Senior moment--Invermere's Harry Ferguson saw his dream come true when he won the BC Senior Men's Championship title at Shuswap Lake Estates Golf and Country Club.  Photo courtesy of Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

Senior moment–Invermere’s Harry Ferguson saw his dream come true when he won the BC Senior Men’s Championship title at Shuswap Lake Estates Golf and Country Club.Photo courtesy of Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

For someone who hadnt touched a golf club until he was 33 years old, its been a remarkable run for Harry Ferguson, who just won his first British Columbia Senior Mens title at the Shuswap Lake Estates Golf & Country Club.

The now-59 year old claimed his championship in a playoff hole after he and four-time winner Gudmund Lindberg tied at even par through 54 holes. After only just playing the 18th hole, Mr. Ferguson said he was comfortable hitting an identical shot to his previous time around and was able to two-putt his way to a victory.

Its a putt here or a putt there and thats what it came down to in the fact that I won in the playoffs, he said. You make one mistake and youre not holding the trophy, right.

Although it was Mr. Ferguson who claimed the championship, he said he attributes his success to a we effort completed by his partner and caddy Shelley Thompson who is a CPGA professional herself.

Its so nice to have her, he said. Without her I wouldnt be holding that trophy because every time your mind starts to wander away, she just ropes you back in. Its not only about me winning it, its about having her there on the bag to be a team to win it.

Mr. Ferguson has been a member at Radiums The Springs course for 20 years now. He said his relationship with Canadian golfing icon Stephen Ames, who also owns a home in the Columbia Valley, is one of the many reasons he was able to progress his golfing game to where it is today.

Adam Bayne, a golf professional at The Springs course, said that it was a great sight to see Mr. Ferguson take home the championship after years of coming up just short in big tournaments like the provincials.

I just cant express to you how important of a victory this is, Mr. Bayne said. Harry is one of the hardest working golfers that Ive seen. We have the best senior mens golfer in B.C. right now.

With the victory, Mr. Ferguson will have the opportunity to compete at the 2016 Canadian Mens Senior Championship in Niagara Falls, Ontario from September 6th to 9th. He said that he and Ms. Thompson have already looked the course over online and said its length and his powerful drive will play in his favour in the Over-50 age bracket.

I always compare to speed in hockey, he said. If youre fast in hockey, you have an advantage. If you have length in golf, you have an advantage.

With only a month before he makes the journey east, Mr. Ferguson said hes going to continue working on his game with only winning on his mind. As the captain of the B.C. team heading to the tournament, he has as good a chance as any.