Todd Fanning has a shot at his sixth Amateur crown

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This article was published 16/07/2018 (2107 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Thirty-four years after winning the Manitoba Men’s Amateur Championship as a 16-year-old, Todd Fanning is competing in the event for the last time.

Fanning has the opportunity to add to his record of five Manitoba Amateur championships this week. The 50-year-old veteran golfer first won the event in 1984, won three straight from 1990 to 1992, and last hoisted the trophy in 2014. The only other golfer to win the event five times is R.J. Reith, who played in the 1930s.

But Fanning, who is currently tied for fifth place at this year’s Amateur and 10 shots back of first place with two rounds left, isn’t worried about pulling a Michael Jordan and winning his sixth championship.

“I’m certainly not worried about anything. I’m a 50-year-old guy with a real job, so this is the last concern I have,” Fanning said with a laugh.

Instead, Fanning is more concerned about using this week’s event as a tune-up for an even bigger one — the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont. Fanning said he decided to play in the Manitoba Amateur as it takes place a week before the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open, which begins July 23, and will help him stay sharp. It’s the first time Fanning will compete in the Canadian Open since 2002, which was the final year of his decade of playing professional golf. Fanning qualified by winning the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship last summer in Regina. Fanning, who plans to retire from playing amateur events at the end of this summer, said this is the perfect way to cap off his amateur career.

“To be back 20 years since the first time I’ve played at the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, to experience that again and have my children with me, my whole family, I’m sure when I look back in five to 10 years it will probably be one of the highlights in all of my golf career,” said Fanning, who has played in the Canadian Open five times in his career.

Fanning played professionally from 1993 to 2002, but despite playing as an amateur for over the past decade, he hasn’t slowed down. Fanning, an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame in 2006, is coming off an incredible 2017 campaign, winning both the Manitoba and Canadian Mid-Amateur events, leading to him being named Golf Manitoba’s Male Golfer of the Year for the fifth time in his career.

Fanning, who golfs out of Niakwa Country Club, said he hasn’t played quite as well in 2018, but hopes to have a strong showing at the Canadian Open. Regardless, he’s not putting any pressure on himself. Fanning said he just wants to enjoy the experience and he will get to experience it with his whole family this time, especially his son Nick, who will be his caddy.

“A nice holiday, honestly,” Fanning said on what he wants to get out of the Canadian Open. “At this stage, I have lots of family and friends coming out to Toronto to watch me. I’m going to enjoy the atmosphere, obviously I’ll do my best and I hope to play four rounds, but that may be a bit of a stretch. I don’t know the last time an amateur has made the cut at the Canadian Open. It will be nice to walk the fairways with the guys on the PGA Tour and have my son inside the ropes carrying my clubs.”

But his summer won’t end there. In late August, Fanning will head to Victoria to defend his Canadian Mid-Amateur title. Last year, he won the event, as well as the Mid-Master category for golfers over 40. He said, at the very least, he’d like to successfully defend his Mid-Master crown.

Following the Canadian Mid-Amateur, Fanning said he will take a break from competitive golf, at least until he turns 55 and can play in senior tournaments. He said instead of travelling around the province and country for golf, he has different plans for the next couple of years. “Enjoy Manitoba summers, and not take all my holidays to golf,” Fanning said.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31