Kitimat couple tops at His and Hers tournament in Prince Rupert

Dylan Kerbrat conquered the Prince Rupert golf course for the second time in as many weeks during the June 22-23 weekend, this time claiming the His and Hers tournament title with his partner Chalaine Hannah.

Fresh off his victory in the Men’s Jubilee, Kerbrat was back from Kitimat and looking to add another trophy to his collection. This time he was joined by Hannah, as the pair got set to battle with a dozen other couples in the Championship Flight.

Kerbrat and Hannah got off to a good start on Day 1 by hitting par on their first four holes. They would go on to hit three birdies – the most in a single day by any couple in the tournament – and head into the clubhouse with a six-over-par 76.

Hannah and Kerbrat decide how to safely approach the final green of the day. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

They weren’t alone however, as another pairing had a hot stroke on Saturday as well. Rick Malkow and Vida Carson from Smithers had a relatively error free day en route to an equal score atop the leaderboard. Factoring in their 17.5 handicap, Malkow and Carson also found themselves leading the race for lowest net score, with a 58.5.

The deciding day featured a shotgun start, meaning every pairing would tee off at the same time. Kerbrat and Hannah were partnered with Malkow and Carson to build the suspense, with the leading duo joined by Abby and Cynthia Rosario from Prince Rupert.

Rick Malkow and Vida Carson prepare to wrap up their day. The pair took home overall low net honours after a strong weekend. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

Another test reared up in the form of the elements, as in classic Prince Rupert fashion rain began to fall on the course. Hannah explained how this added to the difficulty.

“Clubs definitely weren’t going as far, as the rough out here isn’t very forgiving, especially when it gets wet,” said Hannah. “So it was definitely an added challenge today.”

Malkow and Carson edged into the lead on hole one after a double bogey from Kerbrat and Hannah, and even gained a two stroke lead after another bogey from the Kitimat couple on hole five. A double bogey from the leaders on the seventh saw things tied right back up however, before Kerbrat and Hannah pulled ahead by one on the ninth.

The back nine was a back and forth affair, with Kerbrat and Hannah building a two stroke lead of their own before seeing it slip away with just three holes to go. On the final two holes however the pair managed to shoot par, allowing them to edge out Malkow and Carson by two strokes in the final count.

The final groups congratulate each other on a tournament well played. (L-R) Vida Carson, Rick Malkow, Cynthia Rosario, Chalaine Hannah, Abby Rosario, Dylan Kerbrat. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

Kerbrat said being paired with their fellow challengers helped push him and Hannah. “It’s good knowing where you stand. You make a mistake, they make a mistake, you don’t think too much about it. Forget about it and move on,” said Kerbrat.

The Rosario’s ended up claiming the 1st Low Gross award in the Championship bracket with their 80-80 for a 160 total, just seven strokes off the winning mark. They said playing with the top pairings drove them to their best possible game.

“It’s always nice to play with a good golfer, because you try your best too,” said Cynthia Rosario after the tournament. “It’s always the case, when I’m with a good golfer playing against me I always want to play my best.”

Cynthia Rosario and Dylan Kerbrat make sure everything adds up before they sign and hand in their scorecards. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

Kerbrat and Hannah’s final statline was 76-77 for a 13-over-par 153. Malkow and Carson went 76-79 for a 15-over-par 155. The Smithers duo still had plenty to celebrate though – their handicap gave them an adjusted score of 120, good for the title of overall low net winners.

Eric Hand and Dorothy Wharton from Prince Rupert topped the low gross score among the First Flight pairings with a weekend of 90-86. Fellow Rupertites Bill Nicholls and Josie Lam took the best low net score, as their 25.5 handicap adjusted their totals to 63.5-64.5 for the weekend.

Alex Kurial | Sports Reporter

Alex Kurial