Hecla Island, Manitoba (July 10, 2005) -– Even the rain couldn’t stop Gary Shimmin from his goal of winning the 2005 Canadian Senior Match Play Championship, conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association, as he defeated Jack Ramsey of Germantown, TN 3&2 in the final at Hecla Golf Course.
After making birdie on the opening hole to go 1UP, Shimmin stretched his lead to 3UP by the eighth hole when play was suspended due to lightning. After waiting out the storm in the clubhouse, Shimmin didn’t show any signs of rust, as he maintained his lead on Nos. 9 and 10, before stretching his lead to 4UP after Ramsey dunked his tee shot on the par-3 11th into a pond fronting the green.
“The format of this tournament and the golf courses it goes to every year are just great,” said Shimmin, who with the victory earned an exemption into the 2005 USGA Senior Men’s Championship, September 17 - 22 in Rocky Face, Ga.
Despite his 4UP lead, Shimminn didn’t coast in as he bogeyed the par-4 12th hole and the par-5 14th hole to keep Ramsey’s hopes alive. He got one hole back at the par-4 15th after Ramsey three-putted for bogey and sealed the win with a par at the par-3 16th after hitting his tee shot to within 12 feet.
“I was getting a little nervous,” said the resident of Okatie, SC. “When you’re 4UP on the back nine, you’re supposed to win and I was a little shaky.”
For Ramsey the loss was disappointing, but he admitted that his putting let him down. “I must have burned half-a-dozen edges out there today,” said Ramsey, who plans on seeing Shimmin at the the USGA Senior Men’s Championship if he can get in through local qualifying.
“The only place I want to see [Ramsey] is in the final of USGA Senior,” joked Shimmin, who plans on returning to Canada to defend his Canadian Senior Match Play title at Picture Butte Golf Club, near Lethbridge, AB.
Final match play result for Sunday, July 10, 2005
#12 Gary Shimmin (Okatie, SC) 3&2 #3 Jack Ramsey (Germantown, TN)
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)
The following are second-round match results for Friday, July 8, 2005.
#16 Fred Silver (Lewiston, NY) 3&2 #32 Robert Vidricksen (Salina, KS)
#8 Pierre Archambault (Candiac, QC) 4&2 #9 Steve Earsley (Stuart, FL)
#13 Howard Broun (Calgary, AB 3&2 #4 David Carroll (Napa, CA)
#12 Gary Shimmin (Okatie, SC) 4&2 #28 Joseph Pavoni (Prospect, KY)
#31 Stuart Nicholson (Calgary, AB) 20th Hole #15 Russ Berkoben (Perrysburg, OH)
#23 Gus Kozina (Beach Park, IL) 2&1 #26 Brian Jeffery (Collingwood, ON)
#3 Jack Ramsey (Germantown, TN) 4&3 #14 Albert Dowdell (Calgary, AB)
#11 Real Gamache (Quesmel, BC) 2&1 #6 David Rovick (Edina, MN)
The following are first round match results for Friday, July 8, 2005.
#32 Robert Vidricksen (Salina, KS) 1UP #1 Steven Hakes (San Diego, CA)
#16 Fred Silver (Lewiston, NY) 3&2 #17 Dwight Sandquist (Calgary, AB)
#8 Pierre Archambault (Candiac, QC) 1UP #25 Dan Colquhoun (Kitchener, ON)
#9 Steve Earsley (Stuart, FL) 3&2 #24 Douglas Piper (Saskatoon, SK)
#4 David Carroll (Napa, CA) 4&3 #29 Phil Kerbrat (Calgary, AB)
#13 Howard Broun (Calgary, AB) 5&4 #20 Dennis Murphy (Amherstburg, ON)
#28 Joseph Pavoni (Prospect, KY) 19th Hole #5 Chris Maletis (Portland, OR)
#12 Gary Shimmin (Okatie, SC) 19th Hole #21 Merv Dusyk (Red Deer, AB)
#31 Stuart Nicholson (Calgary, AB) 3&1 #2 Rick Weihe (Bellingham, WA)
#15 Russ Berkoben (Perrysburg, OH) 2&1 #18 Ron Cleland (Naples, FL)
#26 Brian Jeffery (Collingwood, ON) 3&1 #7 John French (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
#23 Gus Kozina (Beach Park, IL) 2&1 #10 Ron Green (Mississauga, ON)
#3 Jack Ramsey (Germantown, TN) 21st Hole #30 Fred Lukasik (Rock Island, IL)
#14 Albert Dowdell (Calgary, AB) 4&3 #19 Jim Scissons (Saskatoon, SK)
#6 David Rovick (Edina, MN) 2&1 #27 Ford Cartwright (Lufkin, TX)
#11 Real Gamache (Quesmel, BC) 4&3 #22 Peter Howe (Crawford Bay, 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