Though most Yukoners are swinging snow shovels more often than golf clubs these days, three Whitehorse golfers were getting results at the Navigator ProAm in Scottsdale, Arizona, last week and over the weekend.
Mountain View club pro Jeff Wiggins and club members Terry DeForrest and Dan Jordan finished second among 25 other teams from throughout western Canada.
“I was so proud of my amateurs, they played their hearts out again and I really enjoyed my time with them,” said Wiggins in an email to the News. “They were all great ambassadors and I look forward to seeing them when I get home.”
“It feels awesome,” said Jordan. “There are some pretty good golfers down there, as you can imagine, and I think they think we can’t golf like we can.”
With Jordan’s brother Greg Jordan from Wynyard, Saskatchewan, making up the foursome, the team had finished in third in the pro-am the two previous seasons. The six-round competition, held between three top-notch courses, operates in the stableford points system, which awards points for bogies, pars, birdies, etc.
“We had some good rounds where we shot under our handicaps,” said Dan Jordan. “Everyone on our team had at least one round like that. That’s probably what made the difference.”
Wiggins also had some success on the pro side of the tournament, which operates in a regular stroke-play format. The Mountain View pro finished third overall, one stroke behind two players who tied for first and went into a playoff.
“He’s playing incredible; absolutely beautiful golf,” said Dan Jordan. “I think there was only one day that we were down there that he shot over par, the rest he was even or under.”
Wiggins is currently teeing up with 108 of Canada’s top club-pros at the 2011 Canadian Club Professional Championships in Port St.Lucie, Florida.
After hitting a 72 on Monday, Wiggins was tied for 24th, but was just three strokes out of fourth and seven strokes behind the leaders.
“I feel I could have been a few shots lower, but it’s golf and you just have to take what you get at the end of the round,” said Wiggins Monday afternoon.
“Representing the Yukon has certainly stirred up some more chat down here with many guys coming up to me and asking what it is like to live and work so far north. It really seems to get people interested in visiting our region and many pros are requesting to have invites for the 2012 Skookum Asphalt Charity Pro Am (at Mountain View).”
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com