Burke, Smurlick and Brown top Champions event
Port Colborne’s Sandra Billyard putts on the 18th green at Rockway Vineyards Saturday. Billyard placed second in the ladies division at the 69th Walt McCollum Niagara District Champion of Champions golf tournament.
There was a big difference between Kayla Burke’s first Champion of Champions junior girls title in 2013 and the one she won Saturday at Rockway Vineyards.
A difference of 30 strokes to be exact.
Back in 2013, the then-13-year-old Whiskey Run member took advantage of a few top golfers missing the event by carding a 53-47-100 to win at Lookout Point.
Now playing for Lookout Point, the 17-year-old Port Colborne resident fired an impressive 34-36-70 to win the 69th Walt McCollum Niagara District Champions of Champions golf tournament by nine strokes.
“A whole 30 shots better is really good,” said the Grade 12 student at Welland Centennial, with a laugh.
She admits to being a little sheepish about her first Champions title.
“This one feels a lot better and being older too, you kind of understand the importance.”
Burke’s summer included a tie for 13th at the Ontario junior girls championship, but Saturday was her best round of the year.
“Honestly, I hit the ball so well today and I putted great.”
She did it by staying calm and talking and laughing with her playing partners.
“I can’t get it into my head and when I think I am under par, then it just goes down from there,” Burke said. “I always have to play shot by shot and breathe, and I can never get ahead of myself.”
Burke may have a chance to join Kennedy Bodfield, Stefi Markovich, Shannon Briggs and Adrianna DiLonardo as three-time winners of the junior girls division, but she could also have other plans.
“It depends on where I am and everything.”
She is pursuing a golf scholarship at NCAA Division 1 Arkansas State and has already made an official visit to the school.
“It is everybody there and the school itself,” she said. “It’s so safe and it’s amazing school spirit. I went to a football game when I was there and it was great to see all the students support the Red Wolves.”
The school also has an education program she is interested in. She is leaning towards signing with the school in November and that will take the heat off in terms of performing well in 2019.
Rounding out the list of the top five in the junior girls division were: Twenty Valley’s Peyton Bennett (38-41-79); Beechwood’s Susan Leone (39-43-82); Dunnville’s Sasha Baker (46-38-84); and, Sawmill’s Mya Mackey (42-45-87).
SMURLICK TOPS LADIES DIVISION
This year’s winner of the ladies division of the Champion of Champions golf tournament is the clear cut winner when it comes to unusual golfing backgrounds.
Back in 2013 when she was 49, Sarah-Anne Smurlick began playing scholarship golf in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with Loyola University in New Orleans.
“My husband decided that we should separate,” she said. “I thought I had retired to spend time with him and now it was what am I going to do.
“I really regretted not playing college golf and I thought that I was good enough.”
She actually had two offers, including NCAA Division 2 University of Tampa.
“I lost two years of eligibility because of tournaments that I had played provincially between the time I left high school and when I was going to college.”
She ended up playing two years with Loyola.
“I played well, I was No. 1 on my team for the most tournaments, but I didn’t stomp on anybody.”
The Freedom Oaks member didn’t stomp on anybody Saturday, but her 44-37-81 score at Rockway Vineyards was good enough to record a one-shot victory.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I had a desire to play well today and I did for the first 13 holes.”
Her strong play came to a screeching halt when a golfer ahead of her recorded a 13 on the par three 18th hole. She was two over par after 10 holes at the time.
“There was a little delay on the course that kind of cooled me off, but I am happy with the victory.”
The 54-year-old resident of the Maitland Shores RV Trailer Park Marina in Dunnville was playing in her first Champions tourney after playing most of her golf in the Toronto and London area.
This summer, the retired project manager at Toronto Hydro placed fifth at the Ontario senior ladies championship and also tied for 30th at the Canadian championships at Lookout Point. She is a previous York District champion, edging out Judith Allan-Kyrinis, thanks to a hole in one.
Completing the list of the top five in the women’s division were: Port Colborne’s Sandra Billyard (44-38-82); Rockway Vineyards’ Betty Divok (42-43-85); Whiskey Run’s Michelle Fraser (44-44-88); and, Pen Lake’s Nancy Bridgeman (43-45-88).
BROWN WINS SENIOR LADIES DIVISION
Port Colborne’s Barb Brown had a reason to be ecstatic Saturday after winning the senior women’s division of the Champion of Champions golf tournament at Rockway Vineyards.
“This is my first Champions win in probably 12 opportunities,” the 59-year old said. “I feel now that I won, I am not going to play in it again. But I got the opportunity to play, I obviously would.
“It is an absolute dream come true.”
Winning a Champions title has long been a goal of Brown’s.
“I am a retired musician and I play golf for fun,” he said. “This is Year 21 for me and I have learned so much from previous champions like Robin Wilson, Nancy Wilson and now Stefi Markovich and Sandra Billyard.”
Brown, who had competed in the ladies and senior ladies divisions previously, carded a 38-43-81 to win her division by two strokes.
“I struck the ball so well off the tee and out of the fairway today,” the retired music teacher said. “I have never hit the ball so well. I struggled a bit on the greens at times, but I managed to dial them in and made a few putts.”
Her caddy, husband Larry Hannigan, was a big help.
“He didn’t have to say much, just when I was discouraged with my putting,” she said. “He told me to keep going, hang in, see if you can make a few putts and fortunately I did.”
Rounding out the top five in the senior ladies division were: Rockway Vineyards’ Cindy Wegg (41-42-83); Twenty Valley’s Karen Vamplew (42-42-84); Bridgewater’s Robin Wilson (44-42-86); and, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Yolanda Henry (43-44-87).
