The most astonishing thing about Garrett Rank's summer on the golf course has not been the number of wins he has collected but the quality of the fields he has bested.

 

After his real job as an NHL referee concluded last spring, the 31-year-old Rank had a difficult act to follow. In 2018, he performed brilliant enough to qualify for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills as well as victories at the Ontario Amateur at St. Thomas Golf and Country Club and Ontario Mid-Am Championship at Burlington.

 

He began his golfing accomplishments in 2019 with wins at the 36-hole events, the Burlington Invitational and Early Bird at St. Thomas. After defending his Ontario Amateur title with a seventh-place showing, Rank claimed the Idylwylde Invitational in Sudbury.

 

But the most significant victory of them all was 11 days ago at the 117th Western Amateur at Point O'Woods Golf and Country Club in Benton Harbor, Michigan. This is a gruelling five-day tournament consisting of 36 holes, a cut to the top-44, then two more rounds of stroke play. The top-16 then advance to four-rounds of match-play.

 

The 2019 field featured six of the top-10 amateurs in the world. Rank arrived sitting just inside the top-100 at 97. He finished the stroke-play portion of the event in fifth. In each of his four matches, he trailed at one point, but he rallied to win.

 

Rank is known for his unbreakable will to win. He successfully overcame a battle with testicular cancer in January 2011 and remains cancer-free.

 

In his 3-and-2 win in the final against Cincinnati's Daniel Wetterich, Rank found himself behind early but birdied the seventh hole to take the lead for good. After he raised the George R. Thorne championship trophy in celebration, Rank moved to 44th in the world amateur rankings.

 

This victory was the biggest for the local-area amateur golfer since Gary Cowan won his second U.S. Amateur in 1971.

 

The Western Amateur dates back to 1899. It's the third oldest amateur tournament in the world and has a list of champions that includes major winners Chick Evans, Francis Ouimet, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Crenshaw, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, Hal Sutton, Tom Weiskopf and Lanny Wadkins.

 

According to stats compiled by tournament officials past Western Amateur competitors have gone on to accomplish the following:

• 27 major championships since 2000
• 18 PGA TOUR Player of the Year Awards since 1990
• 19 wins during the 2018 PGA TOUR season
• Seven FedExCup titles
• Seven PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Awards since 1990
• 11 participants in the 2017 Presidents Cup
• Eight of the top 20 on the PGA TOUR career money list

 

Before Rank reports to the NHL officials training camp in Buffalo next month he will compete in the Canadian Mid-Am Championship at Summit in Richmond Hill, where Woodstock's Drew Symons will caddy for him.

 

As he prepared for his final event, a tournament he has won three times, Rank took the time for the following text exchange with 519 Sports Online.

 

519: You've had a week or so to digest your Western Amateur win, where does it rank in your impressive resume and why?

I would rank it as my biggest win because of the strength of competition and the format of the tournament. One of the strongest amateur starting fields of the summer and history of the tournament winners speaks for itself. I have chased a 'major' amateur title for a few years now, and I am extremely humbled, honoured and excited by the victory.

 

519: What does it mean to you to have your name etched on the Thorne trophy with names like Nicklaus, Crenshaw, Mickelson and Woods?

It's simply really gratifying. I grew up in the Tiger and Phil era and looked up to them growing up. Jack Nicklaus is one of the greatest players to play the game. My name will be on there forever, and hopefully, it inspires some younger generation athletes to put in the hard work and dedication needed to get to that level.

 

519: Why have you played the game at such a high level this summer?

I think I've added a little bit of polish to every aspect of my game, played with a little more self belief, been fairly efficient score wise and have become mentally stronger with some different approaches presented to me by [local] sports psychologist Dr. Richard Ennis. 

 

519:Can you share a piece of advice for other golfers looking to improve?

Spend more time working on the short game. Good chipping and putting shaves strokes, makes the game more enjoyable and frees up your full swing. 

 

519: Finally, what does your next tournament, the Canadian Mid-Am, mean to you considering you've won it three times?

It's always an honour to win a national championship and represent your country for the ensuing year. It also provides an entry into Canada's open championship, which is a huge thrill.