Oakden, Hamm head to provincial junior

Brandon went 53 years without a Golf Manitoba junior boys’ provincial champion.

This week, a few standout players have a chance to make it three Wheat City winners in a row.

Team Manitoba golfers Hunter Oakden and Brayden Hamm begin the three-day tournament at Pine Ridge Golf Club today with high hopes and a plan for success.

“I’m trying to play conservative for the most part, especially in the first round, just try to make some putts,” Hamm said, adding he has learned a lot about strategy through provincial team practices.

“It’s helped me a lot with knowing what to do in certain situations and game plans … The smart play versus the risky option, weighing the two.”

While it’s tempting to chase a low score, this tournament — like most — is about avoiding bogeys more than making birdies. The winner each of the past three years could have finished the week at even par and won. Even though Oakden has proven capable of shooting crazy numbers, like an 8-under 64 at Oak Island to win the high school provincial title last fall, he isn’t trying to force it.

“Stick to the same tee shots every day,” Oakden said. The big thing out there is … not going at pins on at least half of the holes.

“On putts, if you miss it a foot low side, it can go eight feet down the slope, so keeping it on the right sides of the greens all day.”

The last Brandonite to win the event was the late, great Dan Halldorson in 1970 — the final year it was contested as a match play tournament.

In 2024, Shilo Country Club’s Zostrianos Giordani-Gross broke through for a one-shot win at Niakwa Country Club in 2024, and then Shilo’s Spence Mott won by six at Quarry Oaks Golf Course the following year.

Both were in their last year of junior golf, while Hamm and Oakden both have a couple of shots left.

They’ve both played a solid tournament schedule this year, notably competing in the Golf Canada NextGen Prairie Championship at Neepawa Golf and Country Club a few weeks ago.

Oakden finished 9 over, in a tie for 22nd, despite a second-round 79 after being in contention through 18 holes.

He also competed in a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier in California, shooting 2-over 74. He started 2 under through four holes and knew he’d likely have to keep that pace as only four of 75 players qualified.

“Even with not my best game, I stayed with the top fourth of the field, so that was good,” Oakden said.

The Vincent Massey student made a few swing changes over the winter, but feels the biggest improvements in his game have been on the mental side, specifically in his pre-shot routine and intentionality in practice rounds.

Team Manitoba coach Sean Murray has seen major growth in his game.

“Hunter’s been great. He’s always been a kid that’s one of the best players at his age and he just keeps getting better,” Murray said.

“It’s hard when you get to Hunter’s level to make huge leaps every year but he keeps getting that one per cent better.

“A lot of it’s just maturity as well. He’s starting to understand what it takes to get to the next level, where he goes and plays these tournaments outside of Manitoba and sees how good these kids are.”

There isn’t much time for practice now, though. After this week, Oakden is off to Palm Desert, Calif., for the FCG Callaway World Championships, which take place during the Golf Manitoba men’s amateur on July 13-15.

Then on Aug. 3-4, he is competing in the Notah Begay III Eastern Canadian championship, which features 50 of the top junior players in the country, in Montreal.

“I had to make some tweaks but it’s been clicking back together with a busy tournament stretch,” Oakden said.

While Oakden has been playing tournaments for the better part of his life, Hamm got into the competitive scene a little later.

But he’s catching up quickly.

He finished 17 over and tied for 40th at the NextGen event, with all three rounds in the 70s.

“I didn’t play great, I just got around the course pretty well, took away the big numbers, mostly,” Hamm said.

“My short game was pretty dialled in and made a few putts from long distance that kept the score down.”

Knowing he can score without his most accurate approach game has instilled confidence to handle big rounds. Hamm narrowly missed qualifying for the provincial men’s match play championship, finishing tied for 31st and losing a playoff.

Last weekend, he left no doubt at the men’s amateur qualifier, carding a 1-over 72 at Steinbach Fly-In Golf Course, including three straight birdies in the middle of the round.

He was tied for fifth in a field including many of Manitoba’s top players, so he likes his chances this week.

“I feel really good about it, where my game’s at,” Hamm said. “I have a lot of confidence going into it and hoping I can play like I can play, not worry about what others are doing.”

Murray feels Hamm has a bright future.

“Brayden is an interesting one. He came onto the Black team last year and a lot of the Gold kids were like, ‘Who’s this Brayden kid?’” Murray said.

“Still developing the mental side of the game, being prepared and being confident in his ability. But his ball striking, he can hit the ball just as good as everyone.”

Other Westman players in the field include Cash McCallum of Gilbert Plains, Luke Godfrey and Austin Tutkaluk of Shilo Country Club and Brier Odut of Dauphin.

The event concludes on Thursday.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com