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Local golf tournament has set the
competitive bar high
(Editors note to readers
— A version of below story appeared in the Sat., May 18
paper edition which contained an unfortunate error. The meaning of
a quote from former tournament champion Kelly Risling was changed
due to an editing error. In actuality, Mr. Risling was not
referring to himself when he said that some guys "have bigger fish
to fry," but rather defending Victoria Day Classic Men's champion
Mike Knight -- a national level amateur player. The News
regrets the error and apologizes to Risling. The correct quote
is included below.)
COLLIN GALLANT
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The field at the Victoria Day Classic Golf
Tournament has always impressed multiple-time winner Kelly
Risling.
And that’s not just because the
local legend has been edged a top the leaderboard for the last few
tries at the season-opening tournament at the Medicine Hat Golf and
Country Club.
“It’s been good for a number
of years,” said Risling, the event’s 12-time champion
who committed a minor sin answering his cellphone in the practice
bunker on Friday night.
“For the last dozen to 15 years
we’ve been getting a terrific field.”
Since his last May long weekend victory in
2001, Risling’s lost the 54-hole tournament in consecutive
years to Canadian Tour member siblings Dale and Ryan Vallely.
Risling won the 2000 event in the final
round over then Canadian Mid-amateur champion Dave Shultz.
Last year, Risling was defeated in a final
day, 18-hole tug-of-war with Mike Knight.
Knight, a Calgarian who now resides in
Phoenix, went on to be named the top male amateur in Canada by the
Royal Canadian Gold Association.
“Some guys come back, some guys
don’t, like Mike, (who has) bigger fish to fry,” said
Risling.
“We had a pretty good battle last
year, going into the final hole tied. But we’ve got a pretty
good field this year. There are a lot of good players again this
year.”
Last year’s champions won’t be
able to defend their titles.
At the unofficial kick-off of the local
competitive golf seasons, there will be familiar faces and also
young hotshots looking to jumpstart their seasons, just like Knight
did in 2007.
After leaving the Gas City, he went on to
be runner-up at the Canadian Amateur and then won the Pacific Coast
Amateur.
On the women’s side of the Classic
field, also absent is two-time and defending women’s champion
Jade Polonich, who is now a burgeoning professional. Last
year’s runner-up, 18-year-old Jocelyn Alford, is coming off a
second-place performance at a world junior qualifier last weekend
in High River.
Polonich spent last Victoria Day winning
the MHGCC event, Labour Day taking the City open, and sandwiched a
qualifying appearance at the LPGA’s CN Women’s Open in
between. |
