- playing Sunday final for Canadian Sr. Am
Hecla Island, Manitoba – Americans Jack Ramsey and Gary Shimmin are the last ones standing at the 2005 Canadian Senior Match Play Championship, conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association.
Ramsey, the third seed, needed an extra hole in his morning quarterfinal match to dispatch Real Gamache of Quesmel, BC before defeating Gus Kozina of Beach Park, IL in the afternoon semifinal 5&4.
“I putted tremendously today and in fact all week,” said the native of Tennessee, who is retired from Federal Express. “I took it one match at a time and I have played consistently, which is something I haven’t done this year.”
Shimmin, seeded 13th, knocked out a pair of Canadian hopefuls, downing Howard Broun of Calgary, AB 2&1 in the quarterfinals and defeating Pierrre Archambault of Candiac, QC 5&4 in the semifinals.
“I played as well as I could,” said Shimmin, who lives near Hilton Head, South Carolina. “This event is one of my favourites and anyone who wasn’t here this week missed out on something.”
Shimmin got off to a fast start and was 3UP after five holes against Archambault, who was the lone Canadian to make the semifinals. Archambault cut the lead to 2UP after nine, but the turning point of the match may have been the par-5 10th hole. Shimmin was on the green in two, but Archambault was unable to go for the green because his ball lay in a divot. Shimmin made birdie to Archambault’s par and bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 by Archambault handed the match to Shimmin.
Shimmin, who is playing his first full season of senior events after retiring from the insurance business, lost only two holes during his quarterfinal and semifinal wins. He’s hoping the final will bring him a victory after a string of four runner-up finishes so far this summer.
Stuart Nicholson of Calgary, AB was the other Canadian to make the quarterfinals, but was beaten by Kozina 2&1 in their morning match.
The final match gets underway at 8:00 am on Sunday at Hecla Golf Course.
The following are semifinal match results for Saturday, July 9, 2005.
#12 Gary Shimmin (Okatie, SC) 5&4 #8 Pierre Archambault (Candiac, QC)
#3 Jack Ramsey (Germantown, TN) 5&4 #23 Gus Kozina (Beach Park, IL)
The following are quarterfinal match results for Saturday, July 9, 2005.
#8 Pierre Archambault (Candiac, QC) 2&1 #16 Fred Silver (Lewiston, NY)
#12 Gary Shimmin (Okatie, SC) 2&1 #13 Howard Broun (Calgary, AB)
#23 Gus Kozina (Beach Park, IL) 2&1 #31 Stuart Nicholson (Calgary, AB)
#3 Jack Ramsey (Germantown, TN) 19th Hole #11 Real Gamache (Quesmel, BC)
Conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), this prestigious national championship features 86 of North America’s top senior male amateur golfers competing in both stroke and match play for the title of Canadian Senior Match Play Champion. Now in its ninth year, the event has quickly become one of the most coveted tournaments among senior golfers in North America.
The winner of the 2005 Canadian Senior Match Play Championship will be granted exemptions into the 2005 Canadian Senior Championship held September 19-22 at Le Club de golf Milby, Lennoxville, Que., and/or the 2005 USGA Senior Men’s Championship, September 17 - 22 in Rocky Face, Ga.
The competition is open to male amateur golfers who have reached the age of 55 by July 6th, 2005 and who are members of a golf club belonging to the RCGA or clubs in other countries, which are in good standing with their respective associations. A golfer must also have a handicap factor of 8.0 or less on the date of filing the application.
Championship play will be conducted Tuesday, July 5th through Thursday, July 7th, with 18 holes of stroke play each day. The field will then be reduced to 32 players after 54 holes for match play. A competitor’s qualifying score will determine his position in the draw. The first two rounds of 18-hole matches will take place Friday, July 8th with the quarterfinal and semi-final matches on Saturday, July 9th and the championship final on Sunday, July 10th.
A full list of participants, starting times and post-round results for the 2005 Canadian Senior Match Play Championship can be found on the Internet at www.rcga.org.
ABOUT THE RCGA
The Royal Canadian Golf Association is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing close to 400,000 members nationwide. In addition to providing core services such as the Rules of Golf, handicapping, support of turfgrass and environmental research, and BMO Financial Group Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program and supporting the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, the RCGA also conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The Bell Canadian Open and BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while six regional junior championships, 10 national amateur championships and the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Tour showcase the best of Canadian golf. For more information please visit www.rcga.org.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
John Tenpenny
RCGA, Communications
Phone: 905-849-9700, ext. 218
On site: 204-279-2072
Cell: 905-741-4251
E-mail: jtenpenny@rcga.org