Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Winter Springs, Florida’s Hank Lebioda shot a final round 4-under 66 on Sunday at Les Quatre Domaines Golf Club to win his first professional title at the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval.
The 23-year old closed in style with a birdie at the 72nd hole to win by eight shots over Toronto, Ontario’s Daniel Kim, Rancho Cucamonga, California’s Rico Hoey and Atherton, California’s Jonathan Garrick, matching the PGA TOUR era record for largest margin of victory on the Mackenzie Tour.
“I’ve been putting in a whole lot of work this offseason and changed a lot of things about my game and myself, and I’m really proud to see the results show,” said Lebioda, a Florida State alum. “This is re-affirming that the work I put in is good work.”
Beginning the day with a two-stroke advantage over Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit, Lebioda polished off a 4-under 66 in Round 3, which had been suspended due to darkness on Saturday, giving himself a five-stroke advantage heading into the final round.
With a cushion to work with, Lebioda kept the field at bay with a solid 1-under front nine, then put the tournament’s result beyond question by holing his approach shot for eagle at the par-4 14th. With three more birdies down the stretch, he finished at 20-under for the week, capping things off with a fist-pump after draining a 20-foot birdie putt at the last.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ll tell you, I did play well. I was very happy and very confident with my game, and I think these next few days I’ll let it sink in,” said Lebioda.
Lebioda had been playing well this season, notching two runner-up finishes and ranking sixth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit before heading to Canada for the summer slate of events. His standout play came thanks to work put in during the offseason on his putting and mental game with Dr. Brett McCabe.
“Acceptance. Accepting that even if I did have a bad shot, what really is the worst that’s going to happen? Am I going to lose a leg? Am I going to die? No. If I hit a bad shot, it’s just another opportunity to go prove how good I am,” said Lebioda, describing his changed approach for this year.
The win, which was his first made cut in three starts this season, moves Lebioda into sixth on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit.
Eight shots back in a tie for second were Kim, a former Mackenzie Tour member playing on a sponsor exemption this week, along with Hoey and Garrick, all of whom notched career-best Mackenzie Tour finishes.
TOP THREE EARN RBC CANADIAN OPEN EXEMPTIONS
Thanks to their position in the top-three on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit through six events, Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton, Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz and Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok all earned exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR this week. Below are the top five players on the Order of Merit through six events:
1. Robby Shelton $55,473
2. Johnny Ruiz $54,413
3. Kramer Hickok $47,719
With a total score of 12-under par in a tie for second, Toronto, Ontario’s Daniel Kim 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.
Golf Canada National Team member Hugo Bernard finished T7 at 10-under in his Mackenzie Tour debut.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Winter Springs, Florida’s Hank Lebioda reached 13-under par on Saturday at Les Quatre Domaines Golf Club during the third round of the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval before play was suspended due to darkness.
The 23-year old shot a second-straight 6-under 64 earlier in the day during Round Two, then was 1-under for the first five holes of his third round to sit two strokes ahead of Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit at 13-under when play was suspended for the day at 8:25 p.m.
“I took care of business and handled each shot as best as I could. I tried to hit as many fairways and as many greens and give myself as many looks as possible,” said Lebioda, who said he was just trying to enjoy the ride. “It’s never simple. It’s just some days it’s easier than others. Everyone says you’ve got to focus on the task at hand, but the easiest way I found was just to enjoy it and soak it all in and see the positives in it.”
Lebioda, who sits sixth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit thanks to two runner-up finishes, says he’s hoping to continue his standout play this year despite missing the cut in his first two Mackenzie Tour starts of the season.
“I’ve had a good year so far on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, and I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different. I just found a recipe that works for me, and I’m enjoying the process right now,” said Lebioda.
Du Toit, who made a move late on Saturday evening going 7-under for his 13 holes of Round 3 before play was called, carded seven birdies and was without a bogey for the round.
“Oh, big time,” responded du Toit when asked if it felt like a bonus to get extra play in on Saturday night. “It feels like a head start a little bit. It’s almost too bad that there’s no more light, because I would have loved to stay in the rhythm and tried to keep it going, but all-in-all I’m very happy with how the day went.”
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 a nation last year when he played his way into the final group on Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open before finishing T9.
Du Toit turned professional at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and earned status on the Mackenzie Tour by placing inside the top-60 on the Order of Merit through the first re-shuffle after last week’s Players Cup.
One shot behind du Toit was Victoria, B.C. resident Robbie Greenwell at 10-under.
After turning pro in 2016 and playing on the Mackenzie Tour, where he finished 33rd on the Order of Merit thanks to two top-10 finishes, Lebioda has been playing the best golf of his professional career on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica this season.
The Florida State alum currently ranks sixth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit thanks to four top-10 finishes, including two runner-ups.
“Every time I come out here to play, it’s an opportunity. I’m doing my best to enjoy it. even though I haven’t won on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, I’ve given myself opportunities and been in position, and you’ve got to learn from it,” said Lebioda.
At Florida State, Lebioda was a 2015 and 2016 NCAA All-American and became the program’s all-time leader in par-or-better rounds.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia’s Ryan Williams and Folsom, California’s Kevin Lucas both reached 7-under par on Friday at Les Quatres Domaines Golf Club during the second round of the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval before play was suspended due to darkness.
The 35-year old Williams and 28-year old Lucas were both 3-under for their second rounds before play, which was delayed 3 hours and 50 minutes due to dangerous weather earlier in the day, was suspended due to darkness at 8:28 p.m.
“I’ve made a lot of nice putts. My speed’s been great and I made some nice up-and-downs out of the bunker. All-in-all, I’m pretty happy about the all-around game,” said Williams, a Mackenzie Tour veteran making his 99th career start this week.
He owns 15 career top-10s including a win at the 2014 Freedom 55 Financial Championship and has finished 2nd or better at least once in each of the last three seasons.
Williams has made the cut in all five starts coming into this week and ranks 16th on the Order of Merit.
“I’ve been putting well, and had a lot of good up-and-downs. The birdie putts that I’ve had, I’ve capitalized on them. The first six holes of my second round, I’ve been hitting it close,” said Lucas, who said his goal was to conserve energy heading into the weekend. “For me, it’s about not going stir-crazy and keeping up my energy.”
After Round One resumed at 8 a.m. this morning following a suspension due to dangerous weather on Thursday, thunderstorms once again passed through the area, delaying play and forcing Round Two to be suspended heading into Saturday.
One shot back of Williams and Lucas at 6-under were Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz and Toronto, Ontario’s Lucas Kim, who were on the course midway through Round Two, while Winter Springs, Florida’s Hank Lebioda and The Dalles, Oregon’s Damian Telles were at 6-under waiting to tee off in their second rounds.
Team Canada Amateur Squad’s Hugo Bernard is 5 under par through 18 holes and currently in a tie for seventh.
“I hit my driver pretty long and pretty straight, too. I think I missed one tee ball, but I made some good putts and had a good finish,” said Bernard.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
The Dalles, Oregon’s Damian Telles shot a 6-under 64 at Les Quatres Domaines Golf Club before first round play was suspended due to inclement weather at the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval, the sixth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old, who finished T3 at the Players Cup two weeks ago, carded six birdies and was without a bogey to post the clubhouse lead at 6-under before play was suspended due to dangerous weather in the area at 12:30 p.m.
“Every iron I hit, they were flagged. Everything was on top of the pin, so it made it easy for some short birdie putts,” said Telles. “It’s a lengthy course, and the plan was just to keep it in the fairway just so I could hit the greens and make some putts.”
Coming off his T3 finish in Winnipeg, where he played in the final group with eventual winner Kramer Hickok, the University of Idaho grad said he wanted to keep the momentum going in his third straight week of competition.
Boucherville, Quebec’s Vincent Blanchette, who gained entry into the tournament on a sponsor exemption through his performance on the Circuit Canada Pro Tour this season, was tied for low Canadian and was the low Quebecker at 4-under when play was suspended.
“It was very valuable, when you have people around and you’re in the mix,” said Telles of his experience at the Players Cup. “It gets you going a little bit. It was nice to know I could compete with the best of them, and I just want to keep the hammer down.”
With heavy rains accompanying Thursday’s storms, play was called for the delay shortly before 4 p.m. Round One will resume with players in position at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.
“Unfortunately, the golf course took on a lot of rain during this afternoon’s thunderstorm, and despite a tremendous effort from the grounds crew, the course became unplayable due to standing water in several areas,” said John Slater, PGA TOUR Vice President of Competitions. “We’ll aim to resume tomorrow morning with Round One and get as much of Round Two in as we can, then finish Round Two Saturday morning and make the cut before aiming to get back on track and complete Round Three on Saturday.”
27-year old Telles is making his fifth career Mackenzie Tour start this week. Telles has conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour this season after finishing T19 at the British Columbia Q-School this spring, but Monday Qualified for the GolfBC Championship and finished T49, then got into the Players Cup field on the Monday of tournament week and finished T3 to move up the season’s first re-shuffle.
Telles played college golf at the University of Idaho. He ranks 19th on the 2017 Order of Merit.
One shot behind Telles was Bakersfield, California’s Matt Picanso with a 5-under 65, while Winter Springs, Florida’s Hank Lebioda was at 5-under with three holes left to complete in Round One.
Picanso finished T2 at the USA West #1 Q-School earlier this year to earn exempt status for the first eight events of the season. He finished T3 at the Players Cup two weeks ago in Winnipeg.
Lebioda is making his 14th career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. In 2016, he finished 33rd on the Order of Merit thanks to two top-10 finishes.
The Florida State alum currently ranks sixth on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit thanks to four top-10 finishes, including two runner-ups.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz shot a final round 5-under 67 on Sunday at Whitewater Golf Club to come from behind and win the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel for his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.
The 23-year old made seven birdies on the day, including one at the 72nd hole, to reach 13-under for the week and win by one over Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok, Fulton, Mississippi’s Chad Ramey and Edmond, Oklahoma’s Max McGreevy.
The win moves Ruiz into second on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit, in position to earn a spot in the top three after next week’s Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval and an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open.
“It feels awesome. It’s the best win of my career, and hopefully there are more to come, but it definitely feels good to get one under the belt now,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz was making his ninth career start on the Mackenzie Tour. Earlier this year, he earned exempt status for the first eight events of the season with a T2 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.
Ruiz had conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015 and missed the cut in all four starts. He did not begin playing golf until age 14 and notched his first pro win at the 2016 Monterey Open.
Ruiz works with noted swing instructor George Gankas, who also teaches PGA TOUR player Sung Kang.
Starting the day three shots behind Hickok and his fellow 54-hole co-leader Patrick Newcomb, Ruiz made the turn in 2-under, but still trailed as Hickok reached 14-under with a flawless front nine.
With Whitewater Golf Club showing its teeth and the Sunday pressure mounting, however, Ruiz’s steady ball-striking and calm demeanor proved critical, as he made his way to the clubhouse with three more birdies, including a two-putt at the par-5 18th to reach 13-under.
“I was just thinking one more, one more. I kept telling myself it was my day, and every time I told myself that, I made another putt. Going into 18, I thought I needed one more at least for a playoff,” said Ruiz.
Hickok, the winner at last week’s Players Cup, gave himself chances to catch Ruiz coming down the stretch, but couldn’t convert, missing putts inside of 10 feet at each of the last two holes that would have tied him at the top.
“Frustrating that I had the lead after nine and gave it up,” said Hickok. “That’s something I think I’m going to learn from, and figure out and go from there, but in hindsight looking back, they’ve been a great couple of weeks.”
For Ruiz, the win marks a measure of redemption from a near-miss last month at the GolfBC Championship, where he held the lead coming up the 18th hole but made bogey and ultimately lost when Robby Shelton birdied the last to win by one.
“It feels good to finally get one,” said Ruiz.
McGreevy, a rookie who helped the University of Oklahoma to a NCAA Championship earlier this year, joined Ramey in a career-best tie for second alongside Hickok, while a shot further behind were Mequon, Wisconsin’s Jordan Niebrugge and Long Beach, California’s Brett Lederer.
With a total score of 8-under par in a tie for 15th, West Vancouver, British Columbia’s Seann Harlingten 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.
Despite missing the cut this week, Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton held on to his lead atop Order of Merit through five events. The top three players on the Order of Merit after next week will earn a spot into the RBC Canadian Open July 24-30 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, along with Ruiz moving into second on the Order of Merit to secure his spot Kramer Hikcock grabbed the third spot.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Murray, Kentucky’s Patrick Newcomb reached 11-under through 54 holes on Saturday at Whitewater Golf Club to share the lead heading into the final round of the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, the fifth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Hickok, coming off a win last week at the Players Cup, carded 1-under 71 in round three to give himself a chance at his second consecutive Mackenzie Tour win, while Newcomb, a winner earlier this year on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, managed a 3-under 69 to match Hickok at 11-under, one stroke ahead of Fulton, Mississippi’s Chad Ramey through three rounds in Thunder Bay.
“I’m still playing good golf,” said Hickok, who will look to become the first player during the Mackenzie Tour’s PGA TOUR era (2013-present) to win in back-to-back weeks. “I’m doing everything that I need to do, which starts with limiting mistakes and getting the ball in the fairway to start.”
“I’ve played really well. I’ve had some really quality stretches of golf. Today was a roller-coaster ride. I got off to a really hot start and forgot how to play golf for a few holes, and then figured it out coming home,” said Newcomb, who will look to become the first player to win on both PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Mackenzie Tour on Sunday.
Hickok and Newcomb were among the 78 players who returned to finish their second rounds on Saturday morning after play was suspended on Friday due to darkness. Hickok played nine holes in 5-under par to complete a 7-under 65 in round two, then made just one bogey and two birdies in round three to share the 54-hole lead.
With plenty of momentum from his Players Cup win, the 25-year old Hickok said he’d rely on his experience last week in Winnipeg, where he secured the win with birdies on each of his final two holes.
“It’s something I’m always going to look back on and just rely on down the stretch. I’ve done it before, and so I can keep on doing it now. It’s nice to know I can bring out my best stuff when I need it,” said Hickok.
Ramey, who led after Thursday’s play, carded his second 66 of the week, while a group of four players – Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit, Mequon, Wisconsin’s Jordan Niebrugge, Osceola, Wisconsin’s Charlie Danielson and Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield – were a shot further behind at 9-under.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Kimberley, British Columbia’s Jared du Toit, Honolulu, Hawaii’s Lorens Chan and Atherton, California’s Jonathan Garrick all reached 8-under par and shared the second-round lead before play was suspended due to darkness at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, the fifth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Du Toit, a Golf Canada National Team member, carded a 2-under 70 to post the clubhouse lead through 36 holes and was matched shortly after by Chan thanks to a second-round 67, while Garrick reached 8-under through seven holes of his second round when play was called for the day.
“I did a pretty good job of committing to every shot. I was never too far out of position, and the few times I was, I was able to recover pretty well. It was a grind, but I’m definitely happy with the way it went,” said du Toit, who played 35 holes on Friday.
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.
He captured the attention of a nation last year when he played his way into the final group on Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open before finishing T9.
Du Toit turned professional at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and earned status on the Mackenzie Tour by placing inside the top-60 on the Order of Merit through the first re-shuffle after last week’s Players Cup.
Like du Toit, Chan had only just teed off on his first hole when play was suspended Thursday and made it through a marathon day with rounds of 69 and 67 on Friday to share the lead.
“It was just about making sure I could last all day, because I knew it was going to be hot and humid. I just wanted to stay level and not use too much energy,” said Chan, who finished his day with a birdie at the difficult par-4 ninth. “I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty tired towards the end. Nine’s a tough hole, but I hit a good tee shot. It was nice to finish with a birdie.”
Garrick’s day started early and finished late, having completed two holes – and making birdie at both – this morning to conclude an opening 7-under 65, then coming back in the evening to get his second round started.
“I feel good about my game. I’ve had stretches where I played well, but I’m starting to feel calmer mentally on the golf course, so to put together a bunch of good holes and put myself in position is good just because I haven’t done that yet this year,” said Garrick.
78 players were left to complete round two when play was suspended and will resume in position at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Fulton, Mississippi’s Chad Ramey shot a 6-under 66 at Whitewater Golf Club before first round play was suspended due to inclement weather at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, the fifth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 24-year old carded seven birdies and one bogey to reach 6-under, one ahead of Rancho Cucamonga’s Rico Coey, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida’s Tyler McCumber and Atherton, California’s Jonathan Garrick.
“My putter got hot. I made about three putts in a row that were pretty good,” said Ramey, who finished his day by hitting a bunker shot to within two feet at the ninth hole – his last of the day – to save par and post the lead at 66.
Rain fell for most of the morning, making scoring a challenge before play was halted at 1:34 p.m. due to unplayable conditions. Round one play was called for the day at 5 p.m. and will resume with players in position at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.
“The main thing is staying dry, and staying patient,” said Ramey on his approach in dealing with the rain. “Overall, 6-under in those conditions? I’d take it every day.”
Hoey, who finished tied for sixth last week at the Players Cup, managed six birdies and one bogey to share second with McCumber, the son of 10-time PGA TOUR winner Mark McCumber, and Garrick, who still had two holes remaining in his first round.
“I feel really happy. I knew that the rain was going to come, so I took the opportunities early in the round and made some putts. I’m glad I shot 5-under,” said Hoey.
The four-time NCAA All-American recently graduated from USC and was consistently ranked among the top 20 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking during his Senior season.
Ramey is in his first season on the Mackenzie Tour, having earned exempt status for the first eight events of the year at the USA East #2 Q-School this spring.
In four starts so far, he’s made two cuts and ranks 90th on the Order of Merit.
The 24-year old played college golf at Mississippi State and came to the Mackenzie Tour partly in thanks to encouragement from 2013 Players Cup winner Carlos Sainz, Jr., a fellow Mississippi State alum.
“I talked to [Carlos Sainz, Jr.] a good bit. He played on the Mackenzie Tour last year too, and plans on playing again this year. He said it’s a great Tour and he’s loved it, and kind of persuaded me into doing it,” said Ramey after earning his card at Q-School.
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Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
21-year-old Dustin Barr will play in the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel. He is one of the two final exemptions announced today for the fifth Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada event of the season that starts on Thursday at Whitewater Golf Club.
For Barr, the opportunity means a new swing at life and golf after being diagnosed with Sarcoma Cancer in 2013.
“I’ve gone through hell and back to be here. Four surgeries, 15 rounds of chemotherapy. I am still struggling and battling to this day. My dreams of becoming a professional golfer have helped me get through this. When you’re told you have cancer, you really put your life in perspective. You start to embrace the things that are important in your life and golf is one of the most important things in my life,” said Barr.
Swinging a club since he was two years old, Barr attributes much of his success in golf and surviving cancer to his father, Jim Barr, who will be by his side during the tournament as his caddy. “My challenge is keeping my nerves calm. My Dad as my caddy will help me do that. I couldn’t imagine anyone else to walk with me,” continues Barr.
Barr recently completely his first year at Thomas University in Thomasville, Ga., receiving a scholarship as a member of its golf team.
“After my surgery I wasn’t able to play golf for six months, so every surgery really set me back and I had to put my life on hold. I’ve been trying to get my game back. My dreams of becoming a professional golfer are still here and I will get the opportunity to live them this week and it means so much to me. I have worked really hard to get to where I am today and to be here,” said Barr.
Barr anticipates more surgeries within the year but remains positive. Over the years, his battle with cancer has been support by the Northern Cancer Fund and the Staal Family Foundation. He joins Thunder Bay locals, Evan DeGrazia, Chris Gardner, Walter Keating Jr., and Brett Shewchuck in the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
For more information on the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel click here.
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok shot a 5-under 66 on Sunday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to win the Players Cup, earning his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.
The 25-year old converted a one-shot overnight lead into victory, using a flurry of three birdies and an eagle on the back nine to win by three over Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton.
“This is why I came to this tour, to try and win and play against honestly some of the best players in the world,” said Hickok, who moves to third on the Order of Merit. “To be able to play in front of the fans, this is getting us ready for the PGA TOUR, and there’s nothing like it.”
After re-emerging as the leader through 11 holes – Shelton briefly held the lead at the turn but made a double bogey at 10 – Hickok found a spark on the par-5 12th, carving a 3-iron from 227 yards to within a foot of the hole for an eagle to extend the lead to three over the charging Shelton, who made birdies on 14 and 15.
“That was kind of a defining moment for me,” said Hickok. “Robby was the one guy that I knew was going to play well. I knew he was going to shoot 4- or 5-under, because he’s just that type of player. That’s what he does.”
Following a Hickok bogey at 15, the lead shrank to one shot, but the University of Texas alum responded like a champion, extending his lead to two after hitting a 127-yard pitching wedge to a foot at 17 and closing with a 25-footer for birdie at 18, leading to a triumphant fist pump.
“The last three holes I decided to play it was a whole separate tournament,” said Hickok. “I tried my best just to play it in one under. The make birdie at the last was a nice little gift, but it was unbelievable to be able to go birdie-birdie when I was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life.”
The win comes thanks in part to advice Hickok has received from his roommate, two-time major champion Jordan Spieth, as well as frequent off-season playing partner Fred Couples, who plays at the Madison Club in La Quinta, California with Hickok.
“Whenever I talk to Jordan about the putts that he’s made, whether it was junior golf for him or college golf, he’s looked back on putts that he’s made, and for me going forward this is going to be one of those putts that I can look back on and say I played my best golf when I needed it most,” said Hickok, adding that Couples sent him a text this morning and told him to “grind, grind, grind and do your thing and just have fun.”
The win moves Hickok into third place on the Order of Merit, in position to earn a spot in the RBC Canadian Open in two weeks. Shelton, meanwhile, extended his Order of Merit lead to $19,223.
Six shots behind Hickok in a tie for third at 9-under were Lake Mary, Florida’s Jhared Hack, The Dalles, Oregon’s Damian Telles and Bakersfield, California’s Matt Picanso.
Non-members inside the top-60 on the Order of Merit after the Players Cup (to a limit of three) were eligible to earn conditional status for the remainder of the year. In 39th place on the Order of Merit with three made cuts in three starts, Team Canada Amateur Squad member, Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit was the only non-member to fit the criteria and is eligible to join the Mackenzie Tour with conditional status for the remainder of 2017.
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