After one-year absence, Strathcona Invitational returns this weekend

THUNDER BAY -- COVID-19 forced the Strathcona Invitational, presented by Teleco and Tbaytel, to the sidelines last year, but the crown jewel of Thunder Bay golf tournaments is back and better than ever in 2021. 

A full field of 128 golfers is expected to tee off, competing for $18,000 in prizes, starting on Friday with the qualifying rounds for the senior division. 

An outdoor champions dinner will follow later that night, with two golfers’ names being selected and given one shot off the first tee to hit a hole-in-one and win $1 million dollars. 

On Saturday golfers in the regular division will tee off in a qualifying round, the top 16 moving on to the championship round match play format. 

The remainder will be slotted into flights  to compete over the course of the long weekend. 

Senior championship flights will also start on Saturday. 

The finales in each category are scheduled for Monday at Strathcona Golf Course. 

Robert Cumming is the two-time defending champion at the event and will be honoured as the 2010s player of the decade at the banquet. 

Hank Wilke is the defending senior champion, while Ryan Untinen was the 2019 super senior winner and Ron Hamilton took the masters crown two years ago. 

For more information about the tournament, visit www.strathconainvitational.ca.