The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced on Tuesday that tournament prize money will increase by $25,000 (CA$) at every 2018 event. Regular, full-field tournaments will offer purses of $200,000, with the season-ending, limited-field (60 players) Freedom 55 Financial Championship providing a $225,000 purse.

“Thanks to the hard work of our tournament host organizations and our sponsors, who have helped establish and grow each tournament in their respective communities, Mackenzie Tour players will now be competing for more money as they aim to make their way to the Web.com Tour in 2019,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday.

The 2018 season will begin at the Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. May 31-June 3 and conclude at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship at Highland Country Club in London, Ontario September 10-16, with the full 2018 schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.

Qualifying for the 2018 Mackenzie Tour season will take place at five sites this spring, with fields of 132 players competing for status at Qualifying Tournaments in Florida, California, Arizona and British Columbia.

With T.J. Vogel providing the exclamation point for the third straight day, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR prevailed in a thrilling finish to win the second annual Aruba Cup on Saturday at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

Vogel’s half point in the final match to finish gave his team a 10.5 to 9.5 tally over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, allowing the Mackenzie Tour team to survive a furious charge by their opponents and giving the Canadian side their first win in the two-year history of the annual team competition.

“It feels amazing,” said Mackenzie Tour Team Captain Ben Silverman, who saw his team begin the day with a 6.5 to 3.5 lead but quickly found his side trying to hold off a late rally. “The Latinoamérica Team really pushed hard at the end, and you’ve got to give them a lot of credit for the way they fought back today.”

Needing just four points to secure the cup, Team Mackenzie Tour secured an early point as Kramer Hickok defeated José de Jesús Rodríguez 3 and 1 in a battle of each Tour’s Player of the Year. Max Rottluff and Robby Shelton also notched decisive victories, winning their matches 6 and 4 and 6 and 5, respectively, putting the Mackenzie Tour just one point from victory.

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Let the #ArubaCup celebration party begin! pic.twitter.com/fQEWAhRnDn

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) December 16, 2017

Every time it seemed victory was at hand, however, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica clawed closer to a remarkable comeback. Oscar Fraustro drained a 30-foot birdie putt at 18 to halve his match with Johnny Ruiz and keep hope alive, while Jared Wolfe turned a 1 down deficit into a 1 up win over Lee McCoy, putting the pressure squarely on the shoulders of Vogel.

After securing points thanks to clutch closing birdies in both Four-Ball and Foursomes play on Thursday and Friday, Vogel was once again put in position to decide the outcome, and he delivered yet again, making birdie at the 17th to square his match before halving the 18th to set off a celebration for the Mackenzie Tour squad.

“I’m just so happy for the team. It was a lot closer than we anticipated, but a win’s a win and I’m just happy for the guys,” said Vogel, who added that his experience early in the week helped him come through in the clutch again. “I think the first match really helped, coming down the stretch and winning the last two holes with Rico (Hoey). That really helped. I felt like as long as I was within reach, I was going to be able to close strong.”

The win caps a thrilling week and a memorable season for all 10 players on the team, especially those who earned promotions to the Web.com Tour.

“It was a great way to celebrate our success throughout the year,” said Hickok. “The year is such a grind, and the Aruba Cup a great way to reward the players who played well. It was great to get to know these guys better and spend a week with them, and I’m glad it ended the way it did.”

NOORD, Aruba – With three victories in the final four matches, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada extended their lead over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the Aruba Cup on Friday, leading the matches 6.5-3.5 after Foursomes play at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

One day after their thrilling win anchor match win in Thursday Four-Ball, T.J. Vogel and Rico Hoey once again provided the exclamation point on the day, closing out their match 3&1 against José Toledo and Jared Wolfe to give the Mackenzie Tour a 3-2 edge in Foursomes play.

“I think it’s great for overall team morale just to win both days. Even though today was just 3-2, it’s a big victory,” said Mackenzie Tour Captain Ben Silverman. “The fact that we were able to pull out a couple of matches at the end, it’s huge.

“We just have a head start, but we still have to go out and win at least four points tomorrow.”

With the Mackenzie Tour holding a 3.5-1.5 lead to start the day, it quickly appeared as though PGA TOUR Latinoamérica would turn things around in a big way on Friday, earning leads on the front nine of the day’s first four matches. The first two points of the day went their way, as Hank Lebioda and Brian Richey defeated Patrick Newcomb and Johnny Ruiz 6&4 while Oscar Fraustro and Nelson Ledesma took down Max Rottluff and Kramer Hickok on the day’s first match 2&1.

From there on out, however, the Mackenzie Tour took over, with Lee McCoy and Chase Wright providing the spark.

Nursing a 1 up lead against Tee-k Kelly and José de Jesús Rodríguez, McCoy emphatically closed the door at the 18th hole by stuffing a 6-iron from 152 yards into a stiff wind to within five feet of the flag, with the birdie eventually being conceded for a 2 up win.

“I think finishing so poorly yesterday, I had a lot of motivation to make up for that half point that I let slip away and was fortunate to come out on the other side of that today,” said McCoy, who bogeyed the 18th hole yesterday to half his Four-Ball match and added that it was important to build on Thursday’s strong start for the Mackenzie Tour team.

“You don’t want to give them too much wiggle room going into singles because that’s where the majority of the points are up for grabs. 10 points are there for the taking to make it interesting, and I’m sure it’s going to be,” said McCoy.

Shelton and Niebrugge closed out their match 5&4 with a flurry of birdies, leaving Vogel and Hoey, who won Thursday’s anchor match in dramatic fashion, in position to turn the momentum fully towards the Mackenzie Tour if they could earn another point.

“I told them they were the swing match, and Rico was like, ‘Aye aye, Captain!’ They were just loose and they pulled it through,” said Silverman.

A pair of solid pars at 15 and 16 earned the Mackenzie Tour tandem a 2 up lead with two to play, and after Toledo’s drive found a fairway bunker and the Latinoamérica squad took five strokes to get on the green, the hole and match were conceded.

The Aruba Cup will resume Saturday morning with singles matches beginning at 8 a.m.

Click here for full scoring.

NOORD, Aruba – Thanks to a pair of clutch birdies on the 18th hole, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada took the lead over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the Aruba Cup on Thursday, leading the matches 3.5-1.5 after Four-Ball play at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

After the teams halved the first three matches and the Mackenzie Tour scored a full point with Johnny Ruiz and Patrick Newcomb’s 3 and 2 win over Tee-k Kelly and Brian Richey, T.J. Vogel birdied the final two holes to secure a 1 up win with Rico Hoey over Rodolfo Cauaubón and Nelson Ledesma, building a two-point lead.

“It was great to see our guys rally and finish so strongly on the last few holes,” said Mackenzie Tour captain Ben Silverman. “The guys came into the day with a great attitude and had a lot of fun out there. We know that PGA TOUR Latinoamérica is going to come back strong tomorrow, but I’m very happy with our start today.”

Early on, it looked as though the two teams would be evenly matched, with each Tour leading in two matches as the teams headed to the back nine. But the momentum turned thanks in part to Max Rottluff’s birdie-birdie finish, giving he and Mackenzie Tour Player of the Year Kramer Hickok a half point against Hank Lebioda and José Toledo. Shortly thereafter, Ruiz and Newcomb closed out their win over Kelly and Richey to give the Mackenzie Tour the lead.

“We ham-and-egged it really well. We were back-and-forth, and every time I birdied a hole for a tie, Johnny would step up and make a putt. He made a couple of bombs today, and we just kept the rhythm going,” said Newcomb, who holds the distinction of being the only player to win on both PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Mackenzie Tour.

• @LeeMcCoyGolf chips in
• @Jruiz1919's putter gets hot
• T.J. Vogel closes in style

The best action from Day One at the #ArubaCup ? pic.twitter.com/278A92J1fj

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) December 15, 2017

With one match left on the course, it was Vogel’s time to shine, with the former USC and University of Florida standout recording a two-putt birdie at the par-5 17th to square the match, then stuffing an 8-iron from 129 yards to three feet at the closing hole to make birdie and earn a 1 up win.

“I had probably the best look at the green, and I knew if I put a good swing on it I was gonna have a chance. Fortunately it was the perfect club, and I was able to hit it to three feet,” said Vogel.

The Aruba Cup will resume Friday morning with foursome (alternate shot) matches beginning at 8 a.m.

Click here for full scoring.

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica compete this week in the second annual Aruba Cup, a Presidents Cup-style team match play event featuring the top 10 players from each team.

As notable alumni of each team, PGA TOUR members Ben Silverman (Mackenzie Tour) and Roberto Díaz (PGA TOUR Latinoamérica) were selected as captains for the Aruba Cup.

Silverman, 29, played on the Mackenzie Tour in 2014 and 2015 before going on to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he produced a breakthrough year, with five top-10s and a win at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. He finished 10th on the money list to secure his first trip to the PGA TOUR in 2017-18, where he has already recorded two top-10 finishes.

Díaz, 30, played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica from 2012-15 before earning Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he recorded two top-10 finishes including a playoff loss at the Club Colombia Championship by Servientrega. He was 25th on the money list allowing him to join the 2017-18 PGA TOUR.

Below are notes on the players competing for Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada:

Toronto – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament will take place at five separate sites during the spring of 2018 as players compete for Mackenzie Tour membership for the 2018 season.

The five 72-hole, no-cut Qualifying Tournaments with fields of 132 players each will take place on the following dates and locations:

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the five sites, with official details on the number of membership cards and playing status to be announced at a later date.

“We’ve been fortunate to have so many players interested in qualifying to compete on the Mackenzie Tour over the last five years, and we felt that it was important to give as many players as possible the chance to qualify with five fields of 132 players,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to hosting players at each of these five outstanding venues next spring as they look to achieve their goals of making it to the PGA TOUR.”

Carlton Oaks, which has previously hosted PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Q-School, returns as a host from 2016 and 2017 Mackenzie Tour qualifying along with Crown Isle, which annually hosts the season’s final Qualifying Tournament.

The Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, the sister course to the world-famous THE PLAYERS Stadium Course and a Web.com Tour host facility from 2010-2015, joins as a new qualifying site this year along with The Wigwam’s Gold Course, which has hosted U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Qualifying. Also serving as a site is The Club at Eaglebrooke, which was designed by Architect Ron Garl and opened for play in 1996.

The application to enter Mackenzie Tour qualifying will be open to the public live at PGATOUR.COM/MackenzieTour on January 15, 2018. Entry fees will once again be US $2,750.

The full 2018 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in early 2018.

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced its 10-man team for the second annual Aruba Cup on Thursday, led by two-time winner and 2017 Player of the Year Kramer Hickok.

The team, consisting of the top-10 players on the 2017 Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit, will compete against a team of 10 players to be announced from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in a Presidents Cup-style event at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba, Dec. 11-16, 2017. The three competition days will four-ball, foursome and singles matches on December 14, 15 and 16, respectively. The PGA TOUR Latinoamerica team will be announced following the season-ending Shell Championship in Miami, Florida, from Nov. 30-Dec. 3.

“I’m so excited to tee it up with the guys and compete for the Aruba Cup this year. We had so many strong players compete on the Mackenzie Tour this year and I can’t wait to play alongside these guys.” said Hickok, who won twice in 2017 on the way to earning Player of the Year honours and exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2018. “It’s going to be a great way to celebrate the end of an awesome year, and I’m really looking forward to spending some time with the team in Aruba.”

Joining Hickok (Dallas, Texas) on the team are Robby Shelton (Wilmer, Alabama), Johnny Ruiz (Camarillo, California), Patrick Newcomb (Benton, Kentucky), Rico Hoey (Rancho Cucamonga, California), Lee McCoy (Tampa, Florida), Max Rottluff (Dusseldorf, Germany), Chase Wright (Muncie, Indiana), Jordan Niebrugge (Mequon, Wisconsin), and T.J. Vogel (Jacksonville Beach, Florida).

Shelton, McCoy and Niebrugge have International match-play experience as former U.S. Walker Cup team members, while Hoey, Rottluff, McCoy and Shelton all played in the Arnold Palmer Cup.

“These players have proven themselves as great players this year and throughout their young careers so far. I’ve already gotten to know the guys a little bit and I’m so excited to lead them into competition this year at the Aruba Cup,” said Mackenzie Tour Team Captain Ben Silverman. “We know the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica will be tough to beat, and I’m looking forward to some great matches in Aruba.”

The inaugural Aruba Cup took place in 2016, with the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamerica defeating the Mackenzie Tour team, 13-7. The 2017 Aruba Cup consists of three competition days, featuring four-ball, foursomes and singles matches from Dec. 14-16.

Below is the 10-man roster for the Mackenzie Tour team:

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced on Thursday that its 12 tournaments combined to raise more than $1 million for charity in 2017, surpassing the million-dollar mark for the second consecutive season and bringing the total donated to charity since 2013 to more than $3.2 million.

Each event on the 2017 schedule directed funds toward official charitable partners and was aided by a $150,000 donation by the Mackenzie Tour on behalf of Mackenzie Investments.

“Making a positive impact in the communities where we play is a priority for each and every tournament under the PGA TOUR umbrella, and we’re so proud to see the work Mackenzie Tour events have done to help make a difference in people’s lives,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Along with our umbrella sponsor, Mackenzie Investments, we’re proud to support each of these causes and are thrilled to have surpassed $1 million in donations again this year.”

“We are so pleased with the success of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour. The team at Mackenzie is especially proud of the Tour’s focus on charity and community, and we’d like to thank everyone who helped reach this significant milestone for the second season in a row,” said Barry McInerney, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mackenzie Investments.

Leading the way once again in 2017 was the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, which raised $271,500 for families battling cancer in Northwestern Ontario. The event was the top fundraiser for all 2017 tournaments and brings the Staal Foundation Open’s total amount donated since 2014 to more than $800,000.

TORONTO – Newly minted PGA TOUR members Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ontario) and Roberto Diaz (Veracruz, Mexico) will captain the teams from the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the 2017 Aruba Cup, taking place December 11-16 at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf, it was announced Tuesday

Silverman and Diaz, both PGA TOUR rookies who earned a spot in “The 25” on the 2017 Web.com Tour, will lead teams of 10 players in the Presidents Cup-style match-play event at Tierra del Sol.

“It’s an honour to be selected by the Mackenzie Tour to lead our team at the Aruba Cup this December,” said Silverman, who made his debut as a PGA TOUR member with a T43 finish at the Safeway Open. “It feels like it’s happened pretty fast, but it’s fun to look back and remember where I came from and go help out some guys who are coming from there right now.”

“I owe a lot to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and it’s an honour for me to come to the Aruba Cup and try to represent my past with the Tour,” said Diaz. “I think we’re going to have great chemistry, and hopefully I can help them with everything they need and defend the title.”

Silverman, 29, played on the Mackenzie Tour in 2014 and 2015 before going on to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he produced a breakthrough year, with five top-10s and a win at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. He finished 10th on the money list to secure his first trip to the PGA TOUR, in 2017-18.

Diaz, 30, played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica from 2012-15 before earning Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he recorded two top-10 finishes including a playoff loss at the Club Colombia Championship by Servientrega. He was 25th on the money list allowing him to join the 2017-18 PGA TOUR.

The roster for the Mackenzie Tour, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit, will be announced in the coming weeks, while the Latinoamérica team, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit with a minimum of two Latin American players selected, will be announced following the conclusion of the 2017 season, at the Shell Championship in Miami in early December.

The inaugural Aruba Cup took place in 2016, with the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamerica defeating the Mackenzie Tour team, 13-7. The 2017 Aruba Cup consists of three competition days, featuring four-ball, foursomes and singles matches from December 14-16.