OCTOBER 1, 2019
VANCOUVER, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – Salimah Mussani hasn’t played much golf this season, but you wouldn’t know it the way the Riverway Golf Course Professional performed in the opening 18 holes of the PGA of BC Women’s Championship presented by Dexim Golfwear.
Mussani’s first round saw her accumulate 38 par points in the stableford-scoring format, giving her a four-point lead over the field with the final round set for Wednesday. Christine Wong (Langara College) sits in second place with 34 points, while defending champion Ashley Zibrik (Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club) and three-time winner Jennifer Greggain (Chilliwack Golf Club) share third place with 33 points.
Under the stableford format, players earn one point for a bogey, two for a par, three points for a birdie, and so on.
A winner of the Women’s Championship title in 2014, Mussani recorded three birdies and a single bogey despite limited playing time in 2019 due to illness.
“I’ve played about 3 ½ rounds of golf this year, so there were just a lot of demons,” said Mussani, who has dealt with a bout of bronchitis for much of the summer. “I putted well. I didn’t keep it in play but I got myself out of trouble. Two big holes I hit it into trouble and made par. Those were the glue holes that held the round together.”
The 40-year-old said she tried to keep as many of her approaches below the hole as possible to get aggressive on her birdie attempts Tuesday. She’ll hope to find similar success Wednesday as she tries to become a two-time champion of the event.
“That would be awesome,” she said. “It’s not the be-all end-all, but it would be a wonderful honour. We’ll see. Tomorrow is a long day.”
Wong, meanwhile, said she had a solid day of ball-striking but will need to be sharper with her putter Wednesday to track down Mussani.
“The greens are a work in progress for me. I need to figure out the speed,” said Wong, who placed fourth in last year’s tournament. She added that she expects to be in her element for the final 18 holes after Tuesday’s round held in conjunction with the fifth annual Point Grey Ladies Pro-Am.
“I can truly focus on my game for tomorrow and I think I’ll be up there,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ll try to keep the positive spirit.”
Wong has had an excellent season of competition, including contending for the overall title at the Vancouver Open, and earning a spot on Canada’s team for the inaugural PGA Women’s Cup that will take place later this month in Texas. She’d love to add her first PGA of BC Women’s Championship title to her list of 2019 accomplishments.
“It would mean a lot,” she said. “Whatever happens, happens.”
Mussani and Wong will play alongside Greggain in Wednesday’s final group, while Zibrik will play in the penultimate group with Point Grey’s own Kat Kennedy (31 points) and fellow Shaughnessy Professional Michelle Waters (28 points).
Click here to view Round 1 scoring. Click here to access the Round 2 draw.
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In 1989 Canadian company Dexim Sportswear entered the field of women’s apparel, creating and tailoring garments achieving a mix of performance and style. Now known as Dexim Golfwear, its lines are recognizable by their sporty cut, casual and chic, and for keeping ahead of the curve in golf fashion. Over the years, the Dexim Golfwear collection has proudly distinguished itself from its competitors through the use of high-quality fabrics that are both durable and reliable. Dexim Golfwear’s collections are conceived, designed and manufactured entirely in Canada and at competitive prices defying import. Today, Dexim’s offerings are distributed through more than 400 stores, golf shops and other renowned boutiques specializing in sports across Canada. For more information, please visit deximgolfwear.com.
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For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Eric MacKenzie
Communications & Marketing Manager, PGA of BC
(778) 995-3331
eric@pgabc.org