CANADIANS ON TOUR

by
Barry Sharpe

September 22, 2003

A CHAMPION ON THE COURSE--A LOSER IN THE BOARDROOM

"I want James to be happy and I wish him the best but I have a program and eight players to protect. Because of him informing us in June we did not have the ability to adjust and recruit appropriately."

And with that as his reason, University of Illinois head golf coach Mike Small has decided that James Lepp of Abbotsford, BC, one of the brightest stars on the U.S. college golf scene, will be ‘red shirted’ for one year. In other words, he is banned from playing in NCAA competitions during the 2003-04 season while attending the school of his choice, the University of Washngton.

“I have nothing at all against Illinois,” Lepp recently told Golfweek magazine “It’s a great school but Washington is just a lot closer to home and I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Lepp was denied appeals to the Illinois Athletic Department and a faculty review committee to be granted a one-time exemption that would have allowed him to compete for the Huskies this year. With the exception of the big-time sports like football and basketball, most athletes can transfer schools without penalty, using a one-time transfer provision in the NCAA. However, when rival schools are involved players sometimes find themselves ‘red shirted’ – forced to sit out for one season. Lepp will be a junior with two years of eligibility, beginning with the 2004-05 season.

Lepp was named a second-team All-American after having one of the most successful seasons in Illinois golf history. He set the Illini single-season stroke average record with an average of 71.41 in 34 rounds, breaking the previous record of 71.52, set by PGA Tour member Steve Stricker during his senior season at the UI in 1988-89. Lepp became just the second golfer in Illinois history (along with Stricker) to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was an All-Big Ten selection for the second straight season. He captured medalist honors at three tournaments, winning the Northern Intercollegiate, Conrad Rehling Alabama Invitational and Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational and also recorded nine Top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments with 20 rounds of below or even par on the season. This is the highest individual honor achieved by an Illinois golfer since Stricker was a two-time first-team All-American in 1988 and '89. Lepp was presented the Les Bolstad Award for having the lowest stroke average in the Big Ten. He finished the season ranked 21st in the nation in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings. His career best score was a 65 shot at the Northern Intercollegiate.

Lepp’s remarkable Canadian summer began in late June when he helped Canada win the inaugural Copas de las Americas international tournament in Puerto Rico. Then in July after successfully defending his BC Amateur crown and while he was defeating a field of international professionals at the Canadian Tour’s Greater Vancouver Classic by six shots, the 19-year-old announced he was transferring to Washington. “The chance to come home more often to be with my family and have them visit and see me play is the only reason I want to attend UW.” A week later he won his third consecutive championship, setting course (by 2 shots at 8-under par 62) and tournament (by 7 strokes--263) records at West Vancouver’s Capilano while becoming the first non-American to win the prestigeous Pacific Coast Amateur title (by 10-shots) and leading BC to it’s first-ever team victory.

It worked for Tony Robins. Now it’s worked for J.L. Lewis.

Week after week on informercials throughout North America, self-made guru and inspirational speaker Tony Robins tells his audiences he became a millionaire after he decided to look closely at how the wealthy and successful lived their lives in order that he might do the same. A week ago, J.L. Lewis got a chance to watch up close and personal how Vijay Singh won the John Deere Classic while Lewis was finishing second.

"I learned a lot last week. I led the tournament every day, and in the fourth round, I didn't play as well as I'm capable; but I learned a lot," said Lewis, who put his new found knowledge to good use, shooting a career-best and course record 10-under par in the final round and won the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania at (69-67-68-62—266) 22-under par "Nobody put any heat on him," Lewis said of Singh the previous week, "but what I noticed the most was that he didn't put any heat on himself."

Forced to play 36 holes Sunday because of wind and rain, Lewis began his final round seven shots off the lead and finished with his first win of the year and second of his career. The first prize of $720,000 boosts his season earnings to just over $1.9M, moves him to 17th on the money list and will earn him invitations to next season’s Masters, his first PGA Championship and the Mercedes Championships. Tim Petrovic and Frank Lickliter II tied for second at 20-under. Dan Halldorson (73-72—145) and Steven Ames (74-72—146) missed the 141 cut.

It’s no secret that a good caddie is worth far more than the minimum 10% they usually earn working for professional golfers. Just ask D.A. Weibring, who decided to listen to his caddie, Russ Craver, when Craver urged D.A to take a cart to finish Sunday’s final round and ended up winning the SAS Championship in Cary, NC and earning $270,000. Weibring was feeling weak and trying to fight off an attack of the flue when Craver came up with his prescription. (AP photo)

"I'm a traditionalist. I wanted to walk. But he was right. If you start running out of steam on the fourth hole, there's a long way to go. We work as a team and I try to pay attention to him."

That decision to listen to his caddie allowed D.A. to score eagle-birdie his last two holes, overcome a five shot deficit, turn back a career low round by Tom Kite and win his first Champions title in only his 10th senior start. As a result of nailing a tournament-clinching 14-footer for birdie at 18 and posting a (65-72-66-203) 13-under par one shot win over Tom Kite, who shot a final round 61, and Bobby Wadkins, Weibring moves into the top 25 in the race for the Charles Schwab Cup.

Kelowna, BC’s Dave Barr ended up with his fifth worst tournament finish of the season, shooting (70-74-71—215) 1-under par, leaving him tied for 45th and 12 shots behind Weibring. For earning $7,020, Barr’s total for the season is now $662,618 and he is still 24th on the money-winning list after 24 tournaments, however, he’s only $66,598 ahead of the number 30 spot, the last position that guarantees an exemption for the Champions Tour next season. With just three events remaining before the season-ending $2.5M Schwab Cup Championship for the top 30 point-getters, Barr now finds himself at No. 31.

Roger Tambellini left no room for error when he captured the Albertsons Boise Open for his first Nationwide Tour event, finishing (68-65-66-68—267) 17-under par and six shots ahead of the field. "This feels amazing," said Tambellini, "To finally be able to do this for my family, hometown and all of those who have supported me is fantastic." The $108,000 first prize is the most Tambellini has ever won in a full season in his five year pro career and propels him from No. 72 to No. 18 on the Nationwide money list with $157,143. It also puts in him in a good position to finish in the top 20 at the end of the season and earn a PGA TOUR card for 2004.

"It is always in the back of your mind to get your PGA TOUR card. It is the ultimate goal of every guy out here to finish in the top 20 and play on the PGA TOUR. But to actually get close to reaching your goal is unbelievable." Said Tambellini. "It has not sunk in yet, but then again I don't know what it is like for a win out here to sink in. Winning a Nationwide Tour event is a big deal."

In 1999 Tambellini fired a 60 when he won his first pro event on the Hooters Tour. He played two events on the Canadian Tour in 2000 and in 2001 made the cut in six of 11 events. One of those was the TELUS Vancouver Open where he lost in a six-man playoff. David Morland IV, North Bay, ON, T41 at (69-70-72-72—283) 1-under par for $2,532 while Victoria, BC’s Jim Rutledge was 66th at (72-69-76-74—291) 7-over and collected $1,620.

WHAT’S WITH WEI: . . . . Michelle Wei, the 13-year-old sensation from Hawaii who missed the cut the first time she teed it up with men in a Canadian Tour event a month ago in the Bay Mills Open Players Championship, missed again in the Albertsons but says she would like to get another chance. "I had a lot of fun this week, even though I didn't play as well as I wanted to," said Wie, (right, AP photo) who was 12-over par and missed the 36-hole cut by 12 shots. "I think I learned how to play from the thick rough and on fast greens," said Wie. "I think I learned a lot this week." Wie opened the week Monday in a charity skins game with PGA TOUR players John Daley and Hank Kuehne and LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez and finished with a 1-under 34 in the nine-hole event. Wei, Annika Sorenstam and Suzy Whaley all made a little history this season as females who competed in PGA sanctioned men’s tournaments and all missed their respective cuts. Next month, LPGA veteran Jan Stephenson is scheduled to compete on a Champions Tour event. "Women are getting a lot stronger and people are evolving," says the six-foot Wie, who has astounded her peers by consistently driving the ball 300 yards. This week Wei will have to make up for missing her ninth-grade biology class in Honolulu last week.

"I wasn't aware I had a one-shot lead heading to 18 and I asked my friends not to tell me the scores,” said André Gagné of Boischâtel, QC who needed par of better to avoid a playoff. So concentrating solely on overcoming the blustery conditions at Bally Hally Golf Club in St. John’s, NL Gagne birdied his final hole to win the 2003 RCGA Canadian Senior Men’s Amateur Championship (September 18) by two shots.

"It's a dream for me to win this tournament especially after finishing second last year," said the jubilant 59-year-old, who also led Quebec to the inter-provincial team championship. Harry Cain of Williamsburg, Virginia, already in the clubhouse at (72-72-74—218) 8-over par, could only watch as Gagne claimed his first national championship by (71-70-75—216) two strokes. Two-time defending champion Graham Cooke of Hudson, QC, who led the tournament during the first two rounds, got off to a rocky start with a triple bogey on his opening hole the final round and despite birdies at 15, 16 and 18 finished (69-72-78—219) alone in third three behind Gagné.

This year's championship was a reversal of fortune from last year's finish as both the Senior and Super-Senior divisions saw the defending champions finish third, while both of last year's division runners-up took home their respective titles. Chuck Ribelin of Dallas, Texas, made 13 his lucky number, winning the Super Senior division in his 13th appearance at the Canadian Senior. "I would have loved to shoot my age today to win," smiled the 72-year-old Ribelin, last year's Super Senior runner-up, who just missed with a final-round 73 while capturing the 2003 title by nine shots over Tom Rex of Dearborn, MI, while 2002 Super Senior champion Michael Harrington of Toronto finished third.

Seniors and Super Seniors Scores

The Quebec team overcame a four-shot opening-round deficit at Bally Haly to outlast Alberta by six shots and successfully defend its inter-provincial team title. The Quebec foursome of Gagné, Jaques Godin of Hemmingford, Yves Poirier of St-Timothée and Paul St-Pierre of Val D'or shot a team-total of 431 to win the province's fifth senior team championship. Gagné and St-Pierre both said they felt the team victory far surpassed any individual goals they had set for themselves this week. "I'm very happy for the team," said Gagné, who is represented Quebec for the third time at the Canadian Senior. "The team championship is very important to all of us and personally, I prefer the team aspect and sharing a win like this with the rest of the guys." Team Ontario finished third at 442 while Nova Scotia (443) and British Columbia (452) rounded out the top five.

Seniors Team Scores

The 2004 Canadian Senior Championship will be played at Brantford Golf and Country Club in Brantford, Ontario.

While most players were trying to cope with swirling winds whipped up by distant Hurricane Isabelle, Vancouver Island’s Eddward Bourdrea took a different approach and came out the winner of the Titleist/FootJoy/Cobra Canadian PGA Assistants’ Championship at the Battlefield course at the Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, ON (September 19).

(CPGA photo: Max Oxford of Acushnet (left) and Eddward Boudreau, Arbutus Ridge, BC)

“This was the best that I have ever putted in my life,” said the pro from Arbutus Ridge Golf Club who overcame a two-shot deficit to post a (70-70-71—211) two shot win over former Tour player Phil Jonas of Port Coquitlam, BC and McLeary Golf Course. “Coming up onto 17, I knew that I was two back of Phil,” stated Boudreau. “He put it in the water and all I wanted to do was hit the green and make the putt. I did the same thing on 18. That was the first time that I was nervous all day.” In all, Boudreau recorded four birdies and three bogeys, including an 8-foot birdie on six, followed by a 40-foot radar shot from the fringe on seven. On the 10th hole from 60 yards Boudreau missed an eagle by just two inches then drained a 35-footer for his final bird of the round at the 11th.

The victory was worth $5,400 for Boudreau. He also receives exemptions to the TaylorMade-Adidas PGA Assistant Professional Championship in Florida and the 2003 Tooheys New National Futures Championship in New South Wales, Australia. In the InterZone Team Championship the Ottawa Valley team of Roger Beale (The Marshes GC), Scott Halliday (Hylands GC), Scott Mikkelsen (Ottawa Hunt &GC) and Luke Saunders (Camelot G&CC), won with a score of 427. The team score is made up of the best three out of four scores cumulated over two rounds. British Columbia’s team of Jonas, Boudreau, Kevin McNee (Kelowna G&CC) and Scott Rogers (Tsawwassen G&CC) finished second with 428. Alberta, with Kevin Black (Edmonton Petroleum G&CC), Doug Brown (Priddis Greens G&CC), Gord Courage (Country Club of the Hamptons) and Michael Repp (Woodside GC) were third at 430.

Assistants' Tournament Scores

Former Canadian PGA Assistants title holder Bryn Parry of North Vancouver waisted little time getting prepared for the 2004 Canadian Tour season after a dissappointing campaign this season. Parry was declared the medalist with a (72-74-70-68—284) 4-under par total at the Canadian Tour Fall Qualifying School at Ontario’s Royal Ashburn Golf Club after rain forced cancellation of the final round (September 19). Parry teed it up eight times on the Canadian Tour this season but only managed to earn $3,971 and finished 98th on the Order of Merit List, well behind leader Jon Mills of Oshawa, who won the MTS Classic in Winnipeg and managed to earn $55,321 in 11 tournaments. The top 80 players on the Order of Merit List retained their cards for 2004. Dan Swanson of Surrey, who closed off his Amateur career with a sixth place finish in this year’s BC Amateur and a T30th at the Canadian Amateur, became a professional by finishing (69-72-73-71—285) tied for second with Brennan Webb of Bracebridge (71-70-72-72—285) at 3-under par. Ottawa’s Lee Curry, who finished alone in 4th place, was among the 15 players receiving full exempt Tour status while Rory Scymeour, Calgary, AB, Juliam James, Ottawa, ON, Billy Noon, Maple Ridge, BC, Gary Pike, Victoria, BC and Paul Sobottka, Thornhill, ON were among 10 players awarded non-exempt status.

Canadian Tour Q-School Results

While K.J. Choi was putting his name in the record books as the first Korean golfer in history to win on the European Tour International Schedule by capturing the Linde German Masters at Gut Larchenhof, England’s Carl Mason strengthened his position atop the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit by defeating Ireland’s Denis O’Sullivan by one hole in The Daily Telegraph/Turismo Andaluz Seniors Match Plan Championship. Well down the money list on the Order of Merit are Canadians John Irwin, 49th, and Bill Hardwick, 63rd.

BELATED CONGRATULATIONS
The Grand Lady of Amateur Golf, Ontario’s Marlene Streit, at the gentle age of 69, proved earlier this month that there’s plenty golf left for her to play and there’s room in her trophy case for more titles. Marlene outlasted a younger, 59-year-old Nancy Fitzgerald of Indiana in 23 holes to win the 2003 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in record fashion at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. It is the fourth USGA championship for Streit, a Canadian Sports Hall of Fame member who also captured the 1956 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the 1985 and 1994 Senior Women’s Amateurs. At 69 years, six months and two days old, she breaks the record of oldest to ever capture a USGA championship of 69 years, four months, and 24 days set by Lewis Oehmig at the 1985 Senior Amateur. Streit also joins countrywoman Gayle Borthwick as the only two players to have won the Senior Women’s Amateur in both the stroke-play and match-play formats. In Canada, Streit won her first of 11 Ontario and Canadian Amateur titles in 1951.

“This is really something,” Streit said. “If anyone had said I’d win another championship after the year 2000, I wouldn’t have believed it. I didn’t think I’d ever win another national championship.”

Streit squared her match on the par-5, 460-yard 18th hole sinking a four-foot par putt and Fitzgerald missed her six-footer for par. The two remained all square until the 23rd hole, the par-5, 506-yard 5th hole, where Fitzgerald put her approach shot on the edge of a hazard, chipped on and two-putted, while Streit was safely on the green and two-putted for par to earn the 1-up victory. It was the second marathon match for Streit, who needed 24 holes to oust Marianne Towersey, 52, of Calif., in Thursday morning’s semifinal. The 24 holes was the most-ever in a Senior Women’s Amateur match, and the 23 holes was a new high for the championship final.

“I always tell the young kids, you can’t get tired until it’s over,” said Streit. “You can’t get tired while you’re doing it, so I just tried to tell myself that. I could have gone as many holes as it would have taken. ”

COMING UP:

September 22-23
G & G Golf BC PGA SENIORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP - Kelowna Golf & Country Club
Defending champion Neil Green (2000 & 2002) joins two-time champion Richard Leisen (1995 & 1998) and 2001 winner Greg Pidlaski on tee for this 36-hole event.

September 26-28
LPGA SAFEWAY CLASSIC – Columbia Edgewater Country Club
Defending champion Annika Sorenstam and the rest of the playing members and staff of the LPGA will be bidding a fond farewell to Gail Graham, the Vanderhoof, BC native who learned to play golf in Manitoba and calls Kelowna home. Graham turned professional in 1988, winning the Canadian PGA Ladies Championship. She has two LPGA victories, 1995 Fieldcrest Cannon Classic and 1997 Alpine Australian Masters. A graduate of Lamar University in 1986, where she was an NCAA Academic All-American, Gail was a member of the LPGA Executive Committee (1994-97 and 2000-02) and served as president from 2001-02. In 2002 she was awarded the William & Mousie Powell Award by the LPGA.