LOMPOC, Calif. – The 2015 PGA Tour Canada qualifying resumes this week with the second of three Qualifying Tournaments. Last week’s event at Orange County National Golf Club in Orlando saw 48 players earn status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. The third Q-School event will take place in two weeks at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C.

Once again, PGA Tour Canada players will aim to take the next step on the path to the PGA Tour in 2015. The leading player on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2015, while players 2-5 will earn conditional status, players 6-10 will earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School and players 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Toronto’s Albin Choi took home medalist honours last week with a 25-under total and will be fully exempt on PGA Tour Canada for the 2015 season.

Canadians in the Field (16):

Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
Dan Bowling (Corunna, Ont.)
Ryan Borg (Brampton, Ont.)
Andrew Ledger (Toronto, Ont.)
Jae Yong Kim (North York, Ont.)
Charles Côté (Thetford Mines, Que.)
Andrew Rasmussen (Delta, B.C.)
Dale Rain (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.)
Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.)
Curtis Baldwin (Chilliwack, B.C.)
Craig Keck (Calgary, Alta.)
Brady Henderson (Neepawa, Man.)
Steven Lecuyer (Grimshaw, Alta.)
Sonny Michaud (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.)
Zack Kempa (Brantford, Ont.)

Toronto, Ontario’s Albin Choi carded a 25-under total to earn medalist honours and exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for 2015 at the Florida Qualifying Tournament.

The 22-year old carded a final round 7-under 65 to win by three shots over Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal and Naples, Florida’s Edward Figueroa. 48 players in total earned status through the qualifying tournament, with eight players left to play off for four spots in the top 18 on Saturday morning. Players finishing 2-18 earn exempt status through the first six events of the 2015 schedule and are subject to the mid-season re-shuffle.

“There were still plenty of guys within reach and there are plenty of birdie opportunities out here, so I had to keep doing what I was doing and stay on the tips of my toes. I stayed patient throughout all these four rounds and it really paid off,” said Choi, a former Canadian Amateur Champion and a current member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro team.

The former NC State standout played on the Web.com Tour last season after finishing 53rd on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit as a non-member in 2013, but failed to retain status for this year. Thanks to his performance this week, Choi will be able to plan out his schedule and compete to earn status on the Web.com Tour next season.

“It’s always tough any time you lose your card. There definitely was a bit of a learning curve,” said Choi of his learning experience last year on the Web.com Tour, where he made 10 cuts in 19 starts. “I put some things I’ve learned into play this week. I think patience was the key. Maybe that was something I didn’t have before, and something I’ve gotten better at over the last couple of years. It really showed this week and I’m glad everything turned out the way it did.”

In total, four Canadians earned status for 2015: Albin Choi (1), Jean-Philip Cornellier (T27), Max Gilbert (T35) and Brett Cairns (T39).

ORLANDO, Fla. – Toronto’s Albin Choi and Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal shared the lead midway through the third round of PGA Tour Canada’s Florida Qualifying Tournament before play was suspended due to dangerous weather in the area.

Choi, a 22-year old member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Team, carded a bogey-free 32 on his first nine holes, while Beal, a 30-year old who lives in Orlando, posted an eagle and a birdie on his front nine, both reaching 14-under par through 45 holes. The pair were atop a jumbled leaderboard, with 10 others players within three strokes of the lead.

With thunderstorms moving into the Orlando area in the late afternoon, play was suspended at 5:11 p.m. and later called for the day. Play will resume on Friday morning with players in position at 7:45 a.m. and the fourth round beginning at 8:45 a.m.

“It really helped getting off to three birdies early and hitting some really good shots,” said Choi, who opened with three consecutive birdies. “It was nice to see some putts fall and get the confidence going early on. The course is going to be soft tomorrow morning after the rain so I’m looking forward to some of the get-able scoring holes out there.”

“I’m just trying to continue what I’m doing and keep the good play going into tomorrow morning,” said Beal, taking an optimistic approach to resuming his third round tomorrow. “I feel like I lucked out being able to come back and finish in perfect conditions tomorrow morning and I’m just hoping to keep giving myself opportunities to make birdies.”

One stroke behind Beal and Choi were Spence Fulford and Cody Martin, both of whom made a move with a 5-under 31 on their first nine holes to reach 13-under.

The medalist this week will earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 through the first round was at 9-under, with the cutoff for the top 40 at 6-under.

Orlando, Fla. – Ty Dunlap of Trophy Club, Texas continued his solid play at PGA Tour Canada’s Florida Qualifying Tournament Wednesday, firing a second straight 6-under 66 at Orange County National Golf Club’s Panther Lake course to lead by one over a trio of players through 36 holes.

The 21-year old made six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle to reach 12-under par, one-shot ahead of Orlando’s Ross Beal, Tulsa’s Talor Gooch and Louisville’s Jared Wolfe.

“Today, I had to work a little harder for it,” said Dunlap, who said Wednesday’s 66 required more patience than his matching round from the day before. “Yesterday, I was super solid tee-to-green and to be honest with you it wasn’t a great warm up today, but I kind of found the one shot I could hit consistently. Out here you can start it off the tee pretty much anywhere if you commit to it.”

The former Texas A&M standout, who made one PGA Tour Canada start after turning pro last summer at the National Capital Open to Support our Troops and finished T54, said he’s enjoyed taking on the challenge of the strong competition this week at Q-School.

“I did a great job of controlling my emotions and controlling what I can,” said Dunlap. “In college a huge part of what we pride ourselves on where I went to school was being mentally tough. I feel like having a good perspective is the most important thing in a 72-hole event. There are a lot of mentally tough guys out here. No one is coming up to play in Canada unless they’re pretty tough.”

Gooch and Wolfe posted the best rounds of the day with a pair of 7-under 65s, while Beal posted a 68 to match them at 11-under. Toronto’s Albin Choi carded a 6-under 66 to hold solo fifth place at 10-under.

“My game feels good. I kind of struggled the last year-and-a-half, and seeing some good shots definitely gives me confidence,” said Choi, a Team Canada Young Pro Squad member who is sitting at the top Canadian after two rounds. “I love the course this week and I’m really looking forward to the next two days.”

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tulsa, Okla.’s Chris Worrell shot an 8-under 64 Tuesday at Orange County National Golf Club’s Panther Lake Course to take the first round lead at PGA Tour Canada’s Florida Qualifying Tournament.

The 24-year old carded eight birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by one over Orlando, Florida’s Ross Beal after 18 holes.

“I rolled the rock pretty well today. I made a couple of putts outside 10 feet today, and I don’t usually do that,” said Worrell, a University of Tulsa grad.

Worrell got off to a hot start with three birdies and an eagle in his first five holes, and said his strong opening round would allow him to ease the pressure of the final three rounds slightly.

“It’s nice to get a start and understand that I’ve got a little bit of room to play with, knowing I can fire at some flags and not worry about it too much,” added Worrell.

A shot behind Worrell was Beal, who took advantage of the par-5s at Orange County National with four birdies and an eagle to sit at 7-under.

“I hit the ball really well tee-to-green. I’m probably one of the longer players here and I was able to get to all the par-5s in two. With five par-5s, I think that’s going to be the key to scoring well here this week,” said Beal.

Three players – Max Gilbert of Saint-Georges, Que., Zack Byrd of Greensboro, N.C. and Ty Dunlap of Westlake, Tex.– were two shots back at 6-under 66 after the first round.

The medalist this week will earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 through the first round was at 4-under, with the cutoff for the top 40 at 2-under.

WINTER GARDEN, FLA –The 2015 PGA Tour Canada season begins this week just outside Orlando, Fla., with the first of three Qualifying Tournaments.

Two more opportunities to earn a PGA Tour Canada card for 2015 will take place in the following weeks, including April 21-24 at La Purisima Golf Club in Lompoc, California and May 5-8 at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C. This week’s event takes place at the longtime site of the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, Orange County National’s Panther Lake Course.

Once again, PGA Tour Canada players will aim to take the next step on the path to the PGA Tour in 2015. The leading player on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2015, while players 2-5 will earn conditional status, players 6-10 will earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School and players 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Sixteen Canadians will be in the field this week, including:

Brett Cairns – Courtland, Ont.
Rokhun Cho – Toronto, Ont.
Albin Choi – Toronto, Ont.
Jessey Church – Prince George, B.C.
Jean-Philip Cornellier – Granby, Que.
Max Gilbert – St-Georges, Que.
Robbie Greenwell – Georgetown, Ont.
Mark Hoffman – Thornhill, Ont.
Matthew McMahon – Brockville, Ont.
Lucas Kim – Toronto, Ont.
Luke Ovenden – Georgetown, Ont.
Mathieu Perron – Saint-Hubert, Que.
J.J. Regan – Burlington, Ont.
Ryan Terdik – Mt. Pleasant, Ont.
Christian Westhorpe – Oakville, Ont.
Andrew Zanatta – London, Ont.

Click here for scoring.

Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – PGA Tour Canada’s 2015 schedule will include 12 events from May to September and purse increases for each event from $150,000 to $175,000, as the pursuit to earn status on the Web.com Tour goes from coast-to-coast for its third season.

The season will once again begin in May with the PC Financial Open (May 25-31) at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver and conclude in September at the Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial (Sept. 14-20) at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

“Thanks to the hard work of our host organizations and the fantastic support of our sponsors, our 12 established Tournaments are all returning this season in a great position to continue to grow, with a significant increase in prize money,” said PGA Tour Canada President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to another season of outstanding golf from our players and an emphasis on positive community impact from our Tournaments,” added Monday.

In addition to the top five players on the Order of Merit earning status on the Web.com Tour for 2016, players 6-10 will once again earn an exemption into the final stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, with players 11-20 gaining direct entry into the second stage. Players competing on PGA Tour Canada will look to follow in the footsteps of Abbotsford, B.C.’s Nick Taylor, who finished 7th on the 2013 Order of Merit, then earned his PGA Tour card through the Web.com Tour before entering the PGA Tour winner’s circle at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship.

“The path Nick Taylor and his peers Tony Finau, Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Mark Hubbard used in parlaying their outstanding play on PGA Tour Canada into success on the Web.com Tour and now the PGA Tour is what we envisioned with the launch of PGA Tour Canada in 2013,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. “We anticipate this year’s level of competition to be extremely high as more players look to follow in the footsteps of PGA Tour Canada alumni now on the PGA Tour.”

After kicking off the season with PGA Tour Canada’s first event in Vancouver, the Tour will head to Victoria, B.C. for the 33rd playing of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist (June 1-7) at Uplands Golf Club. Following two off weeks, the Tour will resume with four consecutive events at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON (June 22-28) at Fort McMurray Golf Club in Fort McMurray, Alta., the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel (June 29-July 5) at Dakota Dunes Golf Links in Saskatoon, Sask., followed by The Players Cup (July 6-12) at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg, Man. and the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel (July 13-19) at Whitewater Golf Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.

The top three players on the Order of Merit through the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel will once again be exempt into the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour.

The season will resume with the ATB Financial Classic (July 27-Aug. 2) at The Links of GlenEagles in Calgary, Alta. Following a two-week break, the 2015 season concludes with five events in as many weeks, beginning with the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops (Aug. 17-23) at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. and The Great Waterway Classic (Aug. 24-30) at Loyalist Golf and Country Club in Bath, Ont., followed by The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial (Aug. 31-Sept. 6) outside Peterborough, Ont., where the top 128 players on the Order of Merit will compete in a unique pro-am format. The Tour will then head east for the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial (Sept. 7-13) at The Lakes Golf Club outside Sydney, N.S.

The following week, the 2014 season will conclude with the top 60 players on the Order of Merit competing at the Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial, concluding the race for The Five as well as the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year. Below is a full list of the events for the 2015 schedule.

“In addition to our current Tournaments, we will add new events to the schedule in the future,” said Monday. “Our goal in 2015 is to elevate the stature of our 12 Tournaments, with a focus on bringing new Tournaments to our schedule in 2016.”

OTTAWA – PGA Tour Canada and Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services announced Wednesday a new name for the Ottawa-based PGA Tour Canada event, the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops. The Tournament is set to take place August 17-23 at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa.

After being played as the Forces & Families Open in 2014, the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops will aim to engage the entire National Capital Region not only during Tournament week but year-round. Like all PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour events, the National Capital Open to Support our Troops will focus on having a significant community impact with an emphasis on charity.

“The Ottawa area has such a strong golf community, and we want to do everything we can to make sure the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops becomes an integral part of that community,” said PGA Tour Canada President Jeff Monday. “With the support of Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, we’re confident this event will continue to grow and make a strong impact in the community.”

The Tournament will once again bring world-class golf to the Nation’s Capital as PGA Tour Canada players look to make the next step on the path to the PGA Tour. With the top five players on the season-ending Order of Merit earning status on the Web.com Tour, PGA Tour Canada players can make progress towards playing on the PGA Tour, just as Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. did in going from PGA Tour Canada in 2013 to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour in 2014.

Former PGA Tour member and Ottawa native Brad Fritsch will return as the event’s Ambassador of Golf after lending his support to the event in its inaugural year. Fritsch is coming off an impressive seven-stroke victory at the Web.com Tour’s Qualifying School, where he earned exempt status for the 2015 season and will be looking to continue his solid play that included two top-10 finishes in his last three starts of the 2013-14 PGA Tour campaign.

Doug Langton, Associate Director General, Canadian Forces Morale & Welfare Services, will serve as the Tournament Director, replacing John Randolph, who helped launch the event in 2014. Randolph will continue to support the troops, concentrating his efforts with Forces & Families in the Greater Toronto Area.

“On behalf of PGA Tour Canada and everyone who was involved with the event last year, I would like to thank John Randolph and Forces & Families for their efforts in launching this event in 2014,” said Monday. “Doug and his team have been involved in a support role with the Tournament since day one and we are extremely confident in their abilities to expand the event’s profile and impact.”

The event will continue to support the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, part of a greater relationship between PGA Tour Canada the Canadian Armed Forces that sees active members of the military and their families enjoy complimentary access to PGA Tour Canada events, as well as clinics from PGA Tour Canada players.

“Our top priority is to engage the Ottawa community and grow the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops into one of the top events in the region moving forward,” said Langton. “A PGA Tour Canada event is a tremendous vehicle to raise support and awareness for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and to drive economic activity in the area, and we look forward to seeing this event grow in 2015 and beyond.”

In last year’s inaugural National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, 30-year old Greg Machtaler became the first Canadian to win on PGA Tour Canada in 2014, draining a long birdie putt on the 72nd hole to capture his first PGA Tour Canada win by a single shot.

Oakville, Ont. — The TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial, PGA TOUR Canada’s flagship event, will be played at London’s Highland Country Club in 2015, it was announced Wednesday.

A classic 6,600-yard par-70 Stanley Thompson design located in the heart of London, Highland Country Club has been one of the city’s finest member-owned private clubs since 1922. Conducted by Golf Canada, the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial will once again see the culmination of the race to finish in The Five and earn status on the Web.com Tour.

“We’re thrilled to be heading to Highland for the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial next season. The course is fantastic and should be a formidable test for our players as we showcase the finale of our season,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “Fans can expect to see an extremely high level of play as these players battle it out to finish in The Five and earn status on the Web.com Tour.”

“As a London-based company, we’re excited about the chance to move the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial to a new location and showcase our event to an even greater audience,” said Mike Cunneen, Senior Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial/Wealth & Estate Planning Group. “We look forward to seeing players achieve their dreams and make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR next year.”

A three-year agreement will see the event contested at Highland Country Club through the 2017 season.

“On behalf of the membership at Highland, we’re thrilled to be the new host of the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial,” said Highland Country Club President Justin Wismer. “We’re confident the players will love the course, and we look forward to doing everything we can to make PGA TOUR Canada’s flagship event a tremendous experience for players, sponsors and fans.”

“London is a tremendous golf market and bringing the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial close to downtown London at Highland will be a great opportunity to showcase the event to new fans in the community,” said Tournament Director Bill Paul.

Last season’s event saw Vancouver, British Columbia’s Ryan Williams secure his first PGA TOUR Canada victory in dramatic fashion, propelling him to the sixth spot on the Order of Merit and Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours.

The event remains in London after two successful seasons at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club, which allowed the event to be contested on a hybrid of its Stanley Thompson and Robbie Robinson-designed courses.

“Golf Canada, PGA TOUR Canada and Freedom 55 Financial would like to thank the Thompson family and the entire Sunningdale team for their passion and commitment in helping launch the event over the past two years,” said Paul.

The TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial is proud to support National Golf in Schools as the event’s charity partner. Through the event’s 2014 community legacy campaign, 18 schools within the London area recieved the Golf in Schools program in honour of the season-ending event of the PGA TOUR Canada season.

Dates for the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial along with the entire 2015 PGA TOUR Canada schedule will be announced at a later date.

Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra, Fla. — PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournaments will take place at three separate sites next spring, with three fields of 132 players maximum competing for status during PGA TOUR Canada’s third season.

The three 72-hole, no-cut Qualifying Tournaments will take place at Orange County National’s Panther Lake Course in Winter Garden, Florida from April 14-17, La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc, California from April 21-24 and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia from May 5-8, with fields of 132 players maximum.

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the three sites. The top player at each site will be exempt for the 2015 season, while finishers 2-18 will earn conditional status that will see them exempted through the first and only re-shuffle of the 2015 season, which will come after the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel. Players finishing 19th through 40th plus ties will earn conditional status. 

“PGA TOUR Canada qualifying is aimed at rewarding pro-competitive play and giving opportunities to players who continue to perform well, and we believe that is reflected in the structure of these three Qualifying Tournaments,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “Our goal is to provide opportunities for the best players available to earn access to the Web.com Tour, and we look forward to seeing the next generation of players to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR.” 

Orange County National’s 7,350-yard Panther Lake course, a David Harman, Phil Ritson and Isao Aoki design, is located just outside Orlando and has hosted the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in the past. La Purisima Golf Course, a 7,105-yard Robert Muir Graves design, hosted U.S. Open Local Qualifying in 2014.

The spring’s final Qualifying Tournament will return to Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia, where qualifying was conducted in 2014. Crown Isle, a 7,025-yard Graham Cooke design, is located just minutes from Comox Valley Airport.

The application to enter PGA TOUR Canada qualifying will be posted live to PGATOUR.COM/Canada on January 16, 2015. Entry fees will once again be $2,750 USD. 
The full 2015 PGA TOUR Canada schedule will be announced in early 2015.