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Eight New Champions Crowned to Celebrate the Big Comeback!
Assante Optimiste Classic

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Mirabel, May 15, 2022 – After a two-year hiatus, the Assante Optimiste Classic was finally back at the Glendale Golf Club this weekend in Mirabel. No less than 169 golfers took part in this 13th edition of the event and, of these, eight were awarded a medal in their respective categories.

The rising star of the host club, Léonie Tavares stole the show in the pee-wee category. She was the only athlete in any division to complete the competition under par.

After shooting -4 (68) on Saturday, she shot a 72 this Sunday for an overall score of 140 and took the title.

"I wasn't really stressed, I worked really hard to get a good swing! It helped that I knew the course, because I knew where to put my ball, but you still need a good swing to be able to play well," Tavares admitted.

Also in the pee-wee category, Zack Bourgeois (Le Blainvillier) had the last word in the boys' section. Leading by only one stroke after the first round, the young man managed to consolidate his lead over Noah Moreau (Lotbinière). The winner recorded a cumulative score of +20 (165), followed closely by Moreau (+23, 168).

The only female golfer of the mosquito competition, in which participants played only one round, Florence Ho (Ottawa Hunt Club) finished with a 102 (+30). On the boys' side, Adam Lauzon (Vallée du Richelieu) triumphed with a score of 78 (+6).

Bantam | Victories for Botsis and Pinel

Alexandra Botsis (Rosemère) came out victorious in a heated battle of the bantam girls. She finished at 168 (+24), only one stroke ahead of Charlotte Boudreau (Île de Montréal) who scored 169 (+25).

"It wasn't easy today, but I'm happy! My drives were very, very good, but my putting was difficult," admitted Botsis, who played the Glendale course last year. Yet, she still felt stressed. "I was really nervous at the beginning, but now I'm very happy! I kept calm and had a good attitude. I think that helped me a lot for my first tournament of the year!"

The competition was just as fierce for the boys. Charly Pinel (Royal Québec), who held a three-stroke lead after the first round, maintained the lead on Sunday.

Like Alexandra Botsis, the representative of the Royal Québec Golf Club believes that his mindset made the difference on Sunday. He had some difficulties on the fifth hole with a triple bogey, but quickly rolled up his sleeves. In the end, he was one shot ahead of Andy Mac (Vallée du Richelieu) with a score of 150 (+6).

"I'm glad I got back on track (after the fifth hole). I told myself that I had to go big or go home: either you win, or you lose! With the rain, it was a bit more difficult, but I kept my composure and I think that's what gave me the win. I'm proud that I didn't give up!"

 

Jake Houston wins in the rain

The junior players were the last ones to tee off on Sunday as Mother Nature forced the organization to stop all activities for some forty minutes due to the rain.

Right from the start, Jake Houston (Royal Montreal) was able to play well despite the inclement weather. Leading the first round with a 72, the Montrealer finished the Classic with a 74, which brought his cumulative score to 146 (+2).

"It's been a tough day and I had to change my planning to adjust to the rain delay. I just tried to remain patient on the course, follow my plan and not worry about what the other guys were doing. I wanted to focus on my game and what I had to do to win," he said.

He is now pumped up for future tournaments.

"Winning early in the season will carry me not only for the rest of the season, but for years to come. It will really help me."

Geneviève Jobin-Colgan (Lorette), who posted two identical +6 performances over the weekend, emerged victorious in the junior girls' division. The rain and the course gave the winner a hard time, as she pointed out after receiving her medal.

"The playing conditions were pretty tough, but I handled them well," she said. “You had to understand that it wasn't necessarily your fault if one ball didn't go in while the next one did for the same reasons."

Jobin-Colgan was in second place after the first round and was one shot behind Mackenzie Cloutier (Le Blainvillier). Her consistency allowed her to stand out at the very end, especially with a birdie on the 17th hole. This victory will serve as motivation for the rest of the season.

"I just figured we all had to deal with the same conditions, and I just had to take advantage of it if others were more bothered then I was."

This weekend's Assante Optimiste Classic served as a qualifier for the prestigious International Junior Golf Championship to be held in Miami in July. The list of participants will be announced in the coming weeks.

Golf Québec will be at the Lachute Golf Club on May 21 and 22 for the Québec Junior Open. The results of this tournament, combined with those of the Assante Optimite Classic, will be used in the first selection phase for the Canada Games, which will be held in August in Niagara.

The Spring Open will follow on May 27 at the Beaconsfield Golf Club. This competition features the best men's amateur golfers and Québec professionals.

About Optimiste Golf Junior Région St-Laurent

The mission of the Optimiste Golf Junior Région St-Laurent club is to hold the annual Classic and to develop projects for young golfers. This event is held in partnership with Golf Québec and is financially supported by major sponsor Assante Québec, as well as numerous other sponsors. This qualifying tournament covers all sectors of L'Optimistes Francophones Canadiens, namely: Central Québec, Lower St. Lawrence and Acadia, Lower St. Lawrence - North Shore, Southern Québec, Western Québec, and Eastern Ontario. For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/site/qcoptimistgolf/home.

About Assante – Wealth Management

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At Assante, we appreciate that you have worked hard to attain your wealth—and we know that you desire to do good, invest well, and pass on not only your wealth, but also your values to the generations to follow. We will help you define and prioritize each of your goals and will build the comprehensive wealth plan that will help you achieve them. Then, we will walk beside you throughout your life to help you navigate all of the challenges you may face along the way. For more information, visit https://www.cifinancial.com/ci-assante/ca/en/what-we-do/services.html.

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

Sandrine Bigras, Competition Coordinator
514 252-3345, ext. 3396 – Cell.: 514 560-7699 – sbigras@golfquebec.org

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