Seely becoming one for the ages
By CHRIS STEVENSON, Ottawa Sun
Glen Seely won the OVGA's Senior Field Day at Smiths Falls the other day with a 73. A nice score, especially when you consider Seely, one of the legends on the local golf scene, is 75.
Seely said it's probably the eighth or ninth time he's shot his age or better. What's really good about this time is the way he did it.
Seely was 5-under on the back nine, hitting all nine greens.
"I kind of solved a swing problem I had on the front nine," he said. "I made some putts, but none of them were too long and I missed a 31/2 footer on a par-5 for another birdie.
"It's a lot easier to get it going in a tournament compared to when you're just playing with your friends because you're concentrating."
Seely gets out about three or four times a week at Rivermead, where he's been a member since 1961.
Before that, he was at the Chaudiere, which was the players' club here. Seely said he thinks there were about 25 guys capable of shooting in the 60s at "The Chaud" in the late 1950s. He competes against a few of those guys now.
ONE-SHOT WIN
At Smiths Falls, Seely beat Lyle Alexander of Greensmere, Mike Kelly of Vieux Moulins and Rocky Rochette of Outaouais by one stroke.
Brian Darling of Camelot and Graham Zelmer of Kanata were another stroke back at 75.
Alexander and Kelly topped the 55-59 age group while Darling took the 60-64 division. Rochette was low man in the 65-69 grouping and Seely took 70+, of course.
Seely, a three-time winner of the prestigious Alexander of Tunis tournament -- one of the Triple Crown events in Quebec -- will try and qualify for this year's event Monday at Tecumseh.
HEAR AND THERE: Kanata's Ashley Bickerton had a 6-over 79 in what turned out to be the only qualifying round for match play at the Women's British Amateur on Tuesday, leaving her in 94th place. Harsh weather forced the cancellation of the second round and match play got under way yesterday. Five Canadians qualified for match play with Christine Boucher of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., the low medallist with a 69. Laura Matthews of Essex, was the lone Canadian to survive match play.
JUNIOR ROUNDUP: Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls won her fifth straight Cisco Systems Junior Challenge Tour event Saturday with a 79 in tough conditions at Iroquois. Only eight players broke 80 on the day. Brockville's Ben Glynn won the boys' 15-18 division with a 2-over 74 in the windy conditions. Glynn had an impressive four birdies and an eagle, but finished with three bogeys. Matthew Rice and Corey Willard tied for second at 77. Bowie Abbis-Mills had a 79 to win the boys' 10-14 division, edging Jordan McMahon by a stroke ... Rivermead's Marc-Etienne Bussieres and Chad Skinner tied for top spot at the OVGA's junior field day at Arnprior last Sunday. They had 74s. Alex Gibson of the Hunt Club, Adam Henderson of Rideau View and Alec Hulbert of Pembroke were in a group at 77. Taylor Evans of Rideau View topped the net category with a 66.
HOLE-IN-ONE CLUB: The dream shots are starting to flow in, starting with Poplar Grove pro Randy McGee. Playing with fellow pro Ron Langevin of The Target Golf Centre, McGee holed his 9-iron shot on the 132-yard seventh hole on Poplar Grove's Blue Course. "I walked up to the hole and he was still on the tee, stunned," said Langevin. "Then he started running. I think his feet only hit the ground six times ... and he's a chubby guy. It was funny as hell to see him run like that. Then he had to go back to the tee and get the cart." Langevin had hit his ball to within 18 inches of the hole. "It was tough to birdie a hole and lose it," he said, "but it was worth it to see him run."... At The Meadows, Nan Campbell holed a driver on the 127-yard third hole on the West Course. It was into the wind, of course ... Jean-Louis Le Blanc used his driver for an ace at the par-3 14th hole at Nation. Always good, but especially so when you consider Le Blanc had hip replacement surgery in December. It was a nice 67th birthday present and shared by his son, Claude, on Father's Day ... Adam Wilson aced the sixth hole at the Lake Course at Pakenham. He used a 9-iron on the 129-yard hole ... If you would like to report a hole-in-one, call 739-5165 and leave the name of the golfer and witnesses, where it happened (course, hole, length) and what club was used. Please spell the names. Or e-mail me at the address at the end of this column.
chris.stevenson@ott.sunpub.com
