Monday, August 25, 2014
The Great Waterway Classic 2014
David Bradshaw tapped
in his second putt on the seventy-second hole to win the 2014 Great Waterway
Classic at the Loyalist Country Club last weekend. For those of you who
attended the event, it was a great opportunity to enjoy fine golf. This is the
third time that the “Classic” has been held in Bath ,
but the second time as part of PGA TOUR Canada
The Professional
Golfers’ Association took over the northern circuit two years ago, and it has
proven to be a great success. I spoke with Dave Mills, a recent inductee into
the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, about the event. Dave worked as a starter
for the week, and he knows the game of golf. He has been involved in the game
for decades, and is the proud father of Jon and Jeff Mills. Both of his sons
have had successful careers in the game. Jon just missed the cut in Bath
“It has been
tremendous for the game,” Dave told me when we talked about the PGA coming to
the Canadian circuit. Dave worked primarily in the development of the game in
junior golf. He had an opportunity to keep his eye on players with potential.
One player that caught his eye is Chris Hemmerich from Guelph , Ontario
Chris Hemmerich
“As a junior, his
name would always be visible,” he told me. But the remarkable success that
Hemmerich has recently achieved somewhat surprised him. “He certainly emerged
from a non-traditional road to golfing success. He attended the University of Guelph
This is just his
first week as a pro, having jumped into the money ranks after coming second in
the United States U. S.
It is a difficult
ladder to climb, to play at the highest level of the game. More than 150
golfers began the Classic. That number was cut in half after the second round.
At the end of the season, the top five golfers qualify for the Web.com Tour.
Following another year, a lucky few may qualify to play on the PGA Tour. You
get the point. After a successful college career, and then three or four more
testy years, you might make the grade.
Andrew Georgiou
I also had an
opportunity to connect again with Andrew Georgiou, a South African golfer with
Cypriot roots. Andrew began playing the back nine on his final round, trailing
the leader by seven strokes. He began the tournament with two rounds of 68, but
fell to a 73 on his third round. As he stepped up to the final hole, he said to
himself, “I don’t like this hole,” and pulled an iron from the bag. His two
playing partners gripped and ripped. He landed to the right of the green with
his second shot, and played a stroke over par on the hole. He finished with a
68.
“I hate ending with a
bogey,” he told me after the round. “But it is great playing again in Canada Canada , I will return to South Africa
As far me, off on a
little European vacation. If I can find the right event, and the right way to
get it to you, you will hear from me; otherwise, I will see you when I see you.
I drifted across the rippling waters of the Bay of Quinte, on the short ferry ride from Adolphustown. Always a great trip.
Cheers!
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Monday, August 18, 2014
Ready for REDBLACKS Football!
The Ottawa
With less than a
minute remaining, King sprang into action. He placed both his hands on the
ball, and fired it back perfectly to the holder. Grant Shaw kicked the ball
through the uprights to give the Eskimos the lead at 10-8. That was all she
wrote, as they say. Game over. The REDBLACKS remain tied for second, with a
record of 1-7.
The Eastern teams
have really taken it on the chin thus far in the season. It does not appear
likely to change much as the season nears the halfway point.
In case you have not
yet been to a REDBLACKS game this year, and you enjoy football, it should be in
your plan book. There are six games remaining, including the game this Sunday
against the Calgary TD Place
The stadium was
officially opened in July at Lansdowne
Park Ottawa TD Place Ottawa
Mike Reilly led the
Eskimos attack, completing 26 passes in 35 attempts. He also scampered for 78
yards on 8 carries. But it was a game dominated by the defence of both teams.
On several occasions, it appeared that momentum had swung to either team. But
ineptitude reared its ugly head for both teams. The Eskimos marched down to the
REDBLACKS three yard line, only to fumble and turn the ball over.
Ottawa quarterback
Henry Burris threw an interception on the very next play, and Edmonton
defensive backfielder Marcell Young ran it in for a touchdown; however, the Eskimos
were penalized on the play, negating the TD.
Without labouring the
issue, there were far too many penalties in the game, especially the
unnecessary ones: objectionable conduct, unnecessary roughness, etc. Both teams
could be faulted for inept play, particularly the pass receivers who dropped
far too many balls.
But the fans remained
to the end, the bitter end. They will be back, without a doubt, because they
are real football fans, and they are thrilled to have the CFL back in Ottawa
“Big Joe”, the
REDBLACKS’ mascot, was inspired by a logger named Joseph Montferrand. In the
1800s, logging was an important industry in the Ottawa
All in all, a great
night in the nation’s capital.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Rogers Cup Highlights 2014
Most tennis observers
were not completely surprised when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga emerged as the singles
champion at the Rogers Cup tennis championships
in Toronto
Many factors contributed
to his success. From his opening match against a fellow Frenchman, he clawed
his way through the competition. He eliminated Edouard Roger-Vasselin in
straight sets, a tie-breaker in the first, and 6-1 in the second. As a
thirteenth seed in the tournament, he realized that he would likely face the
best in the world to win. His second round match against Jeremy Chardy was also
a two set affair, and led to his match against the number one player in the
world, Novak Djokovic.
Naturally, Djokovic
is featured on the cover of the Rogers Cup
magazine, along with Roger Federer, Milos
Raonic, and Rafael Nadal. Nadal chose not to come to Toronto Canada ’s
greatest player ever, and had just won his first big tournament in Washington
Gael Monfils
Djokovic had disposed
of Gael Monfils in the second round, but with some difficulty. Monfils plays a
wild scrappy game, always entertaining. In his comments after the match,
Djokovic told me, “Monfils is an unpredictable opponent. At least when I will
play Tsonga in my next match, I will know what to expect.”
Djokovic, after the match.
He did know what to
expect, but Tsonga gave him more than he could handle, eliminating Djokovic
6-2, 6-2, in straight sets. Djokovic was asked about his preparation for the
match. “Well, I prepared for over two weeks. I played a lot of tennis on the
hard courts, and I arrived here early. Sometimes you can find a way to get out
of the trouble; sometimes you cannot. Today it wasn’t to be.” And he even
smiled, a little, when commenting upon the fact that he had won one, and lost
one match since his recent wedding. “Not bad, 50% of success,” he added.
Andy Murray entered
the quarter final the easy way, with a walkover from Richerd Gasquet who
retired with an abdominal strain. Tsonga won the first set, drilling a serve to
the outside line in the tie break. In the second set, Tsonga double faulted
when he was at 0-15, hit long to make it 0-40, and lost the set with a net
shot. At that point in the match, Murray
Federer moved through
the lower half of the draw to face Tsonga in the final. Federer’s play had
improved throughout the week, and the result almost seemed to be a foregone
conclusion; however, when Roger stroked a backhand shot into the net, Tsonga
realized that he has just won the Rogers Cup, and the $598 000 that goes with
the title. Not bad for a week’s work.
Tsonga became the
first player in 12 years to knock off four top ten players in a single Masters
1000 event. He will be a treat to watch next year.
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 12, 2014
Monday, August 04, 2014
Bump Bump Kill!
I am quite certain
that I do not differ greatly from other scribes when I say that I am gratified
when a story literally falls onto the pages.
I have been
motivated, in the past week or so, to write about the following: The Rogers
Cup, and the success of Vasek Pospisil and Milos Raonic in Washington at the
ATP Championships; the recent success of the Toronto Blue Jays, notwithstanding
their struggles in Houston; the Commonwealth Games; the Canadiens’ signing of
P. K. Subban, and the fact that he is now paid more than Sidney Crosby; Aussie
Rules Football on TSN; Hall of Fame Football Inductions in Canton, Ohio; and
the new arrivals to the Buffalo Bills.
All of those
suggestions were overruled when I met Landis Doyle and Brendan Wong. They are
staying with her parents in our house rental next door, and they presented me
with a column that I had to write.
Both are successful
volleyball players. It is not a stretch to say that volleyball is most
important to them. Consider this: every morning, Brandon
sets up 97 nets for the City of Toronto for
volleyball players to play in the parks and beaches in Toronto College Hospital
in Toronto
They met at Humber College ,
in Toronto Dunbarton
High School Durham Ontario Basketball Association skills
development program, and played Club basketball for the Mississauga
I watched in awe as
they practised for a couple of hours on the back lawn. I cemented pipe to hold
the net posts, and hauled out the old net for them. I think they were amazed at
my preparation. They came well prepared themselves, with their own net, and a
bag of balls. Think tennis practice. Serves, kills, smashes. You really don’t
want to wander all over the acreage for one or two balls, when you are gearing
up for an event. Better to bring at least half a dozen.
Brendan is working
towards his next event in Las Vegas ,
Nevada North America . Nine players on the court, instead of the
usual six. In terms of nationality, one must be one-sixteenth Chinese, he told
me. I questioned the nine man idea. Landis told me: “It’s really a fast game.
Most kills are saved, due to the number of players on the court.”
Landis set up kills
for Brendan, one after another. They even put out the old hockey net on the
service line, as a target for the smashes!
They were both highly
skilled players, making their mark with the great game of volleyball, in the
sunshine of Prince
Edward County
James Hurst
Sportslices.blogspot.com
August 4, 2014.
