The First Annual Capers Golf Invitational – Meet Ryan McNeil and Keigan Nicholson

CBU Bachelor of Education students, Ryan MacNeil Lamswood and Keigan Nicholson, each got into the sport of golf at a very young age. Ryan’s parents enrolled him in junior golfing programs around the age of five, while Keigan’s father started teaching him how to play at eight. Both Ryan and Keigan recently had the opportunity to showcase their skills and represent Cape Breton University at the first annual Capers Golf Invitational.

Growing up in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ryan had aspirations of becoming a teacher. With family ties in Glace Bay, he felt CBU was the best place to begin his university path. What he didn’t know at the time was that he would also be able to continue pursuing his passion for golf while completing his studies. “What I love most about golf is the creativity it takes to pull off the wide variety of shots needed to be successful,” says Ryan.”I am very passionate about all aspects of the game and the challenge it provides, regardless of skill level.”

Keigan is from Howie Centre and says he always saw CBU in his future. Though he grew up surrounded by the natural beauty and abundance of golf courses in Cape Breton, the opportunity to represent the University provided a new level to the experience. “My favourite thing about golf is the competition between you and the course, then you play competitively and you also get the competition between you and the other players from different universities,” says Keigan. “But, there’s also the complete other side of golf, where you and a group of buddies can go out and just have some laughs for four hours.”

This year, the CBU Athletics team hosted the first annual Capers Golf Invitational, a day-long golf tournament hosted at the Lingan Golf Course which saw 25 players from four different universities CBU, Dalhousie, Acadia and Saint Mary’s. Prizes were given out to the top three players of the tournament and to the school with the highest overall team score. Dalhousie student, Sam Kimball, took home the first-place prize for his school, with DAL also taking the top school prize. CBU’s Ryan MacNeil claimed the runner-up spot and Saint Mary’s University student, Kien Fudge, walked away with third. 

“We haven’t run a golf tournament before so it was a shot in the dark,” says CBU Recreation and Sport Coordinator, Garrett Nicholson. “But, I was very pleased with how it all turned out and very happy with the feedback we got from the players. Overall, it was a great day.”

The tournament was a success thanks to community partnerships and CBU supporters such as Matt Gregor of the Lingan Golf Course. Matt assisted with organizing tee times, the player draw,  and scorecards and prizes, while representatives from Golf Nova Scotia helped create the webpage for the tournament.

For those interested in trying out golf, Ryan says not to get stressed or take things too seriously. “​​Golf is my favourite sport because of the fun you can have, not because of the potential to go out and get five hole-in-one’s in a row,” says Ryan.

Keigan encourages folks who are interested to go out and give it a shot, but urges the importance of patience within the sport, saying it takes time to improve your game. “This game has given me so much and I try to give back as much as I can,” says Keigan “We have so many amazing courses in Cape Breton, and we’re very lucky for that, so go take a swing.”

To learn more about golfing opportunities at CBU and beyond, visit the Campus Life and Recreation webpage or reach out to Garrett Nicholson at garrett_nicholson@cbu.ca.