UXBRIDGE— It was another good showing for the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) at the 2015 Manuel Prado and Carlos Raffo A. Cups in Lima, Peru, April 6-11. The GAO was represented by Woodbridge’s Dave Bunker and Wellesley’s Rob Cowan and managed to finish in a tie for 12^th for the Manuel Prado Cup at a combined +16. Meanwhile, Bunker finished in a tie for 10th in the Carlos Raffo A. competition at -1.

This was the seventh time that the 49-year-old Bunker participated in the event. He got off to a blistering start during the first round, finding himself at -2 after nine. He would finish the round -4 (68) and was just one shot off the lead. He remained in contention after the second round, shooting a -2 (70) and remained in second, one back.  Bunker hit a rough patch during the third round and fell back after a +2 (74). His final round was similar as he carded a +3 (75) to finish the event at -1, good enough to secure his top-10 finish.

As for Cowan, 50, he was making his fourth appearance at the event. He finished his opening round with a +3 (75). He ran into a rough second round and ended it at +5 (77). Cowan capped off his third round with late birdies on 17 and 18 and finished +4 (76). His final round ended at +5 (77) bringing his tournament total to 17-over, good enough for a share of 44^th to close out the event.

The event, sanctioned by the Peruvian Golf Federation, is hosted annually by the Lima Golf Club and has been running since 1988. The tournament is open to players with three or less handicaps and draws amateur golfers from all across the Americas and Europe. The players had two practice rounds (April 6-7) before the first round began on April 8.

The team competition took the two members’ scores over the four days and the lowest aggregate was declared the winner. Winning the 2015 Manuel Prado Cup was the Argentinian team of Matias N. Lezcano and Andres G. Gallegos at -8. For the individual competition, the lowest score after 72 holes was declared the winner. Patricio Alzamora, from the host club in Lima won the event at -8.

For more information on the event and round by round results see: www.limagolfclub.org.pe.

UXBRIDGE, ON— The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) will have another strong entry in the 2015 combined event in Lima, Peru: The Manuel Prado Cup (Team) and Carlos Raffo A. Cup (Individual), April 6-11. This year, Ontario will be represented by Dave Bunker, playing in this event for the seventh time, and Rob Cowan, who will make his fifth appearance.

Bunker, 49, who ranked second in the GAO’s Mid-Am Order of Merit standings, for 2014, resides in Woodbridge and is a member at the Brampton Golf Club. Last season was a particularly good one for Bunker as he captured the Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship, along with the Investors Group Mid-Amateur Championship.  Bunker already sports a long list of provincial championships including: the 2008 Amateur; 2003 and 2010 Match Play; 2007 and 2010 Mid-Amateur; 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 Mid-Master; and 2009 and 2010 Public Player. His best finish in Peru was in 2007 when he finished second in the individual competition and in 2010 when his team finished seventh.

“It’s always a great opportunity to represent the province and Peru is an awesome place to start the competitive season,” said Bunker. “I’m feeling really positive. I’ve had a good winter, spending a lot of time on my golf fitness. I’ve worked a bit with my coach on a couple of swing mechanic modifications as well. I was in Florida for a vacation two weeks ago and the golf results were showing.”

As for Cowan, 50, he ranked third this past season in the Mid-Am Order of Merit standings and earned an invitation after the top ranked Mid-Am, Garrett Rank, was unable to commit due to his schedule as an NHL referee. However, this will not be a new experience for Cowan, the Wellesley resident and Westmount Golf and Country Club member, is also a veteran of the event. Cowan brings even more experience to the team as they tackle the Lima Golf Club.  Cowan is coming off a strong season of his own in which he captured the Ontario Champion of Champions title. That was his second Champion of Champions title (2010) but he is also a former Ontario Mid-Masters Champion (2008) and Match Play Champion (2002).

“Having Rob as my partner again makes the trip very comfortable,” added Bunker. “We’ve traveled and played together so many times, it’s almost like a well rehearsed routine. Rob is a great player and we’ve had a lot of success as teammates, so both of us are really looking forward to next week.”

The event, sanctioned by the Peruvian Golf Federation, is hosted by the Lima Golf Club and has been running since 1988. The tournament is open to players with three or less handicaps and draws amateur golfers from all across the Americas and Europe. The players will have two practice rounds (April 6-7) before the first of the four rounds begin on April 8.

The team competition takes the two members scores over the four days and the lowest aggregate is the winner. For the individual competition, the lowest score after 72 holes is declared the winner.

For more information on the event and round by round results see: www.limagolfclub.org.pe.

UXBRIDGE, ON— It was a top 10 finish for the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) team at the Manuel Prado Cup in Lima, Peru. The team of Dave Bunker and Mike Rutgers combined for a four round total of +20 leading them to a tie for eighth spot.

On the individual side, the Carlos Raffo Cup (play simultaneously), it was Bunker finishing in a tie for 11^th at +8 and Rutgers ending in a tie for 18^th at +12.

Dave Bunker

The team, which was selected by their 2013 Men’s Mid Amateur Ranking, got out to a rocky start on the first day, but was able to settle down and gain consistency as the tournament progressed.

“Our team result was not too bad considering the scores we shot in the first round. From then on, we managed to jump up the leaderboard each day,” said Bunker.

“I feel that we played pretty solid overall, finishing strong in the last three rounds,” added Rutgers.  “We just struggled with the short game. We both hit it very well, overall, and took a lot of positives going forward for the 2014 golf season.”

Bunker (81-72-72-71) really found his stride after the first round and continued to charge up the leaderboard, ultimately finishing just outside the top ten. “Overall I think that I played fairly well, other than the first round. I hit the ball solidly and managed the course well,” said Bunker. “The greens are very tricky, the biggest progression through the week was putting and chipping. Each day you get a better feel for breaks and speed.”

As for Rutgers (77-73-75-75), his first round too was his highest score but he found consistency throughout the event. He also pointed to the tough greens as the major influence on his scores. “I feel like I hit the ball really well other than a few bad swings each round.  The only thing that really frustrated me during the whole tournament was the greens, the grain was going so many ways, so I had difficulty with the speed and line.”

Mike Rutgers

The individual competition was won by Chile’s Guillermo Pereira who shot an amazing -11 under for the tournament. He was followed by countryman Rodrigo Rivas at -4 and the team captured the Manuel Prado Cup at -15 (21 strokes better than second place).

“The competition was great. The champions from Chile played incredibly well on a difficult golf course,” said Bunker.

“The competition itself was first class. I travelled, played and represented Team Ontario with my father-in-law which was a great experience for me, I had a great time,” added Rutgers.

Both players felt that the tournament helped give them a jumpstart for the season. They both said they were able to outline areas to work on and can now turn their attention to this summer’s events.

UXBRIDGE, ON— It is going to be a family affair for the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) entry in the 2014 combined event in Lima, Peru: The Manuel Prado Cup (Team) and Carlos Raffo A. Cup (Individual), April 20-26. This year the GAO will be represented by Dave Bunker, who will be playing in this event for the sixth time, and his son-in-law Michael Rutgers, who will make his first appearance.

Bunker, 47, who ranked second in the GAO’s Mid-Am Order of Merit standings, for 2013, resides in Woodbridge and is a member at the Brampton Golf Club. He has won many Ontario Championships including: the 2008 Amateur; 2003 and 2010 Match Play; 2007 and 2010 Mid-Amateur; 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012 Mid-Master; and 2009 and 2010 Public Player. His best finish in Peru was in 2007 when he finished second in the individual competition and in 2010 when his team finished seventh. He will no doubt be looking to atone for last year when he was disqualified for signing a wrong scorecard.

“I wasn’t very happy last year, having to DQ myself after the first round. It was a long way to travel for that to happen. So, I’m looking forward to having some good things happen this year,” said Bunker. “This event is a really nice way to begin the competitive season. The golf course is a very strong test and the players are treated first class in every aspect during the tournament week.”

With the late start to the season, Bunker knows it is difficult to establish performance goals for the event, but he still has an idea of what he would like to achieve. “I guess I’d say I’d like us string together as many quality shots as possible and see where that takes our rounds. If both of us could manage to finish in the top 15 and we could get the team into the top five, then I think that would be a good week.”

As for Rutgers, 29, he was selected for the competition after the top-ranked Mid-Am declined the invitation. He was the third ranked 2013 Mid-Am in the province. He resides in Windsor and is a member of Erie Shores Golf and Country Club. Rutgers is a former pro that got his amateur status back before the 2013 season and went on to finish second at the Mid-Am last season. For Rutgers, it is all about taking advantage of the opportunity.

“I consider the opportunity to represent Ontario in Peru a privilege and am very excited to head to South America for the first time,” said Rutgers. “It will be a fun and great experience not only to visit a foreign country but also to compete against some of the best amateurs in the world.”

Rutgers is not only excited about the opportunity but also with the fact that he will be playing with his father-in-law. “Playing with Dave is always a great experience. We always enjoy playing together, competitive rounds included. Dave has prepped me for Peru as best he can, offering his own personal experiences, hints and tips for managing the course. He is an excellent resource and always ready to help me prepare. Also, knowing that he has been there before is comforting, being that this will be my first time playing in this particular tournament.”

“I think we’ll make a great team,” said Bunker. “We have played together many, many times and know each others’ games as well as we know our own.”

The event, sanctioned by the Peruvian Golf Federation, is hosted by the Lima Golf Club and has been running since 1988. The tournament is open to players with three or less handicaps and draws amateur golfers from all across the Americas and Europe. The players will have two practice rounds (April 21-22) before the first of the four rounds begins on April 23.

The team competition takes the two members scores over the four days and the lowest aggregate is the winner. For the individual competition, the lowest score after 72 holes is declared the winner.

For more information on the event or for round by round results see: www.limagolfclub.ore.pe.