Thrilling Finishes at Canadian Nationals
Thrilling Finishes at Canadian Nationals
Thunder Bay Shines as Host
Thunder Bay, ON - If you take a map of Canada and draw a line down the middle, Thunder Bay, Ontario would fall right that center line. It has historically been a meeting place for diverse people from hundreds of miles around for thousands of years, it sits on the northern shore of Lake Superior, and in 2023 it was the meeting place for hundreds of disc golfers from around North America competing in this year’s Canadian National Championships.
Moving from Prince Edward Island (where it had been held since 2018) to make way for the Discmania Open, the new venue was going to have a tough act to follow, but Thunder Bay’s courses, organizers, and natural surroundings were up to the task. The remarkable finishes in both open professional divisions left the boisterous galleries thrilled and entertained.
"If you like mother nature at her most impressive, and you like seeing discs flying with precision… come to Thunder Bay. This was a Nationals to remember. I hope everyone watches those final rounds," said Andre Lodder, CEO Parked Pro Media.
In FPO, Raven Klein made the trip from Minnesota to continue the streak of Canadian women being shut out of their own Canadian Championship title, which has been held consecutively by Paige Pierce, Kristin Tattar, and most recently Ella Hansen. Standing in her way was Colleen McInnes, one of the top-rated Canadian women, plus Karen Martel, Jessica Jia and Irina Shakhova, who found herself tied for the lead after the first round, despite playing in only her 9th PDGA event. Going into the final nine holes, Klein had built a 7-stroke lead over McInnes and the rest of the field, but on the back of a 962-rated round full of inspired putts and dramatic drives, McInnes clawed her way back to a tie for first after the final hole of the event. Klein and McInnes played two sudden death playoff holes, before the island green on hole 17 took its final victim of the day, and Raven Klein took the winner’s “champion” hockey jersey home as a trophy, leaving Canada again waiting for its next Canadian FPO hero.
Raven Klein, 2023 FPD Canadian National Champion
Reigning MPO Champion, Ontario native, and famous Canuck Thomas Gilbert had the support of family and friends with him as he got out to a hot start early. But it was 16-year-old Kalan Schat, a fellow Ontarian, who stole the show in round one, birdying the final 15 holes of his round at the Dragon Hills converted golf course and jumping to a 6-stroke lead over Gilbert, Bryan Freese and Austin Boge from Manitoba. Round two saw Casey Hanemayer, coming off an outstanding win at the BC Open, shoot the hot round at the idyllic Birch Point Park course, cutting Schat’s lead to four going into the final round. By the 54th and final hole, there were five players in contention for the win, including Max Regitnig who scorched the course from the chase card. In the end, Hanemayer was able to stick the island green and make a 30’ putt in front of a gallery of 100+ players, fans, and local media to take home the MPO champion jersey, his first national title.
Casey Hanemayer, 2023 MPO Canadian National Champion
Chris Ozolins, directing his first national championships, was pleased with the turnout, and the participation of the players at the various side events happening during the week-long celebration:
“Thunder Bay was awesome, the town really turned out and welcomed everyone from around the country. We knew the courses were good and would produce some exciting disc golf, but we couldn’t have predicted all of these close finishes. I think we had six divisions come down to one stroke, including three playoffs. The weather was great, our local and international sponsors really made the whole thing special. We hope to bring Nationals back to Thunder Bay someday soon.” -TD Chris Ozolins.
Comments
Played in MA60. Courses were
Played in MA60. Courses were amazing, as was the vibe. Thank you to the organizers. Location and difficulty: 10 out of 10!