Hoffman Goes Wire to Wire to Win
 

  By

  Kieran Harris

  Brampton Golf Club
  Assistant Professional

 

 

Day 1 Recap

 

At 7:30am on Tuesday morning players hit their first tee shots to commence this year’s Investor’s Group Ontario Amateur Championship at Brampton Golf Club. At 6,600 yards, the tournament layout likely had many competitors salivating over the low scores they might soon post, but with winds gusting between 20 and 40kms per hour, an estimated green speed of 12 on the Stimpmeter, and pins cut an average of 4 paces off the collars, the course would not be had so easily on this day.

 

At day’s end the average score settled at 78, with 54 out of 156 players shooting 80 or higher – a testament to the course and playing conditions. The leader in the clubhouse, 22-year-old Mark Hoffman of Thornhill G&CC, collected 5 birdies en route to an impressive 3 under par 68. The 10 competitors playing under the Brampton Golf Club banner managed several of their own formidable rounds on Tuesday, with 21-year-old Binupa Wijesinghe hitting 16 greens in regulation leading to a 1 under par round of 70 – he sits in a tie for 3^rdplace. Another 21-year-old, Jamie Willetts, claimed to have battled his swing in late stages of the round, but rode a hot, albeit bizarre-looking putter and birdied 2 out of 3 back-9 par 3s to finish the day at 2 over par and in a tie for 12th place. 18-year-old Kyle Sayani bogeyed 5 holes on his front 9 but recovered very well and turned in a tidy score of 74, good enough for a top-20 position. This youthful charge was rounded out by 19-year-old Russell Bowie, who played his first 9 holes at 3 over par, but held his ground against the day’s element to post a competitive round of 75.

 

Brampton GC’s Ryan Borg and Dave Bunker, while 30 years apart in age at 16 and 46 respectively, managed respectable rounds of 77, with Borg overcoming a 7 over par front 9 and Bunker shooting 4 over par on his final 4 holes despite an otherwise solid round. 49-year-old Gary Parker, a revered competitor, finished his day at 79, and claimed to have hit the ball well despite a few uncharacteristic lapses. 26-year-old AJ Boland and 25-year-old David James Wilson both reflected on below average ball-striking after their rounds of 80 and 82 respectively. Peter Naumovski, another veteran competitor at 45 years old, was content with his shot placement all day but battled his touch on the greens to card an 86.

 

With 5 out of 10 Brampton competitors poised in the top 27 day 1 of the Amateur Championship certainly built up a lot of excitement and anticipation in the golf club’s membership and community. There were several highlights from day 1 from other players in the field as well, notably:

 

·         London, ON native Mitch Sutton completed a round of 1 under par 70, in which he made a double eagle from 210 yards on Hole 2, and then drove the par 4 6^th Hole from 318 yards (into a stiff breeze!) to one-putt for an eagle 2

·         33-year-old Matt Ion Young, from Hamilton G&CC, crisped a perfect 8-iron from 160 yards on the 11^th Hole, which bounced only once on the green before landing in the hole for an ace

·         Ryan Terdik, a 21-year-old player out of Brantford G&CC, stared down a difficult pin tucked near the front of the green on the par 3 7^th Hole before blasting a draw from 174 yards with his 7 iron, which rolled from the front-fringe and died in the hole. He was quoted as saying: “It was the best speed I had on a putt all day”

·         The day’s featured group of Albin Choi (2010 Canadian Amateur Champion), Corey Conners (2010 Ontario Amateur Champion) and Mackenzie Hughes (T-5 in both the 2010 Canadian and Ontario Amateur Championships) were each assessed one-shot penalties for failing to complete their round under the stipulated time-par of 4 hours and 40 minutes, leading to total scores of 75, 75 and 76 respectively

The first day of the event could not have been possible without the dedicated work of many volunteers from the Brampton Golf Club membership. Over 2 dozen volunteers aided in the GAO event’s operations on day 1, providing scoring information, shuttling players and spectators around the property, distributing event literature, and ensuring player safety and comfort on the course and grounds. Jan Wilde and Rick Dodds-Hebron, who headed an Ontario Amateur Championship member-committee in charge of recruiting and coordinating volunteer positions and working in conjunction with the GAO, both seemed pleased with the first day. Rick Dodds-Hebron said he was simply “impressed” with the operational side, as well as the on-course display of talent, while Jan Wilde remarked on “the sheer number of people” in attendance, satisfied with the number of volunteers while also pleasantly surprised with the volume of spectators around the property.

 

Other member-volunteers offered candid perspectives on their experience on Tuesday, especially as it related to seeing many of the players up close. Tony Aziz remarked: “One thing I’ve found today is that my game is very similar to these players – I have clubs and balls and a golf bag, and even dress much the same as them…but they just seem to hit the ball a little ‘differently’ than I do. "I feel much better about my own game after watching these guys.” In a similar tongue-in-cheek tone, Veronica Edey quipped: “I noticed a few 3-putts on the 9^th hole today – I can do that too, you know!”

 

Here’s hoping that the spirits of the fans and volunteers remain as high as they were on Tuesday, and that the high-calibre field continues to dazzle the galleries at Brampton golf Club just as they did on day-1.

 

 

 

Day 2 Recap

 

Wednesday of the Ontario Amateur Championship offered a déjà vu-like experience to players and spectators alike – clear skies, swirling breezes, and the same toothy golf course. The natural conditions may have been similar, but the mindset of the players was necessarily different on this day. Those near the top of the leader board would have to balance a conservative effort with another strong showing to remain in contention and to earn a Thursday tee time. Those players off the projected cut-line would have to employ a more aggressive strategy while somehow avoiding any big numbers. The effect of this polarized approach from the field seemed to benefit as many as it punished, with the day 2 scoring average only marginally lower than day 1 (77.72 day 2 vs. 78.12 day 1). The leader after round 1, Mark Hoffman (Thornhill G&CC), had another impressive showing with a 1 under par score (-4 total), but this was just enough to fend off the charging Ryan Terdik (Brantford GC) who, after a hole in one in his first round, rattled off a sizzling 8 birdies in round 2 for a tournament-low 67 and a two-day score of 3 under par. Of near equal prowess was the effort of 16-year-old (!!) Brett McIntosh (Greenhill GC), who leapt into 3^rd position overall by carding a 3 under par round of 68.

 

The “Brampton 10” were not to be outdone on Day 2, with 7 out of 10 Brampton players surviving the cut to join the top 68 amateurs in the province for the final two days of competition. Binupa “Binu” Wijesinghe doubled-bogeyed his first hole (#10) of the day, but employed a very balanced swing for the remaining 17 holes to shoot 75, leaving himself tied for 6^th place at 4 over par. Dave Bunker settled into his customary tournament form, dropping 3 birdies on the back 9 and vaulting into a tie for 21^st at 7 over par. Queen’s University golfer Russell Bowie could not muster any birdies on day 2 but made friends with 15 pars for a 76, leaving him in a tie for 34^th (9 over par).

 

Gary Parker and Kyle Sayani, another Brampton tandem separated by over 30 years of age (49 and 18, respectively), found themselves tied for 41^st at day’s end (10 over par). Parker, who shot a very clean 73 (bettering his first round by 6 strokes), sank a perfectly-paced putt from 35 feet on the par 5 14^th hole for the lone birdie on his card. Sayani, who has played the par 3s at 2 under par thus far, battled 2 double bogeys and 1 triple but still managed a score of 78. Jamie Willetts explained that leaving many chips outside of 5 feet put too much pressure on his putter with the slick green speeds, and while he never scored worse than bogey he slipped back in the pack to 52^nd position with a second round score of 80 (13 over par). The final Brampton player to make the cut, Dave Wilson, did so in highly impressive fashion by posting a round of 72 (which he felt “could have been a 64”), ten shots better than his first round (tied for 58^th).

 

Only 3 Brampton golfers failed to advance to Thursday’s round. AJ Boland birdie all 4 par 5s on day 2 but his round of 76 left him 2 strokes off the cut line. Young Ryan Borg put his great potential on display, but double bogeys on 16 and 18 put a damper on an otherwise steady performance as he shot 79, also missing the cut by 2. Peter Naumovski golfed his ball away from any big numbers on day 1, but in an aggressive charge on day 2 he found 4 double bogeys en route to an 85.

 

All of the Brampton players should be commended for their efforts and ambassadorship thus far in the tournament. The next two days should invite even more excitement and fan-interest as the home-team competitors vie for a chance to lift the Gary Cowan Trophy (the Championship hardware named in honour of the man who won 9 Ontario Amateur titles over his career).

 

As players and caddies marched from their last holes to the scoring tent many were overheard offering further praise for the golf course and its conditioning. CPGA teaching and playing professional, Bob Breen, who has amassed 160 tournament wins in a 50-year professional career, spoke with several players and caddies throughout the first two days of play, and reported that most all were “overwhelmed with the golf course,” going on to say that all of them “will remember Brampton Golf Club for a long time after this event.” Danny Maue (Head Professional at Buncrana Golf Club near Cambridge, ON), a caddy in the amateur championship, raved about Brampton’s “tour conditions.” “The greens are very hard and fast, the fairways are short and rolling out, and the pins are tucked. This is really how tour players prefer the conditions,” said Maue. Larry Cooper, an accomplished player from Mississaugua Golf Club, asserted: “this is as good as a course can play.” Mr. Breen, who has been part of several Canadian Opens, later stated: “this will be one of the best Ontario Amateurs in years,” referring to the exceptional course conditioning.

The rave reviews were not limited to the golf course alone however. One GAO official was overheard in a conversation with Assistant Professional Kyle Scott as he claimed: “this is the best-run Ontario Am in over a decade,” pointing to the well-organized and overwhelming member-volunteer force present at the event – an enormous credit to the Brampton Golf Club membership and staff.

 

 

 

Day 3 Recap

 

‘Moving Day’ at the Investors Group Ontario Amateur Championship met the arriving players with yet another beautiful day and, for the first time, barely a whisper of wind. The unusually calm conditions had players envisioning low scores in their warm-ups, while eager spectators wondered if they might witness a course-record-breaking performance on this day (the current course record is held by Brampton member, Kent Glugosh, at 64). With the field trimmed to 68 players after Wednesday’s cut the remaining group of elite amateurs prepared for the two-day grind ahead of them.

The marquee players certainly showed up on this day, giving justification to the hype around their names.

 

Mark Hoffman, the Humber Hawks all-star who has held the lead since round one, would not relinquish it on Thursday. His round of 68 was highlighted by a chip-in birdie on the 8^th hole from a very difficult short-sided position; he now sits 3 shots ahead of Concordia Lions player Ryan Terdik (4 under par) at 7 under par. North Carolina State star-freshman Albin Choi had his full arsenal on display Thursday, dropping an incredible 8 birdies for a tournament-low 65 finish and a spot in the final group on Friday. At 2 under par, Choi will need a similar round on day 4 to surmount Hoffman’s 5-shot lead, but with clear and calm weather expected again on Friday the final group has all the potential to provide spectators with a fire-powered shootout performance.

Brampton Golf Club boasted 7 of their own members still in the hunt on Thursday – more representatives than any other club in the modern history of the GAO event. Veteran amateur Dave Bunker exhibited the patience and endurance commensurate with his experience and paced his way around the golf course and into a tie for 14^th with a score of 72 (8 over par total). “Binu” Wijesinghe, who began the day tied for 6^th, hit the ball well but felt victim to several front-9 lip-outs en route to a 77; he now sits tied for 17^th at 9 over par. Russell Bowie again proved himself on Thursday to be one of the steadiest players in the field, finishing off a round of 75 with a routine 2-putt from 50 feet on the sidewalk-speed 18^th green (tied for 34^th, 13 over par).

 

The silent and ever-consistent Gary Parker posted a 78 on day 3, with minor struggles on the front nine’s 3 challenging par 4s – Holes 4, 5 and 6; he enters Fridays round in a tie for 53^rd place at 17 over par. After a remarkable turnaround in his Wednesday round Dave Wilson was on pace for another stellar performance but faltered through the final 3 holes, playing them 6 over par, and leaving him pondering what could have been with a score of 79 (62^nd place, 20 over par). Kyle Sayani seemed to float across the grass on his first two days with a light-hearted demeanour and airy bounce in his stride, but he couldn’t maintain the same rhythm in his gait or golf swing on Thursday, scrambling for a number of bogeys en route to an 82 (tied for 63^rd, 21 over par). Rounding out the Brampton pack was the multitalented, University of Calgary skeleton racer, Jamie Willetts, whose aggressive pin-seeking strategy yielded some unlucky results early on and led to a day 3 score of 84 (68^th place, 24 over par).

 

The Brampton team will have one more opportunity to employ their talent and course knowledge towards a strong finish on Friday, and with more fans expected on the final day the team is sure to provide the home crowd with a memorable performance. 

 

Friday’s spectators may want to focus their attention Brampton’s duo of ‘Amen Corners’; the first consisting of three winding par 4s on the front side (holes 4, 5, and 6), and the second encompassing the three closing holes of the back 9, of which Holes 16 and 18 have played as the most difficult so far this week. It is on these stretches that the championship will likely be decided, as anyone who emerges from these corridors unscathed will likely find themselves on an unimpeded path to the winner’s circle.

 

 

Day 4 Recap

 

The final day of the Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship wrapped up an exceptional week, with the confluence of perfect weather, flawless course conditions, and a fiercely contested golf tournament. It was Mark Hoffman’s event to lose, having been the only player to go under par each day and with a 3 shot lead (7 under par).Hoffman’s playing partners, Albin Choi (2 under par) and Ryan Terdik (4 under par), began the day as could be expected: gunning for pins and leaving no putt short of the hole. Their pressing game plans backfired with each of them falling an additional 2 shots behind Hoffman within the first 5 holes. All three members of the final pairing then engaged in a grinding stalemate of 7 consecutive holes with pars across the board, as Choi and Terdik could feel time, and real estate, running out on their chances to surge. After Terdik dropped a shot by three-putting the 13^th green, Choi followed on the next hole by playing several shots from the left trees and making bogey. Hoffman did not hesitate to capitalize on his opponents’ errors as he two-putted from 10 feet for birdie on the par 5 14^th hole. Hoffman would go on to cement his lead with another two-putt birdie on the 17^th hole, and then for formality’s sake converted his par save from 20 feet on the 18^th green Hoffman, leaving him at 9 under par for the championship and the inner of the 89^th Ontario Men’s amateur Championship.

 

Hoffman lauded the golf course, the GAO run event, and the individual staff departments at the club, especially Martin Kopp and his grounds crew. The 22-year-old was subdued in his acceptance speech and he revealed to the crowd, with mixed emotions, that this would be his last amateur event before declaring as a professional.

 

With the remaining Brampton competitors out of striking range of victory on the final day, many still held strong to conclude the event with poise. BinuWijesinge and Dave Bunker finished the event tied for 20^th (12 over par) with rounds of 74 and 75, respectively. Both men felt they missed many opportunities over the 4-day tournament, and yet, as the two most touted Brampton players in the field heading into play, their result was still commendable and impressive. Fellow member Russell Bowie, who was a model of consistency all week, wrapped up play with his best round at 73, rising up the leaderboard to 31^st place. Gary Parker, the most experienced and composed member of the Brampton team, also made a statement on day 4 with 3 birdie and 73 score, leaving him in a tie for 44^th position. Soon-to-be sophomore Kyle Sayani rebounded from a third round 82 firing a 77 on day 4 (63^rd place). Dave Wilson’s round looked quite steady, save for a brief stumble through Holes 10, 11, and 12; he signed for a round of 80 (65^th place) to conclude his week. The final Brampton competitor, Jamie Willetts, raced around the course as the first group of the day, pressing on each hole for a low number. His run-and-gun strategy yielded a 1^st-hole birdie but devolved into several double bogeys and a round of 87 (68^th place).

 

This certainly was a statement week for the Brampton golf club, as 7 of their players were recognized within the top 68 amateurs in the province, a remarkable feat. All of the Brampton competitors acted with class and professionalism (despite their ‘amateur’ status) the whole week, and each player represented their golf club commendably. This was a significant week for the reputation of the golf course itself, as the 6600-yard layout proved to have plenty of defence against the many long-hitters and pure ball-strikers in the field, with only 2 players under par after the 4 days. 

 

As the tournament leaders made their final approach to the 18th green, Brampton Board Member Karen Darling reflected on the experience of hosting the amateur championship, and said with effusive sincerity: “What an incredible week. The whole experience has made me very proud of the club and so proud to be a member.” Her sentiment had been validated daily by warm reactions from players, spectators, and GAO officials, and her admitted pride seemed widely shared by all members in attendance. As the award ceremonies drew to a close a GAO Executive Director Dave Mills shared with the intimate crowd that in his many decades of affiliation with the Amateur Championship he could recall none better than the 2011 experience at Brampton – a fitting conclusion to one of the most memorable and successful events in the history of the golf club.

 

The golf club would like to thank all of its members who volunteered their time and efforts towards making Ontario Amateur Championship such a special and memorable occasion. The club hopes that all spectators and players remember fondly their experience this week and share with the rest of the golf world stories of ‘the best kept secret’ in Brampton.