Martel, Kenny capture top spots
Ben Julie of Sawmill shot 73 to place first in the Boys U13 division Monday at Rockway Vineyards on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour. Photo by: BILL POTRECZ.
Matthew Martel picked up right where he left off last season.
The defending U19 boys champion carded a one-under par 71 to capture first place at the second stop on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour at Rockway Vineyards Monday.
“It felt pretty good,” said Martel, who golfs out of Lookout Point. “The course wasn’t playing too, too long so it gave me a chance to hit a lot of irons off tees and keep it in play and then have mid irons or wedges going in.”
The 17-year-old Notre Dame graduate edged out Nathan Freure of Sawmill and Noah LeBrasseur of Players Club (Ottawa) by four strokes for the win.
“Obviously the end goal is to win but I also go there and focus on my game and try to refine anything for more events, whether it be J tour or provincial stuff,” Martel said when asked for his mindset heading into the day.
Martel, who missed last week’s opener on the tour won by his younger brother Michael, enjoys the junior circuit.
“It’s a competitive atmosphere so there are still nerves associated with it but it’s not quite the same thing as being on the first tee at a provincial championship or nationals,” he said. “It’s that good middle bridge of good, competitive native and there are nerves, but it’s a lighter atmosphere.”
Martel played at the Golf Association of Ontario Junior Spring Classic last week.
“I definitely didn’t play my best. I was able to scramble the first two days and shoot decent rounds but the third day got away from me,” he said.
Still, he was able to take something from the experience.
“You just keep grinding,” he said. “You’re going to have opportunities so if you make a couple of bogeys you can get it back. From the last day (I learned) there are going to be chances to get back into the round and you just have to take advantage, whether it be a shorter hole or a five-footer for birdie to get everything back on track. It’s really important to take advantage of those opportunities.”
Martel isn’t quite sure what is on the horizon this summer.
“Everything is kind of up in the air because of COVID,” he said. “I’d like to just to go play well at the provincial juniors and I’d like to qualify for the nationals which I would have done last year but it wasn’t played. I’d like to qualify for the Canadian Men’s Am as well.”
Martel has been accepted at McMaster University in the biomedical engineering program, but may take a year off.
“I’m thinking about deferring for a year and maybe working or job shadowing and maybe pursuing golf depending on how this summer goes.”
KENNY WINS SECOND CAREER TITLE
Casey Kenney captured her second career win, firing a two-under par 70 in the girls U19 division.
“My driver was pretty good and my irons were what was working the best today,” the 15-year-old Sir Winston Churchill student said. “It was working really good so I was on regulation for most holes.”
Kenny got off to a strong start on the front nine.
“I was bogey-free on the front. It was going pretty good,” she said. “It makes it a little bit easier because you’re not scrambling on the back and I started off with a birdie, so that’s always good.”
Kenny shot a 33 on the front nine before scrambling a bit on her final nine with a 37.
“I only had two bogeys today. It was on the second hole on the back nine and it kind of did affect me, but not too bad,” she said.
Kenney edged last week’s winner, Mikayla Lacey of the Port Colborne Country Club, by six strokes.
“I try not to (look at other scores),” she said. “I know some people try to but I just try to do my own thing.”
Kenney is in her third year on the tour. Her first tour win was last year at her home course of Sawmill.
The tour continues Wednesday, July 14 at Sawmill; Monday, July 19 at Rolling Meadows; Wednesday, July 21 at Grand Niagara, Friday, July 23 at Willodell; Monday, July 26 at Legends on the Niagara Battlefield; Wednesday, Aug. 4 at Twenty Valley; and Monday, Aug. 23, at Beechwood in Niagara Falls.
U13 BOYS
1. Ben Julie, Sawmill Golf Course +1 73; 2. Matthew Gray, Sawmill Golf Course +5 77; 3. Chase Partridge, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club +11 83; 4. Lucas Sartor, Beechwood Golf & Social House +12 84; T5. Joseph Zupanic, Sawmill Golf Course +13 85, Trent Clarke, Sawmill Golf Course +13 85; T7. Carter Fulkerson Players Club – Golf Ontario +15 87, T7. Brennan Turner, Peninsula Lakes Golf Club +15 87; 9. Daxx Partridge, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club +21 93; 10. Dawson Dermatas, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club +25 97.
U15 BOYS
1. Will Burleigh, Sawmill Golf Course +4 76; 2. Angelo Butera, Players Club – Ottawa +6 78; 3. Blake Furtney, Sawmill Golf Course +9 81; 4. Andrew Burciul, Sawmill Golf Course +10 82; 5. Jack Ilskens, Players Club – Hamilton +12 84; 6. Cole Thompson, Sawmill Golf Course +13 85; 7. Kian Oelofse, Lookout Point Country Club +14 86; 8. Vincent Cuviello, Players Club – Ottawa +18, 90; 9. Cody Hawkins, Sawmill Golf Course +21 93; 10. Leighton Wurm, Sawmill Golf Course +23 95.
U19 BOYS
1. Matthew Martel, Lookout Point Country Club -1 71; T2. Nathan Freure, Sawmill Golf Course +3, 75, Noah LeBrasseur, Players Club – Ottawa +3 75, 4. Michael Martel, Lookout Point Country Club +4 76; T5. Benjamin Hebert, Lookout Point Country Club +6 78, Damien Stehling, Bridgewater Country Club +6 78; T7. Ben Kelly, Sawmill Golf Course +7 79, Sammy Rootes, Golf Canada ClubHouse +7 79; T9. Caleb Shorthouse, Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club +9 81, Morgan Daly, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club +9 81, Benjamin Shaver, Sawmill Golf Course +9 81.
U19 GIRLS
1. Casey Kenney, Sawmill Golf Course -2 70; 2. Mikayla Lacey, Port Colborne Country Club +4 76; 3. Marieve Ayres, Dundas Valley Golf & Curling Club +13 85; 4. Alexis Alderson, Lookout Point Country Club +20 92; 5. Anisha Ghosh, Burlington Golf & Country Club +22 94.
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