The top men and women collegiate golfer in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) have concluded their pre-season rounds and will now head out to the LochNess Golf Course in Welland this week in search of their respective provincial championship gold medals. Running from Monday, October 5-7, 2009, 88 OCAA golfers will vie for team and individual bragging rights, before advancing the CCAA National Championship hosted in Windsor, Ontario.

Ontario has always been know for their dominant play and this year will be no exception. With 14 men teams in the mix again this season, the Humber Hawks will look to extend their strangle hold on OCAA golf with their potential fourth consecutive title. The Hawks will rely on their veteran poise as they return 2008-09 champion Mike Zizek and 2006-07 co-Champions James Castle and Ryan Willoughby.

Looking to dethrone the champs will be a anyones game as 13 other men’s teams will be in contention, led by the host Niagara Knights who have faired well this pre-season. Chris Hargest, will be at the forefront for the hosts, as the smooth swinging lefty comes into the championship having already shot the low round of 73 at the DC Open. Not to be outdone, teammate Adam Briggs has already claimed a title of his own, shooting an impressive 72 to earn top honours at the Fanshawe Invitational to kick-start the season.

While the Fleming Knights do not usually find themselves in the hunt for OCAA golf championships, having not claimed an individual title since 1994-95 when Tim Caine accomplished the feat, this season may be one where that changes. Brennan Smith was impressive at the DC Open, shooting a round of 74 to finish runner-up to Hargest and should be in the mix when the final rounds are complete.

The Durham Lords should also be in contention for the men’s overall title as Robbie Untinen has played some solid rounds of golf this fall, including a round of 73 at the Elmira College Invitation in Rochester New York. Most notably, that round came under rain soaked conditions. The forecast for the tournament is calling for isolated rain showers in the Welland area.

On the women’s side of the tournament, there is a new face in the crowd and she has been nothing less than dominant this pre-season. Kayleigh Kraemer of the Durham Lords has made her mark on the OCAA women’s golf tour so far, winning both the Fanshawe Invitational and the DC Open tournaments. She was also enroute to a dominant round at the Niagara Invitational before having to withdraw for a “lower body injury.” The native of Germany will have her hands full though as she will have to contend with the dominance of the Humber Hawks program. Eight of the past 12 women’s championship titles have been won by a Hawk athlete, but that streak was broken last year when Daniele Dunlop of Niagara bested a very classy field.

Bev Peel, last year’s fourth place finisher will have her sights set on her first OCAA individual title as she leads a talented Humber squad into the tournament. The Hawks will look to continue their winning march as team champions, having won the past three titles and six of the past 10.

The Georgian Grizzlies will hang their women’s team hopes on a pair of women Leanne Stoppa and Alyssa Defoe who have had solid fall seasons in their own rights, finishing second and third respectively at the Fanshawe Invitation and claiming the overall women’s team title. 

The final women’s team in the hunt for a title will be the Fanshawe falcons duo of Nicole Osbourne and Sarah Pickersgill. Although neither of them have a title earned this season, the pair did finish fourth and sixth at the Fanshaw Invitational. Osbourne also finished third at the Niagara Invitational, which was hosted on the LochNess Links golf course held recently. 


LochNess Links golf course was built in 2000 and is a rolling landscape of testy mounds, 110 bunkers, water, fescue and bentgrass with the occasional tree. Besides the pot bunkers, there are seven ponds to contend with and strong par-3s, including the 245-yard 8th hole. Accuracy is vital in playing LochNess Links and players will need to keep their ball in the fairway to stay clear of the rough, the bunkers and the mounding.

Championship Format:
The men’s team championship will consist of five player teams competing in 54 holes of stroke play with the top four individual scores counting toward the team total. Team play after the first round will be divided to Division I and Division II. The top half of the teams (including ties) will move to Division I and the remaining teams will be in Division II. The women’s team championship will consist of three player teams competing in 54 holes of stroke play with a minimum of two individual scores counting towards the team total.

The following teams will be competing at the 2009 OCAA Golf Championship:

Men’s Division
Collége Boréal (Sudbury)
Cambrian College (Sudbury)
Confederation College (Thunder Bay)
Durham College (Oshawa)
Fanshawe College (London)
George Brown College (Toronto)
Georgian College (Barrie)
Humber College (Etobicoke)
Mohawk College (Hamilton)
Niagara College (Welland)
St. Clair College (Windsor)
St. Lawrence College (Cornwall)
St. Lawrence College (Kingston)
Fleming (Peterborough)

Women’s Division
Fanshawe College (London)
Georgian College (Barrie)
Humber College (Etobicoke)

For daily results please visit the host website OCAA Golf Championship Website Click Here

Following the OCAA Championships, golfers will head to Windsor, Ontario to take part in the 2009 Ping Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) Golf Open Championship hosted by St. Clair College from October 13-16. Golfers will tee off at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario.