Talmage named OCAA Rookie of the Year
Courtesy of the OCAA
TORONTO - Daniel Talmage of Humber College has been named the inaugural Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Male Rookie of the Year. It was an impressive rookie campaign for Talmage (Toronto), who helped the Humber men's golf team return to national prominence.
Talmage debuted on the OCAA links last September, shooting a six-over 78 at the St. Clair invitational at Roseland Golf Club in Windsor, Ont. Talmage's potential as a top OCAA golfer has showcased the following event, shooting a one-under 71 for a second-place finish at the Georgian Invitational at Heritage Hills Golf Club outside of Barrie, Ont. Talmage completed the OCAA invitational season, placing fourth at the Niagara tournament shooting an even-par 72 at the Legends on the Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ont.
At the provincial championships, also held at the Legends on the Niagara, Talmage shot a pair of 74s before jumping up the leaderboard on the final day, firing a three-under 69 to capture the individual OCAA bronze medal. The top-five finish also landed Talmage a spot on the OCAA All-Ontario Team. Talmage and the Hawks also went home with silver medals as a result of Humber's second-place finish in the men's team competition.
Two weeks later at the CCAA golf nationals held at Deer Creek Golf Club in Ajax, Ont., Talmage and the Hawks captured the program's 11th national title – the first since 2012 – by beating the André-Laurendeau Boomerang by 20 strokes. Talmage fired three straight rounds of two-over 73, becoming just the fifth rookie in Humber history to finish on the national podium with a bronze medal. Similar to provincials, Talmage moved into medal position in the final round of the competition. The top 10 finish gave Talmage All-Canadian honours.
Talmage was honoured earlier this month by the Humber Department of Athletics at its 2022-23 awards banquet by being named the Men's Golf Coaches Pick and the Humber Male Rookie of the Year.
The OCAA has expanded its season-ending awards to include an athletic administrator, coach and rookies in addition to its traditional athletes of the year. Winners will be honoured at the 10th OCAA Hall of Fame ceremony, to be held at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, May 1.
