Sports

Alberta golf courses allowed to open this weekend – Calgary Sun

Published

5 years ago

May 2, 2020

Albertans, dust off your golf clubs.

As part of a staged economic relaunch strategy, Premier Jason Kenney announced Thursday that courses across the province will be allowed to open — with safety restrictions — “as soon as this weekend.”

The divot-digging had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clubhouses and pro shops will, for now, remain closed.

“It was about 15 seconds (after the announcement) that we had the first phone call asking to book a tee time,” said Matt Kirlin, the director of golf at Lynx Ridge. “People are just so excited to get that first tee in the ground. And it’s really cool to see — as golf-industry operators, we’ve worked very hard to get this decision, and it makes it all worth it when you hear the excitement of Alberta golfers.”

Soon, you’ll be hearing shouts of ‘Fore!’

Alberta’s golf industry has been pushing to prove that it’s possible to launch drives and drain putts while still flattening the curve, submitting a 30-page document to government officials to detail the safety precautions they are willing to implement.

On Thursday, they received the green light to proceed.

Many course operators were watching as Kenney rolled out the relaunch plan. (Although there was some confusion as a government release stated that Monday would be opening day, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, later confirmed on Twitter that there can be action on the links as soon as Saturday.)

“Yeah, I was hooting and hollering. I was excited, maybe a little emotional even,” said Barry Ehlert, who oversees five area layouts — including the much-anticipated Mickelson National — as managing partner for Windmill Golf Group.

“This is something we’ve been fighting hard for. We have been cooped up for six weeks or something like that, and for at least five of those weeks, I feel like I’ve had a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy spent on articulating what we believe we can do in our industry in order to create a safe and healthy environment for people during COVID-19. So this certainly is very exciting.”

Golf will look a little different during the pandemic.

As part of the park-and-play model, you’ll be encouraged to pre-pay your green fee so you can head straight to the first tee. There will be no high-fives or post-round handshakes, with an emphasis on always maintaining two metres of personal space.

Bunker rakes, ball washers and other potential touch points will be removed and golf carts will be single rider, unless both players are from the same household.

It will be mandatory to leave the pin in, with a variety of new methods so that a ball can be safely retrieved from the hole.

At both Lynx Ridge and neighbouring Valley Ridge, for example, they’ll stuff part of a pool noodle in the cup to ensure your lucky Titleist barely drops below ground level when you sink your putt.

“We have a colleague in Singapore that sent us a picture of how slick and safely that works,” said Curtis Robertson, director of golf at Valley Ridge. “We have been gathering information for quite some time from courses around the world that have been open and doing it safely. We’ve just been awaiting this news so we could apply all this information.”

Added Jason Stanier, the general manager and executive professional at Inglewood: “We’re confident we can create a safe and enjoyable experience for our members, for guests, for the public, and that we can maintain social distancing. We’re going to spread out tee times a little from what we would normally do. We’re not going to allow people to check in until 10 minutes before their time and not be on the first tee until it’s your turn. So we have some new protocols in place, and we’re just excited now to be able to use them and implement them.”

Of course, there will also be an onus on members of the bogey brigade — whether they’re playing at a private club or a public facility — to follow the regulations to a … er … tee.

“The general excitement is so high that I don’t think anyone is willing to risk losing this great privilege in these times,” Kirlin said. “We’re very lucky that our leisure sport allows for social distancing. There are very few things you can do outdoors with your friends or family at this moment that allow you to be socially distant, so my message to my members was, ‘We’re working as hard as we can to implement whatever we need to, but without the full support of you, we’re going to lose this privilege, and then it’s going to be twice as hard to get it back.’ ”

CHIP SHOTS: The 2020 DC Bank Glencoe Invitational has been cancelled due to the current health crisis. Considered one of Canada’s top amateur golf events, and with plans to debut a female division this year, the tournament was scheduled for June 18-20 on Glencoe’s Forest Course.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/WesGilbertson

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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