 UC Dino Golfers Win Both ACAC Titles
by Ben Matchett, University of Calgary
The University of Calgary Dinos golf teams captured both ACAC championship banners in come-from-behind fashion September 28-29 in Red Deer.
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The 2007 ACAC Golf Championships began under cloudy, cool conditions at the par 72 River Bend Golf Course in Red Deer. The format for the tournament sees the best four of five scores count toward the total. The University of Calgary Dinos and Mount Royal Cougars were considered the favourites in the tournament. The Dinos team consists of four first year players, Kenny Gregor, Wilson Mitchell, Brett Van Den Bossche, Tim Webb and 2nd year player, Travis Mueller. The only veteran of the team is 3rd year player Blake Lawrence, who qualified as a wild card player. A wild card player is selected based on his/her play at the regional tournament and can play for the Individual tournament title, but not the team title.
The players navigated themselves around the River Bend Course in good fashion on day one. The team was led with the steady play of Wilson Mitchell, a 1st year player and Haskayne Business student, who made three birdies on the day to post a 1-over par 73. Wilson sat alone in third place for the individual Championship. Tim Webb & Brett Van Den Bossche shot each shot 75. Kenny Gregor shot 76 to be the final score to count for the team total 299. Last week's Dinos Athlete of the Week had a slow start getting into trouble on the front nine, but 2 birdies on his last six holes helped keep his score down to 80. Team Captain Blake Lawrence had the most trouble on the day finding a score that matched the year when Jose Maria Olazabal won his first Masters jacket back in the early 90's.
All the players felt they could improve their putting on Day Two. The average putts per round was 35 on the day, which is 7 more putts per round than current PGA Tour putting leader Tim Clarke. The Dinos found themselves trailing MRC by seven strokes after day one. Seven strokes is a very small margin when counting four out of five scores. The UofC players felt with steady play they could come back and win the championship.
Day 1 Results
1. MRC 292
2. UofC 299
3. LCC 312
4. RDC 313
5. NAIT 321
6. CUCA 331
The second day of competition began under sunny skies in Red Deer and the goal for the team was to be under 294 as a team. Travis Mueller was the first to play on day two for Calgary and turned his game around by 11 shots firing a 3-under par 69 with four birdies and an eagle. Kenny Gregor played another consistent round on day two, shooting a 74 with two birdies. Tim Webb shot 1-under par 71 with three birdies. Brett Van Den Bossche made five birdies to coast to a 2-under par 70 and Wilson Mitchell was 81. The team total for day two was an amazing 4-under par 284. The Dinos were 11 strokes better than MRC on the day. Their two day total of 583 is the lowest team total in Dinos history, helping them capture the team title by four strokes. Brett Van Den Bossche’s two day total of 145 earned him first place overall and Tim Webb finished tied for second with 146. He was awarded the bronze medal on the basis of a count back. Other Dinos players also posted strong results: Travis Mueller finished in eighth, Kenny Gregor tied for ninth, Wilson Mitchell tied for 12th and Blake Lawrence finished alone in 33rd place.
Day 2 Results
1. UofC 583
2. MRC 587
3. LCC 614
4. NAIT 628
5. RDC 633
6. CUCA 659
WOMEN
The University of Calgary women had 3 of their 7 players representing the Dinos at the ACAC Championship this weekend at River Bend Golf Course. Veteran Dinos Lauren Diederichs, Karla Gustafson and Aryn Flette were playing to win the ACAC championships. Aryn Flette led the Dino women on day one shooting an 82, despite having 45 putts. Engineering student and second-year player Lauren Diederichs shot 88 and Karla Gustafson played the course in 91 strokes. In the women’s championship the format is the best two-of-three scores. The girls sat in second place, two strokes behind MRC after day one. The team felt that if they could keep their team putts down to an average two per hole they would have a chance at winning.
Day 1 Results
1. MRC 168
2. UofC 170
3. NAIT 183
4. MHC 203
5. RDC 217
The second day of competition for the Dino women was one that they will all remember. Every player improved their day one score by at least 4 strokes. Lauren Diedrichs fired a 5-over par 77, while improving her game by 11 strokes over her first round score. Aryn Flette matched her career low round shooting a 78 on the day. Team captain Karla Gustafson made one birdie which helped lower her score by 8 strokes to an 83. The team total of 155 was 15 shots better and their nearest competitor on day two. The Dinos women easily captured their first-ever ACAC Championship by 13 shots over MRC. Aryn Flette finished second overall in the tournament with her two-day total of 160. Lauren Diedrichs finished third with 165 and Karla finished sixth with 174.
Day 2 Reults
1. UofC 325
2. MRC 338
3. NAIT 363
4. MHC 414
5. RDC 434
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