80 years of the Gordon
Posted By ANTHONY DIXON
Posted 5 months ago
Crews are busy raking the bunkers and trimming the greens as the Pembroke Golf Club gets ready to host the best golfers in the Ottawa Valley this weekend for the Gordon Cup.
The 80th annual tournament gets underway Saturday morning.
The Gordon Cup is a 36-hole championship contested over two days in pursuit of the J. P. Gordon Cup which was donated by Mr. Gordon in 1930.
The cup represents the fellowship and friendly rivalry between the Pembroke, Deep River, Renfrew, Mississippi and Arnprior golf clubs.
The tournament rotates from club to club each year but it is always held on the Labour Day weekend.
Last year, the two-day tournament was held at the Renfrew Golf Club.
Each of the five clubs fields a 14-man team in the tournament.
These players are chosen through qualifiers held at their home clubs sometime during the summer.
The defending champion is the Renfrew Golf Club who hoisted the Gordon Cup for the 17th time in the last 20 years, on its home course last year.
Pembroke placed third in last year's event with a total team gross of 1,912 compared to Renfrew's winning total of 1,820.
Brian Leroux, Gordon Cup chairman for the Pembroke event and also the club captain for the men's section, said he feels this year's Pembroke team in one of the strongest in many years.
"On paper this is one of the best teams Pembroke has come up with," Leroux said. "I have faith that they are going to do well.
"We've got some guys who can go pretty low. I don't think we've got anyone that's going to blow up."
Players on the Pembroke team are Drew Calver, Curtis Feindel, Todd Hermitte, Miles Saunders, Geoff Clouthier, Ray Evans, Bob Sweet, Dave Toner, Tim McGhie, James Scott, Phil Hermitte, Jason Shreenan, Matt O'Connor and Jim Richard.
Mr. Leroux said spectators are encouraged and there is no fee to watch.
"There are some great people out there. These guys will put on quite a show," he said. "People should come out and have a look. They'll see some great golf."
Tee-off time Saturday morning is 10:30 a. m.
The top 35 qualifiers will begin at the first hole, with the bottom 35 qualifiers beginning on the back nine holes.
The top three from each group of 35 will play as a threesome, with the everyone else in groups of four.
The top 12 scores from each team on Saturday will count.
Action is reversed on Sunday, with those having shot the highest scores on Saturday teeing off first and the top finishers teeing off last.
Again, the top 12 scores from each team will count with the total gross between the two days determining the winner.
Part of the Gordon Cup experience is revelling in its history and tradition.
At each year's event, players from the tournament that took place 40 years earlier are invited back and Mr. Leroux said this year is no exception.
"We always invite back the 40 year guys for a bit of a reunion," Mr. Leroux said.
Mr. Leroux also praised the work of Pembroke Golf Club groundskeeper Pat Burelle stating he has the course in great shape for the event.
Anthony Dixon is a Daily Observer reporter
