chapman surname appeared once again, but this time it was Andrew Chapman of Greensmere emerging as the men’s ‘C’ champion.
Hitting the ball well off the tee with his driver, Chapman scored a 14-over 86 for a one-stroke victory over Dallas Keith of Pine View, who finished at 15-over 87.
Mark Cepella of Carleton was third at 23-over 95.
After a slow start, Bev Leach of Smiths Falls rebounded on the back nine and won the women’s crown with a 23-over 95, while Reinouw Bast-Tjeerde of Greensmere was second at 24-over 96.
Retrogression was used to award third place to Catherine Draper of Mississippi over Yolanda Lindenbach of Hylands. Both golfers shot 31-over 103.
SENIORS
Playing on his home course, Tom Hossfeld could almost do no wrong as he shot a three-under 69 for the men’s seniors championship.
He scored all four of his birdies on the front nine for a four-under 32 and came home with one bogey and eight pars for a 37.
Scott Ray of Camelot and Larry Morin of Rivermead tied for second at one-over 73.
Diane Dolan also found her home course was to her liking as she posted a three-stroke victory for the women’s title.
Dolan, who recorded one birdie, 13 pars, three bogeys and one triple bogey, won with a five-over 77. Ottawa Hunt’s Betty Kieran placed second at eight-over 80.
Liz McCourt of Camelot took third at nine-over 81.
“Not that I wasn’t confident, but I had issues with my back the last 10 days,” Dolan said to Flagstick. “I said I would do my best and along with course knowledge, it seems when I compete I play a little better.
“I had a triple bogey and these things happen fast, but the greens were really nice. I was proud of my course today. I could have been better, but I missed a few birdie opportunities today. But I’m happy I won.”
Martin Cleary has written about amateur sports for 50 years. A past Canadian sportswriter of the year and Ottawa Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement in Sport Media honouree, Martin retired from full-time work at the Ottawa Citizen in 2012, but continued to write a bi-weekly “High Achievers” column for the Citizen/Sun.
When the pandemic struck, Martin created the High Achievers “Stay-Safe Edition” to provide some positive news during tough times, via his Twitter account at first and now here at OttawaSportsPages.ca.
Martin can be reached by e-mail at martincleary51@gmail.com and on Twitter @martincleary.
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