Alberta’s best female amateur golfers swing into St. Albert next month when the historic Alberta Ladies’ Amateur Championship tees off at Sturgeon Valley golf club, July 10-13.
The tournament dates back to at least 1929, the earliest year that century-old Alberta Golf has on record for the championship.
The Sun Life Ladies’ Amateur Championship is open to all Alberta female amateur golfers with a handicap factor limit of 11.9. The entry fee for the event is $200 and online registration is available at www.albertgolf.org/competition/2012-championships until 4 p.m. Friday.
Among the registered participants this year are a mother and daughter team, a five-time championship winner and some local talent.
The Edmonton mother and daughter duo of Gail and Kylie Barros will be competing with Kylie expected to be a strong contender, having just won her second straight Edmonton ladies amateur championship.
Five-time winner Jessica Luciuk of Barrhead will be trying for a sixth Alberta championship.
Alberta Golf executive director Brent Ellenton says that Luciuk will be chasing history as very few ladies have won the championship six times. “If she was able to win, she’d be joining very elite company,” said Ellenton.
Also in the field this year is local golfer Sandra Fisher of St. Albert and 24-year-old Diana Kastelic of Edmonton who played on the University of Alberta golf team. This is Kastelic’s first season as a member of the Sturgeon Valley Golf Club and her fifth year playing in the tournament. “I really enjoy the opportunity to compete and to continue to work on my game.”
The event will feature some very talented competitors, but is not exclusively for Alberta’s top golfers. “It’s a good opportunity for the competitors to have a good deal of fun and challenge themselves and see what the standard of play is out there for ladies’ golf,” said Ellenton.
The tournament also hands out more than one title allowing participants to compete within age categories.
“Even though the field is relatively small there are three provincial titles to be won – the amateur, mid-amateur and mid-master titles – a wonderful opportunity for the competitors, “ said tournament chair Enid Botchett.
The mid-amateur title is for golfers 25 and over and the mid-master title will be awarded in the 40 and over category.
Ellenton said that the amateur winner will walk away with bragging rights as the best amateur ladies’ golfer in the province. “She’ll be part of what we call our ladies’ interprovincial team and so she’ll play in our national events as part of our three-member team.”
Ellenton said the province sees a great deal of new female golfers, but many quit the sport to pursue other activities. He is hoping that tournaments like this one will encourage women to stay with the sport. “We’re trying to grow ladies’ golf and this is a really good opportunity for some of the ladies to play.”
The Sturgeon Valley course has been an excellent venue for past Alberta Golf events. “We’ve had other championships there such as the Alberta Junior in the past and it’s always been just a tremendous test of golf,” said Ellenton.
The public is invited to come out and watch the championship at no charge.
