News

Sarah-Maude Martel (amateur), Debbie Savoy Morel, Brigitte Cazes (senior)

Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, June 20, 2022 – Sarah-Maude Martel (Plessisville) recorded the first provincial victory of her career on Monday at the Mount Bruno Country Club, where the 11th edition of the Debbie Savoy Morel Cup presented in collaboration with belairdirect was played. One thing is for sure, the amateur golfer will remember this triumph for a long time, as it is the outcome of countless efforts.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time and it's an incredible feeling! I would even say that I can hardly believe it right now," said Martel, who shot a 73 (+3) in this tournament, which was back on the schedule after a two-year absence.

Throughout the day, the 19-year-old relied on steadiness to win this first leg of the Jocelyne Bourassa Series. It was a close battle, but Martel managed to keep control of the 6,000-yard course to outpace her closest rivals in the amateur division, Emily Romancew (Elm Ridge Country Club) and Naomi Yacyshen (Vallée du Richelieu), who tied for second with a 75 (+5).

"My goal today was just to take it one hole at a time and put as little pressure on myself as possible. I played a good round, and I knew that I had a good chance to win. It was a long wait to see all the other golfers come in and I was relieved when I finally got the good news," laughed the golfer who is playing at the provincial level for the sixth year.

This victory will provide her with motivation and determination to pursue her competitive season in Québec, before joining the university team of the Rouge et Or de Laval. She will then fulfil another dream that would have been impossible without the help of her loved ones, who have always been her biggest fans throughout her sporting career.

"I have participated in many Golf Québec tournaments over the years, and this has allowed me to improve, but also to believe that one day it would be my turn to capture the title. However, I would never have made it without my coach and my family who always encouraged me, no matter the competition, the time, or the place. I am very grateful for that!”

A "Surprise" Victory in the Senior Category

In the senior category, the victory went to Brigitte Cazes. Despite a few bumps along the way, the member of Club de golf Lévis concluded her tournament at +7 (77) to beat defending champion and new inductee into the Québec Golf Hall of Fame, Marie-Thérèse Torti (Vallée du Richelieu), as well as Suzanne Ricard (Royal Montreal Golf Club), and Marlene Desbiens (Murray Bay), who all tied for second at +9 (79).

As a result, Cazes was able to raise the coveted trophy at the end of the day, an achievement that was both pleasing and unexpected for the veteran golfer.

" Quite honestly, I wasn't expecting it at all! After the 18th hole, I was told that I was the leader, but I was sure that one of the last six golfers would beat me. I even took the time to get changed before they told me that I was the winner. It's quite a surprise," she commented just minutes after receiving confirmation of her victory.

It is also a first provincial title for Cazes, who had decided not to compete for the past two years. She will look forward to the second and final round of the Jocelyne Bourassa Series this July, as Women's Provincial Amateur, Senior, and Junior Championships will take place at Club de golf St-Jean. The Québec women's teams that will participate in the next Canadian Championships will then be named according to the respective Orders of Merit of each division.

"I have represented the province a few times before and I might have the great opportunity to do so again. It was a beautiful day today, with perfect playing conditions, and I'm very happy that I stood out among such a talented group of golfers," concluded Brigitte Cazes.

The 59 participants in the Debbie Savoy Morel Cup made the most of the tournament and evening to honour the Great Lady of golf, Jocelyne Bourassa, by wearing a yellow ribbon in memory of the late golfer, who had a special fondness for yellow roses.

The Golf Québec team will resume its activities over the next few days with the presentation of several qualifying rounds in preparation for the Québec Summer Games. This will be followed by the Alexander of Tunis, presented on June 27 and 28 at the Rideau View Club in Ottawa, as well as the ORORO Women's PGA of Canada Championship, which will take place at Golf Château-Bromont from June 28 to July 1.

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.

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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; Cell.: 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