CANADIANS ON TOUR with Barry Sharpe December 22, 2003

Canada’s Rick Gibson has already gotten his 2004 golf season off to a strong early start with a Top 10 finish Sunday (Dec. 21) in the Okinawa Open at Southern Links Golf Club in Japan, an event jointly sanctioned by the Asian PGA Tour and Japan Golf Tour. The tournament serves as the opening leg for the 2004 season for both circuits. Although Gibson began the fixture 1-over par and 10 shots behind Japan’s legendary Jumbo Ozaki, the Canadian shot maker gradually worked his way back into contention and finished at (73-72-69-70—284) 4-under and five shots behind winner Hideto Tanihara of Japan.

Tanihara, Japan’s 2003 Rookie of the Year, wound up three shots ahead of the field at (66-76-68-69—279) 9-under par and earned US$186,000, plus a Toyota car worth another US$20,000. A total of seven players shared second place while Ozaki, looking to claim his 113th victory on home soil, ran hot and cold and came in alone at (63-79-67-74—283) 5-under for ninth place. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, last week's winner of the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia, and Japan’s Shinichi Yokota shared 10th place with Gibson, each collecting US$22,511. Gibson finished the 2003 campaign in 13th spot on the Asian PGA Tour Order of Merit.

WORLD GOLF RANKING

With completion of the final two events of the International golf season, the Okinawa Open and the Australian Open won by Peter Lonard, the official World Golf Ranking for 2003 is now final. On December 29, 2003 Tiger Woods (right) will be recognized as the Number One Ranked player in the world for a total of 299 consecutive weeks, just 32 weeks shy of Greg Norman’s all-time record of 331 weeks. Norman’s statistics covered 11 different sessions between September 14, 1986 and January 4, 1998. Vijay Singh of Fiji is currently the number two ranked player, followed by South Africa;s Ernie Els.

Among Canadians, Masters Champion Mike Weir (left) of Bright’s Cove, Ontario is ranked number six in the world. Steven Ames, a native of Trinidad & Tobago who became one of Canada’s newest citizens just a few weeks ago, is ranked 105th in the world . Glen Hnatiluk of Selkirk, Manitoba is at number 249 while Oshawa, Ontario’s Derek Gillespie is ranked number 339. Gibson, from Victoria, BC moved up slightly in the rankings to Number 390. Others among the top 750 include David Morland IV, North Bay, Ontario, #404; Jon Mills, Oshawa, Ontario, #470; David Hearn, Brampton, Ontario, #533; amateur James Lepp, Abbotsford, BC, #583; Bryan DeCorso, Guelph, Ontario, #663; Richard Zokol, White Rock, BC, #692; Dustin Risdon, Calgary, Alberta, #713; Rob McMillan, Thunder Bay, Ontario, #743; Lee Williamson, #743; Stuart Anderson, Calgary, Alberta, #745.

Canada’s Top Male Amateur Golfer of the Year, James Lepp of Abbotsford, BC has received yet another honour in a year filled with record-breaking accomplishments and one significant disappointment. For the first time in the history of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association voters have declared that Lepp from Ledgeview Golf Club and Seattle’s Brock Mackenzie of Yakimaw Country Club, two of the finest amateurs in North America, were tied in voting for PNGA Player of the Year. This is also the first time in the history of the PNGA that a Canadian golfer has won or shared the award.

THE RED SHIRT AFFAIR

What a power-house the University of Washington golf team might have been this season. After attending University of Illinois on a scholarship and playing two years for the Illini where he set a number of school records Lepp transferred to UW this fall where Mackenzie has been a team leader for three seasons. But instead of these two outstanding young men leading the way for the Huskies, a technicality known as ‘Red Shirting’ has prevented the UW from taking a dominant role in US collegiate golf for this season.

“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,” said Lepp when he made his announcement to the media in July.

However, Lepp (being interviewed on the left by Province Sports columnist Kent Gilchrest) is banned from competing with the UW team for this season because of actions taken by former coach Mike Small of UI, who said at the time:

"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."

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 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. Lepp is a junior with two years of eligibility, beginning with the 2004-05 season.

There is a possibility that BC golf fans could see Lepp and Mackenzie (right) competing together in 2004. Lepp will undoubtedly be defending his two-time BC Amateur title in Vernon in mid-July, attempting to become the only the third player to win the championship three consecutive years and the first since Doug Roxburgh in 1976-7-8 (Harvey Combe did it twice in 1895-6-7 & 1902-3-4). Should Mackenzie’s schedule be open and if the BCGA offers a special President’s invitation to Mackenzie than Okanogan golf fans will be in for a real treat.

James Lepp 2003

• Pacific Coast Amateur Champion
• British Columbia GA Amateur Champion (2nd)
• RCGA Canadian Amateur semifinalist
• RCGA Canadian Order of Merit winner (Player of the Year)
• USA Big Ten Conference Player of the Year
• NCAA Division 1 All-America – second team 2002-2003
• NCAA Division 1 Regional finals – Top 10
• Winner – Northern Intercollegiate,
• Winner – Conrad Rehling Alabama Invitational
• Winner – Bruce Fossum/TaylorMade Invitational

Other highlights: Won the Pacific Coast Amateur by a record 10 strokes and broke a course record while leading the BCGA to its first ever team tournament championship –was the PNGA Junior Boys Player of the Year in 2002 after claiming both the BC Men’s and Boys Amateur titles and repeating as the RCGA Canadian Junior champion.

Brock Mackenzie 2003

• U.S. Walker Cup Team (3-0-0 match record)
• NCAA Division 1 Finals - top 5
• Sahalee Players Championship – top 5
• Northeast Amateur Invitational – top 10
• Scratch Players Championship – top 10
• Pacific Coast Amateur – top 15
• Porter Cup – top 20
• U.S. Amateur – Round of 32
• NCAA Division 1 All-America – first team 2002-2003
• First on WSGA Men’s 2003 Performance Points list

Other highlights: Only player on either 2003 Walker Cup team with a perfect 3-0-0 record – Golfweek magazine ranked him No. 1 collegiate player during the fall season.

Kris Jonasson, executive director of the BC Golf Association, will be busier than usual this coming season following his election in November to the office of secretary for the International Association of Golf Administrators . The IAGA, now in its 38th year, is an umbrella group of North American golf associations who come together for the purpose of advising national bodies like the Royal Canadian and United States Golf Associations on topics such as memberships, developing policies for handicapping and strengthening the bonds between various golfing bodies.

“Right now the IAGA is looking to expand our membership to include South and Central America, however, because of the way golf is structured right now in these two areas present some serious challenges that must be overcome,” says the new Secretary, who is expected to be voted into office as the International President in 2007. Tom Landry, executive director of the Massachusetts Golf Association, will serve as the president of the IAGA in 2004

Meanwhile Jonasson will be traveling throughout the province beginning in March staging seminars for BCGA members to outline various new extended services and to explain the new rules of golf being introduced this season

For a change of pace the BCGA executive director has also lined up an exciting two week golf and sightseeing tour planned for Peru May 2-14, that includes visits to Lima, Cuzca, Machua Picchu and Urubamba.

For more information:

http://www.bcga.org/peru.pdf

The Royal Canadian Golf Association has announced that amateur golfers will be able to accept prizes up to the value of $1,000 CDN following changes to the Rules of Amateur Status that come into effect on January 1, 2004. The previous prize limit was $700 CDN for any event.

Announcing the changes, RCGA Managing Director of Amateur Status Jim Fraser sys, "Periodically, the amateur prize limit is increased to keep it at an appropriate level. This change is consistent with the increases made by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews from 300 pounds to 500 pounds and the United States Golf Association from $500 USD to $750 USD."

The Rules of Golf, which includes the Rules of Amateur Status, is available in both English and French and can be purchased through golf shops, provincial golf associations and directly from the RCGA. A new edition of the Rules of Golf will be issued in January 2004.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 13-14-15
Vancouver Golf & Travel Show
BC Place Stadium

February 20-21-22
Victoria Golf Show
Empress Hotel

March 1-2
2004 Spring Educational Seminar – ‘David Pillsbury, Nike Golf’
Empress Hotel

March 5-7
The Seattle Golf Show 2004
Seahawks Stadium Exhibition
http://www.seattlegolfshow.com/