The University of Victoria Vikes golf teams, second in sa国际传媒 in both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 this season, have historically hit more balls straight down the fairways than off into the rough in winning 22 medals at the national championships since 2003.
They will finally have an official sa国际传媒 West conference championship to shoot for beginning in 2019.
Golf and curling become the first fully sanctioned new sa国际传媒 West sports since 1999 when women鈥檚 wrestling and rugby XVs were given sa国际传媒 West championships.
Rugby sevens, now in the Olympics and another sport in which UVic excels, will enter the third season of a pilot project in its bid for full sa国际传媒 West status.
The annual Vikes Shootout had been the pilot project for golf, which led to the decision to add the sport to the sa国际传媒 West calendar of championships.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an important move because this gives golf sustainability within the sa国际传媒 West [umbrella] and formalizes a conference championship,鈥� said UVic athletic director Clint Hamilton.
鈥淲ith our climate, we [UVic] see competitive opportunities in golf, and it would be foolish for us not to take advantage of that.鈥�
The host of the first sa国际传媒 West golf championship in the fall of 2019 will be decided by a committee that has been formed.
Hamilton said the Vikes will continue to play in U.S.-based NAIA tournaments, as well, even with an official sa国际传媒 West championship now in the offing.
鈥淧laying in the NAIA is still valued, but there are costs associated with travel to those tournaments in the U.S,鈥� he said.
There is no U Sports national golf championship. Golf sa国际传媒 runs the national post-secondary championships, the 2018 version which concluded this month in Chilliwack with UVic placing second to the Fraser Valley Cascades in men鈥檚 and runner-up to the UBC Thunderbirds in women鈥檚.
UVic, meanwhile, does not have a varsity curling team. It is a club sport, however, and often Vikes teams are formed to enter competitions. Now they will get a chance at an official sa国际传媒 West crown.
鈥淚t鈥檚 on a year-by-year basis, where teams may come together and work toward qualifying for championships,鈥� said Hamilton.
The dates and host of the first sa国际传媒 West curling championships in 2019 have yet to be determined.
The is no U Sports national curling championship, but Curling sa国际传媒 has been operating a national championship tournament for post-secondary institutions since 2008.
Golf and curling will bring to 20 the number of sports offering sa国际传媒 West championships. That includes nine women鈥檚 sports, eight men鈥檚 sports and three combined.
