Chuback to take shot at fourth Tamarack crown

Grady Chuback is the most relaxed defending champion you’ll find.

After winning the Tamarack golf tournament men’s title in his first attempt last year, he’s approaching the 93rd annual event beginning today with no expectations.

After all, he will more than double the number of holes he’s played in 2026 at Clear Lake Golf Course this week.

“I always look forward to this tournament, so it’s more of a fun thing for me,” Chuback said. “Yeah, there is some pressure because I did win it last year but I honestly go in thinking it’s a fun thing and whatever happens, happens.

“I’ve still been playing some pretty good golf, so I’m excited.”

While Chuback was one of the top juniors in Manitoba, finishing tied for second at the provincial championship in 2023 and T4 in 2024, he has shifted his focus away from the game since starting business school at the University of British Columbia a few years ago.

He’s working as an accounting intern this summer and has only played two 18-hole rounds and two nines.

Still, don’t be surprised if he’s still in the mix towards the end of the week.

Chuback is riding a 10-match winning streak at the Tamarack, having claimed back-to-back junior titles in 2023 and 2024.

He spent some time on a golf simulator last week to dial in his numbers, and realized that with more time in the weight room, he has added 10 to 15 yards of carry distance. Chuback said he’s nearing 180 miles per hour with his driver, carrying the ball around 310 yards.

He knows that will help at times, but is wondering if it could hurt on some holes on a course that tips out around 6,300 yards.

For now, he doesn’t plan on holding back much.

“I tend to be pretty aggressive and I think I’ll continue to do it,” Chuback said.

“I’m not much of a person who likes to match or play to how they’re playing.

“I try to play my own game, scare them with your own game, make a few birdies here and there. That’s how I play my best golf, so why wouldn’t I play my own game and do the best I can?”

While long hitters do enjoy a few advantages, Clear Lake is far from bomber’s paradise, evidenced by the wide range of play styles resulting in Tamarack victories over the years.

In 2024, the final featured two big hitters as Chris Knoop of Moose Jaw, Sask., defeated Carberry’s Joel Baron. From 2015 to 2020, Kody Fawcett, Steven Young and Dustin Dyck all took advantage of length to reach the top 16 during 36 holes of qualifying, then win the necessary four matches.

But it’s also a place where experience and patience can prevail, like when Jarod Crane captured his second title in 2022, the year he became eligible to compete in the master’s men’s division (50-plus).

“Those short hitters can play the course really, really well, manage it well and shoot some really good scores,” Chuback said, adding he’s excited to get back into competitive mode.

“It would be super cool to go on some sort of run, but no matter how I play, it’s always the most fun week of the summer. I could be in the fifth flight and still have a ton of fun watching people, playing with people. No matter the outcome, I always enjoy it.”

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The 93rd annual Tamarack will be the biggest one in terms of golfers, with a total of about 640, including a record 140 in the cubs event for younger juniors, which will run as two shotgun starts at Poplar Ridge Golf Course on Wednesday.

The other event slated to play the Onanole course is the men’s scramble’s first round of qualifying today.

In previous years, a few divisions played one of their matches there to make it easier to squeeze all the tee times in.

“We didn’t want to have guys losing a match out at Poplar and being eliminated from the tournament,” said Tamarack president Dave Newman.

The men’s scramble event, which started in 2024, is now up to 64 teams in four flights, while the ladies scramble went from 24 to 32 twosomes, competing in four brackets of eight.

The junior event has 56 spots, with just about another flight worth of players on the wait list.

“We as a committee … have always wanted a junior to be able to play. This year, we couldn’t,” Newman said.

The master’s men’s field features 72 players, including defending champion Keith Fawcett.

And the senior men’s division, also 50+ but with only one round of qualifying, is back with eight players in one flight.

The rest of the week is status quo, with the second round of men’s and men’s scramble qualifying on Sunday, round of 16 on Tuesday and quarterfinals on Thursday.

The juniors, ladies, master’s and seniors qualify on Monday, with quarterfinals on Wednesday.

All semifinals are on Friday, setting the stage for Championship Saturday.

Off the course, the men’s banquet is on Sunday evening, with the women’s on Monday and entertainment night on Thursday, featuring the Almost Famous Band.

“We try to make good changes when somebody comes up with something,” Newman said.

“The ladies’ scramble has been a huge success; the men’s scramble has been a huge success. But at the same time, we don’t want the men’s scramble to take away from the fact that it is a singles’ match-play event.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com