“From a property that offered every variety of terrain for golf holes, Stanley Thompson, in his element, was naturally able to produce … a plan that will provide for every requirement of present day golf.”
Those words were written in 1934 in Canadian Golfer, but it turns out the writer’s author’s remarks about Sunningdale Golf and Country Club ring true to this day.
The London, Ont. private club, which includes two 18-hole designs, one by Thompson and one by his associate, Robbie Robinson, will host the Tour Championship for PGA Tour Canada this week. The tour’s Top 60 players will test a throwback course from another era, but the variety and the interest of its holes have kept it relevant in an era of titanium drivers and ProV1 golf balls.
“The whole feel of the course is awesome,” says Vancouver’s Ryan Williams, who played in last week’s Tour Championship and tees it up again this week. “The practice facilities, the clubhouse—it looks like a Tour Championship event. There isn’t another course out there that we play that suits the Tour Championship as well.”
That’s the take of Adam Cornelson. The PGA Tour Canada pro played at Sunningdale last year and missed the cut, but despite that is anxious to get back to the course which he says has “probably the best set of par threes we play all year.”
“They’re fantastic,” he says. “It is a great old-style course and the combination gives it a great feel. You have to attack the par fives which give you the opportunity to get the number in the red.”
The course is a composite of the work of both Thompson and Robinson. The first nine holes come largely from the back nine of Thompson (10-16, and then 7-8-1), while the remainder come from the Robinson course (11-16, 2 and 18). The two designs have similarities, though Robinson’s work is slightly more muted in style. Both courses were renovated in recent years by Cam Tyers, an associate at the time with Carrick Design, and a new practice facility was built, as well as a new clubhouse.
The composite course offers a classic parkland feel, with the drama of having several holes that return to the clubhouse, making it the center of the action for the week. That’s significant as many of PGA Tour Canada’s best compete for the coveted final 10 spots on the money list that will give them status on the Web.com Tour next season. Last year unheralded Max Gilbert won the tournament, finishing out on the 18th hole surrounded by spectators. Not surprisingly Sunningdale is a classic course for a classic golfing battle.
While the greens on the Robinson holes are somewhat tame, and perhaps yield more opportunities for birdies late in the round, the Thompson putting surfaces have unique character and could provide for some intrigue early. Though they don’t have exceptional internal contour, they are sloped enough to force conservative putts if above the hole. And holes like the par three 16th on the Thompson course (the tournament’s 9th hole on composite course), which at a devilish 207-yards is a stunner, offer challenges many golfers won’t see on modern designs. The green has a false front and given that the hole plays into the prevailing wind, even the best golfers will face a challenge.
Williams says keeping the ball in play off the tee is the key to success.
“The one thing I like about the course is you don’t have to hit driver on every hole,” he says. “There are lots of options in the way you can play it, but hitting fairways is imperative.”
That makes Sunningdale one of the stars of the show this week.
“Sunningdale will be another monument to an artist whose appreciation of beauty and thorough knowledge of the royal and ancient pastime has enabled him to contribute so generously to the golfers of [North] America,” Canadian Golfer concluded almost 80 years ago.
Williams concurs that the club and the tournament have a unique flavor among the events he’s played on PGA Tour Canada this season.
“The feel of this tournament is as good as anything we play all year,” says Williams, who is vying for one of the Top 20 spots on the Order of Merit that will secure him a spot in second stage of Web.com qualifying school. “The set up, the organization and the course are really strong.”
LONDON, Ont. — Mike Gligic knows what’s on the line when he arrives in London this week for the PGA Tour Canada’s Tour Championship.
Two weeks ago the Burlington, Ont. golfer lost in a playoff to Nate McCoy at the Wildfire Invitational. Heading into that tournament, Gligic, 25, was having a mixed year, even poor by his standards. After all, Gligic was one of the bright lights on PGA Tour Canada in 2012 when he won and had three Top 10 finishes.
But this year through the first handful of PGA Tour Canada tournaments Gligic found himself on the outside looking in when it came to Tour Championship presented by Freedom 55 Financial. Revised this year, the Tour Championship, which kicks off at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London on Sept. 11, will be a tournament without a cut and only open to top 60 players on the order of merit.
A couple tournaments prior to the Wildfire event, Gligic was concerned he might miss out on qualifying for the Tour Championship. That situation was resolved with two Top 5 finishes, including the Wildfire tournament where he jumped 24 spots to 11th on the order of merit. Players finishing one through five on the money list gain access to the Web.com Tour, while those sixth through 10 earn exemptions into the final stage of Web.com Tour qualifying school, and those players from 11 to 20 get into second stage. Needless to say there’s lots on the line for those hoping to one day play the PGA Tour.
“If you’d asked me about it a couple of weeks ago, I’d have told you I thought [the Tour Championship] was silly,” says Gligic, laughing. “But now that I’m in it, I think it is cool. There’s a good vibe around the tournament and this week [in Cape Breton]. I think everyone knows where they are heading on the money list and they know there’s so much on the line.”
Last year the Tour Championship didn’t have the same degree of prestige. The winner at Sunningdale’s inaugural event, Quebec’s Max Gilbert, came out of left field to win the tournament. Given his position on the money list last year, he wouldn’t even get into this year’s field. And there’s a chance that the winner of the event—who will receive $27,000 for first place—will vault into the top five and punch their ticket to the Web.com Tour.
Last year’s top player on PGA Tour Canada, two-time Canadian Amateur winner Mackenzie Hughes, remembers well what it was like at the top of the order of merit. However, he missed the cut at the Tour Championship last year and had to come back on Sunday in the rain to accept his award as the leader of the tour’s money list.
Hughes, who had mixed success on his rookie year on the Web.com Tour, says the changes to the Tour Championship are positive.
“I think by the tour making these changes for the last event it’ll feel more important,” says Hughes. “I think the changes are great. But they are big changes. If they’d had them in place last year the guy who won wouldn’t have even been in the field. So it creates a really interesting dynamic.”
Jeff Monday, president of PGA Tour Canada, says that was the goal of the changes. The tour wanted to reward those players who played solidly throughout the year. Last year, there might not have been enough tournaments in the inaugural PGA Tour Canada schedule to warrant a no-cut tournament, but with 11 events this year leading into the Tour Championship, Monday says it makes sense.
“It is an elite field and it heightens the competitions and we wanted to reward the guys who had solid years,” says Monday. “And that’s not just guys battling for the top five, but for the spots between six and 10 and 11 and 20. The idea was to make this stand as a culmination of the year with a lot on the line.”
Monday says the Tour Championship also places more emphasis on the tournaments leading into it. For example, players will battle in Cape Breton at the Lakes or at Wildfire near Peterborough just to move up the leaderboard and gain access to the Top 60 on the money list that allows them to play the Tour Championship.
For Gligic, the runner-up finish at Wildfire moved him up the money list heading into the final tournaments, but there’s no guarantee. He’s battling for one of the top five spots on the order of merit that would offer him status on the Web.com Tour, a stepping stone to the PGA Tour. Gligic is pretty much assured of a spot in second stage qualifying, but has his sights set on something greater.
“I played well at Wildfire,” he says. “It was a good week and hopefully I can keep it up and move forward.”
And in Gligic’s case moving forward potentially means cracking the next barrier to the PGA Tour. And he’s not alone. He’s just one of 60 golfers who all know what the next step is towards fulfilling their dream, and figure it lies through the Tour Championship.
BEON EOIN, NS – Savannah, Georgia’s Mark Silvers defeated Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Matt Harmon in a playoff to win the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial, securing his first PGA Tour Canada victory.
Silvers, who began the week 89th on the Order of Merit, turned his season around with the win, carding a final round 6-under 66 at The Lakes Golf Club to reach 15-under par for the week and move all the way to the 10th spot on the season-long money list with one event to go.
“I can hardly put it into words. Coming into the end of the year, I wasn’t going to have Web.com Tour status for next year and had I not played well, I wouldn’t have had PGA Tour Canada status for next year,” said Silvers, who was previously most well-known for his Big Break Greenbrier win. “To come in and play well when I had to, and to now have a chance to skip some stages and definitely have status up here for next year is so big.”
Silvers began the day three shots behind 54-hole co-leaders Michael Gligic and Dan McCarthy, but moved up the leaderboard quickly with a 3-under 33 on his opening nine. Silvers, who was bogey-free on Sunday, carded three more birdies at 10, 13 and 14 to reach 15-under, then needed to convert a tricky 6-foot par putt at 18 to post the clubhouse lead at 15-under par.
“Getting it up-and-down for par on 18 was awesome, and I had no idea where I stood,” said Silvers, who insisted he didn’t look at a leaderboard all day until the 72nd hole. “I tried to just black out. I had been putting really, really well. I just tried to not let myself think about what it could possibly mean. I felt like I was going to be in good shape regardless, and I’m glad I didn’t look at a leaderboard, because it helped to just free me up to keep doing what I was doing.”
Harmon, the winner earlier this year at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, pulled even with Silvers with a birdie on 17, then gave himself a look for the outright win at the 18th with an 8-foot birdie putt. The putt hung on the lip, however, giving Silvers life in a sudden victory playoff.
“Luckily I was on the driving range, or I would have had a heart attack,” said Silvers. “Matt played great. We played together yesterday, and he had an awesome four days.”
At No. 10 on the Order of Merit, the win moves Silvers in position to earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School. The 27-year old University of South Carolina grad admitted he had a bleak outlook at the beginning with the week, faced with the prospect of losing his status on Tour for next year.
“This is where you want to be. PGA Tour Canada is huge now, with world ranking points and the opportunity to move up to the Web.com Tour or the PGA Tour. To get a win with such good players in the field really is amazing,” said Silvers.
Harmon’s second place check vaulted him over Brock Mackenzie into third on the Order of Merit, within $817 of No. 2 Tim Madigan with one event to go. Harmon, Madigan and Mackenzie are all within striking distance of leader Joel Dahmen’s $79,687 total should they be able to win the Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial next week.
Two shots back of the playoff were West Vancouver, BC’s Seann Harlingten, Montreal, Quebec’s Beon-Yeong Lee and McCarthy, a Syracuse, New York native, at 13-under.
With a final round 7-under 65 and a 13-under total, 25-year old Beon-Yeong Lee of Montreal, Quebec claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours on Sunday, along with a $1,500 prize.
Each week, Freedom 55 Financial honours the top Canadian on the leaderboard with the award. The top Canadian on the Order of Merit after next week’s Tour Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial will be named Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and earn a $10,000 prize.
BEON EOIN, NS – Burlington, Ont.’s Michael Gligic and Syracuse, New York’s Daniel McCarthy will take a share of the lead heading into the final round of the 2014 Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial, both reaching 14-under par through 54 holes at The Lakes Golf Club.
Gligic, who owns top five finishes in each of his last two starts on PGA Tour Canada, carded a 6-under 66 on Saturday to match the lowest round of a very windy day in Nova Scotia, while McCarthy birdied three of his last six holes to shoot 69 and join him in a tie at the top.
“I feel good. I’ve just got to keep going and keep the pedal to the metal and try to make some more birdies tomorrow,” said Gligic, who is now 51-under par in his last three Tournaments dating back to the start of The Great Waterway Classic.
“I really was hitting it pretty good all day. I just missed a couple of putts that could have gone in, but that always happens, so I just tried to keep hitting good shots on the way in, which I ended up doing, and made a couple of birdies,” said the 29-year old McCarthy.
Gligic began the day three shots behind McCarthy, but caught up with a 4-under 32 on the front nine. After three more birdies and two bogeys on the back, the 24-year old struck a brilliant approach from the fairway bunker to three feet on the par-5 18th, but missed the short eagle putt and settled for a birdie and 14-under total through three rounds.
McCarthy, who started the day with a one shot advantage over Moscow, Idaho’s Chris Williams, converted a two-putt birdie of his own at the final hole to tie Gligic. The two will play in the final group on Sunday, a pairing McCarthy said would be comfortable for both players.
“I’ve known Mike for a long time,” said McCarthy. He and I were both rookies at the same time when this was the Canadian Tour back in 2009, so we should have a good time. We know each other pretty well.”
For Gligic, the final round presents another opportunity to capitalize on a stretch of great golf. Before his 4th place finish at The Great Waterway Classic and playoff loss at The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial, he ranked 65th on the Order of Merit, but has jumped all the way to 11th with two events to go, currently the top Canadian on the season-long money ranking.
“The last couple of weeks have been great,” said Gligic, who owns one PGA Tour Canada win at the 2012 ATB Financial Classic. “I fell short a couple of times the last two weeks, but tomorrow’s a new day and hopefully I can get the job done. Hopefully I can overcome a few butterflies and just focus on my game and make a few putts.”
McCarthy, whose best finish on PGA Tour Canada is a solo 12th at this year’s Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, said the key to success on Sunday would be blocking out the rewards of a potential win and focusing on the round in front of him.
“You just have to try to calm yourself down, because you’re going to be on edge all day long,” McCarthy said. “There is quite a bit on the line, and we all know that, but it’s just golf. You have to try to turn it into a round with your buddies.”
Two shots back of Gligic and McCarthy was Order of Merit No. 4 Matt Harmon, who birdied the 18th for a 12-under total and solo third through three rounds, while West Vancouver, BC native Seann Harlingten carded a 67 to sit solo fourth at 11-under. Williams was one shot further back in fifth at 10-under following a third round 72.
While his fellow members of The Five have struggled this week – Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen and No. 3 Brock Mackenzie missed the cut, while No. 2 Tim Madigan and No. 5 Josh Persons are T55 and T62, respectively – current No. 4 Matt Harmon has shone so far this week in Cape Breton, sitting in solo third through three rounds.
A strong performance on Sunday could have major implications for The Five.
Harmon, the winner earlier this year at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, could move as high as No. 2 with a win or No. 3 with a solo second on Sunday, while solidifying his lead over the players below him looking to chase him down in the race for Web.com Tour status.
“That was the best I’ve played all week,” said Harmon after a 3-under 69 in the windy conditions. “I hit the ball right in the middle of the clubface, which is key in the wind.”
BEON EOIN, NS – Syracuse, New York’s Daniel McCarthy shot a 6-under 66 on Friday at The Lakes Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial.
McCarthy, a 29-year old returning to PGA Tour Canada this season for the first time since 2010, went bogey-free on a six-birdie day and led by one over Moscow, Idaho’s Chris Williams through two rounds in Cape Breton.
“It’s nice to see some putts finally going in. I’ve been hitting it pretty well this year, but I’ve struggled a little bit with the putter,” said McCarthy, who sits 44th on the Order of Merit with four top-25s on the season. “I’ve driven it really well and kept it in play. I’ve hit a lot of nice iron shots and rolled in a few putts too, and it’s been two good finishes to the rounds for sure.”
With time ticking down in the 2014 season, McCarthy said he’s still got his mind on the rewards of finishing in the top-20, top-10 and top-5 on the Order of Merit at season’s end.
“Well, I’m 44th coming into the week. You’re still trying to get top-10 or top-5, so I know what I need to do,” said McCarthy. “I’m not changing anything, I’m just trying to hit good shots. Whether the putts go in is whether you’re going to win. Maybe it’s freeing me up a little bit knowing that I have top 60 locked up, so I might as well just go out and give it everything I’ve got.”
One shot behind McCarthy was Williams, who carded his second straight 67 to post 10-under, one stroke further ahead of Order of Merit No. 4 Matt Harmon, Big Break Greenbrier champion Mark Silvers and Forces & Families Open champion Greg Machtaler, who shot a 10-under 62 to reach 9-under par.
After posting top five finishes in each of his last two starts, Michael Gligic kept the strong play going on Friday, chipping in for birdie on his final hole of the day for a 6-under 66 and 8-under total, good for a tie for sixth heading into the weekend.
“I played so well last week, you could be negative because I didn’t win, but I just stayed positive,” said Gligic, who lost in a four-hole playoff to Nate McCoy at The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial. “I’ve been playing too well to get down on myself and wanted to keep it going into this week. So far I’ve been playing half decent, so hopefully I can keep it going this weekend and give myself a chance.”
BEON EOIN, NS – Westlake Village, California’s Brandon Hagy shot a 7-under 65 at The Lakes Golf Club on Thursday to take the first round lead at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial.
The 23-year old University of California grad is playing the event on a sponsor’s exemption and proved he was worth the selection on Thursday, carding seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by one over Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Matt Harmon.
“It’s actually the second time I’ve been here in about two months, so it’s a long way, but I seem to like the place,” said Hagy, referring to his start at the Web.com Tour’s Nova Scotia Open in July in Halifax, where he made the cut and finished T40. “This is my sixth professional event, so it’s still pretty new for me. I’m just trying to get some experience against some good competition.”
Hagy is coming off a brilliant collegiate career that saw him named a 2014 PING All-American, and comes to Cape Breton in search of experience as he sets out on his professional career. With a stretch on Thursday where he went 9-under for nine holes at one point, Hagy said he learned a lot from his opening round.
“That’s one of the toughest things in golf to learn, when you start taking it deep like that how to stick to your process,” said Hagy, noting his bogey on the eighth hole (his 17th) that dropped him to 7-under. “I didn’t do a great job of it, so it’s something where the only way you can get comfortable in that situation is by shooting those scores more often.”
One shot back of Hagy was Harmon, the current Order of Merit No. 4, whose timely round could see him make a move up the top of the standings this week. All four other members of The Five – Joel Dahmen, Tim Madigan, Brock Mackenzie and Josh Persons – were over par on Thursday, leaving Harmon with a head start in hopes of making a move this weekend.
“I’m just trying to finish out the season strong and maybe pay for some expenses later,” said Harmon, downplaying the race for the top spots on the Order of Merit. “It was nice to get off to a good start, and I’m looking forward to playing in the morning tomorrow.”
One shot behind Harmon was a group of four players at 5-under 67: West Vancouver, B.C.’s Seann Harlingten, Syracuse, New York’s Daniel McCarthy, Jupiter, Florida’s Adam Long and Moscow, Idaho’s Chris Williams.
North Vancouver, B.C.’s Eugene Wong continued what has been a solid 2014 season on Thursday, opening with a 4-under 68, the second best score of the morning wave. Though he’s been consistent with seven made cuts and five top-25s, the 23-year old said he’s looking for more consistency in putting four rounds together.
“I’ve had some struggles on one day, but I think I figured out the reason why I would have one bad round out there. I need to keep it more in play and not be so aggressive,” said Wong, who posted five birdies and one bogey on the day. “Sometimes I push myself too hard to try and catch people.”
With two events to go, Wong finds himself in good position to be rewarded for his 2014 season at 16th on the Order of Merit. In addition to The Five earning status on the Web.com Tour, the top 10 players at season’s end earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, with the top 20 getting into the second stage.
“My first goal is to be top-10 at least, to get into Final Stage if not second. But yeah, I’m just trying to let my game do all the work,” said Wong. “I try not to think about it. Obviously it’s on the back of your mind, but for me, I know if I play to my abilities I should be able to get in the top five or so.”
DOURO-DUMMER, Ont. – With a par on the fourth hole of a sudden victory playoff, West Des Moines, Iowa’s Nate McCoy captured The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial over Burlington, Ont.’s Michael Gligic, securing his first career PGA Tour Canada win.
The 24-year old shot a final round 7-under 65 to post 19-under par, then watched as Gligic matched him with a birdie on 18 to tie and force a playoff. The two made a pair of pars on the par-5 18th and then parred the par-4 10th, before returning to the final hole. After Gligic found the deep fescue left of the green and made bogey, McCoy secured the win with a textbook par, securing his first victory as a professional.
“It’s pretty amazing. I don’t know if it’s going to sink in until a little later,” said McCoy, an Iowa State University graduate. “I went into the day thinking if I played well, I could at least content. To walk away with the championship is really kind of surreal.”
The win moves McCoy to No. 8 on the Order of Merit with two events left in the season, $4,776 behind the No. 5 spot as he looks to secure status on the Web.com Tour for next season. McCoy, who began the week 61st on the Order of Merit, said he was looking simply to get inside the top 60 and secure exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015.
“It changes a lot,” McCoy said. “Going in I was just trying to keep my card, now we’ll see how far I can go and maybe try to improve my position. Right now it’s icing on the cake compared to what I was at. To be able to give myself the chance to get some Web.com Tour status if I can finish off well would be nice.”
Starting the day four shots behind 54-hole leader Joe Panzeri, McCoy made three straight birdies on Nos. 9-11 to tie for the lead with Gligic, Bristol, Tennessee’s Jay Vandeventer, Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie and San Jose, California’s John Ellis, who birdied his first six holes to jump out into a share of the lead and would go on to finish fourth.
With two more birdies coming in, McCoy posted 19-under and watched as Gligic, who carded his second straight 66, matched him.
“I knew going into the day I needed a good one, and I did that. I played good coming down the stretch and there’s a lot of positives to take. I made a lot of putts coming down the stretch, and I can just build on that,” Gligic said.
Vandeventer had a chance to tie with a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th, but couldn’t find the cup. After McCoy and Gligic parred each of the first three playoff holes, Gligic put himself in trouble with his lay-up, had to pitch short of the green, then couldn’t convert an 8-foot par putt to keep the playoff going for a fifth hole.
“Michael’s a great player. I didn’t want to see him bogey that hole, but he’s a great guy and I really enjoyed playing with him,” said McCoy.
The win comes as the latest success in golf for the McCoy family, after father Mike McCoy’s victory at last year’s USGA Mid-Amateur Championship earned him a spot in The Masters Tournament, where Nate caddied for him.
“It’s nice having a dad that pushes me. I’m not really sure what he’s going to say, but it should be nice,” said McCoy, who also credited his wife Ashley, who caddied for him on PGA Tour Canada for much of the year before returning to work as a teacher in Iowa.
“She’s really been a strong anchor for me this year,” McCoy said. “It was a tough year last year and I had a tough stretch this year, and she was always there saying ‘You can play with these guys, and you put too much pressure on yourself, so just go play.’ She really has helped me a lot, more than she probably knows.”
Panzeri was unable to convert the 54-hole lead into victory for the first time in three attempts on PGA Tour Canada, carding a 74 to finish tied for 12th. One shot behind Ellis in a tie for fifth were Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson, who posted a career-best finish on PGA Tour Canada, and Saint-Georges, Que.’s Max Gilbert, who posted his first top-10 since a win at last year’s TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial.
For the second week in a row, Gligic earned Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours along with a $1,500 prize. Gligic claimed the award last week as well, finishing solo fourth at The Great Waterway Classic.
Each week on PGA Tour Canada, Freedom 55 Financial honours the top Canadian on the leaderboard, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end taking Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $10,000 prize.
DOURO-DUMMER, Ontario – Meridian, Idaho’s Joe Panzeri managed a 4-under 68 on Saturday at Wildfire Golf Club to take a two shot advantage through 54 holes at The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial.
The 28-year old will look to secure his third career PGA TOUR Canada victory on Sunday after reaching 16-under par through three rounds, two strokes clear of a group of seven players in a tie for second, including Canadians Max Gilbert, Chris Hemmerich, Justin Shin and Adam Cornelson as well as Americans Jeff Corr, Jay Vandeventer and Brock Mackenzie.
“I hit the ball really well, kept it and front of me and played smart golf,” said Panzeri. “The greens are so good out here, I’m just trying to hit fairways and greens because I feel like you can make putts.”
Panzeri will look to turn around what he admitted has been a disappointing year in 2014 on Sunday, and said he’s taken a fresh attitude into this week to return to the form that saw him finish sixth on the Order of Merit last season.
“It’s been a tough year. I had high expectations for myself and haven’t really done much at all,” said Panzeri, who currently sits 90th on the Order of Merit with four made cuts in seven starts. “I had some talks with people back home and people out here, and just kind of changed my attitude a little bit. Instead of expecting it, I’m just working hard and sticking to a game plan instead of putting the pressure on myself. I just kind of relaxed and I’m trying to have fun.”
With rounds of 66-64-68 so far this week, Panzeri said he feels more comfortable on the course than he has all year, partly in thanks to a switch to an old, friendly flatstick on the greens this week.
“I was just messing around in the garage and grabbed a short putter I had played well with in college and it felt really good,” said Panzeri, who had been employing the broomstick anchoring method for his previous starts this year. “I just went with it, and it’s panned out well so far.”
With a host of chasers just behind him, Panzeri said he would lean on his experience on Sunday to try and stay ahead of the pack. Panzeri has converted a 54-hole lead into victory in both of his PGA TOUR Canada wins, taking a 3-shot lead through 54 holes at last year’s ATB Financial Classic and a 2-stroke advantage at the 2011 SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel to the house for wins.
“It’s a good opportunity. I’ve been in this position before a few times, and hopefully those will help me for tomorrow,” said Panzeri. “I can’t control what other guys do. My goal for tomorrow is just to go play golf, have fun and commit to my shots and do all that I can.”
Gilbert had the round of the day with 7-under 65, while 36-hole leader Adam Cornelson carded an even par 72 to fall back into a tie for second with Mackenzie, his playing partner, along with Corr, Shin and Hemmerich, who all carded 68s. Joining the group was Jay Vandeventer after a 69.
In order to defend his title at the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial in two weeks, Max Gilbert knows he’ll have to play some good golf, and soon. At 134th on the Order of Merit, the 24-year old finds himself well outside the top-60 cutoff that will play in London and retain exempt status for 2015.
Through three rounds at Wildfire, it’s mission accomplished for Gilbert, who fired a 7-under 65 to post the round of the day and sit 14-under and tied for second.
“I’m very happy the way I played. I played better again today and we’ll see what happens. I need the same thing tomorrow,” said Gilbert. “It’s definitely my goal to be in London, so I need to play well here and next week too. I want to be there because it’s a great golf course for me.”
Gilbert won the season-ending event at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club last season in a Cinderella story, playing his way into the Order of Merit-only event with no status on PGA TOUR Canada, then shooting four rounds in the 60s to win by one. At Wildfire, his standout day was highlighted by three eagles, including a hole-out from 122 yards on the 14th to put him 7-under on the day.
“I had it going,” Gilbert said. “The first one was a good putt, the second one was like a six- or seven-footer, but the feeling that I had after the 122 yards, it was perfect in the air. It said ‘go in,’ and it went in, so it was a good feeling.”
DOURO-DUMMER, Ontario – Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson did just enough to keep his lead at The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial, firing a 5-under 67 on Friday to reach 14-under par through two rounds at Wildfire Golf Club.
The 26-year old carded five birdies on a bogey-free day, including one at the par-3 ninth, his final hole of the day, to lead by one over player partner Brock Mackenzie of Yakima, Washington.
“This is crunch time, and hopefully I can stick to my routine and keep the weekend going hot,” Cornelson said, refusing to get ahead of himself with two rounds to go. “I’m happy where I’m at, but there’s a long way to go, and with this TOUR, we all know the weekends get going. I’m going to keep my foot on the gas.”
Cornelson, a fourth-year PGA Tour Canada member, comes to Wildfire at 97th on the Order of Merit, knowing he needs to make a move up the leaderboard to capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his season – if not his career. The University of New Orleans grad has five career top-25 finishes on PGA Tour Canada, but is looking for his first top-10 after missing five of his past six cuts.
“I started out pretty decent and got in a bit of a lull, but I kept working hard and had the attitude that I knew I could do this, and fortunately I’m starting to score,” Cornelson said of his 2014 season. “I’m sticking to my routine and picking good targets, and making good committed golf shots. I’m making the putts I need to make to keep the momentum going.”
The solid starts for Cornelson and Mackenzie came after the pair played together in each of the first two rounds, with the pair combining for 27 birdies, an eagle and just two bogeys through 36 holes.
“It was a real comfortable group, and Adam had another great round, so we just kind of fed off each other a little bit,” said Mackenzie. “It’s always more comfortable when you play with somebody that you like and you respect.”
“Brock had a hot start, and it pushed me to make more birdies for sure,” added Cornelson. The pair will tee it up together again on Saturday in the day’s final pairing at 1:15 PM ET.
One shot back of Mackenzie at 12-under were Meridian, Idaho’s Joe Panzeri and Corpus Christi, Texas’ Randall Hutchison.
DOURO-DUMMER, Ont. – Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson fired a 9-under 63 on Thursday at Wildfire Golf Club to take the first round lead at The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial.
The 26-year old carded seven birdies and an eagle to card his lowest career round on PGA Tour Canada in 37 starts, and led by one shot over Andover, Massachusetts’ Evan Harmeling. At 97th on the Order of Merit with three events to go, Cornelson said he was coming to Wildfire in search of a spark, and certainly found one on Thursday.
“We’re all making a push for the end of the season, and every dollar counts on this Tour,” said Cornelson, who has five career top-25 finishes. “It’s been a long summer for me, and I was happy to get a good one in the books. I just kind of slowly got rolling and took it one shot at a time.”
After re-securing his exempt status at the British Columbia Qualifying Tournament earlier this year, the University of New Orleans grad had high hopes for his 2014 season, but hasn’t been as sharp as he would have liked through nine events, with just three made cuts on the campaign.
“Everything felt good for my game and I just wasn’t scoring. I just had no expectations and went out and played, and some putts went in,” Cornelson explained as the catalyst for his stellar opening round.
One shot back with an 8-under 64, Harmeling finds himself in a similar position to Cornelson, sitting 126th on the Order of Merit with two events left to get inside the top-60 and qualify for the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial. The 26-year old put his round into perspective, noting that he was in solo second after one round at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON before finishing tied for 53rd, and was simply focused on continuing his solid play into the weekend.
“I’ve had some low rounds, so I’m not getting too excited after this one because of that. I definitely want to finish strong,” Harmeling said. “I started feeling it there at the end. I hit one pretty close at the end and I putted it well all day, so it was nice to finish it off well.”
