Cam Burke wins Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur

Brooks Lancaster (left) and Cam Burke (Golf Canada photo)

After shooting 7-under-par 63 in the second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur, Cam Burke never looked back.

Burke secured the 2024 championship with a dominant performance at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club, finishing the tournament at 14 under par for a nine-stroke win.

Burke’s impressive final round of 3-under 67 was more than enough to secure a nine-stroke victory.

He began the final day at the top of the leaderboard but faced an early challenge with a bogey on the par-4 fourth hole. He stayed on the ball, however, and made four birdies, two bogeys and an eagle over the rest of the round. He shot holes 5, 6 and 7 at 4 under par, pulling away from the field and recovering from the early bogey.

“It feels great,” Burke told Golf Canada after the round. “Obviously, that’s what you try to do every time you go to one of these events, and I didn’t set my sights too high, if you know what I mean.

Burke added, “I’ve been trying to stay in the moment and just focus on what I’m doing right now, but now that it’s over, it definitely feels pretty cool. Again, I just don’t know, my parents have been watching my dog ​​all week, so I kind of miss him, so I’ll probably just go back there tonight and pick him up, and my friends and family will probably want to get together for something this weekend, but nothing’s planned yet.”

David Lang and Kyle Gordon were tied for second at 5 under par at the start of the day. Both played well, with Lang shooting 3 under par 67 and Gordon 2 under par 68 in the final round, but neither could challenge Burke’s lead.

Burke, 37, was born in Kitchener, Ontario. After studying at Eastern Michigan University, he won a title on the eGolf Tour (over Harold Varner III) and earned his Web.com Tour card in 2014. He had little success on that tour and was unable to keep his card, so he returned to amateur play through reinstatement.

Brooks Lancaster won the Mid-Master division, with Christopher Tayer of Golden, Colorado, taking second. Gary Pike of Victoria, BC, taking third.

Tournament notes

The Carleton Golf and Yacht Club presented the participants with a demanding and fair challenge throughout the tournament. The weather conditions on the last day were ideal for playing golf with mild temperatures and light winds.

Joe Deraney, the 2023 winner and three-time champion, did not return to the field this year to defend his title.

On Wednesday, Team Ontario defended its interprovincial title and captured the Bruce Forbes Trophy for a record 18th time in the competition’s 30-year history. Ontario was represented by Cam Burke, Ben Thompson of Toronto, Ontario, and Charles Fitzsimmons of King, Ontario, who finished with a combined score of 5 under par to beat Team Manitoba by seven strokes.