Friend sees for blind Lions golfer

Move over golfing sensation, Nick Taylor. While the new Canadian Open champ hopes to become the first Canuck to win the U.S. Open, underway Thursday, Canada’s Gerry Nelson is the reigning U.S. Open champ for blind golfers.

He is also the only five-time Canadian Open champ and the defending champion from Meadow Lake Saskatchewan, with his playing partner and best friend, Chris Villeneuve, sharing the glory.

Taylor became only the second Canadian in 69 years to win the Canadian Open last Sunday with two good eyes by sinking an unbelievable 72-foot putt on the fourth playoff hole to win the event.

Nelson, on the other hand, has been totally blind from diabetes since 1988 and relies on the sight of Villeneuve to line up his shots.

The dynamic duo are both Lions Club members who talked about their unique partnership while helping to raise funds and awareness at the Lloydminster Lions Club Golf Tournament at Roll - ing Green Fairways on June 9.

Nelson says he took up blind golf in 1991 and Villeneuve came into the picture about 10 years later. They’ve been together ever since.

“We’ve been to the World Championship three times, the English Open, the British Open, the U.S. Open, the Canadian Open. We’ve been to Japan four times,” said Nelson.

He says he golfs the same way sighted people do, only he can’t see the ball, or anything for that matter.

“Chris sets me up and holds the club stationery to the ball. I position myself and he gets out of the way and I hit it, and we go do it again,” explained Nelson.

He noted he was a golfer before he lost his sight, so he knew what a nice golf swing is supposed to look like.

Villeneuve says as a tandem, they are very competitive on an international level at the moment, having won the U.S. Open this past March with another Canadian Open later this summer.

“Gerry and I were friends before he lost his vision,” said Villeneuve.

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