The Baddeck layout will be the stage for the 2012 MCT Men’s Amateur Championship. The 72-hole, Nova Scotia Golf Association tournament kicks off today and concludes on Saturday.
“It’s a fantastic way to showcase a dynamite property and a big time for our club,” said Bell Bay general manager and head pro Michael Gillan. “We’ve grown and become an excellent part of Baddeck and Nova Scotia. It’s nice to put a feather in our cap for this event for our anniversary.”
Last year’s champion, 19-year-old Eric Banks of Truro Golf Club, is recovering from heart surgery and won’t be playing in this year’s tournament. The 2011 runner-up, 18-year-old Eric Locke from Digby Pines Golf Resort, is back to take another run at the title.
Baddeck native Trevor Chow, who holds memberships at both Bell Bay and Ashburn Golf Club in Kinsac, should also be in contention. The 35-year-old finished last year’s amateur in fifth place and is coming off a 10th-place finish at this year’s men’s mid-amateur championship at the Berwick Heights Golf Course. Chow captured the 2009 men’s mid-amateur championship, his first and only NSGA title.
Other Bell Bay members registered for the tournament are Rodney Harvie of Baddeck and Brett McKinnon of Glace Bay. McKinnon, 18, recently completed his freshman season with the Jacksonville University Dolphins NCAA Division 1 men’s golf team in Florida. He also plays out of Lingan Golf and Country Club.
This summer’s men’s mid-amateur champion, Aaron Nickerson of River Hills Golf and Country Club, is another name watch. Nickerson, a two-time mid-amateur champ, will be in the hunt for his first amateur title in Baddeck.
A men’s amateur champion will be making a return to provincial competition this week. Forty-six-year-old Harvey Ellsworth Jr. of Glace Bay, representing Passchendaele Golf Club, won the title in 1989 at Lingan and later turned pro in 1993. Another former pro, 40-year-old Stuart Musgrave of North Sydney, is also registered to compete.
“From going through past experiences just by reading up on it, there are probably 10 or 12 different players that you could flip a coin and whoever gets a hot putter is going to walk away with the championship,” said Gillan.
A noticeable omission from today’s starters is River Bourgeois resident Leon Carter. The 40-year-old said he won’t be entering competitive tournaments this summer after he missed the mid-amateur tournament last month with a shoulder injury. Carter is a four-time men’s amateur champion and won back-to-back mid-amateur titles in 2010 and 2011.
All players will compete in the first 36 holes. From there, the field will be cut to the low 60 scores and ties. The top three finishers will represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian men’s amateur championship in Cumberland, Ont., Aug. 7-10.
“(Players) are going to find a generous teeing area. You’re going to be able to really let the ball fly off the tee,” said Gillan. “On the approaches, it’s going to be extremely challenging. We’ve got some tough greens that are running almost 11 on the stimpmetre and if they short side themselves around the greens, they’re going to find some problems.”
With the tournament being hosted in Cape Breton, there’s plenty of local talent registered to compete.
Lingan will be well represented by Minnow Bourgeois, Ryan Boutilier, Bill Burns, Terry Fogarty, Kevin George, Chad Hoffman, Ritchie MacDonald, Brett McLanders, Tim Milburn, James Mullins, Jean-Jacques Poulin and Darrell Syms.
From Seaview Golf and Country Club, Aaron Barrington, Jack Chafe, Rod Ferguson, Murdock MacKenzie, Wallace MacLean, Matthew MacMillan and Aaron Nordine will hit the fairways.
Two members from The Lakes Golf Club, Shayne Stevens and George Xidos, will also tee off. Terry Burns is the lone member registered from LePortage Golf Club.
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