Martin Plante Claims First National Title After Dramatic Playoff at PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada presented by GOLFTEC
BROMONT, Que. — It was far from a conventional finish, but for Martin Plante, the result was everything he had hoped for.
After weather wreaked havoc on the PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada presented by GOLFTEC, Plante emerged victorious following a three-hole playoff against Alan McLean, capturing his first PGA of Canada National Championship.
What was originally scheduled as a 54-hole championship was reduced to a single official round after severe weather washed out competition throughout the week at Club de Golf Vieux Village.
Thursday's second round was completely cancelled due to storms, and after players were called off the course for several hours on Friday, play briefly resumed before heavy rain once again forced officials to suspend competition. With no opportunity to complete another official round, Wednesday's opening scores stood as the final championship results.
That left Plante and McLean tied atop the leaderboard with 42 Stableford points after matching rounds of 66.
With much of the golf course saturated, the 10th hole was one of the few holes dry enough to host a playoff. The pair exchanged pars on the first two extra holes, with McLean nearly ending the championship on the second playoff hole after a remarkable greenside bunker shot that narrowly missed finding the bottom of the cup.
"I think Alan almost holed out from the bunker there—that was scary a little bit," said the Balmoral Club De Golf Head Pro. "The sand was so wet and everything. That was an amazing shot."
The championship was decided on the third playoff hole when McLean found the penalty area off the tee. Plante stayed patient, hitting his approach from the rough to approximately 35 feet before calmly two-putting for the victory.
"When I saw that ball drop in the hole for the win, I thought I might not be able to speak after," said Plante. "But I'm okay now."
Despite the unusual circumstances, Plante remained composed throughout a week filled with uncertainty.
"It's just one shot at a time," he said. "It's really difficult in those conditions, but we were looking at the radar, and it didn't look good at all. I think it was a good decision. Only one round counted, obviously it's not the same as a three-round event, but at least the one round I played was really, really good."
The victory carries special significance for Plante, who now joins a distinguished list of champions in one of the PGA of Canada's most historic championships.
"I really like the history of golf," said Plante. "When I think about this tournament, I think about names like Moe Norman. It's just unreal. I'm going to take a good look at all the names on that trophy."
The win was also a memorable moment for Quebec golf, with Sylvie Schetagne finishing tied for third alongside Marc Hurtubise. After Plante secured the win, Schetagne greeted him on the green with his partner, Valerie, on FaceTime.
"That was really special," said Plante.
Schetagne and Hurtubise finished one point behind the leaders at 41 Stableford points. Hurtubise also successfully defended the Super Senior Championship, earning the age 60-and-over title for the third-consecutive year.
In addition to his Super Senior victory, Hurtubise shared top honours in the season's second Birdie Juice Birdie Race with McLean. Both players recorded seven birdies during Wednesday's opening round to claim their share of a $250 prize.
While the championship may not have unfolded as anyone envisioned, Plante's name will forever be etched alongside some of the most accomplished players in PGA of Canada history.