Western and Toronto shine on Day 1 of OUA Golf Championships

OTTAWA, Ont. – The Western vs. Queen’s rivalry took new form at the OUA Golf Championships at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Saturday.

In the men’s team competition, the two teams were in a dead-heat throughout the final nine holes of competition, until the Mustangs pulled away to take a six-stroke lead to finish the day.

The Gaels had the early jump, behind the performance of Chris Murray and Trevor Corner. Murray’s stellar play kept his Gaels in the fight, but Western’s one-two punch of Charles Fitzsimmons and Mackenzie Carter gave the Mustangs the comfortable lead going into Day 2.

The play of Brock’s Matt Deven had his Badgers in third place for a portion of the day; however after the final hole, they slipped to a seventh-placed tie with host Ottawa.

On the women’s side, it was business as usual for the five-time consecutive champion Toronto Varsity Blues. Laura Upenieks and Ellice Hong took control at the top of the leaderboard and never looked back as the day went on. Upenieks dazzled as she was the only women under par at the course, while her teammate finished just behind at two over.

The Varsity Blues have a commanding seventeen-stroke lead on second placed Queen’s, as they look to lock up yet another OUA title.

Of note, three-time consecutive men’s champion Waterloo sits in fourth-place after Saturday, eight-strokes behind the leader. If Sunday’s action plays out similarly, there could be a new men’s champion for the first time since 2013.

DAY 1 TEAM STANDINGS:

Men’s:

Western: +5

Queen’s:  +11

Guelph: +12

Waterloo: +13

Laurier: +14

Carleton: +14

Ottawa: +18

Brock: +18

Toronto: +26

Windsor: +26

Laurentian:  +29

McMaster: +34

UOIT: +42

York: +50

Trent: +54

Women’s:

Toronto: +10

Queen’s: +27

Windsor: +28

Waterloo: +29

Western: +33

Laurier: +41

Brock: +46

Guelph: +53

Ottawa: +59

McMaster: +61

DAY 1 INDIVIDUAL TOP 10:

Men’s:

T1: Matt Deven (Brock) -1

T1: Charles Fitzsimmons (Western) -1

T1: Chris Murray (Queen’s) -1

T4: Mckenzie Carter (Western) E

T4: Bryce Evon (Windsor) E

T6: Austin Ryan (Laurier) +1

T6: Marc-Anthony Manion (Guelph) +1

T6: Matthew Vihant (Guelph) +1

T9: Tyson Turchanski (Waterloo) +2

T9: Tyler Cormier (Waterloo) +2

T9: Myles Killackey (Queen’s) +2

T9: Matthew Kartusch (Carleton) +2

Women’s

1: Laura Upenieks (Toronto) -1

2: Ellice Hong (Toronto) +2

3: Laura Wesselius (Waterloo) +4

4: Chloe Wilson (Carleton) +6

5: Tavia Maurovic (Windsor) +7

T6: Claire Konnig (Waterlo) +8

T6: Robyn Campbell (Queen’s) +8

T6: Melissa Ramnauth (Queen’s) +8

T9: Ana Peric (Toronto) +9

T9: Jennifer Knox (Western) +9