CALGARY – Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie carded six birdies and a bogey to shoot a 5-under 67 on Saturday at Sirocco Golf Club and build a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the ATB Financial Classic.
The 33-year old was 21-under through 54 holes, the lowest mark of the PGA TOUR Canada era and tied for the second lowest in Tour history. Mackenzie has made just one bogey on the week, offset by 22 birdies to lead by two over Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney and Milford, Iowa’s Brady Schnell, who followed up a second round 59 with a 67 on Saturday.
“Any time you’re leading, you want to try and distance yourself as much as you can so there’s only a few guys who can win the tournament,” said Mackenzie, a veteran of the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Canada. “That’s what I was trying to do today. So many guys played well, and it’s a course where you can make lots of birdies, so anyone within eight shots could win.”
Mackenzie owns one win on PGA TOUR Canada, coming at the 2010 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, and says he’s relishing the opportunity to be in contention for a second win tomorrow in Calgary.
“I love being in contention,” said Mackenzie. “I’ve been in contention a couple of times this year. I’m getting more and more comfortable being in that position. It’s just another round of golf and I’m doing the things that I need to do.”
The University of Washington alumnus, who won twice on the All-American Gateway Tour in the offseason, was in the hunt earlier this year in Victoria before finishing tied for second. Currently 10th on the Order of Merit, he’ll have a great chance to solidify his spot in the race to earn Web.com Tour status at season’s end.
“I did what I needed to do today,” Mackenzie said. “It’s going to be a fun day tomorrow. The first three rounds of golf, I couldn’t be more pleased with how I’ve played and hopefully I can handle myself too.”
Mackenzie’s closest pursuers on Sunday will be able to keep a close eye on the 54-hole leader, with round four tee times moved up to due anticipated inclement weather. Players will tee off the 1st and 10th tees in threesomes, and Mackenzie will be joined by Carney and Schnell in the final group. Mackenzie said he was pleased to be ahead of golf’s latest ‘Mr. 59’ given the historic accomplishment.
“The fact that I’m leading a guy who shot 59 on me, that makes me happy,” said Mackenzie. “But he could very likely do it again tomorrow and win by six. Most of the guys inside the top-10 have that ability to go low, and I guarantee that they’re going to be full charge ahead with nothing to lose.”
Two shots behind Schnell and Carney in solo fourth was Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew, who posted the round of the day with a 7-under 65 to sit 17-under through three rounds.
SCHNELL RE-FOCUSES ON PURSUIT AFTER MAGIC FINISH
After he holed out from 122 yards on Friday to shoot 59, one could forgive Brady Schnell if he found it difficult to re-focus on the chase for the lead at the ATB Financial Classic on Saturday.
“It’s just going to be one of those things I’ll probably think about a few times over the course of my life. Those things don’t happen every day,” said Schnell.
The buzz of the accomplishment didn’t seem to distract Schnell, though, with the 29-year old continuing the strong play with five birdies on his first eight holes to reach 19-under, where he finished the day.
“I made a nice 12-footer on two to kind of get things going, and it’s always nice to get that first one under your belt, especially after a round like that,” said Schnell. “To be 5-under through eight, I was very happy to keep things rolling.”
Calgary – Milford, Iowa’s Brady Schnell made PGA TOUR Canada history on Friday, holing out a gap wedge from the fairway on his final hole to shoot a 13-under 59 at Sirocco Golf Club at the ATB Financial Classic. Schnell moved to 14-under through 36 holes to sit two shots back of leader Brock Mackenzie of Yakima, Washington, who shot a 9-under 63 to take a one shot lead over Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney through two rounds.
Schnell, a 29-year old in his third season on PGA TOUR Canada, holed a 122-yard approach with a gap wedge on the 454-yard ninth hole for his final shot of the day. He becomes the second player in PGA TOUR Canada history and the first of the PGA TOUR Canada era to shoot a sub-60 score. Previously, Jason Bohn shot a 13-under 58 in the final round of the 2001 Bayer Championship.
“To shoot 59 is crazy enough, but to hole out on the last hole to do it, I just can’t even believe it,” said Schnell, a University of Nebraska graduate. “That’s the ultimate number, to get inside the 50s. To do it in a tournament on PGA TOUR Canada is even better. I guess it’s what we all dream of, but just to do it in that fashion makes it sweeter too.”
Schnell began the day at 1-under par after an opening 71 and at one point trailed Mackenzie by 15 shots, but quickly gained ground on the leader with an outward 30 on his first nine holes. After five more birdies, he came to his final hole knowing where he stood with a look at golf’s most sought-after score.
“I knew where I was at,” said Schnell. “I just kind of kept track and figured it out, and I was standing in six fairway and said ‘you can make four birdies over the next four holes.’ I lipped out on six for birdie, and then I just made birdie-birdie-eagle.”
While he was unable to accomplish his goal of four closing birdies, one memorable swing made up the difference and put Schnell in the game’s history books.
“I hit a hard 52 [degree wedge]. I felt a little jacked up, and from back in the fairway it looked like it spun back a foot or two,” Schnell said. “I couldn’t believe it when it dropped.”
Earlier, Mackenzie’s 63 gave him a 16-under total through two rounds, tying the record for lowest 36-hole score of the PGA TOUR Canada era.
“I knew I was playing well, but I didn’t realize at the end I was 9-under,” said Mackenzie, who tied the lowest 36-hole score of the PGA TOUR Canada era at 128. “It was a good day. I made most everything that I saw and hit it great, so it was good.”
The 33-year old, who owns one PGA TOUR Canada win at the 2010 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, began his day by finishing his first round with four consecutive pars (first round play was suspended due to dangerous weather Thursday night and resumed at 7:15 AM). After three more pars to start round two, Mackenzie reeled off nine birdies, and said he was in a zone after that.
“When things are going good, I kind of just get in a robot mode where I just kind of get my number and hit the shot,” said Mackenzie, who finished with a birdie on the ninth by hitting a pitching wedge to four feet. “I wasn’t thinking ‘oh, I need to get another one,’ it was a perfect number for a wedge.”
“I made a couple of birdies, and then I got it going on the back side,” added Mackenzie. “It’s nice to see the ball go in. I’ve hit it really well all year, and so far this is the best I’ve putted all year.”
One back of Mackenzie was Carney, who finished up his first round this morning with an 8-under 64, then returned to shoot 65 in his second round to sit 15-under. Christopher Ross, a PGA TOUR Canada rookie, was one shot further back, and briefly shared the course record with a 10-under 62 before Schnell’s 59 set the new mark.
“I had it going in the beginning and in the middle and then the end, so, yeah, it was a good day out there,” said the 27-year old Ross. “I kept playing to my strengths. There were a few par-5s I could have gone for, but just because I was hitting my wedges nicely and my putter is hot, I played to my strengths.”
Ross said he knows he’ll need to keep the pedal to the metal this weekend, with scores around him going well under par through two rounds.
“If you let up off the gas out here, you’re going to get lapped,” said Ross. “The greens are perfect, the fairways are perfect and the weather’s nice, so if you let up at all, you’re going to get passed. That was my mentality today.”
Calgary – Rockville, Maryland’s Daniel Balin and Peterborough, Ont.’s Ted Brown shared the lead at 8-under par when play was suspended due to dangerous weather on Thursday at the ATB Financial Classic. Balin shot 64 to take the clubhouse lead, while Brown was 8-under through 15 holes.
The pair was one stroke ahead of defending champion Joe Panzeri of Meridian, Idaho and Linus Gillgren of Sweden, who shot a pair of 65s earlier in the day.
“I hit it pretty solid all day. I got a couple of good breaks to start off my round and didn’t really hit it off line, so I was able to take advantage of a few of the opportunities I had and just played solid,” said Balin, who recently became a PGA Tour Canada member thanks to some timely play earlier in the season.
A teaching pro out of Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, Balin has played in the last four PGA Championships thanks to solid performances in the Professional National Championship, and recently earned conditional status as one of the top three non-members on the Order of Merit through the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel. He open qualified into the field at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, where he finished in the top 20 to gain entry into the following week’s The Players Cup, where he finished tied for 13th. His earnings were enough to put him 52nd on the Order of Merit six events, second among non-members.
“I just needed to go out and play,” said Balin, who also plays on NEC Series – PGA Tour Latinoamérica, where he has two top-10 finishes. “I finished top 20 in Saskatoon as well as the next week and found out there were three spots for non-members. I’m excited that I can come out here and hopefully play the rest of the events.”
With his number of starts on PGA Tour Canada and in South America making him ineligible to play the PGA Championship again this year, Balin has changed his focus towards a goal of making it to the PGA Tour as a full-time tour player.
“It’s a bit of a downer with that being always something to look forward to, but at the end of the day, trying to play full time, it’s something that I had to give up,” said Balin. “I experienced it four years in a row playing in a major, and I figured the next time I play will hopefully be as a player and not as a teaching pro or club professional.”
Brown, who has been named Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week twice in his first season on PGA Tour Canada, continued what has been a strong season with a good start on Thursday to sit one shot ahead of Gillgren and Panzeri, who is looking to defend his title in Calgary.
Thunder Bay, ON – With a crucial up-and-down for birdie at the 72nd hole, Cincinatti, Ohio’s Wes Homan claimed the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, his first PGA TOUR Canada win.
The 30-year old prevailed in a dramatic fight to the finish over rookie Greg Eason of England, who made a clutch birdie of his own at the last to force Homan’s hand. Homan calmly stepped up a drained a 6-footer, punctuated with a pump of the fist, to secure his first win in four seasons on TOUR.
“It felt great to make that putt,” said Homan, who finished at 17-under for the week. “It’s more of a sense of relief about all the hard work I know I’ve been putting in and sometimes people don’t know about. It was amazing. I did hurt my back on one of those fist pumps, so it was pretty exciting and fun.”
The win moves Homan into the fifth spot on the Order of Merit halfway through the 2014 season, in position to earn Web.com Tour status in the season-long chase for The Five.
“It’s huge. Every shot counts,” Homan said, acknowledging he has a long way to go the remainder of the season. “This isn’t gonna change my life, but it’s going to be a step towards where I want to go and I’m glad I was able to accomplish it.”
The Southern Methodist University grad began the day with a two stroke advantage over Eason, a promising rookie in his first season as a pro. Homan would lead by as many as four shots during the front nine, but came to the 72nd hole with a one stroke lead. Eason, needing at least a birdie, struck a brilliant wedge shot to within two feet, setting the stage for Homan, who needed to get up-and-down from some 60 feet away. Homan responded beautifully with a chip that caught a piece of the hole and ran out to six feet, then poured in the putt to seal the victory.
“I tried to convince myself I didn’t care, so I just kind of freed myself up. I’ve been hitting good chips all week and even over on the practice green, and I’ve been working on that since last week,” said Homan. “That last putt was great. I said ‘just because I’m nervous doesn’t mean I can’t hit a good one,’ and I hit a great putt.”
The win was particularly special for Homan and his father Chip, who was on hand to watch his son play for the first time in nearly two years.
“He doesn’t get to come out a whole lot and he’s my biggest supporter and has been since day one,” said Homan. “It’s nice to be able to do that with him here.”
Homan’s previous best finish was a solo second at the 2011 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, with the win coming in his 26th career start. The $27,000 winner’s check put him at $35,692 in season-long earnings.
“I knew it was in me. I’ve been working hard, and it was nice to let it all accumulate to this big win today,” Homan said of finally breaking through for his first win.
Eason’s solo second result moved him to seventh on the Order of Merit, while Apopka, Florida’s Jeff Corr finished in solo third after a final round 69 to finish at 14-under.
Though he didn’t know where he stood exactly, Fargo, North Dakota’s Josh Persons knew a birdie at the 72nd hole Sunday would go a long way in helping him move up to No. 3 on the Order of Merit and secure a spot in next week’s RBC Canadian Open.
As it turns out, the birdie Persons posted made all the difference, allowing him to finish in a four-way tie for 11th and make just enough to sneak by incumbent No. 3 Matt Harmon, who missed the cut. One shot higher, and he would have missed out by $155.
“It’s a big relief,” said Persons, who won the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist earlier this year for his first PGA TOUR Canada win. “I really had to grind it out today, and to know I’ve got a spot on the PGA TOUR next week is a great feeling.”
Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen, who finished in a tie for fifth to extend his lead at the top, and No. 2 Tim Madigan had already secured spots in the top three for next week and will both make their PGA TOUR debuts.
In addition to the top three, three other PGA TOUR Canada members have already gained entry into the field. Burlington, Ontario’s Michael Gligic and Montreal, Quebec’s Beon-Yeong Lee won regional qualifiers to get in, while North Vancouver, British Columbia’s Eugene Wong was extended a sponsor exemption on Sunday evening to make his fifth RBC Canadian Open start.
With a final round 2-under 70, Peterborough, Ontario’s Ted Brown finished in a tie for seventh to earn Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours. Brown finished at 9-under and won a tiebreaker over Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew.
Each week, Freedom 55 Financial honours the top Canadian on the leaderboard with the award and a $1,500 check. The top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $10,000 prize.
Brown also claimed top Canadian honours at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel.
Thunder Bay, ONd – Cincinnati, Ohio’s Wes Homan carded a 4-under 68 on Saturday at Whitewater Golf Club to take a two shot lead heading into the final round of the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
The 30-year old bested playing partner Greg Eason of England, who began the day tied with Homan, by two shots in round three to reach 16-under through 54 holes, five clear of Apopka, Florida’s Jeffrey Corr in third and seven clear of two players in fourth. Homan will take a solo lead for the first time after any round in his four seasons on PGA TOUR Canada.
“I’m excited. You can’t ask for a better position. That’s why I was here today, and we’ll go see what we can do tomorrow,” said Homan, a Southern Methodist University grad.
Homan’s round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 7th, when his approach from the fairway struck the flagstick and set up a short eagle putt. He would go on to convert and jump two shots in front of Eason, where he finished the day.
“I had 255 to the flag. It looked really good in the air and I saw it dink off the flag. Maybe it’ll go in tomorrow,” said Homan of his approach on the 7th. “I hit some really great shots. I made some good birdies and had one bad club choice and bad a bogey, but I feel like I can bounce back pretty well from that. It was nice.”
Homan’s best finish on PGA TOUR Canada is solo second at the 2011 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, when he shot a final round 65 to finish two shots behind eventual winner Jose de Jesus Rodriguez of Mexico. Homan, who currently sits 22nd on the Order of Merit, said he looked forward to the challenge of trying to convert the lead into his first PGA TOUR Canada win.
“It’s just me versus the course,” said Homan. “We’ll see what I can do. Somebody could play great and steal it from me, but as long as I try as hard as I can on every shot that’s all I can do.”
Eason, a 22-year old rookie, said he liked how he managed the pressure of playing in the day’s final pairing and was excited to be in his position despite falling two behind.
“Second place, I’d have taken that before the week started. If I can play some nice golf and hole a few putts, then who knows,” said the University of Central Florida grad, who birdied the 17th to pull within two of Homan. Eason added that he didn’t plan on worrying about what Homan would do on Sunday, and instead would try to focus on his own performance.
“To be honest, I’m not really going to focus on that. I’m just going to go ahead and play my own game and see where I end up. If it’s good enough it’s good enough, and if it’s not, it’s not,” he said.
Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew was low Canadian through three rounds in sixth spot at 8-under following a 5-under 67.
RENFREW LOOKING TO SPRINGBOARD FROM WEB.COM TOUR EXPERIENCE
After a pair of starts on the Web.com Tour over the last two weeks, Cory Renfrew returned to PGA TOUR Canada this week with renewed focus and motivation, having gotten a taste of the next level and knowing he can get back there soon with a solid finish to his summer.
“Knowing I can compete out there gives me confidence, and knowing I can win out here and compete at the top level is big too. That’s my goal for the rest of the season,” said Renfrew, who played the Nova Scotia Open on a sponsor’s exemption and finished in the top 25 to gain entry into the following week’s Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank.
The University of British Columbia grad carded a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move up 19 spots to solo sixth in Thunder Bay, and said his experience at the next level has motivated him to try and finish in The Five and earn Web.com Tour status for next year.
“I was ecstatic to make it for two weeks on the Web.com Tour,” said Renfrew. “I played well in Nova Scotia and had fun. It’s a different kind of ballgame out there and I’m hopefully going to use this as practice for out there for years to come.”
Renfrew, who won the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON in 2012 and finished 15th on the Order of Merit last year, has made two of three cuts this season and finished a season-best T-34 in Fort McMurray.
Thunder Bay, Ont. – Cincinnati, Ohio’s Wes Homan and England’s Greg Eason shot a pair of matching 7-under 65s Friday at Whitewater Golf Club to share the 36-hole lead at the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
The pair stood three shots clear of Joshua Stone in third place through at 12-under par through two rounds, carding identical opening rounds of 67-65.
“It’s been great. I’ve played really well, putted well and had a lot of fun this week,” said Eason, who is without a bogey over his first two rounds in Thunder Bay. “The course suits me, I think. I’ve got a nice game plan for it and I’ve managed to play well.”
Homan, playing in the morning’s first group off the first tee, took advantage of the calm conditions with four consecutive birdies to begin his round, and said that he had been waiting to emerge with a pair of good rounds over the past few weeks.
“I’ve been hitting it where I’ve wanted for a couple of weeks and just waiting for some putts to drop, and finally it’s kind of shaking my way, so we’ll see what we can do,” Homan said, adding that the real fun was about to begin with rounds three and four on the horizon. “Thursday and Friday, you just want to get past them and play the weekend and that’s when the fun starts, so I’m excited.”
Eason, a 22-year old rookie on PGA Tour Canada, said his solid play over the first two rounds was thanks in part to an adjusted attitude and style of play. The University of Central Florida grad, who has made every cut this year and has one top-10 finish, admitted he has been putting pressure on himself to perform in his first season as a pro and took a more relaxed approach this week.
“I’ve been surprised how many good players there are out here. I can’t believe how many good players there are and what sort of score it takes to win an event,” said Eason. “I’ve been kind of taken aback by that. It’s been very penal with how punishing you can be on yourself for scores that really aren’t that bad.”
The native of Leicester, England said he realized after a handful of events that he would be better off playing his own game than worrying about other players shooting low scores around him, part of the maturation process in his first season as a pro.
“I’ve been trying to play a little smarter this week than I’ve been the last few rounds and it’s paying off,” said Eason, who was named an All-American in his final season at UCF this spring. “I’m just trying not to think about what score is going to win and just get the best score I can.”
“I’ve been trying to force it, looking at some of the scores. I mean, 24-under won [at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel] a few weeks back,” said Eason. “You don’t get that without being aggressive, so I was trying to be aggressive, but this week I kind of took a step back and looked at fairways and greens and it’s been paying off.”
One shot behind Stone in a tie for fourth were Seattle, Washington’s Blake Snyder and Order of Merit No. 2 Tim Madigan of Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Los Angeles’ Bryan Bergna recorded the second double eagle of the 2014 season on Friday, holing a 6-iron from 210 yards on the par-5 third hole at Whitewater Golf Club. The albatross was part of a 4-under 68 that moved Bergna up 49 spots into a tie for 22nd.
“It looked good the whole way. When it disappeared, it was amazing. It landed towards the front and released out. It was crazy,” Bergna said. “I thought it was funny because I’ve never had a hole-in-one and I get a double eagle before I’ve ever had one. I was 4-under through 3 holes, so it was a good start.”
Surrey, B.C.’s Devin Carrey also recorded a hole-in-one with a 5-iron from 204 yards at the 15th.
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Scottsdale, Arizona’s Brandon Harkins shot an 8-under 64 at Whitewater Golf Club on Thursday, tying the course record to take the first round lead at the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
Harkins, currently in his fourth season on PGA Tour Canada, led by one shot over last week’s The Players Cup champion and Order of Merit No. 2 Tim Madigan of Rio Rancho, New Mexico and Stockton, California’s Joshua Stone.
“It was a pretty steady round. Not a lot went wrong,” said Harkins, who has three top-10 finishes in his PGA Tour Canada career. “It wasn’t flashy. I just hit a lot of greens and didn’t really miss anything inside of 10 feet. I just kind of plodded my way around and didn’t get ahead of myself, which is always good. It’s kind of cliché, but that’s what I did.”
The 28-year old made five birdies in a seven hole stretch on his opening nine and said that a solid start on the demanding 10th, 11th and 12th holes at Whitewater, where he started par-par-birdie, set him up for a solid round Thursday morning.
“I just kind of got a little momentum going there and made a few putts, and it just always seems like once you get a few to go, a few more happen, and that’s how it went,” said Harkins, whose best finish on PGA Tour Canada is a solo second performance last year at The Great Waterway Classic, where he shot a final round 62.
Madigan, a shot behind Harkins, has been on a tear of late on PGA Tour Canada with top three finishes in three of his last four starts, including his breakthrough win last week in Winnipeg. He kept the momentum going Thursday with a 65, the 20th time he has broken par in 26 rounds so far on PGA Tour Canada.
“The course was there for the taking, but you really had to strike it well today and I was fortunate enough to do that,” said Madigan, adding that he tried not to approach this week any differently following his win last week. “It’s just another day at the office. I just tried to go out and shoot the lowest score that I could and luckily it was 65, so I’m just having fun.”
The 24-year old Stone carded eight birdies and just one bogey to post the best round of his rookie season on PGA Tour Canada.
“I stayed really patient and made a lot of putts,” said Stone. “I got off to a great start on my front nine, again just telling myself to stay patient. I played real solid and just got a few putts to fall.”
Sean Shahi of Laguna Niguel, California and Jeffrey Corr of Apopka, Florida were one shot behind Madigan and Stone with a pair of 6-under 66s, while open qualifier Ryan Terdik of Brantford, Ont. was low Canadian at 5-under, tied with five others.
It would be permissible for Joel Dahmen and Tim Madigan to get a bit ahead of themselves as they prepare to make their first PGA Tour starts at the RBC Canadian Open next week. The pair have both secured spots in the top three on the Order of Merit through this week and will be exempted into the national open, but both insisted their focus is on this week in Thunder Bay.
“It does no good for me to be thinking about the RBC Canadian Open, so all of my effort is just focused on playing a good tournament here,” said Madigan, the current Order of Merit No. 2. “I’m not even worried about next week because this is the tournament I’m playing in right now.”
Dahmen admitted that his thoughts have wandered towards Montreal, but that he has a renewed focus on maintaining his spot atop the Order of Merit thanks to Madigan’s strong play of late. After his win at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, Dahmen was $28,815 ahead of second place, but now leads by just $5,418.
“You try not to treat it as a warm up, but in your mind you’re thinking about it being your first PGA Tour event. With Tim only a few grand behind me though, every shot counts out here, so I’m doing my best to put in a good week here,” said Dahmen.
Golf Canada National Amateur Team member Chris Hemmerich, who won the Ontario Amateur Championship last week, opened with a 4-under 66.
PGA Tour Canada will make its sixth stop of the 12-event 2014 season this week in Thunder Bay with the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, marking the halfway point of the year.
Including this week in Winnipeg, PGA Tour Canada will play seven of the next nine weeks to conclude its second season.
PGA Tour Canada returns to Thunder Bay for the first time since 2001 for this weeks inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel. The Staal Family Foundation, the charitable foundation of NHL brothers Eric, Jordan, Marc and Jared Staal, plays host to week-long schedule of events including a star-studded celebrity pro-am, culminating with PGA Tour Canada’s sixth event of the 2014 season.
In addition to the Staal brothers and their parents Henry and Linda, other celebrities teeing it up included Olympic Gold Medalist Brad Jacobs, former Our Lady Peace drummer Jeremy Taggart, NHL players and alumni Robert Bortuzzo, Ryan Johnson, Stew Gavin, Carter Hutton, Trevor Letowski, Tom Pyatt, Taylor Pyatt, Matt Cullen, Brett Bellemore, Scott Walker, Ric Nattress, Lonny Bohonos, Rick Adduono, Ray Adduono, John Adams, Danny Gruen, Jeff Heerema and curlers Al Hackner and Rick Lang.
The top three players on the Order of Merit through this week will earn a spot in next week’s RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, taking place next week at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal.
Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen and last week’s The Players Cup champion Tim Madigan are mathematically guaranteed to finish in the top three, making for an exciting showdown for the final spot this week. SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel champion Matt Harmon is currently on the bubble, holding the third spot with $36,688. Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist champion Josh Persons could pass Harmon with a solo 14th place finish or better, while No. 5 Ricky McDonald would need a solo fourth-place finish or better to reach third. Robert S. Karlsson, Eugene Wong, Brock Mackenzie, William Kropp, Matt Hill, Brad Clapp, Michael Buttacavoli, Ryan Yip, Olin Browne, Jr. and John Catlin could all reach No. 3 with a win.
PGA Tour Canada members Beon-Yeong Lee and Michael Gligic have already secured a spot in the field thanks to victories at regional qualifying.
Winnipeg – With a late chip-in birdie and a clutch three-footer for par at the 72nd hole, Rio Rancho, New Mexico’s Tim Madigan claimed victory at The Players Cup on Sunday, securing his first PGA Tour Canada win.
Madigan’s even par 71 at Pine Ridge Golf Club gave him the title by a shot over Bright’s Grove, Ont.’s Matt Hill and Edmonds, Washington’s Ricky McDonald.
With the win, the 25-year old PGA Tour Canada rookie moved up to second on the Order of Merit with $53,460 and secured a spot in the top three through next week’s Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, earning a spot in the 2014 RBC Canadian Open.
“To be a winner on PGA Tour Canada, I mean, I dreamt about it. Did I think it would happen in my rookie year? Probably not. I knew it was possible, but to be out here is just a privilege,” said Madigan.
The New Mexico State grad began the day with a two stroke advantage over Fargo, North Dakota’s Josh Persons, who beat Madigan by a shot last month to win the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist in Victoria. It was Hill and McDonald who made a charge, however, with the trio tied late in the back nine at 8-under par.
Madigan came to the par-5 15th facing a tough up-and-down to stay tied for the lead. Instead, he chipped it in, with the ball rolling around the cup before dropping for the last birdie he would need. He would go on to two-putt from 75 feet at the 72nd hole, draining a nervy three-footer for the win.
“Making that three footer, that’s why I practice – to be in that moment, to have that chance to get a win,” said Madigan, who was determined to rectify a missed chance to win earlier this season. “I let it slip away from me in Victoria and I definitely wasn’t going to allow it to happen again.”
The win comes at an exciting time for Madigan, who said he thought of his fiancée, Deb Albo, when facing the biggest putt of his career on the 72nd hole. The pair are scheduled to be married next May.
“That girl has stuck by me through thick and thin, through probably the worst lows of my career to the highest high, which is without a doubt right now,” said Madigan. “She’s an absolutely perfect woman in my eyes.”
Hill earned his best finish on PGA Tour Canada since winning the Order of Merit in 2012, while McDonald, who finished second at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, moved to fifth on the Order of Merit. Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Clark Klaasen posted a career-best fourth place finish at 7-under par.
With a final round 67 to finish in a tie for second, Hill earns Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours, taking home a $1,500 prize.
At every PGA Tour Canada event, Freedom 55 Financial honours the top Canadian on the leaderboard, and will present Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $10,000 prize to the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end. Hill moved to 10th on the Order of Merit, $4,127 behind North Vancouver, B.C.’s Eugene Wong at no. 7.
Next week, PGA Tour Canada heads east to Thunder Bay, Ont. for the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, where NHL brothers Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared Staal will host the event’s first playing at Whitewater Golf and Country Club.
Tim Madigan also secured a spot in the RBC Canadian Open, mathematically assured of being in the top three through next week.
Five Canadians finished in the top 10 in Winnipeg. Joining Hill were Calgary’s Ryan Yip (T-5), Montreal’s Beon-Yeong Lee (8th), Eugene Wong (T-9) and Dundas, Ont.’s Chris Ross (T-9).
Winnipeg – Thanks to two birdies over his final four holes, Las Cruces, New Mexico’s Tim Madigan carded a 3-under 68 at Pine Ridge Golf Club on Saturday to take a two stroke lead thru 54 holes at The Players Cup.
Madigan, a 25-year old PGA Tour Canada rookie, is looking to put the exclamation point on what has been a stellar season so far that includes two top-three finishes. The New Mexico State graduate led by two shots over Fargo, North Dakota’s Josh Persons, who clipped Madigan by a shot to win the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist last month.
“There are plenty of great players behind me and anyone can play well on this course, so I’m definitely not out of the woods yet,” said Madigan, refusing to get ahead of himself with one round to go. “I just hope the lead gets bigger and bigger.”
Madigan, who earned exempt status on PGA Tour Canada this spring at the British Columbia Qualifying Tournament, has earned a wealth of experience this season, narrowly missing out on a playoff in Victoria and playing in the final group on Sunday at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, where he finished third. Madigan said the experience has helped him to play into contention once again this week.
“Every time you’re near the lead, it definitely gives you an idea of what you need to do the next time,” Madigan said. “I’ve had enough experience with amateur golf, college golf and professional golf that I feel like I can handle it no problem. I still have to play very well because I’ve got a lot of great players behind me.”
Currently sitting fourth on the Order of Merit, Madigan has been knocking on the door for a win for some time now, both on PGA Tour Canada and elsewhere.
“I hate to put it this way, but I feel like I’m due,” Madigan said. “I’ve been close on the eGolf West Tour and a couple of times on PGA Tour Canada, so just I feel like it may be my time. I just have to not worry about it. Just get plenty of rest, and just have fun and see where all the chips land.”
Madigan and Persons will play together in the day’s final group, setting up a duel with no shortage of storylines. Persons, currently third on the Order of Merit, will be trying to chase down Madigan to secure a spot in the top three through next week’s Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.
“I really wanted to play in the last group,” said Persons, who birdied the 18th hole to sit solo second through 54 holes. “It’s where you want to be, and obviously we’re going head-to-head here, so it’ll be fun. I’m going to do the best I can, and if that’s good enough it’s good enough. If it’s not, I’ll shake his hand at the end of the day.”
One shot back of Persons was Edmonds, Washington’s Ricky McDonald, who carded a 1-under 71 to sit 6-under through three rounds.
