The 2004 B.C. Senior Men's championship was claimed on Thursday afternoon at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club (SCGCC).
Bill McDonald from the Beach Grove Golf Course in Tsawassen fired a final round 73, good for a score of four over par 217 to win the title. Gudmund Lindbjerg from Pitt Meadows finished second only a stroke behind, followed by Ross Elison from Capilano, the defending champion, in third at 219 and Gary Puder from the Vancouver Golf Club in fourth spot.
Puder finished with a 222 score and captured fourth spot after playing a sudden death playoff with Brian Kennedy of Pitt Meadows.
The foursome will now make up Team B.C., which will represent the province at the Canadian Senior Men's Championships that will be contested starting Sept. 20 in Brantford, Ont.
In total, 107 golfers started play on Tuesday in Roberts Creek. After the second round a cut was made, and the top 70 golfers and ties advanced to the final round.
The championship is an amateur event for golfers aged 55 years and over. Two golfers from the SCGCC played in this year's event.
George Grafton fired a final round of 84 and finished with a 234 total, while Greg Kocher finished with a round of 80 and a 237 total.
Also as part of the championship, a separate super seniors' event was held, in which eight golfers took part, playing two rounds of golf. The winner was Gordon Spare of 100 Mile House, followed by James Walker from Bowen Island.
Craig Lennon, vice president of the B.C. Golf Association and acting site chair, said the event was fabulous.
"We had an absolutely top notch experience here on the Sunshine Coast," Lennon said. "Our local chair here at the course and his volunteer committee should be commended for all their hard work. From the staff in the pro shop to the kitchen staff and the food prep, we couldn't have asked for a better week."
Lennon said the golfers also enjoyed their time here, with many marvelling at the excellent conditions of the course.
"Many hadn't played the course before and they found it a challenge to read the greens," Lennon said. "I think the scores reflect how hard the course was. It was a challenge, but I think all the golfers had a wonderful experience."
SCGCC head pro Jim Pringle said he was equally pleased with the event.
"It's been an awesome summer for us," Pringle said. "It might be five years before we get a chance to host events of this calibre again. All our members have jumped on board and made everyone feel welcome. It's great for golf and great for the Coast. You can't buy the positive publicity that we're receiving because of these events."
