This fourth of five official 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournaments takes place this week at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, Florida, as 132 players compete for various levels of status on the PGA TOUR’s development circuit.

Eight Canadians are among the field competing for membership on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, where this week’s medalist receives an exemption for the entire 2018 season. Those finishing 2nd through 5th (no ties) are exempt for first eight events and subject to second re-shuffle, while those finishing 6th through 16th (no ties) are exempt for first four events and subject to the first re-shuffle. Golfers finishing 17th through 40th (plus ties) receive conditional status.

Leading the Canadian contingent is Sebastian Szirmak of Toronto. The Mackenzie Tour veteran played in 10 of the 12 tournaments last year – a tie for 19th at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops in Ottawa was his top finish. He opened the tournament in Ottawa with a 68-68-66 start and was only four strokes off the lead entering the final round before a Sunday 72 derailed his chances. He enjoyed two top-10s in 2016—both ties for 10th (at the Staal Foundation Open and the Cape Breton Open).

Here’s a full list of Canadians among the field:

• Pierre-Alexander Bédard (Chibougamau, Quebec)
• Bradford Curren (Hammond Plains, Nova Scotia)
• Sonny Michaud (Neuville, Quebec)
• Cory Racioppo (Vaughan, Ontario)
• Gajan Sivabalasingham (Stouffville, Ontario)
• Turner Southey-Gordon (Toronto, Ontario)
• Sebastian Szirmak (Toronto, Ontario)
• Christopher Wilson (Timmons, Ontario)

The Mackenzie Tour provides players with the opportunity to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR by rewarding high finishers on the Order of Merit with steps toward and status on the Web.com Tour. The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. Since the Tour’s inception, 166 alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Seven Canadians earned status on Friday at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School event at the Wigwam Resort’s Gold Course.

Vancouver’s David Rose finished T4 at 6 under par, good for status through the first eight events of the season (subject to the second re-shuffle).

Jamie Sadlowski (St. Paul, AB), the two-time World Long Drive champion, finished T9 despite some up-and-down rounds. He opened with a 3-over-par 75, followed with a 5-under-par 67 and then posted another 3-over-par 75. However, he closed out the event with another 5-under-par 67 on Friday. He is exempt for the first four events, subject to the first re-shuffle.

James Seymour, Wil Bateman, Patrick Williams, Luke Moser and Team Canada graduate Blair Hamilton captured conditional status by finishing inside the top 40.

Michael McGowan (Southern Pines, NC) made a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Evan Bowser (Dearborn, MI) to claim medallist honours.

Despite an even-par 72 in his final round, McGowan was able to emerge from a crowded leaderboard to gain a spot in the playoff and then end it on the first extra hole.

McGowan posted the first 8-under-par of the two and then had to await the last group which included Bowser before beginning the playoff.

“Yeah, there were a few first-tee jitters before the playoff. Thankfully I had about 15-20 feet for eagle on the hole which kind of calmed me down,” said McGowan. “It was still kind of an up and down day for me kind of like the first three days.  I missed a lot of greens and made some great up and downs but also missed some. It’s golf.”

With the conclusion of the third of five Mackenzie Tour Q-Schools, two more remain on the schedule. The fourth will be staged at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, FL from April 24-27 followed by the fifth at Crown Isle Resort Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC from May 1-4. The season kicks off May 31-June 3 with the Freedom 55 Financial Open at the Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

This week, 132 players will take their first steps on the path toward the PGA TOUR, at The Wigwam in Phoenix, Arizona, as they battle for Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status.

Among those players looking to earn status as part of of the third the third of five Mackenzie Tour Qualifying Tournaments this season will be 14 Canadians, headlined by Jamie Sadlowski of St. Paul, Alta. The two-time World Long Drive Champion made his first full foray into professional golf last year and proved he could compete, making the cut six times in 10 starts, with three top-30 Mackenzie Tour finishes.

Another Canadian to watch is Burlington, Ont., native Blair Hamilton. A former member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team and an NCAA All-American at the University of Houston, Hamilton posted three top-25 finishes on the Mackenzie Tour during his first season as a professional, in 2017.

Here’s a full list of Canadians in the field.

• Jamie Sadlowski (St. Paul, Alta.)
• Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.)
• David Rose (West Vancouver, B.C.)
• Wil Bateman (Edmonton, Alta.)
• Patrick Williams (Toronto, Ont.)
• Gianfranco Guida (Maple, Ont.)
• Zachary Giusti (Aurora, Ont.)
• James Seymour (Aurora, Ont.)
• Aaron Crawford (Calgary, Ont.)
• Evan DeGrazia (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
• Luke Moser (Waterloo, Ont.)
• Michael McAdam (Red Deer, Alta.)
• David Little (Toronto, Ont.)
• Samuel Diamond (Winnipeg, Man.)

The Mackenzie Tour provides players with the opportunity to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR by rewarding high finishers on the Order of Merit with steps toward and status on the Web.com Tour. The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. Since the Tour’s inception, 166 alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

Dawson Armstrong entered the second Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament as an amateur. He still is. But as he said, after a final-round 66 that earned him medalist honors on a cool, drizzly day, “I won’t be one for much longer.” The Lipscomp University senior had a spotless scorecard Friday, with four birdies and an eagle to come from behind on the final day to win the event by a stroke over fellow Americans Justin Doeden and Christopher Hickman. Americans Ian Davis (fourth) and Dalton Ward (fifth) rounded out the top five. Armstrong will be fully exempt on the Tour for the entire 2018 season, while Doeden, Hickman, Davis and Ward earn exemptions into the first eight tournaments on the schedule.

Armstrong began the final round at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course tied for fifth place, and he began his last 18 holes in style, making birdie at No. 1. He added birdies at No. 5 and No. 9 to move to 3-under for the day and 8-under overall. It was his birdie on the ninth that really gave him momentum. Facing a 40-foot putt for birdie, Armstrong canned it. He made a similar-length putt, on the 17th, when he just missed the green on his second-shot approach into the par-5. From four yards off the green and 35 feet overall, Armstrong elected to putt, making that, as well, which—although he didn’t know it—cemented the victory.

Canadian Max Gilbert finished T15 – good for fully exempt status for the first four tournaments subject to the first reshuffle.

Fellow countrymen Eric Banks and Austin James, both graduates of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad program, earned conditional status by finishing T35 at 1 over par. Canadian Raoul Menard also finished T35, making four Canadians to earn status at this Qualifying event.

The third of five Qualifying Tournaments begins next week in Arizona, from April 3-6, at The Wigwam Golf Resort’s Gold Course in Phoenix.

Click here for full scoring.

The first step on the path toward the PGA TOUR begins this week at TPC Sawgrass, as 132 players take to the Dye’s Valley Course to earn status on the 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. Below are the details for the USA East Q-School #1, the second of five qualifying tournaments this season, along with storylines to follow this week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

There are 12 Canadians among the athletes, including former National Amateur Squad members Matt Hill (Sarnia, Ont.), Austin James (Bath, Ont.) and Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.).

Winner of the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit in 2012, Hill has spent time on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Web.com Tour in recent years. The North Carolina State product was the author of one of the greatest seasons in collegiate golf history in 2009, when he won the NCAA Championship, seven other individual tournament titles and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the country’s top collegiate golfer.

James was the 2016 Big South Conference Player of the Year, thanks to a win at the 2016 Big South Conference Championship, while competing at Charleston Southern University. James won the 2014 Canadian Junior Championship and made it to the quarterfinals of the 2016 U.S. Amateur.

CANADIANS IN THE FIELD

Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.)
Raoul Menard (Granby, Que.)
Max Gilbert (St-Georges, Que.)
Vincent Blanchette (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.)
Austin James (Bath, Ont.)
Matt Hill (Sarnia, Ont.)
Sameer Kalia (Campbellville, Ont.)
James Jones (Tampa, Fla.)
Branson Ferrier (Barrie, Ont.)
Andrew Jensen (Ottawa, Ont.)
Cooper Brown (Renfrew, Ont.)
Joseph D’Alfonso (Caledon, Ont.)

TORONTO – The 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule was released, featuring 13 official tournaments from May to September and a $25,000 increase for all tournament purses as players compete to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

The season will begin with the Freedom 55 Financial Open (May 28-June 3) at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, British Columbia, with purses of $200,000 (CA$) for all regular events and a $225,000 (CA$) purse for the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship (Sept. 10-16) at Highland Country Club in London.

In addition to two new tournaments – the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open (June 18-24) at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge, Alta. and the Windsor Championship (July 2-8) at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont. – another event to be announced holds a spot on the schedule from Sept. 3-9, with details to be revealed in the coming weeks.

“We are delighted to share the 2018 schedule and the progress it represents with our largest number of tournaments yet and an increase in prize funds. We are so pleased with the accomplishments of our host organizations and our partnerships with sponsors, particularly our Umbrella Sponsor Mackenzie Investments, as we head into our sixth season,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to another great season of players competing to advance their careers towards the PGA TOUR while we continue to build on the $3.2 million raised for charity since 2013.”

Mackenzie Tour players will once again look to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR by leveraging their performances into advantages to reach the next level. The Order of Merit winner will be fully exempt on the Web.com Tour for the following season, with Nos. 2-5 earning conditional status. Those players Nos. 2-10 will also earn an exemption into the Final Stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, while Nos. 11-20 on the Order of Merit will earn an exemption into the Qualifying Tournament’s Second Stage.

Players will look to follow in the footsteps of PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes, Tony Finau and Nick Taylor, along with rest of the 20 alumni who have gone on to earn their PGA TOUR cards. More than 160 Mackenzie Tour players have gone on to earn status on the Web.com Tour, including 72 for the 2018 season.

Off the course, Mackenzie Tour events will look to build off a second consecutive season of more than $1 million raised for local charities across Canada, bringing the total since 2013 to more than $3.2 million.

After beginning the season in Vancouver, the Tour will head to Victoria, B.C. for the 36th playing of the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist (June 4-10) at Uplands Golf Club, followed by the GolfBC Championship (June 11-17) at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club in Kelowna, B.C., and the new Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open (June 18-24) at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge, Alta.

The inaugural Windsor Championship takes place at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont. (July 2-8), followed by the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel in Thunder Bay, Ont. (July 9-15) and the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval at Les Quatres Domaines Golf Club in Montreal, Que. (July 16-22) after which the top-three players on the Order of Merit earn exemptions into the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open.

The season resumes in Alberta, with the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON at Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club in Edmonton (July 30-August 5) and the ATB Financial Classic at Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary (August 6-12), followed by the Players Cup at Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, Man. (August 13-19).

The Cape Breton Open takes place once again at Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck, N.S. (August 27-September 2), followed by an additional event to be announced in the coming weeks. The top 60 players on the Order of Merit through 12 events will retain exempt status for the following season and play their way into the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

Following the completion of the season, Mackenzie Tour players will once again compete against their peers from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in the Aruba Cup, taking place December 13-15 at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Arub

For more information on Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, click here.

SANTEE, Calif. – Sam Fidone (Lufkin, Texas), suffered no letdown in the final round of the 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada qualifying tournament at Carlton Oaks Country Club, closing with a 3-under-par 69 to claim medallist honours at the first of five qualifiers for the Tour. He finished with a 72-hole total of 12-under-par 276, two strokes better than Andrew Levitt (Ladera Ranch, Calif.).

As a result of his play, Fidone will be fully exempt on the Mackenzie Tour for the entire 2018 season. He was the only player in a starting field of 132 players to post four consecutive rounds under par with three of those in the 60s.

“It feels really good. As I said, from the beginning of the week when I walked out here I knew I would really like this golf course. Pete Dye is kind of my favourite designer and coming out here with the atmosphere it’s been great,” said Fidone. “I feel very validated on what I’ve been working on in the offseason and I’m ready to get the season going.”

Fidone took full advantage of things on the back nine during the week, finishing 12-under-par on those final nine holes with 13 birdies on his scorecards.

“Having the full year exemption is fantastic. It makes travel plans much easier and you know you won’t have to wait week in and week on the conditional button. I’ve been there before and it’s tough and I feel bad for anyone that’s there,” Fidone added.

Levitt started the day two back of Fidone but could not close the gap as each finished the day with rounds of 3-under-par 69. However, Levitt, as the second-place finisher, earns exempt status through the first eight events until the second re-shuffle.

Earning similar status are the three other players who finished in the top five: Paul Barjon, Ian Holt and Andrej Bevins.

Fidone made two starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016, finishing T15 at the Players Cup in Winnipeg and missing the cut at the ATB Financial Classic in Calgary.

Has been a member of the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Tour the last two years with 15 starts in 2017 and 16 in 2016. He also made three starts in 2015 before being shelved with an injury.

Canadians Brett Kennedy and Andrew Funk earned conditional status by finishing within the 17-40 range.

Click here for full scorung.

The first step on the path towards the PGA TOUR begins this week at Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee, California, as 132 players compete to earn status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada for 2018.

The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. 166 total alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

Mackenzie Tour alums to have earned their cards in California include PGA TOUR players Tony Finau, Brandon Harkins and Sam Ryder, as well as The Five members Greg Eason and Taylor Pendrith and tournament winners Daniel Miernicki and Rico Hoey.

CANADIANS IN THE FIELD (6):

Eric Hawerchuk (Barrie, Ont.)
Andrew Ledger (Toronto, Ont.)
Sean Bozuk (Burlington, Ont.)
John Mlikotic (Kelowna, B.C.)
Andrew Funk (Edmonton, Alta.)
Darren Day (Victoria, B.C.)

WINDSOR, Ont. – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada officially announced on Friday that the Windsor Championship, a new event taking place at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario, will begin in 2018 as part of a multi-year agreement.

The 156-player event with a $200,000 purse will take place July 2-8 as the fifth event of the 2018 schedule. An organizing committee led by local business leader Marty Komsa has been formed, with Ambassador Director of Golf Operations Adam Wagner taking leadership of event operations. Six organizations – Windsor Family Credit Union, Cypher Systems Group, Sun-Brite Foods Inc., Fahri Holdings Corporation, Ambassador Golf Club and the City of Windsor – have joined as the event’s founding partners.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be launching a new tournament this year in Windsor,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Thanks to the support of the event’s Founding Partners, as well as community leaders Marty Komsa and Mayor Drew Dilkens, we’re elated that this event has become a reality this season, and we believe the tournament is well-positioned to make a positive community impact for years to come. Golf fans in the area can expect to see some outstanding competition on the course and I’m confident that the players will thoroughly enjoy the course and community this July.”

The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, a community-based hospice village which provides compassionate care to improve quality of life, will receive net proceeds from the tournament as the event’s official charity, with a minimum donation of $100,000 set for the first year of the event.

“We are pleased to welcome the Mackenzie Tour to Windsor this July.  Windsor continues to attract a multitude of sporting events and we are excited to include a PGA TOUR Canada event on our resume. The charitable donation component of this event will benefit the Hospice and the Windsor-Essex community for years to come,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

Ambassador, a 7033-yard Tom McBroom design, opened in 2005 and has been consistently ranked among the top public courses in Canada by SCORE Golf Magazine. The club previously hosted the Mackenzie Tour’s Freedom 55 Financial Championship in 2011, as well as several other high-level amateur events including the Ontario men’s and women’s amateur championships.

“The opportunity to host some of the world’s top up-and-coming players this July at Ambassador is truly exciting, and we’re confident they will love the course’s outstanding conditions, challenging layout and welcoming amenities. We’re looking forward to working with the Mackenzie Tour and members of the community as we aim to bring a world-class tournament to Windsor this year,” said Wagner.

The full 2018 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada officially announced on Wednesday that the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open, a new event taking place at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge, Alberta, will begin as part of a multi-year agreement starting in 2018.

The 156-player event with a $200,000 purse will take place June 18-24 as the fourth event of the 2018 schedule. Lethbridge Open Limited will serve as the host organization and has retained Hugh Vassos to serve as tournament director.

“We’re thrilled to be adding the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open to the Mackenzie Tour schedule and are elated about the opportunity to play an event in Lethbridge, a community which we feel is the perfect fit for one of our tournaments, for many years to come,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Our gratitude goes out to the mayor, Chris Spearman, and the Lethbridge City Council, along with Ron Sakamoto and everyone at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort for their support in making this event a possibility.”

Paradise Canyon, a 6,810-yard Bill Newis design, previously hosted the 2008 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, which featured future PGA TOUR players Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Ben Silverman and Corey Conners in the field.

“We’re fortunate to host an event of this caliber in the City of Lethbridge and at Paradise Canyon. We expect this tournament will generate millions of dollars of economic activity to benefit the community. With some of the world’s top up-and-coming players along with their families and fans visiting the city, we hope to elevate Lethbridge as a tourism destination,” said Sakamoto, Paradise Canyon’s owner and general manager.

Vassos has run tournaments on the Mackenzie Tour since 2008, with his organization VMC Sports and Entertainment, and he currently also serves as tournament director of the GolfBC Championship.

“A large number of people have been working towards the goal of hosting a Mackenzie Tour event in Lethbridge for a long time, and we’re excited to begin working with the community to make this a premier, week-long event,” said Vassos. “Starting this event would not have been possible without the commitment of the Lethbridge City Council, as well as the initial sponsorship from the Lethbridge Lodging Association, and I’d like to thank them for their support in helping this tournament become a reality.”

“Lethbridge looks forward to welcoming the top up-and-coming professional golfers from around the world. I know they will experience the very best of what we have to offer, and the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open will showcase our city to the world,” said Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman.

The Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open’s official charitable partner will be Lethbridge Family Services, a highly accredited, charitable, human-services organization that improves the well-being and quality of life for individuals and families in Southwestern Alberta. The event’s net proceeds will go toward helping families in need.

The full 2018 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.