Melanson makes it three in a row at Sunflower Open
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr
The Nelson Daily Sports
If this keeps up Jordan Melanson may have a difficult time getting a tee time at a local tournament.
The Granite Pointe golfer found the winner’s circle for the third consecutive time, capturing the recent 2011 Sunflower Open at the Castlegar Golf Club.
Melanson shot a 2-under-par 142 to win the title by three shots over a Kelowna golfer. Lindsay Walker of host Castlegar was third.
“This tournament I putted much better than the previous two weeks,” Melanson, winning in Creston and the Zone One West Kootenay Men’s Qualifier over Granite Pointe teammate Josh Coletti, told The Nelson Daily.
“(I was able) to tighten up that in the first round.”
Cam Proctor won low net honours.
Melanson opened the two-day, 36-hole tournament with a first round even-par 72.
During round two the Simon Fraser University golfer ballooned somewhat to a 37 on the first nine before going 3-under 33 on the final nine holes.
“I chipped in for eagle on (525-yard, par 5) 16 to pretty much secure the win,” Melanson explained.
Melanson’s formula for success hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary. He just keeps it simple and the ball in play.
“I keep the ball in play (off the tee), hit shots into the green below the hole, make a good stroke and hope it goes in,” said Melanson, adding the distance game has been able to increase by 10 percent thanks to work of SFU assistant coach Jared Boddy.
The recent string of success has Melanson feeling pretty good heading into the provincial golf tournament circuit.
“The great start to the summer has proven to me that the work I put into my game all winter is paying off, as I’m gaining more belief in myself and raising my expectations,” he said. “I hope to qualify for the Canadian Amateur again, and this time be able to make the trip to Winnipeg.”
The B.C. Men’s Amateur Tournament goes July 12-15 at The Dunes at Kamloops.
Three other members of the Zone One West Kootenay team — Josh Coletti, Ben Gresley-Jones of Rossland/Trail and former Granite Pointe player Brian DeBiasio, join Melanson in Kamloops.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
