A second chance was what Bob Skanes needed.
The long-time Gander golfer finished the final round of the Molson Provincial Golf Championships last Thursday at the Gander Golf Club with a 206 — the same as former Gander Golf Club member Frank Sullivan. The two friendly rivals had to go head-to-head in a playoff to determine who would get the fourth and final spot on the provincial senior team. It took three playoff holes to do it, but when the two golfers walked off the 18th green — the third playoff hole — Skanes had made the provincial team.
“We played against each other for 30 years, probably. He’s won our invitational, and I’ve won it three times, and there’s some very friendly rivalry there,” said Skanes.
Skanes’ final putt on 18 was a lengthy one, and he took his time reading it. Even after he thought he had the angles read, he went back again to make sure he had a good idea of the slope.
“I thought I had a pretty good read on it when I first looked at it, but I just wanted to make sure my read was right,” he said. “I knew I just had to hit it hard enough to get it in, and it just barely made the cup. It’s amazing how slow the greens got with all the water.”
Skanes entered the final day of competition in sixth, and had to surpass two other golfers to crack the provincial team. However, conditions were less than ideal as strong winds and rain delayed the start of the round, which was eventually cut down to nine holes from 18. Skanes had an idea of what he had to do to make a run at the provincial team, but thought all hope was gone when he entered the clubhouse and saw the scores.
“In these adverse conditions, I thought I would have to shoot a 39. I had a good feeling that we were only going to play nine holes, and thought if I could shoot a 39, I would have an outside chance at making the team,” he said. “I shot a 43, knew I had passed one golfer that I needed to pass, but the other person I needed to pass shot a 42, so I thought I was out of it. I never thought in a million years that Frank would have shot a 49…it’s just unheard of. It was pure luck, and I think my stars are aligned for this year.”
“It was pure luck, and I think my stars are aligned for this year.” - Bob Skanes
Although ecstatic to make the team, Skanes knows if not for a few errand shots, a playoff hole would not have been necessary. After landing in the tall grass on 18 on the opening day of the event, it took Skanes four tries to get out. He also hit the ball over the number five green, which landed out of bounds.
“I donated way too many shots to the golf course.”
Also making a provincial team was Gander’s Dale O’Brien. Her 183 tied her for third in the women’s senior division, and good enough to grant her a spot on the provincial team — a first for O’Brien.
“It was a great week,” said O’Brien after her weather-shortened round on Friday. “I’ve been back to Newfoundland for 10 years, and this is my seventh provincial tournament.”
O’Brien needed to call on all of her experience very early in the tournament, as a couple of penalty strokes and missed putts resulted in an opening-day score of 99.
“I shot the round of my life on the second day, an 84,” said O’Brien. “You have to put that bad score behind you. Even on the second day, I had to take what they call two pars (an eight) on one of the par fours. There weren’t enough holes left to make up for it, so my aim on Wednesday was to drop by 10, but I dropped by 15.”
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