Larry Cooper & Lars Melander capture Ontario Senior Better Ball Championship
BRAMPTON – The final event of the Golf Ontario season took place on September 22 at the Brampton Golf Club. It may have been the first official day of fall, but conditions were excellent for the 2016 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship.
When all of the scores were entered, after the shotgun, 18-hole competition, the team of Oakville’s Larry Cooper, from the Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, and Lars Melander, from Hidden Lake Golf Club, saw their names at the top of the leaderboard. The duo had an outstanding day and finished with a five-under (66) to claim the title. While this was the first provincial title for the 64-year-old Melander, Cooper, 59, has found provincial success in the past, as he was the 2014 Ontario Senior Men’s Champion.
Afterwards, both players had different reasons to celebrate, as the win meant something to each of them on another level. “This is the first time in 10 years as a senior competitor that I have won a gold-coloured medal,” said Melander. “I have come second a number of times, but never been able to win one until now!”
The win was also a special one for Cooper as his name will now go on the trophy, that his father, David, won in 1992 and 1997.
Second place was shared by a trio of teams who all finished the day at three-under (68). The tie included the 2015 Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Champions Toronto’s Robert Gibson (Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club) and Stoney Creek’s Colin Grieve (Glendale Golf & Country Club); Fenwick’s Jim Briggs (Peninsula Lakes Golf Club) and Toronto’s Mark Bennett (Bayview Golf and Country Club); and Toronto’s John Mealia and Richmond Hill’s Michael Mealia (both from Bayview Golf and Country Club).
Golf Ontario would like to thank the staff and volunteers from Brampton Golf Club, along with the Golf Ontario volunteers, for their support of amateur golf in Ontario. For complete tournament information visit the tournament site at: https://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao16/event/gao1613/index.htm
About the Ontario Senior Men’s Better-Ball Championship
The Ontario Senior Men’s Better Ball Championship was first contested in 1982. It is open to players aged 55 and older as of the date of the tournament. The championship trophy was donated by the Oakdale Golf & Country Club, who annually host Golf Ontario’s Men’s Better-Ball Championship. Notable champions include Ontario Golf Hall of Famers Nick Westlock and Stu Hamilton.
FULL FIELD RESULTS
1 Larry Cooper Mississaugua & Lars Melander Hidden Lake 66
T2 Jim Briggs Peninsula Lakes GC & Mark Bennett Bayview G&CC 68
T2 Robert Gibson Cedar Brae & Colin Grieve Glendale 68
T2 Michael Mealia Bayview & John Mealia Bayview 68
T5 Gordon Dunn Glendale & Pat Alpaugh Brantford 69
T5 Christopher Kertsos York Downs & Dan Partland The National 69
T5 Guy Kohlmeier Sarnia & Jace Kohlmeier Sarnia 69
T5 John Murphy Barrie CC & Doug McCann Heritage Hills GC 69
T5 Marty Quincey Devil’s Pulpit & Brian Semkiw Devil’s Pulpit 69
T5 Kelly Roberts London Hunt & Warren Sye Weston 69
T5 Mark Ruzycki Hamilton & Rob West Oviinbyrd 69
T12 Douglas Alexander London Hunt & Carl Nanni Meadowbrook 70
T12 Rick Ludlow Cutten Fields & Dave Bergeron Sunningdale GC 70
T12 Michael Pogor Hidden Lake & Gary Ward Hidden Lake 70
T12 William “Art” Trojan St. George’s & Chris Kelos Meadowbrook 70
T16 Kevin Boland Brampton & Dan Boland Brampton 71
T16 Tom Cochrane Parry Sound & Bruce McEwen Scarboro 71
T16 Rick Dodds-Hebron Brampton & Jim Perivolaris Sunningdale GC 71
T16 Dan Gagliardi Chippewa Creek & Rick Russell Chippewa Creek 71
T16 Howard Glassman Glencairn & Tim Southcott Glencairn 71
T16 Mark Kalbfleisch Oshawa & Brian Neilson Oshawa 71
T16 David Stroud Public Player & Don McLean Greystone 71
T16 Brent Taylor Whistle Bear & Bobby Lavigne Whistle Bear 71
T24 Stephen Ashby St. George’s & Ian Kidson Rosedale 72
T24 Hugh Fallon OslerBrook & Steve Knoch OslerBrook 72
T24 David Goodman Public Player & Peter Mumford Public Player 72
T24 Ryan Holmes Blue Springs & Michael Alderman Blue Springs 72
T24 Greg Hotham Barrie CC & Neil Boddington Barrie CC 72
T24 Robert Lamoureux Mississaugua & Ralph Govan Mississaugua 72
T24 Garry Spence St. Thomas & Bruce Marshall St. Thomas 72
T31 David Johnson Oak Bay & Mark Davidson Hawk Ridge 73
T31 Jeff Maslanka Deer Ridge & Rick Valin Deer Ridge 73
T31 John Robinson Sunningdale GC & Peter MacKinnon Maple City 73
T31 Mike Soucie Twenty Valley & Michael Baines Twenty Valley 73
T35 Paul Brace Public Player & Dan Bates Credit Valley 74
T35 Desmond Brady Lookout Point & Doug Piett Lookout Point 74
T35 Dennis Cote Brampton & Tom McBarron Hamilton 74
T35 Michael Jackson Georgian Bay Club & Sandy Billyard Hunters Pointe 74
T35 Bill Leak Toronto & Jamie Robertson Rosedale 74
T35 Bob Masukawa St. Andrew’s East & Bill Hilton St. Andrew’s East 74
T35 Charlie Pittock Bond Head & Al Corbeil Bond Head 74
T35 Peter Tobin Kingsville & Mario Guertin Rattlesnake Point 74
T43 Paul Maynard Public Player & Donald Dasti Oshawa 75
T43 George Moon The Summit & Larry Hevenor St. Catharines 75
T43 Jim Panetta Grand Niagara & Jim Murdoch Grand Niagara 75
T46 Martin Cairns Donalda Club &Terry MacGorman Donalda Club 76
T46 Allan Donald Donalda Club & Ian Tod Donalda Club 76
T46 Ronald Kerr Brampton & Glenn McClelland Brampton 76
T46 Frank Mortensen Lookout Point & Tony Ravenda Hunters Pointe 76
T50 Howard Atkinson Toronto Hunt & Jay Cressman Elmira 77
T50 Randy Doucette Victoria Park East & Derek Brown Victoria Park East 77
T50 Ian Montgomery Weston & Richard Lockwood Highland Country Club 77
T50 Gordon Nichols The Summit & Phil Charal The Summit 77
54 John Wellard North Bay & William Lang Deerhurst Highlands 78
55 John Mcbride Lakeridge Links & Gary Volpe St. Thomas 79
56 Stephen White Peterborough & Bryon Fife Peterborough 82