Rossland's Ben Gresley Jones will be among an international field of golfers teeing off in the 109th Canadian Men's Amateur Championship beginning Tuesday in Victoria.
Gresley Jones is one of three Kootenay golfers taking part in the four-day event that also features golfers from Austria, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Taimwan and the U.S.
Creston's Kowan O'Keefe, who top the field at the zone amateur qualifying, will compete along with Fernie's Kyle Mossfeldt.
O'Keefe was 24th at this year's B.C. Amateur while Mossfeldt finished 32nd.
Golfers will tackle both the Royal Colwood and the Gorge Vale courses in Victoria for the first two rounds with the final two rounds played at the Royal Colwood.
The winner of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will earn exemptions into both the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club, as well as the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts from August 12-18.
The 240-player field is led this year by Team Canada’s Taylor Pendrith, 22, of Richmond Hill, Ont., Corey Conners, 21, of Listowel, Ont., Eric Banks, 20, of Truro, N.S., Garrett Rank, 25, of Elmira, Ont., Justin Shin, 21, of Pitt Meadows, B.C., and Chris Hemmerich, 20, of Kitchener, Ont.
Headlining Team Canada’s Development squad’s strong presence is, Adam Svensson, 19, of Surrey, B.C., currently No. 113 in the WAGR. As a freshman at Barry University, Svensson was awarded the Phil Mickelson Award as the top freshman in NCAA Division II golf this season.
In addition, three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., will join the field along with local favourite and 2012 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion, Kevin Carrigan, 27 of Victoria, a recent participant at the 2013 RBC Canadian Open.
This year’s championship will also feature 46 international players vying for the historic Earl Grey Trophy, including No. 124 on the WAGR, Joaquin Lolas of Peru, and Ben Geyer No. 202 on the WAGR of Arbuckle, Calif.,