Welcome back to another round of Golf Ontario’s newest feature, Women in Sport Wednesday’s! This campaign embraces our female 2020 Ontario Champions, their passion for the game, their accomplishments in the sport, and some interesting facts about each champion.
A modest golfer with great talent and a lengthy list of championship titles, Terrill Samuel is a two-time Ontario Women’s Amateur, three-time Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur, and two-time Ontario Senior Women’s champion. In 2018, Samuel was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame, joining the Class of 2018 in the Amateur Golfer category. In 2021, the number one thing for Samuel is “to still enjoy the game and get out for some great rounds with some really good people. And if you play well, that’s a bonus!”
Read the full interview with 2020 Ontario Senior Women’s champion, Terrill Samuel below…
How did you get into Golf?
My Mum would take us to visit her parents in England and they got me into golf for a couple of weeks at the end of our summer break. They had a little nine-hole course near them and they signed me up, so that’s how I got involved in golf. I was probably around 7 or 8 years old when I first picked up a club. I didn’t play in Canada until I was 21, which is a big birthday for us Brits, so I asked for golf clubs! I was 23 when I played in my first competitive tournament.
What does the sport of golf do for you?
I think especially in Amateur golf, it’s more about friendships. I’ve been out with a few injuries and you truly miss that, but once you get back it’s really nice to see all your friends and you have these friendships for life. Also just enjoying being out in the fresh air, especially this last season, just getting out of the house and having golf since it was one of the only things you could do.
It’s a lot of fun and the comradery that’s out there in Amateur golf is great. You get to meet new people and playing in tournament golf allows you to go to different places in the world, which I think is another great aspect of golf. I’ve been able to visit New Zealand, Sweden, France, and a lot of other really nice places. I’ve been all over the States and in Canada, you get to see every province, which is pretty fun too.
What other sports were you involved in growing up?
Both my brother and I were actually swimmers, and we swam competitively so that’s why we never really got into golf at a young age in Canada. Swimming took up a lot of time as it was about four hours of practice every day; two hours in the morning and two hours at night. I competed in about every stroke except breaststroke.
Favorite golf course?
Royal County Down Golf Club, Newcastle UK (Northern Ireland) – that was my favorite!
Favorite club in your bag?
I would probably say my 8 iron! My 8 iron and my 5 hybrid are the ones that I take to the range and practice with the most.
How do you mark your ball?
I put a happy face on one side and the letter “T” on the other.
Biggest accomplishments to date?
- Winning the 2015 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship
- Crowned the 2015 Senior (50+), Mid-Master (40+), and Mid-Amateur (25+) champion
- Losing to Judith Kyrinis in the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship
– Terrill would be the runner-up for the 56th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship (USGA)
– Judith is a longtime friend and competitor of Terrill’s
What’s your pre-tournament routine? How do you get into the right headspace?
I’m one of those golfers that just hits it and chases it, I don’t really think too much about it. I admire people that like to analyze their game, but once golf is over I don’t really talk about my round either.
I’m probably known as a pretty fast player (we’d agree – it’s hard to get a picture of Terrill off the tee!!). I just figure out the yardage, pull a club, and go. This is my one saying – Slow players always get to play at their pace, but fast players never do. My dream round would be first off, with two other fast players and no crossover.
Favorite golfers, to watch?
LPGA – Nancy Lopez and Patty Sheehan
PGA – Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
If you could play a round of golf with anyone, who would be in your foursome?
- Nancy Lopez – for sure!
- Jack Nicklaus
- Payton Manning
About The Ontario Senior Women’s Championship
The inaugural Ontario Senior Women’s Championship was conducted in 1962 and since then has been contested annually featuring the province’s best female amateurs age 50 and over.
The event has had several notable past champions including World, Canadian, and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Stewart Streit, who captured the title six times. Also, Canadian and Ontario Golf Hall of Famer Gayle Borthwick, who also picked up the trophy six times. Recent winners include Ivy Steinberg (2008 and 2009), Terrill Samuel (2011, 2020) as well as Golf Ontario Hall of Fame members Mary Ann Hayward (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2019) and 2017 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Champion Judith Kyrinis (2016, 2017, and 2018).
About Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 450-member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to shaping lives through Golf.
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Brianna Christopher, Assistant, Marketing Communications.
Golf Ontario
BChristopher@gao.ca
Peter MacKellar, Manager, Marketing and Communications.
Golf Ontario
PMacKellar@gao.ca
