Kapuskasing native Jim Lamontagne is one of 10 people that were recently inducted into the Northern Ontario Golf Hall of Fame‘s inaugural class. Among the list of accomplishments for Lamontagne included five consecutive Northern Golf Association Championships from 1981 to 1985. He says golf was the furthest thing from his mind after doctors told him he couldn’t play again, but that changed after hearing the news of the induction.
“Golf came rushing back to me and all the memories of the people that I golfed with so I was really excited to hear about that and basically started to think about golf again and forget I’m not going to golf because there are other things to do,” he said.
At the age of 10, Lamontagne started searching for golf balls at the Kap Golf Club to sell to players before becoming a caddie and then later getting his first set of golf clubs. Lamontagne is a sell-taught golfer who says he developed his game through hours of practice and competition.
Lamontagne says, the fifth championship in 1985 that was won on his home course quote ‘scared the hell out of him.
“I knew I could set a new record, didn’t think anyone could break it if I won five,” he said. But it was at home and people were trying to contact me, and I wouldn’t listen. I wouldn’t take any phone calls. I wouldn’t talk to anybody, I would just go practice, but I knew I could go a practice alone without anyone bothering me.”
Lamontagne competed in five Ontario Amateur Championships and won eight Kapuskasing Invitational titles.
