James Newton (amateur winner) and Joey Savoie, professional champion

Spring Open Get the complete results

Pointe-Claire, May 27, 2022 – The ups and downs of Mother Nature didn't slow down Joey Savoie and Brandon Lacasse this Friday at the Beaconsfield Golf Club, where the traditional Spring Open presented in collaboration with belairdirect was taking place. The two professionals battled it out throughout the tournament, which finally ended in Savoie's favour on the first playoff hole.

After shooting 64 (-7) in a rain-soaked round, both golfers returned to the 18th tee to determine the winner.

Joey Savoie hit the 484-yard par 5 to the green in two shots. The member of Team Canada’s Young Pro squad and of the Pinegrove Country Club then just missed the eagle, before closing with a birdie to put pressure on his opponent.

Lacasse then had to make a 15-foot putt but could not force a second playoff hole. The Knowlton professional came up short, conceding the win to his opponent.

"In a situation like this, there's very little strategy. I just tried to get back into the same mindset as in my round. I was quite aggressive today and managed to stay hot before the playoff started. I was ready mentally and physically and made two good shots to start the hole. In the end, I just missed the putt for an eagle, but the birdie was good enough," analyzed the winner of the 94th edition of the Spring Open.

This was his second title as champion of the Spring Open after the one he won in 2015, and a third victory for the man who also won the amateur division of the tournament in 2013. As on the first two occasions, Savoie was able to count on the support of his father, Pierre, who managed his equipment and provided valuable advice on the course.

"On such a rainy day, it's very difficult to keep your clubs dry. It's a big challenge and I had the advantage of having my father with me. That was a big bonus for me, and I could concentrate on my stroke. I had less to deal with and that's largely thanks to my caddy," he concluded.

Joey Savoie took a purse of $3,000, while Brandon Lacasse, who won the professional title in 2020, walked away with $2,400. Étienne Brault (Club Laval-sur-le-Lac), the 2019 amateur winner, finished the day at -5 (66), which gave him third place in the professional category and a purse of $1,762.

Newton Defeats Desmarchais

A playoff was also necessary to determine a new amateur winner. James Newton (Royal Ottawa) and Laurent Desmarchais (Vallée du Richelieu) both shot a round of 68 (-3) and had to face each other to see who would claim the title on the 18th hole.

Eventually, the Ontarian emerged victorious with a birdie after a brilliant drive from the bunker on the edge of the green. He saw his rival come within inches of the cup on his fourth shot, after which he was able to secure his victory with a short putt.

"I just wanted to play as well as in my round and tried to hit the green in two. I didn't necessarily hit a good second shot, but I was able to get over it and putt my way to victory. We'll take it," Newton said after the tournament.

It was no easy task for the Team Canada Junior squad member who dropped four shots from the par on the back nine to join Desmarchais, a member of the National Amateur Squad, at the top of the leaderboard.

“I was hitting well at the beginning of the round, but I wasn't as accurate," he said. “However, the further I got, the better I felt and I was able to get much closer to the goal on my approach shots. I was able to keep that momentum going into the playoff to win."

A total of 119 participants took part in the event this Friday. Among them was female golf professional Caroline Ciot (Golf Île de Montréal) who tied for 77th with an overall score of +6 (77). The tournament was also marked by an albatross on the 12th hole recorded by Denis Girard (Casselview). Girard's second shot of the par-5 hole was a 5-iron from 188 yards.

The Golf Québec team is now turning its attention to the organization of Marie-Thérèse Torti's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will take place on May 31 at La Vallée du Richelieu. This will also be the start of the Men's Match Play Championship, scheduled for four days of competition at Le Drummond in St-Majorique.

Many Thanks to Our Partners

In 2022, Golf Québec is proud to count on the collaboration of belairdirect for the presentation of the Men's and Women's Provincial Tours. In addition, the Golf Québec volunteers, referees, and employees will be dressed by adidas throughout the golf season. Competitors will not be forgotten as TaylorMade will supply them with the official TP5 and TP5X golf balls in the main provincial events.

About belairdirect
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For more than 60 years, belairdirect has been providing complete car and home insurance solutions direct to the consumer. Belairdirect also provides insurance for motorcycles and off-road vehicles. Products are available in Québec, Ontario, the Maritimes, Alberta, and British Columbia. Belairdirect pushes boundaries by offering inventive products like The Accident Forgiveness. Today, the insurance company offers multiple services on the web to help consumers compare and choose a car and home insurance that’s right for them.

belairdirect is an online quote leader with numerous web-based tools to get quotes, including the 3-minute quote app (for car insurance). belairdirect is a subsidiary of Intact Financial Corporation. For more information, visit https://www.belairdirect.com/.

About Golf Québec – Initiate passions, build dreams

Founded in 1920, Golf Québec is the provincial sport federation whose mission is to increase participation in golf and develop excellence. Some of Golf Québec’s core services include the Golf in Schools Program, First Tee as well as Get Linked initiatives, the Introduction Tour, Junior Golf Development Centres (JGDC), Rules of Golf, World Handicap System, course rating services, Golf Fore the Cure, as well as the Québec Golf Hall of Fame. In addition, Golf Québec conducts regional and provincial championships to bring the local golf enthusiasts to surpass themselves and eventually reach the upper spheres of professional tours. For more information, please visit https://www.golfquebec.org.

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Sources:

François Roy, Assistant Executive Director
Philanthropy, sponsorships, and communications
514 252-3345, ext. 3392; cellular 514 349-4653 – froy@golfquebec.org

Diane Bruneau, Competition Coordinator
514 252-3345, ext. 3395 – Cell.: 514 809-3053 – dbruneau@golfquebec.org

Émilie Bérubé, Marketing, Communications and Business Partnerships Manager
Cell.: 514 463-5229 – eberube@golfquebec.org