Billyard makes it five for five
Sandra Billyard gave herself an early birthday present Saturday at the 75th Walt McCollum Niagara District Champions of Champions golf tournament at the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.
The Fonthill resident fired a 74 to capture first place in the senior women’s division, just two weeks short of her 65th birthday.
The win was the fifth championship in five years in the senior division and ninth overall for Billyard, who golfs out of the Port Colborne Country Club.
“That’s five for five but it gets a little more nerve wracking as time goes on,” Billyard said.
Despite such an impressive track record, Billyard doesn’t go into the tournament thinking big.
“Oh God, no. The more you win the more stressed you kind of get, that’s kind of how I am,” she said. “I’m always thinking I’m going to blow it or something.”
Billyard was able to recover from a rough start that saw her bogey the first four holes and had her wondering if it wasn’t her day.
“Then I drained a putt for birdie and then on one of the tougher holes I drained another put for birdie and I thought that negates some of the bogies,” she said. “I thought I was done and then on the back nine it was weird. I’d have these 25-foot difficult putts and I kept putting them up, like four inches from the hole. I guess I started striking the ball better and my irons better and things like that.”
Billyard said she focused on minimizing the damage early on.
“I hung on on the front nine — I never had a double bogey, which I tried very hard not to do — and then on the back nine I started to play better,” she said. “I thought if I could just bogey, you know eventually you’re going throw in some pars and maybe a birdie or two so that was huge.
“I had no blow up holes and out here and that’s pretty good because they have some different, difficult holes.”
Billyard enjoys the social aspect of the tournament.
“That’s what’s so fun, you don’t see these people all year and then you see them here, so that’s nice and of course getting to play St. Catharines which is beautiful and so nice.”
Robin Wilson of Bridgewater was second with an 81 followed by Sara Anne Smurlick of Freedom Oaks Golf Club, who placed third with an 84.
Thomson takes women’s crown
Sue Thomson credits maturity on the course in helping her to win the women’s championship.
The 63-year-old Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club member recovered from a poor start to fire a 78, good enough to edge out Louise Robitallie, Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club, and Shelley Lothian of Cardinal Lakes Golf Club, who tied for second with an 81.
“I didn’t start off very well. I thought it was going downhill really quick but then I picked it up. I had three birdies through the day, the last two holes were birdies,” Thomson said. “I’m getting older now and I’ve just decided to that it’s each hole, every hole is a new hole. It doesn’t matter if you have a bad hole, you just mentality go to the next hole.”
Thomson admitted it wasn’t always that easy for her to move on from a slip up or two.
“Now, in my younger days, I wasn’t able to do that,” she smiled. “You do (still) care but I even tell my playing partners if they have a bad hole, move on to the next one.”
The championship was the first for Thomson, who grew up south of Montreal and moved to Niagara three years ago from Calgary.
“It’s good to get into the groove with some of the ladies I’ve met now and it’s been great,” she said. “It was a beautiful day and the course was in really awesome condition. The team deserves a great big applaud because it was in really good shape.”
Thomson has been golfing since she was five years old.
“My grandfather taught me and all I remember was hitting a ball and running, hitting the ball and running. Over time I think I’ve developed my game more as I’ve aged,” she said.
Two in a row for Kowalyshyn
Sierra Kowalyshyn shot an 85 for her second junior title in a row.
The Sawmill golfer was the lone junior girl entered.
“It changes it a little bit,” Kowalyshyn said of being the lone competitor. “I’ve been trying to have more fun, relaxing, try out some new stuff that I wouldn’t normally do. Maybe go at a couple more pins, play a little less safe.”
The 15-year-old Sawmill golfer got off to a tough start.
“I just got new irons so I had to get a little used to them but towards the back nine I started hitting it close and it got much better. I had a good back nine, not a great front (nine),” she said.
Kowalyshyn played a few stops on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour this season in addition to playing a couple of tournaments in the States.
“I think the best I did was at the Golf Ontario match play. I got third, so I was happy with that. That’s the best I’ve done in a while.”
She also played a GO Super Camp last week where the top ranked junior golfers in the province squared off.
Kowalyshyn, who attends Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, is pleased with her progress.
“My game has definitely gotten a lot better, especially when playing the longer yardages. Compared to last year or the year before, it’s gotten a lot easier,” she said. “I also feel like my course management has gotten a lot better with experience, just learning where to hit it, or where to be on the tee, like the left or right side, stuff like that.”
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