Vong wins Champions men’s crown for third time
Rockway Vineyards’ Kham Vong used a tried and true recipe for success at the 74th Walt McCollum Niagara District Champions of Champions golf tournament Saturday at St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.
“You just have to play down the middle, hit the middle of the greens and make some putts. It’s simple,” the 52-year-old said.
Vong, who won the third champion men’s title of his career, takes a lot of pride in being able to still compete against the young guns into his 50s.
“I put a lot of work in but I love the game. It is one of the best hobbies to have in the world. To me, it is not work. It is the love of the game.”
His love of the game has always been there since his father-in-law got him hooked on the sport.
“It comes from getting bitten by the bug at age 25 and making sure you just go at it. I fell in love with it right from the get go and I have had a club in my hand ever since.”
He was far from an instant success.
“Nobody is good right away. The swing was there but the short game and putting is just a feel thing and once you get that feel it doesn’t leave you. You are going to have your hot and cold rounds but you shrug it off because there is always the next day.”
He plays about three times a week and practises six hours a week, including 20 minutes each morning.
“I do a lot of drills for putting, I make sure I hit enough balls during the week and I try to play enough that I keep my focus.”
The warehouse manager at St David’s Hydroponics edged Bridgewater’s Nolan Vonkalckreuth by one stroke thanks to shooting a one-under par 71.
“I had some up and downs but I literally just tried to hit the middle of the fairway and make sure I got in on the front side of the green.”
The key moment came on his final hole, the 18th.
“I hit a really good drive, hugged the left side and went in the rough. I had a feeling I needed to go one under to have a chance to win so I hit six iron from 173 and kept it down to fight the wind and it left me an eight-foot birdie putt.”
He needed the birdie after recording a double bogey on the 16th hole.
Rounding out the top five were: Cherry Hill’s Ryan Dyck 74; St. Catharines’ Matt Walpole 75; and, Lookout Point’s Cole Thompson 76.
