Ontario Sr Men’s Golf Amateur Championship held locally

Dave Bunker from the Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway won the Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Golf Championship last week at Pointe West Golf Club in Amherstburg. The tournament concluded July 23.

Over 150 of the finest senior men’s golfers in the province were in Amherstburg last week to see which one was the best.

Pointe West Golf Club hosted the 2026 Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur Championship, a tournament under the Golf Ontario umbrella. 

When all was said and done, Dave Bunker from the Cherry Hill Club won the title with a three-day total of 216. Three strokes back in second place were three golfers including last year’s champion Ashley Chinner (Coppinwood Golf Club), Dan Keogh (Toronto Golf Club) and David Kaufman (Beacon Hill Golf Club).

“It’s a great golf course,” said Bunker. “I really enjoy playing golf here.”

Bunker said it was his third time winning the Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur Championship, also having taken the crown in 2020 and 2024. He added he had a rough start to the tournament but played better the second day and did well on the third and final day.

“No one went low today, so that was good,” he said last Thursday. 

Bunker said he is proud to be the champion once again, adding he simply enjoys playing well.

Overall champion Dave Bunker (front row, centre) along with 65-and-over champion Robert Gibson (front row, left) and 70-and-over champion Kelly Roberts (front row, right) pose with the green-shirted volunteers at the conclusion of the Ontario Senior Men’s Amateur Golf Championship on the 18th green at Pointe West Golf Club in Amherstburg.

There were 156 golfers from across the province taking part in the tournament, said Rick Schmidtgall, director of golf at Pointe West.

“It’s very prestigious,” said Schmidtgall. “It’s our third major championship in the last eight years.”

The 91st annual Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur Championship joined other Golf Ontario tournaments held in recent years, the others being held in 2019 and 2021.

“There were nine qualifying sites throughout all of Ontario,” Schmidtgall explained, with one of them being at Roseland Golf Club in Windsor in June.

The Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur Championship was held July 21-23 with Magnus Tillman, John Zdonek, Mike Boston, James Morgan, Brad Courtney and John Saffran representing Pointe West. Schmidtgall said they had bad conditions to play on the first day as it was very windy but conditions improved as the week went on. 

Being able to host the Ontario Men’s Senior Amateur Championship was something Pointe West had been trying to do for seven years.

“We finally got the event awarded to us,” said Schmidtgall.

Schmidtgall thanked the organizing committee and all of the volunteers, the latter headed by Patty Marcus, for their efforts.

“We’re just happy everything went well,” said Schmidtgall. 

Kyle McFarlane, CEO of Golf Ontario, called Pointe West “an amazing venue” and said they were treated well at the venue. He noted the event dates back to 1936 and that there have been great champions along the way. 

McFarlane added it was his first trip to Pointe West.

“It will not be my last,” he said.

McFarlane joined others in thanking the volunteers.

“We would not be able to pull off events like these without the host club volunteers,” he said. 

Robert Gibson of the Cedar Brae Golf Club took top honours in the 65-and-over age division while Kelly Roberts of the London Hunt and Country Club captured first place in the 70-and-over division.

Ontario Sr Men’s Golf Amateur Championship held locally

By Ron Giofu