Young Guys repeat as Ryder Cup golf champions

The Young Guys are the 2025 Ryder Cup champions at St. Marys Golf and Country Club. Pictured from left to right are Jeremy Foran, Darryl Sterkenburg, Mike Glover, Kellen Fifield, Matt Murray, Brandon DeGroote, Alan Johnston, Evan Bechtel, captain Tristan Dundas, Mitch Watt, Jarrett Smith, Jordan Leyser, Mark Vandenberk, Bo Jackson, Kyle Heinbuch and Alex Taylor.

By Stewart Grant

On the same weekend (June 6-7) that the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated its newest inductees, another sports tradition continued at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club where the club’s top players contested the annual Ryder Cup competition in their own pursuit of excellence.

Legendary American athlete Bo Jackson (of football and baseball fame) never played for the Blue Jays or Expos and thus will never be enshrined in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, but Stonetown’s Bo Jackson etched his own name into local sports history this year with an MVP performance that helped propel the Young Guys to a 20-12 margin of victory and repeat as Ryder Cup champions. His talents not restricted to the barbershop, it’s now official: “Bo knows golf.”

Young Guys captain Tristan Dundas said that Jackson, who had never before played in the pressure-packed Ryder Cup, was a fitting choice to be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

“He played incredibly well, probably over his head, in terms of what he brought to the table in playing with (and against) some really good players. Being put in that position as a rookie and coming out 3-and-0, we felt he was our MVP.”

St. Marys’ Ryder Cup is inspired by golf’s famous Ryder Cup, with team players partnering on Saturday for a Best Ball match followed by an Alternate Shot competition. Sunday’s play then features 16 different singles matches. The squad with the most wins is crowned that year’s champion.

As in prior years, two teams of 16 players represented the Old Guys and Young Guys with the split occurring around age 43 – an annual adjustment designed to keep the tournament as competitive as possible.

Jackson wasn’t the only addition to the Young Guys’ team to make an impact.

“We got lucky and added some players that were plus-handicaps,” said Dundas. “Darryl Sterkenburg’s a plus-one and Jeremy Foran is a plus-three. Being able to put them up against the old guys’ best players made a big difference,” said Dundas.

Sunday’s final two pairings, which were split with one win apiece between the two teams, featured Sterkenburg and Foran for the Young Guys while Marty Rutledge and Rick Fifield anchored the Old Guys’ squad for captain Brian Humphrey.

Despite the Young Guys being heavily favoured to win this year’s tournament, the experience and grit of the Old Guys kept the event quite close through the first day of play. Losing by narrow 4.5 to 3.5 margins in both the Best Ball and Alternate Shot matches, going into Sunday’s singles matches the Old Guys trailed the Young Guys by a small 9-7 total.

The overall depth of the Young Guys’ squad became more evident during Sunday’s singles matches. Eleven of the 16 matches were won by the Young Guys (Matt Murray, Mark Vanderberk, Alan Johnston, Kyle Heinbuch, Bo Jackson, Jarrett Smith, Kellen Fifield, Alex Taylor, Evan Bechtel, Mitch Watt and Jeremy Foran). Prevailing for the Old Guys on Sunday were Mike McMullin, Troy Carter, captain Brian Humphrey, Tom Westerveld and Marty Rutledge.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:

- Mike Glover was named captain of the Young Guys team for 2026 while Greg Wolfkamp will lead the Old Guys.

- Joining Bo Jackson with perfect 3-0 records this year were Young Guys teammates Mark Vandenberk and Mitch Watt.

- Since 2004, the Young Guys have won 10 times while the Old Guys have won on 11 occasions.