The 2023 Men’s Northern Amateur Championship tees off at Cooke Municipal Golf Course this weekend and defending champion Cory Selander is hoping for another taste of Northern glory.
Selander headlines the field of 112 players competing over the August long weekend. He says he is focusing his attention on Saturday’s qualification round before he looks ahead to the match play.
“It’s always exciting to play in the Northern. It’s been a tradition for so long. You get some of the best players in the province coming here every long weekend, and as a lot of people tell you that Saturday qualifying round is one of the hardest rounds that you’ll play all year because you know what you got to shoot to get in the championship flight.”
Selander is also a member of Cooke Municipal and played in a practice round for the Northern on Friday afternoon. He says the playing conditions on the course have been amazing all summer long.
“It’s been unbelievable since the tarps came off. Hats off to Pierre (Vezeau) and his crew. The golf course is phenomenal I’m sure it will get nothing but compliments from all the out of towners this week.”
Despite Cooke only measuring in at 6,509 yards, the course still provides plenty of challenge for players. Selander says he will need to play well off the tee and on the greens if he wants to repeat as Northern champ.
“For myself, it’s a matter of just keeping my driver in play. Then obviously you have got to make the putts, especially in match play. It comes down to who has got the putter hot on any given day and that’s what wins or loses matches most of the time.”
The Northern will provide a major mental and physical challenge to the field in the final two days of the tournament on Sunday and Monday. After Saturday’s qualifying round, players will be seeded into flights and will play match play rounds to decide the winner.
With the format of the tournament, players could play up to 36 holes of golf on both Sunday and Monday.
Selander says he is just taking things one shot at a time this weekend.
“It’s a lot (of golf). It takes a toll on your body and especially your mind, trying to stay focused for that many hours at a time. But you just got to try to focus on each individual shot and just go from there.”
Selander tees off in Saturday’s Northern Qualifying round at 7:57 A.M. where he will play alongside Brad Phelps and Ashley Ziegeman.
sports@paherald.sk.ca
