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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A crowd lined the edge of hole nine at the Seven Spruce Golf Course on Aug. 7 to watch the dramatic end of the Canadian Zinc Open.

John Kearney, centre, president of the Canadian Zinc Corporation, congratulates Roger Candow, left, David Shaw, Arnold Hope and Kele Antoine on winning the Canadian Zinc Open. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

After two days of golfing and 36 holes, first place came down to a chip-off. The four-person teams of Kele Antoine, Roger Candow, David Shaw and Arnold Hope and of Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, Kevin Menicoche, Eric Menicoche and Jim Antoine were both tied at 133 – 11 under par.

One at a time, players on alternating teams took their turn chipping towards the green on hole nine. The crowd, which at times had to part to avoid being hit by over-zealous shots, heckled and cheered on the competing golfers.

The team of Antoine, Candow, Shaw and Hope emerged as the winners after landing their balls closer to the pin. The team was particularly aided by Shaw's chip, which stopped 10 feet, seven inches from the hole.

The entire tournament was a team effort, said Candow. Everyone carried his or her own weight and made clutch putts for birdies, he said.

The team finished six under on Saturday and five under on Sunday. Candow said he like hole eight best.

"It's just a good straightaway par four," he said.

Holes three and four, the back-to-back par fives, offered more challenges, he said.

This was the second time Candow, who's from Hay River, has played the course.

"I had a great time," he said.

Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, the youngest member of the second-place team, said he was "pretty nervous" about the chip-off.

His shot landed approximately six inches from the green.

The key, he said, is to try not to listen to the crowd.

"Just play your own game, do what you can," he said.

Like Candow, Hardisty-Gillis said his team stayed 11 under par through a team effort. Hardisty-Gillis said he looked after distance drives down the fairway while his teammates took care of the other aspects of the game.

"It was a really great tournament," he said.

Third place in the tournament went to local golfers Keyna Norwegian and Gabe Buggins along with Barb and Bob MacArthur from Fort Smith at 134.

"It was really fun," said Norwegian.

"We couldn't have asked for better weather."

The team was most successful on hole three. They eagled it once after Barb drove approximately 210 yards to the green, Buggins got it on and Norwegian made a 15-to-20-foot putt. The team birdied the hole on their other three passes.

Norwegian also did well in the individual competitions winning the women's closest to the pin on Saturday and both the women's longest drive and longest putt on Sunday. At 28 feet, Norwegian said the putt was one of the longest she's made.

Other individual prize winners over the two days included Gordon Thompson, Steven Thompson and Laurie Ozmun for the longest drive; Kenny Harrison for the longest putt and Bob MacArthur, Maggie O'Neill and Chris Reeves for closest to the pin.

Ten Canadian Zinc staff members participated in the tournament.

"We're very pleased to support the golf club and support the tournament," said John Kearney, president of Canadian Zinc.

Kearney, who kept the gathered golfers laughing with golf-related jokes and stories during the closing ceremony, said there's always a welcoming atmosphere in the village and at the golf course.

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