Charmaine Mackid is heading into this weeks Manitoba Women’s Amateur Championship with a bit of momentum in her golf bag.

Mackid edged Jill Hardy of Niakwa by a shot and won the 2018 City & District Championship a couple of weekends ago at the St. Boniface golf club.

It’s the second time Mackid has captured the City & District which is one of our province's most prestigious tournaments and dates back to 1924.

Her first win was in 2004.

“I started practising very early this year and that’s really been my focus – to get as much practice as play in,” said the former longtime Steinbach Fly-In member who joined Breezy Bend in 2017. “I felt super comfortable going into the tournament and it was exciting. I loved how I played and was really steady both days.”

Mackid, who trailed Hardy by three shots after round one, fired back-to-back two-over par 76’s.

“St. B is not the easiest course. It’s got some very tricky holes with tight lies. I had to be careful with that. I played there a couple of years ago in the Amateur so I knew the course well. I played my game and I kept to my routine. I had a couple of bumps in the road but I didn’t let it get me down.”

Next up is the 2018 Amateur Championship which begins Tuesday afternoon at the Falcon Lake golf course.

“I did a practice round a couple of weeks ago,” said Mackid. “I hadn’t played there for about 15 years and I didn’t remember it very much. The fairways are generous. It’s quite a straightforward golf course. It’s a bit longer than some of the other courses we’re playing in competition this year through Golf Manitoba so that will be a bit of a factor for some. The greens are manageable and they’re immaculate. When I was there a couple of weeks ago they were in great condition. I’m expecting them to be really fast but holding well.”

After a 15-year absence Mackid returned to the competitive golf scene in 2015.

That summer the 41-year-old learning coach for the Hanover School Division had a share of the 36-hole lead at the Women’s Amateur at St. Boniface but a tough final day saw her slide down the leaderboard all the way to fifth place.

Mackid finished sixth the following year at Breezy Bend and then had a chance to win it all last summer at Bel Acres.

Her 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation failed to find the bottom of the cup and she eventually lost to Marissa Naylor of Pine Ridge on the third playoff hole.

Mackid was asked is she can use that heartbreaking finish as motivation to get her over the hump this week at Falcon.

“It’s there, but that’s not my motivation actually,” answered last years runner-up. “I love the game. I love the challenge. I’m getting to know the women that I golf with and I just really want to enjoy myself. I know sometimes that can sound cheesy but I just love playing the game and I want to do my best. I really focus on that and if I finish at the top it will be awesome but I don’t want to focus on that while I’m playing. I want to enjoy myself, stick to my process, my routines and to make every shot the best I can – one shot at a time.”

photo courtesy Golf Manitoba