By Dan Marshall

VIU hosts PACWEST provincial golf tournament

Oct 4, 2018 | 11:59 PM

NANAIMO — The very short PACWEST golf season comes to an end this weekend with the VIU Mariners hosting the provincial championship.
 
The tournament at the Nanaimo Golf Club which runs Friday to Sunday will have 36 competitors in the field.
 
That includes 30 players in the men’s draw and six on the women’s side.
 
The men’s teams include the UFV Cascades, UBCO Heat, Camosun Chargers, Langara Falcons and the Douglas Royals.
 
The host Mariners will have five players in the draw as well.
 
On the women’s side there will be three players from VIU and three from UBCO.

In the past the PACWEST has held four tournaments with an aggregate score determining who would get a berth in the CCAA Nationals.
 
In 2018 there were three September tournaments and VIU has been awarded the provincial championship.
 
The top two men’s teams and the top women’s team will earn a earn a spot in the nationals from the three day event.
 
There are some potential wild card spots up for grabs as well.
 
The CCAA Nationals are in Medicine Hat from October 16-19.
 
Women’s coach Kevin Oates likes the new format better than the old aggregate system.
 
“It gives us an opportunity to strive towards something and have a goal and say we want to be ready for this weekend and show our best. But we can use the first tournaments to practice, to be better, and have coaching opportunities,” said Oates.  
 
The first three tournaments of the year were two round events, but with so much at stake for provincials it’s expanded to three rounds.
 
The Mariners men are fourth in the team standings after the first three tournament and the women are second.
 
VIU’s Wyatt Brook is the top ranked men’s player entering the tournament.  
 
He has the lowest combined score through the first three events and won the tournament in the Okanagan on the September 15-16 weekend.
 
Brook says the best moment of his season came at that performance in the Okanagan.

“My season highlight was a career low 64 at The Bear,” said Brook.

The Kamloops native has built of a fantastic first season in the PACWEST.

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He finished fifth in the PACWEST in 2017 and 21st at the CCAA Nationals. 
 
Victoria Ross is fourth in the women’s rankings and the second year golfer is looking forward to competing at provincials on here on VIU’s home course.

“That’s really the one that counts to see who goes to nationals. It will be a little bit stressful for those three days but I’m super excited and I think it’s awesome to have it in our hometown,” said Ross.

The weather is looking good for Saturday but there’s a mix of of clouds and showers in the forecast for Friday and Sunday.

VIU men’s coach Mike Hrabowych says conditions have been good for the other three PACWEST tournaments and he hopes that continues for this event.

“I’m hoping that the weather holds off.  I’m hoping that we’re not going to get any storminess or rain or wind and we want that sunshine to continue on,” said Hrabowych.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77