INNISFAIL – Two rounds of stellar under par golf made the difference for Edmonton’s Ethan Wilson.
The young golfer from the Glendale Golf & Country Club actually posted a two under par 70 in the first round of the 54-hole Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship (AMAC) and trailed the early leader by two strokes.
But Wilson put his game in overdrive the rest of the way in the tourney held at the Innisfail Golf Club from July 4 to 6; the first time the local club has hosted the AMAC since 2016.
He posted a 66 in the second round and followed that up with a bogey-free 67 in the third and final round to win the tournament at 11 under par; eight strokes ahead of second place finisher Neil Thomas of the Edmonton Country Club who shot three under for the tournament.
Defending champion Brady McKinlay, of the Lacombe Golf & Country Club, finished in third place with a 54-hole score total of 214; two under par.
“It feels awesome. I would say I played really good this week. I was happy with how I was able to just close today and play some steady golf,” Wilson told Alberta Golf on July 6. “I hit the ball really well all week, especially today; so it was nice, stress free.”
The top players from the Innisfail Golf Club were Joe Kelly and Jace Ouellette who both finished five over par to wind up in a ninth place tie.
The third Innisfailian to make the cut was Cole Fox and he finished the tourney at 20 over par, tying with two others for 55th place on the leaderboard.
Mathew MacDonald, head professional at the Innisfail Golf Club, noted the 120 golfers across the province who entered the tourney had the good fortune of having Mother Mature on their side.
“It was way better than we expected -- originally forecasted to have some poor weather, some cooler weather, some high winds,” said MacDonald, noting the overall success of the tournament that was last held at the club six years ago.
“We're super proud that Alberta Golf would choose to host this prestigious event again at our golf course,” he added. “The membership has been behind it the whole way; the board of directors has been behind it.
“Everyone was super excited for 120 of the best players across Alberta to come join us and experience our facility and prove what a test it can be.”
MacDonald had plenty of praise for club staff who worked long hours preparing the course; long rated as one of the best in Alberta.
“It's been unbelievable the amount of effort and time that Erwin Alvarez, our club superintendent, and his crew have put into this. They've been unbelievable,” said MacDonald, noting the event has also relied on up to 40 volunteers to ensure the tourney’s success.
“They've been pulling almost double shifts, trying to make sure everything is as perfect as it can be,” he added. “The hours they're putting in are tremendous, and I can't thank them enough for giving these competitors the best of what we have to offer.”
As for future prestigious tournaments, MacDonald said the club would like to get another big one for 2024 to coincide with celebrations for the Innisfail Golf Club’s 100th anniversary.
“I think that would be a really cool way to cap it off, whether we ended up with the Alberta Open, or there's talk that potentially the Canadian seniors or the Canadian ladies might be making their way out to us, which would be spectacular exposure for the golf club,” said MacDonald. “Obviously, we'd be incredibly proud to host any one of these fine events.
“But there's no doubt it’s a point of pride for our members and for ourselves to be able to host these events and show off how beautiful this facility is,” he added “As well as how difficult and challenging it can be for the best players in Alberta.”
