WINDSOR— Heading into the final round of the 2016 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship, July 15 at Ambassador Golf Club, it was anyone’s tournament to win as eight players were all within five strokes of the lead.
The final group consisted of co-leaders Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk, Guelph’s Rachel Pollock and Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain, who was just one back. St-Germain got out to a good start with a birdie on the opening hole and would add three more on the front nine, along with a pair of bogey’s, to head to the turn at two-under.
Meanwhile, Marck-Sherk, a member at the Bridgewater Country Club, and Pollock, Whistle Bear Golf Club, had their share of struggles on the front nine. Both players finished the front nine three-over resulting in a big swing, in St-Germain’s favour, on the leaderboard.
St-Germain, 17-years-old and a member of Golf Canada’s National Development Squad, would close things out on the back nine finishing it at one-over to end the round at one-under (71). That brought her tournament total to two-under (69-70-76-71-286), good enough for a four-stroke victory.
“It feels amazing to win the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship,” said St-Germain. “To have my name on this trophy with all of these great players is fantastic!”
Ambassador and the elements were tough on the players this week, but for St-Germain, her putting kept her in it. “My putting was the strongest part of my game this week. I was putting really well, which helped on these greens.”
Like most players, St-Germain had her ups and downs during the week, especially during the third round. However, she ended that round with birdies on two of the final three holes. She talked about how that late charge helped her mind frame heading into the final round. “Getting those birdies at the end of round three gave me a lot of confidence because I wasn’t playing very well. It gave me momentum coming into today.”
There was a tie for the silver medal between Marck-Sherk and Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun resulting in a podium swept by current and former Team Ontario members.
Marck-Sherk went on to play the back nine one-over and ended the round at four-over (76) bringing her tournament total to two-over (74-71-69-76-290).
As for Chun, a Summit Golf & Country Club member, she finished the day at even par (72). Chun followed up a one-over front nine by carding a one-under on the back nine to end the tournament in the tie at two-over (68-75-75-72-290).
In addition to crowning the winners, the top three also earned the right to represent Ontario in the team competition at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, July 26-29 at the Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, Nova Scotia. With some players not electing to participate in the event, Ontario will be represented by: St-Germain, Chun and Pollock, who finished the tournament at five-over (68-75-71-79-293).
For full tournament information, including the final leaderboard, see the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao165/index.htm
Golf Ontario would like to thank Ambassador Golf Club, along with their staff and volunteers for hosting the event. Thanks also to title sponsor Investors Group and the Golf Ontario volunteers for their continued support of golf in the province.
About the Investors Group Women’s Amateur
First played in 1904, the Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship is being contested for the 101st time this summer, and for the first time at Ambassador Golf Club. Past champions include 1968 LPGA Championship winner Sandra Post (1964), LPGA Tour players Alena Sharp (1999) and Brooke Henderson (2014), Rebecca Lee-Bentham (2007), and World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit, who holds the record for the most number of titles with 11. In total, 64 players began the four-day, 72-hole tournament.
