Toulouse and Bodfield rule Champions open divisions
Dave Toulouse, pictured above, won the championship men’s division Saturday at the 72nd Annual Walt McCollum Niagara District Champion of Champions golf tournament at Grand Niagara.
No one was more surprised than Dave Toulouse after discovering his 77 was good enough to win the championship men’s division Saturday at the 72nd Annual Walt McCollum Niagara District Champion of Champions golf tournament at Grand Niagara.
“Are you serious?” exclaimed the Grand Niagara member upon hearing his score was good enough for a one-shot victory over a pair of other golfers.
“I knew it was going to be a tough day but I didn’t think 77 was going to be good enough to win. I had a feeling I would come in the top five or top 10 but I thought someone would come in with a 74, 75, 76 or something like that.”
He figured a three putt on the 17th hole had taken him out of contention.
Toulouse was able to record the victory by hitting his driver well — except for the second hole when his drive didn’t reach the ladies tee followed by a shank into the fescue — and hitting his irons awful.
“I kind of hit it all over the place but I got up and down from bunkers two or three times and up and down another six or seven times just chipping it close.”
Toulouse agreed it’s hard to play championship golf on April 30 but he was a spectator at this year’s Masters followed by six or seven rounds of golf in Columbia, S.C.
“I had a lot of trouble chipping in that Bermuda grass. I was chunking everything until the last day I figured something out,” he said. “If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have won this tournament. I got up and down from everywhere today and I almost chipped in twice.”
The 59-year-old Welland resident agreed home course knowledge played a hand in his victory.
“I had the speed down well on the greens and I know the subtle breaks that someone else might not know,” he said.
Saturday was the third time Toulouse had played in the Champions of Champions in the championship men’s division and he described his previous performances as “not so good.
“This is the first time that I scored well.”
He was thrilled with the win.
“I didn’t realize this event has been going on for 70-something years. It is always a thrill to play in the Champion of Champions. You are playing against the best at every course and it is always fun.”
Sawmill won the team title in a tiebreaker after tying for first with Rockway Vineyards with 32 points, Rounding out the top five clubs were Twenty Valley (29), St, Catharines (23) and Beechwood (12).
CHAMPIONSHIP LADIES DIVISION
Kennedy Bodfield’s fourth Champion of Champions title was a long time coming.
The 25-year-old St. Catharines native won junior girls titles in 2009, 2011 and 2013 before winning the championship ladies division Saturday at Grand Niagara with a 78 that was good enough for a two-shot victory over former multiple champion Stefi Markovich.
“It has been awhile but it is a good feeling,” she said.
The third time playing in the champions women’s division was the charm for the Rockway Vineyards member.
“It was nice just to be able to come out and be able to play with good people and we got great weather today which was nice.”
Bodfield, a former scholarship player at McNeese State University, admits she doesn’t golf as much as she should.
“After I graduated, I had knee surgery and I would like to think that that is the excuse as to why I haven’t played as much, but honestly I have been busy with work,” she said. “I am going to try and get back into it.”
She misses playing.
“It is always nice to come out and not be as competitive as I used to be. You are still competitive but you get to enjoy it, play with friends and play at different courses.”
It was during her rehab from knee surgery that she learned to take a different approach to golf.
“It was a hard transition going from super competitive to more for fun and the knee surgery helped a lot because I had to take a break for probably a year,” she said. “For a long time, I couldn’t move like I used to so I got used to playing a little more conservatively and kind of going out there for fun. It helped me realize that it is a privilege to come out and play.”
Bodfield’s winning score was impressive considering it took her 35 putts to get through the round.
“I had a four putt but I hit a lot of greens (13 to be precise) which was nice and even the bad shots were kind of OK,” the Grade 4-5 teacher at Princess Elizabeth said.
CHAMPIONSHIP MEN’S RESULTS
David Toulouse, Grand Niagara 77
Brian Stewart, St. Catharines 78
Jeremy Hopkins, Port Colborne 78
Jaret Chipman, Cherry Hill 79
Kham Vong, Rockway Vineyards 80
Kyle Stephenson, Twenty Valley 80
Pat Purbs, Rolling Meadows 82
Bill Zizian, Willodell 83
Mike Athoe, Bridgewater 84
Mike Woodhouse, Sawmill 84
Adam Crumb, Cardinal Lakes 84
Troy Fraser, Whiskey Run 87
James Grigjanis-Meusel, Niagara-on-the-Lake 87
Ken Wake, Niagara Falls 90
Richard Gibson, Niagara National 92
Darryl McNamara, Beechwood 94
Casey Chymko, Freedom Oaks 95
Dino Maddalena, Long Beach 95
CHAMPIONSHIP LADIES RESULTS
Kennedy Bodfield, Rockway Vineyards 78
Stefi Markovich, Port Colborne 80
Emily White, Beechwood 85
Donna Larson, Sawmill 89
Karen Vamplew, Twenty Valley 89
Chris Critelli, St. Catharines 90
Ruth McBride, Bridgewater 95
Emily Zwier, Cardinal Lakes 98
Michelle Fraser, Whiskey Run 98
Yolanda Henry, Niagara-on-the-Lake 99
Wendy Ozog, Rolling Meadows 103
Lynn Gulla, Freedom Oaks 111
Carrie Pennimpede, Niagara Falls 114
PAST CHAMPIONS
CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN’S
1951: Marlene Stewart-Streit, Lookout Point
1952: Marlene Stewart-Streit, Lookout Point
1953: Marlene Stewart-Streit, Lookout Point
1954: Bernice Smith, Lookout Point
1955: Dorothy Thompson, Cherry Hill
1956: Bernice Smith, Lookout Point
1957: Kay Jack, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1958: Dorothy Henzelman, Cherry Hill
1959: Dorothy Henzelman, Cherry Hill
1960: Marie Vasil, Oaklands
1961: Helen Chyplik, St. Catharines
1962: Betty Obenauer, Erie Downs
1963: Betty Obenauer, Erie Downs
1964: Kay McNiven, Twenty Valley
1965: Anne Sharp, Lookout Point
1967: Shirley Romanow, St. Catharines
1968: Shirley Romanow, St. Catharines
1969: Shirley Romanow, St. Catharines
1970: Cathy Graham (Sherk), Willodell
1971: Cathy Graham (Sherk), Willodell
1972: Vicki Hill, Queenston
1973: Cathy Sherk, Lookout Point
1974: Cathy Sherk, Lookout Point
1975: Claire Moeschler, Cherry Hill
1976: Helen Chyplik, St. Catharines
1977: No tournament
1978: Mary Beth McInnis, Lookout Point
1979: Marg Rae, Port Colborne
1980: Claire Moeschler, Cherry Hill
1981: Shirley Romanow, Lookout Point
1982: Jackie Fellinger, Bridgewater
1983: Shirley Romanow, Lookout Point
1984: Lolly Lenahan, Cherry Hill
1985: Laurie Rybski, Lookout Point
1986: Laurie Rybski, Lookout Point
1987: Laurie Rybski, Lookout Point
1988: Laurie Rybski, Lookout Point
1989: Carolyn Larsen, Lookout Point
1990: Missy Hendrerson, Oaklands
1991: Pam Piotrowski, Twenty Valley
1992: Judith Allan, St. Catharines
1993: Robin Wilson, Port Colborne
1994: Robin Wilson, Port Colborne
1995: Sandra Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
1996: Sandra Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
1997: Flo Ermanson, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1998: Tara Goss, Rockway Glen
1999: Sandra Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
2000: Robin Wilson, Port Colborne
2001: Tara Goss, Rockway Glen
2002: Robin Wilson, Port Colborne
2003: Sandra Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
2004: Betty Divok, Hunters Pointe
2005: Betty Divok, Hunters Pointe
2006: Mary Kraus, Bridgewater
2007: Mary Kraus, Bridgewater
2008: Betty Divok, Lochness Links
2009: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2010: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2011: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2012: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2013: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2014: Stefi Markovich, Lookout Point
2015: Chris Critelli, St. Catharines
2016: Chris Critelli, St. Catharines
2017: Stefi Markovich, Port Colborne
2018: Sarah Anne Smurlick, Freedom Oaks
2019: Alex Taylor, Lookout Point
2020: Alex Taylor, Lookout Point
CHAMPIONSHIP MEN’S
1950: Al Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1951: Jim Neale, Dunnville
1952: Jim Neale, Dunnville
1953: Jim Neale, Dunnville
1954: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids
1954: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids
1956: Joe Mate, Lookout Point
1957: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne
1958: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne
1959: Merle Noyes, Port Colborne
1960: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids
1961: Bob Mason, Lookout Point
1962: Dave Gillings, St. Catharines
1963: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point
1964: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids
1965: Ed Muto, Erie Downs
1966: Bill Bevan, St. Catharines
1967: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point
1968: Jack Lowrey, St. Davids
1969: Bob Jarvis, Lookout Point
1970: Gary Bannister, Lookout Point
1971: Alan Billyard, Lookout Point
1972: Bill Reynolds, St. Davids
1973: Mike McNiven, Twenty Valley
1974: Lee Kelly, Willodell
1975: Mike McNiven, Twenty Valley
1976: Les Westlake, Lookout Point
1977: No tournament
1978: Bob Noyes, Port Colborne
1979: Bob Noyes, Port Colborne
1980: Woody McKaig, Lookout Point
1981: Brian White, Lookout Point
1982: Les Westlake, St. Catharines
1983: Les Westlake, St. Catharines
1984: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1985: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1986: Don Andrusiw, Twenty Valley
1987: Sandy Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
1988: Les Westlake, St. Catharines
1989: John Drynan Jr. Dunnville
1990: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1991: Sandy Billyard, Peninsula Lakes
1992: Lorne Demoe, Rockway Glen
1993: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
1994: George Fairgrieve, Bridgewater
1995: Bill Lipsett, Twenty Valley
1996: Jim Brown, Rolling Meadows
1997: Jeremy Julie, Sawmill
1998: Mike Claxton, Lookout Point
1999: Mark Derbyshire, Niagara-on-the-Lake
2000: Jeremy Julie, Sawmill
2001: Ange Bozza, Twenty Valley
2002: Jim Briggs, Peninsula Lakes
2003: Mike Claxton, ICC
2004: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley
2005: Andy Labelle, Willodell
2006: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley
2007: Jim McNeil, Twenty Valley
2008: Bob Berg, Rolling Meadowns
2009: Bob Goss, Long Beach
2010: Matt Graham, Port Colborne
2011: Kham Vong, Queenston
2012: Matt Graham, Lookout Point
2013: Matt Graham, Lookout Point
2014: Brian Eden, Hunters Pointe
2015: Michael Mottola, Cherry Hill
2016: Michael Mottola, Cherry Hill
2017: Kham Vong, Rockway Glen
2018: Robbie Ellis, St. Catharines
2019: Matt Graham, Port Colborne
2020: Dave Bunker, Cherry Hill
