Morning Star Staff
It was Beat The Pro Day for juniors Tuesday at Hillview and 13-year-old Daniel Shwaluk needed just one shot to top Keith Vandenbrink.
Shwaluk used a seven-iron to ace the 115-yard 17th hole. Vandenbrink, the longtime pro at Hillview, carded a par-3.
“I flew it to the green and it just rolled in,” said Shwaluk. “I was pretty excited, crazy. I was jumping up and down.”
Witnesses to his first-ever hole-in-one were Braeden Cooper and John Morley.
“I come close to getting a hole-in-one every three rounds maybe and I’ve been close on 17 a few times,” added Shwaluk, who enters Grade 8 at VSS this fall.
A 20 handicap in his fourth year of golf, Shwaluk received a commemorative pin and mug, with free unlimited soda for the day. He carded 33-32-65 in the fun tournament.
A total of 30 juniors participated and Vandenbrink had three bogeys and two birdies, so there was quite a few juniors that were able to beat him on the bogey holes.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie Barrie of Vernon shot a final-round 83 Friday to finish in a two-way share of 30th at the Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Pickering, Ont.
Barrie, 17, finished at 80-84-86-83-333. Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont. won at 283.
