Tottenham, ON – A beautiful day greeted the players for round one of the 2020 Ontario Disability Championship, at the gorgeous Woodington Lakes Golf Club, in partnership with Special Olympics Ontario. As the warm weather continued into the day, winds began to pick up around noon, giving the later groups more of a challenge on the back nine.
Leading the Overall Men Gross following round one, is defending champion Kurtis Barkley (Cedar Glen GC), with an even-par round after shooting an eagle on the first hole and four birdies for the day. Following just two strokes behind in second place (74), is Josh Williams (Craigowan G&CC), who followed suit with Barkley in shooting an impressive eagle on the first hole. Holding third place with a five-stroke lead over fourth is Public Player Gary Bos.
Reflecting on the round, Barkley said “today I just played my own game, and tried to hit fairways and greens. I lost two balls, a tee shot and an iron shot, and I putted okay on the greens. I found that the greens are very tough, in terms of around them for chipping, and the wind was also a challenge when it started to pick up on the back nine”. Very happy to start the day with an eagle, Barkley commented that “on the tee shot I was just trying to avoid the water, so my drive went down the left side, leaving me witha good yardage and nice little club. I was able to land it about five feet out from the flag, and I watched Josh roll his in from about twenty feet. It’s nice to start that way!” Overall, Barkley found that “each green is very tough, as the angulation of the greens is quite challenging. You had to chip it perfectly to make the ball land nicely beside the hole”.
Currently in first for the Overall Women Gross is another defending champion, Natasha Stasiuk (Heron Point GL), with an 88 after round one. Sitting in second place, just 13 strokes behind Stasiuk, is Public Player Tessa Trojan.
Following the round, Stasiuk said “my strategy was to keep the ball in play and to not get into trouble, even though I was in trouble a lot of the time. My direction was a challenge today, as I often found myself behind the trees. Overall, I would say that my long game was stronger today and I was using mostly my wood and driver”. Reflecting on which holes were the most challenging, Stasiuk commented “holes number two and fifteen were the most challenging for me today, as there was a crosswind when I was trying to get it over the water”. When asked if the wind had an effect on her game today, Stasiuk replied quickly with “oh yes. The last couple of rounds I’ve played haven’t been in the wind, so I wasn’t really prepared for it I guess”. Stasiuk and Trojan will tee off at 10:21 a.m. tomorrow.
The final round of the Ontario Disability Championship will begin at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. For future results and information on the championship, click here.
For photos of the tournament, click here.
About The Ontario Disability Championship
In 2019, Woodington Lake Golf Club hosted the inaugural Ontario Disability Championship. Played over a 36-hole competition for Men and Women, the Ontario Disability Championship is an inclusive event in which athletes with disabilities compete in a provincial championship environment. The championship promotes awareness and participation for golfers with disabilities and provides a platform for future talent identification. The Ontario Disability Championship is a counting event on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD).
Key Provincial Competitions Protocols/Restrictions (subject to change)
- No spectators, including coaches and media, permitted. (**Exception: Players 18 & Under may have one accompanying adult)
- No motorized carts permitted. (**Exception: Single rider carts only for Senior & Disability Championships)
- All events will be a single tee start – no shotguns or split tees.
- Restricted field numbers. (see individual championships)
- Qualifiers will have limited field sizes. Entries will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
Click here for the full version of the Championship protocols. **These protocols are subject to change as new guidance is received from the government.
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