Elmira's Garrett Rank is the opening round leader at the 33rd Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur Championship.
Rank shot a 5-under-66 at the Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill.
The 31-year old made six birdies but was also charged a one-stroke penalty when his ball went out of bounds on the 6th hole.
“I played really well,” said Rank in a release. “That one-stroke penalty was the mistake of the day. It could have been a really special round. My short game was awesome – I hit a lot of pitches from around the green. Whenever I missed the green, I was able to get it up-and-down stress-free.”
Rank, who is a NHL referee, won the event three years in a row from 2014 to 2016.
“Maybe I’m a little more confident with the successes I’ve had this summer,” said Rank when asked about being in a similar position to last year. “Overall I’m just sticking to what I’m doing and adding them up at the end of the week and seeing where I’m at.”
It's been a good season for Rank. He is the first Canadian in 42 years to win the Western Amateur Championship earlier this month and also played in the 2019 U.S. Amateur.
