Graham Cooke Captures 3rd Canadian Men's Senior Crown

From the Royal Canadian Golf Association

In a thrilling final round that saw two stellar golfers battle it out for national supremacy, Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. showed why he's among the world's finest senior amateur players, winning the 47th Canadian Men's Senior Championship conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA).

Cooke fired a final-round, 1-over 73 and tournament-total 6-under 282 to finish with a three-stroke victory over Patrick Tallent of Vienna, Virginia. Tallent carded a final-round 2-over 74 for a tournament-total 3-under. Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. finished third at even-par for the tournament.

Tallent and Cooke were paired in the day's final pairing with only two-shots separating them, but a couple of early birdies proved to be the difference for Cooke.

"The highlight of the round for me was the birdies on No. 1 and 2," said Cooke. "He birdied the first hole as well, but bogeyed No. 2 which gave me a four-stroke lead. I played conservative golf from there and just protected the lead."

With the wire-to-wire win, Cooke claims his tenth national championship title - three senior and seven mid-am crowns - tying the record for most events won by a male currently held by the late Canadian Golf and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame member Nick Weslock.

"I play golf for fun," said Cooke. "I get a buzz out of playing tournament golf, but it's more than just that for me. I also enjoy being with my peers. I've played in an era with many Canadian greats including Nick. To hold that record with him is absolutely an honour."

A renowned golf course architect and amateur golf legend, Cooke has long been passionate about the game and considers himself to be a student of the sport.

"Yea, I'm a lifelong student of the game," added Cooke. "I know I don't have the same strength of the pros, but I try to make the same decisions on the golf course that they would. Whether it's shot selection or course management I think about how they would play a shot before I hit one. I think that strategy has played a big part in the success of my golf career."

Cooke will have the opportunity to display that strategy again soon as the win earns him exemption into the 2008 USGA Senior Amateur Championship being held September 20-25 at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 2009 Canadian Men's Senior Championship will be conducted September 7-11 at Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria, B.C.

:

1. Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC, *69-68-72-73-282 -6
2. Patrick Tallent, Vienna, VA, *72-71-68-74-285 -3
3. Frank Van Dornick, Camrose, AB, *72-73-72-71-288 E
4. Gudmund Lindbjerg, Port Moody, BC, *78-70-73-69-290 +2
5. Larry Daniels, Seattle, WA, *70-76-73-73-292 +4
6. James Graham, Rye, NY, *69-73-74-77-293 +5
7. Howard Broun, Calgary, AB, *75-72-72-75-294 +6
8. John Marlow, Kettleby, ON, *75-76-72-72-295 +7
9. Frank MacKenzie, Edmonton, AB, *72-76-76-72-296 +8
10. Pat Vincelli, Rosemount, MN, *73-72-77-76-298 +10
11. Michael Jackson, Collingwood, ON, *81-75-75-68-299 +11
11. André Gagné, Boischatel, QC, *76-74-77-72-299 +11
11. Tom Skinner, Red Deer, AB, *72-74-77-76-299 +11
14. Brian Alexander, Burnaby, BC, *75-77-75-73-300 +12
14. Merv Dusyk, Red Deer, AB, *77-76-74-73-300 +12
14. Roger Self, Peterborough, ON, *71-75-77-77-300 +12
14. Ken Thompson, Nanaimo, BC, *76-70-76-78-300 +12
18. Bob Goss, Welland, ON, *77-75-79-70-301 +13
18. Lars Melander, Oakville, ON, *74-77-73-77-301 +13
18. Alasdair Cayley, Burlington, ON, *73-78-72-78-301 +13
21. Brian Jeffery, Collingwood, ON, *77-78-73-74-302 +14
22. Tony Hatchwell, Nanaimo, BC, *78-78-73-74-303 +15
23. Ian Harris, Bloomfield, MI, *77-78-78-71-304 +16
23. David Lane, Berkshire, England, *77-80-74-73-304 +16
23. Donald Jackson, Portage La Prairie, MB, *77-77-76-74-304 +16
26. Terry MacGorman, Toronto, ON, *77-79-75-74-305 +17
26. Bruce McEwen, Scarborough, ON, *78-78-75-74-305 +17
26. John Brown, Rothesay, NB, *78-74-76-77-305 +17
29. Sandy (Robert) Kalle, Amherstburg, ON, *79-79-79-69-306 +18
29. Alistair Catto, South Hadley, MA, *79-79-74-74-306 +18
29. Dave Raabis, Rocky Mountain House, AB, *78-76-76-76-306 +18
29. Sid Segsworth, Sudbury, ON, *74-77-78-77-306 +18
29. George Stokes, New Hamburg, ON, *80-75-74-77-306 +18
29. Kelly Roberts, London, ON, *79-76-72-79-306 +18
35. Herrick Hansen, Perth Andover, NB, *74-75-82-76-307 +19
35. Tom Cochrane, Oakville, ON, *74-78-75-80-307 +19
37. Bill North, Roseile, MB, *79-76-74-79-308 +20
37. Denis Murphy, Amherstburg, ON, *78-73-77-80-308 +20
39. Richard Schilbe, Zurich, ON, *79-77-77-76-309 +21
39. Peter Howe, Crawford Bay, BC, *80-77-76-76-309 +21
39. Chris Ingram, Burlington, ON, *77-77-78-77-309 +21
42. Tony Goode, Dublin, Ireland, *78-78-78-76-310 +22
43. Wayne Vande Vyvere, St. Albert, AB, *77-81-80-73-311 +23
43. Robert O'Leary, Dartmouth, NS, *78-78-80-75-311 +23
43. William Wilms, Delta, BC, *79-77-78-77-311 +23
43. Stuart Nicholson, Calgary, AB, *78-77-79-77 +23
43. Kenneth Bradley, Moose Jaw, SK, *73-78-80-80-311 +23
43. Chester Graham, Midland, ON, *80-73-78-80-311 +23
49. Paul Nielsen, Thornhill, ON, *80-74-82-77-313 +25
49. Bruce Wilson, Brantford, ON, *80-77-77-79-313 +25
49. Cliff Lowrey, Amherst, NS, *78-80-78-77-313 +25
49. Christopher Reiter, Sault Ste Marie, ON, *80-76-77-80-313 +25
53. Marcellin Tremblay, Terrebonne, QC, *77-81-81-75-314 +26
53. Tony Verhoeven, Westmont Rose, ON, *78-75-80-81-314 +26
53. Rodney Bollinger, Calgary, AB, *76-79-80-79-314 +26
56. Lane Bickel, Beaconsfield, QC, *81-76-81-77-315 +27
56. Ernest Corrigan, Charlottetown, PE, *81-75-78-81-315 +27
58. Wayne Viita, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, *75-79-87-75-316 +28
58. Dwight Sandquist, Calgary, AB, *83-75-82-76-316 +28
60. Terry Filewich, Edmonton, AB, *78-80-78-81-317 +29
61. Tom Hyman, London, ON, *77-80-81-80-318 +30
62. Rene Grivel, San Juan Capistrano, CA, *76-80-80-84-320 +32
63. Douglass Merrill, Boucherville, QC, *83-75-80-83-321 +33
64. James Cecchini, East Amherst, NY, *78-77-83-84-322 +34
65. George Walker, Mobile, AL, *77-79-88-81-325 +37
66. Gilles Masse, Bathurst, NB, *81-77-86-83-327 +39
67. Norman Jubinville, Calgary, AB, *80-76-82-91-329 +41
68. C Brian Darling, Ottawa, ON, *80-78-90-86-334 +46

--- DID NOT FINISH ---
CUT. Noel Pumfrey, Victoria, BC, *+15
CUT. Dr. Ben Dowdey, Birmingham, AL, *+15
CUT. John Wellard, North Bay, ON, *+15
CUT. Frank Laurie, Toronto, ON, *+15
CUT. John D. Anderson, Strathmore, AB, *+15
CUT. Imre Nyiri, Winnipeg, MB, *+16
CUT. Al Dowdell, Calgary, AB, *+16
CUT. Terry Townend, St-Lazarre, QC, *+16
CUT. Bazz Van Willigen, Waterloo, ON, *+16
CUT. Paul Luomala, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, *+16
CUT. Bob Skanes, Gander, NL, *+17
CUT. Don Missere, Sault Ste Marie, ON, *+17
CUT. Joe Pavoni, Prospect, KY, *+17
CUT. Graham MacIntyre, Windsor Junction, NS, *+18
CUT. Paul Hachey, Bathurst, NB, *+18
CUT. Robert Richardson, Keswick, ON, *+18
CUT. Percy Murray, Delisle, SK, *+18
CUT. John H Frank, Vancouver, BC, *+18
CUT. Ross Ballantyne, Midland, ON, *+18
CUT. Mike Coady, Cornwall, PE, *+19
CUT. Michael O'Neill, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, *+19
CUT. Ted Hunt, Fenelon Falls, ON, *+19
CUT. Albert Sukut, Costa Mesa, CA, *+19
CUT. Ed Bleackley, Sherwood Park, AB, *+19
CUT. Peter Denhamer, Calgary, AB, *+20
CUT. Carl Hansen, Stratford, PE, *+20
CUT. Clark McAlpine, Fergus, ON, *+20
CUT. John Solomon, Regina, SK, *+20
CUT. Mel Bernard, Summerside, PE, *+21
CUT. Larry Ferguson, Comox, BC, *+21
CUT. Harold Stangeland, Edmonton, AB, *+21
CUT. Jim Davis, Coral Springs, Florida, USA, *+21
CUT. Robert Reynolds, Calgary, AB, *+21
CUT. John Mackenzie, Oakville, ON, *+22
CUT. Donald Boland, St. John's, NL, *+22
CUT. Denis Burns, Winnipeg, MB, *+22
CUT. Brian Weiler, Palmerston, ON, *+22
CUT. Marcel Pinard, Sudbury, ON, *+22
CUT. Michael Harrington, Toronto, ON, *+22
CUT. Greg Betts, Vernon, BC, *+23
CUT. Tom Banks, Auburn, NS, *+23
CUT. David Sibley, Birmingham, AL, *+23
CUT. Harry Gaudry, Okotoks, AB, *+23
CUT. Lawrence Kassouf, Weaverville, NC, *+24
CUT. David Robert McCullough, Burnaby, BC, *+24
CUT. Mike Coulter, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, *+24
CUT. Carl Shields, Edmonton, AB, *+25
CUT. Thomas Jones, Gander, NL, *+25
CUT. Grant Dickison, Rothesay, NB, *+25
CUT. Rick Breithaupt, Innisfil, ON, *+26
CUT. James Brown, Burlington, ON, *+26
CUT. Peter Hope, Dartmouth, NS, *+26
CUT. Doug Gillies, Moose Jaw, SK, *+27
CUT. Murray McDonald, Elliot Lake, *+27
CUT. Steve McLean, Goose Bay, NL, *+28
CUT. Gerald Manale, North Gower, ON, *+30
CUT. Leo Brown, St. Lambert, QC, *+30
CUT. Merle Byrnes, Richlea, SK, *+31
CUT. Ray Stoodley, St. John's, NL, *+37
CUT. Tom Rex, Dearborn, MI, *+40
WD. Tom Liljeholm, Palm Springs, CA, *+12
WD. Michael Tallent, Haverford, PA, *+13
WD. Donald Brooks, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, *+16
WD. John Robb, Metamora, IL, *
DQ. Bill Zeweniuk, Winnipeg, MB, *+8
DQ. Bill Cameron, Duck Lake, SK, *+10