New women’s senior champ to be crowned

They may as well re-name the Manitoba Women’s Senior Championship the “Rhonda Orr Open” at this point, given the way she has dominated the annual event.

The 64-year-old, who plays out of Southwood Golf & Country Club, has won 10 straight titles — and 12 of the past 13 — to etch her name in local sports history.

Unfortunately, Orr’s incredible streak is coming to a screeching halt this week. Rather than teeing it up on Monday at Breezy Bend for the start of the 54-hole event, she was home recovering from a recent medical procedure which quickly put everything into perspective.

“Very disappointing that I wasn’t able to recover enough to play. That was my goal, but it didn’t work out. I definitely had a few tears over it,” Orr told the Free Press.

“That’s the way it goes. You know there’s always an end to these things, no matter who you are. But, yeah, not the way I pictured it. It is what it is.”

The good news is doctors managed to address the heart arrhythmia which first popped up in May, triggering the first of what would become several emergency room visits.

“We were just having a hard time controlling it,” said Orr.

The solution was an ablation last month, which was followed by prescribed bed rest. Orr thought she might be able to quickly get back in the swing of things, going so far as to hit the range a couple weeks ago.

“I ended up having to go back to emergency,” she said.

It was a case of too much, too soon.

“I had to dial it back and kind of give up that dream to play,” she said. “So now it’s just a matter of time and patience, which I don’t always have a lot of.”

Orr has started hitting some putts and chips with the idea of eventually building herself back up, with the goal of maybe playing her first round of golf since mid-June as early as next week.

“Certainly every day is a step forward,” she said, adding her recovering heart has been warmed by messages of support pouring in from the tight-knit local golf community.

That includes many of the 19 women who might otherwise have been competing for second place had Orr been in the field this week.

Sitting on top of the day one leaderboard is Cathy Derewianchuk, whose rock-solid five-over 78 included three birdies. The Glendale golfer was the runner-up a year ago as Orr completed her decade of dominance.

Right behind her is the only other woman to have won the event in the past 13 years — 2015 champion Tammy Gibson of Niakwa — following a six-over 79. Elmhurst’s Angela Martens and Golf Canada’s Angela Ause are two shots back after carding 80s.

“I was watching the leaderboard (Monday) morning, and I hope to maybe get out Tuesday and see a couple holes, have a visit. And then hopefully be there at the end on Wednesday,” said Orr.

“And then hopefully next year I can go back and try to start a new streak.”

Over on the men’s side, a very familiar face sits on top of the leaderboard after the first day of competition. Niakwa’s Jay Doyle — who won the event in 2023 — carded a four-under 68 to take a three-shot lead.

Doyle birdied his first three holes of the day, and four of the first five, to get off and running.

“The ball striking was really good. Just some oopsies on the green, and then followed with some good putts. A good day overall,” Doyle told Golf Manitoba following his round.

There’s some extra pressure this year, with his home course set to host the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship Sept. 8-11.

“You’re feeling it on the tee, so starting like that is fantastic,” said Doyle.

The reigning champion, Todd Fanning of Niakwa, is tied for second after a round of one-under 71. He’s tied with Mike Walker of St. Boniface.

Another Niakwa member, David Kuik, is four shots back after shooting an even-par 72.

The top six finishers this week will all make the national field.

“Todd and I have chatted about it for a while. We’d love to make the team. We’d love to win one for Manitoba. No better opportunity than there,” said Doyle.

MEANWHILE, IN CALGARY

Action is underway in the 121st Canadian men’s amateur, where seven Manitobans are in the field of 263.

Brandon’s Evan Nachtigall is the best of the Bison bunch after one round. He fired a sizzling four-under 68 Monday to sit two shots off the lead.

Winnipegger Rory Neil, fresh off winning the Manitoba Amateur earlier this month, shot an opening-round one-over 73 at the 72-hole tournament, which is being co-hosted at the Mickelson National Golf Club and Heritage Pointe Golf Club.

Lorette’s Kaleb Lambert (74), Brandon’s Drew Jones (76) and a trio of Winnipeggers — Tyler Polanski (78) and Lyle MacKenzie (78) and Ryan Blair (79) — are the others.

Overall, Team Manitoba (the top two scores of qualifiers Neil, Lambert and Jones) are tied for sixth at three-over with Newfoundland & Labrador in the Willingdon Cup inter-provincial team championship. B.C and Ontario lead the way at five-under.

There are also a trio of Thunder Bay-area golfers who are competing under the Golf Manitoba umbrella — Jeff Hunter (72) is leading the way, with Jack Moro (74) and Jordan Walford (78) also playing.

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