Upsets and surprises at Idylwylde Invitational

When it comes to the Idylwylde Invitational, there is something to be said for knowing how to get it done.

In a year in which no less than 14 of the 16 qualifiers to the championship flight were searching, as of Saturday morning, for their first-ever tournament crown, it was one of the two previous champions who would emerge with bragging rights come Sunday evening.

Ryan Willoughby, who defeated Frank Kucher in the last match in 2010, this time knocked off Kitchener-Waterloo native Mike Roberts, using a birdie on No. 16 to pull away in the neck-and-neck battle.

A quarter-finalist in 2014 and 2013, and semi-finalist in 2011, Willoughby does not play nearly as much year round as he did after first finishing up his post-secondary studies five years ago. But in a field that mixed some young guns with more seasoned (both on the course and in life) players, Willoughby's experience proved helpful.

He ousted Owen Rigg, a former NCAA golfer from Timmins, in round one, beating Lively men's multi-winner Ian MacDonald in round two, and went 21 holes before eliminating Vaillancourt, his former caddy at this event, in their Sunday morning tête-a-tête.

With the Friday qualifier turning aside the likes of Vince Palladino, Jay Jewett, and Ryan Hagger, match play kept the upsets coming. Friday low-qualifier and Cambridge native Matt Chiasson, who has spent time at Ashford University before transferring to the Stritch Wolves (Wisconsin) for the upcoming 2015-2016 campaign, was taken down by 16th qualifier Jamie Colvin.

Defending champion Kyle Rank defeated Simran Gauthier in round one, but was sent to the sidelines by Roberts later on Saturday, with the latter recording a 3-and-2 win. In remaining quarter-final play, Todd Crowder downed Colvin four and three, before succumbing to Roberts, and Vaillancourt bested Matt Bortolotto of the Idylwylde 2up.

The Friday playoff round, which featured a total of seven golfers who shot 76 vying for five spots, took out local elite junior Ward Kyle. Meanwhile, after surviving Friday’s playoff drama multiple times over the years, Idylwylde grand champion Vince Palladino, who was won the tournament six times, would see an amazing streak of consistency finally come to an end.

Shooting a 77 on day one, Palladino missed advancing to the championship flight for the first time since 1991, excluding three years in the 1990s when he was not available to play in the Idylwylde.

Put into perspective, the longest current stretch now stands at just five years, with Kyle Rank holding the honours, followed by Willoughby and MacDonald at three, and Vaillancourt and Bob Chaperone at two.