Senior men’s championship ends in tie
Retirement is working out well for former NHLer Adam Creighton.
The 58-year-old member at Cherry Hill won a club championship at Lookout Point four times but could never play in the Walt McCollum Niagara District Champions of Champions golf tournament because of hockey commitments.
After retiring in June after 23 years as a scout with the Boston Bruins, he had a chance to play more golf.
“I won the senior championship at Cherry Hill and I decided to play this year,” he said.
Competing in the 74th version of the tournament Saturday at the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club, Creighton carded an even par 72 to tie for the top spot in the senior men’s division with Yogi McKay from the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.
“I had a good group. Yogi, who I tied with, is a real good player and the other two guys, Ian (Penney) and Mike (Baines), were also good players,” he said, “It could have been a little bit warmer but it was fun.”
The Champions co-title puts a cap on an excellent season for Creighton. Earlier this year, he won the Ontario senior championship and tied 20th at the Canadian senior championship.
“Joe Miszk, a friend of mine, told me ‘You are going to go to the qualifier for the senior championship’ and I told him ‘I didn’t know.’ He called me in the morning and told me I had to sign up now so I signed up, played at Twenty Valley and ended up winning that. Then I went to the Ontario championship and won that.”
He attributes his success to his clubmates at Cherry Hill.
“It’s playing golf with all those young kids at Cherry Hill. It’s trying to beat them and I am pretty competitive. And I love it. I feel like I want to transition out of hockey and into golf.”
He is looking forward to play more competitive golf at the senior level.
“I enjoy it but I don’t really want to travel very much.”
McKay, a 58-year-old owner of a U.S customs brokerage company, was playing in the Champions of Champions for the first time. He won the St. Catharines’ seniors title last year but couldn’t attend because he was at a friend’s wedding.
The former scholarship golf and soccer player at Catawba College in North Carolina credited his play Saturday to his son, Malcolm, who was caddying for him.
“All through it he was ‘Dad hit it here and hit it here.’ We agreed and disagreed on putts but he read them pretty good.”
McKay was unable to stay for the dinner after the tournament because there was a surprise birthday party scheduled back at his home for Malcolm.
“I had 50 people in the backyard and we were longer than expected.”
Home knowledge didn’t hurt his play Saturday.
“It’s my home golf course and I know it pretty well. I had one birdie and one bogey but I chipped and putted good enough.”
It also helped playing in a very competitive foursome.
“I don’t know what any of the other groups were doing but all four of us could have won depending on the day. They probably helped me more than I helped them.”
He may have been able to win outright but he missed a two-foot putt on the 13th hole and barely missed a 30-footer on the 17th hole.
“It’s one of those things where you remember your misses and you forget your makes.”
This past summer, the Niagara Senior Men’s Tour participant placed 12th in the Ontario senior men’s Champions of Champions event.
MacKay is a former professional soccer who played 12 years before the money arrived in the sport. Among his pro teams were the Buffalo Blizzard and Rochester Rhinos.
“It was anywhere where I could make a pay cheque,” he said.
The St. Catharines resident started taking golf seriously again about 12-15 years ago.
Rounding out the top five were: Rolling Meadows’ Pat Purbs 74; Twenty Valley’s Mike Baines 74; and, Rockway Vineyards’ Derek Divok 74.
LEADERBOARD
