THORTON, Ont. – Entering the final round of the Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada, Claude Grenier held a four-shot lead, but by mid-afternoon Friday, his lead had all but evaporated.
Grenier started his final round at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club in Thorton, Ont., double-bogey, bogey. By the time he reached the 12th tee, he was 5-over for the day and had fallen out of first-place.
“I wouldn’t say I was really nervous early on, but I was definitely feeling something,” Grenier said. “I was 5-over-par after 11 holes and I could see all these guys all of sudden be back in the tournament, I knew I had to do something.”
That something came promptly at the 12th hole.
“Holing out from the fairway on No. 12 definitely saved my bacon out there today and changed the way my round was going.”
Grenier would make par on the remaining six holes, finishing the 54-hole championship at 2-under-par, three shots better than Kevin Dugas, Marc Hurtubise, Jean Laforce and Michael Woodcock.
With the win, Grenier added his name to a list of champions that includes Canadian golf legends Moe Norman, Bob Panasik, Al Balding, Stan Leonard and Bill Kozak.
“I look at the names on this trophy and it’s just amazing,” Grenier said. “I never would have ever thought I’d have my name on the same trophy as the great Moe Norman.”
The PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the PGA Championship of Canada. In 1973, the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada became an independent event and has stayed that way ever since. Norman won this championship a record seven straight years from 1979 to 1985, while Balding stunned the golf world by winning the championship at age 76 in 2000.
Michel Dagenais, Ian Doig, Luc Guilbault, Gary Jeffrey and Carl Pelletier rounded out the Top-10.
Originally from Sherbrooke, Que., Grenier now lives in Europe and is a member of the PGA of Austria. The 56-year-old said it was a pleasure catching up with many of his old friends this week at Tangle Creek.
“There were guys here who I played junior golf with and now I see them with grey hair – it’s actually very funny,” said Grenier. “But yes, it’s also very nice to see all the old gang again.”
Daniel Talbot defended his Super Senior division title, besting Gar Hamilton and Hocan Olsson by one shot. In the Diamond division, Atilla Becsy was crowned champion.
Ninety-nine-year-old Gord Delatt; 94-year-old and five-time PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada winner Bill Kozak; and 86-year-old John Henrick also participated in a 9-hole PGA of Canada legends exhibition match Friday afternoon at Tangle Creek.