CAVENDISH, P.E.I. — Curtis Hall led from start to finish to capture his first Cooke Insurance P.E.I. Amateur Golf Championship Sunday at the course his grandparents own.
Hall birdied four of the last five holes at Eagles Glenn of Cavendish to clinch the title. His father Andrew won the tournament in 1993 at Belvedere Golf Club. He caddied for Curtis the final two rounds this year.
“It’s good to get my name on another trophy that he’s been on,” Curtis said proudly.
It was not immediately clear how many, if any, father-son combinations had won the amateur.
The 24-year-old Charlottetown native said his mother Debbie, grandparents, aunts, an uncle and cousins were part of the gallery the last couple of holes on Sunday.
“It’s pretty special for my family to have it happen there,” he said, noting he worked at the course growing up and it is owned by his grandparents Roger and Eleanor Birt. “It’s special to have them there and have them be able to witness it.”
It was his fourth tournament win on the player of the year’s series. His previous best at the amateur was a tie for third in 2016.
Hall started the three-day championship by carding a 4-under 68 on Friday. He had an even par middle round under tougher conditions on Saturday and saw the lead grow by two.
“It was a unique experience, I guess, having the six-shot lead. I’ve never had that before. I don't know if I’ve had a two- or three-shot lead going into the final round.”
He completed the tournament with a 3-over 75 on Sunday. Hall was even through the front nine but bogeyed 11, 13 and 16.
“It’s never easier steering the ship in whether you have a big margin or a small margin. It was nice to kind of be able to cruise in and not have anything too dangerous happen in the last four or five holes,” he said.
He won the championship by five strokes over Milton Station’s Tyler Hashmi, who tied Stratford’s Connor Shea for the best round on Sunday with a 1-under 71. Hashmi made five birdies Sunday while Shea’s round included two birdies and an eagle on No. 5.
Kensington’s Tim Yorke (221), Montague’s Saulomon Lanigan (223) and Charlottetown’s Steven Gamester (224) rounded out the top five.
Yorke won the mid-amateur title by three strokes over Gamester.
Hall said he is likely going to attend at least one of the Canadian amateur or mid-amateur. The amateur is taking place near Halifax, split between Glen Arbour and the Links at Brunello, Aug. 5-8 with the mid-amateur in Toronto at Summit Golf Club Aug. 20-23. He will turn his attention now to the club championship at Belvedere July 27 and 28.
Seniors
Charlottetown’s Ernest Corrigan won the senior men’s title by two strokes over Gary Melanson of Woodstock, N.B., and Nelson Thompson of Truro, N.S. Corrigan opened with rounds of 72 and 75 before closing with a 77 to finish 8-over 224.
Summerside’s Mel Bernard (228) and New London’s Steve Ball (230) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Juniors
Belfast’s Cam White won the two-round junior title.
White shot a 2-over 74 on Saturday to finish the event at 12-over 156. Charlottetown’s Luke Dillon (162) and Peter McDougall (164) were second and third, respectively, in the field of 13.
Related link:
• Curtis Hall shoots a 68 to sit atop men’s leaderboard at P.E.I. Amateur
