Assistant Pro Jason Smith
sets a new course record..........
61
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
On Thursday, September 28th, 2006, while playing in a threesome with head pro
Brent McDuff and greenskeeper Fred Robinson, Assistant Pro Jason Smith fired a
sizzling round of 9 under par 61. (To the best of my knowledge, that is
a new course record.)
The round had many highlights, but most notable was a deuce on hole number 9.
That's right, a double eagle 2 on the par five 9th. I am told that Jason hit a
two iron to the corner of the dogleg, then hit a "choked down" three wood to
the green. Rumour has it that the shot rattled around in the cedar tree
guarding the front left of the green, but got through the tree to find it's way
to the bottom of the cup.
Well done Jason!
And for everyone's information, Jason is buying drinks for anyone and everyone
who is willing to listen to a shot by shot description of the round. This
offer is good until the end of the month!
Old record falls by wayside
From the Abbotsford Times, Sept. 29, 2006
by Jean Konda-Witte - staff reporter
So who is Jason Smith and why is he shattering the course record at Ledgeview?
It was just two short weeks ago that Smith, a former accountant and restaurant
manager turned golf pro, shot a blistering nine-under 61 on the par-70
Abbotsford course, shattering the old record of 62, set by James Lepp in 2004
and the 63 held before that by PGA pro Ray Stewart and Norm Bradley.
"It does feel cool," said Smith, working Sunday at the pro shop as Ledgeview's
newest assistant pro, a job he's held for just two years. With an education in
accounting and business administration, and five years as manager at Earl's
restaurant, Smith's path is an unlikely one for a golf pro still soaking up his
five minutes of fame.
Between glances at the Seahawks football game on the mini TV and helping the
occasional customer, Smith had time to talk about his amazing feat from that
ordinary Thursday afternoon round of golf, with Ledgeview pro Brent MacDuff and
course assistant superintendent Fred Robinson finishing out the threesome. If
you're going to make history, what better way to do it than in the presence of
your boss and his boss.
"It was strange out there during the day," said Smith, remembering in vivid
detail the 18 holes he played on Sept. 28. Things were pretty much routine
until he shot a double eagle on the 459-yard ninth hole.
Driving about 265 yards off the tee, he admitted he 'didn't hit it that good.'
Smith chose a 3-wood for his next shot, a 220-yard uphill strike to the green.
But when he approached the pin, he couldn't see his ball. It was MacDuff who
found the ball, in the hole, for an unbelievable double-eagle two on the par-5
hole. The shot is called an albatross, and is more difficult to make than a
hole-in-one because it is on a much longer hole, Smith explained. He has nailed
three holes-in-one over the last five years, and said they are usually achieved
on a par-3, but this was more difficult.
That rare feat gave Smith an impressive five-under par 31 on the front nine. He
went on to birdie the 13th hole to go eight under, and when he birdied 16, his
nine-under par was now beating the record with two holes left to play.
"Once you realize you've got the record, you start gripping the club different,
tighter," he said. "I just wanted to par out."
On the par-3 17th hole, Smith, undoubtedly getting anxious, almost hit the ball
into the gully. "It's an easy shot. I've hit it a million times," he said. "I
started thinking too much."
But he calmed down for the final 18th hole, a par-5, which he landed pin-high
in two, chipped up and two-putted for par and the new course record.
"After the 18th hole, it was fun," he added with a wide smile that refused to
go away. "I won't forget any of the shots. I remember absolutely everything
about it."
Smith didn't set out to be a golf pro. He started playing with his dad at the
age of 14, but when he attended Yale Secondary almost 20 years ago, they didn't
have a golf team like they do now.
As an athlete in high school playing many different sports, Smith liked golf
because it was an individual sport and he didn't have to rely on fellow team
members. He kept at it over the years, and at age 33 and wanting to change
career paths, he joined the British Columbia PGA's apprentice program to become
a golf pro.
Working at Ledgview Golf and Country Club for two years, Smith has played in 12
Pro-Am tournaments in B.C. and Mexico, and will be joining 34 other golf
professionals on Nov. 8 for the Pro-Am Tournament in Hawaii. He's taking three
local amateur golfers with him to make up his foursome.
A lot of members think it's cool that the Ledgeview pro broke the course
record, he said, adding that his new record may stand for a long time. "It's a
tough golf course to score on. Everything has to go your way."
Smith said he has no aspirations to try and qualify for the PGA Tour, but
hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing on the Senior Tour in a dozen years
or so.
When asked if his record 61 has changed his life, he said, "Not really. But
when I shoot a 67, it's not as exciting as it used to be."
