Locke won the Nova Scotia senior men’s title in August at his home club in Truro to earn the right to compete at the 72-hole national championship Sept. 11 to 14 at Kanawaki Golf Club near Montreal.
“It’s a real honour to represent the club and the province,” said Locke, 61, a Brookfield resident.
Locke is no stranger to competing at the national level. As a member of Brookfield Elks men’s fastpitch teams, he attended nine Canadian championships, winning gold in 1980.
Next week’s event will be his first national golf tournament.
“My goals are pretty modest,” he said. “This will be the best of all the seniors across the country so I feel like if I ever made the cut that would be a pretty big achievement.”
During last month’s provincial event Locke’s game was rock solid. He carded scores of 73-74-71 at the 6,113-yard Truro layout to finish at 5-over-par 218 for a five-stroke victory. Clubmate Nelson Thompson was second.
Locke credits friend and fellow Truro golfer Paul Coulson, who caddied for him during the final 36 holes, for his role in helping him win his first provincial golf title.
“Without having him on the bag it would have been very difficult to win,” he said. “He has a very calming effect, he knows my game…so a lot of credit can go to him. When things went awry or a little bit off kilter he was very calming.”
Locke’s 3-over 74 during the second round tied for low score of the day. During the final round, he was 2-under through 14 and finished at even par.
“Just to be fortunate enough to win a provincial event with the senior field we have in this province, it’s a real honour to just be able to come out on the other side of that, that’s for sure,” he said.
Locke, who has been playing golf for more than 30 years, is a 13-time winner of the men’s club championship in Brookfield. He joined Truro in the fall of 2013, and won this year’s senior men’s division.
“I like the competition,” he said. “You always learn something; I tend to learn a lot more from losing than I do from winning.”
Joining Locke on the Nova Scotia team at next week’s national championship will be Dean Woodman of Avon Valley and Ken-Wo’s Steve Ward.
The team portion of the competition will be held during the first two rounds of the championship.
CHIP SHOTS
What: 72-hole Canadian senior men’s golf championship
Where: 6,497-yard, par-70 Kanawaki Golf Club near Montreal.
When: Sept. 11 to 14
Format: Individual stroke play. Field will be cut after 36 holes.
2016 Champion: Florida’s Michael Mercier
Southern exposure: The champion receives an exemption into the United States Golf Association’s senior amateur.
