WINNIPEG, Man. – Los Angeles, California’s J.J. Spaun will look to continue a hot streak on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada on Sunday after firing a 4-under 67 at Pine Ridge Golf Club to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of The Players Cup.The 24-year old birdied three of his first four holes on Saturday to take the solo lead and held it for the rest of the day, making a pair of lengthy par putts on the 16th and 17th holes to build a two shot cushion at 13-under heading into Sunday.
“I feel like everything is kind of clicking right now and I’m just going with it, and I’m just trying to enjoy it,” said Spaun, who has finished in the top-10 in each of the last three Mackenzie Tour events, including a playoff loss at last week’s SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel.
The third year Mackenzie Tour member began the day tied with Dundas, Ontario’s Mackenzie Hughes for the lead, but established himself as the frontrunner even as others made a move on Saturday, most notably North Vancouver, B.C.’s Eugene Wong, who fired a 9-under 62 in the day’s first pairing to tie the lead before the final group even teed off.
“It was good to get off to a hot start and get out ahead a little bit before I got into the middle of the round. That settled the nerves a bit,” said Spaun. “Having a two shot lead coming in – no lead is safe, but it’s better to have some sort of cushion than none at all. Making those putts were very good momentum boosters towards the end of my round.”
Spaun comes into the week in the fifth spot on the Order of Merit and can take over No. 1 with a win as long as current leader Drew Weaver finishes no better than a tie for second.
“I try not to get too far ahead of myself. Of course it’s going to creep into the back of your head but I try to do what I can do best out on the course,” said Spaun of trying not to focus on the big picture with plenty at stake on Sunday.
Two back of Spaun was Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who fired a 4-under 67 to reach 11-under, while Taiwan’s C.T. Pan and Rockville, Maryland’s Danny Balin were a shot further behind. Wong, who matched the course record with his 9-under 62, was alone in fifth at 5-under.
WINNIPEG, Man. – Dundas, Ontario’s Mackenzie Hughes and Los Angeles, California’s J.J. Spaun reached 9-under through 36 holes on Friday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to share the 36-hole lead at The Players Cup, the fifth event on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s 2015 schedule.
Hughes, the 2013 Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit winner, carded a 6-under 65 to match the earlier clubhouse lead set by Spaun (64), who currently sits no. 5 on the Order of Merit and in position to earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016. Hughes and Spaun sat two shots clear of Order of Merit leader Drew Weaver of Atlanta, along with Kalmar, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson and Rockville, Maryland’s Danny Balin through 36 holes.
“It was a really good day from start to finish,” said Hughes, who finished tied for third here in 2013 on the way to his Order of Merit victory. “I feel pretty comfortable around here. I like the way the course sets up and the challenges it presents. You play a solid steady round and you’re going to be moving up, so I like that about this place and I’m looking to it this weekend.”
The 24-year old member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad was one of just three players without a bogey on Friday, illustrating a stress-free round that was his lowest of the year so far on the Mackenzie Tour.
“I’m sure most guys hate bogeys, but I especially hate bogeys, so when you do that and get in your last few holes, it’s on your mind. I try not to think about it too much. I had a lot of good looks today and didn’t have too many stressful pars, so that was nice,” said Hughes.
Earlier, Spaun, who lost to Michael Letzig in a playoff at last week’s SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, posted the best round of the week with a 7-under 64 to set the pace.
“I kept the ball in front of me and made some putts and didn’t make very many mistakes, so it was a good day,” said Spaun, who made six birdies, an eagle and a bogey. “You really have to take advantage of the gettable par-5s and the easy par-4s, and fortunately I did that today and was able to capitalize on it.”
Spaun has improved with each finish on the Mackenzie Tour this season, lining up results of T16-T10-T8-T2 heading into this week in Winnipeg. The 24-year old former NCAA All-American at San Diego State said he’s seen his game improve in 2015 and is becoming more comfortable each week on Tour.
“I’ve been playing good for the past five months, but I just haven’t been playing in anything where it mattered. I knew my game was there so I think for me it’s just all about believing it and having no fear,” said Spaun.
WINNIPEG, Man. – Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit leader Drew Weaver fired a 5-under 66 in windy conditions on Thursday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to take the first round lead at The Players Cup, the fifth event of the Mackenzie Tour season.
With gusting to more than 40 km/h, the 28-year old from Atlanta, Georgia recorded seven birdies to offset two bogeys and was one shot ahead of Moscow, Idaho’s Chris Williams after day one in Winnipeg.
“It was a good start. I’m pleased with how I rebounded from a poor first hole. It was the ultimate sloppy start and I was able to bounce back and make some good swings from there on,” said Weaver, who opened with a bogey on the first hole but came back strong with birdies on four of his next six holes. “I was able to string together a number of good iron shots and gave myself a few opportunities there. I dialed it back a bit and realized par is a good number.”
Weaver, who won the PC Financial Open in a playoff earlier this year and has added two more top-10 finishes to build a lead atop the season-long money list over Toronto’s Albin Choi, said the tricky 103-year old Donald Ross-designed Pine Ridge was a perfect fit for his game heading into the week in Winnipeg.
“I think it’s right up my alley. You can’t overpower this place, and it’s fairly generous off the tee so it’s really a strategy-based golf course. You can do a number of different things on some holes out there. Today I was able to get the putter a little warm and that yielded a good score,” said Weaver, who credited his solid play this season in Canada to a more mature approach to tournament play.
“I’ve done a much better job of believing in myself and kind of getting in my own bubble. I play to my strengths each week and some courses set up better for me. Thankfully I’ve been able to keep working on the right things and I feel very comfortable with my game is,” said Weaver.
One back of Weaver was Williams, whose 67 was the best round of the afternoon. 12 players – David McKenzie, Ryan McCormick, Joseph Harrison, Jonathan Fricke, Mackenzie Hughes, Cameron Peck, Clayton Rask, Olin Browne, Jr., Justin Shin, Ben Briscoe, Christopher Ross and Vaita Guillaume – were a shot further behind at 3-under 68.
SASKATOON, Sask. – Kansas City, Missouri’s Michael Letzig defeated Newport Beach, California’s J.J. Spaun and Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Clark Klaasen in a playoff on Sunday to capture the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, his first career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.
Letzig, a veteran of 114 starts on the PGA TOUR with more than $3.3 million in career earnings on the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR, carded a final round 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under total, then birdied the second hole of a sudden-victory playoff to earn the victory, his first win in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.
The win moves Letzig to fourth on the Order of Merit through four of 12 events, in position to earn status on the Web.com Tour for the 2016 season.
“I was a long way back starting the day, so I really didn’t watch the leaderboard today. I knew I played really good yesterday and my score didn’t show that, so I knew if I came out and played my game I could put a good number in,” said Letzig, who made a 15-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole, then watched as Spaun and Klaasen couldn’t match with shorter putts, giving him the win. “I had just had that putt on the first playoff hole, and I knew it was mine to win because you don’t often get second chances and those guys gave me a second chance.”
Letzig, who owns nine top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR, said he felt relieved to play at the level he showed in five seasons at the game’s highest level.
“If you look at the stats, I’ve had the most success of anybody out here, so I feel like that’s a lot of pressure I’ve put on myself. I feel like I should be winning every one of these and I haven’t played well up until this week, so it was nice to get out of my own way and play my own game. It was good to play the way I believe I can play,” said Letzig.
Letzig started the day six shots behind 54-hole leader Eric Onesi, but matched Spaun’s earlier clubhouse lead of 16-under on the strength of a birdie at the 17th hole and a par at the last.
“I hit the best shot of the week on 17. I just hooked a 6-iron in there and didn’t think there was any way to get it close to the hole without hooking one in there and just hit it perfect. I made birdie there and saw the leaderboard and knew I had a chance,” said Letzig.
Klaasen, a second year Mackenzie Tour member, looked to be in control of the tournament after reaching 18-under with a birdie on the 15th, but bogeyed his final two holes to fall back into a tie with Letzig and Spaun. Onesi, who appeared to be out of the tournament after making a triple bogey at the par-3 6th, came back to tie the lead with a birdie at 16, but couldn’t get up-and-down for par from a plugged lie in a greenside bunker at 18 and missed the playoff by a shot.
After three pars on the first playoff hole, the trio headed back to the 18th. The second time around, Letzig played the par-5 more aggressively, knocking a pair of drivers just short of the green in two.
“I think the more experience you get, the more comfortable you are under pressure. I hit driver off the deck back there because I knew I wasn’t going to play up. You gotta put pressure on yourself to hit a shot if you want to win a golf tournament,” said Letzig.
Though Spaun and Klaasen both had shorter birdie putts, Letzig put the pressure on with a 15-footer and watched as neither of his competitors could match, giving him the title.
“To pull that shot off and finish it with a birdie was awesome,” Letzig added.
The win comes at an exciting time for the Letzig family, with wife Holly expected to give birth to the couple’s second child in the next two weeks. Though the baby’s due date isn’t for two weeks, Letzig had his family on standby to call PGA TOUR Tournament Director Jamie Wiles to bring Letzig home in case she went into labour.
“Every time I saw him in the cart out there, I was kind of afraid he was coming to get me. To get the whole tournament in and be here all week is awesome, but I can’t wait to get home,” said Letzig.
Top Canadian in the field was Ben Silverman with a final round 1-under 71 to finish T4. Team Canada Young Pro Mackenzie Hughes also had a 71 on the day to finish T11. Fellow teammate Corey Conners had a 1-over round of 73 on Sunday. Albin Choi had a score of 74.
SASKATOON, Sask. – Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday at Dakota Dunes Golf Links to build a four stroke lead heading into the final round of the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, the fourth event of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old reached 19-under through 54 holes to lead by four over Pitt Meadows, British Columbia’s Justin Shin and by five over five other players and will look for his first Mackenzie Tour win on Sunday.
“It gives me a lot of confidence,” said Onesi of his 67 on a windy Saturday, where gusts in excess of 25 km/h made for tricky scoring conditions. “I didn’t try to go after anything and used a little more club here and there. I made some nice smooth swings and the ball reacted great most of the time.”
The 27-year old, who earned medalist honours at the British Columbia Qualifying Tournament earlier this year, added one more birdie for good measure at the 18th hole on Saturday by knocking an 8-iron from 165 yards inside 10 feet and rolling in the putt.
“I picked a nice line and it was a little closer than I thought it would be,” said Onesi of his approach. “To make that putt, especially in front of a whole lot of people, that gives me a lot of confidence.”
With one round to go, the Old Dominion University grad knows the field will be chasing him on Sunday, but said he felt comfortable with a simple approach to the final round.
“I don’t even know what the lead is, but I know I can only control myself and I know I control my own destiny,” said Onesi, who added that he has drawn confidence from his Q-School this week at Dakota Dunes. “I did it at Q-School, so I always tell myself ‘you’ve done it, just keep sticking to your gameplan.’ There are great players out here and they’re going to make birdies, but if I can make some birdies too, I’ll be a couple of shots better.”
Shin, who is making his first Mackenzie Tour start of the year on a sponsor’s exemption, fired a bogey-free 66 to hold solo second through three rounds. The 23-year old earned his first professional win earlier this year on the PGA TOUR China Series at the UI Real Estate Wuhan Open and currently ranks fourth on that Tour’s money list.
One shot back of Shin at 14-under were Chris Williams, Ross Beal, Ryan Brehm and Ben Silverman, who lost in a playoff at last week’s Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON.
Team Canada Young Pro Mackenzie Hughes signed for a round of 68 to get to 12-under for the tournament and tied for 15th place. Fellow teammate Corey Conners also shot 68 today while Albin Choi posted a round of 71.
SASKATOON, Sask. – Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi shot a 6-under 66 on Friday at Dakota Dunes Golf Links to take the solo lead heading into the weekend at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, the fourth event of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old reached 14-under and led by one over Moscow, Pennsylvania’s Nicholas Reach and French Polynesia’s Vaita Guillaume through 36 holes.
“The course was setting up well for me, especially on the par-5s,” said the long-hitting Onesi, who has played the par-5s in 9-under through two rounds in Saskatoon. “There was a left-to-right wind, which is my favourable wind, so I was hitting 7- or 8-iron into them and taking advantage of those and making some easy birdies.”
The Old Dominion University graduate, who earned medalist honours at the British Columbia Qualifying Tournament earlier this season, is making a return as a touring professional this year after taking time away from the game over the past two seasons. Onesi earned Web.com Tour status in 2012, but said the expectations to succeed as a young professional got the better of him, and he worked as a caddie at Bay Hill Club and Lodge for parts of the last two years.
“I just put too much pressure on myself back then,” said Onesi of his season on the Web.com Tour in 2012, when he made just three cuts in seven starts and finished 210th on the Money List. “I had a lot of success right out of college, and when I had Web.com Tour status I kind of thought I should have it every year. When you have early success I think you expect to have it all the time. I hit a little wall and I think I took it hard and the desire went down, but I’m still young in this game and I know I can play out there, so I keep telling myself ‘I belong.’”
Onesi, who has made two of his first three cuts to start the season on the Mackenzie Tour and sits 63rd on the Order of Merit, said he’s felt at home on the 7,301-yard Dakota Dunes layout since he arrived earlier this week and is excited about the prospect of competing here on the weekend.
“I’m just comfortable out here. As soon as I got out of the car on Monday and was able to hit a few drivers on the range and the course, I was able to settle in and keep my composure and stay focused and positive,” said Onesi.
Earlier in the day, Reach carded the low round of the week with a 9-under 63 to post the clubhouse lead at 13-under, which Guillaume matched with a 65.
The 36-hole cut came at 6-under par, matching the 2013 SIGA Dakota Dunes Open and the 2008 ATB Financial Classic for the lowest cut in TOUR history.
Canadian Matt Hill is currently T11 after a second round 68.
SASKATOON, Sask. – Lincoln, England’s David Skinns, Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi and Tampa, Florida’s Doug Letson each fired rounds of 8-under 64 on Thursday at Dakota Dunes Golf Links to share the first round lead at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, the fourth event of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Skinns, a 33-year old veteran of the Mackenzie Tour and Web.com Tour, was bogey-free on a day ripe for scoring conditions, while Onesi and Letson had just one blemish on the scorecard each to reach 8-under, one shot ahead of four players at 7-under 65 on day one.
“Seeing the scores out here in the past, you had better shoot nearly 8-under every day or you’ll get lapped,” said Skinns, who missed the cut in his only other start here in 2013. Dakota Dunes has seen its fair share of low numbers in the past, with Matt Harmon’s 24-under total winning in 2014 and the 36-hole cut of 6-under in 2013 tying the record for the lowest cut in Mackenzie Tour history.
For some players on Thursday, the relatively welcoming fairways and length of the 7,301 were a welcome change after playing tight, tricky layouts at Fort McMurray Golf Club and Uplands Golf Club at the last two Mackenzie Tour events.
“I felt good as soon as I stepped foot on the place on Monday. Just being able to swing a little more freely and rip a lot of drivers out there, it gave me a better mindset. It’s not wide open, but there are some spots where you can miss and the last few weeks haven’t been that way. My tee game’s been great this week and today was just as good, and I got some putts to go in,” said the 27-year old Onesi. Letson, a fellow Mackenzie Tour rookie, echoed Onesi’s comments and credited his opening round to a strong day off the tee.
“I was excited to come here and be able to hit drivers, because that’s the strength of my game. I hit driver on every hole that I could, so I was happy. You have to adapt to all the courses you play, but I was excited to be able to hit some drivers,” said Letson.
PC Financial Open co-runner-up Ross Beal was among those one shot off the lead at 7-under 65, joined by Justin Snelling, Matt Hansen and Chase Seiffert.
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – West Vancouver, British Columbia’s Kevin Spooner outlasted Choctaw, Oklahoma’s Talor Gooch and Thornhill, Ontario’s Ben Silverman in a marathon five-hole playoff on Sunday to capture the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, his first career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.
Spooner, who entered the week without status on the Mackenzie Tour and earned a spot in the field thanks to a top-20 finish at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist three weeks ago, immediately earns exempt status and moves to no. 2 on the Order of Merit behind leader Albin Choi.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me, because I was just trying to get status on this tour. I was fortunate enough to get an exemption into Victoria and turned that into another start for me. I was just trying to rack up those dollars to get status after the re-shuffle, and the win certainly helped; I don’t think I have to worry about that anymore,” said the 26 year-old Spooner.
Spooner began the day nine strokes off Silverman’s 54-hole lead, but came out on fire with four birdies and an eagle in a front-nine 30. After adding three more birdies at the 10th, 12th and 15th holes, Spooner made par at the par-5 18th for a 9-under 63 and a 16-under total. He then had to wait over 1 hour and 45 minutes to see how the final groups would determine his fate.
Gooch, playing in the day’s penultimate group, carded a birdie at 16 and pars and 17 and 18 to join Spooner at 16-under, while Silverman, who held or shared the lead after every round this week, came to 18 with a chance to win outright. After he was unable to convert a 20-footer for the win outright, the trio headed back to 18 for a sudden-victory playoff.
The first two extra holes settled nothing, with Gooch making a pair of miraculous up-and-downs from the back bunker and the hazard short of the green to record pars that Silverman and Spooner each matched.
With each player laying up on the first two extra holes, Gooch took matters into his own hands on the third trip around, blasting a three-wood and hybrid onto the green in two and putting the pressure squarely on Silverman and Spooner. While Silverman was unable to convert a birdie chip to tie, Spooner knocked his approach to 12 feet and calmly rolled in the putt to keep things going.
Another extra hole between the two produced a pair of pars, sending them back for a fifth extra hole, and setting the new record for the longest playoff of the PGA TOUR era on the Mackenzie Tour in the process. While Spooner stayed steady by hitting an iron off the tee, Gooch’s more aggressive strategy with a three-wood was ultimately his undoing, with a wild tee shot leading to a lost ball. Four shots later, Spooner tapped in for an easy par and the victory.
“Teeing up this morning, I thought I had absolutely no chance to get into contention for the win, being nine shots back to start. I got off to a great start, played pretty aggressive and made a lot of putts,” said Spooner. “It was quite the grind, quite the battle to keep going there for five holes.”
With his win, Spooner joins a long line of players from the University of Washington to succeed on the Mackenzie Tour, following in the footsteps of former Huskies Brock Mackenzie, Joel Dahmen and Joe Panzeri, along with Nick Taylor, who won the Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA TOUR less than 14 months after finishing No. 7 on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit.
“I’ve come a long way in my golf. I was really never that good in college, and up-and-down and in and out of the lineup. I really had no aspirations to turn pro. I ended up playing a lot better golf in some amateur events and turned pro a couple of years ago,” said Spooner. “I’ve played a lot of golf with those guys and learned a lot from Joel and Nick and gained a lot of confidence and my game’s come a long way.”
With an original goal of earning status by placing in the top three on the Order of Merit through six events, Spooner’s focus now shifts to the race for The Five and earning status on the Web.com Tour.
“The goal was originally just to get status, but with a win I’d love to get one of those top five spots and join my friends out on the Web.com Tour and hopefully be playing with Nick on the PGA TOUR,” said Spooner.
Gooch, a Mackenzie Tour rookie, and Silverman, a second year member, each notched their best career finishes on Tour.
SPOONER WINS FREEDOM 55 FINANCIAL TOP CANADIAN AWARD
In addition to his victory on Sunday, Kevin Spooner claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours along with a $2,500 prize. Each week, the top Canadian on the leaderboard will earn the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $25,000 prize.
CHOI CONTINUES TO LEAD ORDER OF MERIT
Toronto, Ontario’s Albin Choi continues to lead the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit through three events. The top five will earn status on the Web.com Tour for the following season, with the Order of Merit winner earning fully exempt status. Below are the top five (bold denotes Canadian):
1. Albin Choi – $37,310
2. Kevin Spooner – $36,575
3. Drew Weaver – $36,225
4. Adam Svensson – $25,617
5. Ben Silverman – $16,151
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Thornhill, Ontario’s Ben Silverman birdied the 18th hole for a 3-under 69 on Saturday at Fort McMurray Golf Club to take a 1-shot lead into the final round of the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, the third event of the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
Entering the day with a two-shot lead, the 27-year old posted five birdies to offset two bogeys, reaching 16-under after hitting his approach within five feet on the final hole of the day and converting the putt to lead by one over Longwood, Florida’s Sam Ryder and two over Airdrie, Alberta’s Riley Fleming heading into Sunday.
“I like having the lead, but it was a little struggle early. I hit some wild tee shots and had some lucky breaks. I just kept telling myself I always wanted to see my name on the top of the leaderboard. That was the push, never to let anyone take me over,” said Silverman, a second year member on the Mackenzie Tour with two top-10 finishes to his name.
The Palm Beach Gardens, Florida resident has led or co-led after every round this week, having shared the opening round lead thanks to an 8-under 64 on Thursday. Silverman said seeing his name at the top of the leaderboard will be all the motivation he needs to keep the field at bay heading into the final round.
“Once I see my name on top, it’s motivation to keep it there, so I’ll be going in there with the attitude of making birdies and to keep pushing the envelope to get the scores lower and lower,” said Silverman, who is benefiting from some local knowledge this week thanks to caddie Brody Ellis, a 2-handicap who plays regularly at Fort McMurray Golf Club.
“He always knows where the prevailing winds are so I’m always asking him about that, and he knows the greens really well,” said Silverman. “He helps me out a lot, knowing it’s firm here or there, or it tends to funnel here. It helps a lot.”
Ryder, also a second year Mackenzie Tour member, matched the low round of the day with a 7-under 65, and said his game has been rounding into form just in time for this week.
“I had a good week with my coach, Adam Schriber, in Michigan to get ready for this week. I’ve been playing well. I’ve been swinging well and had a nice top-10 finish in Victoria, and I’m pretty confident right now,” said Ryder.
Two back of Silverman was Fleming, the fourth-youngest member of the Mackenzie Tour at 21, who carded a 3-under 69 and will join Silverman and Ryder in the final threesome on Sunday.
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Thornhill, Ontario’s Ben Silverman carded a 5-under 67 on Friday at Fort McMurray Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, the third event of the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.
The 27-year old was bogey-free for the second consecutive day to reach 13-under after two rounds, two shots clear of Alberta natives Stuart Anderson and Riley Fleming and Germany’s Christopher Trunzer. Silverman, who opened with an 8-under 64 on Thursday, said Friday’s 67 in tricky, windier conditions was every bit as good as his hot start in round one.
“I’m very happy with both of them. Today was just a tougher grind to stay in it. Early on, I almost felt the round slipping away not being able to get some birdies, but I stayed in it mentally and kept grinding, and eventually it came around,” said Silverman, a second year member of the Mackenzie Tour.
Silverman recorded pars on each of his first seven holes before a two-putt birdie at the eighth got things going in the right direction, a critical shift in momentum according to the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida resident.
“I just kind of hung in there and finally made a birdie on 8 because I got it there in two,” said Silverman, admitting he had to re-focus after seeing Fleming post the clubhouse lead at 11-under. “Definitely today I caught myself thinking ‘Oh, Riley’s in the lead and I gotta go catch him,’ but I just tried to slow down and focus on one shot, and that’s what I’ve been working hard on.”
Silverman owns two top-10 finishes on the Mackenzie Tour and said he looks forward to the challenge of being chased by the field on the weekend.
“I like looking over at a board and seeing my name up top, because it pushes me harder to make more birdies,” said Silverman.
Earlier in the day, Fleming bounced back from an opening double bogey with seven birdies to reach 11-under, a number that was matched by Anderson, who grew up playing 54 holes a day as a junior at Fort McMurray Golf Club, along with Trunzer, who Monday Qualified into the event earlier this week.
“It was definitey a grind. The wind picked up, but the greens were perfect out there so I was able to make some putts,” said Fleming.
