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Back-to-back Sask Am’s has a nice Ring to it

Jul 27, 2015 | 6:59 AM

Prince Albert’s Martin Ring has been in a ton of Golf Saskatchewan Amateur Men’s Championship tournaments, but next week’s tournament in Estevan is the first he’ll enter as the defending champion.

Last year, Ring won his first Sask Amateur tournament on his home course of Cooke Municipal Golf Course, a memory he’ll hold dear forever.

“It was a thrill, it was really was,” said Ring. “It was something I’ve obviously strived to try and win that event for a number of different years. To finally do it and to do it on my home course with friends, family, my son (Trevor) on the bag as a caddy, it’s still something I think back on and think ‘wow, what a terrific week it was.’

“There’s such good competition, there’s so many good players out there and to think about at the end that I was the one that came out on top, it’s pretty special.”

He’s hoping to repeat as champion on the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course in Estevan from Monday to Thursday.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, I’m looking forward to the experience. I love playing in these events,” said Ring. “To go into it as the defending champion is new, but I’m just looking forward to it.

“I want to play the best that I can and we’ll see what happens in the end.”

When Ring won the Sask Am’s in 2014, it was the fourth time a golfer from Prince Albert had secured the championship since 2007. Dave Stewart has two titles in that time frame, and Ron Stewart has one in that span (three in all for him).

Ring isn’t the only P.A. golfer with some pedigree heading into the tournament as Danny Klughart, Brett Henry and Cory Sawchuk are all entered, as is Duck Lake’s Harris Cameron.

“Cooke is a pretty special place in the fact that we seem to have an extremely competitive golf club,” said Ring. “Whether it’s the men’s club or whether it’s the junior program, the whole thing seems to bode well for all the competitive players.”

The first round begins on Monday at 7 a.m. A champion will be crowned around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea