Calgarian Alberta Junior Golfer
For the second year in a row, a player from Alberta’s largest city won the Pacific Coast Amateur Golf Championship on the same day another Calgary golfer came up just short in a bid to win the Canadian Junior Boys championship in Edmonton.
Last year in the Pacific Coast Amateur it was Michael Knight out of Earl Grey Golf Club, and Friday at a breezy Royal Colwood Golf Club, Jordan Irwin, who plays out of Redwood Meadows, shot an even-par 70 for a one-shot victory in the 42nd edition of one of North America’s most prestigious golf tournaments.
“Back-to-back Calgarians is certainly pretty special. It’s great for the city,” the 22-year-old Irwin said after tapping in for bogey on the par-4 18th, which left him one shot clear of third-round leader Ryan Hallisey of Granite Bay, Calif.
Irwin was one shot back of Hallisey going into the final round and found himself three shots back after nine holes Friday. A pair of birdies on the back nine, and some horrible luck for Hallisey on the 10th hole, left Irwin up by two heading to the 18th tee box.
“I finally got one to fall on a par-5 (No. 14) and birdied that hole, and then the huge 35-foot putt for birdie on 16th left me some comfort room for 18, which I needed.”
Irwin hit his second shot on the 448-yard 18th well short of the green and in the left-hand rough. His chip shot then ran off the back edge of the green.
“I hit that second shot really fat, but luckily I had some breathing room, so I wasn’t too worried,” added Irwin.
Disaster struck Hallisey on the par-4 10th hole when, after his tee shot landed under tree, he tapped a branch on his next shot and was handed a two-stroke penalty for contacting the tree, ending up with a double-bogey 6.
Irwin, who just finished up his college career at the University of Houston where he won five NCAA tournaments and is aiming for the Canadian Tour Q-school in the fall, recorded 14 pars and two birdies in the final round
Meanwhile, Calgary’s Jack Wesche took a two-shot lead into Friday’s final round of the Canadian Junior Boys championship at the Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club, but a lost ball on the final hole ended his hopes for a title.
Wesche finished second, three shots back of champion Mitch Sutton of Ontario.
Wesche’s lead had grown to three shots after the first two holes Friday.
But Sutton fought back and took the lead heading to the final hole, where he made one of his rare mistakes, three-putting for bogey on No. 17, leaving Wesche only one shot behind.
It didn’t matter.
“I tried to play a draw and it didn’t turn over,” Wesche said of his ball which, despite about 30 people looking for it, never was found in the thick, lateral-hazard grass.
The search party found about a dozen balls, but not Wesche’s.
And that was the tournament.
Said Wesche: “If there is a good way to lose I guess that’s a good way to lose. I played well. I’m not too disappointed.
http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=24e1cc04-f13d-4a14-b193-5d22005bca0d
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