Double gold for BC golf teams
Team BC Golf took gold medals in the team competition on both the men’s and the women’s side Saturday at the Fort McMurray Golf Course.
Two-round scores of 139 from Hannah Lee (Surrey), 145 from Tiffany Kong (Vancouver), and 151 from Alisha Lau (Richmond) combined for a total of 435, easily earning them the women’s gold medal. Second place was tied with Saskatchewan with a score of 493.
On the men’s side, two-round scores of 145 for A.J. Ewart (Coquitlam), 148 for Tristan Mandur (Mill Bay), and 155 for Khan Lee (Surrey)earned them a gold medal with a total of 446. Alberta followed closely in second with 455, and Manitoba took third place with 468.
Ewart raved about the Fort McMurray Golf Course, saying, “The course is really nice, it’s in good shape. I wasn’t expecting it to be as nice as it is. They take really good care of it.”
Off the course, he says his Western Canada Summer Games experience has been just as positive. “It’s been a lot of fun, it’s been a good experience for me,” said Ewart. When asked how he likes the athlete’s village, he said, “That’s the best part! Unlimited food, hanging out with all the other athletes – it’s awesome.”
“We’re just throwing down golds like raindrops!” said head coach Matt Palsenbarg.
BC women are looking strong heading into the final round of individual competition tomorrow. Lee finished the day with a 67, five strokes better than yesterday’s score of 72. Her score of 139 after two rounds is enough to place her at the top of the leaderboard for the individual women’s competition. Next in line is teammate Kong, who shot a 72 today, for a 145 two-round score. Team BC athletes Lau and Shirin Anjarwalla (Nanaimo) shot a 78 and an 81 respectively.
On the men’s side, Mandur shot the lowest round of the day with a 72, giving him a two-round score of 148 and securing him in second place on the leaderboard. He is chasing Ewart, who currently sits in first with a 74 today and a two-round score of 145. Lee shot a 75 today, a five stroke improvement on yesterday’s score, and teammate Keenan Flemming (Sechelt) finished with an 81 for today’s round.
“I had a really good front nine, but I lost it on my back nine. I still had fun! The guys I played with from Saskatchewan and Manitoba were really fun, really good guys,” Ewart said. When asked about his strategy heading into the final individuals round tomorrow, he said, “I have the same game plan for tomorrow – hit a lot of irons, try not to play too aggressive.”
Final rounds of the individual competition take place Sunday, with men teeing off at 7am and women at 8am. Medal ceremonies will take place after the completion of all rounds, at 1:30pm.