Team Canada member Chris Hemmerich has become a flag bearer in recent years among Canadian golf talents choosing to hone their skills at post-secondary institutions north of the border.
Hemmerich, a second-year student at the University of Guelph, is currently the team captain of the Gryphons golf team.
The Kitchener native was recently profiled in the University’s ‘At Guelph’ publication – you can read the full article here.
Among the highlights from the piece written by Dierdre Healy, the 21-year old shared how he transited from hockey to golf as well as a glimpse of his immediate goals…
“I was a decent hockey player, but I knew I was definitely better at golf,” says the fourth-year bachelor of commerce student. “I started playing golf competitively as a teenager, but never really thought about a future in the sport until about a year or two ago.”
Now the Kitchener native’s future aspirations include becoming a successful professional golfer after graduation in the spring, earning a spot in the U.S. Open and representing Canada in the 2016 Olympics.
Hemmerich also shared insight into what he finds most tiring as he works to develop his game….
“Golf is very mentally draining,” he says. “You can hit so many good shots and not be rewarded. In hockey you may hit the post once a game, but in golf it can happen over and over again, because all it takes is a gust of wind. There are constant triggers that can impact your focus, but if you let them affect you, you will never do well. You have to be mentally tough and shake it off.”
While driven to be one of this country’s best golfers, appreciating the game’s balance of social and competitive nuances is something not lost on Hemmerich….
“It’s a fun sport. You get to spend five hours outdoors with friends. It’s great social time.”
“It’s not like in other sports, which are pretty much stationary and stay the same. A basketball court is the same no matter where you are playing, but with golf elements of the game are always changing. Your shots will be different each time you play a course and the conditions will be different, too. It could be windy at one hole and raining by the time you reach the next.”
“The element of the unknown is what makes competitive golf stressful, but also exciting”, he adds.
For more on Chris Hemmerich and other members of Canada’s National Amateur Golf Team, click here.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Québec City had great success at the Alamo Invitational from Oct. 27 – 29 at the Briggs Ranch Golf Course in San Antonia, Tex., finishing in a tie for a fifth.
Tanguay, a senior at Oklahoma University, fired three consecutive rounds in the red (69-72-71) to finish with a four-under 212. In total, the 22-year-old tallied 12 birdies and eight bogies. She was seven strokes off the medalist, Lindsay Gahm, an LSU student from Louisville, Ky.
Collectively, Tanguay’s efforts helped lift the Oklahoma Sooners to a first place team finish with a final score of 24-under. The Sooners carded a remarkable 12-under on the third and final day, giving them an eight stroke cushion over runner-up LSU.
Tanguay is off to another strong start in her collegiate career. She was named to last year’s All-Big 12 Conference Team and looks for a repeat performance this season.
For full tournament results, click here.
Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson captured the women’s individual gold medal at the Spirit International in Trinity, Texas, on Saturday.
Henderson, 16, finished at 13-under in the rain shortened 54-hole tournament. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native held off Mathilda Cappeliez, who finished at 12-under for the championship.
“I was definitely aiming for the gold, but I really was trying to help my team the most,” said Henderson. “This is one of my absolute favorite tournaments. I’ve wanted to come back ever since I was here two years ago.”
In the overall team competition the Canadian contingent of Henderson, Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., finished in eighth place at 15-under 417. The Canadian squad finished 18 strokes behind Team USA who captured the overall championship after firing 33-under over 54 holes.
For more information, visit The Spirit International website at www.thespiritgolf.com.
Corey Conners, 21, of Listowel, Ont., carded the low round of the day at Gorge Vale Golf Club at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.
Conners, a member of Team Canada’s National Squad, rolled in seven birdies during his opening round 6-under 66 and heads into the second round with a three-stroke lead over a strong contingent of Canadian and international players.
“I was very comfortable out there, it was one of my better ball striking days of all-time,” Conners said following his round. “I hit every shot how I wanted to and my misses were barely off target and still in good spots, so I’m really happy with the score.”
Currently ranked No. 43 in the world, the Kent State University standout wasn’t surprised at his strong play on Tuesday. Having narrowly missed the cut recently at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, Conners stated he came to Victoria with plenty of confidence.
“I missed the cut by two shots, but it gave me a lot of confidence knowing that even though I didn’t quite have it [last week], if I would have played well it showed me that I could hang with the top professionals on the PGA TOUR.”
Six players currently sit three strokes behind Conners in a tie for second at 3-under including, Andrew Whalen, 19, of Ephrata, Wash., Chris Worrell, 22, of Enid, Okla., Jake McLeod, 18, of Australia, Paul Misko, 24, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., Cameron Jones, 20, of New Zealand and Team Canada’s, Taylor Pendrith, 22, of Richmond Hill, Ont.
In Willingdon Cup Inter-Provincial Team Championship play, Team British Columbia, comprised of Charlie Hughes of Langley, B.C., Kevin Carrigan of Victoria and Team Canada Development Squad Member, Adam Svensson, of Surrey, B.C., currently sit one stroke ahead of Team Ontario and Team Manitoba at 1-over 145 for the championship. Team Alberta and Team Quebec currently sit only two strokes out of first heading into the final round of Inter-Provincial play tomorrow.
Team Canada’s National and Development Squad programs had a strong showing on Tuesday. In addition to Conners and Pendrith’s opening rounds, Justin Shin, 21, of Pitt Meadows, B.C., currently sits in a tie for 8th at 2-under par, while Garrett Rank, 25, of Elmira, Ont., and Kevin Kwon, 18, of Pitt Meadows, B.C., sit in a tie for 21st at even-par.
The 2013 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship resumes tomorrow, Wednesday, August 7, 2013, with second-round play at Royal Colwood Golf Club and Gorge Vale Golf Club beginning at 7:30 a.m. Rounds 3 and 4 will be contested solely at Royal Colwood Golf Club with the champion being crowned on Friday, August 9.
At the conclusion of play on Wednesday, the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties and Golf Canada will also crown the 2013 Canadian Men’s Amateur Inter-Provincial Team champion.
The winner of Canada’s oldest national golf championship will earn exemptions into both the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club as well as the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship at The Country Club at Brookline in Brookeline, Mass. Additionally, the winner is eligible to receive exemptions into the U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur & USGA Senior Amateur Championship, if applicable.
