ORLANDO, Florida – Forty-four players earned PGA Tour Canada status at the first of three Qualifying Tournaments last week in Beaumont, Calif., with another field of 132 players looking to do the same this week in Orlando.

Once again, the 72-hole, no cut competition will see the top 18 players earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2014, with the rest of the top 40 plus ties earning conditional status. After an official practice round on Monday, the official competition gets underway April 15 and runs until the 18 at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Golf Resort.

Last week, University of Oregon alum Daniel Miernicki earned medalist honours and will look to join former teammate and All-American Eugene Wong as a winner on PGA Tour Canada this season.

Baddeck, N.S.’s Peter Campbell comes to Q-School this week hoping to build off strong play on the NEC Series – PGA Tour Latinoamérica, where he earned medalist honours at the Sebring Qualifying Tournament and recently posted a runner up finish at the Mundo Maya Open, the best-ever finish by a Canadian on that Tour. Campbell made three cuts on PGA Tour Canada in 2014, finishing tied for 21st at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial and sharing the first round lead at The Players Cup.

Nine members of PGA Tour Canada in 2013 are in the field this week, looking to regain status for the upcoming season. Among the notables are Evan Harmeling, who won the 2013 Massachusetts Open and donated the entire winner’s check to One Fund Boston in support of the Boston Marathon Bombings, as well as Big Break Indian Wells champion David Byrne of Windsor, Ont. Shelburne, Ont.’s David Markle, Texas’ Creighton Honeck and Toronto’s Matt and Mark Hoffman are also in the field.

A total of 26 Canadians from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba are in the field this week. They are:

BEAUMONT, Calif. –  Santee, California’s Daniel Miernicki fired a final round 64 at Oak Valley Golf Club on Friday to win medalist honours at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament.

Miernicki, a teammate of two-time PGA Tour Canada winner Eugene Wong at the University of Oregon, carded eight birdies and finished 15-under total to win by two over three players.

Forty-four players finished 1-over or better to earn status on PGA Tour Canada for 2014, with 18 players earning exempt status. Whittier, California’s J.P. Brown, Montgomery, Alabama’s Hunter Hamrick and Phoenix’s Devin Daniels all birdied the first hole of a six-way playoff to earn exempt status at 3-under par, while 1-over was the cutoff for conditional status.

Miernicki, who fired a 6-under 66 in round one, said he’s looking forward to playing in Canada this summer, especially alongside his old Ducks teammate.

“Planning a schedule when you don’t have status anywhere is tough, so to be able to look at 12 events and know you’ll be in is great,” said Miernicki, who along with Wong was named an All-American in 2012 and led Oregon to the semifinals of the NCAA tournaments. “Eugene and I had similar careers and we really pushed each other, so hopefully we can do the same in Canada. We had some really great teams.”

The 21-year old admitted he wasn’t full of confidence heading into Friday’s final round, but was able to get on a run and put together a bogey-free 64, the best round of the week at Oak Valley.

“I played absolutely horrible yesterday and I got it around somehow, so I was pretty nervous going into today,” said Miernicki. “I just kind of found something and made pretty much everything, so that helps. I’ve been playing pretty well this year, and to do it when it counts means a lot.”

Two shots behind Miernicki were Quebec City resident Aléxis Anghert, England’s Greg Eason and Longwood, Florida’s Sam Ryder, each at 13-under par.

Among the notables to earn exempt status were former NEC Series – PGA TOUR Latinoamérica winner Alan Wagner and Hunter Hamrick, a 3-time All-American at the University of Alabama.

Hamilton, Ont.’s Justin Kim shot a final round 73 to finish at even par for the tournament and earn conditional status for 2014. The former PGA Tour Canada member made one of four cuts in 2013 and will look to improve on a career-best finish of a tie for 57th at last year’s Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial.

BEAUMONT, Calif. – France’s Aléxis Anghert shot a 6-under 66 Thursday at Oak Valley Golf Club to take a one shot lead into the final round of PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament.

The 26-year old Quebec City resident will take a one shot advantage over England’s Greg Eason into the final round of the 72-hole competition that will see 18 players earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2014, with the rest of the top 40 plus ties earning conditional status. The cut-off through 54 holes for exempt status stands at 4-under par, while the number for conditional status stands at even par.

“I played really well the first nine holes,” said Anghert, who hit approaches to tap-in range on the first two holes of an opening-nine 32. “The putts didn’t go in on the back nine, but I was playing so good.” Anghert caught Eason, the 36-hole leader, after the first two holes and would card birdies on his 16^th and 17^th holes to take a one shot lead into Friday’s final round.

“It’s a long day and I was getting pretty tired, but I’m excited tomorrow. I’m in a good position to try and go for the win, which would be nice.”

Anghert, who moved to Quebec to play at Laval, is looking to join former Rouge et Or teammate Max Gilbert, who won the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial last season, on PGA Tour Canada. Sonny Michaud, another Laval grad who helped the team win the Canadian University/College Championship in 2012, shot a 2-under 70 to move into a tie for 40^th spot, in position to earn conditional status for 2014.

Anghert and Eason will play in the final threesome tomorrow along with Indiana native Seth Fair, who shot a 3-under 69 to sit 10-under overall. Anghert’s 66 was tied for the lowest round of the day with Little Rock, Arkansas’ Joe Doramus, who moved up 31 spots into a tie for 10^th.

Michaud and Hamilton, Ont.’s Justin Kim, who shot a 2-over 74 to sit tied for 32^nd at 1-under total, led the Canadian contingent of players in position to earn PGA Tour Canada status for this year.

BEAUMONT, Calif. – England’s Greg Eason carded a bogey-free round of 6-under 66 at Oak Valley Golf Club on Wednesday to take the lead by one at PGA Tour Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament.

The 21-year old University of Central Florida student, playing as an amateur this week, made six birdies to take a one stroke advantage over France’s Alexis Anghert and Peter Campbell of California with two rounds to go. Thirty-three players are under par through two rounds of the 72-hole competition that will see 18 players earn exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for 2014, with the rest of the top 40 plus ties earning conditional status.

Eason, who has seven individual collegiate wins at the University of Central Florida – including one this past weekend at the 3M Augusta Invitational – is looking to wrap up his NCAA career later this year, but not before attempting to secure status on PGA Tour Canada. Players can compete in Qualifying School as amateurs and defer joining as members until they turn professional.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t been to Tour School or anything like that before, so I’ve just tried to take it as it comes,” said Eason. “I’ve played some smart golf and luckily holed a few putts, so it’s mostly gone all right so far.”

Eason is looking to follow the footsteps of Josh Anderson in 2013 and Nate McCoy in 2012 as amateurs to earn status on PGA Tour Canada through Q-School, and said he’s looking forward to completing his last few weeks in college before taking on the professional ranks.

“I’ve still got finals in three weeks’ time,” said Eason.  “And then, conference championships and [NCAA] Regionals and Nationals, so there are a still a few weeks left. This Tour is a stepping stone Tour for the Web.com Tour, so hopefully this will be a nice step to go do something for the summer and see where this leads to. This is a lovely position to be in.”

One shot behind Eason are Anghert, the first round leader, and Campbell at 8-under. A group of three players – Charlie Winegardner, Clayton Rask and Seth Fair – are a shot further behind at 7-under. Hamilton, Ont.’s Justin Kim remained the low Canadian at 3-under after carding a 72, tied for 18th place.

BEAUMONT, Calif. – Alexis Anghert fired a 7-under 65 at Oak Valley Golf Club Tuesday to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of PGA Tour Canada’s California Q-School. Anghert, a native of Deauville, France who now resides in Quebec City, carded seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by two over four players through one round.

Thirty players finished under par for the first round of the 72-hole, no-cut tournament that will see 18 players earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2014, with the rest of the top-40 plus ties earning non-exempt status.

Anghert, a 26-year old Université Laval graduate, is looking to join fellow Quebecer and former Laval teammate Max Gilbert, who last year won the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial, on PGA Tour Canada this season.

“I played well today,” said Anghert. “Max and I travelled together all year long last year. We’ve been in Arizona to play the Gateway Tour. Hopefully I’ll get through this week, but if not I’ll get through the Monday Qualifiers in Canada.”

Anghert moved to Quebec to attend Laval and still makes his home there, and is one of a handful of players from Laval looking to join Gilbert in making a splash at the pro level. The Rouge et Or won the Canadian University/College Championship in 2010 and 2012, with Anghert and Gilbert’s former teammates Sonny Michaud and Clement Herviou also playing this week in California.

“It was a great experience to play there,” said Anghert of playing at Laval. “Our team would play in Florida in the winter and play some NCAA tournaments. We have some other boys from Quebec here this week, so it’s nice.”

One shot behind Anghert in second place was Daniel Miernicki, a teammate of two-time PGA Tour Canada winner Eugene Wong at the University of Oregon, with a 6-under par 66.

“I played well. I just kind of kept it in front me and made my share of putts too,” said Miernicki. “You just try to make a lot of easy pars and it should be good.”

Two shots behind Anghert at 5-under 67 were Argentina’s Alan Wagner, who played PGA Tour Canada in 2013, along with Cardiff, California’s Peter Campbell, Austin, Texas’s Trent Redfern and Brownsburg, Indiana’s Seth Fair. Hamilton, Ont.’s Justin Kim was low Canadian with a 3-under 68.

The 2014 PGA Tour Canada season gets underway this week with California Qualifying School taking place April 8-11 at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, Cali.

PGA Tour Canada returns to Oak Valley Golf Club, which has hosted numerous qualifying events and shared PGA Tour Canada Q-School with nearby Soboba Springs Golf Club in 2012. That Q-School produced 2012 winners Andrew Roque and Cory Renfrew, as well as 2013 The Five member Mark Hubbard. Oak Valley has also been a frequent host of PGA Tour and Web.com Tour Qualifying School.

This week’s field includes 11 Canadians, 105 Americans as well as players from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, England, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Venezuela and Wales. The 11 Canadians who will tee it up this week at Q-School in California are:

Rokhun Cho (Toronto); Jerry Christiansen (Saskatoon, Sask.); Jessey Church (Prince George, BC); Greg Doherty (Mississauga, Ont.); Grant Greenwood (Saskatoon); Clement Herviou (Quebec City); Andrew Ledger (Toronto); Kevin Liang (Markham, Ont.); Sonny Michaud (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.); Lindsay Reynolds (Christina Lake, BC); and Chang Wan Woo (Markham, Ont.)

This year’s Q-Schools will open up chances for more players to compete on PGA Tour Canada, with three separate Qualifying Tournaments allowing players to earn status for 2014. This week in California is the first of three 132-player fields, each offering 18 exempt cards and conditional status for the next 18 plus ties.

In addition to three Qualifying Tournaments, this year’s expanded schedule features 12 events from coast-to-coast, including new events in Vancouver, Ottawa and Thunder Bay. Once again, the top five players on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn status on the Web.com Tour, making the first step on the path to the PGA Tour.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – An elite field will compete at the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial in 2014, with the top 60 players on the Order of Merit through the season’s penultimate tournament gaining entry into the season-ending event.

The 12^th and final event on the PGA TOUR Canada schedule will see the culmination of the race for Web.com Tour status at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ont., with the event once again operated by Golf Canada. Only the top 60 players on the Order of Merit will be eligible, setting up an exciting race to the season’s final event.

“With the field consisting of the players most deserving of playing in our final event, the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial should be a thrilling finish to our season,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “The recently announced 12-event schedule allows us to make our season-ending event a marquee tournament for PGA TOUR Canada’s elite players, where every player will have something on the line in the race for Web.com Tour status.”

The top five players on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit earn Web.com Tour status for the following season, with players finishing in spots sixth through 10^th earning an exemption into the final stage and players finishing 11^th through 20^th  into the second stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School.

(Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra Beach, FL) – PGA TOUR Canada’s second season will include 12 $150,000 events in 2014, with the race for Web.com Tour status for The Five going coast-to-coast from May to September.

The season will begin with the PC Financial Open, a new event May 26th to June 1st at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver and conclude at the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial September 8th to 15th at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, Ont.

“Thanks to the tremendous support of our sponsors and the great work of our host organizations, we’ve been able to grow our schedule and develop an exciting presence of strong, established events and exciting new tournaments from coast-to-coast,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to building upon our successful first season in 2013 and making the 2014 season even bigger and better.”

After kicking off the season with PGA TOUR Canada’s first event in Vancouver, the Tour will head to Victoria, B.C. for the 32nd playing of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, June 2nd to 8th at Uplands Golf Club. Following an off week, the Tour will resume at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, June 16th through 22nd at Fort McMurray Golf Club in Fort McMurray, Alta.

The SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel will mark the first of three events in as many weeks, returning to Dakota Dunes Golf Links outside Saskatoon, June 30th to July 6th, followed by The Players Cup, July 7th through 13th at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg, and the inaugural Thunder Bay Golf Classic July 14th to 20th at Whitewater Golf Club in Thunder Bay, Ont., after which the top three players on the PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit will earn exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR.

The season will resume when the ATB Financial Classic moves to a new date, taking place July 28th through August 3rd at Sirocco Golf Club in Calgary. Players will then compete at the inaugural Forces and Families Open, a new event supporting the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families, August 4th through 10th at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa.

The 2014 season will make an exciting run to the finish with four events in four weeks, starting with The Great Waterway Classic at Loyalist Golf and Country Club just outside of Kingston, Ont. August 18th through 24th, followed by The Wildfire Invitational presented by PC Financial August 25th to 31st outside Peterborough, Ont., where the top 128 players on the Order of Merit will compete in a unique pro-am format. The Tour will then head east for the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial September 1st through 7th at The Lakes Golf Club outside Sydney, N.S.

The 2014 season will conclude by returning to Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ont. for the TOUR Championship of Canada presented by Freedom 55 Financial, taking place September 8th through 14th and concluding the race for The Five.

To view PGA TOUR Canada’s full 2014 schedule, click here.

(Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra, FL) – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School will take place at three separate sites next spring, heading to Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, California April 7-11, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club in Kissimmee, Florida April 14-18 and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia May 5-9.

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the three sites, with fields of 132 players maximum. The top 18 players at each site will earn exempt status for 2014, with players finishing 19th through 40th plus ties earning conditional status.

“With these three qualifying sites, the access and opportunity for players to earn status on PGA TOUR Canada has greatly increased,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “These qualifying tournaments should be extremely competitive and will enhance the level of competition in our second season. We look forward to seeing the next generation of players to make an impact on this Tour.”

Oak Valley, a 7,003-yard layout designed by Lee Schmidt, has hosted qualifying school for the PGA TOUR and will host the first week of qualifying April 7-11, while the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club, a Salamander Resort, is a 6,916-yard Jack Nicklaus design and will host qualifying the following week in Kissimmee, just outside Orlando.

The spring’s final qualifying tournament will take place at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia, part of a two-year deal that will see PGA TOUR Canada qualifying take place at Crown Isle in 2014 and at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, British Columbia in 2015. Crown Isle, a 7,025-yard Graham Cooke design, is located just minutes from Comox Valley Airport.

The application to enter PGA TOUR Canada qualifying will be posted to PGATOUR.com/Canada in the new year.

The full 2014 PGA TOUR Canada schedule will be announced at a future date.