Media Release: OCAA
Ben Landers photo: Falcons Athletics

Moving day of the 2024 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Golf Championships packed a lot of excitement on Tuesday, with several student-athletes still in contention for the gold medal.

In the women’s competition, there is now a three-way tie for first place, all Humber Hawks. Round 1 leader Elaine Surjoprajogo (Brampton, Ont.) is joined by teammates Susan Chen (China) and Jordon Newlands (Toronto, Ont.), who have all but locked up a fifth consecutive women’s team title for the Hawks. Newlands made the biggest jump on Tuesday, beginning the day in third place.

Looking to spoil the party is Bryden Dilley (Barrie, Ont.) of the host Georgian Grizzlies. Dilley recorded the best score of the day with a 79 and is only one shot back of the leaders. Alyssa Cowling (Oldcastle, Ont.) of the St. Clair Saints had a tough middle round, but remains in striking distance only five strokes off the pace.

Humber’s Matt Morris (St. Catharines, Ont.) has been the most consistent golfer through two rounds, posting back-to-back 73s to move up one spot into first place, two strokes better than Chris Miller (Huntsville, Ont.) of Georgian. Spencer Higginbottom (Lakeshore, Ont.) of St. Clair began the round in first place but now sits in the bronze medal position, five shots back.

The men’s team competition is even tighter at the top with the Humber Hawks holding a one-stroke lead over the Fanshawe Falcons. The St. Clair Saints sit in third place, seven stokes behind Humber.

Sixty OCAA student-athletes are competing. The scheduled 54-hole tournament at the Barrie Country Club in Barrie, Ont., ends Wednesday, and is hosted by Georgian College.

Ten Ontario post-secondary institutions will be represented at the tournament, including Confederation College (Thunder Bay), Durham College (Oshawa), Fanshawe College (London), Georgian College (Barrie), Humber Polytechnic (Etobicoke), Loyalist College (Belleville), Niagara College (Welland), St. Clair College (Windsor), St. Lawrence College (Kingston) and Sault College (Sault Ste. Marie).

The tournament consists of three 18-hole rounds, weather permitting. The men’s and women’s player posting the lowest gross score through 54 holes will earn their respective individual championship.

Men’s teams consist of four or five golfers, with the top four individual scores of each round contributing to the total team score. Women’s teams consist of two or three golfers, with the top two individual scores of each round contributing to their total score. Schools with the lowest aggregate of gross scores after 54 holes win the respective team titles.

The Barrie Country Club is the oldest private golf club in the area. The traditional style golf course, with its rolling fairways and beautifully manicured greens, provides a first class golfing experience for golfers of all levels. The 72 par course has a yardage of 6,706 yards for the men’s championship, and 5,534 yards for the women.

The top OCAA golfers and teams will move on to compete at the 2024 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Golf National Championships presented by PING. The event takes place at the RedCrest Golf Club in King, Ont., from Oct. 15-18 and will be hosted by Humber Polytechnic.