KOMOKA, Ont. - When asked about the biggest challenge he faced during his first round at the Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO, Matthew Whitehead needed a second to reflect. The truth is anyone who watched him play on Tuesday would have guessed the 6,279 yard, par 72 course at FireRock Golf Club presented barely any challenge at all to the Golden Hawks rookie.
"Definitely the atmosphere of all the teams from all over the place" was his answer. "It's a bit intimidating, but I feel like I handled myself well."
Of the 105 golfers who teed off in the men's competition, Whitehead finished tied for fourteenth at one over par. All this in his first ever appearance at the tournament.
High-level golf on a national stage is something Whitehead will be very accustomed to by the end of the week, however. On Sunday, he'll compete in the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier, hoping to earn a spot in the PGA Tour event.
For now, Whitehead says he's taking it one round at a time. "It's definitely going to be a long week of golf, but I'm really excited for it and I feel I'm prepared for this."
Tuesday marked a good start. Whitehead began the morning with a birdie and continued to play strong through the day as the temperature rose to a stifling high of 30 degrees celsius. Crucially, he escaped a particularly tough stretch of four holes – 10 through 13 – with just two bogeys and a birdie for good measure.
Teammate Jonathan Cramton was right behind Whitehead at +2, while Julian Crupi, Conor Gaudet, and Aaron Petro all posted scores of +6. Laurier finished the day tied for sixth place among the 20 men's teams competing.
Going forward, Whitehead said the key to success for the team will be "staying focused throughout the whole round."
"It's kind of hard to stay focused when it's hot and humid like this, but we can play all play 18 good holes."
Laurier's women's team also featured a first-time competitor at the national championships playing solid golf on day one. Second year student-athlete Kristi Godkin sat tied for 17th at +3 through her first nine holes.
That same stretch to begin the back nine hurt her score somewhat, but with a round under her belt Godkin is looking forward to taking what she's learned into the next rounds.
"[It's about] keeping my patience and trusting that the puts will drop. I had lots of lip outs so that was kind of frustrating."
Godkin's play is made all the more impressive when you consider the fact she's only been golfing for three years.
"I was playing hockey and then COVID kind of shut that down, so then I switched to golf and played with my dad."
When it became clear Godkin had a real talent for the sport, she reached out to Golden Hawks head coach Jeff Colley to ask about joining the team. "He kind of took a chance on me, so I'm really appreciative of him for that."
Colley says Godkin's been improving at a staggering rate since joining the team, and now the results of her hard work are on display on the biggest stage in Canadian university golf.
Teammate Lauren Bevan was the low scorer for the Golden Hawks. Her +2 finish placed her in a tie for sixth overall on the individual leaderboard. Laurier currently sits tied for ninth as a team.
Round One Results:
MEN
TEAM:
6. Laurier 303 (+9)
INDIVIDUAL:
T14.
Matthew Whitehead 73 (+1), T24.
Jonathan Cramton 74 (+2), T52.
Aaron Petro 78 (+6), T52.
Julian Crupi 78 (+6), T 52.
Conor Gaudet 78 (+6)
WOMEN
TEAM:
T9. Laurier 254 (+35)
INDIVIDUAL:
T6. Lauren Bevan 75 (+2), T33. Kristi Godkin 87 (+14), T41. Vanessa Lin 92 (+19), 46. Sam Zulian 94 (+21)
Round Two Tee Times:
WOMEN
Kristi Godkin - 7:30 am
Lauren Bevan - 7:40 am
Sam Zulian - 7:50 am
Vanessa Lin - 8:00 am
MEN
Aaron Petro - 1:20 pm
Matthew Whitehead - 1:30 pm
Julian Crupi - 1:40 pm
Conor Gaudet - 1:50 pm
Jonathan Cramton - 2:00 pm
Follow Golden Hawks social at @WLUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram for tournament coverage.
