A tumultuous back again-nine stamped by a hiccup at the 16th gap appeared like a tale Ryan Sholdice was under no circumstances going to stay down.
But brighter situations, like the kinds delivered by the summery temperature in southeastern Manitoba on Friday afternoon, prospered for the 29-year-aged. Sholdice weathered the storm — and his nerves — by the closing two holes at Granite Hills Golf Club to secure his initially Diamond Athletic Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The champion continued to have on a massive smile extended following his spherical experienced ended.
“It feels superior. The last couple of a long time I’ve been proper there. So it last but not least feels fantastic to get 1 less than the belt.”
“It was a grind all working day. Both of those me and Drew (Jones) kinda struggled off the tee all day. It went correct to 18 really a great deal.”
Leading Shilo State Club’s Drew Jones by a single stroke coming into the ultimate 18 holes, Sholdice, of Breezy Bend Nation Club, discovered himself up by 4 strokes on Jones, surging immediately after a birdie at the 15th, heading into the closing three-hole stretch.
He experienced played the extend in a mixed one-over par on Wednesday and Thursday, but a flared tee shot on the 16th that strike a tree prior to settling on the cart route led to a double-bogey on the hole, cutting his direct in half.
“It was just so restricted out there. Every single hole you just have to hit the fairway… If you don’t strike the fairway, it is bush,” he mentioned
Sholdice parred the last two holes to shoot 77 and get by a pair of strokes at eight-around par (224).
His 7 days, highlighted by his sub-par spherical on Thursday (the only sub-par round of the week), was marked by a sequence of resilient bounce backs in Friday’s spherical.
In the ultimate 10 holes, Sholdice scored bogey or worse 4 occasions. On a few of those people occasions, he birdied the future gap.


Golf MANITOBA
Jeri Lafleche will make a extended-vary putt Friday at Granite Hills Golf Club.
Jones shot a six-about 78 on Friday to complete next (226) even though Joe Scharf of Whitewater Golfing Club Inc. clawed his way to third put (229) with a 75 in the ultimate spherical.
A young — still previously common to a lot of — identify appeared at the best of the women’s leaderboard later in the working day.
Jeri Lafleche, just 15 years outdated, entered Friday’s spherical of the Diamond Athletic Women’s Novice in a 3-way tie for first position with Addison Kartusch and former champion Veronica van der Meer.
Lafleche proved to be wise outside of her yrs, even so, currently being the only one in the ultimate group to shoot sub-80. She fired a neat 4-more than 76 to gain the championship by six strokes at 16-about par (232).
“I only identified out (I won) on the 18th eco-friendly. My dad sort of hid it from me… It is great, I performed properly, so I really feel like I deserved it and I shot my two very best rounds. It was a superior two days,” she claimed.
The Very clear Lake Golf Study course consultant now features a pair of titles at the provincial level, like the 2021 Bantam Championship, which she received by 12 strokes.
Following crediting her putter for taking pictures a event-small 75 on Wednesday, Lafleche stated the key to sealing the deal was being scorching with the flat-iron all through her last round.
“I was capable to adhere my long putts close and then a single-putt to help you save myself a pair of occasions. And then I was capable to sink a couple of six-footers, which retained me really continue to with my direct.”
“Becoming youthful, you golf with people today that are more skilled, so currently being in a position to understand from them just as a lot as you’re finding out from the expertise is normally a favourable.”
The young expertise will look to keep her momentum going at up coming week’s Junior Girl’s Championship at St. Charles State Club, where by the Junior Boy’s Championship will also be held.
Rhonda Orr received the Women’s Mid-Amateur division at 22-more than (238) while Scharf claimed the men’s Mid-Masters Championship.
jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @jfreysam
