Posted On: Wednesday, July 12, 2017
UXBRIDGE, ON - The PGA of Canada - Ontario Zone was at the spectacular Wyndance Golf Club this week for their flagship event - the TaylorMade Ontario Zone Championship. The continuation of the Chase for the Breenie Cup presented by Triple Bogey Brewing Co. and $30,000 was up for grabs as the best PGA Professionals in the zone all converged in Uxbridge, Ontario and tried their best to navigate the almost 7,000 yard, quarry-lined, Greg Norman designed golf course.
The TaylorMade Ontario Zone Championship was capped off with a fantastic finish yesterday when Thomas Keddy of OslerBrook Golf and Country Club near Collingwood (second from left in photo) caught fire on the back 9, recording six birdies and shooting 30.
He ended up carding a 67, which combined with his first-day 73 gave him a two-stroke victory over second place finishers Brian Hadley of Thames Valley GC, Ken Tarling of Ken Tarling Enterprises and Gordon Burns of Gord Burns Golf School.
To secure the victory, Keddy had to overcome a bit of trouble on the eighth and ninth holes, bogey and double bogey respectively. He gave himself a pep talk on the 10th tee and ignited what would lead to his best career nine holes in competitive play.
"It really started yesterday (Monday), I didn't play particularly well but I had a good group playing with Brian Hadley and Eddie Maunder. We missed some shots but we played well collectively. I came in today knowing I was only three back, and I just needed to play steady. I was playing steady until I had a pretty substantial stumble on eight and nine. I had another good group today though. Ken Tarling was going low, John (Cochrane) was playing well, and I was playing well, so I was able to refocus, rely on their strong play and keep moving forward. I said to myself, 'Those guys are making bogeys and bouncing back with birdies', so I got things back on track. I wasn't thinking about the win I just wanted to get back to a number where I was in striking distance."
Keddy made a couple of key putts from distance to maintain his roll but he also missed a few really good looks at eagle earlier in the round. What is important as Keddy says, was that he kept moving forward, and as the day progressed and the leaderboard continued to be a carousel of names swapping positions, Keddy was trending up and quietly scratching his way back.
"I remember looking back to the group behind us on seventeen, not knowing I had the lead," Keddy said after the round. "I don't normally want to know what's happening on the leaderboard but I pulled out my laser and tried to see what McCann and Walsh were at. I couldn't make their numbers out so I forgot about it and focused on finishing strong."
Maybe that was for the best because Keddy birdied the eighteenth hole paving his way to his first career win, a $5000 prize, and punching his ticket to the 2018 PGA Championship of Canada.
During the awards presentation Keddy got personal, opening up and dedicating the win to his late Grandfather who passed away earlier this year.
"Not a lot of people may know this but my family built a golf course back in New Brunswick when I was a child. We no longer own it but it was the dream fulfilled by my grandfather who passed away this past winter. When I was saying good bye to him, I said I was going to win him one this year. This was a special week for me. I have my mom here, my sister lives here in Uxbridge, and I flew my brother in this week so we could all be together. This one was for you Grampy."
Other golfers from BruceGreySimcoe also competed in the event.
G.W. King of the Academy at Georgian Bay Club shot 76-69 to finish in 10th, while Kyle Kirkland of Cobble Beach went 77-77 and tied for 31st.
Fellow Cobble Beach pro Ryan McBride shot 81-78 and tied for 41st, while Southampton Golf and Country Club’s John Schmidt shot 82-80 to tie for 44th.
The 2-day championship was held at Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge.
Past winners include Moe Norman, Bob Panasik, and Gar Hamilton.
For full hole-by-hole scores of Keddy's incredible back-nine and all results from the TaylorMade Ontario Zone Championship CLICK HERE