By Nicole Hunt
Two students from Lisgar Collegiate Institute brought home bragging rights from the first annual Mayor’s Cup golf tournament on Sept. 18, despite the fact that the school has never had a golf team before.
Competing against more than 140 participants, Grade 11 student, Graham Erskine, shot a 72 on Pineview Golf Course’s 18-hole executive course to win second place, while team mate Gabriel Edelson placed third.
There is hope that the golf team’s success will rejuvenate Lisgar’s athletic reputation, which is in a slump since Lisgar team did not take any top honours in last year’s National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association playoffs.
Though several teams managed to advance to the quarter or semi finals in their divisions, the athletic highlight for Lisgar last year came from the track and field team, where student Thomas McLoughlin-Coleman claimed gold and set a new Ontario record in the midget boys’ 100m hurdles.
“It’s about time they take a little deviation from the conventional sports … for shorter season sports like golf and a ski team I intend to start this year,” says Eric Buschlen, who coaches the golf team. “There are a lot of students here that don’t play the conventional sports so they can shine in these other aspects of sports, and it’s quite evident that they’re doing that right now.”
The school usually runs around 20 intra-scholastic teams each year, though, unlike most Ottawa schools, they had not had a golf team before this year.
“We have a capable coach and the necessary talent to justify starting a new team,” says John Ruff, head of physical education and international languages at Lisgar. “There is a lot of promise.”
The Lisgar golf team is made up of four males and four females. The team’s experience varies from student to student – Grade 12 student Emily Carter just picked up the clubs two weeks ago when she heard there would be a team.
“I tried out as a joke,” says Carter, “and apparently I’m actually not that bad at golf, so maybe it’s a new-found passion!”
Many of the other students were introduced to golf by their parents or grandparents, and several have been playing for years. Amand Srivastava says he has been golfing for eight years and attending summer golf camps, while Edelson says he picked up the clubs at age two and was playing on courses by age six.
Despite the school’s talented players, Lisgar was without a team until Buschlen pushed for one this year.
“My mom told me this past summer that she was going to try to start a golf team this year,” says Erskine. “Then it turned out Mr. Buschlen was starting one anyway, so it all worked out.”
Like other sports at Lisgar, the team’s funding comes from a combination of school-issued funds and team fees paid by the students, which Ruff said are “nominal.” Transportation is the biggest expenditure for most teams, a particular challenge for the golf team because it is necessary to travel to driving ranges to practise. Finding open time slots has also proved difficult.
“We went to the Rockland Driving Range but it was closed,” says Buschlen. “But they left all of the balls out, so we just kind of … helped ourselves!”
Buschlen is optimistic about the team’s chances.
“The season is short, but the outlook right now is awesome.” says Buschlen. “The team is full of skill and character, and they’re just doing a phenomenal job.”