PGA TOUR Americas Team Canada

Rhéaume’s final-round 66 leads to win at ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Sarah-Eve Rhéaume Captured at Legacy Golf Club on November, 29, 2019 by Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

(BROMONT, QC) – On Friday morning, ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Bromont co-leaders Sarah-Eve Rhéaume, a 22-year-old amateur from Quebec City, and Min-G Kim, an Epson Tour veteran with nearly $120,000 in career earnings, battled back-and-forth with hopes of lifting the Lorie Kane trophy and assuring themselves a spot in August’s CP Women’s Open. 

By late Friday afternoon, Rhéaume pulled away – making nine birdies over the course of her final 14 holes, including four in her last five holes – to win by three strokes with a tournament-best final-round 66. The winning margin would have been higher had Kim not dropped a 60-footer on the last hole for her second eagle of the day. 

Shortly after Kim got the large Golf Chateau Bromont crowd warmed up, Rhéaume tapped in a short birdie look to set the crowd ablaze, with her mom waiting greenside to be the first one to give her daughter a bear hug. 

“It feels great, I had a great day, and it feels good to get the win,” said Rhéaume. “I had a good birdie putt on 5 and had a good look at eagle on 6 but just tapped in for birdie. Then I birdied three in and row and back nine shot 31, that was solid.”

“My mom coming down was nice and fun, my friend Matt caddied for me this week, this was the second time we’ve worked together and both times we’ve won, so we have a pretty good thing going,” said Rhéaume.

The first event they won together was the Glencoe Invitational – also comprised of both amateurs and professionals. Today she bested Kim, who ended up going home with the low professional cheque, while the first time it was Caroline Ciot, who ended this week in a tie for fifth and earned low PGA of Canada member honours. 

Somebody else holding the big cheque at Chateau Bromont didn’t bother Rhéaume, likely because she will make her LPGA debut in August in Ottawa alongside Brooke Henderson – the last amateur prior to Rhéaume to win the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship.

“Any time you can be compared to Brooke it’s a good thing,” said Rhéaume. “She has accomplished so many great things. I’m just lucky to have my name along with hers on this trophy.”

Members of the Golf Canada Amateur Squad, including Rhéaume, put on quite the show on Friday. In addition to Rhéaume’s 7-under par 66, Brooke Rivers shot 69 and Celeste Doa shot 68 – which would have been the low-round of the tournament if not for her teammate’s spectacular day. 

Following Rhéaume’s LPGA debut in Ottawa, she says the plan is to return to Furham University for her fifth and final season. 

The next PGA of Canada National Championship is the GOLFTEC Senior Men’s Championship of Canada, set for August 23-26 at Connaught Golf Club in Medicine Hat, AB. 

PGA TOUR Americas Team Canada

Canada’s Myles Creighton hopes to end Latinoamerica season on top

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Myles Creighton tees off in the opening round of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open on June 6 at St. Georges Golf & Country Club. (Bernard Brault/Golf Canada)

Myles Creighton has always wanted to wear the Maple Leaf on his golf gear. Now that he can as a member of Golf Canada’s young pro squad, he’s having a career season.

The product of Digby, N.S., was named to the national sports organization’s roster in mid-March and has proudly represented Canada on the PGA Tour _ Latinoamerica since. He’s the highest ranked Canadian heading into the third-tier tour’s championship tour this week and the highest ranked golfer from the Maritimes on any tour.

“I take huge pride in representing that part of the country and Canada in general,” said the 26-year-old Creighton. “I’ve always wanted to be on Team Canada’s growing up and I was just shy in junior golf and just left off the team in amateur golf.

“That’s something that’s been really cool for me this year just to have the Golf Canada logo on all my shirts and all my golf bag and stuff.”

MYLES CREIGHTON

Creighton is 32nd in the TotalPlay Cup rankings, dropping two spots after taking two weeks off Latinoamerica for the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto and a week of vacation. That ranking makes him the only Canadian in the field this week at the Bupa Tour Championship at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico.

“I love this golf course. I’ve been looking forward to playing it all year,” said Creighton, who noted that the fairway. “I’m just going to try and play my best but I feel like this is a great course for me.”

He’s had two top-10 finishes on tour this season, tying for ninth at the JHSF Aberto do Brasil on May 24 and then tying for third at the Jalisco Open on May 29. He also tied for 19th twice this season.

“I know that I can win on this tour,” said Creighton, who is targeting a card on the Korn Ferry Tour. “I would love to win this event it would do a lot for me because it’s an increased amount of points and 600 points. It could get me in the top 10.”

Creighton’s season won’t end at the Bupa Tour Championship, as he intends to return to the Maritimes and compete in the Prince Edward Island Open on the PGA Tour Canada. That event begins on June 30 at Dundarave Golf Club in Cardigan, P.E.I.

“I was really looking forward to it because my family is going to come up and I was going to get the chance to see them,” said Creighton. “I was able to see them at the Canadian Open, which was great, but they’re still going to come out so it’ll be a great week.’

PGA TOUR Americas

PGA TOUR Canada announces 2022 Fortinet Cup schedule

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

TORONTO, Ont. — Featuring a regular season that begins in early June and ends in mid-September, PGA TOUR Canada announced its 2022 schedule Tuesday for the Fortinet Cup as part of the season-long competition. Fortinet announced it will be the Tour’s Cup sponsor as the Tour awards points based on player performance, with a $100,000 bonus pool up for grabs for the top competitors. 

PGA TOUR Canada’s regular season is offering a return to full-action and Korn Ferry Tour membership to the top players, a summer lineup of 11 tournaments beginning in Victoria, British Columbia, and concluding in Kitchener, Ontario. The Tour also will hold an official event outside Canada for the first time when players travel to Brainerd, Minnesota, late in the summer. 

PGA TOUR Canada did not play in 2020 due to issues surrounding the global pandemic, and it organized and hosted a scaled-down, eight-tournament Tour in 2021 mainly for players residing in Canada. This will be the first season since 2019 that features full fields and a path for players to reach the Korn Ferry Tour. 

“This is a significant time in the history of PGA TOUR Canada as we begin the Fortinet Cup era. The Fortinet Cup offers players the ability to compete on some of the best golf courses in Canada—along with the added bonus of another tournament played in the U.S.,” said PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “Spanning coast to coast, the 2022 schedule is one we are proud to announce and is already setting up for a triumphant return of PGA TOUR Canada.”

“Fortinet is excited to partner with PGA TOUR Canada. The Tour delivers an amazing experience—in equal measure for its fans and golfers. As PGA TOUR Canada’s premier sponsor and the host of Fortinet Cup, our company will bring its deep expertise in cybersecurity innovation to the world of golf,” said Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Government Vertical at Fortinet Latin America and Canada. “Our partnership furthers Fortinet’s vision to make possible a digital world that we can always trust by securing people, devices, and data everywhere.” 

The season gets underway June 2-5 at a familiar Tour site, Uplands Golf Course, for the newly named Royal Beach Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist. After a scheduled one-week break for the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open, players will tee it up three weeks in a row, starting the week of June 13-19, at the ATB Classic presented by Volvo Edmonton, followed by the Elk Ridge Open (June 23-26) in the Resort Village of Elk Ridge in Waskesiu, Saskatchewan, and the Prince Edward Island Open in Cardigan (June 30-July 3).  

The Tour observes a two-week break to begin July before resuming action in Ontario, for the Osprey Valley Open presented by Voroantim Cimentos CBM Aggregates (July 21-24) in the Toronto suburb of Caledon. The Ontario Open (July 28-31) in Tottenham is the next week, bringing July to a close. The Quebec Open is scheduled for August 4-7 in Blainville, with another off week preceding the Manitoba Open (August 18-21).

The visit to Minnesota, for the CRMC Championship presented by Gertens (August 25-28), and the next week’s GolfBC Championship (September 1-4) in Kelowna, British Columbia, bring August to an end and takes the players into September. The season concludes September 12-18 at the Fortinet Cup Championship, the Tour’s best players from the Points List assembling for the first time at Deer Ridge Golf Club and the Fortinet Cup final positions decided, as well as the $100,000 bonus pool for the top-10 players. The overall Fortinet Cup champion will pocket $25,000.

“It’s exciting to think where we are beginning and culminating our season, along with the other nine cities and golf courses we’ll visit during the year. There is so much to look forward to, the ATB Classic returning to Edmonton, PGA TOUR player Graham DeLaet serving as the honorary chair at the Elk Ridge Open, having the Ontario Open and its storied history as part of our schedule and visiting TPC Toronto, one of the premier TPC facilities in the network,” Pritchard explained. “Traveling outside Canada to Minnesota for a tournament, with Tom Lehman significantly involved, spending a week in Quebec and moving the GolfBC Championship to a September date for the first time are all things we’re anxiously anticipating.

“In addition,” Pritchard continued, “Prince Edward Island has had to wait a year to make its official debut on our schedule, and Manitoba is also back after a two-year hiatus. It will be great to play our tournaments in those two regions. I simply can’t be more excited about what we will offer this year’s crop of players.”

PGA TOUR Canada began in 2013 as the PGA TOUR’s second International Tour. Since its inception, the Tour has seen 14 of its alums win 16 PGA TOUR titles, while 46 past PGA TOUR Canada players have collected 49 total Korn Ferry Tour victories. 

The Tour has already held five of its seven Qualifying Tournaments to determine its complete 2022 player roster. This week the Tour is conducting its sixth qualifier, in the Tacoma, Washington, area, with the final Qualifying Tournament in Canada to follow. The first five medalists during this Qualifying Tournament season are Alex Herrmann and Austin Hitt (from the Florida tournaments), amateur Jacob Bridgeman (from the Alabama qualifier), Max Marsico (from the Arizona qualifier) and Jake Vincent (from the California qualifier). 

2022 PGA TOUR Canada Schedule

DateTournamentGolf CourseLocation
June 2-5Royal Beach Victoria Open presented by Times ColonistUplands GCVictoria, British Columbia
June 16-19ATB Classic presented by Volvo EdmontonEdmonton Petroleum ClubEdmonton, Alberta
June 23-26Elk Ridge Open Elk Ridge ResortResort Village of Elk Ridge, Waskesiu, Saskatchewan
June 30-July 3Prince Edward Island OpenDundarave GCCardigan, Prince Edward Island
July 21-24Osprey Valley Open presented by Voroantim Cimentos CBM AggregatesTPC Toronto Caledon, Ontario
July 28-31Ontario OpenWoodington Lake GCTottenham, Ontario
August 4-7Quebec OpenLe Blainvillier GCBlainville, Quebec
August 18-21Manitoba OpenSouthwood G&CCWinnipeg, Manitoba
August 25-28CRMC Championship presented by GertensCragun’s Legacy ResortBrainerd, Minnesota
September 1-4GolfBC ChampionshipGallagher’s Canyon G&CCKelowna, British Columbia
September 15-18Fortinet Cup ChampionshipDeer Ridge GCKitchener, Ontario

Click here for more information.

PGA TOUR Americas

PGA TOUR Canada, Fortinet announce multi-year sponsorship, including Fortinet Cup as season-long points race

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

TORONTO, Canada—PGA TOUR Canada announced Thursday that Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions based in Sunnyvale, California, will sponsor the Tour’s season-long points competition, the Fortinet Cup, an agreement that begins this season and runs through 2026.

The Fortinet Cup will mirror the competitive structure of the points-based competitions on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Through the sponsorship, the Fortinet Cup will offer a new $100,000 player bonus pool—with $25,000 to the winner—to the top Fortinet Cup points-winners who earn membership on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour, with the No. 1-ranked player at the end of the season eligible to play in every open Korn Ferry Tour tournament the following season. The Fortinet Cup winner will also be exempt into the PGA TOUR’s 2023 RBC Canadian Open. The players finishing in the second-through-fifth positions earn Korn Ferry Tour membership, while Korn Ferry Tour benefits are available to those finishing sixth through 10th.

Fortinet will also be the title sponsor of the Tour’s season-ending and flagship event, starting this season, the Fortinet Cup Championship, taking place September 15-18 at Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener, Ontario.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Fortinet as PGA TOUR Canada returns to a full schedule,” said Scott Pritchard, the Tour’s Executive Director. “The Fortinet Cup will give players a week-to-week gauge of how they’re doing, with significant benefits available to them thanks to Fortinet. It will certainly be fitting that the points chase culminates at the Fortinet Cup Championship in Ontario. We have an exciting season ahead of us and are extremely happy to make this announcement and begin this partnership.”

“Fortinet is excited to partner with the PGA TOUR Canada as both our organizations are committed to trust and creating exceptional experiences—ensuring players and customers are set up for success to overcome even the most trying conditions and challenges,” said John Maddison, Executive Vice President of Products and Chief Marketing Officer at Fortinet. “This partnership will benefit our community, customers and local nonprofit organizations. We look forward to hosting the Fortinet Cup Championship in Ontario.”

Charitable giving will also be part of the partnership, proceeds from official PGA TOUR Canada Fortinet Cup tournaments will benefit nonprofit organizations in the areas of science, technology, energy, mathematics (STEM), women, military veterans and minorities in the 11 host cities of the competition.

“As the premier sponsor of PGA TOUR Canada, we look forward to further educating and supporting companies, government and educational institutions on the importance of cybersecurity. As the largest cybersecurity vendor in Canada, Fortinet can use its deep expertise in cybersecurity, innovation and training to address the increasing number of challenges and threats they face,” added Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Government Vertical at Fortinet Latin America and Canada. “These initiatives further Fortinet’s vision to make possible a digital world that organizations can always trust by securing people, devices and data everywhere.”

Fortinet’s mission is to make possible a digital world that organizations can always trust. Fortinet delivers the most innovative, highest-performing network security fabric to secure and simplify organizations’ IT infrastructures. Fortinet is a leading global provider of network security and SD-WAN, switching and wireless access, network access control, authentication, public and private cloud security, endpoint security, and AI-driven advanced threat protection solutions for carriers, data centers, enterprises, and distributed offices.

From its inception, in 2013, PGA TOUR Canada used a money-list ranking to determine its top players. It planned on switching to a Points List in 2020 until the global pandemic forced the Tour to cancel its last two seasons. Previous money-list winners include current PGA TOUR players Paul Barjon (2019), Tyler McCumber (2018), Kramer Hickok (2017), J.J. Spaun (2015), Joel Dahmen (2014) and Mackenzie Hughes (2013).

Next week, PGA TOUR Canada will announce its 2022 schedule, which will begin in early June and conclude with the Fortinet Cup Championship in mid-September.

PGA TOUR Americas

Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announces 2022 Qualifying Tournament schedule

Mackenzie Tour
MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 07: View of the Mackenzie Tour logo plate at the tenth hole during the third round of the Mackenzie Tour - Mackenzie Investments Open on September 7, 2019, at Elm Ridge Country Club in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

TORONTO—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced December 28 it will hold 2022 Qualifying Tournaments at seven separate sites over a six-week period, beginning in mid-February and concluding in late-April. While the global pandemic made it difficult for PGA TOUR Canada to conduct its season as it had since its 2013 inception, the Tour did play a series of eight tournaments for players living in Canada this past summer on top of a set of four events it held in 2020. The 2022 campaign will be the first full season in two years that features a complete complement of members.

Registration for the tournaments begins January 4, 2022 at noon EST. Players can access the registration site here.

“It is so exciting to look forward to next season and everything that is in place for a very successful 2022,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “In years past, we’ve been fortunate to have so many players interested in qualifying to compete on PGA TOUR Canada. We anticipate the demand will be similar to what we have experienced in the past as players know the caliber of competition PGA TOUR Canada offers.

“We look forward,” Pritchard continued, “to hosting players at each of these seven outstanding courses as they begin on their paths to reaching the PGA TOUR.”

Six of the Qualifying Tournaments will be in the United States, with one in Canada. The qualifiers begin with two in Florida (Weston and Howey-in-the-Hills). The Howey-in-the-Hills tournament will be held simultaneously with the event in Dothan, Alabama. Following those three tournaments, the Tour moves west in April for qualifiers in Arizona (Litchfield Park), California (San Jacinto) and Washington (DuPont) before playing its final qualifier in Canada at a familiar site, Crowne Isle Resort and Golf Club, in Courtenay, British Columbia.

The seven, 72-hole, no-cut Qualifying Tournaments will all be Tuesday-to-Friday events and take place on the following dates and locations:

DateCourseLocation
February 15-18The Club at Weston Hills (Tour)Weston, Florida
March 8-11Mission Inn Resort and Club (El Campeon)Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
 RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks (Highlands/Marshwood)Dothan, Alabama
March 29-April 1Wigwam GC (Gold)Litchfield Park, Arizona
April 5-8Soboba Springs GCSan Jacinto, California
April 19-22The Home CourseDuPont, Washington
April 26-29Crowne Isle Resort and GCCourtenay, British Columbia

“What’s heartening is we are familiar with each one of these venues, and they are all high-quality golf facilities that have either hosted previous PGA TOUR Canada qualifiers or other PGA TOUR International Tour qualifiers,” Pritchard added.

A year ago, Colombia’s Camilo Aguado earned PGA TOUR Canada status and ended up playing on the Forme Tour after capturing medalist honors at The Club at Weston Hills’ Qualifying Tournament.

Mission Inn Resort and Club’s El Campeon Course is a well-known site for both Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Qualifying Tournaments. It has previously hosted five PGA TOUR Canada qualifiers, with Luis Gagne (2021), Isaiah Salinda (2020), John Coultas (2019), Dawson Armstrong (2018) and Jake Knapp (2017) emerging as medalists.

The RTJ Golf Trail at Highland Oaks is familiar with PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournaments, twice a host venue. Previous medalists are Keenan Huskey (2021) and Cameron Young (2020)—Young a rookie on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR.

Jeffrey Kang was the medalist earlier this year, in March, when he won the Qualifying Tournament at Soboba Springs Golf Course in San Jacinto, California, the first time the course served as host. Arizona’s iconic Wigwam was where amateur Clay Feagler was the medalist just a few weeks before his Pepperdine team won the NCAA Championship. The Home Course in the Tacoma suburb of DuPont also was a first-timer, in June, with Canadian Callum Davison the medalist. Davison holds 2022 PGA TOUR Canada status via his Points List win on the series of Canada-based events this past summer.

The Qualifying Tournament season concludes at Crowne Isle Resort and Golf Club, a six-time PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament host. Previous medalists were Andrew McCain (2019), Jake Shuman (2018), Horacio León (2017), Aaron Wise (2016), Eric Onesi (2015) and David Bradshaw (2014).

“We will be following the sun early in the year then make our way to the warm West Coast of Canada for the final qualifier—at Crowne Isle—in advance of the start of our regular season schedule,” Pritchard continued. “What I like about this schedule is the variety of the courses where we will be holding tournaments and the unique challenges they will present to the players.”

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada will announce its complete regular season schedule in early 2022. Players who qualify for PGA TOUR Canada and then finish in the top five on the Points List earn Korn Ferry Tour status for the following year.

PGA TOUR PGA TOUR Americas

Davison wins Points List, captures Player of the Year Award, earns exemption into RBC Canadian Open

PGA tour headshot of Callum Davison
Callum Davison (John Lok/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

Four others earn 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status;
those in positions 6-10 earn one tournament start each in 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. – Even though he got a late start on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season, Callum Davison made up for lost time by playing consistent, sometimes dominant, golf in his five Tour starts. Including his ninth-place finish at the season finale, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Davis finished with 1,244.19 points to outdistance No. 2 Blair Bursey by 193.19 points to capture the Points List title and Player of the Year honors. Bursey began the week outside the top five, at No. 6, and mathematically couldn’t catch Davison, but he left little doubt about his status with his one-shot victory Sunday.

Davison will be exempt for every tournament on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour. In addition, as the Player of the Year, he received an invitation to play in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, an offer also extended to Forme Tour Player of the Year Trevor Werbylo.

After Davison and Bursey, the third-, fourth- and fifth-place Points List finishers were, respectively, amateur Noah Steele, Brendan Leonard and Michael Blair. All five players earned ceremonial hockey jerseys along with their 2022 Mackenzie Tour membership cards following the end of play Sunday at Uplands Golf Club. They will all be exempt on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour for part of the season and possess the ability to maintain status based on their early season performance.

Davison, of Duncan, British Columbia, began the season playing on the U.S.-based Forme Tour after he was the medalist at that Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in suburban Tacoma, Washington. Toward the end of that campaign, in what was a disappointing season, Davison
elected to return to Canada to play the Mackenzie Tour. He immediately put his stamp on the Tour, winning the Brudenell River Classic on Prince Edward Island in his debut. He added a second win, last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, capturing the GolfBC Championship. Davison didn’t miss a cut in his five starts, and his worst finish was a tie for 19th at the Elk Ridge Open.

“It’s huge. Coming off a pretty bad season, turning it around by going back to Canada and playing how I think I can play and what I’ve worked for has paid off a little,” said Davison, who hits full shots cross-handed. “I can’t wait for the next season.”

“We had a great year, and we saw our Points List battle come down to the final day. Callum was so impressive despite missing the first three tournaments,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “The minute he arrived on the Tour, Callum proved his game with his victory in Prince Edward Island. The fact he backed up that win with another title, last week in Kelowna, proved that he had separated himself as the Tour’s best player this year. We congratulate Callum on what he’s been able to accomplish, and we very much look forward to watching his game progress on the Mackenzie Tour in 2022.”

The players who finished in the sixth-through-10th positions on the final Points List will each receive one playing opportunity via sponsor’s exemptions on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. The five Mackenzie Tour players receiving those benefits are Andrew Harrison (No. 6), Sebastian Szirmak (No. 7), Raoul Menard (No. 8), Yi Cao (No. 9) and Jared du Toit (No. 10).

Pritchard anticipates the 2022 Mackenzie Tour season will begin in late-May, early June, the full schedule of tournaments still to be announced.

The Mackenzie Tour began in 2013, with the Tour providing players a path to the Korn Ferry Tour. In 2020, the global pandemic forced the Tour to cancel its season, and issues at the Canada-U.S. border, again caused by COVID-19, turned this year’s Mackenzie Tour into a Tour for players already living in Canada.

Final 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Points List Top 10

temp fix empty alt images

2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Members Via Top-Five Points List Finish

Callum Davison this Season
In his first Mackenzie Tour start, Davison shot rounds of 68-64-69 to win the 54-hole Brudenell River Classic. That 8-under 64 represented his low round of the season. He also shot a 64 Sunday at the season-ending Reliance Properties DCBank Open, a 6-under score. That ninth-place performance was his fourth top-10 of the season, to go with his tie for 10th at the ATB Financial Classic and his win at the Golf BC Championship, a tournament where Davison shot three 68s and a second-round 66 to hold on to win by two strokes.

Blair Bursey this Season
He seemingly finished in the top 10 every week and finally broke through with that elusive win at the final tournament of the season, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open in Victoria. In his seven tournament appearances, Bursey made every cut, finished in the top 10 in his first four events—three of those finishing in the top five—and broke through with the victory.

Noah Steele this Season
In six tournaments, Steele established himself as not merely the best amateur—which he clearly was—but also one of the best players. The Sam Houston State alum won the second tournament of the campaign, the Osprey Valley Open, with opening and closing 66s at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. He was the picture of consistency all season, with a runner-up showing at the Brudenell River Classic and top-15 showings at the ATB Financial Classic, the GolfBC Championship and the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist to go with his win.

Brendan Leonard this Season
He won the season-opening tournament, the Mackenzie Investments Open outside Montreal, and picked up two more top-10 finishes in a solid, consistent season that saw him miss only one cut. Leonard did enough in the final week to remain securely inside the top five, thanks to additional top-10s—at the Elk Ridge Open (tied for seventh) and the Golf BC Championship (third) and a tie for 13th at the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Michael Blair this Season
He got off to a bit of a slow start, tying for 20th and tying for 47th in his first two starts—at the Mackenzie Investments Open and the Osprey Valley Open, respectively. He broke through, winning the Prince Edward Island Open on the strength of a blistering start that saw him get to 9-under with 18 holes to play. Despite an even-par showing in his final two rounds, Blair finished regulation tied with Maxwell Sear then defeated Sear in a sudden-death playoff. In total, Blair made the cut in all six of his 2021 tournament appearances.

About the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. In 2021, because of
restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is for players based in Canada. The Mackenzie Tour’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits

PGA TOUR Americas

Team Canada’s du Toit captures ATB Financial Classic in his hometown

Jared du Toit
Jared du Toit (Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada)

CALGARY, Alta. –  Jared du Toit came up clutch, winning the ATB Financial Classic by one shot over fellow Calgarian, Wes Heffernan. Playing in the second-to-last group of the day, du Toit collected three birdies on the back nine, including a 20-footer on No. 18, to hold off Heffernan who also made a birdie on the last. 

“If you win by four or five (shots), it probably feels good, but it feels good in a different way,” said du Toit of his winning putt. “When you make a nice one, it’s a thrill for sure, and being in Calgary and having people cheer me on this week, it meant a lot for sure.” 

It was du Toit’s first start on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule this season after struggling to a 66th-place finish on the Forme Tour. 

“It’s hard to win anywhere,” said du Toit. “When you’re beating 100-plus guys at the end of the week, you have to feel pretty good about your game. For me, doing that this week, I’m feeling even more confident heading into future weeks.” 

It was another tough-luck finish for Heffernan, who also finished in second place in the 2017 event. Playing in the last group of the day, he got a pretty good idea that he needed an eagle finish to force a playoff.

“We were on the 18th tee, and my caddie said, ‘We haven’t heard a roar yet,’” said Heffernan of the noise that would signify a du Toit birdie. “Then I teed my ball up, got ready to hit and all of sudden we heard the roar. At that point we knew (du Toit’s putt) was to get to 11-under.”

Despite another heartbreaking finish, Heffernan also birdied No. 18, with a big put off his own, eliciting another roar from the partisan gallery. 

“When I finished second four years ago, I made a similar putt from the other direction,” said Heffernan. “So, I had some pretty good vibes over that one, and it was just one of those (putts) that went in, which was nice. A great way to finish.”

A third Calgarian, Mitchell Fox, rocketed up the leaderboard on Sunday with the round of the day. His 6-under 65, left him in a third-place tie (9-under), with Australian, Will Barnett, who now makes his home in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Sudarshan Yellamaraju rounded out the top five, finishing at 8-under. 

Next year’s ATB Financial Classic will take place in Edmonton as the event rotates between the two cities.

PGA TOUR Americas

Team Canada amateur Noah Steele victorious on Mackenzie Tour

Noah Steele
Noah Steele (Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada)

CALEDON, OntarioNoah Steele birdied five of the first eight holes Sunday, cruising to a six-stroke win over fellow amateur Etienne Papineau at the Osprey Valley Open.

The Golf Canada National Amateur team member recorded a final round of 66 (5-under) on the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, finishing the tournament at 23-under.

“It has not sunk in yet,” said the 23-year-old from Kingston. “I’m super, super thankful to be in the position that I’m in, and I was able to really enjoy the week and enjoy the day. I was able to smile out there and enjoy it and play good golf, which was great.”

It’s not often an amateur wins a professional tournament, and not surprisingly, Steele ranks his performance this week as a career highlight.

“To win a professional event in the way that I did—I think more so the things that I proved to myself this week, and just believing in my ability was huge,” said Steele. “It’s at the top, so I’m thankful to have won this week.”

Fellow National Amateur Team member Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richilieu, Quebec also showed he was not out of place playing with the pros. The 24-year-old started the day with an eagle on No. 1 before recording four birdies, finishing alone in second place at 17-under.

“I played really solid all week long,” said Papineau. “I tried to minimize my mistakes all week, and it worked.”

Playing in the final group for the last two rounds, it was also the first time the two friends had played together in a competitive tournament.

“It was definitely great to be part of this group,” said Papineau. “Watching Noah play the last two rounds was unbelievable. I think he made two bogeys in the last two rounds, so it was really good to watch.

“Playing the last two days was a lot of fun,” added Steele. “He’s playing really well, and he’s going to (Prince Edward Island) next week, so he’s got lots of stuff to look forward to.”

Next up for the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is the Prince Edward Island Open at Dundarave Golf Club, with a quick turnaround, the opening round set for Wednesday.

PGA TOUR Americas

Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announces 2021 season and tournament plans

Mackenzie Tour logo
Mackenzie Tour logo.

TORONTO—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada will return to action in 2021 with a set of eight tournaments available for players based in Canada. The PGA TOUR made the announcement June 10. 

A year after the global pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 season, and with restrictions still in place at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is giving competitive opportunities to players already in Canada through this eight-event schedule that begins in July and runs to October. 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement. We always knew we would have PGA TOUR-affiliated golf in Canada in 2021, so it’s nice to finally make it official with the announcement of these eight tournaments,” said Scott Pritchard, Mackenzie Tour Executive Director. “We are appreciative to all of our partners, the golf courses where we’re playing, the communities that will host us for the week and Mackenzie Investments, which has been such a significant partner for so many years.” 

The season begins in late-July, with the Mackenzie Investments Open at Club de Golf Le Blainvillier in the city of Blainville just outside of Montreal on July 26-August 1. Following a two- week break, the Tour begins a seven-tournament-in-seven-week stretch, beginning August 16- 22 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the Osprey Valley Open. Next is a two-week stay in Prince Edward Island for a pair of tournaments at two of the island’s finest golf courses. First up is the Prince Edward Island Open (August 23-29) at Dundarave Golf Club followed by the Brudenell River Classic (August 30-September 5) at Brudenell River Golf Course. 

Players will then travel west for a tournament to be announced at a later date and will be played the week of September 6-12, followed by Calgary’s ATB Financial Classic (September 13- 19) at Country Hills Golf Club, both long-time Tour partners. The season concludes with a pair of tournaments in British Columbia, the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club (September 20-26) followed by the DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist at Uplands Golf Club (September 27-October 3). 

The Mackenzie Tour and tournament organizers continue to monitor issues surrounding the global pandemic, and they have worked with local and provincial health authorities and will continue to do so leading up to the tournaments. Approvals to return to competition still need to happen across the country, but organizers remain encouraged that the tournaments will be able to take place based on the vaccine rollout. 

Even with the compacted schedule and the number of events played in consecutive weeks caused by continued pandemic issues, Pritchard sees this year’s set of tournaments and their place on the schedule as a good thing. 

“We believe there is a good pacing to our schedule, and the players will get in a lot of golf this summer in successive weeks. With the limited amount of competitive golf available over the last year, we know the players are anxious to get started and will embrace these events played at high-quality golf courses in the summer and into the fall,” Pritchard added. 

In 2020, the PGA TOUR conducted a four-tournament grouping of tournaments for players in Canada. What the Tour conducted last summer will serve as a model in 2021. 

“What I’m most excited about is that these players will have opportunities to compete at PGA TOUR-sanctioned events, the competitions taking place at quality golf courses and the Tour offering some compelling season-ending incentive for these players,” Pritchard added. 

The top player at the conclusion of the season will earn full status on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour, while players finishing No. 2 through 5 on the Points List will receive conditional 2022 Mackenzie Tour status, which will gain them entry into the first set of events before the reshuffle. Finishers six through 10 will each earn a sponsor exemption into a 2022 Mackenzie Tour event. 

Tour officials will continue to monitor the travel restrictions in place and adapt accordingly should policies change before or during the season. 

PGA TOUR Americas

Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announces 2021 season and tournament plans

Mackenzie Tour
MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 07: View of the Mackenzie Tour logo plate at the tenth hole during the third round of the Mackenzie Tour - Mackenzie Investments Open on September 7, 2019, at Elm Ridge Country Club in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

TORONTO—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada will return to action in 2021 with a set of eight tournaments available for players based in Canada. The PGA TOUR made the announcement June 10. 

A year after the global pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 season, and with restrictions still in place at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is giving competitive opportunities to players already in Canada through this eight-event schedule that begins in July and runs to October. 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement. We always knew we would have PGA TOUR-affiliated golf in Canada in 2021, so it’s nice to finally make it official with the announcement of these eight tournaments,” said Scott Pritchard, Mackenzie Tour Executive Director. “We are appreciative to all of our partners, the golf courses where we’re playing, the communities that will host us for the week and Mackenzie Investments, which has been such a significant partner for so many years.” 

The season begins in late-July, with the Mackenzie Investments Open at Club de Golf Le Blainvillier in the city of Blainville just outside of Montreal on July 26-August 1. Following a two- week break, the Tour begins a seven-tournament-in-seven-week stretch, beginning August 16- 22 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the Osprey Valley Open. Next is a two-week stay in Prince Edward Island for a pair of tournaments at two of the island’s finest golf courses. First up is the Prince Edward Island Open (August 23-29) at Dundarave Golf Club followed by the Brudenell River Classic (August 30-September 5) at Brudenell River Golf Course. 

Players will then travel west for a tournament to be announced at a later date and will be played the week of September 6-12, followed by Calgary’s ATB Financial Classic (September 13- 19) at Country Hills Golf Club, both long-time Tour partners. The season concludes with a pair of tournaments in British Columbia, the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club (September 20-26) followed by the DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist at Uplands Golf Club (September 27-October 3). 

The Mackenzie Tour and tournament organizers continue to monitor issues surrounding the global pandemic, and they have worked with local and provincial health authorities and will continue to do so leading up to the tournaments. Approvals to return to competition still need to happen across the country, but organizers remain encouraged that the tournaments will be able to take place based on the vaccine rollout. 

Even with the compacted schedule and the number of events played in consecutive weeks caused by continued pandemic issues, Pritchard sees this year’s set of tournaments and their place on the schedule as a good thing. 

“We believe there is a good pacing to our schedule, and the players will get in a lot of golf this summer in successive weeks. With the limited amount of competitive golf available over the last year, we know the players are anxious to get started and will embrace these events played at high-quality golf courses in the summer and into the fall,” Pritchard added. 

In 2020, the PGA TOUR conducted a four-tournament grouping of tournaments for players in Canada. What the Tour conducted last summer will serve as a model in 2021. 

“What I’m most excited about is that these players will have opportunities to compete at PGA TOUR-sanctioned events, the competitions taking place at quality golf courses and the Tour offering some compelling season-ending incentive for these players,” Pritchard added. 

The top player at the conclusion of the season will earn full status on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour, while players finishing No. 2 through 5 on the Points List will receive conditional 2022 Mackenzie Tour status, which will gain them entry into the first set of events before the reshuffle. Finishers six through 10 will each earn a sponsor exemption into a 2022 Mackenzie Tour event. 

Tour officials will continue to monitor the travel restrictions in place and adapt accordingly should policies change before or during the season.