It was better late than never for Rico Hoey, who captured his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory on Sunday at the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship to earn a spot in The Five and secure Web.com Tour status for 2018.

The 21-year old University of Southern California grad shot a final-round 3-under 67 at Highland Country Club to finish at 19-under total and win by one over Mequon, Wisconsin’s Jordan Niebrugge, with the win vaulting Hoey from 11th to fifth on the Order of Merit.

Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit finished T17, high enough to clinch Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honors, which comes with a $25,000 prize.

For Hoey, it was an emotional win, with an outpouring of relief, elation and gratitude for his family’s support showing after his win.

“I knew I had to shoot a good score to get myself into the top five. I’m just glad I gave myself a shot and I pulled it off,” said Hoey through tears afterwards. “It’s nice doing it for my family. They believe in me so much, so it’s kind of nice knowing I have support, so I’m just doing it for them.”

Starting the day with three-stroke advantage over Greyson Sigg, Brett Lederer and Cody Blick, Hoey started strong with four birdies in his first six holes to extend the lead to four. A host of challengers emerged, however, including former World No. 1 Amateur Chris Williams, who was 8-under after an eagle at 11 holes to pull within one stroke.

Hoey, however, did enough to bend but not break with the lead, eventually making birdie at the 17th hole to build a two-stroke lead heading to the 72nd hole and all but guarantee victory. After a tap-in bogey at the last, the victory – and charge into the top five – was complete.

“It’s hard,” said Hoey “not to think about everything that comes with winning. I just tried to block that out and play one shot a time. I was hitting good putts and I’m just glad I made the putt on 17 that gave me a two-shot cushion.”

Du Toit, the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year, made the cut in all 11 of his starts this season and recorded three top-10 finishes in his first season as a professional after completing his amateur career at Arizona State University this spring.

?? @F55F Canadian Player of the Year
? Dan Halldorson Trophy
? $25,000 prize from @F55F

Congratulations, @Jareddutoit! pic.twitter.com/Gt50SMElM8

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) September 18, 2017

“It means a lot to me. I pretty well hit the ground running this season, and there’s plenty of room for improvement, so I’m excited about that. It’s been a whirlwind, but I definitely took the right steps in learning how to be a pro and hopefully that can continue,” said du Toit.

Freedom 55 Financial established the Canadian Player of the Week award in 2013 to recognize top Canadian players on the Mackenzie Tour. At each event, Freedom 55 Financial presented this award to the Canadian player who had the lowest total score. Winners also received $2,500 to use toward attaining future goals. Below are the winners of the award in 2017:

“We’re thrilled to see Jared put on a great performance this season and earn Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Our thanks and gratitude go out to Freedom 55 Financial for all their support of our Tour, including these awards. Thanks to them, some of our best and brightest players are able to take a big step forward in achieving their goals and dreams.”

With scores of 61-72-67-70—270 (-10) to finish T17, du Toit took home top-Canadian honors at this week’s Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

London, Ont. – Rancho Cucamonga, California’s Rico Hoey shot an 8-under 62 on Saturday at Highland Country Club to take the third-round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, the final event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 21-year old first-year professional made eight birdies on the day, including on his final two holes, to take a three-stroke lead over fellow Californians Cody Blick and Brett Lederer and Georgia’s Greyson Sigg with one round to go at Highland.

For Hoey, one last chance at victory on Sunday means the opportunity to move inside the coveted top five on the Order of Merit and earn Web.com Tour status for 2018. The University of Southern California alum said he’d do his best to put all of that out of mind, however, and get the job done with a solid final round.

“We have nothing to lose out here. We know we have to play well in order to squeeze inside the top 10 or top five, so we don’t need to add any unnecessary pressure. We’re just having a good time, and things will fall into place.”

Hoey began the day five shots off the 36-hole lead held by Blick – his hotel roommate and travelling partner this week – but quickly caught up with five birdies on the front nine. After closing poorly yesterday, he made sure to finish with a bang on Saturday, pumping his fist after pouring in a 12-foot birdie putt at the last.

“Yesterday I bogeyed 18, and that kind of left a sour taste in my mouth. I kind of wanted to come in and finish strong on the back nine, and I guess I did that,” said Hoey with a smile. “I’ve been working really hard, and I believe in myself. There’s nothing I can do but just keep going and hopefully I can pull it through.”

Blick, who carded a 61 on Friday, managed just an even-par 70 on Saturday to share second place with Sigg, who had a 63, and Lederer, who carded a 65.

London, Ont. – Alamo, California’s Cody Blick shot a 9-under 61 on Friday at Highland Country Club to take the second-round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, the final event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 23-year-old second-year Mackenzie Tour member made nine birdies and zero bogeys on the day to lead by three shots over Tucson, Arizona’s Jonathan Khan and Winter Springs, Florida’s Hank Lebioda through two rounds in London.

“Everything was just pretty solid. I played with Rico (Hoey), and he’s a good buddy of mine. He’s been a friend of mine since I don’t even know. We just had fun, and he got off to a really hot start and I was trying to just keep up with him,” said Blick

The San Jose State alum is no stranger to low rounds on the Mackenzie Tour, having shot a 10-under 60 during the third round of this year’s Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist. During that round, Blick bogeyed the 18th to miss out on a chance at 59.

It was a birdie at the 18th this time for Blick, who matched Jared du Toit’s 61 yesterday for the low round of the tournament.

“I’m still kind of kicking myself for 18 at Victoria. I made five there to shoot 60, but out here I wasn’t really thinking anything special until I birdied 15, and then I realized I have a chance to beat du Toit’s round from yesterday and maybe sneak in a 59 if something special happens,” said Blick.

Khan and Lebioda both shot their second straight rounds of 65 to sit three back at 10-under, while three players – Hoey, Brett Lederer and Jordan Niebrugge – were two shots further behind at 8-under.

London, Ont. – Kimberley, B.C.’s Jared du Toit shot a 9-under 61 on Thursday at Highland Country Club to take the first-round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, the final event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 22-year old member of Golf Canada’s national team made nine birdies on the day to lead by three shots over Californians Brett Lederer and Jonathan Garrick after 18 holes in London.

“I was never really out of position. I might have been out of position two times, and both times I was able to get them up-and-down for par, and I was able to convert on a lot of birdies,” said du Toit. “Overall it was a solid round and I just kind of managed well.”

With Highland Country Club playing firm and fast in Rd. 1, the recent Arizona State graduate said he felt comfortable as he meticulously plotted his way around the course instead of trying to overpower it, showing impressive wisdom for a first-year professional.

“I’m probably more on the thinking side anyway. I probably overanalyze, if anything, so when it’s firm and the wind is swirling like it was I think I have a bit of an edge just because I think a lot,” said du Toit.

du Toit can move as high as No. 5 on the Order of Merit with a win this week and was projected there after Thursday’s play with three rounds to go.

Lederer and Garrick both birdied the 18^th hole to shoot 64, while seven players – Jonathan Khan, Chris Killmer, Seann Harlingten, Chris Williams, Jordan Niebrugge, Hank Lebioda and Order of Merit leader Kramer Hickok – were a shot further behind at 65.

Alamo, California’s Cody Blick, Powhatan, Virginia’s Jay Woodson and New Philadelphia, Ohio’s Blake Sattler all shot rounds of 6-under 66 on Thursday at Bell Bay Golf Club to take the first round lead at the Cape Breton Open, the 10^th event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The trio all reached 6-under, just ahead of a group of five players at 5-under when play was suspended due to darkness at 7:47 p.m. One group was left to finish on the course with Round 1 set to resume at 8:15 a.m. Friday morning.

Blick, who recorded his best finish of 2016 with a T10 at last year’s Cape Breton Open, fed off friendly memories of Bell Bay to shoot 6-under and share the lead.

“It’s just the atmosphere in Baddeck here. The town’s so relaxing and welcoming, it’s great. I just love coming out here,” said Blick. “The course is gettable. You’ve got to hit it well, but then it’s gettable and I just feel at home when I come out here. Today, the putter just got hot, and it went from there.”

.@codyblick closed with a 64 at the 2016 @CapeBretonOpen.

He opened with a 66 today.

Safe to say he's a fan of @BELLBAYGOLFCLUB. pic.twitter.com/e6fJeTefIV

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 31, 2017

Woodson, who came into the week having missed the cut in all but one of his nine starts this year, found a spark with four birdies and an eagle on day one.

“Obviously the year hasn’t gone the way I would have liked, but sometimes when you have a lot of events bunched up together and you don’t have a lot of time off, it happens. I know how these things go and I’ve been playing for a long time, and sometimes you hit some rough patches and you’ve got to keep playing. It only takes one good shot or one good round to get some momentum going, and that’s all you can do,” said Woodson.

Sattler, who’s coming off his best finish of the season with a T10 finish at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, defied the early rainy conditions with a bogey-free day that included a closing birdie at the par-5 18^th.

“I got off to a good start in the rain. It was kind of sprinkling when we started, then it got windy and was a pretty good solid rain for a little bit, but I birdied the first hole and the third hole, and when I made the turn the skies kind of lightened up. I just kept it in front of me,” said Sattler.

A nice way to finish the day for Blake Sattler.

He rolls in a birdie putt at the last to tie the lead at 6-under. #CapeBretonOpen pic.twitter.com/7uIR271AoJ

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 31, 2017

Florida’s Lee McCoy, Germany’s Max Rottluff, Oregon’s Zach Foushee, California’s Kaz Hoffman and Ontario’s Michael Gligic were a shot off the lead at 5-under 67, while another 13 players were a stroke further behind at 4-under.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield shot a final round 6-under 65 on Sunday at Hylands Golf Club to win the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.

The 35-year old took control of the tournament with birdies on seven of eight holes in the middle of his round, then converted tricky up-and-downs for par on the final two holes to win by two over Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok.

“You get gotta get it done, one way or another. Winning’s never easy, and hardly ever do you just get a walk in the park to the 18th green. Sometimes you have to come up with something when you need it,” said Blakefield, who finished at 20-under for the week.

.@MBlakefield's short game came through when it mattered most.

These two up-and-downs secured a two-stroke win & the @NatCapitalOpen title. pic.twitter.com/7ehONMfjzr

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 20, 2017

Starting the day one stroke back of 54-hole leader Charlie Danielson, Blakefield started slowly but quickly picked up the pace with birdies on holes No. 5-9, eventually reaching 20-under with three more birdies on the back nine.

With the tournament firmly in his grasp and the tough, into-the-wind par-4 17th and 18th holes left, the University of Kentucky grad converted a sand save from the greenside bunker on the penultimate hole and a tricky up-and-down from left of the green at 18 to secure the title.

“Obviously it was a great week and I played great, but the one thing was that I threw a few shots away with some bad up-and-downs that I didn’t get. To get those two on the last two holes was fantastic, especially to make those two putts when I needed them,” said Blakefield.

The win comes at a special time for Blakefield and his fiancée, professional golfer and former Big Break champion Bri Vega, who has caddied for her future husband at six events this year, including this week.

“It’s funny, she tried to stay so calm, but I could just see right through it and knew she was a nervous wreck just like I am,” said Blakefield with a laugh, adding that her perspective as a player was a valuable asset this week. “Sometimes, even if you know what a putt does, it’s nice to hear it from somebody else who says the same thing.”

A moment to celebrate together.@MBlakefield and fiancée @BriVega celebrate Mark's first #MackenzieTour win ? pic.twitter.com/f2nGIKfdg6

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 20, 2017

Blakefield was making his eighth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. The University of Kentucky grad earned conditional status with a T9 finish at the USA East #1 Q-School this spring and had made five of seven cuts this year, including a previous season-best T11 finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

Hickok, who could have forced a playoff with a miracle eagle at 18, settled for par and managed a 4-under 67 to finish in solo second, moving into first place on the Order of Merit. Blakefield’s win moved him into the seventh spot with three events remaining in the 2017 season.

Hanging at the top.

Kramer Hickok sits at No.1 on the Order of Merit after his solo-second result at the @NatCapitalOpen pic.twitter.com/QY38AP5B7P

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 20, 2017

With a total score of 11-under par in a tie for 12th, Kimberley, British Columbia’s Jared du Toit finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

Osceola, Wisconsin’s Charlie Danielson shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday at Hylands Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead through three rounds at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Danielson, a 23-year old former University of Illinois standout, birdied four of his first six holes and ended the day with eight birdies against just one bogey to lead by one shot over Burlington, Ontario’s Blair Hamilton, Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield heading into Sunday.

“I hit a lot of shots close. I got off to a great start and wedged some balls close to where I didn’t have to make many putts, and getting off to a nice start out here is key. I kind of kept it going the rest of the round,” said Danielson.

.@charliegolf24 nearly goes Dr. Chipinski at 18 ?

A closing par gives him a 7-under 64 and the clubhouse lead. pic.twitter.com/zMtHn0Qzuv

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 19, 2017

As a Wisconsinite who went to school in Illinois, Danielson said he’s used to playing his best golf during the summer months and relished the chance to build momentum on the Mackenzie Tour this summer. The first-year Mackenzie Tour member has finished in the top-15 in all three of his starts this season, including a T11 at the Players Cup.

“Coming up to Canada’s no different than what I grew up in my whole life, and even what I played in at college, so I’m used to the midwest weather. It’s all pretty normal for me,” said Danielson.

Blakefield and Hickok, who co-held the 36-hole lead with Quebec’s Raoul Menard, shot matching 3-under 68s, while Hamilton raced out to a 7-under 64 to earn a spot in the final threesome on Sunday, his lowest career round on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada

Now THAT'S a bounce back!@BlairHamilton12 drains the long birdie putt on 17 and gets back to 15-under ?? pic.twitter.com/SRWSvzZAZR

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 19, 2017

Hamilton is making his ninth start of the 2017 season as a member of the Mackenzie Tour and 12th career start overall. The former member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team earned conditional status at the 2017 British Columbia Q-School and has made two cuts in 2017, including a T20 finish at the Freedom 55 Financial Open.

“My putter’s kind of been bailing me out all week,” said Hamilton. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work lately, and it’s nice to see some putts fall in, and any time you get hot with the flatstick it makes things fun.”

Danielson was a four-time NCAA All-American at the University of Illinois, including a 1st team selection in 2016. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2016 and was a semi-finalist for both the Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan Awards that season, and later qualified for the Genesis Open on the PGA TOUR by winning the College Showcase qualifier.

He earned conditional status with a T25 finish at the USA East #2 Q-School and has made three starts on the Mackenzie Tour this season. In all three of his starts, he has finished in the top-15, including a season-best T11 finish at the Players Cup. Danielson currently sits 51st on the Order of Merit.

Prior to this week, Danielson’s clubs and baggage were lost during travel, and his parents sent him a backup set composed of other clubs from his home in Wisconsin.

Hickok is in his first season on the Mackenzie Tour and ranks No. 3 on the Order of Merit thanks to a win at the Players Cup and a runner-up at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

The University of Texas alum is a roommate of two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.

Hickok owns one pro win earlier this year on the Adams Tour and earned Mackenzie Tour status with a T15 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.

"Even though you have your 'C' game you can still play to an 'A' level."

Words of wisdom from @KramerHickok pic.twitter.com/47pk4NhYfY

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) August 19, 2017

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit is tied for 16th at 9 under par after a 1-under-par 70 in round three.

Click here to view the full leaderborad.