Lords readying for 2017 PING golf championships

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Canada’s top collegiate golf players will converge on Durham Region next month to find out just who is the best in the nation.

The 2017 PING Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships are slated for Whitby’s Royal Ashburn Golf Club Oct. 17 to 20.

Speaking from Georgian College’s invitational tournament in Barrie last week, coach Tyler Martin says his players have traveled to a number of colleges across the province in preparation for the national championships.

“It’s more about just [getting out] and playing,” Martin explained, adding that he has been trying to help his players with ‘course management’.

“They can’t always think their way around the course, but it’s really about allowing them to play their best.”

As the host school, Durham is automatically afforded a spot in the national championships, however, Martin says he’s stressed to his players not to get complacent over the next month.

“That is one of the biggest messages we’ve tried to get across,” he says. “We want to have essentially earned it.”

Acknowledging that golf is really about timing, Martin says two of his players, Ryan Trapp and Colin Jex, have been at the top of their game as of late.

The Lords narrowly missed that podium at the Georgian tournament, finishing fourth, and will continue preparation for the nationals with the Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association champions in Sault Ste. Marie Oct. 2 to 4.

With Durham no longer offering a golf management program, which Martin is an alumnus of, the pool of players Durham has to choose from is much lower than in the past.

“We only had six people try out this year. That kind of shows you what we are pulling from.”

Despite this apparent disadvantage, the former golf pro feels the team is well prepared for a solid showing at the national championships.

“Ideally our goal is always to be top three, but we are kind of realistic in that we just want

to be competitive.”

Speaking on Royal Ashburn, Martin had nothing but praise for the host course.

“I used to work there, I’m proud to say they helped me a lot when I played professionally,” he says. “I can only imagine how well they are going to be prepared. They usually pull out all the stops and they do a great job.”

For Martin, the event will put a spotlight on the vigour of the local golf community.

“Hopefully it draws some junior golfers to Durham College,” he says.

Fans of the game are invited to check out the tournament as well.

“I think they’d be very surprised at the quality of golf in Canada,” Martin noted.

This is the fourth time Durham College will welcome the national championships, having previously hosted in 2012, 2002 and 2001.