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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
The lure of golfing on a holiday Monday helped set a new attendance record at an annual golf tournament in Fort Simpson.

Sheldon Brown watches his putt, which seemed to hover for a minute, before dropping into the cup at hole five of the Seven Spruce Golf Course during the Nahendeh Classic on Aug. 6. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Fifty-one golfers on 13 teams participated in the Nahendeh Classic on Aug. 6. This was the largest turnout for the tournament, said Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche.

In the past few years, the tournament has averaged seven to eight teams of four players each. The attendance also made the tournament the largest so far this year at the Seven Spruce Golf Course.

Menicoche credited new golfers for setting the new record.

"It was a wonderful way to end a long weekend," he said.

First place in the tournament, which followed a scramble format over 18 holes, went to the team of Owen Rowe, Ted Grant, Rick Rowe and Pat Rowe with 67, five under par.

Pat credited the team's consistency for the first-place finish.

"Best ball is a great way for friends to come out and have some fun," he said.

The team secured six birdies, 11 pars and one boggie. Hole four was the most challenging because of the pin placement, said Pat. The uneven green makes putting difficult.

Pat said it was great to see everyone out on the course. Although the course was full with 13 teams, everyone kept the pace moving pretty well with few delays, he said.

Second place, with a difference of one stroke, went to Kele Antoine, Arnold Hope, Nathan Zoe and Dave Shaw with 68. For Zoe, who's from Yellowknife but currently lives in Grande Prairie, Alta., the tournament was his first at the Seven Spruce Golf Course.

"It was really good, good people, fun and a challenging golf course," he said.

The team finished the tournament with five birdies, 12 pars and one bogey. The first nine went well with a finish of 32, but in the back nine, things just didn't go the team's way, said Zoe.

The team failed to make a number of birdie putts settling instead for pars.

"All our putters were cold," Zoe said.

Overall, Zoe said the finish was a group effort with the team working together to make second shots, approaches to the greens and putts.

Third place in the tournament, with just one more stroke, went to Menicoche's team with a 69. The other teammates included John Moreau, Louisa Moreau and Mike Byland.

"It was really great," Menicoche said.

The team got three birdies and avoided bogeys. Menicoche credited his consistency assistant Pearl Norwegian, who started planning in late June, for the success of the tournament.

Individual awards at the event went to Steven Thompson, Kele Antoine and Tanya Hurst for the longest putt.

The longest drive competition was secured by Rylan Hardisty-Gillis, John Moreau, Travis Wright and Laurie Ozmun.

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