OSHAWA, Ont. – A hole-in-one by CCAA All-Canadian Emery Bardock of the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades highlighted her team’s opening round at Royal Ashburn, host of the 2017 PING CCAA Golf National Championships.
Using a 7-iron on the 121-yard seventh hole, Bardock (inset) earned the ace, but never realized until she approached the green. This was her first career hole-in-one.
“It was probably the most exciting thing all day because I wasn’t playing too well,” she said. “Our last three holes are always ice cream holes for our team, so my coach was like ‘make this birdie putt.’ When I got up there (green), I was like ‘it’s in the hole,’ so it was really exciting.”
After the opening 18 holes she held a two-stroke lead over Red Deer Queens All-Canadian Shaye Leidenius and defending national champion and Georgian Grizzlies All-Canadian Addison Wallwin with a 10-over 82.
Bardock also led her team to the top spot in the women’s team standings as the Cascades hold a three-stroke lead on the defending champion Georgian Grizzlies, finishing with an opening round score of 168.
The OCAA champion Humber Hawks sit in third place with a team total of 177.
On the men’s side the host Durham College Lords sit six strokes out of a podium position, fifth in the team standings, while the UFV Cascades held the top spot with a score of 301. UBC Okanagan Heat are nine strokes back in second, while the Humber Hawks round out the top three with a total score of 317.
Daniel Campbell of the Cascades was the lone golfer under par on the day, finishing with a 71. His teammate Zach Olson wasn’t far off at one-over with a 73, while André-Laurendeau Boomerang’s Olivier Ménard and Nik Federko of the UBC Okanagan Heat sat tied for third at two-over par.
Regardless of this year’s results, there will be a new individual champion as Josiah Dixon of the Niagara Knights is not a returning athlete. The lone individual men’s medalist from last year, Matt Lemay of Georgian, won bronze at Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club. He currently sits tied for 18th at eight-over par.
As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament.
Through one round the total sits at 91 birdies, or 91 pounds of food.
“We’re off to a great start, both with the tournament and this great initiative,” said Durham College athletic director Ken Babcock. “We want the athletes to have a great week on the course and that was the case today. Their success is not only helping their team be successful in competition, but also in helping us give food back to the local community.”
Round two will get underway at Royal Ashburn at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
