By Brad Halasz
The University of Calgary golf team had a swingin’ time in Red Deer last weekend claiming all four individual and team gold at the Alberta College Athletic Conference championships for a second year in a row.
The victories mark the fifth championship in eight years for the man’s team.
“It’s a good feeling,” said first-year member Eric Allard.
The Earl Grey golf club member captured individual gold by beating Lethbridge product Rob Sakamoto by four strokes.
Even though Allard was victorious, he said there were a few hiccups that threw him off his game.
“The first day my putter wasn’t going very good, so I was getting a little frustrated with that, but I was hitting the ball good,” he said.
The trouble didn’t stop there though, the unpredictability of prairie weather also played a factor.
“The second day it got really windy, so it’s pretty tough to score in those conditions, so that was a little frustrating too,” he said.
Because golf is a mental sport just as much as it is physical, Allard said being on a team has advantages individual golf can’t offer.
“We try and make sure everyone stays positive and that they’re confident in their game and cheer them on,” he said. “You’ve got to talk it out.”
Lauren Diedrich’s even-par round on the final day was good enough to capture gold – a hefty 11 strokes in front of second place finisher and teammate Ashley Nantes.
The Dinos women swept the podium with Aryn Flett coming in third.
The women also dominated the weekend team play and finished 46 strokes ahead of second place Mount Royal College.
Allard– who tried out for the team in late August– is excited about a tournament in Seattle on Thanksgiving weekend, using the momentum from last week’s win.
“It gives you a big confidence boost,” he said. “It helps you prepare your game for bigger stuff like provincials and nationals and stuff. It’s great.”