Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield shot a final round 6-under 65 on Sunday at Hylands Golf Club to win the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.
The 35-year old took control of the tournament with birdies on seven of eight holes in the middle of his round, then converted tricky up-and-downs for par on the final two holes to win by two over Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok.
“You get gotta get it done, one way or another. Winning’s never easy, and hardly ever do you just get a walk in the park to the 18th green. Sometimes you have to come up with something when you need it,” said Blakefield, who finished at 20-under for the week.
Starting the day one stroke back of 54-hole leader Charlie Danielson, Blakefield started slowly but quickly picked up the pace with birdies on holes No. 5-9, eventually reaching 20-under with three more birdies on the back nine.
With the tournament firmly in his grasp and the tough, into-the-wind par-4 17th and 18th holes left, the University of Kentucky grad converted a sand save from the greenside bunker on the penultimate hole and a tricky up-and-down from left of the green at 18 to secure the title.
“Obviously it was a great week and I played great, but the one thing was that I threw a few shots away with some bad up-and-downs that I didn’t get. To get those two on the last two holes was fantastic, especially to make those two putts when I needed them,” said Blakefield.
The win comes at a special time for Blakefield and his fiancée, professional golfer and former Big Break champion Bri Vega, who has caddied for her future husband at six events this year, including this week.
“It’s funny, she tried to stay so calm, but I could just see right through it and knew she was a nervous wreck just like I am,” said Blakefield with a laugh, adding that her perspective as a player was a valuable asset this week. “Sometimes, even if you know what a putt does, it’s nice to hear it from somebody else who says the same thing.”
Blakefield was making his eighth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. The University of Kentucky grad earned conditional status with a T9 finish at the USA East #1 Q-School this spring and had made five of seven cuts this year, including a previous season-best T11 finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
Hickok, who could have forced a playoff with a miracle eagle at 18, settled for par and managed a 4-under 67 to finish in solo second, moving into first place on the Order of Merit. Blakefield’s win moved him into the seventh spot with three events remaining in the 2017 season.
With a total score of 11-under par in a tie for 12th, Kimberley, British Columbia’s Jared du Toit finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.
The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.
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Osceola, Wisconsin’s Charlie Danielson shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday at Hylands Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead through three rounds at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Danielson, a 23-year old former University of Illinois standout, birdied four of his first six holes and ended the day with eight birdies against just one bogey to lead by one shot over Burlington, Ontario’s Blair Hamilton, Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield heading into Sunday.
“I hit a lot of shots close. I got off to a great start and wedged some balls close to where I didn’t have to make many putts, and getting off to a nice start out here is key. I kind of kept it going the rest of the round,” said Danielson.
As a Wisconsinite who went to school in Illinois, Danielson said he’s used to playing his best golf during the summer months and relished the chance to build momentum on the Mackenzie Tour this summer. The first-year Mackenzie Tour member has finished in the top-15 in all three of his starts this season, including a T11 at the Players Cup.
“Coming up to Canada’s no different than what I grew up in my whole life, and even what I played in at college, so I’m used to the midwest weather. It’s all pretty normal for me,” said Danielson.
Blakefield and Hickok, who co-held the 36-hole lead with Quebec’s Raoul Menard, shot matching 3-under 68s, while Hamilton raced out to a 7-under 64 to earn a spot in the final threesome on Sunday, his lowest career round on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Hamilton is making his ninth start of the 2017 season as a member of the Mackenzie Tour and 12th career start overall. The former member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team earned conditional status at the 2017 British Columbia Q-School and has made two cuts in 2017, including a T20 finish at the Freedom 55 Financial Open.
“My putter’s kind of been bailing me out all week,” said Hamilton. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work lately, and it’s nice to see some putts fall in, and any time you get hot with the flatstick it makes things fun.”
Danielson was a four-time NCAA All-American at the University of Illinois, including a 1st team selection in 2016. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2016 and was a semi-finalist for both the Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan Awards that season, and later qualified for the Genesis Open on the PGA TOUR by winning the College Showcase qualifier.
He earned conditional status with a T25 finish at the USA East #2 Q-School and has made three starts on the Mackenzie Tour this season. In all three of his starts, he has finished in the top-15, including a season-best T11 finish at the Players Cup. Danielson currently sits 51st on the Order of Merit.
Prior to this week, Danielson’s clubs and baggage were lost during travel, and his parents sent him a backup set composed of other clubs from his home in Wisconsin.
Hickok is in his first season on the Mackenzie Tour and ranks No. 3 on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Players Cup and a runner-up at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
The University of Texas alum is a roommate of two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
Hickok owns one pro win earlier this year on the Adams Tour and earned Mackenzie Tour status with a T15 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.
Team Canada Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit is tied for 16th at 9 under par after a 1-under-par 70 in round three.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Granby, Quebec’s Raoul Menard, Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield and Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok reached 11-under par through two rounds at Hylands Golf Club on Friday to share the lead at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Menard, a 25-year old first-year Mackenzie Tour member, birdied his final two holes of the day to match the lead posted earlier by Blakefield and Hickok, the current Order of Merit No. 3. The trio were two shots ahead of New York’s Michael Miller, Chile’s Cristobal Del Solar, Alabama’s Will McCurdy and Mississippi’s Chad Ramey after 36 holes in Ottawa.
“I’m new to the Tour. There’s a lot of guys that have already been here, and it’s new to me. Not only the courses, but getting used to the feeling of the Tour and being comfortable playing here,” admitted Menard, who’s making his seventh start of the year and said he was beginning to settle into his comfort zone. “I’m getting more and more comfortable, and I want to compete. I know if I’m playing well, I can play with anyone.”
Menard has made one cut before this week, a T29 at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist, and ranks 137th on the Order of Merit.
He played college golf at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and played in 12 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2016, making four cuts.
Hickok, the Players Cup champion earlier this year and the only member of The Five inside the top-10 after two rounds, said he would be boosted this weekend by the experience he’s gained in his eight starts this season.
“You learn from the experience. I’ve learned from winning in Winnipeg, birdieing the last two holes, but I’ve also learned from shooting 2-over in Thunder Bay to lose by one. Unfortunately in this game, you learn more when you lose, and in this game you’re going to lose a lot more than you win. I really just think being in that position and having a chance to win and having that experience has played a big part,” said Hickok.
The University of Texas alum is a roommate of two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
For Blakefield, a 35-year old veteran of the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, the round was a continuation of Thursday’s outstanding play, when he hit all but two greens and carded a 6-under 65. On Friday, a 5-under 66 gave him a share of the lead in his eighth start on the Mackenzie Tour, where he said he’s relishing the chance to play a full slate of events this summer.
“I’ve been all over. I’ve had Web.com Tour status the last few years, and I’ve been bouncing around doing a lot of Monday Qualifiers, and it’s nice to be up here and to make my schedule and be able to go week-to-week,” said Blakefield.
The University of Kentucky grad earned conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada this year with a T9 finish at the USA East #1 Q-School this spring and has made five of seven cuts this year, including a season-best T11 finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
Miller, Ramey, McCurdy and Del Solar were two shots off the lead at 9-under, while seven more players, including Freedom 55 Financial Open winner Lee McCoy and Golf Canada National Team member Jared du Toit were a shot further behind at 8-under.
Team Canada Amateur Squad member Austin James is 4 under par after two rounds, good enough to make the cut on the number in his professional debut.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Lake Mary, Florida’s Jhared Hack shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday at Hylands Golf Club to take the first-round lead at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old carded eight birdies and one bogey to sit one stroke ahead of Kimberley, British Columbia’s Jared du Toit, Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield after one round in Ottawa.
“I just stayed patient, man,” said Hack, who came to Ottawa motivated after a disappointing weekend in Calgary last week, where he shot rounds of 78-82. “I know I’ve said that a lot this year, but I kind of had a rough weekend last week and just wanted to learn from that. I made a lot of sloppy mistakes and decisions, and I wanted to be as stress-free as I could today. Obviously when you shoot 64, you’re not trying to – it just kind of happens.”
Already with two T3 finishes this year at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and the Players Cup, Hack said he’s close to breaking through, especially after making the switch to a cross-handed putting grip before Thursday’s opening round.
“I switched to cross-hand for today. The putter’s been a little balky this whole season, so I just tried to find something to kind of believe in and feel like it’s consistent,” said Hack, who was pleased with the results. “I made some nice putts today that I definitely haven’t been making, and they went in with some conviction, so it’s nice to see that.”
Hickok, Blakefield and du Toit each managed opening rounds of 65, while nine players were at 5-under 66 after Thursday’s play. A total of 26 players were within three shots of the lead after Round One.
du Toit is coming off a standout amateur career that concluded in June with his senior season at Arizona State University, where he was named a 2017 NCAA 2nd team All-American.
The Kimberley, B.C. native is a member of Golf Canada’s National Team and captured the attention of the nation last year when he played his way into the final group on Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open before finishing T9.
“I think my biggest thing is staying patient. My time will come. If it’s this week, great. If it’s a year from now, great. If it never comes, who knows,” said du Toit. “One of the things I focus on is trying to stay patient, and I’ll do my best to string four good rounds together.”
Blakefield is making his eighth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. The University of Kentucky grad earned conditional status with a T9 finish at the USA East #1 Q-School this spring and has made five of seven cuts this year, including a season-best T11 finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
In 2006, Blakefield helped the University of Kentucky to the SEC Championship along with teammate and current PGA TOUR member J.B. Holmes.
Hack is making his ninth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. He finished T3 earlier this year at both the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and the Players Cup and sits 11th on the Order of Merit.
In 2007, Hack won the prestigious Western Amateur, defeating Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson in Match Play on the way to the title. He turned pro after one semester at the University of Central Florida and owns 54 wins on various mini tours.
Hack spent the last two years on the Web.com Tour, recording three top-25 finishes in 35 starts. He finished 132nd and 109th on the Web.com Tour Money List in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and also owns extensive experience on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, with six top-10s in 25 career starts.
25-year old Hickok is in his first season on the Mackenzie Tour and ranks No. 3 on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Players Cup and a runner-up at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
The University of Texas alum is a roommate of two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
Hickok owns one pro win earlier this year on the Adams Tour and earned Mackenzie Tour status with a T15 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Muncie, Indiana’s Chase Wright shot a 4-under-par 67 to come from behind and win the ATB Financial Classic for his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.
The 28-year-old started the day one shot back of the five 54-hole co-leaders—who were tied at 12-under-par—but got off to a hot start on Sunday, making a 30-foot putt for birdie on the first hole, followed by birdies at hole Nos. 2, 4, and 5. Wright bounced back from a bogey on the par-3 No. 6 with an eagle at No. 7 to make the turn at 5-under, good for a one-stroke lead at that time.
Weather conditions changed significantly as the final few groups approached the 12th and 13thholes—wind speeds in the morning were no more than 17 km/h, but afternoon gusts reached up to 31 km/h. Wright, however, seemed undisturbed by the change in the elements. He notched six straight pars on Nos. 10-15 and said his par saves on Nos. 13 and 14 were crucial keys to his victory on Sunday.
“The winds that came through, you hadn’t seen them all week,” said Wright. “That was two huge moments. I probably wouldn’t be here if I wouldn’t have gotten those up-and-downs.”
On the par-5, 507-yard No. 13, Wright was left with 180 yards for his second shot, and with the wind conditions, he needed only a wedge for the shot, which flew the green. Wright hit his third shot just inside a hazard and saved par by chipping it to two-and-a-half feet and making the putt. On the par-3, 212 yard No. 14, Wright hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker and made a 7-footer for par.
His mentality throughout the round—and the week, for that matter—did not waver. “I just tried to stay patient and play like it was the first day every day and not really worry about stuff going on around you and how other people are playing,” said Wright.
Wright bogeyed the par-3 16th on Sunday but bounced back on No. 17, sinking a 15-foot putt for birdie, despite needing to back away twice due to the wind. After failing to get up-and-down on No. 18, he signed his scorecard for a 72-hole total of 15-under-par—the clubhouse lead—and waited for the remaining two groups to finish.
“I wasn’t discouraged or anything. I just kept plugging,” said Wright about his final stretch of holes. “I felt really calm most of the day…I’ve seen my name up there [on the leaderboard] all day and I never once thought I let that affect me, and if it did, I made sure that it didn’t affect me more than once.”
Wright finished his final round just before play was suspended at 4:24 pm local time due to lightning in the area. When play resumed at 4:58 pm, South Korea’s Todd Baek was the only player who could potentially force a playoff with Wright, but Baek’s failure to birdie No.18 secured Wright’s first Mackenzie Tour victory.
The win moves Wright into seventh on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit, $1,085 behind No. 5 Patrick Newcomb. The top five players on the Order of Merit at the season’s end will earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2017.
“Anybody that knows me kind of knows that I’ve put myself through a lot in the last year and a half,” said Wright, who finished in the top-50 on the Web.com Tour money list in 2014 and 2015 but failed to keep his Web.com Tour card after the 2016 season after missing 15 of 20 cuts. “Coming back here and having an opportunity to get back to the Web.com Tour is awesome, and [I’m] taking advantage of it now.”
Wright was one of six co-leaders at 6-under 65 after the first-round and had the solo 36-hole lead by one stroke over Todd Baek, thanks to another 65 in round two. A one-over 72 in the third round left him one stroke back of the five co-leaders heading into the final round, but his attitude remained positive and persistent.
“I didn’t play that bad,” said Wright about his 72 on Saturday, which also saw wind speeds reach the mid-30s (km/h). “I lost three-and-a-half shots on the greens. My game was right there; I just gave away a few shots. So I knew if I just kept hitting solid shots and putting myself in position, the hole’s gonna get in the way, and it did.”
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Six players, including Calgary, Alberta’s Wes Heffernan and Riley Fleming, Florida’s T.J. Vogel, England’s Charlie Bull, Indiana’s Chase Wright and Oklahoma’s Max McGreevy shot rounds of 6-under 65 to share the first-round lead at the ATB Financial Classic, the eighth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
All six players teed off in the morning wave on Thursday and made a combined 35 birdies, five eagles, and nine bogeys.
Calgary’s Riley Fleming joined the group of co-leaders at 6-under in exciting fashion. Fleming was 4-under for the day heading into his final hole, the par-4, 428-yard No. 18, when he holed out for eagle from 180 yards with a 7-iron.
“It came out a little low and I actually said to my caddie that I thought I nuked it and I thought it might be a little long,” said Fleming. “It was actually about 15 seconds later that everyone started to yell. So I was glad it went in. I wasn’t sure if it was hanging on the lip or something.”
Fleming is making his 35th career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. The Calgary native has played in only one event this season—last week’s Syncrude Oil Country Championship—where he missed the cut after rounds of 66-81.
He has posted eight top-25 and two top-10 finishes in his Mackenzie Tour career. His best finish was a T4 at the 2015 Syncrude Boreal Open. The 2013 Alberta Open Alberta Amateur Champion played one season of collegiate golf at the University of Texas-Arlington before turning professional in 2014.
Fellow Calgarian Wes Heffernan, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption this week, carded six birdies, 2 bogeys and an eagle on the par-5 13th.
“For me this is my only event playing on tour this year, so for me to shot 65 is pretty satisfying,” said the 2008 Players Cup Champion. “Playing with Riley, who’s a friend of mine and also from Calgary, is a pretty good pairing and we both played well, so we fed off each other and tried to make as many birdies as possible.”
Should Fleming or Heffernan go on to win this week, they would become the first Canadian to win on the Mackenzie Tour since Adam Cornelson won the 2016 Bayview Place Cardtronics Open.
T.J. Vogel was the only co-leader to post a bogey-free round, but it wasn’t hiccup-free. A wayward tee shot on the 510-yard, par-4 No. 10—the toughest hole of the day (+0.394)—turned out to be a lucky break.
“The one shot I did pretty off line today I got pretty lucky on 10, so I was able to have a birdie look,” said Vogel, who is No. 8 in the Order of Merit. “I hit it way right.”
Vogel’s tee shot ended up just short of the tee box on the second hole, but he was able to save par by hitting a nine iron to 12 feet and two-putting from there.
2016 ATB Financial Classic Champion Charlie Bull matched his career-low round on the Mackenzie Tour with his 65 on Thursday.
Bull’s 2017 Mackenzie Tour season has seen four missed cuts in five starts, but a recent swing change turned things around for the England native, who finished T27 two weeks ago at the Mackenzie Investments Open.
“I had an issue with my grip that no one picked up on and a friend of mine down in Florida picked up on it, and I changed it,” said Bull. “It’s obviously pretty uncomfortable changing your grip. It’s one of the toughest things to change, but it is one of those things I had belief in.”
Despite missing a two-footer on his final hole, the par-4 No. 9, co-leader Chase Wright took away a lot of positives from his first-round.
“I was real patient and drove the ball well. It was pretty simple till the last hole,” said Wright, who is playing his first Mackenzie Tour season.
Like Wright, fellow Mackenzie Tour first-timer Max McGreevy had one bogey on his scorecard, but it came at his first hole (No. 10). He bounced back with 6 birdies and an eagle.
“I made a lot of putts—just made it very easy for me out there,” said McGreevy, who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May, where he and his team won the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf National Championship. “I haven’t played too many links-style courses. The greens are firm and fast, and I only think they’re going to get firmer and faster as we go on, so I think they have the course running great.”
Three players sit one shot behind the group of leaders: Texas’ Kramer Hickok, North Carolina’s Trevor Cone, and California’s Kaz Hoffman.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Indiana’s Chase Wright shot back-to-back rounds of 6-under 65 in rounds one and two to take a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s Todd Baek through 36 holes at the ATB Financial Classic, the eighth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 28-year-old, who is making his eighth career Mackenzie Tour start, hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation on Friday and made eight birdies on the day, including four birdies in his last six holes. Both of his bogeys were the result of three-putts.
“It goes back to patience and kind of accepting a bad or average shot,” said Wright, whose best finish in his first season on the Mackenzie Tour this year was T15 at the Players Cup. He entered this week on the heels of a T19 finish last week. “I haven’t been focusing on one thing, I’ve just been keeping it in front of me really well, and the speed’s been great on the green, so just keeping that up.”
This marks the first time Wright has held the lead on the Mackenzie Tour, but this isn’t completely new territory for him—Wright has played in 69 Web.com Tour events since turning pro in 2012 after graduating from Indiana University.
“It’s been about a year-and-a half, two years, since I’ve played this consistently,” said Wright, who held the lead after the first round of the Web.com Tour’s 2015 Price Cutter Charity Championship—his only lead on that tour after any round—before finishing T16.
“I don’t forget how to do it,” Wright said about being in contention. “If I just keep playing my game like I’m doing—if somebody beats me they beat me—but I can just control what I can control.”
Wright is making his eighth career Mackenzie Tour start in his first season on the tour. In a season marked by four made cuts and two top-25 finishes, the Indiana University alum’s best finish was T15 at the Players Cup.
Wright earned status on the Mackenzie Tour by finishing sixth at the USA West #2 Q-School.
Since turning pro in 2012, Wright has made 69 starts on the Web.com Tour, where he’s notched 12 top-25 and six top-10 finishes. His best finish came at the 2015 Columbia Championship, where he was in solo second after the third round but went on to finish T3.
While a collegiate golfer at Indiana University, Wright was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team and PING All-Midwest Region Team as a senior. He also won the 2010 Indiana State Open.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Murray, Kentucky’s Patrick Newcomb endured a marathon day of 38 holes at Windermere Golf and Country Club on Sunday, shooting a final round 4-under 66 then defeating Germany’s Max Rottluff in a playoff to win the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON for his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.
The 27-year old sank a curling 18-foot birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to become the first player to win on both the Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where he captured the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort earlier this year.
“I came up here to win. A win really solidifies you and puts you in a good spot, and after three tough years, this has been the year for me to get to the Web.com Tour,” said Newcomb, who now ranks fifth on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit and eighth on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
Starting the day one shot back of Tacoma, Washington’s Derek Barron, Newcomb had 16 holes left to finish Round Three, in which he carded a 2-under 68 to remain one behind Barron. It was Rottluff, however, who quickly emerged as the man to beat, playing well ahead of the leaders and carding six birdies in his first 13 holes to jump out to the lead at 16-under, where he would go on to post the clubhouse lead.
“I felt I played pretty good. Starting the day out, I don’t know how many shots back I was, so it was a long day for sure and I played well,” said Rottluff, a winner already this year at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist, as well as last year at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open.
Heading to the back nine four shots behind, Newcomb needed a spark and found it thanks to some inspiration from his caddie, Windermere member Dave Kakoschke.
“Dave kept me in it on the back nine. I was walking down 10 and I hit it right and I was in a bad spot, and he goes, ‘let’s be scrappy and get around here, make a couple birdies and see where we’re at.’ That shoved me back in it, and we were just rolling from there,” said Newcomb, who reeled off three straight birdies to get within one.
With one shot to make up down the stretch, Newcomb continued to play aggressively, eventually making a 15-footer for birdie at 17 to match Rottluff with one hole to go.
“I knew if I didn’t play well down the stretch and folded, that’s just part of it,” said Newcomb, adding that the adrenaline from being in the hunt kept him going on a marathon day. “Once you have a chance to win, everything livens up a bit.”
The Murray State graduate had a chance to win outright on 18, but left his putt for the title just short to fall into a playoff. The first three extra holes settled nothing, with Rottluff missing two long but makeable putts for the win and Newcomb lipping out on one.
Finally, after finding the 18th green for the fifth time on Sunday, Newcomb finally got his birdie putt to drop for the first time all day, securing the win and leading to an exuberant fist pump to accentuate the win.
“I thought I missed high, that was the funny part,” admitted Newcomb about his winning putt. “I just gave it a little more, and five feet away I was like, ‘I cannot believe this is not gonna go in.’ It just curled in the top edge, and it felt amazing.”
With a total score of 11-under par in a tie for ninth, Kimberley, British Columbia’s Jared du Toit finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.
The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Murray, Kentucky’s Patrick Newcomb shot a 2-under 68 on Friday at Windermere Golf and Country Club to take a one-stroke lead through two rounds of the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, the seventh event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old led by one over Tacoma, Washington’s Derek Barron when play was suspended for the evening due to darkness at 8:35 p.m. Round Two was suspended initially for 1 hour and 54 minutes due to dangerous weather earlier in the day and will resume at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.
“I’m really happy at 10-under,” said Newcomb, who managed six birdies on the day but admitted he would aim to improve on his total of four bogeys on the day. “I’m going to try to keep the bogeys off the card. If I can do that, I don’t see myself making any less than five or six birdies again, so that’s the key.”
The Murray State grad sits eighth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort, and hopes to make up for a slip-up earlier this season at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, where he held the solo lead on Sunday but fell to a final round 79 to fall out of contention.
“Thunder Bay got away from me a little bit. That’s the only time I’ve really fallen apart on the back nine, but that’s kind of my nature. When you’re playing aggressive and it’s not going great, if you hit a few loose tee shots hitting drivers where no one else is, it’s going to get away from you. I’m just going to keep playing aggressive and give myself a chance to win,” said Newcomb.
Barron birdied his final hole of the day to hold solo second at 9-under, while Tampa, Florida’s Lee McCoy was a shot further behind at 8-under after a 67. Barron, a 32-year old Mackenzie Tour rookie, said he looked forward to the chance to play with Newcomb on Saturday once Round 3 gets underway.
“I met him this week playing a practice round. Funny guy, nice guy. I really enjoyed playing with him, and I’m sure he’ll keep it lighthearted tomorrow,” said Barron.
BACKGROUND ON THE LEADER: 27-year old Patrick Newcomb is making his fourth career start on the Mackenzie Tour and is playing out of a category for members of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where he ranks eighth on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort.
Newcomb played college golf at Murray State, where he collected nine individual victories. He co-held the lead at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel through 54 holes but fell to a final round 79 and finished T38.
Newcomb matched the Windermere Golf and Country Club Course Record with an 8-under 62 on Saturday, matching Joe Panzeri and Matt Marshall at the 2012 ATB Financial Classic. The course played as a par-71 in 2012.
Newcomb’s caddie this week is Windermere member Dave Kakoschke.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Murray, Kentucky’s Patrick Newcomb shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday at Windermere Golf and Country Club to take the first round lead at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, the seventh event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old, who sits eighth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort, started hot with three birdies and an eagle in his first four holes, then managed four more birdies against one bogey to match the Windermere Golf and Country Club course record.
“It was just one of those special days with the putter,” said Newcomb, who added that his hot start early on put him in his comfort zone. “I have a tendency to get off to hot starts. I hit a couple of good shots and get in a rhythm. For me, I got to 5-under, and when I stepped on 14 (his fifth hole of the day) tee, I said ‘let’s keep going.’”
The 8-under 62 gave Newcomb, who shot a third-round 61 during his win in Honduras, a two-stroke advantage after day one over Tacoma, Washington’s Derek Barron, Glendale, California’s Russell Surber and Cameron Park, California’s Corey Pereira and Cordova, Illinois’ Josh Hart.
“I had a lot of approach shots that were pretty much gimmes, and obviously that’s not going to happen every day, so you just have to kind of enjoy it while you have it.,” said Barron.
Barron is making his sixth career Mackenzie Tour start after earning status at the British Columbia Q-School earlier this year. He ranks 57th on the Order of Merit thanks to finishes of T18 and T12 in the first two events of the year.
A Murray State grad, Newcomb finished T6 at the Players Cup earlier this year and co-held the 54-hole lead at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel before tumbling to a final round 79. Last week, he played in the Kentucky State Open for a brief stop at home before resuming his season on the Mackenzie Tour, his seventh week of competition in a row.
“It was good to get home and spend a few days there afterwards. I got to see my family and work with my coach, and got to wind down for a day and a half, which was a lot more than I’ve been getting lately, so that was nice,” said Newcomb.
Newcomb is making his second career start on the Mackenzie Tour and is playing out of a category for members of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where he ranks eighth on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort.
Newcomb played college golf at Murray State, where he collected nine individual victories. He co-held the lead at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel through 54 holes but fell to a final round 79 and finished T38.
His 8-under 62 matches the Windermere Golf and Country Club course record set by Joe Panzeri and Matt Marshall at the 2012 ATB Financial Classic. The course played as a par-71 in 2012.
Two-time World Long Drive Champion Jamie Sadlowski, who grew up two hours away in St. Paul, Alberta, opened with a 1-under 69.
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