Abbotsford, BC's Nick Taylor Carded An 8-under 63 To Take The First Round Lead In The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - File Image

By Alfie Lau

In a place where the pre-tournament storylines were all about Peyton and Eli Manning playing together and six possible NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks playing (Eli, Peyton, Matt Ryan, Steve Young, Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo), Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor went out, in relative anonymity on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, to shoot a (-8) round of 63 on the par-71 track to take a two-shot lead after round 1 of the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Taylor started the day in a dream fashion, making eagle on the par-5 18th hole. His perfect day would continue with birdies at 15, 16, 1, 2 and then his final two holes, at 8 and 9. Taylor leads Patrick Cantlay and Chase Seiffert by two strokes. (Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill each have a par of 72, so while Cantlay (Spy) and Seiffert (Pebble) both shot 66, they are at (-6).

Abbotsford's Nick Tayler, Seen Here Teeing Off In A Vancouver Golf Tour Event At His Home Course Ledgeview, Is Leading By One Going Into The Final Round Of The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am - VGT Photo

By Alfie Lau

Nick Taylor has never played a round of golf with Phil Mickelson. On Sunday, at Pebble Beach, that will change, as Taylor tries to hold off the defending champion who is trying to add a sixth title at Pebble Beach.
“I’m sure I won’t be the crowd favourite,” said Taylor. “I just have to keep my head down, do my thing and keep playing, because I’ve been playing well.”

Taylor will be trying to win his second PGA TOUR event, with his lone victory at Sanderson Farms six years ago a distant memory. He’ll also be trying to go wire-to-wire, which won’t be easy, because chasing him is the Prince of Pebble Beach, an overwhelming fan favourite who shot a (-5) round of 67 to get to (-16) to pull within a stroke of Taylor, who shot a (-3) round of 69 at Spyglass Hill to get to (-17).

 by Alfie Lau, Inside Golf - The present and future of Canadian golf converged on Wednesday afternoon at Point Grey Golf & Country Club.

Courtesy Fraser Mulholland, VGT Commissioner

Taylor Ends 5-Year Drought For Canadians Winning On PGA TOUR

The enormity of his win on the PGA TOUR may not have sunk in yet for 26-year old Abbotsford Pro Nick Taylor, but it won’t take long, believe me.

With his win, the 10-time winner on the Vancouver Golf Tour was the first Canadian-born winner on the PGA TOUR since 2007 when Mike Weir won at the Frys.com Open.

Yes, Canada has had quite a drought.

Submitted by Brad Ziemer,  Nov 14, 2017

Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor is in the field for this week’s RSM Classic, the finale of the PGA Tour’s fall season full-field schedule. Ontario’s Mackenzie Hughes is defending champion at the Sea Island, Ga., event.

Taylor missed the cut last week in Mexico, but has had a nice fall season with one top 10 and another top-15 finish. He enters the RSM Classic 29th on the FedEx Cup points list.

2023 RBC Canadian Open Champion Nick Taylor Reacts To His Dramatic 72-Foot Eagle Putt Dropping In For The Win - Image Credit Bernard Brault/Golf Canada

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

To that list of great Canadian sporting moments, we can add three words: Nick Taylor’s putt.

Yes, that 72-footer for eagle that won the 35-year-old Abbotsford product the RBC Canadian Open on the fourth extra hole Sunday will be discussed in the same breath as Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run and Mike Weir’s Masters win of 20 years ago. It was that big.

And no longer will we have to listen to that phrase that has been repeated ad nauseam for decades. You know the one, about no Canadian having won the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Megan Osland Is One Of Two BC Players From Kelowna, Along With Samantha Richdale, Who Will Tee It Up In The Final Stage Of LPGA Tour Q-School This Week - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada with files from the LPGA Tour

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The LPGA Tour will host the Final Stage of its Qualifying Tournament this week (November 30 – December 4), where nine Canadians will be among the 157 player-field competing for 20 full LPGA Tour cards and 25 partial cards.

The ladies will alternate over the first four rounds between the Jones and Hills courses at LPGA International. There will be a cut to the top 70 and ties after the fourth round. The final-round will be contested on the Hills course. Play will begin at 8 a.m. all five days.

With three rounds comes no cut and a guaranteed pay cheque for teeing it up...

Abbotsford, BC's Nick Taylor Carded A Respectable 1-under 71 On The More Difficult South Course At Torrey Pines In Round One Of The Farmers Insurance Open - File Photo

By Alfie Lau

Is this the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open or the 5th round of the 60th Anniversary Desert Classic?

Torrey Pines North and South would presumably be tougher courses than the three courses in Palm Springs used for last week’s PGA Tour stop, but take a look at the first-round scores, particularly from the North Course, and you would be hard pressed to notice the difference.

While Phil Mickelson shot a 60 in his opening round last week, this week in San Diego, Jon Rahm shot 62, Justin Rose and Doug Ghim both shot 63, C.T. Pan shot 64 and Jordan Spieth shot 65, all on the North Course.

Torrey Pines North, traditionally three or four strokes easier than the brutish South Course, played to that on a Thursday where there was no wind, the greens and fairways were softened by torrential rains last week, and new rules allowing players to tap down spike marks and other damage provided the most optimal scoring conditions.

Eugene Wong Has Played His Way Onto The Web.com Tour For 2016 After A Top Five OOM Finish On The PGA TOUR China In 2015 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

DONGGUAN, China (December 6)—North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong finished fifth on the 2015 Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series’ Order of Merit, a position that earned him membership on the 2016 Web.com Tour. Wong's fellow British Columbian, Justin Shin from Maple Ride, slipped to 6th spot on the OOM, narrowly missing his ticket to the next level. 

Besides Wong other players moving to the Web.com Tour are Australia’s Bryden Macpherson, New Zealand’s Josh Geary and China’s Xinjun Zhang and Zecheng Dou. The players received their membership cards during a ceremony following the final event of the season, the Capital Airlines – HNA Real Estate Championship.

Two-Time Marine Drive Club Champion Taylor Durham Shot 5-under 65 To Win The Regional Qualifier at Ledgeview Golf Club - Image Credit Golf Canada/Twitter

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD — When it comes to his golf, Taylor Durham has always been something of a late bloomer.

He wasn’t quite good enough in high school to get an opportunity to compete collegiately, but Durham’s passion for the game kept him playing and he got better. A lot better.

It Was A Very Canadian Atomosphere On Day Two At The WM Phoenix Open - Image Credit Shayain Gustavsp

Editor's Note:This week, BC's Golf contributor, Shayain Gustavsp ('Coach Shayain' to many of her students and social media followers), has flown south to take in the very unique spectacle that is the WM Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Shayain will be posting daily observations from the 'Greatest Show on Grass' offering a wide-eyed Canadian's perspective on both the golf and the party-like atomosphere that surrounds the TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course.

By Shayain Gustavsp (Special To BC Golf)

Stepping into the grounds of the WM Phoenix Open on a bustling Friday felt like a Canadian reunion in the heart of Arizona. With an estimated 115,000 attendees, it seemed as though a sea of Canadian accents and cheerful 'eh's filled the air, creating a familiar echo amidst the desert landscape.

From New Brunswick to Vancouver, the Canadian spirit was unmistakable, proudly donned in attire that ranged from nostalgic Vancouver Grizzlies jackets to the vibrant hues of a bachelor party from North Vancouver.

Michelle Liu Holds The BC Women's Amateur Trophy At Age 13 - BC Golf Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

She isn’t exactly all grown up quite yet, but Vancouver’s Michelle Liu is feeling like she’s much better prepared for her second appearance at the CP Women’s Open.

Three years ago as a 12-year-old, Liu made headlines when she became the youngest player to tee it up in a Canadian LPGA Tour event.

She has some great memories of that tournament, held at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., but she also remembers being somewhat overwhelmed by the length of the course. Physically, she wasn’t quite ready to handle it.

Oliver Tubb (left) And Philip Jonas Claim 2016 PGA of BC Championships At Kamloops Golf & Country Club - Image Courtesy PGA of BC

Oliver Tubb Becomes 2-Time PGA Of BC Assistants' Championship

Phil Jonas Successfully Defends PGA Of BC Seniors' Champion Title

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 7, 2016 - Kamloops, B.C. (PGA of BC) - In a final round that saw several players in contention for the FlightScope PGA of BC Assistants' Championship presented by My Turn Health & Fitness Equipment Inc. at Kamloops Golf & Country Club, Oliver Tubb (University Golf Club) finished atop the leaderboard, earning the PGA of BC Assistants' Champion title for the second time in three years.

Sophomore Jacqueline Bendrick Will Be The Lone Woman To Tee It Up In The Field Of 156 Players In The Inaugural GolfBC Championship At Gallagher's Canyon Next Week

155 Men And One Woman To Tee It Up At GolfBC Championship - Jacqueline Bendrick Awarded One Of Eight Sponsor’s Exemptions Into Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Event

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

The inaugural GolfBC Championship will have the usual 156-player field when it begins Thursday at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club in Kelowna.

Actually, there will be one notable difference. When the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada makes its Okanagan debut, 155 men and one woman will be teeing it up.

Jacqueline Bendrick, a 20-year-old collegiate player from Mercer Island, Wash., has been granted a sponsor’s exemption into the $175,000 event. She will be the first woman to play in a Mackenzie Tour event since the PGA TOUR began running what was formerly the Canadian Tour back in 2013.

image courtesy Boeing Classic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE, Aug. 23, 2017 – The list of 78 PGA TOUR Champions golfers who will compete in the 13th annual Boeing Classic Aug. 21-27 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge for a $2.1 million purse has been finalized and adds up to being one of the most impressive fields of legendary golfers to ever play in the Pacific Northwest.

“This field of PGA Champions Tour Players is truly amazing and we’re thrilled that golf fans in the Seattle area will get an up-close opportunity to see the very best led by Seattle’s hometown favorite Fred Couples,” said Boeing Classic Executive Director Brian Flajole.

“This field is truly a collection of the who’s who of legendary golfers, which will make for a very exciting and competitive week of world-class golf on a great course with breathtaking views.”

Quebec's Laurent Hurtubise Celebrates His Hole-In-One At The PGA TOUR's American Express

BY SEAN PREVIL GLOBAL NEWS

A one-armed Canadian amateur golfer left many pros impressed after he shot (sic) a hole-in-one during a PGA Tour event on Thursday.

Laurent Hurtubise of Quebec was playing as an amateur and made the 151-yard shot on the par-3 fourth hole in the Tour’s American Express 2020, during the tournament’s opening round.

Hurtubise was born with one arm, which ends just below the elbow, and started playing golf at age 11.

He told the Desert Sun in 2018 that he got into sports as a way to fit in with other kids in his small town outside of Montreal.

“As a kid, sports was a way for me to prove that even though I had a difference, that I could perform as well as normal people — as they call them,” he said. “People have differences and handicaps and whatever, but it was my way to prove that I could be as good as everybody else.”

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Oregon's Nick Sherwood Is The 2018 Vancouver Open Champion - Image Credit VGT

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Nick Sherwood made it more difficult than it needed to be, but he still managed to win the Vancouver Open. The 27-year-old from Oregon arrived at the 18th tee with a four-shot lead in the final round of the Vancouver Golf Tour’s flagship event Sunday at Fraserview Golf Course. He hung on to win by a single shot over Richmond amateur Chris Crisologo.

“That was more drama than what I was looking for,” a relieved Sherwood said. “If I was a spectator that would have been fun to watch, but for me it was more nerve-wracking. I got it done, luckily.”

Announcement Means Slight 2018 Schedule Adjustment

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced today that its newly created Osprey Valley Open, the first Greater Toronto Area-based tournament in Mackenzie Tour history, will be played July 19-22 at Osprey Valley Golf Course in Caledon, Ontario.

In conjunction with the addition of this tournament to the 2018 schedule, the Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval is moving to a previously open date on the schedule, September 6-9, at Elm Ridge Country Club in L'Île-Bizard, Quebec.

Osprey Valley is a 54-hole facility, featuring three courses all designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Doug Carrick — the Hoot, the Heathlands and the Toot courses. The Osprey Valley Open will be held at the Toot Course, a parkland-style layout that features rolling fairways, large landing areas and undulating greens.

Saskatchewan's Graham DeLaet Poses With The Kids At The 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Junior Clinic for Kids - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

VICTORIA, B.C. – Tournament Organizers have announced that the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship Junior Clinic for Kids will take place on Saturday, September 16, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The clinic will be held at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa — the site of the PGA TOUR Champions event, and will be hosted by one of the PGA TOUR Champions players competing in the tournament.