For the second day in a row a Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) event needed a playoff to produce a winner. This time it was at the Mens Champion of Champions, June 12 at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club.
After 18 holes two players carded even-par 71s: Wellesleys Rob Cowan and Odessas Peter Beneteau. For Cowan, the Westmount Golf and Country Club member, he went about his round consistently, paring his first nine holes and continued his consistency on his back nine with a couple birdies to balance out his bogies. As for Beneteau, the Camden Braes Golf and Country Club member was actually two-under late in his round. However, a couple of late mistakes dropped him back to even to finish the round.
On the playoff hole, the 49-year-old Cowan had a nice drive that found the fairway giving him a 140-yard shot to the green. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Beneteau tried to play it safe by hitting an iron off the tee. He was a bit further back and on his second shot he went right of the green landing just under the branches of trees and in front of a bunker. It was a tough look and Beneteaus third shot found the sand. Cowan put his second on the green and was able to comfortably two-putt for the win, making him a two-time winner of the event.
Cowan talked about his consistency after the win. I started off with those nine consecutive pars then finally birdied 11. I made another on 12 from the fringe. I made a couple chunky mistakes and bogeyed 16 and then just ran out of steam on some putts that could have resulted in more birdies.
The day began for Cowan with a shotgun start on hole two meaning he finished his round with the first hole. Cowan says he played the first very aggressively, the first time, and found the bunker. Yet he learned from that and with the playoff right back on the same hole, he didnt take as aggressive of an approach, something that worked out for him as he pared it for the win.
The win adds to Cowans GAO collection, which includes a 2010 win at this event and an Ontario Match Play Championship. Its cool! I knew the first one wasnt an accident because I won by five but it is nice to get another one. The guys joked around saying Youve got to keep up with (Dave) Bunker who just won the Ontario Match Play. For me, any GAO win is good win!
Rob Cowan and Peter Beneteau shake hands after the playoff hole that resulted in the win for Cowan.
Rob Cowan and Peter Beneteau shake hands after the playoff hole that resulted in the win for Cowan.
Cowan added that he thought the key to his round was that he never really played with any danger. There was never really a threat of anything really bad happening. When I made my second birdie I just said to myself Dont make any mistakes and I hit well enough to get the job done.
Cowan will now turn his attention to the Investors Group Mid Amateur in just over a week at Taboo Resort. He says he feels prepared after playing a practice round at the course when he was in nearby Port Carling last week for the Ontario Match Play. After that he will also take part in the Investors Group Ontario Amateur July 8-11 at The Club at North Halton a course he says he feels very good about.
Rounding out the top three was a three-way tie for third. Matthew Wheeler, of Toronto and Beacon Hall Golf Club; Nicholas Striker, of Waterloo and Oviinbyrd Golf Club; and Nicholas Ross, from Dundas and the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, all finished one off the lead at one-over 72.
The Ontario Mens Champion of Champions was first contested in 1946 and features mens club champions from Golf Association of Ontario member clubs across the province. Past champions of the event include Ontario Golf Hall of Fame members Bill Morland, Gerry Kesselring, Warren Sye, and Stu Hamilton, as well as Big Break Indian Wells champion David Byrne. The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the Peterborough Golf and Country Club for hosting the event and for their continued support of amateur golf in Ontario.
Full Leaderboard
Pos Player +/- Thru Total
1 Rob Cowan Westmount G & CC (p) E F 71
2 Peter Beneteau Camden Braes Golf & Count E F 71
T3 Matthew Wheeler Beacon Hall GC +1 F 72
T3 Nicholas Striker Oviinbyrd GC +1 F 72
T3 Nicholas Ross Hamilton G & CC +1 F 72
T6 Jordan Crampton Sunningdale GC +2 F 73
T6 David Cowx Tarandowah GC +2 F 73
T8 Josiah Dixon Stone Tree Golf & Fitness +3 F 74
T8 Tim Caine Dalewood GC +3 F 74
T8 Michael Jackson Georgian Bay Club +3 F 74
T11 Marc St-Germain Cedar Brae G & CC +4 F 75
T11 Steve Fredericks Kawartha G&CC +4 F 75
T11 Jonathan Dunlap Coppinwood +4 F 75
T11 Joey Amelia Maple City Country Club +4 F 75
T11 Andrew Gallo Thornhill G&CC +4 F 75
T16 Daley Byles Barrie CC +5 F 76
T16 Grady Brown Scarboro Golf & Country C +5 F 76
T16 Allen Chapman Lindsay Golf & Country Cl +5 F 76
T16 Ryan Taylor Pheasant Run Golf Club +5 F 76
T20 Paul Gortnar Glencairn Golf Club +6 F 77
T20 Todd Cook West Haven G & CC +6 F 77
T20 Christopher Kertsos York Downs Golf & Country +6 F 77
T20 Larry Cooper Mississaugua +6 F 77
T20 Rick Robinson Devil’s Pulpit Golf Assoc +6 F 77
T25 Justin Fluit Briars Golf Club +7 F 78
T25 James McKeon Grandview Golf Club +7 F 78
T25 Scott Benzoni Trafalgar Golf & Country +7 F 78
T28 Christian McCullough Meadowbrook Golf & Countr +8 F 79
T28 Dominic Marchesano Wildfire GC +8 F 79
T30 Sandy Billyard Hunters Pointe GC +9 F 80
T30 Kirk Bartley Pine Crest Golf & Country +9 F 80
T30 Derek Kenehan Oaks of St. George Golf C +9 F 80
T30 Bryan Beeson South Muskoka Curling & G +9 F 80
T30 Scott Nelson Sleepy Hollow CC +9 F 80
T35 Aaron Kenny Bay of Quinte Golf & CC +10 F 81
T35 Dan Parrack Weston G&CC +10 F 81
T35 Mitchell Holden Peterborough G & CC +10 F 81
T35 Gordon Todd Ingersoll Golf & Country +10 F 81
T35 John Jr. Murphy Couchiching Golf & Countr +10 F 81
T40 Philip Carleton Legacy Ridge GC +11 F 82
T40 Sterling Emery Shelburne G & CC +11 F 82
T40 Billy Deley Craigowan (Oxford) G&CC +11 F 82
T40 Eman Ali Beverly Golf & Country Cl +11 F 82
T44 Jake Adams Thames Valley Golf & Coun +12 F 83
T44 Dan Partland The National Golf Club of +12 F 83
T44 Brandon Rumph Pike Lake G & CC +12 F 83
T47 Mark Brewer Whitevale GC +13 F 84
T47 Kevin Greenspoon Maple Downs G&CC +13 F 84
T47 Rob Town Hawk Ridge G&CC +13 F 84
50 Tim Bryant Port Carling Golf & Count +14 F 85
T51 David Snider Barcovan Golf Club +16 F 87
T51 Paul MacDonell The GC at Lora Bay +16 F 87
53 Cameron Leitch Midland G & CC +22 F 93
54 Randy Doucette Victoria Park East Golf C +25 F 96
DID NOT FINISH
JWD Brett Saunders The Club at Bond Head – S
JWD Chris Gerrie Greystone Golf Club
JWD Ben Ferguson The Country Club
(p) denotes won playoff, * denotes a 10th hole start