The new DGA season is set to start off with a bang in a few weeks at the 2021 Otty Lake Invitational. The true test of skill and mental fortitude are needed right out of the gates at the DGA’s most prestigious event.

A grueling 2 day, 3 round tournament, the Otty Lake Invitational is the tournament all young golfers dream of winning one day. The first 36 are played at Mapleview Golf and Country Club which is prime for scoring. A mix of challenging holes and easier holes, the players will have to capitalize on every birdie hole they can if they hope to win come Sunday.

The tournament wraps up with 18 mind melting holes at the oldest course in Canada, Perth Golf Course. The scores are typically much higher at Perth as it takes driver out of the hands and makes you strategically place your ball around the course. Even though it is a scramble, sometimes par is a great score. The front 9 is a shorter and filled with plenty of risk/reward dog legs, followed by a longer and challenging back 9.

Between Mapleview and Perth, all facets of the game will be tested, and at the end of it all a new team will be crowned champions

A Division

This might be one of the most competitive tournaments to date, and that is saying something. The largest margin of victory over the last 4 years is only 2 strokes, but this year it is truly anyone’s game. Each team has legitimate reasons as to why they think they will come out on top

Matt MacIntyre and Evan Hammond

This duo is hoping the 3^rd time’s the charm. After being paired at the 2019 Otty Lake (last place), and the 2020 Greyhawk (2^nd place), they are hoping the upward trajectory will continue to a win at the 2021 Otty Invitational. Hammond finally broke through in 2020, winning his first Otty championship, avenging ‘The Collapse’ from 2018. On the other hand, MacIntyre is looking for not only his first Otty win, but his first ever major win. This will be his 6^th crack at the Otty and is hoping he has finally figured out the elusive Mapleview, after coming dead last the last two years.

The team is coming into Otty red hot, as MacIntyre is playing some of the best golf of his life. His check is unmatched and his ability to get into the heads of his opponents (@Ryan Raven) is uncanny. Hammond himself has joined in the mind games and gone after Casey Floyd in recent weeks, by not only sending him snake videos from Floyd’s home course, but also incorporating the Neil Schuster-esque second serve drive. The fact that the second serve still outdrives Floyd by 80 yards has his 2020 teammate completely pretzel brained.

Coming in as one of the favourites, if Team MacIntyre/Hammond is going to win this year’s first major, it will come down to their putting. The flatstick is usually what breaks this team apart, as 3 separate missed 3 footers cost them a win at last year’s Greyhawk. It will be a game time decision on which of his 83 putters MacIntyre will use, but let’s hope he picks the right one. The team should have a heavy advantage off the tee, with MacIntyre leading the DGA in FIR, which will free up Hammond to drop the second serve swing, and go all out.

Ben Milinkovich & Chad Keohane

A team that hasn’t been talked about enough as we approach Major Saturday is the formidable duo of Ben & Chad. The two have won a collective 6 DGA events, including a whopping 5 major wins – totals that dwarf their competition. Despite their winning history, many onlookers may be suffering from a bit of recency bias after this team finished a lackluster 3^rd in last year’s installment of the Otty.

Being underestimated is nothing new for Keohane, and I think that is how he prefers it. A man who looks like Ghandi when compared with his degenerate brethren, he’s never been one to mix it up, but a mounting pile of evidence stating the contrary is becoming hard to ignore. An ever-inflating handicap, an asterisk, and a hole in one while playing alone? I’ll leave it to the readers to make your own conclusions.

While we are on the topic of questionable integrity, let’s introduce Ben Milinkovich – the commissioner, founder, and grand daddy of the DGA. He also fulfills the roles of webmaster, stat keeper, and data manipulator. While Ben has proven to be an effective manager (2 time NCBL Manager of the Year), one thing he can’t seem to manage is his two-way miss off the tee, but he will be looking to offset that with a strong short game and unmatched regional course knowledge. 

Keep your eye on this team on Sunday (because they’re good, but also for rules infraction purposes thanks).

Casey Floyd & Ryan Raven

Shockingly, this is the first time these two BFFs will appear as a team at the Otty Lake Invitational. Casey and Ryan share a close bond – think Han Solo and Chewbacca, or Harold and Kumar, or Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback – you get the idea. 

Raven’s journey has been a tumultuous one – from barely being able to finish a hole without picking up only a few years ago, to firing an even par 72 from the tees two blocks ahead of the men’s tees mere days ago, solidifying his status as the 2 seed. For all his progress, he has still yet to etch his name in the prestigious Otty Lake Invitational plaque. He will be looking to change that on the weekend, with a little help from one of last year’s champions…

Casey is coming into this year’s Otty with unmatched confidence, a set of irons that he refuses to buy, and a mop that makes the balder members of the DGA swoon. It’s most recently reported that he is indeed “back”, only days after being “not back” and “fucking done”. What version of Casey Floyd will we see on the weekend? It’s hard to say, but if plays at all like he did last year (meep morp), the rest of the field will be in tough.

Kyle Craig and Dillon James

The true wildcards of the 2021 Otty Lake Invitational will undoubtedly be the tandem of James and Craig. A team composed of 4 first names is wild enough, but these players are both known to be all over the map with their golf game at any given time. On any given Sunday, either of them could fire a 78, or a 98 and no one would bat an eye.

However, this team is known to bring out their A game when it counts, with a combined 3 Otty Lake Championships, including winning together in 2018. Although it took other worldly luck, a few turtle bounces, and picking up a hitchhiker, a win is a win.

Both players play similar styles off the tee and go for the bomb and gauge tactic. The key from their 2018 win was that one player hits OB, then the 2^nd player hits it also OB, but gets a bounce off a tree. It is a difficult strategy to master, but it will be interesting to see if lightning can strike twice.

The strength of this team definitely comes off the tee, as both Craig and Dillon are amongst the longest hitters on tour. The 2^nd shot, and scrambling will be the key for this team though. They will have their fair share of birdies, but will have to minimize the big score in order to be on top come Sunday.

Karina, if you are reading this, we will have Kyle home by 8:00pm 

B Division

Just like the A Division, this year’s installment in the B Division is anyone’s game. Last year’s teams are running it back in a full rematch from 2020. The Theriault brothers come in as the defending champs, and the slight favourites, although some unnamed B Division competitors are calling for an official to follow the Theriault’s this year. The added official will make any potential shenanigans that much harder for the defending champs.

Ryan Dillon and Justin Hanes

Last year this squad came in the runner up spot, but a lot has changed in one years’ time. Hanes has indulged in lessons for the very first time, and has this new thing called “confidence”. Dillon on the other hand is playing some of his best golf to date. After committing to the lefty life last year, Dillon has been climbing the ranks as one of the most consistent ball strikers in the division.

The challenge for this team may come between the ears. Even with Hanes’ new found ‘confidence’, he is one slice away from returning to his former mental state. Dillon will have to do everything he can in order to keep the focus on the next shot. Although coming in hot, Dillon himself has started to battle a bit of the two way miss of late, but still has been scoring quite well.

The strength of this team will be consistency. While neither of these two are considered part of the long hitters, they are both very consistent when it comes to their game.  This team won’t get too high, or too low, but as the adage goes, slow and steady wins the race.

Berry van Donselaar and Alex Masson

After finishing a disappointing 4^th place in 2020, this tandem is out for revenge in 2021. Like most of the B Division teams this year, a lot has changed since the 2020 tournament. Berry had just picked up the game and was still using clubs that were 24” too small, Masson had only one dog, no membership, and still worked at McDonalds. With all the changes, this team has a completely new goal for 2021: to win it all

Berry is coming off his first major win at the 2020 Greyhawk, while Masson won the first ever Otty Lake Invitational, so winning is nothing new for this team. The biggest factor for this team will be not missing at the same time. Both players have the tendency to miss, and miss big at times, but as long as they can avoid doing it at the same time they will be in great shape.

They will also have to live by the sword and die by the sword. Although they can miss on occasion, these two are also some of the longest hitters on Tour, which can give them a huge advantage at Mapleview. If their short game is on, this team will be poised to be at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.

Scott Quinn & Cody Willcott

This duo is the definition of yin & yang. One has an undying passion for playing as much golf as possible, the other has essentially stored his clubs away for the winter. One has spent over $1K on drivers in the past month, the other just traded in a borrowed driver for yet another borrowed hand-me-down. One lives in the eastern village of Russell, the other calls Fitzroy Harbour home, wherever the hell that is.

However, when it comes to their respective golf games, their differences work to complement each other quite well. While Cody is known for his controlled, stiff-ankled aggression off the tee, producing some of the longest drives B division has ever seen – his partner, Scott Quinn, winner of 2019 Otty Lake B Div, is known for his deft touch around the greens and ability to drain a long putt from essentially anywhere.

As the broken clubs accumulate, and as more and more time passes before the thought of golf even crosses Willcott’s mind, there seems to be a sense of panic around this team. In a scramble format, I certainly wouldn’t count them out. The only thing we can count on – this is the last time we will see Cody for quite some time – make sure to say goodbye.

Patrick Theriault & Richard Theriault

Last year’s winning B division squad is back, looking for the first repeat win as a duo in Otty Lake Invitational history. Since last year, both men have taken incremental steps to improve their game. Pat has dedicated the early 2021 season to lessons, much like his competitor Justin Hanes. The real question is what does this mean for Kevin Haime? Could be the difference between a 5 star google review, or a report to the Better Business Bureau.

Richard has taken huge strides to improve the pace of play concerns from prior years – limiting himself to 3 vape hits between parking the cart and walking to the tee, incorporating a less elaborate alignment routine, no practice swings – all of which has freed him up for additional time to get that tee height JUST right. Say what you want, but his dedication to remarkably consistent teeing conditions is admirable.

As the odds on favourite, this team will have to play to their strengths, keep a level head, and not get caught up in juvenile brotherly arguments. In speaking with one brother – they complained about their partner’s propensity to pick their own ball, no matter the lie, angle, or distance from the hole. In speaking with the other brother, he had a simple response – “he’s an idiot”. If they can push their egos aside, this team will be sniffing the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.