Latest news with #Comrie
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
New twists at Breezy Bend for Manitoba Open
Cory Johnson can't wait to reveal Breezy Bend Country Club to the top players on PGA Tour Americas. As Manitoba's professional tour stop gets set to return to Winnipeg next week, it will do so at Breezy Bend for the first time since 1993 — when Frank Edmonds of Thunder Bay, Ont., captured the event with a score of 18-under par. Much has changed since the last time Breezy Bend held the event. More than $9 million has been spent on improvements during the past 15 years, including eight new greens and six new tee boxes built on the course. Thomas Friesen / The Brandon Sun Files Four-time men's amateur champ Braxton Kuntz will start his pro career on his home golf course at the Manitoba Open. The tourney runs from Aug. 21-24. 'We think the club has come so far and now we can really showcase that,' said Johnson, who remembers serving as a caddie the last time Breezy Bend held the tournament. 'The course has never been in better condition. It's just pristine.' This is the first year of a five-course rotation for the Manitoba event, which is scheduled to move to Elmhurst Golf and Country Club in 2026, Glendale Golf and Country Club in 2027, Pine Ridge Golf Club in 2028 and Southwood Golf and Country Club in 2028. Johnson recognizes that the course record of 62 — shared by three players, including Garth Collings, Stuart Hendley and Kelly Gibson — could be in jeopardy next week with the track stretched to nearly 6,800 yards and playing as a par-71. 'People love to see birdies,' said Johnson. 'We'd love to keep (the winning score) under a certain number if we can. That would be best. But these guys are so good and hit it so far, so they're going to shoot between 20 and 30 under-par for a winning score to beat.' On Tuesday, tournament director Brendan Baldwin revealed that Winnipeg Jets goalie Eric Comrie has received a sponsor exemption to play in the tournament. Comrie, whose index is just above three right now, joins a list of Jets players that have participated in the event that includes Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Morgan Barron and Dylan Samberg. Last August, Samberg established the best two-round total for a Jets player, finishing 74-80-154 (10-over par). Known for his affable personality, Comrie is also competitive by nature — though he's planning to soak in the entire experience. 'It's a little nerve-racking. I'm not a pro golfer, so I'm just going to go out there and try to enjoy it and have as much fun as I can,' Comrie said in a telephone interview. 'I love the game of golf and it's one of my favourite things to do in the world. I'm excited to watch these guys play, to see how they prepare, see how they work and just be around that atmosphere. I'm looking forward to it.' Comrie only started playing golf around the age of 20, but he's been a quick study, noting that his driving accuracy is one of his greatest strengths. With the rough expected to grow between four and five inches by next Thursday, keeping the ball in the fairway will be integral for all players. 'The golf course is fantastic,' said Comrie. 'I'm excited to interact with the fans and to play with a little bit of pressure. I love club championships and all of that stuff.' Comrie is expected to draw a crowd and the same can be said for Breezy Bend member Braxton Kuntz, a four-time Manitoba men's amateur champion who is set to make his professional debut at his home course next week. The last time a Manitoban won this event was in 1994, when Rob McMillan of Pine Ridge ended up in the winner's circle at his home course when he was still an amateur. After narrowly missing out on making the cut in each of his two previous times playing in the Manitoba Open, Kuntz is hoping to make it to the weekend. 'We want him to have the ability to feel comfortable out here. He's going to be able to map out his whole round and be a little more relaxed as he plays his first professional event,' said Baldwin. 'You're also going to have kids that are 15 or 16 years old that play in the Manitoba amateur, knowing that he's won that tournament and then seeing him here playing professionally. That can be a driving force for them in pursuing their golf career and have their dreams moulded off of Braxton.' Supplied Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie hits a tee shot at the Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. Comrie will make his Manitoba Open debut next Thursday. Kuntz, whose lowest score at Breezy Bend is 8-under 64 (when it's played as a Par 72), wrapped up the amateur portion of his career on Tuesday at the U.S. men's amateur championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Evan Nachtigall of Brandon will also be in the field after capturing the men's amateur title last month. One of the new twists for the tournament is the creation of a rink hole — a set up that has gained notoriety during the RBC Canadian Open — on the 132-yard, par-3 seventh at Breezy Bend, complete with rink boards and an enthusiastic atmosphere that will accompany it. 'We'll do a Prairie version of it,' said Baldwin. 'We wanted to do something that was unique, since it's a new host facility.' The Monday qualifier will be held at Elmhurst next week, with eight additional spots available to round out the field of 154 players. The Manitoba Open starts next Thursday, Aug. 21, with the 72-hole event wrapping up on Sunday, Aug. 24, in the afternoon. The field in Winnipeg has been historically strong and will be bolstered since there is no Korn Ferry Tour event. With just four events remaining in the 2025 PGA Tour Americas season, there will be plenty on the line. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'You're getting to a point where the top-10 becomes a little more solidified,' said Baldwin, noting there hasn't been a repeat winner on the tour yet this season. Folks under the age of 18 receive free admission, while parking is available at the RBM Gardens lot — where patrons will be given a 90-second ride on a golf cart to gain access to the property. CHIP SHOTS: Rhonda Orr of Southwood carries a nine-stroke cushion going into the final round of the Golf Manitoba Hodgson Financial women's senior championship at Glendale Golf and Country Club. Orr followed up an opening round of 79 with an 80 to hold a decisive edge over Cathy Derewianchuk of Glendale Golf & Country Club. Shannon Taweel of Elmhurst sits third, 12 strokes off the pace. In the men's senior championship, Todd Fanning of Niakwa holds a three-stroke lead over Dan Scanlon. Fanning carded a 2-under 70 on Tuesday, finishing his round by going 4-under during the final five holes, including an eagle on the par-5 14th. X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld Ken WiebeReporter Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken. Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Daily Record
26-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Hamilton Accies transfer plans in tatters as offers pulled for four SPFL stars who played as trialists
The financially stricken Accies had been hoping to have a transfer embargo lifted A number of signing targets have seen contracts pulled after Hamilton's signing ban was extended. Aaron Comrie, Ricki Lamie, Charlie Telfer and Matthew Shiels had all agreed terms with Accies. The quartet had even been playing as trialists for John Rankin's side in the Premier Sports Cup. Those deals were going to be registered when Accies' signing ban was lifted. That, however, hasn't happened and the Scottish Professional Football League has come down and hammered them for further breaches. Accies have had their transfer ban extended until the end of this upcoming season. They can only sign youngsters or register players as amateurs without getting wages. Comrie, Lamie, Telfer and Shiels' futures are now up in the air and they will have to look elsewhere for deals. Comrie was one of Rankin's top targets when he left Dunfermline. The reliable former St Johnstone full-back knocked back other options when he left East End Park for Accies. Lamie and Telfer were both on loan at Hamilton last season and the experienced pair were other big signings for Rankin. Striker Shiels had also done well, scoring goals with Stenhousemuir and was looking to step up back into full-time football with Accies.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gerard Butler is overcome with emotional as he reveals How To Train Your Dragon film is dedicated to his 'amazing' late mother Margaret
Gerard Butler was overcome with emotion on Thursday as he paid tribute to his late mother Margaret on Magic Radio. The Scottish actor and film producer, 55, stars as Stoick The Vast in the upcoming live-action How To Train Your Dragon movie, which releases Friday. And Gerard revealed director of the film Dean DeBlois has dedicated the movie to Margaret - who sadly passed away before she could see the finished version. Gerard's mother sadly passed away at the age of 81 earlier this year, months before the film premieres. He said: 'I was so excited for her to see it but I had a feeling she wasn't going to make it. So Dean very kindly dedicated the move to her. to stay in the loop. 'If Stoick had a Mum that would have been my Mum, she was an amazing woman. She was strong, she was fiery and she was graceful and she was beautiful. 'I wish the whole world could have met my Mum because she was a really special woman'. He added: 'She knew since I was a kid I wanted to be an actor. 'It's this movie, it really is but it's the opposite I was doing something that I never really loved, never cared about that didn't show any of my uniqueness in any way to be honest and I felt that I had something else going on and she embraced that.' Gerard frequently left his home in Hollywood to visit his mother in the village of Comrie in Perthshire - where she lived for more than 20 years. He previously told the Record he would always return to Scotland to catch up with her and joked she would always 'slap the Hollywood out of him'. 'I sit in the garden, I look up at the mountain ranges and I am just taken aback constantly by how beautiful it is there, and what a great land I come from', he said. 'I just really connect when I get back, and I find that I recharge and knock out all the bull that's going round in my head, all of that Hollywood nonsense. 'I quickly get that slapped out of me.' At the Brazilian premiere of How To Train Your Dragon last month, the movie paid tribute to his mother in the credits after the screening. It read: 'Dedicated to the loving memory of Margaret Coll.' Posting pictures from the premiere later on Instagram, Gerard included the tribute alongside the caption. He wrote: 'Getting weird. Funny face. The boys. And in memory of my dearly beloved mother Margaret Coll.' How to Train Your Dragon is expected to fly to the top of the box office after it's release on Friday. The action-adventure stars Mason Thames, 17, as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid. Based on the performance of the three previous films, the reimagined version is expected to pull in somewhere between $80 million and $100 million domestically according to Box Office Pro. Universal Pictures has already announced a sequel to the anticipated blockbuster. 'They announced a release date and I was like, "Well, that's quite soon,"' Parker said.
The Courier
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Courier
Freed Dunfermline Athletic defender linked with move to Northern Ireland
Freed Dunfermline defender Aaron Comrie could be on his way to Glentoran in the Northern Irish Premiership. The former St Johnstone full-back was one of 14 players who left East End Park at the end of the season. And the 28-year-old is reported to now be in talks with Glentoran about a move to Belfast. Comrie spent six years with Dunfermline after leaving Saints in 2019 and racked up his 200th appearance for the Pars back in January. He has been a dependable presence in the Fifers back line for five campaigns in the Championship and is a League One winner from two years ago. However, with a big shake-up expected at Dunfermline this summer, he was deemed surplus to requirements when the club announced their retained and released list earlier this month. Glentoran finished the season in third place in the NIFL Premiership but lost out to eventual winners Cliftonville in the semi-finals of the play-off for a UEFA Conference League spot. Manager Declan Devine is eager to strengthen his squad after missing out on Europe and has targeted Comrie's experience in his summer recruitment. The Glens' squad already includes Comrie's former Dunfermline and Celtic youth team-mate, Joe Thomson, as well as fellow Scot Liam Burt. Comrie was joined by Rhys Breen, Joe Chalmers, Craig Clay, Michael O'Halloran, Omar Taylor-Clarke, Craig Wighton and David Wotherspoon, as well as six loan players, in being released by the Pars after the end of the season. Wighton has since joined Montrose on a two-year deal after opting to go part-time, whilst Breen has spoken of facing a 'make or break' move following his exit.
The Courier
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Strathearn Cheese saved as ex-Gleneagles chef takes on business
A much-loved Perthshire cheese has been brought back from the brink. Ben Hodgson is the new boss of Strathearn Cheese after the brand's founder announced he was quitting at the end of last year. Ben, 25, had been working for the Comrie company after a number of years at Gleneagles Hotel. He has now taken it over from his old boss, Pierre Leger. And the first batch of cheeses in the new era will be rolling off the production line at Cultybraggan next week. Ben says he's been heartened by the response since he announced Strathearn Cheese is back in business. 'Everyone has been so nice,' he said. 'It's really taken me by surprise how much people care about it.' Ben worked as demi chef de partie at Gleneagles for three and a half years. He joined Strathearn Cheese in March 2024 and was one of five employees when Pierre announced he was selling up in the autumn. The business had outgrown its base at the former prisoner of war camp at Cultybraggan, just outside Comrie. And Pierre had been unable to find large enough new premises anywhere in the area. At the time, he told The Courier: 'The premises here are too small for our needs now. But it may be that they are suitable for someone who wants to come in and just make cheese themselves.' And that's where Ben comes in. He is now running the business with long-time cheese-maker Kirsty McCabe. The pair are focusing on Strathearn's most popular cheese, the award-winning Wee Comrie, for now. The first batch should be ready next Tuesday and more are already in production for the following weeks. Butter production is also about to resume. And a number of long-standing stockists, including Hansen's Kitchen, Comrie Croft and the Crieff Food Company, are also on board, with more to follow in the weeks and months to come. 'We're really excited to get going,' said Ben. 'We're starting with the Wee Comrie and the butter, and then we'll see what happens.' Strathearn Cheese started production at Cultybraggan in 2016. Their first cheese was The Strathearn. The range expanded over the years to include The Lady Mary, The Wee Comrie and The Braggan, as well as a range of butters. The Wee Comrie became the most popular with around 1,500 units in production every month before the business changed hands.
