Hometown favourites pulled out all the stops to claim the top two major awards in the Mount Brenton Golf Course’s prestigious men’s amateur golf tournament.
Dallas Jones, a Vancouver Island University student, went one-under par for the weekend with a 74 Saturday and a sizzling 67 Sunday to capture low gross honours for his one-under-par total of 141.
Mount Brenton member Derek Wilkinson, who carries a 12 handicap, had rounds of 77 and 79 that amounted to a 132 net for top spot in that category.
Jones held off Mark Valliere from Nanaimo by one stroke. Valliere followed a round of 72 Saturday with a 70 Sunday.
Third place went to the hard-luck member of the tournament, Phil Kondrak from Gorge Vale.
“I’ve been runner-up the last three years,” he said on the course during the start of the second round.
He was in contention again, but faltered Sunday with a 76 after posting a 70 Saturday. Kondrak finished five back of Jones at 146.
“To be in the top three four years in a row is really good,” praised Mount Brenton pro Jan Best of Kondrak’s consistency.
Rounding out the top five in low gross were Jason Groshack of Powell River at 148 (74-74) and Frank Bayuk of Nanaimo, who grew up in Chemainus, at 149 (76-73).
Finishing as the runner-up in low net to Wilkinson was another Mount Brenton player, Eric Steen, at 135. He was tied with Greg Hemphill, but took second on the tiebreaker.
Steen, a 14-handicap, shot 80 and 83 gross scores for the two days that resulted in net rounds of 66 and 69.
Hemphill carded an 81 Saturday and 78 Sunday. His 12 handicap translated into net rounds of 69 and 66.
Chad Little of Salt Spring was fourth low net at 136 (73-63 net) and fifth, also at 136, was Cam Scott of Mount Brenton (68-68 net).
Scott carted away a healthy $300 skins win on the par-three 16th with the only birdie for the A side players with 6-9 handicaps.
“That’s unusual only one birdie would fall on a hole that easy,” noted Best.
The prize table for the tournament reached several thousand dollars and the skin pot hit $3,600.
A total of 158 players took part, up substantially from last year.
“The only bad part was the rain, but you can’t really help that,” said Best.
A rainy Saturday gave way to conditions that were actually ideal on Sunday.
The course drew favourable feedback from the players.
“We’re so green,” noted Best. “Our conditions are kind of the same year round. We don’t have the burnt fairways and a lot of people commented on that.”
Mount Brenton also always plays tough, with Jones’ one-under enough for the win.
“Our course doesn’t often yield very low scores in tournament,” pointed out Best. “A course doesn’t have to be long to be tough. Again this year one under won the tournament. We just don’t see five or six-under scores at our course.”
Ken Norman, Jody Griffiths, Joan Norman, Don Timlick, Kath Burnell, Rick and Elaine Lambier, Geri Timlick and Bev Bruce were the major volunteers who worked hard for two full days.
No one won any of the major hole-in-one prizes. There were five eagles recorded, including an amazing two on the par-four No. 6 by James Swan of Gorge Vale.
