Salimah Mussani Wins the CPGA Women's Championship

Salimah Mussani wins 2007 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Aquafina

THORNHILL (August 1, 2007) – After a sweltering day on the golf course, Salimah Mussani of Burlington, Ontario came out on top as the winner of the 2007 Canadian PGA Women’s Championship presented by Aquafina at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto in Thornhill, Ontario.

Mussani won by one shot over defending champion and first round leader Marie Josée Rouleau (St. Lambert, QC) to take home her first Canadian PGA Women’s title, shooting rounds of 70-72 for a 142 (-2) tournament total earning her the $5, 000 first prize.

“This is a tournament that you want to win. It means a lot to capture a Canadian PGA title and have my name on the trophy with the likes of the best in Canada,” says Mussani. “This course is so beautiful and the conditions were perfect, it couldn’t have gotten any better.”

Mussani, who sunk a hole-in-one in her practice round before the tournament, entered the final round today at two under par, putting her in third place and in the final pairing for the last round. “I started very confident today, I knew that I could definitely contend with the other players out there, and I knew that I just had to play my own game and not focus on anyone else. After I got that hole-in-one at my practice round, I knew there was something in the air, some good luck”.

“Yesterday I wasn’t hitting the ball that well, and today it felt like I was heading toward the same thing, my driver sucked, and it seemed as though the only thing saving me was my putter,” Mussani says of her game. “For some reason today I was so nervous, I think I was the most nervous I have ever been at a tournament, so I stopped paying attention to the leaderboard and just focused on my shots, I focused on a target and just reacted to that target. By just focusing on a target I really brought myself back down to where I could concentrate.”

Mussani was diagnosed with Lupus in 1997, and most doctors believed that she should quit the game. Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease that is triggered by stress and heat, two things that are abundant on the course. The disease has caused Mussani to pass out on the course, and withdraw from tournaments due to skin rashes, swelling, and general fatigue, so it was quite an impressive feat that Mussani could handle two days of competition with the humidex reaching over 40 degrees. While on the course, Mussani tries to avoid the high temperatures by using a heat repelling umbrella while ensuring that she is fully hydrated. “I told my caddie before my round today to make sure that I keep completely hydrated, I think I drank about a bottle of Aquafina per hole, I definitely drank my share of water out there, good thing they were the sponsor!”

Mussani is currently traveling on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, and has two top ten finishes to date; she placed fourth at the Lakeland Classic and tied for third at the El Paso Golf Classic. “I am actually leaving right now to drive down to New Hampshire for the next FUTURES tournament, I have to be there by 1PM and play in a pro-am, so I basically live out of my car right now.”

When asked what she will do with the prize money, she replies, “I think this cheque breaks me even right now. The money that I win from tournaments basically goes directly into my next entry fee, or food and accommodation for the next tournament. It costs around $450 to get into an event, so over the course of the year, I almost pay $10,000 just to play, so this cheque comes at a great time! It is also my birthday coming up, so I may have to buy something special to treat myself”.

Defending champion Marie Josée Rouleau ended today’s round with a four over par 76, leaving her one shot short of the win. “Today I didn’t play to my potential, I was not happy with my game, Salimah had a great round, she played well today and deserved the win,” says Rouleau. “I am looking forward to coming back next year to compete in the tournament once again”.

Maggie Steciuk from London, Ontario was the course low today carding a five under 67 for a two day combined total of 143 placing her tied for second overall. “Today I took advantage of the par fives, I had some great long drives and tried to get on the green in two, so I think this was what kept me so low today. The greens were fast and the course was in great shape.”

Steciuk graduated last year from St. John’s in New York and is still uncertain as to what her future plan is for her game. “If I keep bombing 67s like that, I will definitely want to get into more competitions, but I’m not sure, I am registered for interior design at Fanshawe College in London for the fall but depending on how some of the next tournaments go I will make the decision then whether or not I will continue with school, so I’m going to go play a few more state opens and then in the Futures Tour qualifier this fall and hopefully I will know by then.”

Low amateur of the first and final round was Mandi Dupuis of Tecumseth, Ontario who carded rounds of 76-81 for a final score of 157.

The Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto is North America’s only remaining private golf club established by women for women. Founded in 1924 by Ada Mackenzie, Ladies’ was designed by renowned course architect Stanley Thompson.

Past champions of the tournament include Lori Kane, who won the championship at the Ladies’ Golf Club in 1999, and recorded four other CPGA championship wins as well in ’96,’97,’98,& ’01, Nancy Harvey (’94,’95 & ’00) and Alena Sharp (’04).

Weather: 33 degrees, partly cloudy, feels like 38 degrees.

For more information contact:

Erica Bury
Communications Coordinator
Canadian PGA
erica@cpga.com
800.782.5764

Brad Moyer
Manager of Events and Employment
Canadian PGA
brad@cpga.com
800.782.5764 (x227)

About the CPGA:

Established in 1911, the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association is a non-profit association comprised of approximately 3,500 golf professionals across the country with a mandate to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The National Office is located in Acton, Ontario with nine Zone Offices across the country. For more information, visit www.cpga.com