Michael Gligic top Canadian mid-way through Freedom 55 Financial Championship
London, ON, Canada — For the third time in four events, Corey Pereira has a hold of the lead on the Mackenzie Tour, this time drawing even with Jonathan Garrick after his second 65 in as many days at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
“It wasn’t really anything special until the last few holes,” said the University of Washington alum. “I felt like I left a few out there and made some mistakes, but that’s just how golf is sometimes, you make some mistakes, but stay in it, and I made birdie on the last two and turned a solid round into a really good round.”
Coming into the event, the season could be defined and split into two halves, each involving one of the top-2 players on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit. The first half was owned by Zach Wright, who became the first ever Mackenzie Tour player to open the season with six consecutive top-10 finishes.
The second half of the season seemed defined by Tyler McCumber, who became the only player in Mackenzie Tour history to win back-to-back events, quickly following up his victory at the Osprey Valley Open with a win at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship on Petroleum Golf Club, a course his father Mark designed. Adding the Players Cup a few weeks later to all but lock up Player of the Year honours, it appeared 2018’s storylines were set.
Not so fast. With a win at the ATB Financial Classic followed by a playoff loss at last week’s Mackenzie Investments Open, Corey Pereira has quickly become a name to recognize among professional golf circles.
With a win this week, Pereira would leapfrog George Cunningham and aforementioned Wright to finish the season at No. 2 on the year-end Order of Merit.
While the start of the season for Pereira allowed him to keep pace in the race for The Five, none of his finishes jumped off the page, but, beginning at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship, he has played his past 18 rounds on the Mackenzie Tour under par, earning $62,020 in that stretch.
“I can’t pinpoint anything special, I just stuck to the process and the pieces have come together, that’s just what golf is,” said Pereira. “Sometimes you’ll have a bad few months, but if you keep doing the right things I believe you can turn it around, I wasn’t far off at the start of the season, but I’ve put the pieces together.”
Pereira’s 65s at Highland Country Club have come in different ways, with the first a clean-carded five-birdie round. The second, an up-and-down day with seven birdies and a pair of bogeys.
“I’m handling everything well so far,” said the second-year pro. “The weekend will be a test for sure, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Joining Pereira at the top of the leaderboard is first-round co-leader Jonathan Garrick, who closed his second round with three birdies in his final four holes to sign for a 67.
The race for both Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week and Canadian Player of the Year are led by Michael Gligic, who “grinded” his way to a second-round 69 to put himself one-stroke ahead of Taylor Pendrith.
Jared du Toit tied for 3rd at Freedom 55 Financial Championship
LONDON, Ont. — There’s just something about Thursdays at Highland Country Club that gets Jonathan Garrick going. In both 2016 and 2017, the American managed 6-under 64s, and this year he improved his stellar resume, throwing a co-leading 63 on the board at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
“I was hitting my irons well and gave myself a lot of chances,” said Garrick, who finished in a tie for 41st in 2017 and a tie for 28th in 2016. “I just have to keep it going for three more days.”
Garrick comes into the event playing his best golf of the season, a huge bounce back after missing four cuts in the year’s opening seven events.
“I had a good first round in Calgary and since then I’ve played pretty solid,” said the 24-year-old. “I’ve been near the top of the leaderboard at some point during every event and I’m gaining more confidence. I’ve really just stopped overthinking what I’ve been doing.”
Garrick’s first round in Calgary, a 9-under 63, set the UCLA alum up for his best finish of the season, a T5 that put him well inside the top-60 and all but secured his spot at the year’s final event for the third consecutive year.
Next to Garrick on the leaderboard is 22-year-old Danny Walker. The recent University of Virginia grad made five birdies as well as the only eagle of the day on No. 3 to sign for his lowest score since a 62 at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open helped him to a T9 finish, his best as a professional.
Last season, Jared du Toit claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours after finishing T17 at the event, highlighted by a first-round 61. This time around, Du Toit sits just one off the lead after a first-round 64 matches him with fellow Canadian Michael Gligic in a tie for third.
Blake Olson picks up first win at Mackenzie Investments Open
MONTREAL — It wasn’t easy, but after a one-hole playoff with Corey Pereira, Blake Olson captured his first career Mackenzie Tour victory after firing a Sunday 67, his second-best number of the week.
With the win, Olson moves all the way up from spot No. 42 on the Order of Merit to eighth, giving him an opportunity to move into The Five next week at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
“I said earlier in the week when asked about my goals that I was trying to get into the top-10,” said the Pensacola, FL native. “This win does that, but by no means am I secure, so I need to go have a good week next week and see where things stack up.”
Olson, entering the day two-strokes behind Pereira, made his move during the first half of the round, making birdie on hole Nos. 3 and 5 before three in a row from Nos. 8-10 put himself in a tie at the top of the leaderboard.
It wasn’t until Pereira made bogey on No. 14, just his third blemish of the week, that Olson possessed a solo lead.
“I had been in a pretty good spot last year with nine holes to play and didn’t finish it off, so this time I didn’t look at many boards,” said Olson. “I would see my name at the top but wouldn’t look at any scores, I just knew I was doing the right things and stuck to what I was doing.”
With Pereira making birdie on 17 and Olson already having signed for a share of the lead, the 27-year-old watched on as Pereira, who won earlier this season at the ATB Financial Classic, got up-and-down for par on the 72nd hole to send the two players back to the 18th tee.
With both players safely in the fairway, Pereira hit first, knocking his shot onto the back-left fringe, about 35-feet away from the pin. While Olson put his approach in the greenside bunker, he left himself with lots of green to work with, playing his third to eight feet.
Olson calmly knocked in his putt, and with Pereira unable to get his down in two, claimed his first win on a PGA TOUR sanctioned tour.
“It’s unbelievably hard (to win). This Tour is filled with so many good players, so many Web guys can’t even get into events up here,” said Olson, who made two cuts on the Web.com Tour in 2016. “I was lucky enough to come up here and play a full season, but the caliber is so high, everyone is getting better and, with Q-school around the corner, no matter what, if you compete on this Tour you’re playing good golf.”
Meanwhile, Michael Gligic locked up the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week award for the second consecutive event, and third time of the year.
At next week’s Freedom 55 Financial Championship, the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year will be named. Last year, Jared du Toit won the award as the top ranked Canadian on the money list, claiming the $25,000 prize.
Ciot set to make PGA TOUR Mackenzie Tour history
L’Île-Bizard, QC – Montreal’s Caroline Ciot will make history this week at the Mackenzie Investments Open. In the field on a sponsor exemption, Ciot will become the second female to play the PGA TOUR-era Mackenzie Tour, with the first being Jacqueline Bendrick at the 2016 GolfBC Championship.
It’s also important to note that in the pre-PGA TOUR era, Isabelle Beisiegel impressively earned a Tour card in 2011.
Ciot, now 25, started playing golf at age 17 after competing as a high-level gymnast until then. She played at the University of Montreal from 2012-2015 and won eight of the 12 university tournaments she played in Quebec. She was first on the Golf Quebec Order of Merit in 2015 and turned professional in 2017.
Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year Race
The top Canadian on the Mackenzie Tour following the Freedom 55 Financial Championship will claim the Dan Halldorson trophy, along with a $25,000 bonus. Last season, Jared du Toit claimed the trophy as the 23rd ranked player on the Order of Merit, with Ryan Williams the runner-up at spot 31.
The race is likely to come down to the wire this season, as Michael Gligic holds the lead in the 13th spot on the Order of Merit with $37,720 with Riley Wheeldon being his closest chaser at $31,408.
Meanwhile, du Toit folds into the 31st spot at $17,442 with Taylor Pendrith right behind him at 32 with $17,352.
Osprey Valley to become first TPC Network Property in Canada
Osprey Valley, a collection of three courses just north of Toronto designed by acclaimed Canadian architect Doug Carrick, will join the PGA TOUR’s TPC Network of premier golf facilities as TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and become the first TPC property in Canada, it was announced on Tuesday.
Known as one of the Greater Toronto Area’s most popular golf destinations, Osprey Valley has provided golfers with a world-class experience for more than 25 years on its three distinctive courses, each of which are ranked in SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Courses in Canada. Effective immediately, it joins as the 33rd property in the TPC Network.
“This is an exciting day for the TPC Network, Osprey Valley and Canadian golfers as we welcome this wonderful facility as the 33rd property in the TPC Network,” said Jim Triola, PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties Chief Operating Officer. “Canada is the home of many passionate golfers, so we see this as a natural fit to add TPC Toronto as the fifth international TPC facility. This represents another major step forward for this outstanding facility, which already has earned the admiration of so many people in the golf community.”
“We’re extremely proud of this new partnership and the bright future that lies ahead for Osprey Valley,” said Osprey Valley President, Chris Humeniuk. “The TPC brand is known around the world for its network of premier facilities and the quality experience that the PGA TOUR brand promises to every player. As we look to the future, we believe that this alignment will help usher in a new and exciting era at Osprey Valley.”
The Toot Course, one of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s three unique layouts, will also be re-named the North course effective immediately, with the Heathlands and Hoot courses continuing to offer golfers an unparalleled 54-hole experience.
The Osprey Valley Open, an official Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada event that saw its inaugural playing take place at Osprey Valley in July, will also return in 2019 and beyond, with Mackenzie Tour’s only tournament in the Greater Toronto Area staying as part of a long-term agreement.
“We were absolutely thrilled with the inaugural playing of the Osprey Valley Open this year and look forward to returning for many years to come. The players were delighted to compete at such an outstanding facility, and we look forward to working with the Osprey Valley team to grow the tournament’s profile and impact in the Greater Toronto Area in the future,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday.
Opening in 1992 with the Heathlands course, Osprey Valley quickly developed a reputation among golfers in the Greater Toronto Area as one of the region’s hidden gems, adding two additional courses in 2001 to become a truly unique 54-hole facility. Its three layouts – the rolling, links-style Heathlands; the winding, wasteland-style Hoot; and the lush, pastoral parkland-style North – each offer players a variety of experiences and aesthetics, welcoming all kinds of golfers.
Gligic top Canadian; McCumber claims third win in four starts with Players Cup triumph
WINNIPEG, Man. — For the second time this season, Burlington, Ont., talent Michael Gligic was crowned Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week after shooting a 4-under 68 Sunday to finish in fourth place at 17 under overall. Gligic was also the low Canadian at 2016 The Players Cup when it was held at Niakwa Country Club.
“I three-putted one so it was kind of a sour start. I was in the middle of the fairway downwind, easy shot,” said Gligic. To lead with bogey is pretty disappointing, but made birdie on the second hole, pretty tough par-3 and that got me going again. It was just pretty steady out there.”
Fellow Canadian James Love finished one shot behind him at 16 under overall, good for a tie for fifth. Love is now inside the top 60 on the Order of Merit, rising to No. 46 from No. 83.
Michael Gellerman felt he did everything necessary to win at The Players Cup this week. He carded just one bogey and one double-bogey over 72 holes and finished at 20 under overall. The only problem was Tyler McCumber was also in the field.
“This must have been how those guys felt in 2000 when Tiger was playing or something,” Gellerman said. “ … It’s hard to complain much more, but the guy is obviously playing well and he’s a super good guy. I’m happy for him. But I want to beat him. I’m sick of losing to him.”
McCumber won for the third time in four starts, as the 27-year-old shot a 5-under 67 to finish at 22 under overall, two shots clear of the runner-up Gellerman. The University of Florida product is 90 under par over his last 16 rounds, which has included consecutive wins at the Osprey Valley Open and Syncrude Oil Country Championship, as well as a third-place finish at the ATB Financial Classic. He needs one more win over the final two Mackenzie Tour events to match Dan McCarthy’s record of four victories in a season, set in 2016.
“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it that way,” McCumber said. “That’s really funny he said that. No, maybe in a very, very small way. I do feel confident, I do feel good in my game. I feel good in the process of getting ready for tournaments. And so I don’t know how that’s portrayed or how it’s seen, but it does feel good.”
McCumber began the day one shot ahead of Drew Weaver, but quickly distanced himself from the field with birdies on four of his first six holes. His lead grew to as many as five shots at one point, and he officially put the tournament out of reach with one final birdie on the par-5 No. 16. He did not record a bogey over his final 55 holes.
“I was fortunate to come out of the gates early and get some momentum going my way,” he said. “I had a couple birdies there and then kind of just kept it going.”
McCumber’s win keeps him atop the Order of Merit for a third consecutive week, as he now leads all players with $135,700. He is almost $60,000 ahead of Zach Wright, who sits in second place with $75,880.
But he’s not ready to anoint himself just yet, no matter what his friend Gellerman says.
“It feels like something, I guess the best way to put it, is I feel more professional in my process of what I’m doing,” McCumber said. “And I think that carries into more confidence on the course and off the course. But I wouldn’t say it’s a Tiger run.”
Love and Gligic sit T9 heading into final round
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada—James Love and Michael Gligic enter Sunday in a tie for ninth at 13 under overall to lead all Canadians in the field. Love shot a 2-under 70 Saturday while Gligic carded a 1-under 71.
Tyler McCumber has been in this situation before. Twice, in fact.
For the third time in four weeks, the 27-year-old will take a lead into the final round on the Mackenzie Tour, as a 7-under 65 propelled him to a one-shot advantage over Drew Weaver Saturday at The Players Cup. McCumber won in both previous instances, which came in consecutive starts at the Osprey Valley Open and Syncrude Oil Country Championship.
“Today was definitely my best day,” he said following his round at Southwood Golf & Country Club. “I was a little more relaxed, a little more in the flow, in the zone. I was hitting good shots and really, just really not as anxious today. Just went out there and kind of freewheeled it.”
McCumber, who also finished third last week at the ATB Financial Classic, carded consecutive birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 5, then added a fourth birdie on No. 9. He pulled into a tie atop the leaderboard with an eagle on the par-5 No. 16, then took the lead for good with a birdie on the 18th hole. He was bogey-free for the second straight day.
“It was nice to kind of get some momentum and pace,” said McCumber, the top-ranked player on the Order of Merit. “I felt like today it was easier to get good mojo going and keep the momentum. I’m looking forward to that tomorrow. Obviously twosomes will play pretty quick.”
The University of Florida graduate will play in Sunday’s final pairing once again with Weaver, who he also paired with in the fourth round at the Osprey Valley Open. Weaver finished tied for third that day and will look to earn his first victory on the Mackenzie Tour since the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Open.
“I finally converted one on the ninth for eagle, and that’s a big boost, obviously,” said Weaver, who also shot 7-under 65. “But once I got a piece of momentum, I just kind of ran with it. And that’s what I’ve tried to tell myself most of the summer, is that if I could just get a little bit of momentum in any way, shape or form, that I’m going to do my best to build on it.”
Gligic fires 65; Chiarella a surprise leader at The Players Cup
WINNIPEG, Man.— Michael Gligic is the top Canadian heading into the weekend at 12 under after a fire round on Friday at the Players Cup saw him register eight birdies and only one bogey
Rounds of 67-65 leave him tied for second with six others, just one shot behind leader Alex Chiarella. The 28-year-old finished T2 at The Players Cup in 2016, when the event was held Niakwa Country Club.
“It was pretty good. The front nine could have been a lot better, too. I just couldn’t get anything going, really,” said the Burlington, Ont., talent. “I had it in there close a few times, missed probably a 3- and 6-footer for birdie and just didn’t have any momentum going. I made the turn, made a putt on 10 and on the back nine I was kind of making them from everywhere.”
Other Canadians to make the cut include James Love (tied for ninth), Aaron Crawford (tied for 33rd) and Jared du Toit (tied for 33rd). Riley Wheeldon, the leading Canadian on the Order of Merit, needed birdie on the final hole to make it on the number before carding a bogey.
Alex Chiarella is still a relative unknown on the Mackenzie Tour. He began the year with conditional status and appeared in only two events prior to this week. Even as he first climbed his way to the top of the field Thursday at The Players Cup, course leaderboards left a blank space where his name should have been.
Tournament officials ensured his name cards would be there Friday. Good thing, too. The 24-year-old continued his surprising start with a 6-under 66, moving to 13 under overall. He will take a one-shot lead over seven players into Saturday’s third round.
“My game has felt good recently,” Chiarella said. “I just haven’t been able to put good scores together. But things clicked the last couple days and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
The University of San Diego product has carded just one bogey over his first 36 holes, which came Friday on the par-4 10th. But he quickly rebounded with a birdie on No. 11, an eagle on No. 13, and two more birdies on Nos. 14 and 18. The eagle, his second of the week, came on the par-5 No. 13. He hit driver down the left side, followed with a 5-iron from 215 yards out, then connected on a putt from 12 feet.
“You can hit a lot of drivers out here, so I’m just trying to bomb driver and give myself the best angle to the pin on each green and it’s worked out,” the third-year pro said. “I’ve hit my driver well this week and hopefully it continues.”
George Cunningham, Daniel Stringfellow, David Pastore, Ian Holt, Zach Wright, Cody Blick and Canadian Michael Gligic are all tied for second at 12 under. Blake Olson and Canadian James Love are two shots back at 11 under.
“Every week has been like this, so I’ve come to expect it,” he said. “Incredible talent out here, it blows my mind. With everyone I play with, we always talk about how we can’t believe how low the scores are.
“It’s just a really solid group of guys and anyone out here can win. Hopefully I (can) be that anyone.”
Corey Pereira picks up first professional victory in Calgary
Calgary, Alta, Canada— When Corey Pereira made an ace on the sixth hole of the ATB Financial Classic, and carried the momentum to a first-round 64 at Country Hills Golf Club, it felt like it could be a special week for the University of Washington grad.
For Pereira, the week was a chance at redemption. In 2017, Pereira held a share of the 54-hole lead, but a 43 on the back-nine tumbled the then first-year pro into a tie for 30th.
Second time’s a charm. Learning from the experience, Pereira shot a final-round 67 to finish a single-shot clear of Lee Hodges to earn his first professional victory.
“It was a battle all day. Lee (Hodges) played awesome golf and really challenged me out there,” said Pereira. “It didn’t look like I was losing it, and it didn’t look like I was winning it. Lee was playing well, and I was playing well, so until I made my last putt on 18, I didn’t feel like I was in control, but at the same time, I was playing good golf.”
Needless to say, it takes four rounds of solid golf to win a tournament, and for Pereira, it was the little things in between the action that helped set him apart.
While most would have been happy and called it a day after a second-round 65, Pereira spent the next 90 minutes on the putting green, knowing he left a few out there.
“I feel like I should have shot a few strokes lower that round,” said Pereira. “I made some adjustments, I widened my stance and tried to get the shoulders and arms working more together, and that’s probably why I won, because of those adjustments.”
What came next, a course-record matching 62 in round three, set the stage for a battle of epic proportions between Pereira and Alabama alum Hodges on Sunday.
“Lee (Hodges) and I had a great time today,” said the first-time winner. “We’re good buddies and were cheering each other on to some point, but also wanting to beat each other to some point, so it was a good day.”
Pereira, with a one-stroke advantage over the fellow 23-year-old heading into the Sunday, was forced to battle for all 18 holes, especially after Hodges took a share of the lead after back-to- back birdies to start his day.
On the 11th hole, Pereira made his first mistake of the round, making bogey while Hodges made birdie, once again equaling the two atop the leaderboard.
That was the way things stood when an hour-and-a-half long lightning delay forced players off the course, allowing Pereira the chance to re-focus after the blemish.
Calm and composed, Pereira came out of the break with a birdie to reclaim his lead.
Tied again on the 17th green, Pereira made perhaps the biggest putt of his life, knocking in a 20- footer for birdie while Hodges settled for par.
On the 18th green, Hodges narrowly missed a 15-foot birdie look, allowing Pereira to tap in a 2- foot par putt, followed by a Tiger-like fist pump, to claim the victory.
“I think this proves to myself that I can win here, and at the next level,” said Pereira. “It’s not so much of a standing thing for me but proving to myself that I can do it.”
The win vaults Pereira all the way up from the 24th spot on the Order of Merit into The Five, claiming the fifth spot. Should Pereira keep the spot at season’s end, he would receive status on the Web.com Tour for 2019.
Wes Heffernan picked up his second Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week award of the season, firing a Sunday 66 to oust Riley Wheeldon by a single stroke. The event is just
Heffernan’s third tournament of the year, yet he is still currently in the top-60 in the Order of Merit at number 51.
Jared du Toit sits T6 heading into the weekend
Calgary, Alta, Canada— Canadian Jared du Toit, who held a brief lead as he made the turn to the back nine, is in good position on the leaderboard after a second-round 65 at the ATB Financial Classic. Spending much of the last seven years of his life in Calgary, the hometown player is in good position to bring home the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week award.
“I’ve been hitting it well the past month and been waiting for the putter to go and it never came, so after the missed cut in Edmonton I put some really hard work in putting and I think it’s starting to pay off. I made a few today and yesterday, and that really started to get things going,”said du Toit.
The Country Hills Golf Club course record belongs to Lee Hodges, who made nine birdies, including three consecutive to close out his day, to card a 62 and holds a share of the lead with Chris Killmer after the second round.
After a lackluster performance last week in Edmonton at the Oil Country Championship, where he missed the first cut of his Mackenzie Tour career, Hodges’ 62 gives him the best scoring average on the Mackenzie Tour at 67.7.
“It was a good round. I was in control of my game the whole time and struck it really nicely,” said Hodges. “I hit every green and wasn’t often outside 15 feet, so it was a good ball striking day, and then I made some good putts on the last three, so overall, it was a good day.”
Hodges spread his birdies sporadically on the front nine, carding circles on hole Nos. 2, 5, 8 and 9. Turning to the back, The Huntsville, AL native made birdie on Nos. 10 and 13 before closing with three in a row for his second 62 of the season.
“It was really yesterday that this started, I played the same way, but just didn’t make as many putts,” said Hodges, who opened with a 66 on day one. “These greens are tricky to read sometimes, but today I was just underneath the hole all day and had straight putts, which was nice.”
This isn’t the first time Hodges has been in a position like this on the Mackenzie Tour. At the Osprey Valley Open, the 23-year-old held an 18-hole lead after, déjà vu, a course-record 62.
Following back-to-back 69s in rounds two and three, Hodges closed with a disappointing 77 to finish T28. However, the recent Alabama Tar Heel grad chalks it up as a necessary learning experience.
“I’m glad I had that experience at Osprey (Valley) because I didn’t handle it very well,” said Hodges. “I was like, ‘where do I go from here’, but now I know to keep my foot on the gas pedal, keep making putts and good shots and good things will happen.”
Trailing the leaders by one is first round leader Tyler McCumber, who made two eagles on the day to fire a second-round 66. In his last 11 rounds on the Mackenzie Tour, McCumber has a scoring average of 65.36.