Swinging centenarian: Above par Cape Breton golfer aims to shoot his age
If you see Iver Gillis swing a golf club, you'd have a hard time believing his age.
Just to look at the Cape Breton centenarian you'd think he was at least 15 years younger.
But the long-time member at Lingan Golf and Country Club, just outside of Sydney, N.S. will turn 101 on November 28.
"I have my mother's genes," Gillis explains. "She was 103 when she passed away."
Gillis didn’t start golfing until he was 35 years old.
Now, he has spent more than 65 years playing the game he loves in nearly every Canadian province.
Gillis typically tees off at Lingan at least twice a week.
When asked why he still spends so much time on the greens during his golden years, his explanation was simple – and tongue-in-cheek.
“Why not?" Gillis asked. “If I laid around and just stayed in bed, I'd just have a sore back. So I may as well have it while I'm golfing, and enjoy myself."
Earl Leblanc has been golfing with Gillis for more than 30 years and says part of his friend's secret is the calm demeanour he keeps, even when things aren't going so well.
"Oh, I'll be lucky to stand up at 101, let alone play golf," Leblanc said with a laugh.
"(It’s his) even temperament. I've never seen him throw clubs, never seen him slamming clubs on the ground. If he misses a shot, he misses a shot."
Gillis said in his younger years he sometimes scored in the low 80s.
Now, he has a new goal -- to shoot his age.
"At the time that I was 90, I think. I was determined to shoot my age," he said.
Gillis says he still remembers a missed putt on the seventeenth hole that cost him that day.
A couple of weeks ago, he came close once again, shooting 104 at the age of nearly 101.
His friends say he’s not giving up on that goal, or the game he loves, anytime soon.
‘He went out and bought some brand new clubs," said Leblanc. “So I tell you, he's looking forward to another year."
Gillis admits with a wry smile that the longer he plays golf, the easier it might be to reach that elusive goal of shooting his age.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.