(Bath, ON) – Los Angeles, California’s Micah Burke shot a 10-under 62 on Friday at Loyalist Golf and Country Club to set the new competitive course record and take a one shot lead midway through the second round at The Great Waterway Classic. Burke led by two over Comox, British Columbia’s Riley Wheeldon as play was suspended due to darkness.

The 28-year old Burke chipped in twice and carded six birdies along with two eagles on the day to reach 12-under par through 36 holes, following up his first round 2-under 70 with his best career round in 38 starts on PGA TOUR Canada.

“I was putting really well yesterday, but I didn’t hit the ball well,” said Burke. “Today, I hit the ball really well, so I gave myself a lot of chances. I got in a good rhythm there, the rhythm that we always try to get into where you’re not really thinking about your score.”

The second round of The Great Waterway Classic was suspended due to darkness at 7:50 PM after delays due to inclement weather held up play for 6 hours and 45 minutes earlier in the day. Round two will resume at 7:30 AM on Saturday, with 107 players left to complete their second round.

Burke, who ranks 111th on the Order of Merit coming into this week, said he benefited from a swing tip after round one from playing partner and Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen. The tip paid off on Friday, as Burke took advantage of the friendly scoring conditions with a solid ballstriking day.

“It helped a lot,” said Burke of Dahmen’s tip. “I wasn’t able to hit a lot of shots yesterday. Today I was able to move it both ways a little bit and control it a little better, and with soft greens like this, that helps a lot.”

Burke, who was battling flu-like symptoms over the first two days, finished his round nearly 12 hours after his original 7:20 AM tee time thanks to the lengthy weather delay, but said his swing kept him in rhythm despite the changing weather.

“I’m happy with it. The conditions were changing so much and you had to kind of adapt to each one,” Burke said. “It got really hot, and then it was raining, and then a little cold. When you’re in a rhythm like that it’s easier because you’re just hitting good shots and it’s easier to stay in the present.”

Wheeldon was two strokes back of Burke at 10-under, while Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney was one further behind at 9-under following a 4-under 68.

WHEELDON SET FOR STRONG FINISH
After playing between the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Canada this season, Riley Wheeldon said Friday he has his eyes on the prize for a strong finish north of the border.

The 23-year old, who has made nine starts on the Web.com Tour and five on PGA TOUR Canada, knows he’ll be playing in Canada the rest of the season after missing out on the Web.com Tour Finals, and said his goal is clear for the remainder of the year.

“It’s nice to know where I’m going to be each week and settles the travel down a little bit, and I can plan ahead,” said Wheeldon, who finished second on the PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit in 2013. “It gives me a little bit more foresight going into these last four events. I have a clear goal and I know what I need to do now, so I need to finish strong.”

The former Big East Player of the Year at the University of Louisville said he’s trending in the right direction through two rounds at The Great Waterway Classic.

“I’m striking it as good as I have all year, which is a bonus,” said Wheeldon. “I’m staying out of trouble off the tee. The putter’s been a little cold, which is actually a good thing going into the weekend because it can improve. I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it and managing my game, and I should be in good position.”

Despite being in a different position than 2013 – he was the Order of Merit leader until the season’s penultimate event last year, and is 44th this year – Wheeldon said the familiarity of success on PGA TOUR Canada has him feeling good with four events to go.

“Any time you can win on any level,” said Wheeldon, “you have the confidence to do it again, so that’s the goal these last four events – to get one, if not two.”

(Bath, ON) – Briston, Tennessee’s Jay Vandeventer shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday at Loyalist Golf Club to take the first round lead at The Great Waterway Classic. The 23-year old led by one over a group of players that included Baddeck, Nova Scotia’s Peter Campbell, Austin, Texas’ Creighton Honeck, Aberdeen, Scotland’s Paul Cormack and Santee, California’s Daniel Miernicki.

Vandeventer, a University of Tennessee graduate, carded six birdies and an eagle on the day, and credited a hot putter for his round, the best of his first season on PGA TOUR Canada.

“I finally got the putter rolling early, which was a change from the last couple of events,” said Vandeventer, who has three top-25 finishes in his first PGA TOUR Canada season, with his best finish a tie for 18^th at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON. “I’ve been hitting it pretty well. I’ve just been lacking some putts to fall.”

The round was nearly one stroke better, with 10-footer for eagle at 18 suffering a hard lip-out. Vandeventer settled for birdie, his second straight to finish off his round, and said he was pleased with his start and prospects for the rest of the tournament.

“I had a pretty good read on it and actually hit a really good putt,” said Vandeventer of the 10-footer for eagle. “It was dead centre right there just about a foot out and just broke, but I was really happy with the birdie. I made a bunch of pars on the back nine, so to birdie 17 and 18 feels pretty good.”

“This is a good round today, but I have three more, hopefully. I just want to keep that putter hot and keep my composure and go on from there,” added the PGA TOUR Canada rookie.”

One shot back of the group at 7-under were eight players, including Canadians Max Gilbert of St. Georges, Quebec and Ted Brown of Peterborough, Ontario.

CAMPBELL CONTINUES SOLID PLAY WITH 65
Coming off his best career PGA TOUR Canada finish with a tie for second at the Forces & Families Open, Baddeck, Nova Scotia’s Peter Campbell kept the solid play going on Thursday with a 7-under 65 to sit tied for second.

“I’m just trying to keep the momentum going. The putter’s still rolling good, and that makes a huge difference,” said the 31-year old, who added that he feels re-charged for the season’s final four events after a week off at his residence in Windermere, Florida. “It was good to go home, chill out a little bit and spend some time with my little girl and my wife.”

Campbell, who currently sits 31^st on the Order of Merit, also ranks 23^rd on the NEC Series – PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit, and is looking forward to the opportunity to earn status on the Web.com Tour on both Tours.

“That’s the goal,” Campbell said. “I think I’m in a decent position to move up that money. I’m in a good position here, and I’ve got a chance in Latin America if this doesn’t work out, so I’ve got two shots at it.”

MIERNICKI RIDES HOT PUTTER AFTER TIME OFF
California Qualifying Tournament medalist Daniel Miernicki hasn’t played on PGA TOUR Canada since a fourth place finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, partially due to a nagging wrist injury. He showed no signs of rust on Thursday, though, firing a 7-under 65 to share second place after day one.

“I had nine putts on the front, so I pretty much made everything. It was a good way to get out of the gate,” said Miernicki. “I finished up well birdieing my last two so that felt good.”

Miernicki Monday Qualified for the Stonebrae Classic on the Web.com Tour earlier this month, but withdrew to tend to his wrist. With a clean bill of health on Thursday, the 24-year old said he’s excited about his chances for this week.

“I was a little rusty – I haven’t been playing that much, especially with my ballstriking, but I putted awesome, so if that comes around hopefully I’ll have a chance come the weekend.”

Peter Campbell is the leading Canadian , he’s  tied for second. Ted Brown and Max Gilbert are tied for sixth.

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to congratulate National Amateur Squad member Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener, Ont., for his decision to pursue a career in professional golf.

Hemmerich, 21, makes the jump to the professional ranks after a strong season, which featured taking home the hardware at this year’s Investors Group Ontario Amateur Championship. As of this week, the University of Guelph graduate sat at no. 88 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

The decision comes shortly after being eliminated from the U.S. Amateur last week, giving Hemmerich time to officially turn professional before PGA Tour Canada’s Great Waterway Classic begins on Thursday at the Loyalist Golf & Country Club in Bath, Ont.

Hemmerich has had some experience playing in professional events as an amateur, with his best finish coming at PGA Tour Canada’s Thunder Bay Classic earlier this year, where he finished T35.

As his two-year stint with Team Canada comes to a close, Hemmerich is grateful for all the support he has received and has nothing but good things to say about the program.

“It gives you the ability to gain experience in tournaments you otherwise couldn’t, and also the ability to practice in a team environment,” said Hemmerich. “The coaching staff, lead by Derek (Ingram), was great because he would travel to our tournaments, helping us create a game plan for the four rounds of golf ahead.”

The former Guelph Gryphons team captain feels that although he may be young, he is well prepared to make the jump to the pros.

“The Team Canada program does a great job of showing you the proper ways to travel, train, and practice on a regular basis – which is much needed when doing it for a living,” said the commerce major. “I feel like my game has gotten much stronger since first being selected and I’m looking forward to continuing to improve and start out a professional career.”

OTTAWA – With a dramatic 70-foot birdie putt and a final round 9-under 62, Summerland, B.C.’s Greg Machtaler captured the inaugural FORCES & FAMILIES OPEN on Sunday, becoming the first Canadian winner on PGA TOUR Canada in 2014.

The 30-year old made a brilliant charge up the leaderboard on Sunday, playing his final 11 holes in 9-under par, a run that included two eagles and a back nine 30. After finding the green at the 72^nd hole, Machtaler rolled in a long birdie putt to post the clubhouse lead at 17-under, then watched as neither American Jeff Dennis or Baddeck, N.S.’s Peter Campbell could match him with a birdie at the last.

When 54-hole leader Greg Eason of England couldn’t hole out for eagle to force a playoff, Machtaler was officially the champion, becoming the first Canadian to win since Max Gilbert at the 2013 TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial.

The win comes just under a year after Machtaler’s father Glenn passed away, a decision that spurred the 2007-2011 PGA TOUR Canada member to resume his chase for success on TOUR.

“As soon as it came off the putter it felt great,” said Machtaler of his final putt. “I can’t help but think my dad had something to do with that putt going in. There were a couple of moments at the end where it looked like it might go out and then it bounced back in, and it ended up going in and I really think he had something to do with it.”

“It’s been hard,” added the Brigham Young University alumnus. “Emotionally, you think about him all the time. You’re sad and you go through some moments where you wish you could see him one more time. To be able to win this for him, it kinds of makes a really tough situation just a little bit easier to deal with.”

Machtaler made 13 cuts in 24 starts from 2007-2011, then turned to work at Summerland Golf Club just east of Vancouver after playing just three times in 2011. A breakout season on the PGA of Canada circuit in 2013, however, where he won four times including the prestigious Canada Cup, led him to consider re-starting his TOUR career, a decision that payed off with his first PGA TOUR Canada win on Sunday.”

“I was very hesitant still,” Machtaler said of returning to playing on PGA TOUR Canada, where he earned status at the 2014 British Columbia Qualifying Tournament. “I had a good job for a couple of years, and you have that steady paycheck coming in and you still get to play some tournaments and I had some success. To come out here against these guys, they’re all so good, and you can’t play poorly. You can play good and miss a cut out here.”

The 2014 season had been a trying one until Sunday for Machtaler, who had been dealing with a back injury that had limited his ability to swing the club effectively. After ongoing treatment, the 30-year old said he finally a return to form was in the cards this week.

“I thought I was going to have to write off the year,” said Machtaler. “My back was just so bad, I couldn’t even swing. I just have to thank all the physio teams that I’ve worked with back home and on the road with PGA TOUR Canada. They’ve really helped me. It got the point where I could finally stop thinking about it and I could finally just let my swing go again.”

Machtaler teed off 1 hour and 40 minutes before the final group of Englishmen Greg Eason and Kelvin Day, and after holing his long birdie putt at 18, had to wait and see if he would be the champion. When Eason, who led after each of the first three rounds, couldn’t hole his approach from the right rough, the champion was crowned.

“It’s huge. It’s been a really, really tough year personally with trying to get over the loss of my dad so unexpectedly,” said Machtaler. “He would have wanted me to do it for sure, and that was the deciding factor, doing it for him.”

The win moves Machtaler to 9^th on the Order of Merit with four events to go. Machtaler said the win changes his outlook on the remainder of his season and career as he aims to make the next step on the path to the PGA Tour.

“Every player is just so good, so to be able to top a field of that many good players really gives me a lot of confidence and shows me that all the hard work’s been paying off,” Machtaler said. “I think I’m making the right decision to come back and play again.”

In addition to his win on Sunday, Greg Machtaler claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours along with a $1,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard at every PGA TOUR Canada event earns the weekly prize, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $10,000 prize.

OTTAWA, Ont. – After shooting a 1-under 70 at Hylands Golf Club on Saturday, Leicester, England’s Greg Eason will look to go wire-to-wire at the FORCES & FAMILIES OPEN and earn his first PGA Tour Canada win in Ottawa.

The 22-year old rookie countered three bogeys on the day with four birdies to jump to 14-under par through three rounds at Hylands Golf Club, three strokes clear of fellow Englishman Kelvin Day, Canadians Peter Campbell and Jordan Krantz and American Jeff Dennis.

“I couldn’t do anything wrong the first couple of days. Today I hit some sloppy shots. The short game was good and got me out of trouble a few times,” said Eason, who pulled ahead of the field by as many as four shots before making one final bogey following an errant drive at the 18^thhole. “It would have been nice to par the last. I didn’t hit it great today. It was a bit of a grind and it felt like a long day, but I’m really pleased to get under par out of it and put myself in a good position for tomorrow.”

The University of Central Florida grad finds himself in the final group for the second time in three events on PGA TOUR Canada, after finishing one shot behind Wes Homan at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel three weeks ago. With a strong pedigree at UCF, where he was named an All-American as well as American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in his final season, Eason says he expects to be comfortable in the heat of battle on Sunday.

“I think that winning is winning, and contention is contention. Luckily I was able to put myself in that position a few times in college, so I’m going to know what to expect and hopefully I’ll be able to see it through,” said Eason, who won six times in his four seasons in college. “I’ve kind of been there before in college, and it’s still golf. I know we’re all professionals now, but it still is golf and you’re still trying to put the ball in the hole, so hopefully it will be no different.”

Dennis, who calls Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida home, was Eason’s closest pursuer late in the day, but after a bad drive at the 18^th, struck the flagstick with his third shot and watched his ball spin off the green, leading to a bogey.

“I played steady. I got some good breaks in the beginning, and I guess it all evens out after 18. I’m in the mix so all I can do is go out and play tomorrow,” said Dennis.

Krantz, a native of Vermillion Bay, Ontario, briefly tied Eason for the lead at 13-under earlier in the day, but made double bogey at 18 to drop back into a tie for second with fellow Canadian Peter Campbell of Baddeck, Nova Scotia.

Day will play alongside Eason in an all-English pairing on Sunday after shooting a 5-under 66. North Vancouver, British Columbia’s Eugene Wong, who shot a 10-under 61 on Friday to hold second place through 36 holes, fell to a 4-over 75 to drop to a tie for 14^th.

Baddeck, Nova Scotia’s Peter Campbell made the switch from a long to a short putter before the FORCES & FAMILIES OPEN, and the results have paid off for the 31-year old, who sits tied for second at 11-under after a 4-under 67 in round three.

“I’ve been hitting it great all year, it’s just my putter has been really killing me. This week I’ve made a lot of putts, so confidence is rolling now, so I’ll just try to keep it going,” said Campbell. “I played steady all day long. I didn’t get myself into any trouble.”

Campbell has been a world traveler in 2014 after securing medalist honours at NEC Series – PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Q-School this winter. In seven starts there, he has three top-25 finishes, including a T2 finish at the Mundo Maya Open. Campbell said the experience has been ultimately helpful as he looks to make his way up the professional ranks.

“It’s been different. It’s been a lot of learning how to travel, managing my time. I’ve got a wife and daughter back home, so that’s tough being away, but you manage and deal with it the best you can. It’s been fun so far for sure.”

OTTAWA, Ont. – With a closing birdie at his final hole of the day, Leicester, England’s Greg Eason fired a 5-under 66 on Friday at Hylands Golf Club to take a one shot lead through 36 holes at the Forces and Families Open.

The 22-year old rookie sits at 13-under par through two rounds and leads by one over North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong, who fired a 10-under 61 on Friday, a new career best as a professional.

“I managed to make a few putts and scramble the best I possible could out of it,” said Eason, who led after Thursday’s first round following an 8-under 63. “I stayed patient and then luckily had a nice finish.”

Eason briefly opened up a three stroke advantage, playing his first 12 holes in 5-under par before a pair of bogeys dropped him behind Wong, who birdied his final two holes to card the new course record at Hylands’ North Course. Eason would respond with birdies on two of his final three holes, including an approach from 107 yards to three feet at the par-4 9^th, his final hole of the day, to take top spot heading into the weekend.

“I played the hole before that terribly, so it was nice to scrape a par out of it and then put a shot close on the last too,” said Eason, who salvaged a par on the eighth thanks to a tricky up-and-down.

The 2014 All-American at the University of Central Florida will be in familiar territory heading into the third round with the lead, having shared top spot through 36 holes three weeks ago at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel in Thunder Bay. Eason said the experience of being in contention he gained there will be invaluable, especially as a first year professional.

“The week [in Thunder Bay] really helped me for this week to put myself in a similar situation and to hopefully try and get a similar, if not better result,” said Eason. “It’s given me a lot of confidence for sure, playing in front of that many people and handling the different emotions there are, with the ups and downs and the journey that you’re going through in the round.”

Two shots behind Wong was Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida’s Jeff Dennis, who birdied his final hole of the day to hold solo third place at 10-under heading into the weekend.

A hot putter and a strong finish helped Eugene Wong to the best round of his career on Friday, adding another notable point to his already-strong resume. The 23-year old stuck a wedge at his final hole of the day to four feet and made the putt for a 10-under 61, the new record at Hylands Golf Club’s North Course.

“It’s probably the best I’ve ever putted. I just made everything that I saw on my line,” said Wong, a two-time All-American and the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award winner at the University of Oregon and twice a winner on PGA Tour Canada. “I knew had to birdie to shoot 10-under, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. I was just thinking ‘Hit a good shot,’ and I hit a great one.”

Wong, who currently sits ninth on the Order of Merit, will be looking to add to his two wins in 2012, coming at The Great Waterway Classic and the TOUR Championship of Canada.

(Ottawa, ON) – Leicester, England’s Greg Eason shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday at Hylands Golf Club to take the first round lead at the inaugural Forces & Families Open. Eason carded seven birdies, an eagle and one bogey to lead by one over Crookston, Minnesota’s Travis Ross and Longwood, Florida’s Sam Ryder.

The PGA TOUR Canada rookie, who is playing in his first season as a professional following a standout career at the University of Central Florida, was upbeat about his round despite a bogey at the 18^th hole following an errant tee shot.

“I only really missed one shot and that was the tee shot down the last. I played some nice golf. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, to be honest,” said Eason, who was the runner-up at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel three weeks ago in Thunder Bay. Eason missed his first cut of the season last week at the ATB Financial Classic despite shooting 3-under par for the first two rounds, and said he was excited to continue what has been a strong year so far.

“I never really did anything that badly last week, it’s just the scores were very low and mine weren’t,” Eason said. “I played well the week before and I’m just trying to do the same things I’ve been trying to do all year.”

The 22-year old, who now calls the Orlando area home, has three top-25 finishes on the season including his runner-up finish in Thunder Bay. Currently eighth on the Order of Merit, Eason said the experience of being in contention in front of galleries and under pressure has already helped him mature as a player in his first season as a professional.

“I’d not played in front of that many people before,” said Eason, who finished second to Cincinnati, Ohio’s Wes Homan by a shot. “It was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the day with Wes, and I think hopefully it will give me a good step for this week. I’m just hoping to continue what I’ve been doing, and hopefully try and sneak in that top five.”

Ryder, who finished a career-best T10 last week at the ATB Financial Classic, and Ross were one shot back of Eason, followed Scotland’s Paul Ferrier and Libertyville, Illinois’ Michael Schachner at 6-under 66.

Seann Harlington is the leading Canadian, scoring 69 in the opening round.

Calgary – Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie ran away from the field with a final round 6-under 66 at Sirocco Golf Club on Sunday to capture the ATB Financial Classic, his second career PGA TOUR Canada win.

The 33-year old set the 72-hole scoring record for the PGA TOUR Canada era at 27-under 261 and moved to No. 3 on the Order of Merit, in position to earn Web.com Tour status at the end of the season.

“To be able to play this way, I’m so happy with myself that I was able to execute and do what I did,” said Mackenzie, who won by four shots over Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen of Clarkston, Washington and Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney. “Winning out here provides a huge step for next year. The perks of winning and what comes with that is even more special.”

Mackenzie began the day with a two-shot lead over Milford, Iowa’s Brady Schnell, who carded a 59 on Friday, and Carney, but pulled away with a stead opening nine of 4-under 32. Despite some low scores from his chasers, including a 64 from Dahmen, Mackenzie pulled away from the field and didn’t let any of his pursuers have a chance to catch him.

“I tried to make it almost impossible for those guys to do anything,” said Mackenzie, who also won on PGA TOUR Canada at the 2010 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist. “If they made a birdie, I made a birdie on top of them. That’s just kind of the way it was all day.”

“I limited the mistakes,” added the University of Washington alum, who said his solid ballstriking allowed him to keep the field at bay. “I was in play all the time and had good looks at birdies on almost every hole. I just didn’t make the mistakes that almost every other guy did.”

Despite the lead, which grew to as many as five shots after his seventh birdie of the day at the 14^th, Mackenzie said he never felt completely comfortable until the 18^th hole, where he made his 30^th birdie of the week to close the victory in style.

“I think I hit almost every fairway until the last couple of holes, and I still didn’t feel like I could breathe until I got into the fairway on 18 and hit the shot onto the green. Then, I was like ‘This is cool,’” said Mackenzie. “Those guys were firing birdies at me left and right. I never really felt that comfortable, and I was doing everything I needed to.”

The event will go down as a historic one, wiith Mackenzie’s 27-under par total setting the mark for lowest score to par since the launch of PGA TOUR Canada in 2013. Only one player in Tour history has ever gone deeper, with Brian Unk’s 28-under total at the 2009 Seaforth Country Classic holding the all-time mark.

“I honestly didn’t expect to shoot 27-under at the beginning of the week. On this Tour, 16-under’s usually a pretty good score; I don’t even know if that got in the top 15 this week [note: 16-under would have been solo 15^th]. I just had to keep the pedal to the metal, as they say, and it went my way.”

With a final round 64, Dahmen increased his commanding Order of Merit lead to $21,920 over second place Tim Madigan, while Carney’s career-best T2 finish moved him up 111 spots to 20^th. Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew carded a final round 5-under 67, including a near hole-in-one on the par-4 11^th with a drive that finished inside a foot from the hole, to finish tied for fourth at 22-under along with Schnell.

At three-over par through seven holes, Airdrie, Alberta’s Riley Fleming was far from thinking he might set a PGA TOUR Canada era record on Sunday. A wild run that saw him play has final 11 holes in 11-under par changed his perspective dramatically, however, with his 8-under 28 on the back nine giving him the lowest nine holes of the PGA TOUR Canada era.

“The first seven, I couldn’t do anything right. Nothing was going my way. Then, I eagled eight and birdied nine to shoot even, and then everything was going in and the hole was looking like a bucket,” said Fleming, the youngest member on PGA TOUR Canada this season. From the eighth hole onward, Fleming went eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-par-birdie-birdie-par-birdie and finished with an 8-under 64 to finish tied for 13^th.

“It was easy,” Fleming said of his round. “It was just crazy golf. You just try to keep making birdies. My caddie and I were like, ‘Let’s just get two more. Then, okay let’s get two more. Then, okay, let’s birdie 18.”

Fleming now sits 39^th on the Order of Merit, with his best finish a tie for seventh at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by Sasktel.

With a final round 5-under 67, Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew finished in a tie for fourth at 22-under to earn Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week Honours.

Renfrew, who earned a $1,500 prize, edged out Peterborough, Ontario’s Ted Brown by a shot, two weeks after Brown won over Renfrew in a tiebreaker to take the award at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

Each week, Freedom 55 Financial recognizes the top Canadian on the leaderboard, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week.

CALGARY – Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie carded six birdies and a bogey to shoot a 5-under 67 on Saturday at Sirocco Golf Club and build a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the ATB Financial Classic.

The 33-year old was 21-under through 54 holes, the lowest mark of the PGA TOUR Canada era and tied for the second lowest in Tour history. Mackenzie has made just one bogey on the week, offset by 22 birdies to lead by two over Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney and Milford, Iowa’s Brady Schnell, who followed up a second round 59 with a 67 on Saturday.

“Any time you’re leading, you want to try and distance yourself as much as you can so there’s only a few guys who can win the tournament,” said Mackenzie, a veteran of the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Canada. “That’s what I was trying to do today. So many guys played well, and it’s a course where you can make lots of birdies, so anyone within eight shots could win.”

Mackenzie owns one win on PGA TOUR Canada, coming at the 2010 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, and says he’s relishing the opportunity to be in contention for a second win tomorrow in Calgary.

“I love being in contention,” said Mackenzie. “I’ve been in contention a couple of times this year. I’m getting more and more comfortable being in that position. It’s just another round of golf and I’m doing the things that I need to do.”

The University of Washington alumnus, who won twice on the All-American Gateway Tour in the offseason, was in the hunt earlier this year in Victoria before finishing tied for second. Currently 10^th on the Order of Merit, he’ll have a great chance to solidify his spot in the race to earn Web.com Tour status at season’s end.

“I did what I needed to do today,” Mackenzie said. “It’s going to be a fun day tomorrow. The first three rounds of golf, I couldn’t be more pleased with how I’ve played and hopefully I can handle myself too.”

Mackenzie’s closest pursuers on Sunday will be able to keep a close eye on the 54-hole leader, with round four tee times moved up to due anticipated inclement weather. Players will tee off the 1^st and 10^th tees in threesomes, and Mackenzie will be joined by Carney and Schnell in the final group. Mackenzie said he was pleased to be ahead of golf’s latest ‘Mr. 59’ given the historic accomplishment.

“The fact that I’m leading a guy who shot 59 on me, that makes me happy,” said Mackenzie. “But he could very likely do it again tomorrow and win by six. Most of the guys inside the top-10 have that ability to go low, and I guarantee that they’re going to be full charge ahead with nothing to lose.”

Two shots behind Schnell and Carney in solo fourth was Victoria, British Columbia’s Cory Renfrew, who posted the round of the day with a 7-under 65 to sit 17-under through three rounds.

SCHNELL RE-FOCUSES ON PURSUIT AFTER MAGIC FINISH
After he holed out from 122 yards on Friday to shoot 59, one could forgive Brady Schnell if he found it difficult to re-focus on the chase for the lead at the ATB Financial Classic on Saturday.

“It’s just going to be one of those things I’ll probably think about a few times over the course of my life. Those things don’t happen every day,” said Schnell.

The buzz of the accomplishment didn’t seem to distract Schnell, though, with the 29-year old continuing the strong play with five birdies on his first eight holes to reach 19-under, where he finished the day.

“I made a nice 12-footer on two to kind of get things going, and it’s always nice to get that first one under your belt, especially after a round like that,” said Schnell. “To be 5-under through eight, I was very happy to keep things rolling.”

Calgary – Milford, Iowa’s Brady Schnell made PGA TOUR Canada history on Friday, holing out a gap wedge from the fairway on his final hole to shoot a 13-under 59 at Sirocco Golf Club at the ATB Financial Classic. Schnell moved to 14-under through 36 holes to sit two shots back of leader Brock Mackenzie of Yakima, Washington, who shot a 9-under 63 to take a one shot lead over Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Stephen Carney through two rounds.

Schnell, a 29-year old in his third season on PGA TOUR Canada, holed a 122-yard approach with a gap wedge on the 454-yard ninth hole for his final shot of the day. He becomes the second player in PGA TOUR Canada history and the first of the PGA TOUR Canada era to shoot a sub-60 score. Previously, Jason Bohn shot a 13-under 58 in the final round of the 2001 Bayer Championship.

“To shoot 59 is crazy enough, but to hole out on the last hole to do it, I just can’t even believe it,” said Schnell, a University of Nebraska graduate. “That’s the ultimate number, to get inside the 50s. To do it in a tournament on PGA TOUR Canada is even better. I guess it’s what we all dream of, but just to do it in that fashion makes it sweeter too.”

Schnell began the day at 1-under par after an opening 71 and at one point trailed Mackenzie by 15 shots, but quickly gained ground on the leader with an outward 30 on his first nine holes. After five more birdies, he came to his final hole knowing where he stood with a look at golf’s most sought-after score.

“I knew where I was at,” said Schnell. “I just kind of kept track and figured it out, and I was standing in six fairway and said ‘you can make four birdies over the next four holes.’ I lipped out on six for birdie, and then I just made birdie-birdie-eagle.”

While he was unable to accomplish his goal of four closing birdies, one memorable swing made up the difference and put Schnell in the game’s history books.

“I hit a hard 52 [degree wedge]. I felt a little jacked up, and from back in the fairway it looked like it spun back a foot or two,” Schnell said. “I couldn’t believe it when it dropped.”

Earlier, Mackenzie’s 63 gave him a 16-under total through two rounds, tying the record for lowest 36-hole score of the PGA TOUR Canada era.

“I knew I was playing well, but I didn’t realize at the end I was 9-under,” said Mackenzie, who tied the lowest 36-hole score of the PGA TOUR Canada era at 128. “It was a good day. I made most everything that I saw and hit it great, so it was good.”

The 33-year old, who owns one PGA TOUR Canada win at the 2010 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, began his day by finishing his first round with four consecutive pars (first round play was suspended due to dangerous weather Thursday night and resumed at 7:15 AM). After three more pars to start round two, Mackenzie reeled off nine birdies, and said he was in a zone after that.

“When things are going good, I kind of just get in a robot mode where I just kind of get my number and hit the shot,” said Mackenzie, who finished with a birdie on the ninth by hitting a pitching wedge to four feet. “I wasn’t thinking ‘oh, I need to get another one,’ it was a perfect number for a wedge.”

“I made a couple of birdies, and then I got it going on the back side,” added Mackenzie. “It’s nice to see the ball go in. I’ve hit it really well all year, and so far this is the best I’ve putted all year.”

One back of Mackenzie was Carney, who finished up his first round this morning with an 8-under 64, then returned to shoot 65 in his second round to sit 15-under. Christopher Ross, a PGA TOUR Canada rookie, was one shot further back, and briefly shared the course record with a 10-under 62 before Schnell’s 59 set the new mark.

“I had it going in the beginning and in the middle and then the end, so, yeah, it was a good day out there,” said the 27-year old Ross. “I kept playing to my strengths. There were a few par-5s I could have gone for, but just because I was hitting my wedges nicely and my putter is hot, I played to my strengths.”

Ross said he knows he’ll need to keep the pedal to the metal this weekend, with scores around him going well under par through two rounds.

“If you let up off the gas out here, you’re going to get lapped,” said Ross. “The greens are perfect, the fairways are perfect and the weather’s nice, so if you let up at all, you’re going to get passed. That was my mentality today.”