GOLF GUIDE 2017 M A N I T O B A
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We have liftoff SUMMER GAMES A LAUNCHING PAD FOR YOUNG GOLFERS
By Todd Lewys F rom July 28 to Aug. 13, some 4,000 athletes from across Canada will gather in Winnipeg to compete in 16 sports and 21 different events at the 2017 Canada Summer Games. One of those events will be the Games’ golf competition, which will be held Aug. 6 to 11 at Southwood Golf & Country Club. Like all the other athletes who will take part in the 17-day event, Manitoba’s golf team – which will be comprised of three boys and three girls aged 18 and under – will get a taste of what it’s like to take part in a world-class event. “It’s really going to give kids a feel for what its like to compete on a major stage,” says Games’ president and CEO Jeff Hnatiuk. “In that sense, we’re very fortunate to have Southwood Golf & Country Club as the golf venue. It’s a major-league venue that will expose the players on not only Manitoba’s golf team, but all golf teams, to what it’s like to compete in a world-class tournament.” The six local players who compete in the golf tournament – it will be the Games’ third golf competition (previous tournaments were held in 2009 and
2013) – will have to work hard to earn their spots, says Team Manitoba coach Garth Goodbrandson, who also serves as Golf Manitoba’s director of player development. “We have a squad of 13 boys and 12 girls that trained at the Golf Dome over the winter, in addition to taking part in team practises and sports science seminars,” he says. “To choose the team, we will conduct a 10-round qualifier over two months prior to the Games. The three boys and girls with the best seven- round totals will make the teams. In 2009, the boys’ team was decided by one stroke, competition was so tight.” That means the golf team will be tournament-tough and ready to perform their best when the Games begin. “Both qualifying for the tournament and the tournament itself will be an incredible learning and growing experience for the kids,” Hnatiuk says. “They’re not only going to compete in the tournament, but they’ll also be able to observe other athletes from across the country. Once they’re done with their round, they can go out to cheer on their teammates in other sports. Being part of the golf team and part of a larger provincial team will help them build character and broaden their perspective.”
President and CEO Jeff Hnatiuk says the Canada Summer Games give kids a feel for what its like to compete on a major stage. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Goodbrandson agrees, saying being part of the Games often plays a pivotal role in a golfer’s development. “It’s an unbelievable experience for the players,” he says. “It’s really like a mini- Olympics for them. Not only will they remember the competition, but they’ll make friends and remember all the great people they met during the Games.” Hnatiuk says the Canada Summer Games often turn out to be a launching pad for athletes. “Many athletes who’ve competed in the Games have gone on to bigger and better things,” he says. “For example, about 50 per cent of Canada’s Olympic Games medallists have attended the Canada Summer Games. Alumni includes Sidney Crosby (hockey), Steven Stamkos (hockey), Cindy Klassen (speed skating), Clara Hughes (cycling/speed skating), Desiree Scott (soccer) and Janine
(Hanson) Stephens (rowing). It can be a major stepping stone in the career of an athlete because it gives them a great feel for what it takes to compete successfully in an elite-level event.” Even though the Games are still more than three months away, Goodbrandson says excitement is building among the 25 youngsters who’ll be vying to be part of the “elite six” who will compete at Southwood in August. “The Manitoba Junior will finish off the qualifier, then the kids who qualify for the Games’ team will be off to play in the biggest tournament they’ll have played in up to that point,” he says. “There’s no question they’ll be prepared to play. We’ll let the chips fall where they may, and who knows – some of the kids who play on the big stage at Southwood could use the experience to go on to bigger and better things.”
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