Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Typically, MacEwan golf coach Jodi Campbell's off-season recruiting plan sticks to a script of building a relationship with incoming players long before August tryouts.
That doesn't mean there isn't a little improvisation now and then.
Occasionally, a player just walks on, attends tryouts and becomes a factor for the Griffins.
In fact, Tanner Fermaniuk did just that in 2010.
"Whenever I think of walk-ons, I think of Tanner," said Campbell. "His first year he played over at the U of A and ended up transferring to MacEwan. He was very much off my radar as part of my recruiting process, but he ended up joining the team and having a fantastic year with us – ended up having a great career with our team."
One of the greatest ever by a Griffin. Fermaniuk holds the record for the two lowest rounds shot by a MacEwan golfer in a competitive round – firing a pair of 65s during the 2010 season, including one during the opening round of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association championship.
So, with his example at the fore, Campbell is encouraging walk-ons to join the Griffins' 2019 tryouts – Aug. 24 at Red Tail Landing (1 p.m.) and Aug. 25 at the Highlands GCC (2:30 p.m.).
It appears there will be three spots up for grabs on the men's team as Campbell looks to fill out an eight-member squad that includes returners Justin Berget, Noah Lubberding, Reid Woodman, James Robillard and Jarrett Bossert.
"We'll be looking for those five guys to lead the way, but it's a great opportunity for new players to come in and join the team and help us down the road," said Campbell. "I'm looking forward to seeing who a really good fit with those five guys might be."
On the women's side, Jordan Hoyda and Skyler Thompson return, leaving at least two open spots on the squad. Contrary to last season where finding enough female players to field a team was a tall order – (MacEwan went with three in 2018) – Campbell has lots of interest this time.
"We have a few new players to look at and I'm really optimistic," he said. "Obviously there was a lot of effort that went in connecting with young players and promoting the team. The fact that we've found a number of women who want to come in and play tournament golf, I'm just thrilled."
The tryout process will include two rounds. Obviously, shooting low is important, but it won't be the only metric Campbell and assistant coach Alan Riley look at.
"There's no doubt we're looking for a number of different factors during the selection tryout," said Campbell. "We're looking to, first of all, gain an understanding of everybody's skill level. Score definitely contributes to that. But the other big piece for me is the ability to look for athletes who are the right fit in a team environment while playing golf, which is unique for a lot of players."
Anyone interested in trying out is asked to contact Campbell first at campbellJ22@macewan.ca or 780-886-3393 to be included in the Aug. 24-25 tee time draw.
