2008 Ledgeview Open Presented by Saputo - VGT

Marketplace IGA VANCOUVER GOLF TOUR

2008 Ledgeview Open Presented by Saputo

Tournament in Review
Parry’s Patience pays off at Ledgeview Open!

It took until the 54th and final hole to determine the winner of this year’s Ledgeview Open Presented by Saputo. All contestants had to bear the sweltering 35 plus degree heat over three days of championship golf conditions. At the outset, it was 20 year old Amateur Jesse Singh from The Redwoods who led the tournament after 18 holes with an impressive opening round of 66 and a two shot lead over Professionals Andrew Smeeth and Matt Palsenbarg.

Day two saw a change in the leader board as Nationwide Tour member Bryn Parry charged to front of the pack with a flawless round of 63, including nine 3’s. At the conclusion of play, Parry felt he had control of his ball the entire day, feeling at home as the heat peaked into the high 30’s by mid day. Witnesses to Parry’s round felt there could have been a 59 on the card easily had the putter been slightly hotter. By the end of day two, Parry held a two shot lead over Singh who had himself fired a solid round of 69 to get to -5 for the tournament.

Along with Parry and Singh, the final foursome of the tournament was rounded out by Amateur Lucas Bogdan and defending Champion Andrew Smeeth, both herald from the Ledgeview Golf & Country Club. Parry increased his lead over the first five holes to -10, birdying holes 1, 4 and 5. Meanwhile, Bogdan began his first five holes with a bogey and four pars, which appeared to place him out of contention now 8 shots behind the leader with 13 holes to play. Singh traded off a bogey with a birdie on the first five holes, and too was way behind, but by 5 shots behind Parry. Smeeth made a solo birdie on hole five to get to -4, but throughout the day too many putts slid past the hole. This would ultimately turn the last 13 holes into a three man tournament.

By the turn, things heated up quickly as the Amateurs made the charge. Bogdan birdied 6, 8 and 9 to move to -5 as Singh birdied 6 and 9 to get to -6. Parry made his first bogey in 27 holes of the tournament on the 8th hole. Now all of a sudden Parry’s lead shrank to a mere 3 shots over Singh and 4 over Bogdan.

The next six holes proved to be “a whole lot of work…..as I was trying to get myself close to the pin from some wrong places on the golf course” described Parry. These series of holes proved spiralling for Parry, with three bogeys and a double bogey, letting both Singh and Bogdan back in the game. After Singh’s birdied 10 and 14, and Bogdan parred the first after the turn, this tournament was now anyone’s to win. At 16, Singh (-5) now held a one shot lead over both Parry and Bogdan with only three to play.

After some solid tee and second shots into the green on the 16th hole, Singh’s putter caught fire, curling a 12 footer to extend his lead to 2 over Parry and Bogdan with only 17 and 18 to play. The 126 yard 17th hole plays anything but simple, particularly with the pin positioned this final day. Tucked behind the front bunker, only a foot away from the sloped front left side, this pin shot called for much precision. Singh had the honors and although his shot started at the flag, it hooked and caught the edge of the green, making for a very tough up and down from behind the hole. Both Parry and Bogdan’s shots found the green, but both failed to capitalize on their birdie attempts. However, when Singh’s par putt failed to drop, only one shot separated the three coming down the 18th and final hole.

With all three players’ tee-shots from the 18th tee safely in play, it was Singh to play first. He laid his second shot up nicely into the fairway some 100 yards out. Next up, Bogdan played a fairway wood up within 30 yards of the stick. Parry’s intentional play from the tee down the 16th fairway left him within striking distance of the green. Struck well, his fairway shot caught the greenside bunker, leaving him some 40 feet of green and two swales to traverse between him and the pin.

Singh was first to play his 3rd and his shot sailed right over the pin, but it didn’t come down until some 10 yards behind the flag, finding the back bunker. He now faced a difficult up-and-down to save his par to stay -5. Bogdan faced a challenging 30 yard pitch shot up and over a swale and then down to the hole. His execution was excellent, pitching his shot into the back slope with just enough spin to move his ball back to within 8 feet above the hole. This placed the pressure directly on the shoulders of Parry with his green-side bunker shot. In order to get his ball anywhere near the hole, Parry needed to be very precise. Too far and his ball would stay up on the top of the green; too little and he wouldn’t get down the slope to the hole and leave himself at least 20 feet to go. Parry held his composure and splashed his ball all the way past the pin, up the slope exactly where he had calculated. The shot then came trickling all the way down the green’s slope and nestled within 2 feet from the pin for his birdie! His shot was greeted with a round of applause from some 50-60 spectators eyeing the final group’s every move.

When Singh’s bunker shot rolled 20 feet away from the pin and both his par putt and bogey putts missed, he slouched with disappointment as his chances to capture the championship had faded away. It was then Bogdan’s chance from 8 feet above the hole, and although his speed was right on, his putt didn’t break the way he planned and slipped by the hole. His par on 18 left him at -4 for the Championship. When Parry tapped in for his birdie on 18 to finish at -5, he was crowned Overall Champion of the 2008 Ledgeview Open. Bogdan finished second overall in the Open, which consisted of 30 pros and 130 amateurs, securing the Overall Low Amateur Title. Singh, at -3 for the Championship, finished third overall and second Low Amateur – a great tournament indeed!

At the awards presentations, Ledgeview’s Master of Ceremonies and winner Bryn Parry both congratulated Superintendant Chad Burns on the excellent shape of the Ledgeview Golf Course and went on to thank the following people and/or organizations for making this year’s Ledgeview Open a huge success:

Presenting Sponsor: Saputo

Supporting Sponsors: Bobcat (Dave Holmberg), The Clarke Group (Fred Clarke), Shakes and Cedar Products (Kent Gibson) and Erv Froese

All Hole Sponsors: Please visit www.ledgeviewgolf.com to see all hole sponsors of this year’s event.

Ledgeview Golf & C.C. Tournament Organizing Committee and all members who volunteered their services

Ledgeview G & CC Superintendant: Chad Burns

VGT Live Scoring Services: Heidi Tran, Brian Small, Bill Schabes and George Sterling

A full account of the player’s scores in all handicap divisions from Professional to 10 and over can be found both on the Ledgeview Golf & Country Club’s website at www.ledgeviewgolf.com. Full scorecard scores and a picture gallery of the Ledgeview Open can be found on the Vancouver Golf Tour’s website at www.vancouvergolftour.com.

Order of Merit Update: Parry’s victory at the Open vaults him into first place in the VGT Order of Merit, $1,400 ahead of Guilford’s Dan Swanson.

Upcoming VGT Events:
Hadassah Wizo Pro-am - July 14th at the Richmond Country Club.

Hub International Chilliwack Open – July 19,20th at Chilliwack Golf & CC

Golden Ear’s Open – July 26,27th at Pitt Meadows Golf Club

Perfect Lies Vancouver Open – August 8-10th at Sandpiper Resort

Visit www.vancouvergolftour.com and click on schedule for details on how to register for this illustrious Pro-am tournament that offers a $10,000 Professional Purse!! 		CANADIAN GOLF NEWS

BC Golf Packages and Travel Ideas
Golden Golf Club - A Great Start or Finish to any BC Golf Trip
Desert Golf BC Style - Inkameep Canyon Desert Golf Course
Hyde Mountain On Mara Lake Golf Course

Golf News - General
Nationwide Tour Storylines – Week of Nov. 17th 2008
Sundog Eyewear named Official Eyewear of the 2008 ADT Championship
Alberta Golf Guide Now Online

Canada Golf News
Four Pros Tied for the Lead heading into the Final Round of the Titleist & FootJoy Canadian PGA Club Professional Championship
2008 Titleist & FootJoy Canadian PGA Club Pro Championship
2008 Titleist & FootJoy Canadian PGA Club Pro Championship

BC Golf News
Vernon's "The Rise" - Up for Sale
AUGUSTA VGT Tour Championship Review and Result
Callaway Golf IPGA Hosted By The Club at Tower Ranch

Alberta Golf News
BC, ALBERTA AND MANITOBA JUNIORS TAKE MJT NATIONAL TITLES
WestJet Expands International Network With Two New Sun Destinations
ATB Financial Classic 2008

Alberta Golf Travel / Packages

Saskatchewan Golf News
Historic Saskatchewan Tournament Revived By Canadian Tour
The Willows Hosts Fantastic Finale To MJT’s Saskatchewan Season
Smith qualifies for Maple Leaf Team Canada to Mexico

Golf Products / Features
Callaway highlights new product lineup at Orlando PGA Show
DriveTheBall / Telenium Inc. providing real time bookings
New Site Launch - www.freegolfclassifieds.com