UFV Cascades Golf in First Place after PACWEST Tournament One

Kamloops, BC…UFV Cascades men’s golf team won tournament one of the 2012 PACWEST golf season with a come from behind effort on Sunday.  The Cascades captured the team title with a total of 576 strokes. Camosun College Chargers were second at 581 followed by the VIU Mariners at 584.  The Cascades participate in four PACWEST regular season golf tournaments to determine the provincial champion.  The PACWEST champion receives an automatic bid to the 2012 CCAA national championship tournament hosted by Durham College, in Oshawa, Ontario.  The tournament was held at the Dunes, in Kamloops, BC by the TRU Wolfpack.

The Cascades opened the two day event battling two very good teams in UBC-O and Camosun and found themselves in third place entering Sunday’s final round trailing by seven strokes.  On Sunday, the course was extremely difficult due to windy conditions, but the Cascades veterans led by Darren Whitehouse, Langley, BC who finished second overall shooting a  66 on Sunday and 140 for the two-day tournament were able to pull ahead of the seven team pack and win the event by five strokes.   

Coach Chris Bertram was very happy with Whitehouse’s play on Sunday, as he shot a bogey-free near perfect round of golf.   “I am not sure I have seen a better round of ball striking at this level of golf.  That wind was brutal out there today, and the pins were really tricky.  Darren was dialed-in right from the first tee and stayed focused all day.  Amazing to watch,” said Bertram. 

Veterans Aaron Pauls, Chilliwack, BC and Mitch Lock, Mission, BC finished tied for third with a score of 143 for the two day tournament.

“We learned a few things this weekend.  First, we now know we are in the toughest conference in Canada and it’s going to be a great season.  Second, we learned that our veteran players are ready to step up and take charge.  This weekend was a great character building win, and a good jump start for the year,” commented Bertram. 

The Cascades will travel to North Vancouver next weekend to participate in the PACWEST second regular season tournament, hosted by Kwantlen University, at the Hazelmere Golf Course.