It took a little longer than they would have liked, but Moose Jaw’s Chris Knoop and Lorie Boyle are the 2023 Sask Golf provincial mixed champions.
The local duo put their knowledge of the Hillcrest Golf Club to good use through the two-day event, carding an opening round 70 on Saturday, Aug. 26 and following up with a 73 Sunday to tie Regina’s Wayne and Alexandra Schmidt for top spot through 36 holes.
That sent the two teams back to the 18th tee, and Boyle would knock down a par putt to give her team the title.
Things went well for Knoop and Boyle in the opening round, as three birdies and two bogeys in the alternate shot format would see them card a 70 to sit alone in first place through the first 18 holes.
It looked as if things were going to go just as well in round two, as a pair of birdies and a bogey saw Knoop and Boyle sitting a one-under through nine, but back-to-back bogeys to open the back nine brought them back to the field, and a third bogey would see them card a 73.
The Schmidts, meanwhile, were one under on the front and one over on the back Sunday, shooting a 71. That, combined with their opening-round 72, sent things into a playoff.
There the perennial Moose Jaw city championship contenders finished things off in style, with Boyle rolling home a short putt for the title.
The provincial mixed championship was the fourth for Boyle, who joined Regina’s Jamie Tsakas to win in 2000, North Battleford’s Bo Lewchak to claim the title in 2003 and playing alongside Elbow’s Brett Prestley for the trophy in 2006.
The mixed title is the first for Knoop.
The Hillcrest’s Chris Schon and Tanya Heisler shot back-to-back rounds of 80 to finish tied for 16th, while Mae Farrer and Taylor Reich (78-84) finished 19th, Rita Giroux and Jari Yrkki (88-75) finished 21st, Shelley Ruecker and Greg Vall (81-84) finished 26th, Cyndy Reidy and Greg Reidy (83-83) finished 27th, Earl and Dawn Bender (81-86) finished 28th, Mark Albert and Kerry Kirkpatrick (82-91) finished 37th and Deb and Phil Negraiff (90-85) finished 41.
The Lynbrook Golf Course’s Shaun Muchoski and Chantel Mack shot 79-80 to land 24th overall and clubmates Liz Allen and Jim Allen (94-87) finished 49th.
