Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Riley Wheeldon is the top Canadian at the Staal Foundation Open after three rounds, vying for his second Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week award after finishing his round with five consecutive birdies, and six in his final seven holes, to shoot 30 on the back side. The Richmond, B.C., native heads into the final round T6 after his Sunday 67.
Fellow Canadian Jake Duvall continued his solid golf into the weekend. With just a single blemish on his card, the Victoria, B.C. native shot 69 and heads into Sunday T8, the first time he’s held a top-10 position heading into a Sunday in his Mackenzie Tour career.
Jared Du Toit of Calgary, Alta., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., also head into the final round in the top-20 at 11 under.
For the second consecutive day, Blake Olson is at the top of the leaderboard at the Staal Foundation Open due to a Saturday 69 at Whitewater Golf Club. Olson’s 17-under total gives him a one-shot lead heading into the final round.
Despite giving a shot back on three out of four par-3s, Olson made six birdies on the day to shoot his third round in the 60s in a row.
“I wasn’t in any panic mode because it was playing tough this afternoon,” said Olson. “If you look at anybody in the last five groups, it was a grind, it wasn’t anywhere as easy as the morning. I know some guys shot some good early-day scores, but they’ll be playing more in the heat tomorrow, so we’ll see.”
The Pensacola, FL product has played each event on the Mackenzie Tour schedule this season and is currently the 32nd ranked player on The Five leaderboard, with his best finish coming as a T10 at the Freedom 55 Financial Open in June.
Since he missed the cut at the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Olson has played 15 consecutive rounds at even-par or better on Tour.
The 27-year-old noted four important points he will think about as he draws into a final pairing for the first time in a PGA TOUR sanctioned event.
“Playing solid, staying present, realizing it’s just golf and having fun,” said Olson. “My name was on the top yesterday, it’s on top today, I’m just going to look to have some fun tomorrow and see if we can keep it there.”
Meanwhile, drawing into the final pairing with Olson is Australian Brett Coletta after rounds of 66-64-69. Coletta has two top-25 finishes this year.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Windsor, Ontario, Canada — Placing in a tie for second is Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week Michael Gligic with rounds of 64, 68, 64 and 66.
The Kitchener, Ontario native took sole possession of the lead after a birdie on the 13th, but bogeys on both of the par 3s on the back nine, including a 3 putt on the 16th, opened the door for Anguiano to be named champion on Sunday at the Windsor Championship.
“I got off to a rough start this year, missing the cut three events in a row, but I kept working hard and the past few weeks I’ve seen some good signs, so just keep going and next week is a course I really like so hopefully I can get myself in contention again.” said Gligic.
With a 65 on Sunday at Ambassador Golf Club, Mark Anguiano picked up his first career Mackenzie Tour victory.
While five birdies in his first seven holes put Anguiano in a good place, it was the birdies he made on 15 and 17 that sealed the deal for the 25-year-old to lift his first trophy on Tour.
“When I bogeyed 14 I knew I had to man up,” said Anguiano. “I birdied 15, made a clutch par on 16 and made another clutch putt on 17. After hitting it on the green on 18 I had a good feeling that I was going to pull it off.”
It came down to the last half-hour of play until it became clear who the winner was going to be. Throughout the day, Anguiano exchanged the lead with both Canadians near the top of the leaderboard; Anguiano’s playing partner, Taylor Pendrith, and Michael Gligic, playing in the group ahead.
“All the guys in front put a lot of pressure on us, but I was very at ease,” said Anguiano. “I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself throughout the week, even today, I knew Michael and Taylor had a little more pressure being at the top and being Canadian.”
After making birdie on 17, Anguiano walked up the 18th green with a two-stroke lead after Gligic narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie chance.
“I wasn’t sure until I got up to the green where I was really on the leaderboard, I didn’t want to know,” said the Bellflower, California native. “My caddie knew, which was good, but it wasn’t until I got to my ball on the green that I knew, and it’s a great feeling.”
The large Windsor crowd surrounding the 18th green gave Anguiano a king’s welcoming as he approached his ball, 15-feet away from the hole.
“The fans were very respectful of me and the other players that were also contending,” said Anguiano. “I felt good out there all week, there’s some stretches where you won’t hit it great or feel good on the greens, but I stayed very patient during those times and that’s important to be on top.”
Anguiano previously contended this season at the GolfBC Championship, shooting a 62 in round 1. However, a second round 71 made it difficult for the 2017 Web.com Tour player to claw his way back up the leaderboard and ended up coming in a tie for sixth.
This time around, Anguiano followed up his first round 63 with two 66s and a 65 to claim the victory.
One bad swing may have been all that kept Pendrith from his first Mackenzie Tour victory. Beginning the day with an eagle on his third hole, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native shot 33 on the front to make the turn right on Anguiano’s heels. However, on the 14th hole Pendrith snap hooked his shot on the par 3 into the water hazard and made a double-bogey 5. While Pendrith followed the score up with a birdie on 15, he would have to settle for a T4 finish, his strongest of the year.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
WINDSOR, Ont. — The third round of the inaugural Windsor Championship finished as it started; with Mark Anguiano and Taylor Pendrith the two names at the top of the leaderboard at Ambassador Golf Club.
Though, in the words of Mark Anguiano, the routes the two golfers took to get there were completely different.
“We have the complete opposite games, but we have the exact same mentality,” said the Bellflower, California native, who began the day with a one-stroke advantage over the Canadian Pendrith.
While Pendrith is known for his length off the tee, often registering ball speeds of up to 200 MPH, Anguiano’s graceful swing is built on finesse, similar to his aptitude around the greens.
Take for example, the par-5 third. Anguiano found himself nearby the 200-yard plate while Pendrith waited 50-yards ahead with a wedge in hand – both players made birdie on the hole.
Anguiano’s largest lead on Sunday came after birdie on the 11th hole put him at 18-under for the event, three clear of his nearest competitor.
The back nine, though, was Pendrith’s to dominate. A monstrous drive on 13 set Pendrith up with a 7-iron into the par five. Leaving himself a 30-footer for eagle, the Richmond Hill, ONT native used the claw grip he implemented a few months prior and dropped his first eagle of the tournament to get within a single stroke of Anguiano.
After all was said and done, Pendrith made 5 birdies, an eagle and a bogey to shoot 65 compared to Anguiano’s six birdies and a bogey for 66, drawing the pair even and into the final grouping on Sunday.
“Me and Mark had a good battle today,” said Pendrith. “We were kind of going back and forth, and it was a little bit of a grind. I didn’t hit the driver as well as I did the first two days and was in the rough a bit, but my putter bailed me out and I made some birdies.”
Pendrith is well acclimated to the situation. In 2015, the then 24-year-old drew into three separate playoffs on the Mackenzie Tour. While he was unable to get the job done three years ago, he is looking forward to the chance to once again compete in the final round.
“It’s exciting, any time you have a chance to win on Sunday is a good thing,” said Pendrith. “I’m just going to do my thing and just play golf and see where I stack up at the end.”
Meanwhile Anguiano, who missed the cut by a single stroke in Lethbridge at the Tour’s last stop, has also been in the situation before, coming T6 at the GolfBC Championship last month following a first round 62.
“He’s Canadian, so I feel like I’m going to be the bad guy playing with him, but that’s good, I like that, I think it’s fun,” said Anguiano. “The crowds today were very nice to me, I can’t thank them enough and hopefully it’s like that tomorrow.”
The duo will head to the first tee on Sunday at 12:40 P.M.
Fellow Canadian Michael Gligic is on Pendrith and Anguiano’s heels, just one-stroke behind. Gligic made eight birdies and fired his second 64 of the week to draw into the second last pairing alongside Zach Foushee. Gligic, thanks to a suggestion by Pendrith, switched to the claw grip and has revitalized his game since, shooting 65 or lower in four out of his last seven tournament rounds since.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada—A trio of players sit one-stroke back of Mark Anguiano, including Canadian Taylor Pendrith, who set the course record on Thursday with a 62. While the 27-year-old was unable to replicate his round-one form, Pendrith made 5 birdies to shoot 68 and will play in the final pairing for the first time this season at the Windsor Championship.
“It was pretty difficult out there I thought. I stayed patient all day because I didn’t have too many great looks at birdies, but I birdied the par 5s and made some on the back 9, which I think is the harder nine, and it turned out to be a good day. It was a grind, but I got in at 3-under, so I’m pleased,” said Pendrith.
Canadian Michael Gligic continued to impress with his Pendrith-inspired claw grip with the putter. Gligic followed up his first round 64 with a four-birdie front 9 to make the turn in 33 strokes. The 28-year-old made 9-consecutive pars on the back side to sign for 68 and heads into the weekend tied for 8th.
For the second consecutive round, only a single square appeared on Mark Anguiano’s scorecard, who followed up his first-round 63 with a 66 to take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at Ambassador Golf Club.
Anguiano had just finished the 16th hole when adverse weather struck on Thursday evening, forcing his group to return to the course Friday morning to complete their first round before beginning the second loop.
Upon his return, the Bellflower, California native birdied the 17th hole and found himself at 8- under for the tournament, just one-stroke off Taylor Pendrith and Theo Humphrey’s lead.
“I made about a 30-footer on my second-last hole in the first round this morning, and then made par on the last, so it was really nice to start that way,” said Anguiano. “I was pretty much on cruise control the rest of the day.”
After making birdie on his fourth hole of the second round, Anguiano rebounded from a 6th hole bogey with back-to-back birdies on 7 and 8 to make the turn in 33 strokes. The 25-year-old carded a clean back nine with three birdies to sign for 66.
“It was a good day, I hit it really well off the tee, and I needed to today, it was tricky, especially with the wind change coming from the North,” said Anguiano. “The pins were pretty tucked, so it was tough to get close, so I did well and made some long putts.”
Early in the season, Anguiano was getting starts on the Mackenzie Tour due to his Web.com Tour status. Recent events have quickly changed that; a T23 finish in Victoria at the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist and a T6 finish at the GolfBC Championship, which included a first-round 62, gives him full status as he sits comfortably in 25th spot on the PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit.
“I like the courses up here, I think they fit my game pretty well,” said Anguiano. “Most of the time you have to drive it pretty straight out here. You don’t really see yourself short sided that often, and because of that, you can make a lot of birdies and you can save a lot of pars if you’re dialed in with the short game.”
Ian Davis played his back nine in 30 strokes, making eagle on both par fives to match Pendrith’s 12-under mark with a second round 64. Meanwhile, Monday qualifier Jake Scott becomes the first player this season to make three eagles in a single Mackenzie Tour round, shooting a 64 to match Pendrith and Davis’ two-day totals.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Note: Play was suspended due to adverse weather conditions at 7:30 P.M. local time with 18 golfers still on the course. Players will complete their rounds at 8:30 A.M. Friday morning.
WINDSOR, Ont.— Without a bogey on either card, Taylor Pendrith and Theo Humphrey each signed for a 9-under, 62 following the first round of the Windsor Championship at Ambassador Golf Club. The pair are positioned at the top of the leaderboard headed into Friday with a one-stroke lead over Carter Jenkins.
Pendrith, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native, was the first to sign for the new Ambassador Golf Club course record after knocking in an 8-foot birdie putt on the 9th hole, his last of the day, to complete the nine-hole stretch in 29 shots.
“I’ve shot a few 29s, a couple competitive, but that was a pretty good back nine for me,” said the Team Canada Young Pro Squad member after the round. “I missed a relatively short one on one of the par 3s, too, so it could have been better, but I’m definitely not complaining.”
Early on in the round, it wasn’t Pendrith’s aptitude off the tee that got the job done – that would be saved for later – it was a hot putter that bailed the 27-year-old out.
“My putter got hot, and it was hot all day,” said Pendrith, who’s 62 is his lowest career round on the Mackenzie Tour. “I made a lot good putts, putts for par actually, on the front nine, then I just got hot on the back and went with it.”
Known for his length off the tee, Pendrith noted that scoring on the back nine was aided by a confident driver swing that put plenty of wedges in his hands.
Meanwhile, Theo Humphrey, who was recently ranked eighth on the World Amateur Golf Rankings before turning professional last month, played consistent golf all day en-route to his 62.
Humphrey’s first Mackenzie Tour event came at the Tour’s latest stop in Lethbridge. Prior to that, he was busy preparing and playing in a well-known golf tournament – the U.S. Open.
Despite missing the cut at the event, the Vanderbilt alum shot a spectacular second-round 72 at Shinnecock prior to beginning his professional career on the Mackenzie Tour.
Leaping out of the gate with a first hole birdie, Humphrey made eagle on the 3rd and made two more birdies before making the turn. On the back, Humphrey birdied four of his last five to sign for matching front and back 31s.
“I feel great. You shoot a round like that the first round of a tournament and it makes the rest of the tournament a lot easier because you’re ahead,” said Humphrey. “I got off to a great start this morning and finished strong as well, so obviously overall it was an excellent day for me.”
After missing the cut in Lethbridge by one stroke, Humphrey flew to Florida to put some work in with his coach, Todd Anderson, at TPC Sawgrass. After dissecting his putting stroke, it appears that the team rectified any sort of putting woes.
“I was happy to see I was able to perform in a tournament after,” said Humphrey, who has been with Anderson since he was 15-years-old.
Behind the two leaders is Raleigh, North Carolina’s Carter Jenkins. The 22-year-old carded 8 birdies and trails the leaders by one after his first-round 63.
Canadian Michael Gligic overcame a double bogey on his 5th hole of the day by making eight birdies and an eagle and is 7-under with one hole remaining in his first round. The Canadian is coming of a T34 finish in Lethbridge which included rounds of 65 and 63 the first two days.
Pendrith’s fellow Team Canada member Jared du Toit made only a single par on his back nine, making three bogeys and five birdies to go along with a trio of circles on his front side. The Canadian heads into Friday four strokes off the pace.
Team Canada Alum and NHL referee Garrett Rank held his own on Thursday at Ambassador Golf Club, making eagle on the 7th hole to go along with 4 more birdies to put himself at 3-under with two holes remaining in his opening round.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Daniel Pow and Michael Gligic are the low Canadians, tied for sixth heading into Sunday’s final round at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open.
The round of the day, and perhaps the tournament considering the conditions, belonged to Canadian Daniel Pow. The Monday qualifier rattled off five birdies in a row to polish off his round of 63, propelling him 53 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 6th with fellow Canadian Gligic.
Gligic, who fired an impressive ten birdies during the second round of the event, went into the day second. After moving his way up the leaderboard early with birdies on the 2nd and 4th hole, the 28-year-old made a double bogey on the 8th before shooting even par on the back nine to put himself in a tie for 6th going into Sunday.
While it looked like it could be a one-man show come Sunday, Paradise Canyon Golf Club showed its teeth on Saturday at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open. Cold and rainy conditions kept second-round leader Zach Wright at bay, allowing Chris Williams to overtake Wright with a remarkable 65.
“The weather was always a challenge, we knew it was going to be going into the day because the forecast called for high winds and some rain,” said Williams. “I just rolled with the punches and hit some good shots when I needed to, made some big putts and it turned out to be a good day.”
Williams, the number-one ranked amateur golfer in the world in 2013, seems to have re-found his form in 2018. Saturday’s 6-under score is his 9th round under 70 this season on the Mackenzie Tour.
Williams put himself in position to jump up the leaderboard after matching the Paradise Canyon Golf Club course record on Friday with a bogey-free 61.
The 27-year-old spread his birdies sporadically in the third round, making his first on the 3rd hole before two straight on 7 and 8 had him at 3-under going into the back nine.
On the back, Williams birdied 13, 15 and 18 to sign his second consecutive bogey-free card.
“I knew it wasn’t playing super easy and I knew guys weren’t going super low,” said Williams. “I saw a leaderboard at 13 or 14 that had me at the top, so I had an idea, but I didn’t really know exactly what was happening behind me. Leaderboard watching isn’t something I usually do but walking up 18 and seeing my name at the top was nice.”
Going into the final round with a 3-stroke lead, Williams doesn’t expect to change how he plays heading into Sunday.
“Tomorrow is just another day,” said Williams. “That’s just how golf is. Each day, it’s a new day, and you never know what can happen and you have to prepare for everything.”
Meanwhile, second round leader Zach Wright struggled on Saturday, surrendering his lead after bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes.
The major blunder of the week for Wright came at an inopportune time, hitting his ball in the water on the par-3 17th, where he would make double bogey. Wright isn’t out of the competition by any accounts. Thanks to the lead he built over the first two rounds, Wright finds himself tied with T.T. Crouch at 17-under.
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A stellar 10-birdie effort catapulted Michael Gligic into a share of 2nd at 13 under par through 36 holes at the Lethbridge Open.
“I made a putter grip change this week. I went from the conventional to the claw and I’ve never really done it before, but I made a bunch today. My ball striking was pretty good, I didn’t get into too much trouble and was just fortunate to make a couple putts,” said Gligic, a Burlington, Ont., native.
As he has been doing all year, 36-hole leader Zach Wright tore up the course at Paradise Canyon Golf Club on a calm Friday morning, shooting 61 to put himself at 19-under-par at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open.
The 61 comes with a trio of achievements for Wright: a five-stroke lead going into the weekend, a new course record and a Mackenzie Tour 36-hole scoring record.
The 62-61 start breaks the record previously held by current PGA TOUR player Aaron Wise, who shot 15-under through the first 36 holes at the 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
Wright, who started the day on the back nine, worked his way around the golf course without a blemish on the scorecard for the second consecutive day.
The Louisianan State University alum began the day rather inauspiciously by his standards, maneuvering the front nine with two birdies, but an eagle on the 18th hole began Wright’s run.
The Phoenix, Arizona native played holes 9-17 in 8-under par, making three birdies in a row from 3-5 before jotting down back-to-back circles on 7 and 8. Narrowly missing a 25-foot birdie try on his last hole, Wright signed for a 61.
“So far it’s been easy for me,” said Wright. “I’ve just been hitting wedge shots that’ve been going close, driving it pretty well and just making putts when I can.”
Wright has been the most consistent golfer on the Mackenzie Tour this season, leading the Order of Merit by posting T2, T6 and T2 finishes through the first three events of the season. This week though, Wright has been able to separate himself from the field with his ability off the tee.
“I’m hitting the driver really far and it’s going relatively straight,” said Wright, who is playing his first full season on the Mackenzie Tour. “I’ve been leaving myself with short clubs into greens and I’ve been hitting those close. When I’ve had 15 footers I’ve been rolling some of those in too, so things seem to be going my way and I just have to keep going.”
Wright is trailed by five players at 14-under, including Canadian Michael Gligic. The Burlington, ON native had previously missed all three cuts on tour before the event, but 10 Friday birdies has him in position to attack Wright’s lead on the weekend.
Others at 14-under include Cody Blick, Danny Walker, Chris Williams and Jared Bettcher.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — If it wasn’t a perfect day for scoring, it was about as close as you’ll ever see, as the first round of the inaugural Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open saw the lowest scores of the season at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort.
The three at the top of the leaderboard, Paul McConnell, Cody Blick and Zach Wright, currently sit 15th, 6th and 1st respectively on “The Five,” the season-long chase towards the top five spots on the Order of Merit and the Web.com Tour status that accompanies it.
Paul McConnell was the lone golfer of the three to head out in the morning wave, taking advantage of a rare windless morning at Paradise Canyon.
The Garland, Texas native, who at one point on the B.C. Golf Swing managed 74 consecutive holes without a bogey, began his round with a birdie on the 1st. Two more on the front, supplemented by an eagle on 8, set the stage for a five-birdie back nine to close in 30 and fire his lowest score of the year.
McConnell’s eagle chip on 18 was especially well executed. Playing the shot 25 feet left of the hole, the 27-year-old watched as the ball funneled down a slope and narrowly missed entering for an eagle, which would have set the new course record.
“I thought I popped it a little bit, hit it a little too hard, because it didn’t have any spin coming off,” said McConnell. “But I hit it where I wanted to. I thought it would be six feet past, but it ended up just being a foot.”
Blick’s ascent up the leaderboard can be attributed to a rare deuce on the par-4 16th hole, Blick’s 7th hole of the day.
“I couldn’t see it go in. I took a drop off the cart path and got a really bad lie. It was downwind to a front flag and I hammered a 9-iron,” recalled the San Jose State University alum. “Lee (Hodges), who I was playing with, said ‘I think that went in!’ I couldn’t see, but we went up and there was nothing around the hole, so it was a cool little moment.”
The eagle kickstarted Blick’s round as he made the turn with five consecutive birdies to start his back nine. After making his second eagle of the day on the par-5 8th, Blick’s 8-foot course record attempt on the last hole slipped by as he is forced to settle for a share of the lead going into Friday.
With 2nd, 6th, and 2nd place finishes through the first three tournaments of the year, it’s safe to say that Zach Wright has found his zone.
The Phoenix, Arizona native played a clean game of golf, two-putting both par-5s on the front for birdies and adding two more on the side to begin with a 32. Wright made eagle on the par-5 13th, a hole he hit only a sand wedge into, and added three more circles on the side to sign for 62.
“I’ve been playing well this season,” said Wright. “I have enough confidence that I feel like I can just keep using that and building off it.”
With tee times flipping on Friday, Blick and Wright tee off in the morning wave while McConnell takes to the course later in the day.
Michael Gligic was the low Canadian in the field after the first day of action, making eagle on his 9th hole and adding birdies on four of his final six to shoot a 65 and finish the day in a tie for 9th.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
KELOWNA, British Columbia, Canada—Jared du Toit was the low-Canadian this week, finishing fifth, at 16-under 268 at the GolfBC Championship.
“At the end of the day, I did a lot of good things. I hit the ball really well.” du Toit said. “Made a couple early, which I would’ve hoped got [Cunningham] thinking a little bit, but [it] turns out it didn’t. Not much you can do about that.”
The Kimberley, B.C. native started off strong firing 4 birdies in the front nine. In his back nine he fired one birdie and a bogey on hole 16 finishing 4-under 67 on Sunday.
“I was in the mix, seven of my last eight rounds. These guys are pretty good out here, so pretty happy with all that. Hopefully I can keep the trend going, get myself in the mix and keep knocking on the door for that elusive victory,” said du Toit.
With his dad on the bag, it was a special Father’s Day for George Cunningham as he picked up his maiden Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada victory. He carded a 5-under 66 to win by two shots.
After his career-low round of 9-under 62 in the third round, Cunningham started the final round with a three-shot lead. Sunday, he started with four consecutive pars, before carding a birdie-eagle stretch on Nos. 5-6. He added an additional birdie on the par-5 ninth hole to make the turn at 19-under, holding a two-shot advantage. Coming down the stretch, with his closest competitor, P.J. Samiere, making bogey at the last, Cunningham sealed the deal by sticking a wedge from 91 yards to three feet for a birdie putt he made. It was good enough to finish at 20-under for a two-shot victory.
With his grandparents also in the gallery, it was a Father’s Day to remember for the Cunninghams. His grandparents, John and Carlotta Cunningham, drove close to 2,630km from their home in Tucson, Ariz., to watch their grandson play.
“On the 18th hole, my dad told me to make the putt and count it as his Father’s Day gift,” said Cunningham with a smile. “I guess I got that out of the way.”
The 22-year-old is a father himself, to three-year-old daughter Charlotte.
“I’m really excited to tell my daughter,” said Cunningham. “I’m excited to call her and talk to her about my win. I know she’s excited for me to come home. I’ll be home after the next event.”
Cunningham earned his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada victory in just his third professional start. The 22-year-old competed as an amateur at this season’s Q-School USA West No. 2 in Phoenix, where he finished third. Shortly after graduating in May from the University of Arizona, he turned pro and missed the cut in the first two events of the season—in Vancouver and Victoria.
“After the first two weeks, I knew I was going to need something special this week, and I did,” said Cunningham. “That’s what everyone is playing for, and I just came out on top this week.”
With his win, Cunningham moves to No. 4 on the Order of Merit, with $36,000 in earnings. Zach Wright claimed the top earnings’ spot after his runner-up finish. He’s pocketed $41,900 this season.
KELOWNA, B.C. — Jared du Toit entered the third round with a two-shot lead but fell down the leaderboard with a 1-under 70 Saturday. A triple bogey on the par-4, 11th hole was the result of a pulled 8-iron into a bush. The Calgary native fought back, however, with three birdies on his closing four holes. He’s tied for second, three back. Adam Cornelson is the last Canadian to win on this Tour. He earned his victory at the 2016 Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.
“I would love to be the next Canadian to win out here,” said the 23-year-old member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad. “If it comes tomorrow, then great. If it doesn’t, I won’t hang my head on the effort, but I’m going to try to win tomorrow.”
Five other Canadians made the cut going into the final round. Richmond Hill’s Taylor Pendrith sits T9 at 10-under-par 203 and is joined by David Rose (-9), James Seymour (-6), Ryan Williams (-3) and Stuart Macdonald (-1).
Highlighted by a hole-in-one on the par-3 third hole, George Cunningham shot a 9-under 62 to take the outright, third-round lead at the GolfBC Championship. Six players are tied for second and trail by three shots entering the final round.
With his father, Tracy, on the bag, the 22-year-old Cunningham got off to a hot start. He recorded a birdie-birdie-ace stretch in his first three holes to climb the leaderboard. His sixth-career hole-in-one came on the 175-yard par-3.
“My dad and I were joking saying, ‘Well that wasn’t the start we were looking for today,’” said Cunningham with a laugh. “Through three holes, I had a total of a foot-and-a-half of putts. I was feeling confident.”
After shooting a 5-under 31 on the front nine, Cunningham combined five additional birdies with a lone bogey on the back, to card the lowest round of his career. He credited his caddie for the successful day.
“He’s caddied for me a lot in the past,” said Cunningham. “He’s caddied for me in the last two events, as well. He knows how I read my putts, how I putt, so he’s able to look at it from a different angle. It helps a lot having him on the bag.”
Competing in his rookie season on the Mackenzie Tour- PGA Tour Canada, Cunningham finished third at this season’s Q-School USA West No. 2, in Phoenix, competing as an amateur. Shortly after graduating in May, the University of Arizona product turned pro and missed the cut in the first two tournaments of the season—in Vancouver and Victoria.
Among the six players tied for second at 12-under 201 are 18-hole co-leaders Zach Wright and Mark Anguiano. Wright carded a 3-under 68, with a disappointing three-putt bogey on the last. Anguiano shot a 2-under 69 that included six birdies and four bogeys.
Also tied for second, Russell Surber climbed 24-spots with his third-round, 7-under 64. Playing in his ninth season on the Mackenzie Tour, the 38-year-old had two consecutive missed cuts in the first two events of 2018.
