Justin Samanski-Langille

McClune roars back from nine shots down to win N.B. golf titles

HAMPTON – Things were not looking good for Addison McClune of the Riverside Country Club heading into the final round of the New Brunswick Under 19 and Under 17 Golf Championships on Monday at the Hamtpon Golf Club.

But that all changed in a matter of hours.

McClune, 15, registered a tournament-low round of 81 and came from nine shots back to win both the girls U19 and U17 titles.

"I'm definitely shocked. I was behind quite a bit [on Sunday], I didn't have the best shot, but finishing strong today felt pretty good," said McClune. "It's going to make me push myself harder to practise because I know I can do it, and I want to get better all the time. This is definitely a big motivation for me to practise."

McClune said the double victories mean her provincial championship streak will continue, having won the 2020 Under-15 championship as well. She finished this year's tournament at 38 over par with her total stroke count at 254.

McClune came into the final round nine strokes behind Callie Taylor, also of Riverside, and eight behind Mackenzie Deveau of Royal Oaks in Moncton, but finished the tournament a stroke ahead of both. She opened the tournament with an 82 and followed with a 91 in Round 2.

That score meant Taylor also finished second in the under-17 division, with Rachel Steeves of Sussex Golf and Curling Club rounding out the division's top three at 50 over par.

On the boy's side, Owen Mullen of Truro Golf Club in Nova Scotia held on to his lead coming into the final day of play to secure victory in the under-19 division with an impressive final score of five under par and 211 total strokes.

"The course was playing pretty tough, and there was good competition here, but I played well and got it done. It feels really good," said Mullen.

Turning 18 in a matter of weeks, Mullen said this will be his final under-19 competition, making the victory that much sweeter. He said it also positions him well for upcoming national competitions in August, and for his first season of NCAA Division I play as he heads to the University of Notre Dame in the fall.

Miramichi Golf and Country Club's Devon Gionet placed second in the U-19 division at six over par, followed by Hampton's own Nicholas Ritchie at eight over par.

Rounding out the tournament winners, Owen Mullen's brother Simon took home the under-17 boys championship with a final score of 18 over par and 234 total strokes, followed closely by Julien Babineau of Fox Creek Golf Club at 21 over par, and Ben Nicholson of Fredericton Golf Club at 22 over par, highlighting just how close tournament play was this year.

While the under-19 tournament wrapped up Monday, the U-15 and U-13 tournaments named winners on Sunday. Avery Cohen was the U-15 girls winner and Tyler Graham from Grand Bay-Westfield for the U-15 boys.

Kooper MacKay of the Ken-Wo Country Club in New Minas, N.S. won the U-13 boys tournament, earning his second straight tournament win after winning the Nova Scotia Golf Junior Championship.

Golf NB spokesperson Luke Lacey called the tournament a success, praising the players' perseverance through some challenging playing conditions.

"The players seemed to really enjoy it for sure," said Lacey. "It's just nice to be able to run events and have a little sense of normalcy. We allowed spectators this year which we didn't allow last year, so we are getting a lot of positive feedback from parents and relatives."

Lacey called the members and staff at Hampton Golf Club "world class" for their efforts in making the tournament a success.

– With files from Matthew Daigle