DEWINTON — Trailing tournament leader Ryan Vallely by two strokes heading to the final tee, Ryan Yip eagled the par-5 18th hole at Carmoney Golf Club Thursday and claimed the Alberta Open title when his Medicine Hat opponent struggled to a bogey.
Yip shot a final-round 68 and finished with a 54-hole total of 13-under par 203 (including earlier rounds of 68-65), one stroke better than Vallely (67-68-69). James Love (68-67-70) and Wes Heffernan (63-73-69) of Calgary tied for third at 205 and Kris Wasylowich of Lethbridge finished alone in fifth with a 207 total (69-68-70).
Jasons Thiels of Olds carded a 75 Thursday as the top Central Alberta player. With earlier rounds of 77-75, he finished at 11-over par 227, tied for 38th.
Ted Bach of Forest Heights (73-76-82) and Chase Teron of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club (77-74-82) managed respective totals of 231 and 233 and placed 48th and 49th.
l Heavy rainfall forced the cancellation of the third round of the Canadian University/College championship at Hamilton.
The event was cut to 54 holes with the final round set to start early today.
Red Deer product and University of Victoria golfer Mitch Evanecz, with rounds of 79-69 and a 4-over par total of 408, was eight shots behind men’s leader Cory Renfrew of the University of British Columbia (UBC) heading into the final 18 holes.
Red Deer’s Joey Sereda (77-77—154), representing the University of Alberta, was 14 shots back.
Former Red Deer resident Jocelyn Alford from UBC was tied for ninth in the women’s division with a 156 total (79-77), seven strokes back of leader Maggie Trainor of Humber College (78-71).