Hamilton’s Alena Sharp set to take on world’s best on Olympic stage

She may call Phoenix, Arizona her year-round home but Alena Sharp's heart will always be in Hamilton.

And she will be more than happy to represent her home town in the Olympics Women's Golf competition along with Brooke Henderson of Smilth's Falls when it tees off next Tuesday at the Kasumigaseki Country Club near Tokyo.

They also were Canada's female golfers five years ago in Rio de Janeiro. That marked golf's return to the Olympics for the first time in 112 years. And it was the first time women's golf was played in the games in 116 years.

I'm a proud Hamiltonian although, unfortunately (because of COVID-19), I haven't been back there since December 2019," Sharp said in a Golf Canada press conference earlier this month to introduce the Canadian team. It's pretty cool that (Mackenzie Hughes) will be there as well, two of us from Hamilton."

Sharp considers the Olympic golf competition right up there with playing in the LPGA majors.

It is such a global stage and all the top players in the world will be there, at least on the women's side," she says. And even though ours is an individual sport you feel part of the bigger (Canadian) team. That's a huge experience and something I will never forget."

Sharp will have a good support group there. Canada's national women's team coach, Tristan Mullally, a Dundas resident, didn't accompany the team this year. That meant that Sharp was able to bring her personal coach, Brett Saunders, who is based in Surrey, B.C.

She will also have her wife, Sarah Bowman, who is her regular LPGA Tour caddy, on the bag.

We have a great relationship," says Sharp. She keeps me calm and that's going to be very helpful at Olympics. We also have a good relationship with Brooke and (her caddy and sister) Brett. The four of us work pretty well together."

Sharp says she is not concerned about the COVID situation in Japan.

I went to Asia in April and I've been vaccinated since March," she says. I think the IOC is doing everything they can to keep us safe so I don't think it will hinder my performance at all."

Sharp is probably wishing that the Olympics had been able to proceed last year instead of being postponed a year by the pandemic. Last year, she had one of her better seasons on tour and qualified for the big-money Race to the CME Globe events at the end of the season.

This year, a nagging injury at the start of the season put her off form. She has missed the cut in seven of the 16 events she has played in this year.

Sharp made her last two cuts, however, including last week's major, The Amundi Evian Championship in France, and a podium appearance in Japan could turn a disappointing season for her into one of her best ever even if there is no money up for grabs.

Whole-in-one: The Hamilton-Halton Junior Golf tour had duplicate winners in each division in the events last week at Port Dover and King's Forest. Zhana Navato followed up her win at Port Dover with a 78 at King's Forest to capture the girls' division. Ethan Ervine carded a 75 to win the junior boys division for the second time. And Connor Wynhofen posted a 76 to take his second bantam win in a week. Next up for the HHJGT is Lowville on Aug. 5.

Aces in the area include four from Willow Valley. Brad Clairmont made his hole-in-one on the 92-yeard 15th hole with an A-wedge. John Rodger aced the 128-yard 13th hole with an eight iron. Jay Chae made a hole-in-one on the 150-yard 17th hole with a five iron and Laurence Wolfson aced the same hole from 105-yards with a nine iron.

Garry McKay is an award-winning golf writer and former sports writer for The Hamilton Spectator.Garrymckay1@rogers.com