BY KEITH LACEY
It was one of those rounds every golfer only
dreams of.
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Timberwolf Golf Club pro Kurt
Kowaluk won the Titleist and Footjoy Championship
Sunday in Kapuskasing. He shot nine birdies and nine
pars to tie the course record. |
Trailing by six strokes in his first-ever
tournament as a member of the Northern Ontario Professional
Golf Association (NOPGA), Kurt Kowaluk turned in a magical
round last Sunday at the 2005 Titleist and Footjoy Championship
at the Kapuskasing Golf Club.
Kowaluk, who turned professional 11 months
ago, tied a course record by shooting a nine-under par 63 to
win the tournament with a two-round score of seven under 137,
to beat out John Hastie of Lively Golf Club by two
strokes.
"During the first round (where he shot two
over par 74), I was easily distracted by every bad shot I hit,"
said the talented 25-year-old teaching pro at Sudbury's
Timberwolf Golf Club. "Before the second day I told myself that
if I had any chance I would have to stay in the moment and only
worry about my next shot. (I would) forget any bad shot I'd hit
and not worry about any of the upcoming shots...
"I did that and ended up having the round of
my life."
Shooting nine birdies and nine pars and tying
the course record in a big tournament against the other top
pros across Northern Ontario is something he won't soon forget,
especially taking place on a course where he played plenty as a
child, said Kowaluk.
"Many members of my family are from
Kapuskasing. I had my grandmother out in a cart following me
around both days and that was a thrill because she'd only seen
me play two or three times in my life," he said.
A dedication to practising his short game
made all the difference. "I've been putting in the work on the
practice green and working tirelessly on my short game and it
all came together," he said.
He must missed two eagle putts on long par
fives and had tap-in birdies on those holes, but also drained
several putts outside of 15 feet. "The putter was red-hot," he
said.
Kowaluk is currently playing on the Great
Lakes tour in southern Ontario in preparation for another
attempt at gaining his Canadian professional tour playing card,
set for four gruelling days the third weekend of September at a
course outside Whitby.
Kowaluk recalled "my game was a mess" when he
attempted to land his Canadian tour card last fall, but this
big win and overall renewed confidence should make for a better
result this time around.
He plans on playing five or six more Great
Lake events before heading to the Canadian tour tryout
tournament in Whitby.
"I feel like I'm close to being where I need
to be," he said. "I feel a lot more comfortable with my overall
game and my mental approach is a lot better as I don't let the
bad shots rattle me where I completely lose my focus."
Still only age 25, Kowaluk believes he can
still attain his goal to play against the world's best
players.
"My goal is to play golf for a living and the
ultimate goal is to play against the world's best on the PGA
tour," he said. "I know I still have a long way to
go, but getting my Canadian tour card would
be a giant step in the right direction."
