Hugo Denis Makes a Comeback in the Playoff
Hugo Denis winner of the Alexander of Tunis
Manotick (Ont.), June 28, 2022 – Hugo Denis (Summerlea) capped off a spectacular comeback with a win on the second extra hole Tuesday at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ontario, where the Alexandre de Tunis, presented in collaboration with belairdirect, was being played. The young golfer shot two pars to defeat Justin Fedele, also of Summerlea, and capture his first amateur title.
The task at hand was daunting for Hugo Denis, who was four shots off the lead going into the second and final round of the event. But he started the day on a high note, taking four strokes off par on the front nine. He followed that up with an eagle on the tenth hole, which later allowed him to close out the tournament with a cumulative -5 (139) good for the provisional lead.
“I went into the round wanting to do my best, just hoping to make a top-10. I knew I had a lot of ground to make up, so I took it hole by hole, and it went really well,” said the author of a round of 66 (-6), who had to wait for the arrival of the six groups of leaders before getting back into action.
He then found Fedele on the par-5, 507-yard 18th hole with the firm intention of finishing the day in style. After a first round that failed to crown a winner, the two opponents found themselves back on the same tee again, and this time Denis got the best of his rival by making par.
“It was my second playoff ever, so I knew a little bit more about how to handle it,” he continued. I didn't play my best golf, but I got away with two pars. It wasn't anything special, but it was enough to win, and that's what counts.
Hugo Denis, who had already won two junior tournaments on the Québec tour, was able to celebrate his first amateur triumph, a moment he will not soon forget.
"Winning a tournament like this is really something big! It's a completely different level from the junior level and the calibre is very high. When you see the names on the trophy, it's quite impressive and I'm very happy with this victory," he concluded.
Ryan Sevigny (Eagle Creek Golf Club), Jean-Philippe Parr (Ki-8-Eb), and Olivier Ménard (Summerlea) rounded out the top-3 of this event's 73rd edition, all finishing with a cumulative score of -3 (141).
Antoine Gaudet (Montcalm) and Jean Bilodeau (Boucherville), who finished at -3 (69) after Monday's first round, were unable to stay in the hunt for the title on the second day of competition. They respectively placed 9th and 18th in the overall rankings, with scores of -1 (143) and +1 (145).
Defending champion Christopher Vandette (Summerlea) did not compete in the event, while 2020 winner Thomas Westfall (Camelot) could not make the cut at 70 and tie after the first round.
No less than 137 players gathered this year to compete in the "Tunis", the most prestigious of all amateur tournaments played in the Ottawa region and the first leg of the Men's Triple Crown. The Triple Crown will continue next week at the Royal Québec Golf Club, where the Duke of Kent will take place. Then, as tradition dictates, the third and final leg will be played at the Men's Provincial Amateur Championship at Summerlea, July 11-14.
It should be noted that no participant has managed to win all three Triple Crown tournaments since the creation of the Alexandre de Tunis in 1950. Only eleven players, some of them multiple times, have managed to win two of the three events in a single season.
Again, this year, the Triple Crown Order of Merit will serve to identify the Team Québec members who will compete in the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship, which will be held August 1-4, 2022, at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. Note that players who are part of the current year's National Amateur Team will automatically be members of the Québec team.
The Golf Québec team is now turning its attention to the ORORO Women's Championship of the PGA of Canada, which will begin on Wednesday at Golf Château-Bromont. No less than 16 Québec female golfers will be in attendance to try to win the Lorie Kane trophy at the end of the three rounds.
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
Quotes made easy
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.
-30-
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; cellular: 514 809-3053 – dbruneau@golfquebec.org
Émilie Bérubé, Marketing, Communications and Business Partnerships
Manager
Cell.: 514 463-5229 – eberube@golfquebec.org