“He’ll be along for the ride’’: Lorie Kane carries special momento to remember her father at her final Canadian Women’s Open

August 26, 2022

4 6 minutes read

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Lorie Kane says each time she seems down at her golf bag this week she’ll consider her father.

The 57-year-old Charlottetown golfer is competing in her thirtieth and remaining CP Canadian Girls’s Open golf match, Aug. 25-28, on the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Membership.

Kane’s father, Jack Kane, who died July 3 at age 84, will not be right here to look at the occasion, however a tangible reminiscence of him will accompany Kane on the course.

“My dad taught me the right way to play the sport. He taught me to be the athlete that I’m,” Kane stated, her voice trembling with emotion, throughout a telephone interview with SaltWire Community Aug. 24.

Kane’s niece, Charlotte Jenkins, who can even function her caddie on the open, had one in all Jack’s outdated St. Dunstan’s Saints college hockey sweaters made right into a golf membership cowl.

Jenkins shocked Kane, a member of the Canadian Golf Corridor of Fame, with the reward this week on the Ottawa course.

“It meant quite a bit,’’ Kane stated.

“I really like Charlotte for doing this.”

Charlotte Jenkins, niece of Charlottetown golfer Lorie Kane, had this custom-made golf head cover made for her for the CP Canadian Women’s Open golf championship, Aug. 25-28. The cover was custom-made from Jack Kane’s, Lorie’s father, old St. Dunstan’s Saints men’s hockey team sweater. - Contributed — Charlotte Jenkins, niece of Charlottetown golfer Lorie Kane, had this custom-made golf head cowl made for her for the CP Canadian Girls’s Open golf championship, Aug. 25-28. The quilt was custom-made from Jack Kane’s, Lorie’s father, outdated St. Dunstan’s Saints males’s hockey crew sweater. – Contributed

Jack Kane coached the St. Dunstan’s-UPEI males’s hockey groups from 1964-72 and 1974-76.

Jenkins had the golf head cowl designed and manufactured in Halifax on the Dormie Workshop, which makes a speciality of making premium leather-based golf membership covers.

Stitched into the design is a phrase Jack Kane used usually along with his household: “Depart it higher than you discovered it.’’

“I might have had a chunk of my father with me regardless however the truth the pinnacle cowl is on the bag … I’ll look down and if I get a bit teary I can hear Dad saying, ‘Sufficient, get on with it’. That’s the way in which he raised us, to depart it higher than the way in which we discovered it. He’ll be alongside for the journey.’’

Marilyn Kane, Lorie’s mom, stated she is aware of her late husband might be watching over their daughter.

“It’s been a really emotional time for Lorie with shedding her dad,’’ Marilyn Kane stated. “I feel she’s going to really feel his presence immensely with that head cowl sitting in entrance of her. I do know she’s going to as a result of she all the time felt his presence when she was enjoying golf. And, being with Charlotte, Jack’s granddaughter, simply makes the entire deal a lot extra significant.’’

Marilyn Kane holds a picture of her daughter, Lorie, who is competing this week in her 30th and final CP Canadian Women’s Open golf championship. - Dave Stewart/The Guardian — Marilyn Kane holds an image of her daughter, Lorie, who’s competing this week in her thirtieth and remaining CP Canadian Girls’s Open golf championship. – Dave Stewart/The Guardian

Not retiring

Marilyn Kane informed SaltWire she remembers her daughter’s very first win on the LPGA tour on Aug. 6, 2000. This weekend, is Kane’s final nationwide championship look.

Whereas Kane is stepping away from the signature Canadian girls’s championship, she needs to make it clear this isn’t a retirement. Kane will proceed enjoying on the Legends of the LPGA Golf Tour, which is the official senior tour, the place the Charlottetown golfer already has 5 wins.

It does imply her skilled golf schedule goes to start out getting a bit lighter, although, liberating her as much as spend extra time in P.E.I.

“I additionally wish to play in additional occasions at house,’’ Kane stated. “I wish to play within the Stanhope Open and issues like that and I might have performed within the Island Open if I wasn’t off Island. I’m nonetheless going to play aggressive golf, simply not in one other Canadian Open.’’

Lorie Kane tweeted a message July 4 about her father, Jack, who died the previous day in Charlottetown. Twitter - Contributed — Lorie Kane tweeted a message July 4 about her father, Jack, who died the day prior to this in Charlottetown. Twitter – Contributed

Saved occasion

Bob Weeks, golf analyst with TSN, stated the truth that it’s Kane’s remaining nationwide championship is important.

“She saved this match,’’ Weeks stated in an interview with SaltWire Community from the Ottawa membership the place he might be masking the match.

Weeks, whose great-grandfather helped discovered the Belvedere Golf Course in Charlottetown, stated duMaurier introduced in 2000 that it was pulling out because the title sponsor, primarily attributable to new federal laws that positioned restrictions on tobacco promoting.

Charlottetown golfer Lorie Kane was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for the class of 2020-21. - Contributed — Charlottetown golfer Lorie Kane was inducted into Canada’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame for the category of 2020-21. – Contributed

When no sponsors stepped up, Kane did.

“She began attending cocktail events throughout tournaments and talked to potential sponsors. She was making appeals on tv, she was making telephone calls, all this whereas she was enjoying within the match and making an attempt to win it,’’ Weeks stated.

Kane’s efforts paid off when, on the time, Financial institution of Montreal signed on. A sequence of sponsors adopted. The match is presently sponsored by Canadian Pacific (CP), which additionally occurs to sponsor Kane.

“It confirmed the fervour she has for this match and you may see the fervour she has for Canadian golf and that’s one thing that has been clear regardless of the place she has been all over the world,’’ Weeks stated.

Jack Kane, left, is shown being inducted into the UPEI Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Pictured with him is his daughter, Mary-Lynn. - Contributed — Jack Kane, left, is proven being inducted into the UPEI Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 2017. Pictured with him is his daughter, Mary-Lynn. – Contributed

Bond fashioned

One of many folks cheering for Kane this week might be Simone MacKenzie of Halifax, her former junior and beginner rival. MacKenzie and Kane have identified one another since intermediate faculty.

“It received to a degree the place Lorie turned higher than I used to be and I virtually internalized it,’’ MacKenzie stated. “I used to be onerous on myself however little did I feel, on the time, that the particular person I wasn’t doing properly towards may change into essentially the most profitable Canadian golfers in historical past. Lorie determined to commit, to set some objectives and he or she was solely targeted on that.’’

MacKenzie stated she and Kane reconnected just a few years in the past and put any rivalry behind them, creating a deep friendship.

“We’ve had some actual coronary heart to hearts. She has nothing however my full respect and admiration … and my friendship,’’ MacKenzie stated, her voice cracking.

Kane says that friendship is among the many issues she cherishes most about what the sport has given her.

She stated she wouldn’t be the place she is at the moment with out the individuals who have been there to assist her at first, equivalent to David Rodd, Al Stewart and former UPEI coach Dave ‘Hermie’ MacNeill.

“These are guys that by no means requested something of me however gave me the enhance I wanted,’’ Kane stated. “Dave ‘Hermie’ MacNeill … motivated me to leap off the bridge and survive the autumn. I’m not right here with out the assist of a ton of individuals, my household most of all, and to everybody in P.E.I.’’

Favorite programs

SaltWire Community requested Lorie Kane to checklist 5 golf programs that she has performed and are near her coronary heart:

• Brudenell River Golf Course, the place she was launched to the sport.

• Mill River Golf Course.

• Belvedere Golf Course, the place she has performed since she was 12 years outdated.

• Royal Melbourne Golf Membership, Australia.

• The Outdated Course – St. Andrews Hyperlinks, St. Andrews, Fifle, Scotland.

The longer term

Exterior of enjoying as a lot golf as she will be able to, Kane stated Islanders would possibly see her on the rink extra usually now that her golf schedule received’t be fairly as hectic.

However she additionally plans to dabble in golf broadcasting.

When she’s not on the course this week in Ottawa, Kane stated she’ll be spending time with the TSN broadcasters providing her ideas on the match.

And that will result in extra alternatives in tv.

“I feel I’ve one thing to share,’’ Kane stated.

“I feel I can discuss to the typical golfer about what occurs contained in the ropes. The following section (of my profession) might be attention-grabbing.”

For updates on Kane’s efficiency within the Canadian Girls’s Open golf match, go to saltwire.com/sports activities. Comply with the match stay on TSN.ca.

Favorite pastimes

SaltWire Community requested Lorie Kane what 5 issues she does to loosen up. She had some enjoyable with this one:

• I play golf

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