Lacombe golfer looks to defend his Alberta Amateur golf title this week at Innisfail Golf Club

“Those three tournaments in the Fall I’ve never hit my driver that well. I could walk up to any tee shot and I was super confident. Ball strike was obviously solid, basically made the putts when I needed to. It wasn’t like I was making everything, but when I needed to make putts, I made putts. You can say drive for show, putt for dough, but everything has to be working to win tournaments and that’s how it was.”

The lefty won last year’s title at The Ranch Golf and Country club by 5 strokes and is looking to do it again. You might think that would add some pressure to the situation, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.

“I won the Am last year, then won those 4 in college and it was four in a row, but I was never defending any tournament so it is a little bit different in that regard where it is a different golf course but it’s a tournament that I’ve won before so I think it gives me more confidence to know that I’ve done it. At The Ranch I played great golf, but it wasn’t my best, I had more to give. Gives me perspective to know that if I play good golf, I have a chance to win and if I play great golf, I think I will win.”

The Innisfail Golf Club is a spectacular course with 3 different nines and arguably one of the best courses in the province to test a golf game.

“I think the toughest part is obviously how treed it is, so if you do get offline you can really make a big number, but at the same time the way it plays for me at least is a ton of irons off the tee. It is tight, but if you’re putting those iron shots in grass you can eliminate a lot of that trouble. It is definitely tougher, but if you have the right game plan you can plot your way around and save a few shots there.”

Along with the pressure to repeat, Brady McKinlay will have a lot more family present than when he plays down south. Besides family watching, Uncles Tom McKinlay Jr. and Bobby McKinlay and his 16-year-old cousin Easton, who is playing his first Amateur will also look to claim the title.

There is a good contingent of Central Albertans also competing in the 54-hole event Tuesday to Thursday.

Also, from the Lacombe Golf and Country Club will be Brody Knight.

From the host Innisfail Golf Club Jace Ouellette, Tanner Smith, Ron Harder, Joe Kelly and Cole Fox.

Tim Hollman will represent the Olds Golf Club.

Cole Bergheim, Brady Durkin, Carter and Logan Graf play out of the Red Deer Golf & Country Club.

The three low amateurs will comprise Team Alberta and compete at the Canadian Amateur Championship.

by Kevin Watson

Lacombe golfer looks to defend his Alberta Amateur golf title this week at Innisfail Golf Club

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