Kevin Carrigan
NANAIMO, BC (May 31, 2016) -- Kevin Carrigan
travelled from his Victoria home to play a couple of
rounds at Nanaimo Golf Club before this week's B.C.
Mid-Amateur & Mid-Master Championships and it's
paying early dividends.
He asked Sandy Harper, the accomplished
longtime
Nanaimo member, to play with him. "Any time you can
get a look at a golf course before you come out it is
invaluable and needless to say there's not a guy out
here who knows more about this place than Sandy
does," Carrigan said after shooting a four-under 68 to
grab a five-shot lead after the first round of the Mid-
Amateur.
The Mid-Amateur is open to players 25 and over.
The Mid-Master, for players 40 and over, is being
played
at the same time. The aforementioned Harper had a
share of the Mid-Master lead after opening with a one-
over 73 on Tuesday.
The 59-year-old Harper, who won the 2012 B.C.
Senior Men's Championship at Nanaimo, wasn't taking
any credit for Carrigan's solid round on Tuesday. "We
played a couple of rounds together," Harper said.
"When he outdrives me by 60 yards it's hard to tell
him what lines to take. You can certainly tell him what
side of the fairway is better and that kind of stuff.
Truly,
when Kevin is on his game, he is in a different class
than the rest of this field. It is just different. He hits it
like a Tour player and he's a great guy to play with,
too."
Harper has a share of the Mid-Master lead with
Gudmund Lindjberg of Pitt Meadows and Greg
Bismeyer
of Mission. Victoria's Craig Doell is just one shot back
after a two-over 74.
Like many in the field, Doell had difficulty reading
the subtle breaks on Nanaimo's greens. "The greens
definitely got me today," Doell said. "I think I had 35
putts. They are very challenging greens. Any putt from
any range is in jeopardy of missing, basically."
Josh Coletti of Nelson, Brent Wilson of Cobble Hill,
Cameron MacKenzie of Vancouver and Scott Kral of
Victoria also shot 73s and are part of a seven-way tie
for second in the Mid-Amateur competition.
Defending Mid-Amateur champion Jordan Belton of
Surrey had a roller-coaster opening round. Belton had
six birdies, but several 'others' and shot a 77.
The 54-hole event continues with the second round
on Wednesday and concludes Thursday.
ALISON MURDOCH LEADS BOTH WOMEN'S MID-
AMATEUR & MID-MASTERS DIVISIONS
Alison Murdoch was especially delighted and a little
surprised to find herself in the lead after Tuesday's first
round of the B.C. Women's Mid-Amateur & Mid-Master
Championship at Nanaimo Golf Club.
The 66-year-old Murdoch is giving away a few
years to the rest of the field. That didn't seem to
matter
Tuesday, however, when the longtime Victoria resident
shot a six-over 78 on Nanaimo's classic A.V. Macan-
designed layout.
That gave her the lead in both competitions. The
Mid-Amateur is open to players 25 and older. The Mid-
Master category is for players 40 and over. Murdoch's
closest pursuer is Vancouver's Phyllis Laschuk, who
shot
an 80 and is also competing in both competitions.
Port Alberni's Jackie Little, the 2015 B.C. Senior
Women's champion withdrew before Tuesday's first
round with a sore back.
View results for British Columbia Mid-Amateur
ABOUT THE
British Columbia Mid-Amateur
54-hole stroke play with Mid-Amateur (25 and older)
and Mid-Master (40 and older) divisions. Maximum
handicap index 18.0 women; 9.0 men.
View Complete Tournament Information