FROM TEE TO GREEN: Junior tour adds Clear Lake stop

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This article was published 25/06/2015 (3727 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Westman Junior Golf Tour returns Tuesday and it’s teeing off on a course it has never been at before.

About 60 golfers will head to the Clear Lake course for the first of the tour’s seven stops. Gary Poole, the tour’s organizer, has been working to get it to other courses and he’s glad Clear Lake — which will host the Tamarack in August — jumped on board.

“I always try to give the kids a chance to play some different golf courses and the opportunity came up this year so we jumped at it,” he said. “I don’t know if a lot of them have played there before. I’m sure they’re looking forward to it. It’s one of the better golf courses in this area for sure.”

Once again, the players will be divided into three age groups, 16- to 18-year-olds, 14- and 15-year-olds and 13 and under. The older two groups will compete in match play for the first five events, which will determine which flight each golfer ends up in for the final two events. Those will be the playoffs for the age groups.

The younger division features stroke play. Four of the players’ best scores from the first six events, as well as the final on Aug. 11 at Oak Island, will determine that champion.

Brandon’s Kolby Day won the oldest age group championship last year and the 18-year-old will be back to defend his title in his last year of eligibility. Day has always enjoyed the competition on the tour and feels this year will be more difficult than any other.

“I think it’s always good being a defending champ and not (good) at the same time,” he said. “I think a lot of people always want to beat the defending champion, so I think it gives everyone a little extra push when they know the defending champion is playing. I think this year will be more interesting than last year because we’ve got more guys in Group A (16-18) from Group B (14-15). I think we’ll see a tighter group of guys.”

Day will also use the tour to help him prepare for the provincial junior men’s championship from July 13 to 16 in Winnipeg as well as the Tamarack.

Poole agrees the tour is good preparation for other events, but he sees other benefits for it as well.

“To be able to play competitive golf,” he said. “I hope most of them make good friendships as well. Some of them have played for five or six years now, so they get to see good buddies all summer too.”

Golfers can play in as many or as few events as they choose. It costs $25 per competition and players must register at least two days before each event by contacting Poole at 204-729-1097.

AMATEUR: There are a dozen Westman golfers trying to earn spots in the Manitoba men’s amateur championship at qualifiers in Warren today and Portage la Prairie on Saturday. The locals battling for the 73 available berths include Brandonites Austin Dobrescu, David Glenn, Drew Jones, Tyler Turner, Ross Sheard and Wade Turner, Carberry’s Braden Calvert and Joel Baron, Glenboro’s Zach Wytinck and Glen Ford, Neepawa’s Austin Gwilt and Shilo’s Jared Gossen.

JUNIORS: Erickson’s Bobbi Uhl placed fifth at a United States junior amateur qualifier on Wednesday in Fargo, N.D. Uhl shot a 10-over 82 in the 18-hole event at the Oxbow Country Club. She was 4 over on the front nine.

WESTMAN JUNIOR GOLF TOUR SCHEDULE

Date Course

June 30 Clear Lake

July 7 Shilo

July 14 Neepawa

July 21 Minnedosa

July 28 Killarney

August 4 Pleasant Valley

August 11 Oak Island