Golf Saskatchewan, amateur provincials host confident in coronavirus safety measures

Saskatchewan golfers have been back on the course for nearly two months and soon some of the province’s best players will get their first taste of competition under Golf Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 protocols.

The Legends Golf Club in Warman is set to host the provincial men’s and women’s amateur championships along with the men’s mid-amateur championship in late July. Legends general manager and head professional Davidson Matyczuk is confident in the club’s ability to do so safely.

“There’s still some things that are going to be ironed out before the event but we’ve been living with restrictions and guidelines all season and I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job of it. (So we’ll) just carry on throughout that week as well,” he said.

While golf is already an inherently low-risk sport, additional steps are still being taken to ensure that players, volunteers and officials stay safe.

In addition to the safety measures already in place at the Legends, scorecards and pencils will be sanitized and bagged, players will be responsible for their own snacks and beverages and they are also being encouraged to carry hand sanitizer and masks.

“Just in case we happen to have to clear the golf course and if you’re confined onto a golf cart or into an area you want to make sure that everyone is again at least safe in that measure,” Golf Saskatchewan executive director and CEO Brian Lee said.

One of the more noticeable impacts the coronavirus could have on this year’s championships is on the number of players who choose to take part. The fields may be smaller than usual but Lee still expects a healthy turnout.

“We’re probably expecting a field size anywhere between say 50 and if we get a field size above 75 that would be very positive during this time frame,” he said.

For Matyczuk, it’s another chance to show the top players in the province what the Legends has to offer. The club previously hosted the provincial men’s amateur and junior men’s championships in 2016.

“We were hoping the event would happen, glad it is happening and (from) our membership, we expect probably 20, 30 volunteers each day, which’ll make everything run smoother as well,” he said.

The men’s and women’s championships both tee off on July 21. The 54-hole women’s tournament wraps up on July 23 with the 72-hole men’s championship coming to a close the following day.