Lillian Lesiw sweeps BC’s zone 1 championship

Lesiw's lighthearted attitude keeps her happy and humble

Cranbrook native Lillian Lesiw has been playing golf for nearly 20 years and recently competed at the BC Golf Zone 1 Women’s Championship in Crawford Bay, B.C.—just off the shores of Kootenay Lake. The championship took place on June 1 and 2, combining both amateur and senior players in the two-day spectacular.

Approximately 60 women from both the East and West Kootenays gathered into teams to play two rounds over the two days, which brought some unexpected results for Lesiw. The 63-year-old took home first place for ladies’ amateur low net and ladies’ senior low net, while her foursome also claimed the team zone low net. When asked which achievement she was the most proud of, Lesiw said that she wouldn’t be able to pick.

“I think they’re all equal,” she said. “I played the best golf I’ve ever played. It was just an amazing weekend.”

Happy and humble

Even a month later, Lesiw was still bubbling with surprise and excitement about her achievements at the championship.

“At first, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I knew that I had played well, but other women had played equally as well, and you win by just that one point. It was thrilling for sure.”

According to Lesiw, sometimes a solid effort and good mindset are all you need to get your game to fall into place.

“When it comes to golf, you always just have to go out and play as best as you can,” she said. “Everything just clicked for me and it was wonderful.”

Attitudes and expectations

When asked about her perspective on competition, Lesiw shared with us an interesting observation she had noticed while relaxing at home.

“It’s kind of funny because my husband and I were watching the PGA and there was an unknown player winning, and I think that’s really what golf is all about,” Lesiw said. “Sometimes there are really good players who don’t make the cut, sometimes you just go out and you don’t expect to do as well as you end up doing.”

Lesiw's easygoing and lighthearted attitude is definitely something that many golfers can learn from.

“I just go to competitions because I love to golf,” she said. “The fellowship is beautiful, the girls are wonderful and it’s all just lots of fun.”