The 2020 Ryder Cup – the Sudbury version, anyways – was completely anti-climatic, with a number of matches on a rainy Sunday afternoon not even required to crown a champion.
The 2021 edition was much closer, though the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club would still comfortably make it four straight championships to their name.
The 2022 affair, completed last Sunday at the home of the reigning champs, was downright wild; with teammates tackling mathematical acrobatics after their matches were done, looking to determine their odds as the tail-end of the lineup made their way in.
In fact, with Ward Kyle (Idylwylde) and Jay Jewett (Timberwolf) strolling up the eighteenth fairway all squared in the final pairing of the day still on the course, folks were still double checking the numbers.
For the record, the Lively Golf Club eight, who started the day in third place with three and a half points, had already assured themselves no worse than a playoff berth, a day three rally bumping them all the way up to nine (points). Leaders heading into Sunday with 4.5 points, the Idylwylde were at eight, needing Kyle to defeat Jewett on the very last hole of the event to force a playoff.
Sitting solidly in second with four points after the opening two days, the Timberwolf Golf Club side had added only another deuce to their total, with a Jewett victory still leaving them in third. As such, it was the Lively crew which exploded with an enthusiastic roar as their Timberwolf counterpart split the hole with Kyle, allowing captains Brian Caeser and Max Kallio and company to celebrate their first victory since 2017.
A native of Lively who moved south years ago, working for Golf Ontario for some 18 years or so before returning north, Marcus Strom was among the five head to head Sunday winners from the championship crew, joining Brian Caeser, Jean-Luc Lacelle, Alex Watier and Chase Chatwell, with Max Kallio earning the half.
“I came back and played with the best group of guys that you can play with,” said Strom, who edged Jason Picco of the Idylwylde one up on day three. “This is the first time I’ve played and I was just happy to be part of the experience.”
A come from behind win is always nice. To do so by overtaking the four time champs, a team closing out play on their home course, is likely even more special.
“This course is tough and today was a grind,” said Strom. “I don’t think that there was any doubt that we could do it. It’s their home course, but the wind really helped us. Tough conditions equalized the field.”
Throw in some exceptional putting as the foursome that also included Jean-Luc Lacelle and his opponent, Cory Vaillancourt, were busy conducting a clinic on the one-upmanship of incredible putts throughout the day.
“All I was thinking was get in on the green and make a putt,” suggested Strom. “I made a few putts today which were a huge difference. You can’t let up for literally a second or you will be on the wrong side of it.”
Rounding out the Ryder Cup winning team were Justin Karcz and Carson Frattini.
And while long-time Idylwylde representative Jordan Lund was disappointed to come ever so close only to fall short, the truth is that in this particular event, he could only get so upset. “It used to be more about the competition,” said Lund, who actually picked up all three points on a very good weekend for the 37 year old team veteran.
“Now, it’s about playing good golf and enjoying your friends out here in a good city with good weather. We have something special now. I am so happy for these guys (the Lively team),” Lund added. “There’s not a single one of them that I am not happy for. They deserve this.”
Along with the likes of Brian McGarry and Jay Jewett and Matt Bortolotto and Kallio and Caeser, Lund is among the group that can truly appreciate the transition in the atmosphere that is the (Sudbury) Ryder Cup.
“I love to be able to carryover what the Tom Clark’s and the Brent Hatton’s and others have created,” he said. “They know that we love the game and the camaraderie so much.”
And despite closing off a three day stretch of victories that was capped off with a 2 and 1 win over Carson Frattini, Lund tries not to take any of this for granted. “I keep thinking this will be my last Ryder Cup,” he suggested with a smile. “I’m old and these guys are good; these young kids are really good.”
With the experience, however, comes the ability to share words of wisdom from the links.
“As long as you have a good attitude, you will play good golf,” Lund insisted. “When I am in a grumpy mood, if I have a bad day at work, it won’t be a good day on the golf course. This is all about having a good positive vibe.”
It most certainly was, my friend; it most certainly was.
