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Golf Canada – Ontario leads inter-provincial competition by four strokes

VICTORIA, B.C. – Garrett Rank heated up an otherwise calm, windless day at Victoria Golf Club after he shot a 5-under-par 65 to lead the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after round one on Tuesday. 

The Elmira, Ont., talent started the day on the back nine and didn’t waste any time before recording an eagle straight out of the gate on his first hole.

“I got off to a great start, eagled the first hole, made a nice putt for birdie on my third hole and it was off to the races. I made a few mistakes in the middle of the round but had a lot of really good putting today,” said Rank, whose 2016 Men’s Mid-Amateur win made him one of only three players to record three consecutive titles in the tournament’s history. “65 is a great score and I’m pleased with it, but definitely going to need to be a bit sharper if I’m going to take it home.”

After his eagle, the 30-year-old Team Canada Amateur Squad graduate would go on to card five birdies against two bogeys to lead the field. He has made quite the splash in amateur golf this season, most recently at the 114th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship where he finished in third and was the low Canadian at the tournament by seven strokes.

 “I’m in love with the game of golf and love playing golf,” added the NHL referee, when asked about competing in his fourth event in a row and his intense amateur golf summer schedule. “If this is what I get to do in the summer, then I need to play in events.”

Two B.C. players sit in second place as Jordan Caron of Victoria and Jay Snyder of Vancouver shot matching 3-under-par 67s. Both players played consistent golf throughout the day. Caron, who calls Victoria Golf Club home, registered four birdies and a sole bogey while Snyder, who earned an exemption into this week’s tournament after winning the 2018 B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship, carded five birdies and two bogeys.

Todd Fanning, the defending Men’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master champion from Winnipeg, Man., leads the over-40 Mid-Master division by two strokes.

“We had the afternoon draw and neither of us threw grass or discussed the wind direction with our caddies one time,” said the 50-year-old. “Only getting one practice round on a course this difficult and with the greens this tricky, I felt like I was thinking pretty conservatively and was just kind of unsure of a few different shots. All-in-all, I think that a 69 is a good way to start.”

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Legend and seven-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion Graham Cooke from Hudson, Que., is in second alongside four other golfers —Senan Foley (Calgary, Alta.), Sandy Harper (Nanaimo, B.C.), Craig Doell (Victoria, B.C.) and Glenn Robinson (Middle Sackville, N.S.)— at 1-over-par 71.

Defending champion Team Ontario leads the inter-provincial competition in large part due to Rank’s low-round of the day. Fellow teammates Dave Bunker (Brampton, Ont.) and Patrick Forbes (Toronto, Ont.) have Ontario at the top of the leaderboard by a comfortable four-stroke margin at 7 under par. 

Team British Columbia is in solo second at 3 under while Team Quebec is in third at 3 over.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2018 champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont. 

NOTE TO MEDIA: Click here to download images from Tuesday’s first round (credit: Golf Canada).

2018 CANADIAN MEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS
1. Garrett Rank, Elmira, ON, *34-31-65 -5
2. Jordan Caron, Victoria, BC, *34-33-67 -3
2. Jay Snyder, Vancouver, BC, *31-36-67 -3
4. Saare Adams, Victoria, BC, *35-33-68 -2
4. Patrick Forbes, Toronto, ON, *32-36-68 -2
4. Erik Swinburnson, Victoria, BC, *34-34-68 -2

2018 CANADIAN MEN’S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS, MID-MASTER DIVISION

1. Todd Fanning, Winnipeg, MB, *34-35-69 -1
2. Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC, *38-33-71 +1
2. Craig Doell, Victoria, BC, *35-36-71 +1
2. Senan Foley, Calgary, AB, *35-36-71 +1
2. Sandy Harper, Nanaimo, BC, *37-34-71 +1
2. Glenn Robinson, Middle Sackville, NS, *35-36-71 +1
 

INTER-PROVINCIAL COMPETITION 

1. Team Ontario – Garrett Rank, Elmira, ON, Patrick Forbes, Toronto, ON, Dave Bunker, Brampton, ON, -7
2. Team B.C.  Jay Snyder, Vancouver, BC, Brent Wilson, Cobble Hill, BC, Daniel Swanson, Abbotsford, BC, -3
3. Team Quebec  Dwight Reinhart, Ottawa, ON, Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC, Philip Doucet, Beaconsfield, QC, +3
4. Team Alberta – Brandon Markiw, Edmonton, AB, Phil Mckenzie, St. Albert, AB, Jeff Murdoch, Stony Plain, AB, +5
4. Team Winnipeg – Justin McDonald, Winnipeg, MB, Garth Collings, Matlock, MB, Jay Doyle, Winnipeg, MB, +5
Click here for full results.
 
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GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts more than 20 championships nation-wide which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist and FootJoy and Destination B.C. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions.

GOLF CANADA
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

For more information:

Samantha Sokol
Media and Public Relations
Golf Canada
(t) 905-849-9700 ext. 316
(e) ssokol@golfcanada.ca