Toronto, ON – On Monday, October 3rd, the 63rd Ontario Men’s Better Ball Championship returns to Oakdale Golf & Country Club, the site of the 2023 and 2026 RBC Canadian Open, as Ontario’s best teams square off in this long-standing event.
With its three nines, Oakdale is a magnificent course, rambling over rolling land, with the picturesque Black Creek running throughout the design. The players will take on the Thompson (front nine) and Homenuik (back nine). “Hosting this prestigious Championship is an absolute honour for our Club,” said Ian Crebbin, Director of Golf. “Oakdale has always provided a stern test for competitors and will surely provide some memorable moments. On behalf of the Club, we look forward to hosting all participants.”
Some notable names are the 2021 Champions, Jonn Drewery (Westmount G&CC) and Derek McGrath (Galt CC), who carded an amazing nine-under (63), and no doubt will try to repeat this year. Other big names in the mix include 2022 Ontario Men’s Match Play Champion Charles Fitzsimmons (and 2022 Canadian Men’s Mid-Am Champion), 2020 Ontario Men’s Mid-Am Champion Ryan Tsang, and recently crowned 2022 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball winners Cam Hreljac and Chris Lee (also winners of this event in 2003). Meanwhile, Oakdale hopes a few members will win the Championship, a feat first accomplished by current members Howard Mandelbaum and Michael Katz in 1996.
Teams will attack the course with a shotgun round starting at 10 am. More information on the Ontario Men’s Better-Ball Championship can be found on our Golf Genius page here.
About The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball
The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball Championship has been played since 1959. All but two of the championships have taken place at Oakdale G&CC. The tournament is open to teams whose members both have up-to-date Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or less at the time of online registration through the completion of the Championship. Each team’s combined Handicap Factor must not exceed 12.8 at the time of online registration through the completion of the Championship. Previous event winners include: Gary Cowan, Bill Morland, Nick Weslock, Kelly Roberts, Warren Sye, Matthew Ion Young, Albin Choi, Garrett Rank and Simon McInnis.
About Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.
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Media contact:
Peter MacKellar, Manager, Marketing and Communications, Golf Ontario;
PMacKellar@gao.ca
Championship Contact:
Rob Watson, Manager Competitions, Golf Ontario
RWatson@gao.ca
TORONTO — Another Golf Ontario provincial championship season got underway on May 11, with the Men’s Better-Ball Championship from Oakdale Golf & Country Club. Despite the recent wet weather, the course was in fine shape and the players only dealt with cool and windy conditions on the day.
The field consisted of 54 teams (108 players) who all began at the 10 a.m. shotgun. Much like 2016, the day belonged to Kingston’s Peter Sauerbrei (Cataraqui Golf & Country Club) and Toronto’s Simon Reyers (Brampton Golf Club). The 2016 champions returned to the site of their victory a year a go and were able to tame the course again. The pair carded a seven-under (65) to earn a one-stroke win.
Afterwards the pair spoke about what it meant to repeat as champions. “This is a great event, I love this format,” said Reyers. “We are obviously thrilled to win this in back-to-back years. There are some great names on this trophy and we are happy to have ours on it again.”
The pair took advantage of the holes they needed to, while avoiding any damage during their bogey-free round. “We made par on the tough holes and birdied the easier ones and when you do that, it makes the round much easier,” added Sauerbrei.
Picking up the silver medal was Whitby’s Brendan Dunphy (Whitevale Golf Club) and Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud (Idylwylde Golf & Country Club). The pair finished the round at six-under (66).
Finishing in a tie for third was the team from Cedar Brae Golf Club of Thornhill’s Ryan Tsang and Markham’s Truman Tai along with the duo of Etobicoke’s Justin Allen (Weston Golf &Country Club) and Barrie’s Abe Holmes (Barrie Country Club). Both teams ended the day at five-under (67).
Golf Ontario would like to thank Oakdale Golf & Country Club, along with their staff, for once again hosting the event. Thanks also to the Golf Ontario volunteers for their continued support of golf in the province.
About The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball
The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball Championship has been played since 1959. All but two of the championships have taken place at Oakdale G&CC. The tournament is open to teams whose members both have up-to-date Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or less. Previous winners of the event include: Gary Cowan, Bill Morland, Nick Weslock, Kelly Roberts, Warren Sye, Bill Swartz, Mike Weir and Albin Choi.
TORONTO — The Golf Ontario Championship season kicked off on May 12, from Oakdale G&CC, in Toronto, with the Ontario Men’s Better-Ball Championship. The event was well contested again this year with 54 teams taking part.
Much like past years, 18 holes were not enough to crown a champion and the title went to a four-team playoff to determine the winners. At the end of the round, six-under (66) was the magic number to be part of the playoff. The teams of Etobicoke’s Simon Reyers (Brampton GC) and Kingston’s Peter Sauerbrei (Cataraqui G&CC), New Hamburg’s Josh Hunke (Deer Ridge GC) and Kitchener’s Ryan Kings (Deer Ridge GC), Woodbridge’s Philip Arci (Caledon Woods GC) and Barrie’s Ernie Vettese (Tangle Creek G&CC) and Oakville’s Scott Banks (Blue Springs GC) and Burlington’s Nicholas Freeman (Heron Point Golf Links) all went back onto the course to produce a winner.
On the first playoff hole, Arci and Vettese settled for a bogey and with the other teams making par on the hole, they were eliminated from the playoff. Then, on the second playoff hole, Sauerbrei stepped up from 30 feet and drained the lengthy birdie for the win. With that, Sauerbrei and Reyers hoisted the trophy as 2016 Ontario Better-Ball champions. The other three teams all shared the silver medal.
For full results an information, visit the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao1621/contest/1/leaderboard.htm
About The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball
The Ontario Men’s Better-Ball Championship has been played since 1959. All but two of the championships have taken place at Oakdale G&CC. The tournament is open to teams whose members both have up-to-date Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or less at the time of online registration through the completion of the championship and each team’s combined Handicap Factor must not exceed 12.8 at the time of online registration through the completion of the championship. Previous winners of the event include: Gary Cowan, Bill Morland, Nick Weslock, Kelly Roberts, Warren Sye, Bill Swartz and Albin Choi.
