Roseland Golf & Curling Club

?Windsor, Ontario

Par 70 - 35/35 - 6,943 Yards

Designed: Donald Ross - 1926 (Renovated in 2011 by Paul Albanese)

Course Record: 62 - Matt Cole (old), 64 - Alex Carrigan (new)

The Canadian Tour returns to the Roseland Golf & Curling Club for the first time since 1991 this week, with the revival of the Jamieson WFCU Windsor Roseland Charity Classic. The tournament ran from 1979 to 1991 and counts Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Jerry Anderson and Windsor native Matt Cole among its past champions. 

 

The event showcases the newly renovated Roseland Golf & Curling Club, which over the past year has undergone a massive restoration project to return the course more closely to the original character envisioned by famed designer Donald Ross. The renovation saw the refurbishing of over 60 bunkers, the addition of 20 more and the extension of 400 yards to Ross' original layout, which renovation architect Paul Albanese tried to emphasize, rather than alter.

 

With the new course layout also comes the opportunity for a new course record, replacing Matt Cole's record of 62 on the old course. Alex Carrigan of Guelph, ON shot 64 in the Monday Qualifier to set the new mark.

 

Whoever emerges victorious at the the Jamieson WFCU Windsor Roseland Charity Classic had better be prepared to go more than 72 holes to reach the winner's circle. That's because each of the past four Canadian Tour events have gone into a playoff, tying a record set in 2001. The only outright victory this year came at the Times Colonist Island Savings Open in June, when Andrew Roque birdied his final seven holes to win by three.

 

With three tournaments to go in Canada, the race for the top two spots on the Order of Merit - and the two second stage PGA TOUR Q-School exemptions that come with it - is heating up. Sarnia, ON's Matt Hill currently leads with $47,350, while Victoria, BC's Cory Renfrew is the bubble boy at $37,258.38, just over $1,200 ahead of Burlington, ON's Michael Gligic. Four players, including Gligic, Andrew Roque, Chris Killmer and Matt Marshall could leapfrog into the top two with a win this week. 

 

A number of local players will be looking to thrill hometown fans this week, headlined by former Big Break Indian Wells winner David Byrne, who grew up playing the Roseland course, and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Bob Panasik, who has nine Canadian Tour titles to his credit. Other players from the region in the field include Kingsville's Matt Cole, who won the event in 1988, Sarnia's Matt Hill, who leads the Order of Merit, Sarnia's Chris Dickson, Tecumseh's Ryan Hughes, Kingsville's Alex McIntyre, and Windsor's John Pershern. Former Canadian Tour players Michael Woodcock, Derek Bealieau, Craig Hicks and Dave Bell are also local players in the field. 

 

Active Canadian Tour player Scott Harrington narrowly missed victory last week on the Web.Com Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, losing in a playoff to Chris Wilson. It's the latest in a series of strong performances by Canadian Tour players on the Web.Com Tour, including a T-6 finish by Stuart Anderson at that same event and a T-3 by Adam Hadwin at the Cox Classic last week. Harrington earned $67,500 for his finish and earned special temporary membership for the remainder of the year on the Web.Com Tour.

 

Canadian Tour alumni have fared well on the Web.Com Tour this year, with Andres Gonzales, James Hahn, Peter Tomasulo and Doug LaBelle II joining the dozens of players to go from the Canadian Tour to the winner's circle on the Web.ComTour. 

 

This week's field includes 54 Canadians, 58 Americans and players from 13 other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Chile, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Mexico and more.