October 2, 2021
Banner Season: Golf qualifiers tee off as path toward OUA championships begins
Burlington, Ont. - The path toward banner season success is set to hit the links, as a pair of men's Regional Qualifiers mark the start of the first banner season action since the 2019-20 season. Among those eager to make their mark on the course are the reigning Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions from Wilfrid Laurier, who are hoping to return to form after nearly two years away from the championship stage.
2021 Golf Championship Fan Guide
Regional Qualifier 'A' | Grey Silo Golf Club | October 3-4, 2021
Brock, Guelph, Laurentian, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Wilfrid Laurier (host), Windsor
Regional Qualifier 'B' | Oshawa Golf & Curling Club | October 3-4, 2021
Carleton, Ontario Tech (host), Ottawa, Queen's, Ryerson, Toronto, Trent, York
"I am excited about our teams this year," said Wilfrid Laurier coach Jeff Colley. "They are young, but our players have a lot of previous tournament experience, which will help them perform at a high level in the most important events this season."
Not only has some of this tournament experience come this season for the host and reigning champion Hawks, but it has also come with the taste of victory, netting both a team and an individual gold ahead of this weekend's qualifier. The men's contingent collectively took home gold at the Brock Invitational, while Jonathan Crampton picked up the solo win at the Western Invitational. The fourth-year golfer from Toronto, Ont. was also part of Laurier's first OUA title in 2019 and is expected to be a significant factor in the purple and gold's quest for repeat success this time around.
Joining Laurier at Grey Silo Golf Club for Regional Qualifier A will be another slew of top-five finishers from the most recent OUA finale, including the Western Mustangs, Guelph Gryphons, and Windsor Lancers.
When it comes to Windsor, they will look to match the gold-medal result of their Lancers women's team from 2019 and are focused on just that behind team captain Jarrod Smith. The LaSalle, Ont. native was the silver medalist from the 2019 OUA Championships and has carried that momentum even after the lengthy hiatus. The third-year golfer has led the Lancers in each of the invitationals thus far, which included shooting a 78 at the Western Invitational that anchored Windsor's second-place finish.
Smith is one of three returnees for the blue and gold's men's contingent and is among those that coach Adam Wagner is referring to when he says that Windsor has "a strong core of athletes with plenty of experience who are focused on bringing home and OUA championship".
Tied with Smith at the 2019 event was Guelph's Justin Allen, who also closed the competition at +2. That performance not only led the Toronto, Ont. native to an all-star nod, but it was also instrumental in helping his Gryphons take home fourth place overall (+32). The experienced senior will aim for repeat success as he looks to help bring his Guelph team onto the podium and give them a chance at their first OUA title since 2000.
Matching Windsor's team result, meanwhile, were fellow 2019 fifth-place finishers, the Brock Badgers, who are entering the 2021 regional qualifiers with a younger contingent. While the St. Catharines squad rebuilds, they still boast the talent to punch their ticket to the OUA Championship on October 15 and will feature Mitchell Beaubien (Kingston, Ont.) as a key piece of the puzzle. Beaubien finished just outside the top-10 in his freshman campaign, and with a year of championship play under his belt, will eye that next step heading into this weekend's qualifying action.
Laurentian will also boast a young men's team for this weekend's competition, with a contingent made up solely of first- or second-year student-athletes, but they come in with a strong pedigree from this season's tune-ups. Jacob Lacko (Sudbury, Ont.) took home the individual title at the Brock Invitational in the team's first competition of the season, with fellow Voyaguer Conrad Naponse (Naughton, Ont.) finishing tied for 12th. The team also placed fifth at the Guelph Invitational, with both Lacko and Zach Payer finishing five shots back (72).
The final two teams making up the first regional qualifier are the Waterloo Warriors and McMaster Marauders. While both schools took home top-10 team results in 2019, it was the Warriors who landed just one shot outside the conference's top-five finishers. The black and gold will bring a mix of rookies and veterans into the weekend's action, a group that will include third-year golfer Jack Deighan (Cambridge, Ont.) who shot a 76 at the Western Invitational earlier this season.
With eight teams combining for Regional Qualifier A, the remaining half of the conference's competitors will tee off at Regional Qualifier B, hosted by the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club.
Among those heading to Oshawa will be the Ottawa Gee-Gees, a team that is no stranger to the OUA podium and one that is poised to make their return to the OUA links a successful one. Coming off a stretch of one gold (2018) and two silvers (2017, 2019) over their last three banner season showings, the Garnet and Grey are ready to contend once again. To fulfill their aspirations of an eighth men's OUA title, they'll look to veterans Nick Workun and Jared Coyle (Manotick, Ont.), as well as newcomers Spencer Granger and Aiden Coyle.
Workun, a native of Ottawa. Ont., finished tied for seventh and eighth, respectively, at the past two OUA championships, which included a four-birdie first round in the most recent conference closer. The fourth-year golfer will be joined by fellow senior Coyle, who also registered a four-birdie round, not once but twice in 2019. With his ninth-place individual finish therein, these top-10 individual threats will be among the ones to watch at the upcoming qualifier.
While Carleton finished on the opposite end of the 2019 leaderboard, it will be an experienced Ravens team, which includes Dylan Rouse and Ty Rouse, that enters the 2021 season ready to challenge the OUA's best. The brothers bring contrasting styles to the course, as older brother Dylan is a talented ball striker, while the younger Ty is a short-game wizard. Growing up in competition with one another, their sibling rivalry is set to benefit the Ravens team, and even though they are teammates for Carleton, the drive to best the other brother remains.
In addition to the Rouses, the black birds also feature third-year golfer Daniel Ryan (Ottawa, Ont.), who is coming off his most competitive and successful season and continues to ride the momentum from the summer to lead the Ravens in their championship tune-ups. Adding further depth is PhD student Josh Goheen (Ottawa, Ont.), who brings Canadian Am (2015, 2017) and Mackenzie Tour Event (2015) experience to the course for Carleton.
Speaking of the course, the 2019 14th-place finishers from Oshawa will hope that a home course advantage can spark a rise up the leaderboard this weekend. Among those looking to make their mark for the host Ridgebacks in the friendly confines of the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club are Cory Williams (Courtice, Ont.), who is hoping that the championship experience under his belt lends itself to a strong showing, and Noah McMullin (Beaverbank, N.S.), the first-year dual-sport Ridgeback (hockey) who makes his return to tournament golf and has been steadily improving throughout the championship lead-up.
Despite not factoring into the team standings in 2019, the Rams will enter play with some experience in their back pocket, which coach Nick Starchuk expects to help them find some success. "The Ontario teams are strong and I am expecting a strong showing from our team. We will have three events under out belts for the season and this should be just past the 'comfort curve' for our team to find the zone and put some scores together."
Among those who will be looking to put those scores together and help the Rams' bigger team make some noise on the OUA circuit are Matthew McRae (Aurora, Ont.) and Zach Carson (Mississauga, Ont.). The former was the Ram's top finisher at the most recent conference championship and the only one on the roster with OUA experience. The team captain played in the Ontario Men's Amateur Championship this summer, and despite not making the cut after two days, he had a strong comeback round on day two of the event to showcase his tenacity and leadership on the course.
The latter, meanwhile, despite not having any OUA championship experience to date, remains a "key element to the Rams golf team". Starchuk continued about the rookie golfer, "I first saw Zach six years ago as a beginner and he has developed into a fierce player. He has surrounded himself with players who play NCAA and professional golf and his growth is related to the strong environment he's created."
Fellow Toronto teams - the Toronto Varsity Blues (+56) and York Lions (+61) - will also join the Rams in Oshawa in qualifier play. The two sides finished 10th and 12th, respectively, during their 2019 banner season efforts, and both will look to rise the ranks this time around to punch their ticket to the 2021 OUA Championships, with the former turning to a very young roster to do so.
Among those teeing off for the Varsity Blues as they begin their quest for a 24th men's golf title - and their first since 2008 - will be Richard Zhang and Grant Lau. Zhang, a rookie from Victoria, B.C., recently finished third (75) at the Ridgebacks Invitational en route to helping his team to a fourth-place finish, while Lau, a Toronto native, finished seventh.
A few shots ahead of Toronto in 2019, the Queen's Gaels (8th; +53) will also head to the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club for a chance to qualify for the 2021 finale. If the Tricolour are to earn one of those coveted team spots, they will need Zachary Greifenberger (Toronto, Ont.), the reigning Alfie Peirce Trophy as the Queen's Male Rookie of the Year, to be on top of his game.
Rounding out the eight-team field for Regional Qualifier B, finally, will be the Trent Excalibur.
It will be the top four men's teams, along with the top five individuals from each of this weekend's two-round qualifiers, that will punch their ticket to the 2021 OUA Golf Championships on October 15 at Cherry Downs, hosted by the Rams. Those championship-bound groups will join the conference's women's golf contingent - who are not competing in a regional qualifier - therein for a single-round finale to determine the eventual banner season victors.
2021 Golf Championship Fan Guide
Regional Qualifier 'A' | Grey Silo Golf Club | October 3-4, 2021
Brock, Guelph, Laurentian, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Wilfrid Laurier (host), Windsor
Regional Qualifier 'B' | Oshawa Golf & Curling Club | October 3-4, 2021
Carleton, Ontario Tech (host), Ottawa, Queen's, Ryerson, Toronto, Trent, York
"I am excited about our teams this year," said Wilfrid Laurier coach Jeff Colley. "They are young, but our players have a lot of previous tournament experience, which will help them perform at a high level in the most important events this season."
Not only has some of this tournament experience come this season for the host and reigning champion Hawks, but it has also come with the taste of victory, netting both a team and an individual gold ahead of this weekend's qualifier. The men's contingent collectively took home gold at the Brock Invitational, while Jonathan Crampton picked up the solo win at the Western Invitational. The fourth-year golfer from Toronto, Ont. was also part of Laurier's first OUA title in 2019 and is expected to be a significant factor in the purple and gold's quest for repeat success this time around.
Joining Laurier at Grey Silo Golf Club for Regional Qualifier A will be another slew of top-five finishers from the most recent OUA finale, including the Western Mustangs, Guelph Gryphons, and Windsor Lancers.
When it comes to Windsor, they will look to match the gold-medal result of their Lancers women's team from 2019 and are focused on just that behind team captain Jarrod Smith. The LaSalle, Ont. native was the silver medalist from the 2019 OUA Championships and has carried that momentum even after the lengthy hiatus. The third-year golfer has led the Lancers in each of the invitationals thus far, which included shooting a 78 at the Western Invitational that anchored Windsor's second-place finish.
Smith is one of three returnees for the blue and gold's men's contingent and is among those that coach Adam Wagner is referring to when he says that Windsor has "a strong core of athletes with plenty of experience who are focused on bringing home and OUA championship".
Tied with Smith at the 2019 event was Guelph's Justin Allen, who also closed the competition at +2. That performance not only led the Toronto, Ont. native to an all-star nod, but it was also instrumental in helping his Gryphons take home fourth place overall (+32). The experienced senior will aim for repeat success as he looks to help bring his Guelph team onto the podium and give them a chance at their first OUA title since 2000.
Matching Windsor's team result, meanwhile, were fellow 2019 fifth-place finishers, the Brock Badgers, who are entering the 2021 regional qualifiers with a younger contingent. While the St. Catharines squad rebuilds, they still boast the talent to punch their ticket to the OUA Championship on October 15 and will feature Mitchell Beaubien (Kingston, Ont.) as a key piece of the puzzle. Beaubien finished just outside the top-10 in his freshman campaign, and with a year of championship play under his belt, will eye that next step heading into this weekend's qualifying action.
Laurentian will also boast a young men's team for this weekend's competition, with a contingent made up solely of first- or second-year student-athletes, but they come in with a strong pedigree from this season's tune-ups. Jacob Lacko (Sudbury, Ont.) took home the individual title at the Brock Invitational in the team's first competition of the season, with fellow Voyaguer Conrad Naponse (Naughton, Ont.) finishing tied for 12th. The team also placed fifth at the Guelph Invitational, with both Lacko and Zach Payer finishing five shots back (72).
The final two teams making up the first regional qualifier are the Waterloo Warriors and McMaster Marauders. While both schools took home top-10 team results in 2019, it was the Warriors who landed just one shot outside the conference's top-five finishers. The black and gold will bring a mix of rookies and veterans into the weekend's action, a group that will include third-year golfer Jack Deighan (Cambridge, Ont.) who shot a 76 at the Western Invitational earlier this season.
With eight teams combining for Regional Qualifier A, the remaining half of the conference's competitors will tee off at Regional Qualifier B, hosted by the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club.
Among those heading to Oshawa will be the Ottawa Gee-Gees, a team that is no stranger to the OUA podium and one that is poised to make their return to the OUA links a successful one. Coming off a stretch of one gold (2018) and two silvers (2017, 2019) over their last three banner season showings, the Garnet and Grey are ready to contend once again. To fulfill their aspirations of an eighth men's OUA title, they'll look to veterans Nick Workun and Jared Coyle (Manotick, Ont.), as well as newcomers Spencer Granger and Aiden Coyle.
Workun, a native of Ottawa. Ont., finished tied for seventh and eighth, respectively, at the past two OUA championships, which included a four-birdie first round in the most recent conference closer. The fourth-year golfer will be joined by fellow senior Coyle, who also registered a four-birdie round, not once but twice in 2019. With his ninth-place individual finish therein, these top-10 individual threats will be among the ones to watch at the upcoming qualifier.
While Carleton finished on the opposite end of the 2019 leaderboard, it will be an experienced Ravens team, which includes Dylan Rouse and Ty Rouse, that enters the 2021 season ready to challenge the OUA's best. The brothers bring contrasting styles to the course, as older brother Dylan is a talented ball striker, while the younger Ty is a short-game wizard. Growing up in competition with one another, their sibling rivalry is set to benefit the Ravens team, and even though they are teammates for Carleton, the drive to best the other brother remains.
In addition to the Rouses, the black birds also feature third-year golfer Daniel Ryan (Ottawa, Ont.), who is coming off his most competitive and successful season and continues to ride the momentum from the summer to lead the Ravens in their championship tune-ups. Adding further depth is PhD student Josh Goheen (Ottawa, Ont.), who brings Canadian Am (2015, 2017) and Mackenzie Tour Event (2015) experience to the course for Carleton.
Speaking of the course, the 2019 14th-place finishers from Oshawa will hope that a home course advantage can spark a rise up the leaderboard this weekend. Among those looking to make their mark for the host Ridgebacks in the friendly confines of the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club are Cory Williams (Courtice, Ont.), who is hoping that the championship experience under his belt lends itself to a strong showing, and Noah McMullin (Beaverbank, N.S.), the first-year dual-sport Ridgeback (hockey) who makes his return to tournament golf and has been steadily improving throughout the championship lead-up.
Despite not factoring into the team standings in 2019, the Rams will enter play with some experience in their back pocket, which coach Nick Starchuk expects to help them find some success. "The Ontario teams are strong and I am expecting a strong showing from our team. We will have three events under out belts for the season and this should be just past the 'comfort curve' for our team to find the zone and put some scores together."
Among those who will be looking to put those scores together and help the Rams' bigger team make some noise on the OUA circuit are Matthew McRae (Aurora, Ont.) and Zach Carson (Mississauga, Ont.). The former was the Ram's top finisher at the most recent conference championship and the only one on the roster with OUA experience. The team captain played in the Ontario Men's Amateur Championship this summer, and despite not making the cut after two days, he had a strong comeback round on day two of the event to showcase his tenacity and leadership on the course.
The latter, meanwhile, despite not having any OUA championship experience to date, remains a "key element to the Rams golf team". Starchuk continued about the rookie golfer, "I first saw Zach six years ago as a beginner and he has developed into a fierce player. He has surrounded himself with players who play NCAA and professional golf and his growth is related to the strong environment he's created."
Fellow Toronto teams - the Toronto Varsity Blues (+56) and York Lions (+61) - will also join the Rams in Oshawa in qualifier play. The two sides finished 10th and 12th, respectively, during their 2019 banner season efforts, and both will look to rise the ranks this time around to punch their ticket to the 2021 OUA Championships, with the former turning to a very young roster to do so.
Among those teeing off for the Varsity Blues as they begin their quest for a 24th men's golf title - and their first since 2008 - will be Richard Zhang and Grant Lau. Zhang, a rookie from Victoria, B.C., recently finished third (75) at the Ridgebacks Invitational en route to helping his team to a fourth-place finish, while Lau, a Toronto native, finished seventh.
A few shots ahead of Toronto in 2019, the Queen's Gaels (8th; +53) will also head to the Oshawa Golf & Curling Club for a chance to qualify for the 2021 finale. If the Tricolour are to earn one of those coveted team spots, they will need Zachary Greifenberger (Toronto, Ont.), the reigning Alfie Peirce Trophy as the Queen's Male Rookie of the Year, to be on top of his game.
Rounding out the eight-team field for Regional Qualifier B, finally, will be the Trent Excalibur.
It will be the top four men's teams, along with the top five individuals from each of this weekend's two-round qualifiers, that will punch their ticket to the 2021 OUA Golf Championships on October 15 at Cherry Downs, hosted by the Rams. Those championship-bound groups will join the conference's women's golf contingent - who are not competing in a regional qualifier - therein for a single-round finale to determine the eventual banner season victors.
