Big draw for tournament
Canadian Zinc Open hits 20 teams for weekend game
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, August 18, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Some played for kicks and others for keeps on Aug. 13 and 14 as golfers joined members of the Canadian Zinc team for the 12th annual Canadian Zinc Open.
Left, Alan Taylor - chief operating officer for Canadian Zinc as well as vice-president of exploration - congratulates the winners of the 12th annual Canadian Zinc Open along with company president John Kearney, right. Shawn Gillis, second from left, and teammates Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, Ramona Hardisty-Gillis and Mark Gillis earned the top spot in the 20-team tournament. - April Hudson/NNSL photos
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Competition was fierce on the fairway with 20 four-person teams battling their way around the nine-hole Seven Spruce Golf Course in Fort Simpson, but the lure of gold medals boiled down to a chip-off between two teams as the afternoon trickled away on Aug. 14.
Players piled out of the clubhouse to watch the chip-off between expert players Mark Gillis, Ramona Hardisty-Gillis, Shawn Gillis and Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, who faced off against the seasoned team of Kevin Menicoche, Jake Waugh, Eric Menicoche and Climat Muyambo.
Gillis' team came out ahead by a matter of inches and was declared the tournament champion.
Menicoche's team took second place.
Third place went to Arnold Hope, Kele Antoine, David Shaw and Roger Candow.
This marked the second year in a row where the tournament ended with a chip-off, which was determined by which team hit closest to the pin.
The weather stayed warm all weekend, cooling off toward the end of the day on Aug. 14.
Prior to announcing the tournament's winners, Canadian Zinc president John Kearney thanked the participants for coming out. Following his speech, company vice-president of exploration and chief operating officer Alan Taylor presented the awards.
Taylor joined other employees of Canadian Zinc on the fairway throughout the weekend, trying his own hand at a game.
"Last year at this tournament was the last time I played golf," he said.
The game included some youth players. Brittany Kendo said the tournament went well and she had enjoyed her time on the course.
Fellow teammate Gabriella Hardisty-Beaverho said her best shots of the tournament were Hole 7, where her drive hit the ball almost to the edge of the green, and Hole 2, a shot which snagged her the youth medal for closest to the pin.
No wonder, since the teen prizes her drive above all.
"My favourite part is when you hit (the ball) and it goes far," she said.
Men's longest drive went to Rylan Hardisty-Gillis on both Aug. 13 and 14, while Erin Wyatt won for women's on Aug. 13 and Madeline Pilling took women's on Aug. 14.
Men's longest putt went to Troy Hardisty on Saturday and Kele Antoine on Aug. 14. Women's longest put was won by Malo Antoine on Aug.
13 and Roxanna Thompson on Aug. 14.
Closest to the Pin saw Climat Muyambo win Aug. 13 and teammate Eric Menicoche win Aug. 14, while Triona Kearney took women's on Aug. 13 and Laurie Nadia took men's on Aug. 14.
