The 103rd Men's Amateur Golf championship held this year in Prince Albert at the Cooke Municipal golf course may have come and gone without anyone noticing. That is until Unity's fan-favourite Justin Wood was competing in it.
Social media was alive with tweets and Facebook statuses for several days during "Woody's" days of competing at this event.
"The support was amazing," says Wood of the support. "It really was a confidence booster. I received countless texts, tweets and Facebook notifications wishing me good luck."
The Town of Unity even boasted of Wood's accomplishments on their Facebook page, heralding not only his success but sharing with hundreds of others the pride the whole community was feeling during his run at the men's amateur title.
Wood finished day one in second place on the leaderboard of 101 golfers. He exploded on day two and three, sitting atop of the leaderboard with a four-stroke lead. Wood felt his toughest day was day four. Although somewhat disappointed in his own round, the 19 year old finished in second place only one stroke behind the winner, Martin Ring, who is more than 30 years his senior. As a note of trivia, Saskatchewan's own, Graham DeLeat, who now plays in the PGA tour, won the Saskatchewan Men's Amateur event back to back in 2005 and 2006.
Wood's second place finish earns him a spot at the Men's Amateur Nationals Aug. 2 to 7, playing at the Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, Man. As a result of a successful season so far, Wood still has golf events yet to compete in, including the Maple Leaf Junior Tour Nationals in November and another MJT event Aug. 23-24 in Warman. He also heads back to Lethbridge College in September to finish his marketing diploma. Wood will compete on the college team, where he hopes his success story will carry over into a berth in the national collegiate championship for himself and his college team.
Wood said although his family hasn't been able to attend all of his events, he has had mom, dad and sisters Jenna and Heather at one event or another throughout his summer golf tour. He was pleased that his dad, Neil, was able to take in the third and fourth round of the amateur championship. Regardless of who is in the crowd watching, Wood says he is thrilled with the amazing amount of support he receives in all manners.
"I am extremely happy with my play after two rounds," says Wood of his performance in the tournament. "Having a four-shot lead really proved to myself that I can beat some of the best players in Saskatchewan. I also learned a lot during this event. It's a completely different feeling when you're in and around the lead at a tournament. As I said before, it's a real confidence booster. This season has been great because I have been so consistent. I am definitely excited to put myself in that position again."
Executive Director of Golf Saskatchewan Brian Lee says Wood has a bright future in golf ahead of him after coming out of the tournament with a silver medal.
"For a golfer of 19, having a very successful season on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour and competing in his first six months on the adult tour, Justin performed very well on a course that was not his home golf course," said Lee. "Justin competed with a number of seasoned veterans, five of whom have been Saskatchewan provincial champions in the past."
Wood says he has not had much spare time this summer, but he's been enjoying himself nonetheless.
"Between my job at the Elmwood Golf and Country Club in Swift Current, my practice times and my golf events, my life has never a dull moment."
But, as I interviewed Justin, I heard no complaints and only felt the excitement of an athlete enjoying a very successful season, a season he has worked hard on since his love of golf began.
Wood adds, "Dana Johnson, in North Battleford, has been a huge influence on me. He helped me with my swing and mindset a lot in years past. This year, I've worked a bit with Jeff Chambers, the head pro at the Elmwood Golf and Country Club, where I work. Jeff has helped me build on what Dana had taught me. I've enjoyed working with both of them."
Justin's parents, Alice and Neil, say they couldn't be more thrilled with his accomplishments.
"It is very exciting to see Justin succeed in a game he loves," they say. "His passion for this sport has been nearly life long and it makes for very proud parent moments to see him excel knowing the hard work he has put into his golf game."
Small-town pride was evident as Wood became the talk of the town during his competition in Prince Albert. Residents were excited to share the latest news that they had heard or saw on radio and TV, along with tweets, texts and Facebook updates regarding his standing. Residents are looking forward to the excitement they know will be shared with Wood's next competitions.
