NHL referee Garrett Rank wins fourth Canadian men's mid-amateur golf title

Rank clinches title with clutch par putt on the final hole

NHL referee Garrett Rank won his fourth Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur Championship on Friday at Brantford Golf & Country Club, breaking a last-hole tie with a 6-foot par putt to close with a 3-under 69 and finish at 18-under 270, one stroke ahead of Evan Nachtigall. The 38-year-old, listed as being from Waterloo about 40 miles north of Brantford (and identified by one account as from Elmira, Ontario), entered the final round two shots behind third-round leader Nachtigall of Brandon, Manitoba, before birdieing the opening hole and drawing level when Nachtigall bogeyed the third. The pair traded positions down the stretch until Rank's par on the 72nd hole held after Nachtigall bogeyed the last to sign for a 72.

Rank's perspective on the winning moment

Rank framed the finish as a matter of course management on the closing green, saying he was content with a lag putt and two-putt before the 6-footer went in. He also tied the title to his hockey season, noting that he worked his first Stanley Cup Finals as a referee this year. "Winning a golf tournament is never easy. To do it four times is pretty special. I think it's been 10 years since I last did it so to do it close to home in a place like Brantford is something that I will remember for the rest of my life," Rank said.

Ranking and scoring detail

Rank's winning total of 64-68-69-69=270 produced 300 AmateurGolf.com rankings points, with Nachtigall second on 64-67-68-72=271 (200 points) and Cam Burke third on 69-67-67-70=273 (100 points). AmateurGolf.com's published leaderboard also lists Rank as a Canada-based entrant with the 18-under total.

Place in Rank's national-title collection

Rank's previous Canadian Men's Mid-Am wins came three years in a row from 2014–16, and he has five national titles, also winning the 2012 Canadian College/University Individual Championship. Friday's victory at Brantford made him a four-time Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur champion.

Next start: U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sand Valley

Rank earned an exemption into the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, scheduled for late September and early October at Sand Valley Resort in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.