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Vaudreuil-Dorion, July 14, 2023 – The Provincial Mid-Amateur Championship, presented in collaboration with belairdirect, was won by Marie-Thérèse Torti and Maxime Darcy, who were both crowned champions in very different circumstances this Friday at the Summerlea Golf and Country Club.

While this was Torti's fifth mid-amateur title (2004, 2007, 2016, 2018 and 2023), Darcy made the most of a strong run to rise up the rankings and finally win his first-ever provincial trophy in a sudden-death playoff.

Initially scheduled for three rounds for both men and women, the event was shortened to 36 holes due to the whims of Mother Nature on Thursday. The golfers therefore completed their tournament on Friday.

After taking control early in the tournament, Torti never really looked back as she cruised to victory. The Club de la Vallée du Richelieu representative finished at +4 (148), five shots ahead of her nearest rival and member of the host club, Hélène Chartrand (153). Suzanne Ricard, from Royal Montreal, finished third at +11 (155).

"My goal this week was to be more aggressive on the course, to trust my momentum. It went really well, and I was able to get ahead quickly. I kept the same attitude throughout the tournament, and I'm really pleased to win," commented the player who posted a second round of -1 (71), thanks to five birdies.

This triumph enabled Torti to join another member of the Québec Golf Hall of Fame, Mary Ann Hayward (Whitlock), at the top of the list of victories at this event. Together, they now have 10 of the 17 titles awarded since the inception of the women's edition of the Provincial Mid-Amateur Championship.

The 60-year-old veteran also had the chance to familiarize herself with the Montréal area course earlier, in July at an Interclubs Championship, when she faced none other than Céleste Dao (Summerlea). It's a completely different ball game, and I can tell you that she had my number," she continued, laughing. It was a great competition and it spurred me on to push myself and find my bearings on the course. I was confident going into this week.

Furthermore, Torti was able to count on a major ally during the three days of activities. At her side was her good friend Francine Daoust (Summerlea), who kindly agreed to act as her caddie for the event.

“Honestly, I wouldn't have done it without her," said the winner. We've been playing together for over 40 years, and she knows me so well that she could always help me with my choices on the course. We have a great bond and that helped me a lot. I owe her one!”

There were 24 women taking part in this year's event, 16 more than last year. "It's good to welcome more girls, especially as we're hoping to relaunch the category by bringing in more youngsters aged between 25 and 30. The conditions were incredible despite the weather, and we had a very good competition. We hope to attract even more players next time," concluded Marie-Thérèse Torti.

Maxime Darcy, Master of the Sudden-Death Playoff

In the men's division, the title was hotly contested, and it was Maxime Darcy who emerged victorious thanks to a spectacular comeback. Three shots behind the leaders at the beginning of the day on Friday, the Summerlea golfer made five birdies on his final back nine to find himself tied for first at -2 (142) with defending champion Corey Eccles (Royal Montreal) and Vincent Mucci (Le Versant).

The threesome then headed into a playoff where the pressure was at its peak. Mucci was the first to succumb, after which his rivals continued the duel. Darcy finally got the better of his opponent on the third extra hole where he made par for the first provincial title of his career.

"It feels great! I've been working towards this for a long time and my efforts have paid off. I took a long break from golf, but I started up again five years ago and I really wanted to perform well this season. I put all my effort into it and I'm proud of the result," said the winner of this 26th edition of the Men's Provincial Mid-Amateur Championship.

"It was a big day, and I never gave up! Everything came together this morning, I believed in myself, and I stayed focused on my goal, even in a playoff where I was a bit more nervous, especially against the defending champion. In the end, it was my willpower that won it for me," he said with a smile before collecting his title.

On the Road to the Canadian Championships

In addition to their respective victories, Marie-Thérèse Torti and Maxime Darcy secured their places among the provincial teams that will represent Québec at the next Canadian Mid-Amateur Championships.

 

Torti will be joined by Hélène Chartrand and Suzanne Ricard at the women's event, to be held at Mad River Golf Club in Creemore, Ontario, on July 25 and 26.

As for Darcy, he will be joined by Corey Eccles and Patrick Godin (Summerlea) for the men's tournament scheduled from August 22 to 25 at the Algonquin Golf Club in St-Andrews, New Brunswick. Godin (+2, 146) earned the place reserved for a golfer aged 40 and over by winning a playoff on Friday against Sébastien Robitaille (Saint-Hyacinthe).

The Golf Québec crew now turns its attention to its upcoming tournaments, starting with the Provincial Women's and Junior Girls' Championships, which will begin on July 17 at Lac St-Joseph for a 3-day competition. Less than 24 hours later, the Boys' Provincial Junior Championship, scheduled for four rounds, will get underway at Ki-8-Eb.

In the meantime, the Québec Open powered by Vidéotron Business in collaboration with Golf Québec is in full swing until Sunday at Golf Château-Bromont!

Many Thanks to Our Partners

In 2023, 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, to develop excellence in golf, and to promote and govern the game of golf. Golf Québec provides discovery and introduction programs such as First Tee – Premier départ Québec as well as core services such as the Rules of Golf, Course Ratings, World Handicap System, and 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

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