Slam dunk for Hoops at Niakwa

Todd Fanning did everything he could.

The decorated local golfer knew he would need to go low to have a chance at becoming the first Manitoban to win the Canadian men’s senior national championship on Friday, and while he held up his end of the bargain, in the end it was not to be.

Starting the day five shots back of the lead — a gap he closed quickly, actually taking the solo lead from a brief stretch early in the day — Fanning carded six birdies en route to tying a tournament-low four-under 68 in the final round at Niakwa Country Club.

The 58-year-old’s effort would be matched by Arizona’s Bryan Hoops, whose matching 68 carried him to a two-shot victory.

“I couldn’t have played any better today. It was a day that just kind of lined up for me,” Fanning, a member of the host course, said. “Playing from as far behind as I started, there was really not a lot of expectation or pressure.”

Fanning started the tournament with a disappointing six-over 78 on Tuesday but rebounded with three consecutive rounds in red figures (71-70-68) to finish solo third place at one-under (287). Fanning had been zeroing in on this week since he won the provincial championship in July, knowing that his A-game in a comfortable setting could yield a strong finish.

“When you do have an advantage like this at home course, you want to put up a good showing,” he said.

Hoops, the top-ranked senior amateur in the world, finished five-under (74-69-72-68, 283) for the tournament, beating out Daniel Neveu of North Carolina, who also shot 68 on the final day. Hoops and Neveu traded shots for much of the day, including on the back nine, where they combined for 10 birdies and an eagle to pull away from the pack.

“It seems odd on paper, but it was no different than anything else I’ve done the other day. I hit good shots, just some bounce right away, some don’t,” Hoops said. “Today, they got close.”

For Hoops, the triumph marks the second leg of the “Simpson Slam,” a feat that was coined after fellow American Paul Simpson, who is the only person to win the U.S., British and Canadian senior men’s championship in the same year. Simpson did that in 2010.

Hoops did not win the U.S. leg this year, but has two other titles under his belt, having won the British back in July.

“It’s big. We all have goals,” Hoops said. “I have big goals, and I have great support with my family and other people that know what I want to do. These are big check marks.

“I will make a good run at one of the (U.S.) Senior Opens. I’ve gotten good chances; I just have to get a little more comfortable with some of the courses.”

That was something that proved difficult for visiting players this week, as Niakwa proved to be a tough test for the field. Along with Mother Nature throwing a combination of heavy wind and rain early in the week, the course showed its teeth on the greens, forcing those familiar and unfamiliar with the track to be sharp in the short game.

“They’ve done a really, really good job with the course, and it is a very fair test. If you want to be aggressive, you can,” said Hoops. “It doesn’t mean that it’s going to reward you every time. It’s also very penalizing in certain areas.”

Fanning topped the group of four Manitobans to make the 36-hole cut. Close behind was David White, who finished solo fourth at even (69-74-74-71, 268) for the tournament.

What a week it was for the St. Charles member, who had the solo lead after the first round and a share of the lead after 36 holes, making the cut for the first time in four starts at the national event.

The 59-year-old entered the final round three shots off the pace but quickly found himself jostling for the top spot after rolling in three of his five birdies in the first 10 holes. He remained near the top throughout most of the day before finding trouble at the par-3 12th hole, where he made double-bogey.

“I think people who don’t play golf tournaments don’t understand that once your mind gets involved, your muscles stop working, and I hit a couple of those shots in this tournament,” said White.

“Four days of grinding it out, trying to focus, just swing, just live with the result, it’s mentally taxing.”

However, White’s effort didn’t go unrewarded, as his first two rounds did the heavy lifting in earning Manitoba its first inter-provincial team championship at the event. White, along with Fanning and Jay Doyle, amassed a cumulative score of four-over (292) to win by five strokes.

“Expectations exceeded. To win the team event was, like I said, just a once-in-a-lifetime experience with two good friends to win it after thinking about it so long. And then as an individual, just to be in the hunt and be part of it through the entire tournament… proud of the way I played. Really proud of the way I just kept grinding.”

White was equally proud of his good friend Fanning, who he wasn’t surprised to see make a run up the leaderboard.

“To play well under the tough, pressure circumstances when the course is set up hard, and the pins are all tucked, you got to be a good player, and you got to have the experience, and Todd has it,” White said.

Todd Wiseman of British Columbia, who finished two-over (74-69-71-76, 290), rounded out the top-five. Rounding out the local representation to make the cut, David Kuik finished tied-for-18th at eight-over (76-76-70-74, 296), while Doyle ended tied-for-29th at 12-over (78-75-74-73, 300).

“Really, what stood out to me was how many of the guys that I’d seen over the years that come up to me and say this was probably the best Canadian senior that they’ve ever been at,” Fanning said.

“The golf course, the host committee, the volunteers, everything about it was just second to none. So that makes you feel proud as a Manitoban and a Niakwa member.”

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