Grizzlies LeMay staying cool in midst of ironman run

126 holes over the course of a week. That's what Georgian's Matt LeMay is facing, in the middle of the most exciting and busiest time of his playing career.

The 2015 CCAA National Bronze medalist is currently in British Columbia competing with the Grizzlies at the Canadian/University Championship, where he has qualified for Friday's fourth and final round after posting a three-day score of two-over. That is good for a tenth place tie in the field of over one hundred, and he is among two collegiate golfers to qualify individually for the final round.

Earlier in the week, Head Coach Greg Hickey let him know that he had qualified for the U.S. Sectional Open event, set for Monday in Ohio. LeMay's group will include a pair of PGA Tour pro's, headlined by seventy-sixth ranked Kevin Streelman along with Bud Cauley. Competing against the strongest competition he's seen to date, Matt will be teeing off at 8:10am at Wedgewood Golf and Country Club; six hours later he tee's off for another eighteen at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club.

"Next week I'm just going out there expecting to have some fun and play some solid golf. I have been playing solid for the past while, and I feel confident from tee to green," said the second year Golf Management student. "It will also be nice playing with a couple really solid players, giving me a gauge on my game and where I want it to be." 

After Monday's play, LeMay will immediately turn around for a nine hour drive and head to Grandview Golf Club for the Men's Open Match Play Championship. The sixty-four player field will be halved by the round; should Lemay advance, he faces 36 holes on Wednesday, Thursday, and the potential eighteen hole championship on Friday. That would bring his tally to 216 holes in eleven days.

Asked about the incredible amount of golf to be played in such a short period, he says "I'm just trying to lay back and chill out on my time off, and have a good time with the teammates for the rest of this week. Listening to music and chilling out helps take my mind off golf and puts me in the zone. I'm going to go out there and have fun. Golf is not a job for me, it's something I enjoy doing, and I'm going to have some fun with it."

From the Grizzlies perspective, 2016 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year. Coming off a season that saw them capture a total of eight podium finishes, Georgian will see much of the same roster returning. Besides hosting the annual Grizzlies Classic, Georgian will play host to the 2016 OCAA Provincial Championship.

"The past couple years at Georgian has been great for the development of my golf game. We have a great golf coach, Greg Hickey, who is very encouraging and brings out the best in every single player," says LeMay of his time with the Grizzlies. "I have so much respect for the coaches and the players on the team, and they have been crucial in my development over the past couple years at Georgian."

Lemay's continued development bodes well for both him and a program on the rise. These two weeks are a testament to the works he has put in and his upward trajectory on the course.