TORONTO – Due to border restrictions, mandatory quarantines for those entering Canada and gathering restrictions in all provinces because of COVID-19, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced that it is canceling its 2020 season.

“With growing uncertainty surrounding the border and the 14-day quarantine regulations, among other factors, we’ve weighed all of our options and concluded that it is not feasible to play this summer,” said Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “With the safety of the communities we play in mind, as well as the well-being of our players, sponsors, tournament-organizing committees, volunteers and golf course staff, we came to the realization that this is the best decision for everyone involved.

“We also wanted to be considerate of our players and their desires to play golf,” Pritchard added. “Understanding the complexities that this pandemic has caused, we knew it wasn’t fair to leave our members in positions that might prevent them from pursuing other playing opportunities elsewhere while waiting to see what transpired in Canada.”

The 2020 season was set to be the Mackenzie Tour’s eighth, with 13 scheduled tournaments— the most in the Tour’s history.

“We had built a lot of momentum coming into this season, and we were excited to continue making a positive impact in the communities where we play, while also providing opportunities for our players to progress to the PGA TOUR,” continued Pritchard. “Our commitment to our tournaments and their local communities, as well as our players, is unwavering, and we’re going to use this time to come back stronger in 2021.”

The Tour has already sent Mackenzie Tour members information regarding eligibility for the 2021 season. Status for prior members will be based on Order of Merit results from the 2019 season, with the top-60 players exempt.

Meanwhile, players who earned status at the three-completed 2020 Qualifying Tournaments will retain status for the 2021 season, and those Qualifying Tournament entrants yet to compete will be guaranteed spots at a 2021 qualifying site.

TORONTO – Golf may be returning to Canada soon, but the nation’s professional golf tour is still waiting to see what happens next.

Scott Pritchard, executive director of the Mackenzie Tour, says that although golf courses are opening up on a province-by-province basis, until the border between the United States and Canada is reopened, the lower-tier pro circuit is on hold.

“When you consider that a large number of players that play on the Mackenzie Tour are based not only in the U.S. but also a significant number are international players, it brings some uncertainty in terms of what we’re going to be able to pull off this season,” said Pritchard, who added that there are several scenarios where the Mackenzie Tour will have tournaments in 2020.

“Until we have clarity not only about the border, but also the quarantine rules and what that’s going to look like, we’re just waiting.”

The Mackenzie Tour season was supposed to tee off on May 28 with the Canada Life Open at Seymour Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. But the Canada Life Open, and the next six events through to the Windsor Championship on July 16 at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont., have been postponed.

The top-flight PGA Tour is holding two charity events in May and a true resume of play is expected on June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The second-tier Korn Ferry Tour is scheduled to return on the same date with the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., but there’s no start date for the Mackenzie Tour just yet.

Pritchard says that’s an advantage, however.

“We feel well positioned, specifically in golf, to adhere to any of the policies and procedures (for COVID-19) in order to operate a safe event in a safe environment,” he said. “We’ll also have the best practices and key learnings from both the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour.

“We’ll be able to take a lot of the key learnings from those two events and implement them into our events at the appropriate time.”

Waiting for the Canadian border to reopen to non-essential travel is the biggest hurdle for the Mackenzie Tour, but there are other factors at play including regulations on quarantines, travel between provinces, and municipal regulations.

The City of Toronto’s decision to cancel all event permits for most of the summer was a nail in the coffin of the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open, which has been cancelled for the first time since the Second World War. Similarly, the Shaw Charity Classic, a Champions Tour event scheduled for late August, is also in danger after the City of Calgary cancelled all of its event permits up to Aug. 31.

Pritchard says the Mackenzie Tour has been in contact with all levels of government and continues to monitor the situation.

“We’re having all the right conversations, we’re not really getting any answers at this point (…) and that’s fine, it’s totally understandable,” said Pritchard. “We’ll just wait for our turn and, hopefully, we can pull something out.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida—Two of the PGA TOUR’s International Tours announced executive restructuring April 24, with Canadian Scott Pritchard elevated to the head of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, while previous Mackenzie Tour head Todd Rhinehart, who has been leading both the Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, will put all his focus and efforts on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

“During the last year, we have gone through a transition phase on both Tours due to the retirements of two experienced and long-time leaders in Jeff Monday in Canada and Jack Warfield in Latin America,” said the PGA TOUR’s Rob Ohno, Senior Vice President, International Tours. “It has also been an interesting two months as we’ve dealt with the COVID-19 issue that has affected the entire world. Scott has been such an asset in Canada, and we’ll benefit from Todd giving his full attention to issues in Latin America. With Scott and Todd at the top of this new structure, we feel both of these Tours are well-positioned to grow and continue to offer up-and-coming players strong places to play where they can further their careers once we start playing golf again. We have two outstanding leaders who will see that this happens.”

Pritchard has spent his entire career working in the golf industry. After graduating from the University of Ottawa, he worked for the PGA of Canada in a variety of roles, between 2003 and 2011. In April 2011, Pritchard accepted the position of Director of Business Development and Communications for the Canadian Tour. When the PGA TOUR established the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2012, the Tour’s first full season in 2013, Pritchard joined the new Tour as its Director, Tournament Business Affairs. In March 2017, Pritchard became the Tour’s Vice President, a position he held for a little more than three years.

“I am both excited and grateful for this opportunity to lead the Mackenzie Tour. I know what a great Tour it is, and so do our players, who have consistently used this Tour as their path to their ultimate goal, which is the PGA TOUR. To be a part of this and lead our dedicated team is truly an honor. There is much to do, I look forward to all the hard work ahead and appreciate what Todd did during his time in Canada and Jeff Monday before him,” Pritchard said.

In early 2019, Rhinehart took over the day-to-day operations of the Mackenzie Tour after Monday’s retirement and then temporarily added PGA TOUR Latinoamérica responsibilities upon Warfield’s retirement. Pritchard worked closely with Rhinehart as Rhinehart made the transition back to North America after living in Malaysia for the previous seven years as the PGA TOUR’s CIMB Classic Executive Director.

Said Ohno, “We can’t thank Todd enough for the heavy load he carried for a few months, leading and guiding both Tours, and I’m grateful that Scott comes into this new position extremely qualified, having handled so many different parts of the business and seeing the Tour operation from so many perspectives.

“We have been very impressed with Scott’s growth and achievements on the Mackenzie Tour over the years,” Ohno continued, “and nobody knows this Tour better than Scott. The passion he brings to work every day makes him a perfect fit to run the day-to-day operations of this Tour.”

Along with the seasons of all other International Federation of PGA Tour members, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pritchard and his team continue working on amended 2020 strategies and plan to unveil a new tournament schedule in the coming weeks.

TORONTO, ONT – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and Golf Ontario have reached a six-year agreement in partnership with Woodington Lake Golf Club to host and conduct the Ontario Open. The first tournament, an official tournament on the Tour’s 2020 schedule is set for Tottenham, Ontario, on August 24-30.

Debuting in 1923, the Ontario Open’s past champions include Sam Snead, along with Canadian golf legends Moe Norman, George Knudson and seven-time champion Nick Weslock. Following a 23-year hiatus, the event returned for its 63rd edition in 2019, an event won by Greg Eason, who five years earlier finished fifth on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit. Eason has 31 career Tour starts.

“The Ontario Open has a rich history in Canada, and the Mackenzie Tour is thrilled at the opportunity to be involved with such a storied event,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Vice President Scott Pritchard. “We’re looking forward to working alongside Golf Ontario and the team at Woodington Lake to deliver a world-class tournament.”

Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario’s Executive Director since 2015, played a large part in revitalizing the Ontario Open and says he is looking forward to adding to the legacy of the event with the Mackenzie Tour’s involvement.

“The Ontario Open is steeped in tradition and history and has a long list of distinguished winners,” said Kelly. “We were thrilled to bring back the Ontario Open in 2019 to Woodington Lake Golf Club and equally thrilled with the success of the event.

“To now join forces and take the event to the next level with The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is an exciting time for Golf Ontario, and we believe this will be one of the marquee events on Tour this year,” continued Kelly.

Hosting the 156-player tournament is the Legend Course at Woodington Lakes Golf Club, a 36-hole facility north of Toronto. Measuring more than 7,000 yards, the Legend Course opened in 1995 and covers 200 acres of rolling terrain.

“Woodington Lake is truly a special piece of property, and the Ontario Open was a huge success in 2019,” said John Chetti, General Manager of Woodington Lake. “Our Legend course is a great test of golf, having some of the best golfers in the world tackle it is special for all of us at Woodington Lake and we look forward to hosting an extraordinary event.”

Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario’s Director of Golf Services, will serve as Tournament Director of the event. In addition to his experience with Golf Ontario, Loughry was also Golf Canada’s Director of Handicap and Course Rating and was the International Association of Golf Administrators President in 2017.

“We’re very excited about this announcement and the future of the Ontario Open, as well as our partnership with Woodington Lake Golf Club and the Mackenzie Tour,” said Loughry “We are already well down the road to planning some special activities around the event and look forward to unveiling some of those over the next few months.”

The tournament also announced today that the Golf Canada Foundation (GCF) will be the Ontario Open’s official charity recipient.

“The Golf Canada Foundation’s contributions to the game of golf and young golfers fit right in line with Golf Ontario’s mission to shape lives by leading, creating and promoting positive golf experiences,” said Loughry. “We’re delighted to partner and financially support the GCF and its mandate.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Golf Ontario and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada as the official charity of the Ontario Open,” said Martin Barnard, the CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “The event will drive tremendous awareness and fund programs critical to getting more kids playing golf in Ontario.”

The full 2020 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

Never afraid to try something new, Team Canada alumnus Blair Hamilton decided to attend a 10-day silent retreat in Southern Alberta this past off-season to improve his mental game.

The talkative Hamilton found the experience challenging but rewarding. Communication among the 70 students living at the Vipassana centre was forbidden, with long days focused solely on how to clear the mind.

“The first bell goes at 4:30 in the morning, you meditate from 4:30 to 6:30, then you break down for breakfast,” said Hamilton on Tuesday after completing the first round of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s qualifying tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. “Then you’re meditating in different sessions, but pretty much constantly until lunch, and then you meditate from, I think it’s 2:30 until 9 p.m. and it’s all guided meditation,

“The whole purpose of this is to teach you to observe the things that come into your mind and not react to them and disassociate from your ego. Your ego by definition would be a false sense of self, whether it’s telling you that you’re super good or super bad. You know, that’s just the thing in your mind.”

Attending the silent retreat came at the suggestion of his mentor Kaz Hashimoto, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is the co-founder of Pink Zulu Labs. Hashimoto and Hamilton first connected last season when the 26-year-old golfer reached out to a variety of leading figures in different industries – including Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield – to pick their brains on how they excelled in their field.

Hashimoto and mental performance coach Paul Dewland are helping Hamilton improve his psychology because he believes that’s what separates golf’s very best players from the rest of the pro ranks.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 31: Blair Hamilton of Canada plays his shot from the 16th tee during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 31, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“If you were to line up a guy on the Mackenzie Tour, PGA Tour China, PGA Tour Latinoamerica, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour on the range and you’re watching them hit and you just brought in a random person and said, ‘Tell me who’s on which tour,’ they wouldn’t be able to say,” said Hamilton. “Everyone at the level can hit the golf ball, no problem, but it’s the very little mini things that make all the difference.

“If you can save half a shot a round that’s two shots on the total tournament. I mean, that’s the difference of finishing, you know, seventh or third or third and first.”

Hamilton, from Burlington, Ont., is joined at this week’s PGA Tour Latinoamerica qualifying event by fellow Canadians Zahidali Nathu of Richmond, B.C., Matthew Shubley of Oshawa, Ont., Mathew Iceton of Brooklin, Ont.. and Vancouver’s Trevor Yu.

After hopefully qualifying for the Latinoamerica circuit for the third consecutive year, Hamilton plans to do some mini tour events in Florida and some qualifiers for the Korn Ferry Tour’s events in Colombia, and Panama.

If Hamilton does qualify for the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, then it will be down to South America, playing golf and keeping up with a hectic travel schedule that is akin to crisscrossing Canada on a weekly basis.

“We spend quite a bit of time down in Argentina which, you know, a direct flight from Toronto’s about 11 or 12 hours,” said Hamilton, who is currently based in South Florida. “We’ll be going to Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia all over the continent down there.

“It’s not uncommon to have a five-hour flight between events, which is like flying Toronto to Vancouver.”

One of the highlights of his time playing golf in South America is his unlikely friendship with caddy Leandro Ferreyra.

Hamilton was competing in a tournament in Cordoba, Argentina, and Ferreyra was caddying for one of the other golfers in his group. Afterwards, the pair connected on Instagram and Hamilton asked Ferreyra if he wanted to be his caddy at another event in Argentina.

Since then, they’ve teamed up at five or six events and have become close friends.

“I find that people in Latin America, they’re quite loyal. They’re loyal friends and when they care about you, they truly care about you,” said Hamilton. “His family always sends me messages, just checking in and stuff like that. You build friendships like that.

“Who would have thought that me and Leandro, this guy that’s 40 years old from Cordoba, Argentina, would become close friends? Golf’s kinda funny that way.”

TORONTO — The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is busy preparing for another strong season, announcing Thursday the dates and sites for its six 2020 Qualifying Tournaments, events that help determine the Mackenzie Tour membership.

The six sites will be Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla. (March 3-6); Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Highland Oaks in Dothan, Ala., (March 10-13); Soboba Springs Golf Resort in San Jacinto, Calif. (March 24-27); Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz. (March 31-April 3); TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (April 14-17); and Crown Isle Resort & Golf Club in Courtenay, BC (April 28-May 1).

Each event is a 72-hole, stroke-play, no-cut tournament, with fields of 132 players. An overflow site (TPC San Antonio) will be available if the Tour can’t accommodate a significant number of applicants among other qualifying sites. In the event that all sites exceed their capacities at the entry deadline, and when 78 or more applicants have not been assigned to a site in the lottery process, applicants may be eligible to compete at the overflow site. Having this San Antonio location to accommodate additional applicants will provide the flexibility to conduct a seventh Qualifying Tournament.

“In order to capture ongoing demand, every effort has been made to provide applicants with an opportunity to earn membership to the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Vice President and Managing Director Todd Rhinehart. “Having made adjustments to the registration process and qualifying competition procedures, we have made every effort to accommodate applicants who wish to begin their journey to the PGA TOUR on an equitable basis.”

Registration will open on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at noon EST.

“So many players have come to our Qualifying Tournaments through the years, and not long afterward we see them playing on the Korn Ferry Tour. From there, they go to the PGA TOUR. It’s at the qualifiers where it all begins for many players as they embark on their pro careers,” Rhinehart added. “I’m constantly amazed at the players who come to play on this Tour. Our roster is deep with talent, and it’s at the Qualifying Tournament where we often see them for the first time. We will continue to welcome the best, up-and-coming players from across the globe and then watch them as they eventually progress to the biggest stages in professional golf.”

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is new to the Mackenzie Tour Qualifying Tournament rotation, while the other five sites have all hosted tournaments in the past. This is the second time Mission Inn and Soboba Springs have held qualifiers, while Wigwam Golf Club and TPC Sawgrass are hosting for the third time. Crown Isle Resort is a host for a seventh time.

In 2019, England’s David Wicks captured medalist honours at the year’s first Qualifying Tournament, while Americans John Coultas, Will Gordon, Jake Knapp, Chase Parker and Andrew McCain medaled at the other five sites.

LONDON, Ont. — From start to finish, Paul Barjon was the top player on the 2019 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, and it showed in the final Order of Merit standings as Barjon finished atop the earnings’ chart as the season came to a close September 15. With his tie-for-27th finish at the season-ending Canada Life Championship, Barjon, who entered the week in the No. 1 spot, held on to edge Canadian Taylor Pendrith by $2,746 to win the Player of the Year Award that goes to the Order of Merit winner. Barjon pocketed $127,336 in his 12 starts to Pendrith’s $124,590. With the No. 1 final position secured, Barjon becomes fully exempt on the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour, while Pendrith will be conditionally exempt next season as he remained No. 2 in the standings by tying for 11th this week.

After Barjon and Pendrith, the third-, fourth- and fifth-place Order of Merit finishers were Americans Jake Knapp, Lorens Chan and Patrick Fishburn, respectively. The players received their membership cards during a ceremony following the end of play Sunday at Highland Country Club.

Barjon, a native of Dumbea, New Caldenoia, who graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, completed his third full Mackenzie Tour season by enjoying his best campaign as a professional. Barjon also played the Tour 2016 and 2018, and Sunday’s tournament was his 36th career start.

Fully exempt when the season began, Barjon finished sixth at the season-opening Canada Life Open then won the following week, in Victoria, at the Bayview Place DCBank Open. He followed that with a second win, capturing the Osprey Valley Open outside Toronto in July. In his 12 tournaments, Barjon had eight top-10s and didn’t miss a cut.

“Finishing No. 1 was obviously the target at the beginning of the year. Whether I could do it or not was definitely a question mark. You always want to be the first guy, but it’s hard to put that into your mind that you can do it,” said Barjon after receiving his Player of the Year trophy. “I wish I had played better this week, but it was a great experience to play as No. 1 throughout the week and still a great accomplishment to finish first and get full Korn Ferry Tour status for next year.”

“It was quite a battle for Order of Merit supremacy and Player of the Year honors. We had so many twists and turns all week, and Paul is an impressive winner and someone we know will represent the Mackenzie Tour well as he moves on in his professional career,” said Todd Rhinehart, Mackenzie Tour Vice President and Managing Director. “Paul started his year in impressive fashion and never slowed down. To have as many consecutive under-par rounds as he did is a testament to not only his talent but his consistency throughout the year. We congratulate Paul on this tremendous accomplishment and look forward to watching him next season on the Korn Ferry Tour.”

The players who finished the sixth-through-10th positions on the final Order of Merit are exempt into the finals of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament in Winter Garden, Fla., outside Orlando. That 72-hole tournament is December 12-15. The five Mackenzie Tour players exempt into that tournament, hoping to secure Korn Ferry Tour status via that route, are Hayden Buckley (No. 6), David Pastore (No. 7), Dawson Armstrong (No. 8), Greyson Sigg (No. 9) and Jonathan Garrick (No. 10).

The 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season, the 31st in its history, starts in mid-January, the full schedule still to be announced.

Beginning in 2013, the Korn Ferry Tour became The Path to the PGA TOUR by awarding all 50 membership cards to Korn Ferry Tour players for the following PGA TOUR season. Players can initially qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour through the Qualifying Tournament and by securing top-five Order of Merit finishes on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Series-China. The Mackenzie Tour sent its first five players to the Korn Ferry Tour following its inaugural season in 2013. They were Mackenzie Hughes (Canada), Riley Wheeldon (Canada), Mark Hubbard (U.S.), Hugo Leon (Chile) and Wil Collins (U.S.).

Final 2019 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit Top 10

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. –  The PGA TOUR’s three international tours—PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China—will use a points-based system for its Orders of Merit, starting in 2020, the three Tours announced September 11. This will align these three Tours with the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour, which are both using points to measure players’ success. PGA TOUR Champions uses money earned by players for its regular season standings and then switches to a points-based standard when the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs begin.

The three international Tours are moving to this modified, consistent points system to assist fans and help avoid confusion with currencies used in the current Orders of Merit. Since their inceptions, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica has based its Order of Merit on the U.S. dollar, while the Mackenzie Tour has employed the Canadian dollar and PGA TOUR Series-China recognized the Chinese yuan.

“There has always been a bit of confusion among the three Tours regarding currency and the Orders of Merit, or money lists. This new format will streamline what we’re doing across the board and make it easier for fans to track player progress in a simple-to-understand way,” said Rob Ohno, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President, International Tours. “In 2020, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica will be the first international Tour to start its season and debut the points system, and the other two tours will follow once their seasons begin.”

With the launch of the FedExCup in 2007, the PGA TOUR moved to a points-based system. The TOUR’s sole focus is on points as players vie to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and battle to win the FedExCup. In 2019, the 30th year of Korn Ferry Tour, the Tour changed to a points-based system, with PGA TOUR Series-China veteran Xinjun Zhang winning the regular season points title (1,962 points) and Scottie Scheffler winning the three-tournament Finals points title (1,267 points). Both players will be PGA TOUR members in 2019-20.

In 2020, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Series-China tournament winners will receive 500 points each, and an enhanced 600 points will go to the winners at the season-ending tournaments for all three Tours.

“We’re very excited for this new method. It will provide a uniformity among our Tours and give our fans a new way of easily tracking their favorite players on whichever Tour they are following,” Ohno continued. “After 13 successful years using FedExCup points on the PGA TOUR and an extremely positive debut using points on the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour, it convinces us even more that this change is the correct way to go.”

Only professionals playing in tournaments will be eligible to receive points as amateurs are not able to earn official money or points. When amateurs do make the cut at a tournament, those available points will be vacated and not distributed to remaining professionals.

In the event of ties—an inevitability at any tournament—points will be distributed to those players using the same method currently employed to distribute prize money—each tying position averaged and distributed evenly to each player in that tying position.

This is how the points will be distributed among the top-15 players at a given tournament (ties excluded):

MONTRÉAL, Québec — Entering the final round of the Mackenzie Investments Open with a five-stroke cushion over Kyle Mueller, Taylor Pendrith made the turn on Sunday at Elm Ridge Country Club and the mood shifted from ‘will he do it?’ to ‘how many will he do it by?’

In the end, Pendrith tapped in for par on the final hole to shoot a bogey-free 67, giving him an eight-stroke victory and his second Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR title of the season and his career.

“It was definitely the best week of tournament golf I have ever played,” said Pendrith, who moved to second on the Order of Merit with the win. “I honestly don’t remember playing from the rough on the weekend, maybe once or twice, but my wedge game was dialled in, especially today.

“I kept my head down all day,” added Pendrith. “I figured I was leading but never knew by how much. I was debating hitting iron on No. 17, it’s a tough tee ball, but I decided to hit driver because it was downwind and I hit 8-iron on the green and made a two-putt birdie. After that I knew I was going to win.”

Pendrith’s commanding performance broke the Mackenzie Tour’s relative-to-par scoring record, previously held by Corey Pereira, who shot 26-under at last year’s ATB Financial Classic in Calgary.

#TeamCanada’s @TaylorPendrith putts out to win at 28 under, the lowest score ever in @PGATOURCanada history ??? pic.twitter.com/eTwVUOfmGq

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) September 8, 2019

“That was definitely the most under par I’ve ever been over four days,” said the 28-year old. “It was a great field out here and there are so many players who could compete on the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA TOUR, but to win by eight feels really good.”

With the eight-stroke victory, Pendrith matched the largest margin of victory in Mackenzie Tour history, a feat previously accomplished by Lee McCoy at the 2017 Canada Life Open and Hank Lebioda at the 2017 Mackenzie Investments Open.

“This just gives me tons of confidence,” said the Richmond Hill, Ontario native. “My game is really sharp right now, so If I can continue playing the way I have been then I have no doubt I will have a chance to win on the Korn Ferry Tour next year.”

The win adds an extra layer of excitement to an already compelling season-ending Canada Life Championship. While, historically, the Player of the Year Award and full Korn Ferry Tour exemption has been decided before the final event of the season, the top spot is still very much up for grabs.

“To be fully exempt on the Korn Ferry Tour next season would be a big relief,” said Pendrith, who sits just over $5,000 behind Order of Merit leader Paul Barjon “There’s still work to do next week in London, I know it’s super close, there’s three or four guys who could do it, so there’s a lot of pressure but it’s just golf and I’ll go make as many birdies as possible and see how it ends up.”

Pendrith, who has never shot a round higher than 68 in eight rounds at Highland Country Club, says it is his favourite course on the Mackenzie Tour.

“I love that place and I’ve played well there before,” said Pendrith. “My game is in a good spot right now, so hopefully I can keep the momentum going,” added Pendrith who’s best finish at the Canada Life Championship is a tie for 8^th in 2015.

With the victory, Pendrith not only picked up his sixth Canada Life Canadian Player of Week award of the season, but also locked up the Canada Life Canadian Player of the Year award and will be recognized at the conclusion of the Canada Life Championship. This will be Pendrith’s second Canada Life Player of the year award after claiming the Dan Halldorson trophy in 2015 while finishing second on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit.

MONTRÉAL, Québec — On Friday at the Mackenzie Investments Open, Taylor Pendrith was the only player to shoot 62 at Elm Ridge Country Club.

On Saturday, Pendrith matched Friday’s round with his second-consecutive 62 and was again the only player to shoot 62 at Elm Ridge Country Club.

In what he calls a “very similar round” to Friday, which included nine birdies, one eagle and a bogey, Pendrith, who entered the day tied for the lead, separated himself from the field and heads into Sunday with a five-stroke cushion over Kyle Mueller.

“It’s always hard to back up a really low round with another low one,” said Pendrith, who has shot 62 four times in his past four tournaments. “I feel really good and I’m hitting it great off the tee and taking advantage of having a lot of wedges in. Everything went my way today.”

Getting off to a hot start, Pendrith opened with four birdies in his first five holes, quickly jumping two-strokes ahead of Mueller.

“Everybody in our group played well,” said Pendrith. “Kyle (Mueller) and I both shot 4-under on the front and then after I made birdie on No. 11, I kind of just took off.”

After back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, Pendrith made par on Nos. 15 and 16 before hitting his second shot on the par-5 17^th to 20 feet.

Watching Mueller drain a 30-foot putt on the same line, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native confidently did the same before closing his round out with a birdie on the final hole.

“The course is awesome, and I was able to hit a ton of fairways,” said the 28-year old Pendrith. “I was able to hit the ball close today and made some putts.”

Pendrith is seeking his second win of the Mackenzie Tour season, a win that would likely catapult him into the second position on the Order of Merit and give him a chance to become just the second Canadian to win Mackenzie Tour Player of the Year honours.

A win on Sunday would come in a different fashion than his maiden victory at the 1932byBateman Open in Edmonton a month ago, where he shot a course-record 63 on Sunday to erase a four-stroke deficit.

“I’m just going out there and playing golf,” said Pendrith, who managed the lowest back-to-back rounds on the Mackenzie Tour since Zach Wrights 62-61 start at the 2018 Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open. “Having the lead is nice, but I’m going to go play aggressive, I always have. I’m a pretty aggressive player and I’ll try to make as many birdies as possible and see how we do at the end.”

14 strokes ahead of fellow Canadian James Allenby, Taylor Pendrith is primed to earn his sixth Canada Life Canadian Player of the Year award of the season.