A back-and-forth battle saw Elmira’s Garrett Rank finish in second place at last week’s Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, held at Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill, Ont.
With a strong lead after the opening round, Rank carded a five-under 66, staying focused to ensure his leading position. In the first round, Rank made six birdies and overcame a one-stroke penalty that he received for hitting the ball out of bounds.
In round two, Charles Fitzsimmons of London, Ont., took over the leading position with Rank following closely behind. With three birdies and two bogeys, Rank fell behind to third place.
“It was a good week. Really struggled on the greens, they were really firm and fast. I couldn’t really get my speed down, so I had a bunch of three-putts,” Rank said.
The third round was filled with a lot of ups and downs for Rank as he carded a double-bogey at the first hole but things turned around with an eagle by the 16th.
Joseph Deraney of Belden, MS., began the final round tied in lead with Rank, making every move more crucial to both players. The first half of the final round was led by Rank with a birdie on holes five and six, whereas Deraney fell behind with a bogey on those same holes.
Despite Rank’s ongoing lead throughout the tournament, it wasn’t enough to claim the championship.
“I wasn’t trying to be a first-time winner, I went there with a goal of trying to win to get into the Canadian Open and ultimately I just didn’t play well enough the last couple of rounds,” Rank explained.
Joining Rank on the green this year was his brother Kyle Rank, who competed in his first-ever Mid-Amateur Championship, but didn’t make it to the final rounds.
“It was neat to play a practice round together. We’ve played a lot of golf together in the past, so it was neat to see him out there and competing as well,” Rank said of his brother’s attendance.
The 31-year-old is a past champion of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur, having won three years in row from 2014 to 2016. In the other years, he claimed spots in the top three and this year he fell short, landing in second spot.
Earlier in August, Rank became the first Canadian in 42 years since Jim Nelford to win the prestigious Western Amateur Championship.
In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, as the 2019 champion, Deraney receives a spot at next summer’s 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
