courtesy of the Golf
Association of Ontario
Woodstock, ON
- Forest, Ontario’s Matt Hill left the rest of the
field in his wake Friday by firing an overall
14-under par 270 (69-67-69-65) to claim the 2009
Investors Group Ontario Amateur crown. The 20-year
old added yet another title to his impressive
record, finishing seven strokes ahead of his nearest
competitor at Oxford Golf and Country Club at
Craigowan.
Hill, who is currently the world’s number two ranked
amateur golfer, teed up his final round with a
two-stroke lead. By the time Hill made it through
the turn, it was evident that the title was his for
the taking as he ran away from the rest of the
field. Carding seven birdies and a bogey, the former
Ontario Junior Boys’ champion delivered a final
round 65 on the par 71, 6728-yard course to capture
his first Ontario Amateur win.
The North Carolina State University sophomore is
coming off an unmatched collegiate season that saw
him capture eight separate NCAA events, including
the NCAA championship. His performance this year
earned him an invitation to play at Tiger Woods’
AT&T National tournament earlier this month, where
he delivered a strong performance in his first PGA
Tour event.
Despite his impressive list of accomplishments, Hill
considers his victory this week at Oxford to be his
biggest win to date.
“Looking at names on the trophy, this win is really
special,” he said of the list of former champions
that includes his mentor, Mike Weir, and his older
brother Graham. “I’ve been looking forward to
playing this event for a long time, and winning four
years after my brother did really feels amazing.”
Hill’s next stop will be the RBC Canadian Open,
followed by the Canadian Amateur, Four Nations Cup,
and the U.S. Amateur, as well as an appearance at a
Nationwide Tour event.
Second place went to Simon McInnis of Toronto, who
carded a final-round 65 of his own to finish with a
total score of 277 (71-74-67-65). The GAO Public
Player made an impressive charge in the final two
rounds, finishing second in one of the strongest
Ontario Amateur fields in history.
Defending Canadian Amateur champion Cam Burke of New
Hamburg finished in a tie for third place alongside
Courtland’s Brett Cairns. Both golfers carded
identical scores of 278, six-under par.
Hill, McInnis, Burke and Cairns will represent
Ontario as the interprovincial team at next month’s
Canadian Amateur Championship to be held in Quebec.
The Ontario Amateur Championship is restricted to
GAO members carrying an 8.4 handicap factor or less.
Past winners of the event include 2003 Masters
Champion Mike Weir (1990 & 1992), Jon Mills (2001),
and Gary Cowan, who holds the record for the most
Ontario Amateur Championships with nine (’64, ’68,
’71, ’74, ’75, ’77, ’78, ’81 & ’84).
The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank
the staff and members of Oxford Golf & Country Club
at Craigowan for hosting the event during the club’s
100th anniversary celebrations, as well as Investors
Group for their continued support of amateur golf in
Ontario.