NHL referee Garrett Rank wins his 4th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur golf title

BRANTFORD, Ontario (AP) — NHL referee Garrett Rank claimed his fourth Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship on Friday, clinching the title with a crucial 6-foot par putt at the final hole. The 38-year-old, hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, edged out the competition by a single stroke, finishing the tournament with an 18-under 270 score.

Rank defeated third-round leader Evan Nachtigall of Brandon, Manitoba, who finished tied for second after bogeying the last hole for a 72. Rank, making his debut as a referee for the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, has previously won three consecutive Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur titles from 2014 to 2016, bringing his total number of national championships to five.

Rank credited his victory to a well-timed lag putt at the back of the green, stating that winning a golf tournament is "never easy" and that achieving this feat four times is "pretty special."