Unity’s Justin Wood (left), pictured here alongside Prince Albert’s Danny Klughart (middle), and Eston’s Jehremy Ryde (right), as the three represented Team Saskatchewan at the event. (submitted photo/Justin Wood)

By Martin Martinson

Hitting the Links

Unity Golfer represents Saskatchewan at Canadian Amateur Championship

Aug 9, 2019 | 8:00 AM

Over 260 of the top amateur golfers from across the country converged in Nova Scotia this week for the 115^th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship from Aug. 5 to 8.

Among them was Unity’s Justin Wood, who entered the tournament with a bang to become Team Saskatchewan’s lone representative – and one of only two golfers from the province – to make the playoff rounds.

Wood poses for a picture after sinking a putt, something the 24-year-old has done often both on golf courses across Saskatchewan and beyond the province. (submitted photo/Justin Wood)

Because of the vast number of golfers who took part, the participants were divided onto two separate courses through the opening two qualifying days. Wood’s highlight of the tournament took place in that opening leg, which saw him shoot 4-over 76 on day one, a total good for tenth among the 132 competing on The Links at Brunello that day.

Wood’s stellar showing earned him a spot in the top 70 through the opening two days, punching his ticket for a chance to compete in the playoff rounds..

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Wood went on to shoot 8-over-par 78, and 6-over-par 76 through rounds three and four to finish the tournament at 21-over-par.

“It went pretty well,” Wood said. “It is tough to make the cut out here [because] they are all good players, so if you are not playing well you’re not going to make it. I played relatively well the first day, and then just hung on the second day. These last two days I didn’t play my best, but [overall] I was happy I made the cut this year, which was really nice.”

Wood is a natural competitor who grew up a multisport athlete playing everything from hockey and volleyball, to badminton, soccer, and baseball. However, it was around age 12 to 14 the now 24-year-old really began to hone in on golf, a sport Wood said stood out as a special kind of challenge.

“I think I got into golf because it was frustrating to me,” he said with a laugh. “[With] most of the other sports, after a little while of playing I was athletic enough to be pretty good at it, but with golf it was just a struggle from the get-go [and] I liked that about it. I liked that you could compete against yourself, and didn’t need anyone else, and I think that’s what drew me to it.”

Wood attended post-secondary education at Lethbridge College with a golf scholarship before he transferred to the University of Montevallo in Alabama. There, he continued to stand out on the fairway for his school. He graduated last spring with a degree in marketing.

With this week’s tournament marking likely the final hurtle in his competitive golf play for the year, Wood said that doesn’t mean he won’t be back out on the links before the end of the season. He said he is looking forward to enjoying the game he loves with friends back in Unity on the course where it all began over a decade ago.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1