Top Falcon flies East for golf nationals

Reported by Soubhik Chakrabarti

John Jamieson will end his season as the only Falcons player at the 2019 CCAA Golf National Championships. Natalee Okamura became the first Langara female golfer in the PACWEST league this year but didn’t qualify for nationals. 

It will mark Jamieson’s second appearance at the prestigious tournament, and he comes off a recent success of having won the PACWEST Golf All-Stars award at the beginning of October. 

High hopes

Jamieson said he hopes to finish in the top half at nationals.

“I am working on my short games, especially chipping and putting,” said Jamieson, a second-year marketing management student.

Jake McCallum, the director of athletics and intramurals at Langara, said that John has been an asset to the team. 

“He has performed really well. These tournaments need you to have focus and concentration, as you have to come up on top every day,” said McCallum, adding that Jamieson has been doing that perfectly. 

Falcons looking to add on depth for golf team

Okamura and Jamieson are aiming to make golf more popular among students.

“The season is short, so it won’t interfere with your schoolwork,” Okamura said. “There is no reason not to join.”

Jamieson said the team was in good shape though depth was always a challenge at Langara.

“The issue is that of eligibility, as players graduate, they aren’t able to play,” he said, but lauded Christine Wong, the Falcons’ golf coach. “We have around five players in the team now, and with our coach, it’s in good hands.”

Okamura said the PACWEST league was the highest level she had ever played.

“I have played a few club tournaments before, but not a major one as this,” she said, adding that it had come as a surprise to her that was the first-ever women’s Falcons golfer to play in the PACWEST league. 

On the lack of female players, McCallum said, “It’s what I and Christine have been working on, and are looking at ways to gain more engagement.”