Winning a big tournament like the 2022 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship is all about patience, according to Red Deer’s Grant Lee.
Lee, who is a member of the host Red Deer Golf and Country Club, finished one-under-par after the opening round and was tied for third with fellow Red Deerian Ken Griffith at one-under par. They are two of four members competing for the club and this is Lee’s first Canadian Men’s Senior Championship.
“The course is in as good of shape as I’ve ever seen it. The greens are absolutely perfect,” Lee said. “We’ve talked about this among all our members, especially at a certain level of golf patience is the number one thing. Just gotta be patient out there, try and minimize those mistakes, and the good breaks you get you got to capitalize on them.”
Dave Terry and Neil MacLeod, both of B.C. are also tied for third at one-under.
The clubhouse lead after round one was shared by two Americans, Rusty Strawn of Georgia and Mike Lohner of Texas. The Americans both fired a three-under 69.
Lee said it doesn’t take much to get a bogey while you’re playing RDGCC but there are also plenty of birdie opportunities. At the end of the day, he had five birdies and four bogeys.
Throughout the next three days, 156 golfers from across Canada and the United States will be trying to play their best game to move up the leaderboard in the tournament. Lee said there are some incredible players involved in the national tournament.
“You don’t qualify for it without playing some good golf,” he said.
Lee’s father put golf clubs in his hands when he was five years old growing up in Winnipeg and began by hitting balls in his backyard before taking the next step to go to the driving range.
“I was about 10 years old I think and he said he still wouldn’t let me go out on the course. He said ‘you’re not ready yet.’ I think back at that I just laugh about it seeing especially how many great junior players we have,” he said.
He began competing at 15 years old playing in provincial and local tournaments. Lee always liked the game after he played team sports it was refreshing being the only one in control and the one making the shots.
“I just liked that feeling that you’re going to take all the accolades and you’re going to take all the not-so-good stuff but the individual part I just loved,” he explained adding you’re not playing against anyone, you’re playing the course and yourself.
This is Lee’s third year of playing senior golf but in his amateur career, he played in six Canadian Mid-Amateur Championships where he made the semi-finals in 2002. He also got second place in the 2008 PGA Mercedes Benz Amateur in Maui.
“I’ll tell you what I’m just very blessed that I’ve been able to be competitive for all these years. Golf has been very, very good to me,” he said.
Day two of the tournament begins Wednesday morning and Lee said to improve his game he will need to minimize mental errors after having a few on Monday and to be patient on every hole.
Frank Van Dornick of Camrose is tied for ninth after a one-over 73 and Red Deer’s Thomas Skinner sits tied for 14th after a two-over 74.
Players hit the course at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday for the second round. The tournament concludes Friday afternoon.
