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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A new tournament has given golfers in Fort Simpson the opportunity to test how they perform when everything rests on them alone.

Rylan Hardisty-Gillis putts his ball the final few centimetres into the cup at hole nine while Scott McIntosh watches during the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce Invitational on June 9. McIntosh finished first in the men's second flight while Hardisty-Gillis finished second. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce Invitational held on June 9 followed a stroke-play format. In previous years, the Club Championship has been the only tournament at the course where golfers have played by themselves, as opposed to as part of a two- or four-person team.

This year, the new invitational tournament will be the first of three stroke-play tournaments at the course. The increase is in response to the membership asking for more stroke-play tournaments, said Shane Thompson, the club's president.

Scott McIntosh was one of the invitational's participants who approved of the use of a different format. McIntosh said he prefers stroke play because everyone plays for themselves.

With a score of 84, McIntosh finished first in the men's second flight. For the tournament, golfers were divided into flights based on their handicap, with similarly-skilled golfers grouped together. The men's second flight was for golfers with handicaps from 16 to 20.

McIntosh said he was pleased with his performance during the day, which included a 43 in the first nine and a 41 in the second nine. His shots included a birdie on hole one and nine pars. Second place in the men's second flight went to Rylan Hardisty-Gillis with 89. Hardisty-Gillis said he also prefers stroke play.

"It's all on you," he said.

Hardisty-Gillis got 44 on the first nine and was set to do better on the second nine until on both hole two and seven he got to the hole in two and then four-putted, leaving him with a 45. Despite not getting any birdies, Hardisty-Gillis said it was a great tournament.

First place in the men's first flight, for golfers with a handicap of 13 to 16, was decided by a chip off after both Kele Antoine and William Michaud finished with an 86. Michaud ended up winning the flight, his second consecutive win this season, after landing approximately 12 feet from the pin while Antoine was five feet further away.

"I thought the stroke play was a bit more difficult," Michaud said.

He said he should have toned his game back including using a three iron where he would normally use a driver in order to play safe. By not doing that Michaud said he ended up in situations, such as on hole six, where he had a beautiful drive, but landed the ball two feet off of the far side of the green. The extra long drive meant Michaud missed his chance to birdie the hole, like he had during his first nine holes.

The winners in the other men's flights included John Moreau with 89 and Eric Menicoche with 96 in flight three, Shane Thompson with 95 and Dave Magarey with 105 in flight four and TJ Bradbury with 99 and Brain Campbell with 102 in flight five. Sheila Pollard won the ladies first flight, for golfers with handicaps of 28 to 30, with a 99 followed by Keyna Norwegian with 101. The second flight went to Kelley Andrews-Klein with 113 and Leah Keats with 117.

Thompson said the club plans to expand the tournament into two days next year and possibly include a combination of match play, two-person best ball match play and four-person best ball.

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