42nd WGC – Stanhope Golf and Country Club, Stanhope, PEI – July 18/19th 2025
The 42nd WGC occurred during our typical 3rd weekend in July on the beautiful North Shore of Prince Edward Island. We returned to Stanhope GC&C which had previously hosted a WGC last in 1997. The clubhouse was still temporary as it had not been fully rebuilt since a fire ripped through it following ‘Hurricane Fiona’ back in September of 2022. The trailers used as a stop gap measure were fine and even had a little patio area for cold beverages following the round. The course was in good shape and many of the participants enjoyed the wide, forgiving fairways and big greens!
This year we once again had a nice even number of 20 golfers converging on PEI. The field comprised of 14 players from Nova Scotia, 4 from NB, 1 from Alberta and 1 from Denver, CO! Unfortunately, we were missing some stalwarts who make the trip each year religiously to play in the Tourney. These included: Dave Marcattili (who had a work trip which he thought would prevent him from making it and when he found out last minute he could go – we already had an even number with accommodations/drives etc., all in place); Dave Melanson (defending low gross champion who missed his first Tournament since he first starting going over a near 15 year period as he had a family trip booked to New York for a concert and shopping); Greg Eisner – who had to stay home to look after his elderly father who recently had surgery meaning a fall could be more likely); Shane Jackson (who had some expensive, unplanned car repairs just before the Classic)! Last year first timer – Ben Garland – had other commitments once he found out the date a little too late.
In their places, we welcomed some familiar and not so familiar faces to get us to the 5 full foursomes. Darryl Maunder – previous Low Gross champion returned after a one-year hiatus. Additionally, Steve Kerr (original member) returned from the USA (somehow got through the border agents) to participate. Jeff Chisholm – long-time Wedgie returned for his first WGC since St. Ignace back in 2017! We also welcomed two new first timers: Drew Rendall – who was an original Wedgie – growing up on Edward Laurie Drive. Drew now living in Alberta made the trip home to reconnect with the group after having moved away with his family roughly 50 years ago when he was in Grade 5 or 6. Martin Gavin – a neighbour of Braum Faders’ who currently lives in the old hood – he is also friends with Paul Flemming (who most guys in the WGC knew from growing up in Bridgeview) as they curled together and won the World Senior curling championship for Canada last year – beating the USA in the final).
The warm-up game this year was held at the underappreciated Clyde River course just outside Charlottetown. Never used in the PEI leg of the classic, it is a respectable 18-hole track with a couple of stand-out holes like the Island Green Par 3 and a 600-yard Par 5 and only 10-15 mins drive to the capital. The weather was overcast to start the day as everyone converged on the Course and had their greetings/salutations in the gravel parking lot. Outside temp was in the low twenties’ degree Celsius, 2mm of showers soften the fairways and greens. Winds averaged 20-40km with a max gust of 48kmh. Overall conditions were good not great – but no worries of sunburns.
Of the scorecards recovered from the practice round (I think I was missing two golfers?) it appears only 2 of the 19 golfers broke 90 – Darryl M and Greg S. both in the high 80’s. Darryl had the only eagle (2 on the par 4 third hole). Blake and Kevin B also had birdies in the same foursome – blake on the same hole and Kevin on the PAR 3 12TH hole. Other birdies were Darren Dunnett (he had the third low gross with a 92) on Par 5 Hole 9, Peter (fourth lowest gross with a 94) birdied the par 5 #18.
At the other end of the spectrum, worst holes for the round were a 9 by the following golfers: Braum on the short par 4 #3; Ken (with three of them!) on the 1st, 9th and 16th (all Par 5’s); Mark – bookended his round with a 9 on #1 and #18 (two Par 5’s); Stu with a 9 on #9; Jamie was another participant with a 9 on #9, Drew (like Kenny had three 9’s but his were on #7, #9 both Par 5’s and #11 – a par 4). Overall scores were respectable but nothing outstanding! Low 9 was a 42 by Darryl on the back 9 followed by Blake’s 43 on the front 9 and Greg Sewell’s 44 on the back. Scores ranged from a low 89 (Darryl) to a high of 114 by Ken a range of 26 strokes. Besides the 2 scores in the 80’s, there were 4 golfers in the 90’s, 9 in the 100’s and finally 4 > than 110. Jay gets the consistency award as he went 49 on the front and 49 on the back for a 98.
The groups for the practice round were not set – which allowed participants to form their own groups for the day. Everyone was able to play in the practice round except Jeff Chisholm who had other commitments and met us at the motel Friday night. Peter, Steve K, Jamie and Drew got to play together which was cool as it was a mini-reunion 50 years after the last time they would’ve been together.
The group decided to have a round or two after completion of the practice game on the clubhouse deck. Overall, Clyde River was a challenging track as most golfers hadn’t played there before or did decades ago and didn’t remember many of the holes. Thos meant higher scores despite relatively easy conditions for scoring. It was also very affordable and we were all done by 5:00pm. Over refreshments it was decided to eat supper close by so we could get to the Motel before darkness. Boston Pizza in Charlottetown was the common choice for fast food, seating and quick service.
Upon arriving at BP, they were able to accommodate all of us on the outside patio which was perfect as it gave us some privacy and the evening had turned gorgeous with full sun! The service was excellent and no one was complaining about our Waitress being about 7 feet tall (6 feet actually) and all legs. Peter had to ask her if she played any sports to which she responded Volleyball for UPEI. The food was ok but she still received generous tips for putting up with our shenanigans.
From there, everyone was off to Mayfield to check into the Cavendish MemoTree Resort. The accommodations were approximately 25-35 mins away from Boston Pizza and all golfers got there before 7:30pm. Jeff Chisholm was already waiting for us all when we arrived.
The accommodations were a little bit ‘in the wilds’ of PEI but was chosen for the various options of accommodations. (cabins and motel rooms) as well as cost effectiveness and isolation for noise. Seven of us stayed in the main motel, while 13 were in the 3 cottages (5 in the three bedroom and 4 each in both two-bedroom cottages).
The ‘Resort’ was very accommodating as the manager indicated they didn’t get many golfers. We found that surprising given the number of golf courses in a 25-minute drive. Most guys checked in and got cleaned up. Peter was a little panicked when the front desk wanted him to put the entire balance on his credit card. Mark came to the rescue and put it on his card and then asked everyone to send him an etran for their balance within the week. Happy to report he didn’t have to chase anyone down as everyone paid in a very timely manner.
All 20 participants converged on the largest three-bedroom chalet for the traditional drawing of the foursomes and review of the rules. It was just getting dark (9:00-9:30pm) when Peter arrived to do the honours. The foursomes randomly drawn from a hat yielded the following groupings:
Group 1 – Jamie, Darryl, Jay and Kevin
Group 2 – Rick, Stu, Blake and Martin
Group 3 – Ian P., Darren, Jeff and Drew
Group 4 – Greg S., Adam, Ken and Braum
Group 5 – Steve, Ian L., Mark and Peter
For the first time ever – we decided to randomly choose partners as well instead of the traditional seeding process. The thought process being that we have established handicaps for almost everyone so theoretically anyone can be paired with anyone and a fair handicap established. This helps prevent the same guys always being partnered together – overall it seemed well received! Pairings for the team trophy were drawn as follows:
Ian P. and Greg S.,
Jamie and Darryl,
Kevin and Mark,
Ian L. and Steve K,
Jeff and Rick,
Blake and Jay,
Braum and Adam,
Peter and Martin,
Darren and Stu,
Ken and Drew
Rankings for individual gross/net play based on handicaps was as follows: 1) Mark, 2) Greg S, 3) Darryl, 4) Darren, 5) Blake, 6) Braum, 7) Martin 8) Peter, 9) Steve K, 10) Drew, 11) Ken, 12) Adam, 13) Jamie 14) Ian L. 15) Jeff, 16) Kevin B, 17) Rick, 18) Jay, 19) Ian P., 20) Stu
After much banter and drinks – many of the guys (mostly smokers) were outside while approximately ½ stayed in the cabin and continued the trash talking! As far as Wedgies go – it was a relatively tame night as most were heading back to their rooms between midnight and 1:00am. Most people seemed to have a good night’s rest but Mark and Jay were likely amongst the few who didn’t sleep very soundly. They were on a pull-out couch together and neither were that impressed. Mark has previously slept just about anywhere (on floors, couches, etc.) so he was more unfazed than Jay.
Tee times on Saturday weren’t until 11:00amish so everyone could sleep in a little and not be too rushed. Everyone was on their own for breakfast and many guys stopped at Robins Donuts in North Rusitco as it was only a 5-minute drive from the ‘Resort’ and on the way to Stanhope which was another 25 minutes away.
The weather was very favourable for Saturday’s main event. The high on Saturday was 27 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees that night. Humidity was 66% and winds were only around 15km/h. Another year of ideal golf conditions!!
Many guys arrived at the golf course by 10:30am at the latest. Peter and Ken were some of the last to arrive after getting lost in North Rustico because Peter made a few wrong turns trying to follow his GPS. Ken was amused at how he got lost in a town with a population of 648 according to their 2021 census!
After some time on the practice green and range – the first group made their way to the first tee for pictures and prep. Most of the competitors went to the first tee to watch the first shots on number one!
#1 is a great starting hole as it had a very wide fairway, few trees and is a relatively short PAR 5 at 471 yards. This led to 4 guys making Par and 2 guys making Birdie (Peter and Steve K). As well, there were only three scores worse than a double bogey as Jeff and Stu both opened with a snowman (8) and Rick started his day with a dreaded 10. Average score on the opening hole was 6.2 strokes just slightly above bogey.
From that point forward most competitors settled in rather quickly. Average score for the front 9 overall was 50.2 strokes (2.5 strokes less than last year at Northumberland. This is a very respectable average score for our group. There were only two scores above 8 for the entire group on the front. Besides Ricks’ 10 on #1 Ian P. had a 10 on #4 – a par 4 which was rated the hardest handicap hole on the course. After 9 holes, Steve K was leading the tournament when he carded a 42! Right behind him with a 43 was Darren and only two strokes back were Darryl and Blake at 44. Only three back with a 45 was Greg S. Overall, 11 out of 20 had scores in the forties (might be a record for a WGC), 7 were in the 50’s and two (Rick and Jeff) in the 60’s. Twenty strokes separated first to last after 9 holes. Besides the two birdies on #1 previously mentioned, there was only one other birdie on the front with Balke getting a 3 on the Par 4 – fifth hole.
As the competitors made the turn to start the back 9 – they were faced with a tough tee shot into an elevated, sloped green on the Number 10 hole -par 3 – 158 yards away. It just so happened to be the closest to the hole competition. Of all 20 competitors – only 3 made Par (Jamie, Steve K and Ian L.). As a result of his Par and Darren’s bogey – Steve now held a 2-stroke lead with 8 holes to play. But the hole was owned by Kevin! He was the only guy to make Birdie after a spectacular tee shot left him with only 3–4-foot birdie putt which he calmly sank!
Looking at the rest of the back 9 it appears the Par 4 -14th hole caused the most troubles for the golfers. Average score on the hole was 6.3 (more than a double bogey)! That hole was a 427-yard hole up hill and over water on the tee-shot with woods on either side of the fairway. Adam had the high score of the back 9 on that hole with an 11 and his playing competitor Ken had a 10 on the same hole. Only three guys (Darryl, Darren and Drew – the 3 D’s) parred the hole!
Scanning the scorecards for the back 9 a few other things to highlight –it starts with Darryl’s amazing finish. He had seven 4’s and two 5’s for a 38. Two of the fours were birdies on the Par 5 12th and Par 5 17th. Consistent, proficient and steady are all adjectives I would use to describe it and I wasn’t in his group! Greg S. was only other golfer with a birdie on the back (besides Kevin and Darryl) with one on #12.
Average score on the back 9 was an even 50.0. Biggest improvements on the Back 9 were Darryl and Ian l. at minus 6, Jeff at minus 5, followed by Jamie and Rick at -4. Going in the opposite direction was Steve K at plus 12, followed by Adam at plus 7. 11 golfers went down on the back 9, 1 (Peter) remained the same and 8 went up!
I already mentioned Kevin’s closest to the hole so now we’ll discuss the long Drive. The hole the Stanhope Golf pro suggested was #17. A 499-yard par 5 – straight and relatively wide fairway. Jay was leading the way as the last group (both his brothers in that group) approached the tee box. Mark who went 2nd said to his group ‘I’m going to tee the ball down a little so I can potentially get a little more roll.’ He proceeded to hit a low drive that rolled on the dry ground conditions. It continued to roll and unfortunately for Jay stayed in the fairway and went by for the Long Drive by 5-7 yards. It was surprising none of the big hitters found the fairway and Mark was able to snatch the Long Drive title from his younger brother!
Most of the guys were waiting outside the temporary clubhouse for an hour or more until the final group showed up. After another refreshment the consensus was to get Seafood – particularly Lobster Rolls somewhere nearby. ‘Little Ritchies’ – a 6 min drive away was highly recommended. The majority went there and after a little struggle to find parking we all lined up for our meals with many other tourists. The food was delicious and just what the doctor ordered. After scoffing down the food and beer – everyone began to head back to the MemoTree Resort around 6:00pm.
While everyone was getting cleaned up and having additional refreshments – Peter compiled all the stats from the scorecards and completed the necessary work to announce the trophies and prizes. Everyone met back at the three-bedroom chalet for the presentations after 8:00pm.
The average score for all 20 golfers was 100.2 – A full 6.7 strokes less than the year before at Northumberland! He edged out Darren by 3 strokes buoyed by his 38 on the back 9. The only other player to break 90 was Greg S. who ended up 5 back from Darryl. Blake was a very respectable 90 for 4th overall. The leader after 10 holes – Steve K struggled the rest of the Back 9 to finish 14 back with a 96. His real undoing was a snowman 8 on the Par 3 13th – which he couldn’t recover from in the end.
On the Low Net side of the equation Kevin Buckler got a well-deserved victory with a 74. Edging second place Ian Lezama by three strokes. They were the only two golfers with Net scores in the 70’s. Eleven participants were in the 80’s, 5 in the 90’s and only two (Rick and Drew) in low triple digits. There were 38 strokes separating low gross scores and 33 strokes for Low Net.
On the putting front – Average putts overall were 33.5 almost 3 strokes better than the year before at Northumberland (not surprising given how hard and fast those greens were the previous year!) They ranged from a low of 28 (remarkable performance) for putting champ Darren Dunnett to a high of 42 putts for Blake. Darren had 7 one putts on the front 9 and only 11 in total!! Three competitors – Drew, Jamie and Blake did not break 40 putts. There was a total of two 4 putts – Kevin on the Par 3 sixth hole and Drew on the Par 3 13th hole. Blake’s 4th place 90 in the Low Gross is remarkable considering he had the most putts out of the entire field. He lost the Low Gross to Darryl by 8 strokes and he just happened to have 8 more putts than Darryl!
Front nine averaged 17.8 putts while the back nine averaged a little less at 17.3 putts or ½ a putt less per 9 holes. Lowest nine for putts was 11 by Darren followed by 15 by several golfers on the front and back (Martin, Stu, Adam, Greg S, Braum, Ken, and Jeff). Only 2 golfers had a hole with zero putts – Ian Lezama on the 2nd hole and Greg Sewell on the 15th hole.
On the team front Steve Kerr and Ian Lezama won the team event by two strokes over the NB pairing of Darren Dunnett and Stuart Macneil. In third place 7 strokes back were Mark Henderson and Kevin Buckler. Last place were Jeff Chisholm and Rick Deveau an astounding 45 strokes back!!
After announcing the results – everyone was able to get a prize from the donations made by all players. Many bottles of booze were available along with a number of great gifts. Unfortunately, one very nice putter cover was left unclaimed until its donor (Steve Kerr) decided to take it back with him to Denver. He seemed shocked none of the players wanted it. It may have had something to do with politics as it had an American Flag – and most of us – if not all of us are not fans of the Trump regime (understatement of the year)! This seemed to be cemented to Steve when the crowd booed the selection of the putter cover lol.
Then it was onto a bunch of banter about the rounds, tournament, courses, sports, etc. All in all, it seemed to quiet down a little earlier this year as most were back to their rooms by 1:00am. In typical fashion the next day most were packed and gone well before 10:00am.
Finally, a quick synopsis on all players round/weekend follows by order in Low Net:
Kevin Buckler: ‘Bucky’ A very good weekend He wins the Low Net by three strokes – 74 – after posting a career best T5th in the WGC Low Gross – with a score of 93 (beating his brother-in-law Peter by a single stroke.) Finished 4th in the Team event (7 strokes back) with partner Mark and won the closest to the pin. He shot a 100 in the practice round – including a birdie on #12 at Clyde River – so quite consistent overall. Did come 15th in putts with 37 overall – including 1 four putt, 3 three putts and 4 one putts.
Ian Lezama: ‘Lasagna’ had a very consistent weekend where he had one of his lowest scores in the Low Gross at 94. He was in the group with Mark H, Peter H and Steve K. Two strokes separated all 4 competitors with Ian tied for first in the group. His 77 Low Net was only 3 stokes back of Kevin. He had a 44 on the back 9 which was 4th best. He also tied for fourth fewest putts with 33. He only had 3 three putts, along with 4 one putts and a zero putt on the second hole. A 9-stroke improvement from his practice round at Clyde River where he went out in 49 but came back in with a 54 for a 103. Won the team event with Steve Kerr (his playing partner) by two strokes over team NB (Stu and Darren).
Darryl Maunder: ‘Big D’ won Low gross for 2nd time in last four years. Both wins came in PEI and from scores in the low 80’s as he won in Glasgow Hills with an 83 in 2022 and then this year with an 82 at Stanhope. This great score allowed him to also finish 3rd in Low net with an 80 (six strokes back). He finished T4th in the team event with partner Jamie and T8th in putts with 34. His 38 on the back 9 is close to the lowest nine holes in WGC history – 7 4’s and 2 – fives on the Back 9. He had a stretch of 6 holes – 12 to 17 where he had 2 birdies and 4 straight pars. 9 pars overall – worst score was a double bogey 7 on the par 5 9th. Putting he had only two 3 putts back-to-back on #10 and 11. 4-one putts. In the practice round he had a similar game – went out in 47 with an Eagle on the par 4 – 3rd hole and came in in a 42 with four pars on the back!
Stu MacNeil: ‘Stuie’ had one of his better Classics. Seeded 20th he finished four positions better in 16th place in the Low Gross with a respectable 112. There were signs he may have a good weekend with his back 9 in the practice round as he came in with a 48 to go with his 57 on the front and a final score of 105 at Clyde River. At Stanhope, Stu didn’t have any Pars but he was consistent – going out in 54 and coming in with a 58. He had 6 – sevens, and 2 – eights but nothing higher. He was paired with his buddy Darren in the team event and the NB duo came 2nd overall only 2 strokes back of the title! I did notice a small error in his putt totals as it was recorded as 33 strokes but was a 35. No harm–no foul although it may have gotten him to the prize table six or seven spots earlier at the end. I’m not suggesting this was Stu’s fault as I don’t know who was responsible for the math and records. 4-three putts all on the front 9, 5 one putts – respectable 15 putts on entire back 9!
Darren Dunnett: ‘Who did it – Darren done it’ Double D or as I call him Mr. Consistency had another good Classic. Out in 43 and in with a 42 – he had a great score of 85. In a normal year he would’ve won Low Gross. His bogey on the Par 5 – 12th hole was the turning point as he was tied with Darryl going into that hole and Darryl had a birdie to take a 2-stroke lead which he stretched to the final 3 stokes by also getting birdie on the Par 5 17th while Darren had Par. Darren had nothing worse than a 6 on any hole (three of them). He had 7 pars overall which enabled him to also finish T4th in Low Net with his partner Stu and they were the 2nd place team – only two strokes back of Steve K and Ian L. He had a very good day putting – winning the fewest putts title as he only needed 28 putts on his round including an amazing 11 on the Front 9 with 7-one putts and 0–three putts!!! He did have one three putt on the Par 3 10th hole but also two-one putts on the back 9. In the practice round he struggled to get pars with only two – one on each nine but he added a birdie on the Par 5 9th hole for a score of 47/45 for 92.
Jay Henderson: ‘Bird’ had an excellent weekend at the 42nd Classic. He had the low score in his group with Martin and Braum at Clyde River in the practice round. Speaking of consistent he went out in 49 and came in with a 49 for a 98 which included three Pars all on the Back 9. His score was higher by 7 strokes at Stanhope but went out in 51 and came in with a 52. He didn’t have any Pars at Stanhope but he had 3 fours, 3 sevens and only one bad hole where he had a 9 on the 16th hole – a Par 4 over the water – a bogey on that hole would’ve meant he broke 100. Following that disastrous hole he hit a good drive on the Long drive hole only to be bested by his brother Mark in the final group. He and partner Blake ended up 3rd in the Team event – a mere six strokes back of the winners. His putting was so-so as he finished with 38 putts – including 6 three putts (4 of them on the back in six holes) but he also had 4 one putts – two on each nine. Overall, a good tourney minus one hole.
Peter Henderson: ‘Hollywood’ was feeling good about his game coming in as he played more golf than most years. He too was very consistent as he had 94 both in the practice round at CR and the WGC at Stanhope. At Clyde River he went out in 49 after a snowman on #1 and came in with a 45 including a birdie on the par 5 18th which allowed him to edge out childhood friends Steve K, Jamie and Drew. At the main event Saturday – he continued his strong starts at the Classic with a birdie on #1 and Par on #2. He went out in 47 and came in with a 47 for a 94. 4 pars overall were not good enough and his triple birdie on the 18 hole was very deflating. He did finish 7th in Low Gross and Low Net. His team finished 6th in the team event – 9 strokes back of the winners. On the putting front he had 3 – three-putts and 4 one-putts with 11 two putts for 35 and a Tie for 11th. Overall – respectable but the four over on the final two holes left a bad taste in his mouth.
Steve Kerr – ‘Captain America’ One of the original core group – back from Denver had a good weekend which could’ve been great with a better back 9 on Saturday. Steve went out with the best front 9 score at 42. He looked under control after a Par on #10 but then things unraveled a bit punctuated by his worst score of the weekend with a snowman on the Par 3 13th hole to come in with a 54 (average of double bogey per hole) on the back 9. He had 4 pars (3 on the front), 1 birdie (first hole). He had 5-fives overall, 5-sixes, 2-threes, 2-fours, 2-sevens and the 1-disastrous eight. He did manage to win the Team event. He finished 10th in Low gross, 8th in Low Net and T16th in Putts with 38. This included 19 putts going out and 19 putts coming in. Steve had a remarkable 14 two putts! As well as 3-three putts and 1-one putt (the first hole).
Blake Miller – ‘Millah-time’ – 4th lowest Gross score led to a T9th in low net. He had an amazing front 9 in the practice round at Clyde River. – going out in 43 playing with Bucky, Darryl and Rick. And that was with two 7’s on the par 5 7th and 9thholes. He did Par two of the Par 3’s and birdied the short Par 4 number 3. I think perhaps he got a little messed up as his back 9 ballooned to a 57 – finishing with 3 7’s in a row followed by an 8 on Par 3 17th, and another 8 on the Par 5 18th – leaving him with a 100 overall. He did mention he peed himself when we gathered at the deck for a cold one after the round. On Saturday he fared better despite having the 2nd most putts of anyone with 42 – 21/21. This included 4 -three putts on the front 9 along with 1-one putt on the second hole. The back was 3-three putts and the rest two putts. Playing with Stu, Rick and Martin – Blake went out in 44 (T3rd best). His front 9 included 2 Pars and 1 birdie on the Par 4 5th hole. On the back he had 6 – fives, 2 sixes and 1 – four for a 46 and a score overall of 90. He and partner Jay came in 3rd place of the Team event – six strokes back of the winners.
Greg Sewell – ‘Stoolie’ – Greg was another consistent golfer as he finished with an 89 at Clyde River – tied with Darren for low score. His two nines were 45/44 – including 5 pars. He had 1 seven on the front (1st hole par 5) and 1 on the back #11 a par 4. His consistency carried over to Stanhope as he shot 87 – third lowest Gross score – only 5 back of the winner. This meant he ended up T9 in Low Net – 12 strokes back of the winner. Greg went out in 45 – (4th best), despite starting out slow (he was 8 over after the first four holes), but he finished the front with 4 straight Pars. His strong play carried over to the back as he came in with a 42 – 2nd lowest of all competitors. He had 2 more pars on the back (#15 and 18) and had a birdie on the short Par 5 12th hole. He was the only golfer to break 100 in his foursome of Ken, Adam, and Braum). From a putting perspective he finished 2nd overall to Darren – just 2 putts back. He went out in 15 putts – only 1 three putt (#4) and 4 – one putts (#2,3,5 7) and 4 – two putts. On the back – again it was 15 putts with zero 3 putts, 7 two putts and 1 zero putt on the Par 4 #15! Greg and his partner Ian P. finished in 7th place 12 strokes behind the winners.
Martin Gavin – ‘World champ’ – Rookie Martin was invited this year to give us an even number. His neighbour Braum invited him and by all accounts he enjoyed himself in his inaugural Classic. He lives in Rockingham and knows many of the same guys as most of us especially the ‘Birdland boys’– notably Paul Fleming who skipped his Senior Nova Scotian team to Gold medal in the Worlds. To Steve Kerr’s chagrin – they had defeated the Americans in the final on the final shot of the game! Martin played the practice round with Braum and Jay. His handicap had him projected to score about a 92 but during the practice round he went out in a 48 (with 5 – sixes including the first three holes which may have been nerves). He did have one Par on the Par 5 7th hole. His back 9 wasn’t as good as he came in in 54 for a total of 102 – 10 above his handicap. This included one more par on the Par 4 13th hole. His confidence may have been waning a little heading into Saturday’s main event. His playing partners were Blake, Rick and Stu. He went out in 48 (2nd best in his foursome). He did that without any Pars on the Front 9 but had nothing worse than a six. However, he had five of them and ended the Front with three sixes in a row. He caught fire a little on the back with a 45 (lowest score in his group). He had two Pars – both on Par 5’s – #12 and #17. He avoided any terrible holes with 5 bogeys and two doubles (#14 & #16). This allowed him to be very close to his handicap and he finshed tied for 11th in Low Net – 14 strokes behind the winner. On the team front. – he and Peter finished 6th – 9 strokes back. A quick note on his putting – out in 17 and back in with 15 putts for a total of 32 – good enough for 3rd fewest! He had 2 – three puts both on the front (#3 and #8). He also had 3 one putts on the front and three all in a row (#11,12 and 13) on the back to go along with 6 two-putts.
Adam Mulrooney – ‘Don’t call me Brian’ Adam would hate me to point this out – but remarkable he was even able to play this year. In the Spring he went into the hospital expecting to get a stent or two put in to help his heart. When he arrived, he was told they would be doing open heart double bypass surgery with a 2–3 month recovery. As a result, it goes without saying that Adam had not practiced all year and his stamina may be an issue – especially playing two rounds of 18 holes back-to-back. Quite sure his surgeon was unaware of his plans. I don’t have everyone’s practice scorecards so can’t really comment on his round Friday. On Saturday he was out in a group with Braum, Ken and Sewell. He went out in a respectable 48 which is below his handicap. This included back-to-back Pars on the 5th and 6th holes (Par 4 and 3). He also had 5 sixes and one 7 which was on the Par 5 1st hole. On the Back 9 he was performing similarly until he hit the toughest hole (by handicap) #14. Unfortunately for Adam he had an 11 on this hole. This seemed to deflate him as he followed that up with a snowman on #17. He had his one par on the back at the final hole. He did manage to get in in 55 so his overall score was a respectable 103 – good for a tie for 12th in low gross and a T11th in Low Net. Adam did go out in 15 putts which was tied for second best! He had 4 one putts on the Front, along with just 1 three putts. The back 9 wasn’t quite as stellar as he did have 3-three putts including holes #16 and #17. He managed one putts on the difficult Par 3 #10 and the Par 5#12. He came in 19 putts for a total of 34 good enough for a Tie of 7th. Adam and his partner Braum came in 8th place in the team event 21 strokes back of the winners.
Ian Paton – ‘Web-site guru’ Ian is another player I don’t have the scorecard for during the practice round at Clyde River – there were four players in total that I didn’t get (perhaps all from the same one group). Ian came into the Tourney with a handicap indicating a target score of 58 per nine holes. He played the main event in the foursome with Darren, Drew and Jeff Chisholm. As the youngest in the group at the age of 58 – Ian proceeded to go out in 59 just one off his handicap. He had 3 fives, two sixes, two sevens, one eight (#9) and a 10 on one of the hardest holes (based on all the Wedgy scores) on the front the Par 4 #4. On the back 9, he was able improve his nine holes by two shots coming in at 57 – essentially hitting his handicap. He started the back 9 with his lowest score of the day – a four. He did have two snowmen (#14 – Adam’s favourite hole and #18). He also had 3 – 7’s (#11, 12 and 15). He was one of only four golfers to Par or better the long drive hole #17. Ian finished 19th in Low Gross and T11th in Low Net with an 88 (14 back of the winner). Ian and his partner Sewell finished in 7th place of the team event – 12 strokes behind the winners. Ian finished middle of the pack with his Putting and was able to get around averaging less than 2 putts per hole with 35 overall – 17 on the front and 18 on the back. This included 5 one putts! He had 4-three putts with three of them coming on the back 9 (#14,15 and 18). Half his holes were two putts.
Jamie Acker – ‘Lone Wolf’ Jamie went out Friday with fellow ‘original Wedgies’ – Drew, Steve and Peter. He got off to a rough start on his front 9 at Clyde River as he didn’t get any Pars on the front. He did have three 5’s in a row (#3,4 and 5). He also had 3-sixes, 2-sevens and finished the front with a 9 on the Par 5 nineth hole. This resulted in a 56 – good enough for a tie with Drew and seven back of his other playing partners. His back nine was considerably better as he shaved 8 strokes off for a 48. He only had one Par on the Par 3 #17. He also had four sixes in a row from #13-16. At 104 he was close to his handicap overall. On Saturday, Jamie’s round mirrored his practice game. He was in foursome with Darryl, Jay, and Kevin. He once again had a little slow start. He managed to bogey the first hole but followed that with a triple on #2. Overall, he had two snowmen (par 4 4th and Par 5 9th). Other than those holes he had 3-sixes, 2-fives and 1-four (par 3 #3). This meant Jamie went out in 55 (one better than his front in the practice round). He did manage to jump-start his Back with a Par on the difficult Par 3 #10. He was one of only 4 players to par or birdie the hole. He then had two 7’s on #11/12 before another 3 and par on #13. Jamie was one of only two golfers (Ian Lezama the other) to Par both Par3’s on the Back 9. The rest of the way he had 2-fives, 1-seven, 1 six and 2-fives. He was able to come in in a 51 for a grand total of 106. Janie ended up T14th in both Gross and Net. He and Partner Darryl came in 5TH in the team event a mere 8 strokes back of thre winners. His putting was little problematic as he was 18th overall and one of only three golfers with 40 or more putts. He had 12-two putts (7 on the back), 1 – one putt on #11, and 5 three putts (4 on the front)! He went 22/18 = 40.
Ken Gardiner ‘Kenny G’ He’d be the first to admit he has been struggling with his game ever since winning the Low Gross/Low Net/Team/Putts trophies in Mill River six years earlier. Busy work and personal life have meant a lot fewer golf games but to his credit he has stuck with it. His practice round Friday was telling as his front 9 started and ended with a 9 on both Par 5’s. In between he had Par on two of the Par 3’s (#6 and 8). As well he had two 5’s and 6’s along with a 7 on the second hole. He came in with a 53 – well done with tow 9’s! His Back 9 started positively with a bogey on #10 before things went entirely off rails. Over the final 8 holes he had two snowmen (#11 and #15) one 9 on #16, 3 sevens (#13, #14 and #18) along with a double and triple on the two Par 3’s (#12 and #17). This was for a 61 on the back and 114 overall. On Saturday, Ken was out with Braum, Adam and Sewell. He was a lot more consistent Saturday compressing his difference for the 9 holes down to two strokes. He went out in 54 (double-bogey golf) and he had three of them on the front (#5, #8, #9). He didn’t have any Pars on the Front but did have two bogeys. Both of his snowmen came on Par 4’s (#2 and #4). He did get a lone Par on the Back 9 (Par 3 #13). His back had 3 more 7’s on the back (#11, #17 and #18) to go along with 3-sixes (#12, #15, #16). Ken struggled with the same hole his playing partner Adam did – the Par 4 14th hole as he put up a 10 on the hole Adam had the 11. Even so – Ken was able to persevere and come in with a 52 to finish overall at 106. Obviously, a score he wasn’t happy about but respectable considering he had 26 on three holes alone. Ken was quite proficient with the flat-stick as he finished with a tie for fourth in fewest putts at 33 overall – 18 out and 15 in. 15 in was tied for the fewest on the Back 9. This included 6 one putts (2nd most), 9 – two putts, and only 3 – three putts (#1, #6 and #18). Ken and his partner Drew came 9th in the team event a whopping 31 strokes back of the winners.
Braum Fader – ‘Drew Carey’ – Braum a perennial top 10 candidate had his confidence shaken a little with the Round at Clyde River. That’s because he expected to be in 90’s at worst and ended up at 107 after going out in 54 and coming in with 53. He was last in his threesome with Martin and Jay. He had one Par on the second hole but the rest of his Front 9 was rough with 6 double bogeys and a 9 on the shortest, easiest Par 4 – #3! He did have a two more Pars on the Back 9 – #13 and #14 (both Par 4’s). He also had two 7’s – one a triple and one a double. Overall, he just couldn’t get anything rolling and left Friday’s Round a little pissed off! Saturday Braum was out with Adam, Sewell and Ken hoping for better. He didn’t get any Par’s on his Front 9 but he did avoid big scores. This allowed him to go out in 49 – a good score without any Pars. Braum had a 4 on the par 3 #6, four scores of 5 on (#2, #3, #7 and #8). He had 3 6’s two on Par 5’s (#1, #4 and #9). His lone 7 was on the Par 4 5th hole. The Back 9 was quite similar – he started a little better as he was only 2 over the first three holes as his only Par on the back came on the Par 5 #12. His worst holes on the Back were the Par 3 13th hole which he had a 7 on and he had his only snowman on the Par 5 17th. He came in with a 51 for an even 100 overall. Good enough for 11th in Low Gross but Tied for 16th in Net. He and his partner Adam finished 8th in the team event and they were 21 strokes back of the winners. Braum’s putting was steady and not the reason for his score. He only had 33 putts overall (18/15) good for T4th in putting overall. His front included 5-two putts (4 on the first four holes),2-three putts on #5 and #6. He finished the front strong with 2-one putts on #7 and #9. His Back 9 was even better as he avoided three putts completely – having 6 two putts, and 3 one putts on #12, #14 and #16.
Mark Henderson – ‘Hendu’ These days it is impossible to know which Mark will show up at the Classic. Newly retired one would expect his game to get even stronger. He has won countless Low Gross Wedgies over the years and sometimes when you expect him to not do well – he goes out and shoots an 80. But he has been battling some ailments – including arthritis in his hands which makes golf even more difficult. His practice round was with Ken and some others whose cards I don’t have. At any rate – Mark hoped his previous times playing Clyde River with his brother (when Peter used to live on the Island from 1997-1999) would allow him to score well. But like his brother he didn’t remember a lot of the course. He started with a 9 on the very first hole! He did manage one of his two pars on the second hole (the other was on the Par 5 – #7). He had three doubles (#3, #4 and #8). He tripled #5 and #9 – Par 4 and Par 5. His only bogey came on the Par 3 #6. Mark matched Ken’s 53 on the front and was anxious to turn his game around on the Back. His only bogey on the Back came at the Par 3 #10. However, he followed that up with a snowman on the Par 4 11th hole. He managed 3 pars on the Back (#12, #14 and #16). He doubled another three holes (#13, #15 and #17). Unfortunately, he finished the practice round with a 9 on the final hole. This left him with a 50 for a total of 103. Mark wasn’t sure what would happen Saturday but he was in a familiar grouping with his brother Peter, fellow Grosvenor Rd alumni Steve K and finally Peter’s former roommate Ian L. Mark went out with the 2nd best score on the front in his group with a 46. This included 5-fives (two of them Pars – #1 and #8) 2 -fours (both bogeys), a six – double bogey on #4, and one triple bogey 7 on #7. His Back 9 had only one par – a 4 on #16. He had 4 bogeys (#10, #12, #13 and #15), three Doubles (#14, #17 -despite the longest drive, and #18). His lone triple was on the Par 4 11th hole. By coming in with a 49 – Mark ended up 95 overall good enough for 9th in Low Gross, T16th in Low Net, and 4th in the Team event with Kevin Buckler – 7 strokes back of the winners. On the putting side Mark was very steady. His 34 putts were good for a T7th. On the front he one putted the first two holes before 3 putting the next two. He then went five straight holes with 2 putts for 18 on the front. His back was even better – he had his only three putts on the Par 3 #10, but followed that with five-two putts, and three one putts (#13, #15 and #16) over the final 8 holes. He was happy to win the Long Drive but left wanting more after his round.
Jeff Chisholm – ‘Hank’ Great to welcome Jeff back to the WGC. As an original Wedgie he hasn’t been back since the 34th back in 2017 at St. Ignace in Northern NB. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it to the practice round on Friday due to other commitments. He did drive to the Island and meet up with everyone on Friday night. His partner randomly drawn turned out to be Rick and his playing partners were Darren, Ian P. and Drew. Jeff admitted the night before he hadn’t been playing much golf so his expectations were tempered. Because he has only played ina couple of Tournaments it is hard to get a good handicap to be a fair as possible for someone who is not playing a lot. Regardless, we try to be as fair as possible and had Jeff in at a 105 or roughly 53 per nine holes. Jeff started out with back-to-back snow men. He then rattled off three of four 7’s on the next holes. His best hole on the front was the Par 3 sixth hole. He had the lowest score of 4 in his group. That was followed by another 7 and then two sixes for a front 9 score of 60. Determined to improve on the Back 9 he did get off to a better start. He was only 5 over after the first four holes on the Back which included a couple of sixes, a bogey five and a Par on the Par 3 – #13 (one of only six on that hole from 20 competitors). Unfortunately, that was followed by two snowmen, two sevens and a six on the final 5 holes. This led him to a 5-stroke improvement from his front for a 55. Overall, he was 115 which was good for 18th place in low gross and low net. In the team event he and partner Rick finished 10th – 14 strokes behind 9th. Putting was much better for Jeff as he averaged less than 2 putts per hole with just 35 overall – good enough for a Tie in 10th place. Jeff improved his Back 9 by 5 strokes overall and it was 5 strokes in his putting as he went out in 20 putts and came back in with 15 putts. Overall, Jeff had 6 – three putts (3 on each 9), 5 -two putts – all on the front, and remarkably he had 7 – one putts with an astounding six on the back nine! In fact, he had no two putts on the back just 1 and 3 putts! He had a stretch in which he had four one putts in a row from #11-#14!
Rick Deveau – ‘Bell Biv’ Rick is another mainstay who admitted to not golfing much the past year. A difficult year with the passing of his father and being focused on getting his mom into ‘Assisted Living’ which made golf a low priority for him in 2025. He played the practice round at Clyde River on the Friday. He was in a group with Kevin, Blake and Darryl. His front 9 was marked with one snowman on the shortest Par 4 #3. He also had 4-sevens on holes #1, #5, #7 and #8. He also had two sixes (#6 and #9) and two fives (#2 and 4). This all led to a front 9 score of 58 for Rick. He knew he could probably do better but golf is frustrating when you don’t play much. Undeterred, Rick started the back nine with a 4,6,4,6 on the first four holes. However, he then had another snowman this time on #16, 3-sevens (#14, #15, and #18). This surrounded a 5 on the Par 3 17th hole. In the end, he improved his ‘Nines’ by a full six strokes giving him hope for Saturday. Rick’s foursome for Saturday was Stu, Martin and Blake (for the 2nd day in a row). His hopes got shattered early in the Round as he started the first hole off with a 10 and followed that with a snowman on the Par 4 2nd hole. Nine over after two holes is hard to come back from for anyone. He had two more snowmen on the front at #4 and #9 a Par 4 and Par 5. He managed a 5 and 4 on the two par 3’s but had two doubles on #7 and #8 as well as a triple on the Par 4 #5. It all added up to a 62 the highest score of any 9 holes in the tournament. Rick is a fighter and he ‘stayed the course’. He started the back with three sixes in four holes (#10, #11 and #13) and had one more of them on the final hole. He also had 3-sevens (two on the Par 5 #12 and #17) the other being the Par 4 15th. Finally, he had a 5 on the Par 4 #16th hole over the water. Overall, he improved his Nines by 4 strokes to come in with 58 strokes. The result was 120 strokes, a 20th finish in Low Gross and 19th in Low Net. As well, Rick and Jeff finished 10th in the team event. Rick’s putting was respectable all day as he was tied for 10th – averaging less than 2 putts per hole with 35 overall! He may have been the most consistent putter. Remarkably he didn’t have one hole with 3 putts! He had 16 hole 2 putts!!! His two one putts both came on Par 5’s – #5 and #17 – overall it may have been the best putting of the day – despite taking six more putts than putting winner Darren.
Drew Rendall – ‘world’s most interesting man’ – Welcomed Drew back into our lives after 48-50 years J An original Wedgie – Drew grew up on Edward Laurie Drive near the top of the hill. He moved away in Grade 5-6 we believe and we all lost touch. Thanks to social media – Jamie was able to reconnect with Drew who was now living and working in Alberta after a lengthy stint in Africa. Jamie told Drew about this tournament and some of the guys who play in it. Drew decided he wanted to partake and reconnect with the old neighbourhood kids. We were thrilled to have Drew join us for the first time! He admitted he had golfed before but didn’t play a lot anymore. This always make a handicap difficult as we just don’t have any history with Drew’s game. We guessed at his handicap. Drew got to play with Jamie, Peter and Steve K in the practice round which was a nice way for him to get reacquainted. Drew went out in 56 (tied with Jamie). He had flashes of greatness – a Par 3 on the 6th hole and two bogey fours on the other Par 3’s (#4 and #8). However, he also had two 9’s and a snowman on the three Par 5’s. Drew was consistent as he came back in with the same 56 – for a final score of 112. His back was very similar as he bogeyed the three par 3 holes (#10, #12 and #17) but he had two snowmen on the Par 5’s (#16 and #18). He had three doubles in a row on the Par 4s’ #13, #14, #15 and unfortunately a 9 on the Par 4 #11. He kept his pleasant demeanor throughout and rolled with the punches. It was obvious to me that Drew could play but he was just a little rusty and unfamiliar with the courses. Drew continued to acclimate himself to others throughout the night and safe to say – he fit right in just like he had been playing with us since the start! Drew was paired with Jeff, Darren and Ian P. on Saturday. He did Par the difficult Par 5 #9 and was one of few with that feat. He also scored 5 on the fifth and sixth holes. His low score was a 4 on the par 3 third hole. Drew also had two 7’s (the Par 4 #2 and #8) and two snowmen on the Par 4 #4 and #7. It all added up to the 2nd best front 9 in his group with a 55. On the back Drew had his only 5 on #10. He was one of few to Par the toughest hole on the course #14. He had his two sixes (double bogeys) on #16 and #18. He also double bogeyed the two Par 5’s on the back -#12 and #17. His only snowman on the back was the Par 4 #11. However, his worst hole was the shortest Par 3 on the back at 146 yards. Somehow Drew took a 9 on #13 – but I bet he did it with a smile on his face. Overall, he came in with the highest Back 9 in his group at 59. So overall in his first WGC Drew finished 17th in Low Gross, 20th in Net (handicap fault), and 9th in the team event with partner Ken. As for putting, this may have been his ‘Achilles heel’. Drew finished tied for 18th in putting with Jamie and one of only three to have 40 or more putts. His 17 putts on the Front 9 were very good! It included 3-one putts, 4-two putts and 2-three putts on #4 and #6. Things took a turn for the worse on the Back 9 as he finished with the worst 9 for putts on anyone all day. It included – 4 three putts (#10, #12, #15 and #17), the only 4 putts on the Par 3 14th! He did have 3 two putts on holes #11, #14 and #18. His only 1 putt was on the Par 4 16th hole. It all added up to 23 putts and an overall total of 40!
Next year we will be in NB for the 43rd WGC and will be held on Saturday, July 18th, 2026. Courses and accommodations to be announced in April – but likely going to be a return to the Fredericton area and hoping to make it to Mactaquac for the first time since 1991! Hopefully we’ll see everyone again next year – 20 golfers was a great number for the 2nd year in a row.
Peter G. Henderson
WGC Chairperson
Low Gross
| Position | Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Darryl Maunder | 82 |
| 2nd | Darren Dunnett | 85 |
| 3rd | Greg Sewell | 87 |
| 4th | Blake Miller | 90 |
| T 5th | Kevin Bucker | 93 |
| T 5th | Martin Gavin | 93 |
| T 7th | Ian Lezama | 94 |
| T 7th | Peter Henderson | 94 |
| 9th | Mark Henderson | 95 |
| 10th | Steve Kerr | 96 |
| 11th | Braum Fader | 100 |
| 12th | Adam Mulrooney | 103 |
| 13th | Jay Henderson | 105 |
| T 14th | Jamie Acker | 106 |
| T 14th | Ken Gardiner | 106 |
| 16th | Stu MacNeil | 112 |
| 17th | Drew Rendall | 114 |
| 18th | Jeff Chisholm | 115 |
| 19th | Ian Paton | 116 |
| 20th | Rick Deveau | 120 |
Low Net
| Position | Name | Score (Adj.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kevin Buckler | 74 |
| 2nd | Ian Lezama | 77 |
| 3rd | Darryl Maunder | 80 |
| T 4th | Stu MacNeil | 82 |
| T 4th | Darren Dunnett | 82 |
| T 6th | Jay Henderson | 84 |
| T 6th | Peter Henderson | 84 |
| 8th | Steve Kerr | 85 |
| T 9th | Blake Miller | 86 |
| T 9th | Greg Sewell | 86 |
| T 11th | Martin Gavin | 88 |
| T 11th | Adam Mulrooney | 88 |
| T 11th | Ian Paton | 88 |
| 14th | Jamie Acker | 90 |
| 15th | Kenny Gardiner | 92 |
| T 16th | Braum Fader | 95 |
| T 16th | Mark Henderson | 95 |
| 18th | Jeff Chisholm | 97 |
| 19th | Rick Deveau | 100 |
| 20th | Drew Rendall | 107 |
Low Putts
| Position | Name | Putts |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Darren Dunnett | 28 |
| 2nd | Greg Sewell | 30 |
| 3rd | Martin Gavin | 32 |
| T 4th | Stu MacNeil | 33 |
| T 4th | Braum Fader | 33 |
| T 4th | Ken Gardiner | 33 |
| T 4th | Ian Lezama | 33 |
| T 8th | Mark Henderson | 34 |
| T 8th | Adam Mulrooney | 34 |
| T 8th | Darryl Maunder | 34 |
| T 11th | Rick Deveau | 35 |
| T 11th | Jeff Chisholm | 35 |
| T 11th | Ian Paton | 35 |
| T 11th | Peter Henderson | 35 |
| 15th | Kevin Buckler | 37 |
| T 16th | Jay Henderson | 38 |
| T 16th | Steve Kerr | 38 |
| 18th | Jamie Acker | 40 |
| 19th | Blake Miller | 42 |
| 20th | Drew Rendall | 46 |
Team
| Position | Team | Score | Score Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steve Kerr / Ian Lezama | 190 | 178 |
| 2nd | Darren Dunnett / Stu MacNeil | 197 | 180 |
| 3rd | Mark Henderson / Kevin Buckler | 188 | 185 |
| T 4th | Blake Miller / Jay Henderson | 195 | 186 |
| T 4th | Darryl Maunder / Jamie Acker | 188 | 186 |
| 6th | Peter Henderson / Martin Gavin | 187 | 187 |
| 7th | Greg Sewell / Ian Paton | 203 | 190 |
| 8th | Braum Fader / Adam Mulrooney | 203 | 199 |
| 9th | Ken Gardiner / Drew Rendall | 220 | 209 |
| 10th | Jeff Chisholm / Rick Deveau | 235 | 223 |
Longest Drive & Closest to Pin
| HOLE | GOLFER | DISTANCE |
|---|---|---|
| Longest Drive (#17) | Mark Henderson | 235 Yards? |
| Closest to the Pin (#10) | Kevin Buckler | 4-5' ? |