The Gaels dominated at the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club on Sept. 15, with the Women’s Golf A team winning gold in the overall, and the Men’s A team winning silver in the overall. Both teams won individual medals as well.
The Bert Kea Invitational is a memorial tournament held in honour of the Head Coach of the Golf club at Queen’s from 2000 to 2017, Bert Kea.
Kea left a remarkable impact on the players he coached, with 91 student-athletes named Academic All-Stars during Kea’s long tenure at the helm of Queen’s Golf.
It was quite the poetic turn of events for the Gaels at their legendary coach’s memorial tournament, with the Women’s A team, consisting of Kiley Rodrigues, Ed ’25, Katie Neville, Med ’26, Rachel Demaine, ArtSci ’25, and Marlow Slatter, Kin ’27, scoring a combined 235, which was 13 strokes above par, and 10 strokes better than the silver medalists, Laurier University.
Individually, Rodrigues earned herself a gold medal, shooting a 74 (+2) in what was her first tournament as a Gael.
Neville followed close behind, shooting a 78 (+6) to secure a bronze medal.
On the Men’s side, Ryan Crowley, ArtSci ’25 recorded the lowest score of the day, shooting a 66 (-4), earning himself the gold medal. Daniel Abraha, Comm ’26, also had a good day on the links, scoring par with a 70.
While the Men’s team struck the ball well, Laurier ultimately edged them out by two strokes for the top spot, leaving the Gaels to take home the silver medal.
This tournament also marked the first appearance of new Head Coach Jessie Mercer in tricolour.
In an earlier interview with The Journal, Mercer emphasized the importance of the Gaels getting hot early and keeping them performing consistently, stating it will help build confidence going into some of the bigger tournaments.
“It’ll kind of set us up when we get to the national championship to have a few more events under our belt, a few more good memories to feed off and build momentum into those bigger championships,” Mercer said.
This was definitely a step in the right direction for Queen’s Golf. Mercer also acknowledged the Gaels’ unmatched competitive fire, which she’s certain will carry them to success.
“Along with the girls, the men’s team have a very competitive fire,” she said. “Having conversations with them, it’s been really exciting to see how competitive they are, how excited they are for the season, and what they want to accomplish both individually and as a team.”
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