SHERBROOKE, QUE – Adley Abols, a 17-year-old from Toronto, became the first male golfer in McGill history to fire a hole-in-one, to highlight the RSEQ conference's season-opening Omnium 1 Tournament at the Milby Golf Club in Sherbrooke, Aug. 27.
 
McGill finished fourth of nine teams in the men's division but had insufficient entries to score in the women's section, which featured only five participating schools.
 
"I was having a weird day, hitting well but not getting the results," said Abols, a management freshman who had never before shot an ace.  He used a nine-iron to sink his 149-yard drive into the wind on the sixth hole. His magic shot came on the third and final round of the two-day tourney. The recruit from Royal St George's College School shot rounds of 78, 83 and 78, to finish with a 20-over par 239.

"The whole round I had been hitting the ball really solidly. So I set up for that shot by visualizing it like I always do," noted Abols, a member of Lambton Golf & Country Club in Toronto. "This one, I was just trying to go right at it and kind of saw it go in my mind before I hit it. I just stood up (to the tee), hit the ball and it was probably the best nine-iron that I ever hit, contact wise. It was so good that our coach called it early in the air, saying that it was going to go in. And then, funny enough, it took one hop, probably a foot to the right of the pin, spun back and bounced in.

"I immediately knew it was in and kind of blacked out for a second, then threw my club (in the air). We all had a big shared laugh over that because the whole day had been so frustrating. I really did my best to stay patient and to finally get that result. That moment was pretty special and cool and it was all smiles from then on."
 
"He aced the hole after executing an incredible swing against the wind," said recently-appointed McGill head coach Pierre Brisebois. "I can honestly say it was perfect execution and ball flight, right on the number. Once hit, it looked so good in the air that I called it saying ''that's in the hole', and in it went. He was so excited and joyful that we thought he was hyperventilating. Adley has been very patient throughout the tournament. He is an unbelievable ball striker and like all of our team members the putter has been cold for our first (competition of the season) but Adley showed all of us patience always pays off in tournament golf."

Abols was the fourth-best McGill golfer over the competition, held on a difficult, hilly course. Senior Gregor Lawson of Orangeville, Ont., led the Redbirds with a five-over 224 to finish seventh overall. The finance major had rounds of 74, 75, 75. Teammates Simon Savaria from La Prairie, Que., and Camden Purboo of Oakville, Ont., finished tied for 13th and 27th, respectively. Savaria, an applied mathematics junior, posted a 10-over 229, shooting rounds of 70, 75 and 84. Purboo, a third-year economics major, registered a 19-over 238 with rounds of 80, 77 and 81.
 
Only two golfers broke par over the two days, both from Bishop's, the host club for the tourney. Michael Brazel from BU was the individual men's winner. He finished first in a field of 63, shooting 71, 70 and 75, for a 3-under tally of 216.His teammate Shawn Robillard finished in second, one stroke behind.
 
On the women's side, Laval's Sarah-Maude Martel and Sherbrooke's Mathilde Denoncourt each shot a 10-over 229 to finish tied for first of 26 entries.
 
The McGill Martlets were led by Amy Wang, a biology freshman from Markham, Ont., who finished seventh overall with a 27-over 246. She shot rounds of 83, 84 and 79. Teammate Anabelle Brazeau , a science sophomore from Mont Tremblant, Que., placed 19th with a 297.
 
The only previous McGillians to shoot a hole-in-one were both on the women's team, namely June Gleed  (145 yards, 7-iron, 17th hole) at the Cap Rouge Club on Aug. 31, 2018 and Melissa Coré (145 yards, 7-iron, 14th hole) at King's Forest Golf Club in Hamilton, Ont., on May 27, 2009.
 
The next competition is slated for Sept. 9-10 at the Omnium 2 Tournament at Club de golf de Lévis, near Quebec City, followed by the RSEQ championship at Club de golf de Gatineau, Sept. 23-25.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
 
TEAM RESULTS
 
McGill REDBIRDS ROSTER

McGILL MARTLETS ROSTER

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
McGill University - Athletics & Recreation
CELL: 514-983-7012
TWITTER: @EarlZukerman
E-MAIL: earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca