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Max Gilbert, leader of the first round

Machinex Open - Get the complete results

Princeville, July 23, 2022 – The wind was with us for the first round of the Machinex Open, presented by the City of Princeville, which began on Saturday at Club de golf Laurier. However, it didn't faze Max Gilbert, who is leading the tournament at -5 (67) after the opening 18 holes.

In his own words, the professional and member of the Club de Golf St-Georges did not get off to the start he had hoped for, but his patience and play on the greens paid off in the end. With a cumulative score of -1 after 12, Gilbert wrapped up his day with a sequence of four birdies in the final six holes to find himself alone atop the overall standings.

"It didn't start the way I wanted it to. It was very windy, and I had some very bad shots on my approaches at the beginning of the round. But on the back nine I made a few good putts and that gave me some momentum going forward. I got more and more comfortable as the day went on and that's really what made the difference for me," commented the leader after the day.

Max Gilbert will have to keep an eye on some of his rivals in the second and final round on Sunday. These include professionals Pierre-Alexandre Bédard (Royal Québec) and Dom Lalonde (Bellevue), who tied for second after scoring 68 (-4) on Saturday.

Jim Kenesky (St-Georges), Eric Bank (Quispamsis), and local golfer Jean-Pierre Morin are tied for fourth at -3 (69), while defending champion Vaita Guillaume (St-Georges) is in ninth place at -1 (71), along with six other golfers.

Even if the battle for the title and the $5,000 purse for the winner is going to be fierce, Max Gilbert is not worried, and he intends to keep the same strategy when he tees off in less than 24 hours.

"Tomorrow's goal will be to stick to a similar game plan and be patient. There are several places on the course where you can try to attack, especially on the par fives, and you must go for as many birdies as possible. If I can hit my tee shots down the fairway, it will give me a decent chance to get to the greens in two and I will be in a great position for the win," he concluded.

The competition is just as strong in the amateur division, with veteran Luc Bergeron (Longchamp) and 20-year-old Thomas Vallières (Victoriaville) tied at -2 (70). Just behind the pair, a group of five amateurs are at -1 (71) after one round.

In addition to the trophies and prize money, the Machinex Open also serves as a qualifier for the Sani Marc - Fenergic Canada Cup, which will be held August 8-14 at the Victoriaville Golf Club. The top six (6) non-qualified professional golfers will receive a pass to the event, as well as the top four (4) non-exempt amateurs.

The best player in all categories at the end of the tournament will also obtain the last available spot for the Québec Open, scheduled for August 1-7 at Blainvillier. The current leader Max Gilbert has already qualified for the event, while his two closest pursuers, Pierre-Alexandre Bédard and Dom Lalonde, will leave with a head start on the coveted ticket.

No less than 51 athletes, including three women, Sylvie Schetagne (Golf-Tonus PTMT), Valérie Tanguay (Vallée du Richelieu), and Noémie Paré (Victoriaville), are in the line-up for this second edition of the Machinex Open.

The tournament will resume Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. on the fairways of Club de golf Laurier. Access to the event is free for spectators and it is also possible to follow all the action live on Golf Zoogle's YouTube platform.

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:

Éric Couture, Competition Director
514 252-3345, exté 3394; Cell.: 514 269-3054 – ecouture@golfquebec.org

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