Hot start to the week for some

By Sean Rooney on July 31, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

A sample size of three is hardly scientific, but it did seem like scoring was inversely related to water consumption in the first round of the Canadian Junior Boys Golf Championship.

On a sweltering Monday at Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club, the temperature soared into the mid-30’s while 10 of the 156 golfers managed to go under par.

Waterloo’s Bennett Ruby said he drank five bottles of water plus a Powerade. He was at 5-under until two late bogeys to finish in a four-way tie for first at 3-under 68.

“I love this course, it suits my game,” said Ruby, whose highlight was an eagle on the par-4 17th. “I hit the ball relatively long, so if you can hit driver straight you’ve got 40, 50 yards into a lot of these par 4’s.”

Medicine Hat’s Caleb Kinch said he went through six water bottles and probably should’ve had more. His score? A solid 3-over 74, which included a tough triple bogey on the 13th and a double bogey on the ninth, his last hole of the day.

“Happy overall, I putted well, that’s why I shot solidly,” said Kinch, tied for 45th. “(The greens) were a little faster but I was putting well on them.”

Ryan Hodgins, the other local in the field, said he only got through four water bottles. Uh-oh. He opened triple, then a double bogey for a 7-over 78.

Hydration might have had something to do with it, but Hodgins was more concerned with missing numerous short putts, including one for birdie on the 10th from six feet away.

“If my putter was hotter I would’ve been 72, even after being 5-over on the front,” he said. “I missed four or five birdie putts on the back nine.”

There’s always tomorrow. Hodgins will need to make up some ground to make the two-day cut and play the final 36 holes, but his ball striking was impressive as usual so he knows he can do it. It’s just a matter of getting the flat stick going.

Ruby didn’t even need to putt on the 17th, which normally plays as a par 5 but this week sees the juniors tee off from the forward tees and making it a long par 4. After whacking his driver to within 130 yards, he took dead aim at the cup.

“I hit a gap wedge, it was right on it. My mom went like that (finger pointed down), so I knew,” he said.

But it is the greens that gave players the most trouble. They’re not much faster than they are the rest of the summer, but are proving tricky.

“I think just understand that not every putt’s going to go in, don’t get frustrated when they don’t fall,” said Ruby of his key to Tuesday’s second round. “Most people are struggling on these greens, they’re pretty quick.”

After not making the cut at nationals last year and needing a medical exemption — his back still felt a bit tight at times Monday — just to play this year, Ruby is making the most of his chance. He’s joined at 3-under by Lacombe’s Brady McKinlay, Daniel George of Richmond Hill, Ont. and William Duquette of Laval, Que.

Delta, B.C.’s Jace Minni played in the same threesome as Ruby and was in a group one shot back at 2-under. He’s alone in the lead for the juvenile trophy.

As for the 36-hole team competition, Ontario took a one-shot lead over both Quebec and defending champion Alberta.

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