The smoke from fires away finally arrived on the Sunshine Coast to greet the players involved for the 2021 Sea Cavalcade tournament held at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club in Roberts Creek on the B.C. Day long weekend. The fiery was on the course.
The tournament brought its regular complement of members and locals, 90 in total, as well as the visitors lucky enough to make the ferry, and they were treated to a show. A record score in the women’s division and a three-man playoff capped off the men’s tournament Sunday afternoon.
Nonie Marler, who shot a competitive course record 69 Saturday, grabbed low gross score in the women’s division with a stunning 25-shot win, and will take that confidence to the Canadian Women’s Mid-Am at the end of the month. Marler, who knows the course, was coming off a good showing at the Can-Am Edmonton and said “a good attitude and patience helped to hit fairways all weekend.” Member Deb Sneddon won the low net score.
In the senior men’s second flight, Rick Mark had a great weekend, taking both low gross and net to get his name on the trophy. In the first flight, two stalwarts of the course, Greg Kocher and Bill Sneddon, tied after the first day with Sneddon edging Kocher by two strokes Sunday afternoon.
The men’s second flight saw Dean Peckinpaugh have a good first day to edge Virgel Ancheta and win by two strokes, with Marcelo Cabbigat capturing low net. With that settled, it was the thrill of the men’s first flight that had all captivated by days end.
Eric Kosiuk had a great first round, going around the track in a one under 73 to take the clubhouse lead into the second day, where his housemate and friend, Taylor Fancher, playing two groups ahead, was having a good showing, both having a chance to win it on the 18th hole but failing to make their pars. That opened the door for Chris Mancuso to have a strong finish and get into the playoff, with birdies on two of his last three holes.
On the first playoff, the par five 1st hole, all the players had to do a bit of scrambling but managed pars sending them to the toughest hole on the course, the par five 11th. With all of them striping it right down the middle, it was Fancher’s second shot to 20 feet for eagle, that would make the difference. He missed the putt, but the two-footer for birdie would seal his victory.
After the round Kosiuk said he was stoked with his finish but joked he may be looking for a new housemate. Fancher’s plan was to invest his winnings on new wedges, but he might want to wait in case he has to find another place to live.
