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For Immediate Release
The final day of the 2017 Atlantic Golf Championship would provide a new challenge as mild rain, cool temperatures and changing winds would provide an additional test to the 52 competitors, over and above the par 72, Cornish & Robinson designed, Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, NB.
Originally contested in 2014, 2017 marks the fourth installment of the Atlantic Golf Championships where teams from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador compete for both the “Atlantic Cup”, and individual exemptions over eight (8) separate division and four age categories, into the 2018 Canadian Championships.
Michel Landry – Team NB
In the Amateur Men’s division it was New Brunswick’s Michel Landry of the Fredericton Golf Club overcoming a two stroke deficit to PEI’s Jeff Hughes, of the Belvedere Golf & Country Club, to claim NB’s 2nd amateur men’s title, and first since The Riverside Country Club’s Edward Reevey did so in the inaugural event at the Bell Bay Golf Club, in Bedeck, NS, in 2014. Despite making bogey on the par four 2nd, Landry would still cut the deficit to one as Hughes would double the tricky 384 yard par four. A par at the third combined with a Hughes bogey would get Landry back to even for a short time. Hughes would birdie the 4th to go one up again but Landry would rattle off three consecutive birdies at the 5th, 6th and 7th , that combined with Hughes’ double at seven would push the two time NB Men’s Amateur Champion four clear through 43 holes. A double bogey at the 8th would see Landry make the turn in an even par (E), 36, and two shots up on Hughes who would card a four over par (+4), 40, on the outward nine.
With Hughes needing to come and get him, Landry would settle in posting nine consecutive pars on the back nine to win the division by three shots over Hughes, whose two bogeys and a birdie at #18, would see him close the day with a five over par (+5), 77, and a three day total of 226.
Moving into third position with a final round 72 of his own was NB’s Peter Wedge (82, 73, 72, +10, 227) of the Rockwood Park Golf Course. Wedge would use birdies at the 5th, 6th, 7th and 18th to offset bogeys at #3, #4, #10 and #12 to climb to within one shot of Hughes for 2nd in the division.
Cristal Fitzpatrick – Team NS
Nova Scotia’s Cristal Fitzpatrick (79, 75, 79, +17, 233), of the Eaglequest Grandview Golf & Country Club would join fellow divisional champions to go wire to wire claiming the Ladies Amateur division. With a ten shot lead entering Saturday’s final round, Fitzpatrick would cruise home posting a birdie, 11 pars, four bogeys and two others on the day to card a final round seven over par (+7), 79 on the day. Maintaining her grip on second in the division was Team NB’s Jescynda Hotham. Hotham (84, 80, 78, +6, 242), of the Country Meadows Golf Club, would fire her round of the tournament carding four bogeys and one other to close the event with a six over par (+6), 78, and make up one shot on Fitzpatrick. Rounding out the top three was Team NB’s Maureen O’Donnell of the Fredericton Golf Club (84, 81, 92, +20, 257).
The battle of the day may have been for the Men’s Mid-Master title, as New Brunswick’s Stuart Musgrave, PEI’s Tim Yorke and Team NB’s Chris Bunting all started the day within two shots of each other. While he started the day with a one shot advantage over Yorke, and a two shot lead over Bunting, Musgrave would struggle on his opening nine holes carding a five over par (+5), 41, that consisted of three bogeys and a double at the par three 7th.Yorke would bogey the par five 1st, the par three 4th and the par three 7th before making birdie at the 9th to post a two over par (+2), 38, to move two clear of Musgrave, but the big mover of the day was Bunting. Birdies at the 1st, 4th and 8th would wipe out his lone bogey on the front, at the par four 2nd, to see him card a two under par (-2), 34, on the front and jump into the lead three up on Yorke and five clear of Musgrave.
While Yorke and Musgrave would both right the ship on the back nine, posting one under par (-1), 35’s, for final round 73’s and 76s respectively the division was now Bunting’s to lose. A birdie at the 11th would extend his lead to four shots over Yorke, bogeys at the 12th and 15th would bring him back to the pack. Bunting would fall no further as he would par the difficult par four 16th, the par three 17th and the challenging par five 18th to tie the low round of the event and post a one under par (-1), 71, on the day, a three day total of 219 and a one shot victory over Yorke.
Melissa Castle – Team PEI
The Mid-Master Ladies division was claimed by Charlottetown`s Melissa Castle (83, 85, 88, +40, 256) of the Belvedere Golf & Country Club. Castle would card one birdie, 11 bogeys and two others on her way to a closing round 16 over par (+16), 88. Finishing just three shots off the lead was New Brunswick’s Mary Walton-Rossignol (90, 82, 87, +43, 259). The Fredericton Golf Club member would post 11 bogeys and two others as she would close her event with a 15 over par (+15), 87, for a three day total of 259, three shots off of Castle’s mark. In third position was Team NB’s Shelley Thomas (90, 89, 83, +46, 262) of the Country Meadows Golf Club. Thomas’ final round 83, was good enough to slide by club mate Erin Musgrave (90, 88, 87, +49, 265) and into solo third in the division.
Mike Hosford (Team NB) with Jeffrey Hutt (Golf Canada)
The Senior Men`s division would see Team NB`s Mike Hosford (78, 77, 76, +15, 231) go wire to wire as the Royal Oaks Golf Club member would fire a closing round four over par (+4), 76, to edge out his New Brunswick teammate Gary Melanson (82, 77, 73, +16, 232). Hosford would fire an even par (E), 36, on his opening nine holes thanks to birdies at the 4th and 6th that offset bogeys at the 7th and 8th, but two bogeys on #12 and #13 and a double bogey at the par four 16th would see him close his day with a four over par (+4), 40, on the inward nine opening the door for Melanson. Melanson who started the day tied for fourth, four shots back of Hosford, would start on the back nine and post an even par (E), 36, on his opening nine holes to match Hosford. While Hosford struggled on his inward nine, Melanson would be steady bogeying the par three 4th and birdieing the par five 6th to draw even with Hosford atop the division. However a Hosford par at the 18th combined with a Melanson bogey at the ninth would see Melanson fall one shot off the pace, despite an excellent one over par (+1), 73, on the final day. Tied for third position were PEI’s Malcolm Reid (78, 79, 79, +20, 236) and Newfoundland & Labrador’s Colin Budgell (85, 74, 77, +20, 236).
Mel Bernard – Team PEI
It was PEI’s Mel Bernard (79, 78, 72, +13, 229) of the Andersons Creek Golf Club who used a near perfect round to surpass New Brunswick’s Jean LeBlanc (77, 76, 78, +15, 231) of the Fox Creek Golf Club in the Super-Senior Men’s division. Bernard would double bogey the par three 4th before birdieing the par four 5th to make the turn in a one over par (+1), 37, and draw within one of LeBlanc through 45 holes. Eight consecutive pars on the back nine, punctuated with a birdie on Covered Bridge`s par five finishing hole would see Bernard shoot a final round even par (E), 72, compared to LeBlanc`s final round six over par (+6), 78, to take a two shot victory in the division. In third position is Don Boland (80, 79, 77, +20, 236) of Newfoundland & Labrador and the Bally Haly Golf & Country Club.
Paula Napke-Flanagan – Team NB
New Brunswick’s Paula Napke-Flanagan (79, 77, 79, +19, 235) would go wire to wire to win the Senior Women’s division. Starting the day with a five shot lead over PEI’s Sherry White, Napke-Flanagan would double her lead on the front nine thanks to a three over par (+3), 39, compared to White’s eight over par (+8), 44 on the outward nine. Despite bogeying her first three holes, Napke-Flanagan would settle in to record six consecutive pars to close out her front side. Four more bogeys on the back nine, at #11, #13, #16 and #17, would see Napke-Flanagan cruise into the clubhouse with a respectable seven over par (+7), 79, and a ten shot victory over Stanhope, PEI’s Chrissie MacLaughlan (81, 83, 83, +29, 245) who’s consistent play throughout the week would earn her solo second. Jumping into third position, with the categories round of the day, was NB’s Pam Cossey (85, 83, 78, +30, 246), of the Rockwood Park Golf Course. Cossey’s final round six over par (+6), 78, would jump her into third position, four shots clear of Stratford PEI’s Sherry White (Belvedere Golf & Country Club) and the Country Meadows Golf Club’s Sandy Comeau who finished tied for fourth.
Penny Dickeson (Team NB) with Jeffrey Hutt (Golf Canada)
The Fredericton Golf Club’s Penny Dickeson (95, 87, 84, +50, 266), would claim the ladies Super-Senior division by 15 shots over Lorrain MacDonald (99, 92, 90, +65, 281) of Kensington, PEI and the Red Sands Golf Club. Dickeson would steadily improve her play throughout the week, improving by eight shots from round one to round two and by another three shots from round two to three, to claim the division win.
In the race for the Atlantic Cup, New Brunswick’s victories in all six divisions would see Team NB earn the full 24 points and supplant two time defending Atlantic Cup Champions Team PEI (17 points) to bring home the Atlantic Cup for the first time. In third position was Team NS with 9 points while Team NL rounded out the contest by claiming the final 2 points available.
| Amateur Men Team Standings | Amateur Women Team Standings | |||||
| Team | Points | Total | Team | Points | Total | |
| Team PEI | 4 | +13 | Team NB | 4 | +4183 | |
| Team NB | 3 | +15 | Team NS | 3 | +38 | |
| Team NS | 2 | +36 | Team PEI | 2 | +44 | |
| Team NL | 0 | – | Team NL | 0 | – | |
| Mid-Master Men Team Standings | Mid-Master Women Team Standings | |||||
| Team | Points | Total | Team | Points | Total | |
| Team NB | 4 | +6 | Team NB | 4 | +62 | |
| Team PEI | 3 | +16 | Team PEI | 3 | +64 | |
| Team NS | 2 | +33 | Team NS | 0 | – | |
| Team NL | 0 | – | Team NL | 0 | – | |
| Senior Men Team Standings | Senior Women Team Standings | |||||
| Team | Points | Total | Team | Points | Total | |
| Team NB | 4 | +20 | Team NB | 4 | +31 | |
| Team PEI | 3 | +25 | Team PEI | 3 | +37 | |
| Team NL | 2 | +30 | Team NS | 2 | +96 | |
| Team NS | 0 | – | Team NL | 0 | – | |
| Total Team Standings | |
| Team | Points |
| Team NB | 23 |
| Team PEI | 18 |
| Team NS | 9 |
| Team NL | 2 |
L to R: Jeffrey Hutt of Golf Canada presents Tom Hendershot, President of Golf NB, with the Atlantic Cup
For more information on the Atlantic Golf Championships – Click here
For more information on the Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club please visit: http://coveredbridgegolf.nb.ca/.
For more information on the Golf Newfoundland Labrador – Click Here
For more information on the Prince Edward Island Golf Association– Click Here
For more information on the Nova Scotia Golf Association – Click Here
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