COURTENAY, B.C. – Galloway, Ohio’s Ethan Tracy carded his second consecutive 5-under 67 Wednesday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community to take the 36-hole lead at PGA Tour Canada’s British Columbia Qualifying Tournament.

The 25-year old, who finished tied for second at PGA Tour Latinoamérica’s Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub last week, carded three birdies and an eagle on the day to lead by three over Kansas City, Missouri’s Michael Letzig, Moscow, Pennsylvania’s Nicholas Reach and London, England’s Charlie Bull

“It was a very similar round I just didn’t put myself in trouble. It was very simple golf, making my crucial par-savers and my putts inside 10-feet,” said Tracy, who sits eighth on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Order of Merit. The University of Arkansas graduate’s 67 was tied for the best round of the day on Wednesday.

Following his runner-up performance in Panama last week, Tracy had a troublesome travel day and did not arrive in Courtenay until late Monday night, and said he’s doing his best to conserve energy this week.

“After the round I did nothing. I just watched a couple of movies on Netflix, relaxed and went to dinner later with my dad,” said Tracy of his opening-round 67 on Tuesday. Despite the hectic schedule, Tracy said he’s comfortable in his position and sees more solid play in his near future. “I’ve always played my best golf when I’m playing a lot, so I’m just trying to keep on playing. If I need a break, I’ll take one, but I’m playing well enough that I need to keep on playing right now.”

Letzig, who led after round one with a 6-under 66, offset four bogeys with five birdies to share second with Reach and Bull, with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan and Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi one further behind at 6-under.

Wil Bateman is the low Canadian thru two rounds. He’s tied for 9th at 3-under after a 68.

COURTENAY, B.C. – Kansas City’s Michael Letzig carded a 6-under 66 Tuesday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community to take the lead through the opening-round of PGA Tour Canada’s British Columbia Qualifying Tournament.

The veteran of 114 starts on the PGA Tour birdied his first four holes and made seven birdies to offset one bogey, giving the 34-year old a one stroke advantage over Waterloo, Illinois’ Collin Neeman, Galloway, Ohio’s Ethan Tracy and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan.

“I got off to a hot start birdieing the first four. I hit it close on the first three holes and made a 25-footer on four to keep the momentum going. It was nice to come through there in 5-under,” said Letzig.

After finishing 219^th in the FedExCup standings in 2013 and losing his PGA Tour status, Letzig said he has been practicing and playing in Arizona this winter in the hopes of kicking off a return path to the PGA Tour through PGA Tour Canada this season.

“I’ve been through this a little bit. I’ve been playing pretty good, just trying to stay warm down in Arizona,” said Letzig, who has made one start on the Web.com Tour this season, finishing T41 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Tracy, who finished tied for second at last week’s Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub on PGA Tour Latinoamérica, fired a 5-under 67 to share second with Pan and Neeman, managed a bogey-free round despite arriving in Courtenay late Monday evening after a missed flight out of Panama.

“I didn’t really know the course because I didn’t have a practice round. I came in here late last night and tried to hit my shots into the right areas of the fairways,” said Tracy, who ranks eighth on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Order of Merit. “It was pretty rough. I was scheduled to go out at 8:00 a.m. from Panama City. I left my hotel at 4:00 a.m. and I missed my flight. I just hit a lot of traffic and didn’t expect it to take that long.”

Todd Halpen and Ryan Ellis were the top Canadians after 18 holes. The pair held a share of 10th at 2-under, four-off the lead.

COURTENAY, B.C. – PGA TOUR Canada qualifying resumes this week with the final of three Qualifying Tournaments taking place at the Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C. for the second straight year.

Once again, PGA TOUR Canada players will aim to take the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR in 2015. The leading player on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2015, while players 2-5 will earn conditional status, players 6-10 will earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School and players 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Toronto’s Albin Choi and Antibes, France’s Julien Brun took home medalist honours at each of the first two Qualifying Tournaments and will be exempt for the 2015 season.

Thirty-five Canadians will be in the field, including:

James Allenby (Langley, B.C.)
Stuart Anderson (Strathmore, Alta)
Wilson Bateman (Edmonton, Alta.)
Tyson Beaupre (Grande Prairie, Alta.)
Robert Bird (Whistler, B.C.)
Jerry Christiansen (Air Ronge, Sask.)
Brian Churchill-Smith (Oakville, Ont.)
Aaron Crawford (Calgary, Alta.)
Darren Day (Victoria, B.C.)
Ryan Gugin (Victoria, B.C.)
Todd Halpen (Calgary, Alta.)
Thomas Hay (Langley, B.C.)
Darren Hupfer (Edmonton, Alta.)
Andrew Jensen (Ottawa, Ont.)
Sean Ko (West Vancouver, B.C.)
Xin Liang (Markham, Ont.)
Dallas Mengel (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Daniel Pow (Calgary, Alta.)
Jonathan Rondeau (Woodbridge, Ont.)
Karsten Rostad (Camrose, Alta.)
James Seymour (Aurora, Ont.)
Ashok Soma (Burnaby, B.C.)
Corey Steger (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Brett Stewart (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Scott Stiles (Calgary, Alta.)
Mitch Sutton (London, Ont.)
Rhys Tosczak (Weyburn, Sask.)
Brett Webster (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Ryan Werre (Redcliff, Alta.)
Christopher Wilson (Timmins, Ont.)
Josh Wytinck (Glenboro, Man.)
Ryan Zylstra (Woodstock, Ont.)
Ryan Ellis (Cumberland, Ont.)
Dane Ellerton (Hemmingford, Que.)
Shawn Vanderwal (Kamloops, B.C.)

Freedom 55 Financial’s impact on Canadian golf will expand in 2015 and beyond. In conjunction with their growing support for the game, the season-ending event on PGA TOUR Canada will have a new name and greater profile along with enhanced awards for the top Canadian players on TOUR.

The culminating event, where players will once again race for position on the Order of Merit to finish in The Five and chase for Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year, will now be known as the Freedom 55 Financial Championship with its $200,000 purse becoming the highest on TOUR. The extension will see the tournament – which is conducted in partnership with host organization Golf Canada – remain as the exciting capstone of the PGA TOUR Canada season through the 2020 season.

Freedom 55 Financial will enhance their support of Canada’s top young players by boosting prize money for Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year to $25,000 from $10,000, and increasing Canadian Player of the Week prize money to $2,500 from $1,500.

“The goals and dreams of Canadians are important to our organization,” says Mike Cunneen, Senior Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial/Wealth & Estate Planning Group. “With events and partnerships like these, we can continue to inspire freedom, confidence and optimism for the future in so many young athletes.”

“Freedom 55 Financial has been a tremendous partner for the TOUR. This expansion of this partnership is indicative of their commitment and will enable us to further build the stature of the event, grow its impact in the community and provide an even greater opportunity for our players to achieve their dreams of making it to the PGA TOUR,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday.

Last year’s Freedom 55 Financial Championship saw an exciting conclusion to the 2014 season, where Vancouver, British Columbia’s Ryan Williams took home his first PGA TOUR Canada win to also capture Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours.

“PGA TOUR Canada plays an important role in developing and showcasing this country’s best players and Freedom 55 Financial has been a driving force behind the TOUR’s success,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “The city of London has proven to be a terrific sports community and an ideal host for the TOUR’s marquee championship.”

LOMPOC, Calif. – Antibes, France’s Julien Brun earned medalist honours at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament Friday, finishing with a final round 1-over 73 to complete the 72-hole event at 4-under.

The three-time NCAA All-American, who will complete his collegiate career with the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs over the coming weeks before turning professional, holed shots from off the green on each of the last two holes to finish one stroke ahead of League City, Texas native Curtis Donahoe and Palos Verdes, California’s Paul McNamara III.

“My main goal was to come in and play my game and do my best. I didn’t know what kind of players I’d be playing against – I only knew about 10 guys in the field, so it’s tough to know what it would be like. I knew if I played my golf I would do fairly well, and that’s what I was able to do,” said Brun, who owns nine career NCAA victories.

The victory gives Brun exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for the 2015 season. Forty-two players in total earned status for the year, following 48 who earned status at last week’s Florida Qualifying Tournament.

“It’s a great relief. Not having to worry where I will have a place to play this summer is great. I have a good TOUR to play and it’s one step closer hopefully to the Web.com Tour next year,” said Brun.

One shot behind McNamara III and Donahoe was Los Osos, California’s Matt Hansen, with Richmond Hill, Ontario native Taylor Pendrith one of five players in a tie for fifth.

Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 finished at 5-over in a 4-for-3 playoff, with the cutoff for the top 40 coming at 11-over.

“It’s great that I got some status and I’ll be back home for the summer. That’s what I was hoping for and I’m glad it all worked out. I had a nice week and I’m excited for the summer,” said Taylor Pendrith, who will join fellow Golf Canada National Amateur Team alumni Albin Choi, Mackenzie Hughes, Eugene Wong, Matt Hill and Chris Hemmerich on PGA Tour Canada this summer. “I’ve been with the same group of guys for two, three, four years now and it’s always great to see all those faces.”

LOMPOC, Calif. – France’s Julien Brun managed a 2-under 70 Thursday at La Purisima Golf Course to take the lead through three rounds at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament.

The three-time NCAA first team All-American, who is playing as an amateur and will complete his collegiate career with the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs following Q-School this week, led by one over Albuquerque’s Sam Saunders, who is also competing as an amateur, along with Danville, California’s Jeff Hamm and League City, Texas native Curtis Donahoe.

“It was very solid. I didn’t put myself in many bad situations. I didn’t have to save many pars from all over the place, and it was really a stress-free round,” said Brun, who owns nine career NCAA victories along with a Challenge Tour win in 2012. “I was able to put myself in the fairway many times and gave myself a lot of opportunities despite the wind. It was a very good round.”

This week marks a stretch of important events coming up for Brun, who will join his teammates at the Big 12 conference championships immediately after Q-School, with NCAA Regional and National Championships in the following weeks. Still, Brun said his focus remains on earning status on PGA Tour Canada for when he begins his professional career later this spring.

“I’m just taking it one day and one hole at a time. It’s a tough course and a good field, so I can’t take it easy out there. I need to play my best,” said Brun.

Donahoe posted his second sub-par round of the week to reach 4-under with Hamm and Saunders, whose brother Steve is a Web.com Tour member and PGA Tour Canada alumnus, while 36-hole leader David Mills shared fifth spot with Nathan Tarter at 3-under.

Canada’s Taylor Pendrith slipped to eighth after a third-round 76.

The medalist this week will earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 through the first round was at 3-over, with the cutoff for the top 40 at 7-over.

LOMPOC, Calif. – Evansville, Indiana’s David Mills carded a 4-under 68 on Wednesday at La Purisima Golf Course to take the 36-hole lead at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament.

The recent Indiana University graduate went without a bogey Wednesday, becoming the first player to record a round without a bogey at this week, and built a one stroke advantage over Richmond Hill, Ont.’’s Taylor Pendrith, Danville, California’s Jeff Hamm and Los Osos, California’s Matt Hansen.

“I’ve putted pretty good and hit my irons really well,” said Mills. “I didn’t really make too many mistakes and kept it in the fairway in front of me, and I got a few putts to drop.”

Mills credited a patient approach to the course for his solid play, but isn’t getting ahead of himself with two more rounds to go and only six shots separating him from the rest of the top-18 players on the leaderboard.

“You just have to take what the golf course gives you. You really have to try and play like a normal round and make sure you are patient, because the birdies will come if you wait on them,” said Mills.

Hamm, a PGA Tour Canada member in 2013, posted the best round of the day with a 5-under 67, while Pendrith and Hansen matched each other a pair of 2-under 70s in each of their first two rounds. Pendrith, a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Team, is looking to become the second member of the squad to win at Q-School after teammate Albin Choi captured medalist honours at last week’s Florida Qualifying Tournament.

“I talked to him after he won and told him congratulations. It’s pretty incredible,” said Pendrith of Choi’s 25-under total last week. “He’s been playing some really good golf. I’m out here doing my own things, trying to play some smart golf and hope to have a chance to join him on Tour this year.”

LOMPOC, Calif. – Salinas, Calif.,’s Matt Pinizzotto carded a 5-under 67 Tuesday at La Purisima Golf Course to take the first round lead at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament

The UCLA senior, playing as an amateur this week before concluding his collegiate career later this spring, led by one over League City, Texas native Curtis Donahoe through 18 holes at the second of three qualifying tournaments for PGA Tour Canada this season.

“I made a lot of good putts today. The greens can be bumpy in the afternoon, so you just try to hit your line, and they might not fall, but luckily for me most of them went in,” said Pinizzotto, who played in the day’s final group off the 10^th tee. “I gave myself a lot of good looks and I’m happy with how I played.”

The 22-year old began the week as an alternate and was practicing with teammates in Los Angeles on Monday when he received notification he was in the field – the last player among the 132 entrants to gain a spot for the week. After making the drive up and getting in a quick practice round in the evening, Pinizzotto was ready to begin his attempt to earn status for 2015.

“I was at practice Monday morning. I was going to head up here in the afternoon and see if there was a spot in the field, and then I got the call. It’s pretty last minute, but all week I was planning on getting in,” said Pinizzotto.

One stroke off the lead with a 4-under 67 was Donahoe, who was one of just three players to break 70 on the tricky La Purisima layout. Donald Constable also managed a 3-under 69 to join Pinizzotto and Donahoe.

“I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens and never really put myself in a bad spot. I got some putts to drop, so it was overall just really solid,” said Donahoe. “You kind of have to be in the right place, and if you’re in the wrong place you’re going to have a long day.”

Three-shots off the lead in a tie for fourth is Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont.

The medalist this week will earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 through the first round was at 1-under, with the cutoff for the top 40 at 1-over.

LOMPOC, Calif. – The 2015 PGA Tour Canada qualifying resumes this week with the second of three Qualifying Tournaments. Last week’s event at Orange County National Golf Club in Orlando saw 48 players earn status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. The third Q-School event will take place in two weeks at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C.

Once again, PGA Tour Canada players will aim to take the next step on the path to the PGA Tour in 2015. The leading player on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2015, while players 2-5 will earn conditional status, players 6-10 will earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School and players 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Toronto’s Albin Choi took home medalist honours last week with a 25-under total and will be fully exempt on PGA Tour Canada for the 2015 season.

Canadians in the Field (16):

Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
Dan Bowling (Corunna, Ont.)
Ryan Borg (Brampton, Ont.)
Andrew Ledger (Toronto, Ont.)
Jae Yong Kim (North York, Ont.)
Charles Côté (Thetford Mines, Que.)
Andrew Rasmussen (Delta, B.C.)
Dale Rain (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.)
Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.)
Curtis Baldwin (Chilliwack, B.C.)
Craig Keck (Calgary, Alta.)
Brady Henderson (Neepawa, Man.)
Steven Lecuyer (Grimshaw, Alta.)
Sonny Michaud (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.)
Zack Kempa (Brantford, Ont.)

Toronto, Ontario’s Albin Choi carded a 25-under total to earn medalist honours and exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for 2015 at the Florida Qualifying Tournament.

The 22-year old carded a final round 7-under 65 to win by three shots over Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal and Naples, Florida’s Edward Figueroa. 48 players in total earned status through the qualifying tournament, with eight players left to play off for four spots in the top 18 on Saturday morning. Players finishing 2-18 earn exempt status through the first six events of the 2015 schedule and are subject to the mid-season re-shuffle.

“There were still plenty of guys within reach and there are plenty of birdie opportunities out here, so I had to keep doing what I was doing and stay on the tips of my toes. I stayed patient throughout all these four rounds and it really paid off,” said Choi, a former Canadian Amateur Champion and a current member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro team.

The former NC State standout played on the Web.com Tour last season after finishing 53rd on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit as a non-member in 2013, but failed to retain status for this year. Thanks to his performance this week, Choi will be able to plan out his schedule and compete to earn status on the Web.com Tour next season.

“It’s always tough any time you lose your card. There definitely was a bit of a learning curve,” said Choi of his learning experience last year on the Web.com Tour, where he made 10 cuts in 19 starts. “I put some things I’ve learned into play this week. I think patience was the key. Maybe that was something I didn’t have before, and something I’ve gotten better at over the last couple of years. It really showed this week and I’m glad everything turned out the way it did.”

In total, four Canadians earned status for 2015: Albin Choi (1), Jean-Philip Cornellier (T27), Max Gilbert (T35) and Brett Cairns (T39).