CRANBROOK — Joan Hinkey spent more than 30 years climbing telephone poles for a living. Now retired, she spends considerable time aiming at flag poles.
Hinkey, who on Wednesday won the women’s division of the B.C. Indigenous Championship at the St. Eugene Golf Resort, worked as an installer/repair person for what was then BC Tel and later became Telus.
“I was the first woman installer/repair person in Peace River Country,” Hinkey said after her win. “I lived in Dawson Creek for 10 years and then I moved to Prince George and spent 12 years there. I then got a great posting in Nanaimo and loved every minute of it. I did it for 33 years. It was a great job, I loved it. I love making people happy.”
Winning at St. Eugene made Hinkey, now a Nanoose Bay resident, happy and perhaps a little surprised. She led after the first round and survived a late charge by fellow Nanoose Bay resident Lesley France to win by two shots.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Hinkley said of her win. “I just come out and play my game and whatever happens, happens. It’s a hard game. I admire people like Lesley. She played an awesome back nine. She was just dialling everything in.”
Hinkey, who has played golf frequently with France at Fairwinds Golf Course, had no idea where she stood as the final round neared an end. France had closed the gap to two shots through 16 holes. Hinkey made a terrific up-and-down par out of the sand on the par 3 17th, while France two-putted from long distance for her par.
France made things interesting when she stuck her wedge approach shot from 116 yards on the par 5 18th hole to about three and a half feet left of the pin. Hinkey’s approach settled pin-high in the right fringe. She two-putted from there, while France missed her short birdie attempt.
“I didn’t know where I stood,” said France, who works as an accountant. “All I was trying to do was keep up with her. I knew if I could do that I was going to be close. I guess my birdie putt really didn’t matter. But that’s fine. This is the first time I have ever done anything like this. Outside of a club championship this is the only type of golf like this I have ever played.”
Hinkey closed with an 82 to finish the 36-hole event at 21-over par. France shot a second-round 79 for the low round of the event.
Hinkey, who regularly plays the B.C. Senior Women’s Championship and other events, said the Indigenous tournament has a, “totally different feel.” Asked what made it different, Hinkey put her hand over her heart and said, “It just feels good here.”
Hinkey is of Metis heritage on her mom’s side. “My mom sadly was part of the residential school history,” she said. The old residential school that the Ktunaxa Nation have converted into a hotel at St. Eugene served as a constant reminder of her mom during the event.
Hinkey has played in all three of the B.C. Indigenous Championships and has finished high enough to compete in the annual B.C.-Ontario Indigenous team matches that are played in September.
“I won the net division in the inaugural tournament at Nk’Mip in Oliver and I was thrilled,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it and I was over the moon when I found out I made the team. But I couldn’t go to that so I was really disappointed. Then at University Golf Club last year I was shocked I made the team again, but I made it to the match with Ontario and that was a lot of fun.”
After being played at Bear Mountain in Victoria the first two years, this years matches are scheduled to be played in Ontario. The top four finishers in the gross and net divisions qualify for the B.C. team.
Michelle Palmer of Williams Lake finished third in the gross competition, while Andrea Leech of Lillooet was fourth.
The net stableford competition was won by Gloria Morgan of Enderby with 68 points, one more than runner-up Lesley France. Joan Hinkey was third and Judy Fraser of Duncan was fourth.
Click HERE for complete final scoring from the Indigenous B.C. Women's Championship.