Stewart leads Griffins into ACAC Golf Championship at Red Tail Landing

Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – All momentum needs a place to start – a single-defining moment when the gear shift is rammed into fifth.

For Elizabeth Stewart, that came on the final weekend of August when she broke through to win the Royal Mayfair Golf Club's women's club championship for the first time. She bested national-level senior player Linda Morris with rounds of 85 and 79.

"I've always kind of been nipping at her heels the last few years," said Stewart, who credits Royal Mayfair teaching pro Mike Belbin's instruction as key to her summer success. "My game was at the place this year to take home the trophy."

What that also did was propel the MacEwan Griffins golfer forward into what's been a record-setting season for her in this, her final Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference golf season.

So far, she's tied the mark for the lowest round in program history with a 78 in the North Regional, then shattered it last Sunday with a 2-over 74 at Medicine Hat's Desert Blume GC to win the ACAC South Regional.

"It was a big deal for me to be able to put down such a good score, also in a tournament setting," she said of the lowest round she's ever shot. "Usually you're a couple strokes higher in a tournament. So it was really exciting to have that title, along with my lowest score."

The fifth-year player would dearly love to add a victory in this weekend's ACAC Championship at Red Tail Landing GC.

MacEwan University will host the two-round tournament on Saturday and Sunday as 52 players from six different collegiate golf teams across Alberta hit the links-style track next to the Edmonton International Airport.

"Individually, obviously it would be nice to go out with a win or an All-Canadian status," said Stewart, who last won the ACAC Championship in 2015.

"As a team, most importantly we have a great group of girls this year. All four of us get along really well. We've been bonding at all of our away tournaments so far.

"Not only is it my last year, but it's Daniela (Donnelly's) last year, as well," she added. "We've been through lots of success and obviously a disappointing last year that both of us would love to finish on a strong note … be able to walk away and say we're very proud of how this last season went. It will be a big weekend for us as a team to make sure we can get that trophy back to MacEwan."

Things are certainly trending in the right direction. A year after MacEwan's women's team finished as the runner-up to Medicine Hat College in every event, they've been in the driver's seat, winning both regional events so far. Stewart and Donnelly have been joined by newcomer Hailey Turcotte – who finished tied for second in the ACAC North Regional – while Rachel Wiebe has shown dramatic improvement over last season, finishing tied for eighth in both tourneys so far.

The top two scores out of Stewart, Donnelly and Turcotte's rounds will count to MacEwan's team total this weekend.

"If there's been anything we've seen this year, it's (Elizabeth's and Daniela's) motivation to really try to raise the bar this year because it's their last year of ACAC competition," said Griffins coach Jodi Campbell. "They worked really hard over the summertime in preparation for our season. I think we talked earlier about seeing some momentum coming into the year. They're playing really well."

The Griffins are the defending team champions on the men's side of the draw, but will undoubtedly be in a dogfight this time. Defending champion Barrett Belland and fellow standout Brett Hawken have graduated, leaving a retooling year for MacEwan. Even still, they've proven to be right up there among the ACAC's best, winning the team title at the ACAC North Regional before coming second last weekend in Medicine Hat.

Led by 2016 ACAC Championship runner-up Josh Gorieu, the Griffins will be gunning for a repeat this weekend. The top four rounds each day out of team members Gorieu, Christian Solkowski, Noah Lubberding, Justin Berget and Zac Yurick will count towards MacEwan's team total.

"There's no question our goals at the beginning of the season are to obviously see that success in the ACAC and win the championships this weekend," said Campbell.

"I guess our program over the years has developed to the point where it's not out of the ordinary for us to be able to go after both the men's and women's titles. In many ways, it's become the standard," he continued. "It doesn't mean it doesn't come with a lot of hard work.

"I would expect both the men's and women's teams to be at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday." 

2017 ACAC Championship

Round 1 Tee Times

Saturday at Red Tail Landing Golf Club 

Competing teams: (GMU – MacEwan University; MHC – Medicine Hat College; RDC – Red Deer College; UAA – Ualberta-Augustana; CUE – Concordia University; PC – Portage College)