David Rose and Jamie Sadlowski

By Jeff Sutherland / Press Release

BC's David Rose and Alberta's Jamie Sadlowski have secured early season playing status for the Mackenzie PGA Tour Canada campaign.

At the 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada West #2 qualifier held at the Wigwam Resort’s Gold Course, West Vancouver's David Rose finished 4th (68-71-71-72 – 282 (-6)) and will be exempt for first eight events and subject to second re-shuffle.

Jamie Sadlowski (St. Paul, AB), the two-time World Long Drive champion, finished T9 and will be exempt for the Tour's first four stops. His Q-School experience was a bit of a roller coaster. He opened with a 3-over-par 75, followed with a 5-under-par 67 and then posted another 3-over-par 75. However, he closed out the event with another 5-under-par 67 on Friday under sunny and very warm temps with highs in the low-90s and light winds.

With the conclusion of the third of five Mackenzie Tour Q-Schools, two more remain on the schedule. The fourth will be staged at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, FL from April 24-27 followed by the fifth at Crown Isle Resort Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC from May 1-4. The season kicks off May 31-June 3 with the Freedom 55 Financial Open at the Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

FOR MORE, CLICK HERE ...

One Of The Great 'Fun' Traditions Of The Masters Is When The Players Take A Crack At Skipping The Ball Across The Water That Fronts The 16th Hole. Many Actually Put It Very Close - Image Credit Jeff Sutherland

Inside Golf Publisher Jeff Sutherland captured the unique sights at Augusta National in an entrancing pictorial from this year's 'Monday at the Masters'.

Experience the 'Heaven on Earth' piece of property that is the Augusta National Golf Club as it prepares to host the 82nd edition of golf's first major of the year, the Masters. 

Enjoy.

LPGA Legends Including BC's Gail Graham (Inset) And PEI's Lorie Kane Will Be In The Field For The Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup - Images Courtesy The Legends Tour

Attention Female Amateur Golfers: Tee it up in the White Horse Women's Team Scramble on June 6, 2018 and if your group posts the lowest gross or net team score YOUR TWO-WOMAN TEAM will tee it up with an LPGA Legend in the Legends Cup Pro-Am on Friday, June 8.

The Suquamish Clearwater Legends Cup is a two-day Legends Tour event featuring 30 Legends of the LPGA to be played at White Horse Golf Club in Kingston, WA on Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10, 2018.

The 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Schedule Kicks Off With The Freedom 55 Financial Open At Point Grey G&CC Where Last Year Richmond, BC's Chris Crisologo With Caddy Alisha Lau Finished As The Low Canadian For The Event - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

Coast-to-coast schedule features 13 events and increased prize money

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – The 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule was announced on Tuesday, featuring 13 official tournaments from May to September and a $25,000 increase for all tournament purses as players compete to make the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

The season will begin with the Freedom 55 Financial Open (May 28-June 3) at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, British Columbia, with purses of $200,000 (CA$) for all regular events and a $225,000 (CA$) purse for the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship (Sept. 10-16) at Highland Country Club in London.

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Is Set To Kick Off Its Season at Point Grey Golf & Country Club In Vancouver - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

Tournament announces the opening of Volunteer and Caddie registration and the 2nd annual Canucks for Kids Fund Charity Ball Hockey Classic

(February 19, 2018 – Vancouver, B.C.) – The Freedom 55 Financial Open is set to open the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season May 31 – June 3rd at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

The 72-hole tournament kicks off the Mackenzie Tour’s sixth season, where up-and-coming players from over 15 different countries will aim to make the next step Ion the path to the PGA TOUR and earn Web.com Tour status.

In addition to showcasing top up-and-coming players, Mackenzie Tour tournaments aim to make a positive impact in the communities where they play, raising more than $1-million for charity in each of the past two years.

For the third year in a row, the Canucks for Kids Fund will be the Freedom 55 Financial Open’s official charity, and the tournament will once again be incorporating a Canucks for Kids Ball Hockey Classic event to raise both awareness and donations for the charity.

Merritt, BC's Roger Sloan, Seen Here Getting Set To Tee Off At Bear Mountain GC In Victoria, Finished 4th In The Web.com Tour's Panama Championship - Image Credit Alfie Lau/British Columbia Golf

Courtesy Golf Canada

PANAMA CITY, Panama – The Canadian trio of Roger Sloan, Ryan Yip and Adam Svensson all finished inside the top 10 on Sunday at Web.com Tour’s Panama Championship.

Sloan, from Merritt B.C., paced the Canadians with a final-round 66 to climb into sole possession of 4th place at 4-under par for the tournament. The finish marks his first top-10 finish early into the 2018 season (he collected four in 2017).

Surrey, BC's Adam Svensson Broke Through For His First Win On The Web.com Tour In The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic - (Kevin Prise/PGA TOUR)

Courtesy Web.com Tour

GREAT ABACO, The Bahamas – Canadian Adam Svensson picked up his first Web.com Tour win at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club in his 58th career start.

The 34-year-old from Surrey, British Columbia carded a final-round, 4-under-par 68. His 17-under-par 271 total was good for a one-stroke victory over rookie phenom Sungjae Im, who missed a 10-footer on the 72nd hole to force overtime.

“It's a relief,” said Svensson, who couldn’t see Im’s birdie bid at the last. “Your heart is racing and when it's over it slows down, and you realize what you've done. I just so thrilled I got the win and just so happy.”

Ontario's Brad Fritsch Finds Himself Suspended For 3 Months After Taking A Banned Dietary Supplement - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

The PGA TOUR announced today that Brad Fritsch has violated the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Policy’s ban on the use of performance-enhancing substances and has been suspended for three months.

Mr. Fritsch self-reported this information after discovering that an ingredient in a supplement that he was taking was on the prohibited list. He has acknowledged his inadvertent error and accepted his suspension. He will be eligible to return on February 28, 2018.

CLICK HERE to read the full story including Fritsch's explanation of the situation as posted on his Facebook Page.

By John Gordon/ Courtesy Golf Canada

The year 2017 has drawn to a close and what a year it was for Canadian golf. Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable. Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad.

And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2018 gets underway. This is the first of a three-part series remembering most, if not all, of those memorable moments.

(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know on Twitter or Facebook.)

BCer's Stuart Macdonald (L) And Seann Harlingten (R) Both Survived The Pressure Of Q-School To Obtain Solid Status On The Web.com Tour For 2018 - Images Courtesy PGA TOUR Mackenzie-Tour Canada

Calgary's Ryan Yip And Toronto's Albin Choi Also Earned Status As All Four Canadians In The Final Stage Of Web.com Q-School Finished Inside The Top 45 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

If there were any doubts about whether he could make birdies when it mattered most, Stuart Macdonald erased them on the back nine of the fourth and final round of the Web.com Tour qualifying school.

With the butterflies in his stomach in full flight, the 23-year-old rookie pro from Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf & Country Club, calmly made six birdies on his final nine holes to earn Web.com Tour status for 2018.

No sweat? Not really.

Point Grey Golf & Country Club Will Once Again Host Future PGA TOUR Stars At The 2018 Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada Freedom 55 Financial Open - Image Courtesy F55FO

The 2018 Freedom 55 Financial Open will launch the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver the week of May 28 to June 3rd.

The 72-hole tournament will see 156 players from up to 20 countries begin their quest to earn status on the Web.com Tour, with the top five players on the Order of Merit as season’s end making the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR.

Samantha Richdale From Kelowna, BC Is In Daytona Beach, Florida Looking To Gain Full-Time Status On The LPGA Tour For 2018 - Image Credit: Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

 Courtesy Brad Ziemer's BC Golf Notes

Kelowna’s Samantha Richdale is the lone British Columbia player competing at the final stage of the LPGA Tour’s Q-School, which goes Nov. 29-Dec. 3 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Richdale had limited status on the LPGA Tour this year. She played in only four events and made $3,696. Richdale spent most of her year competing on the Symetra Tour, where she placed 47th on the money list with earnings of $17,971.

Victoria, BC's Jim Rutledge Will Attempt To Regain Full-Time Status On The Champions Tour Next Week At The Champions Q-School Final Stage In Arizona - Image Credit: Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

Jim Rutledge has endured a couple of lean years on the PGA Champions circuit, but the Victoria native is making another run at regaining full-time status on the 50-and-over tour. Rutledge, 58, has advanced to the final stage of the Champions Q-School, which goes Nov. 28-Dec. 1 at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions course in Arizona.

Rutledge lost his exempt status after the 2015 season and has had to try and play his way into events via weekly qualifiers. He teed it up in just three tournaments this year and played six times in 2016. His best finish this year was a tie for 40th at the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary.

Vancouver's Stuart Macdonad, Shown Here Competing In The Pacific Coast Amateur, Will Be Looking To Punch His Ticket To The Web.com Tour On A Full-Time Basis This Coming Week - Image Courtesy PCGA

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

Qualifying schools are supposed to be golf’s ultimate pressure-cookers, but so far they haven’t fazed Stuart Macdonald. The 23-year-old rookie pro from Vancouver has sailed through the first and second stages of the Web.com Tour qualifying school to earn a spot in the finals.

“Getting through first and second stage isn’t exactly the easiest thing to accomplish,” Macdonald said in an interview. “So to get to the finals and have a chance to play on the Web.com Tour is good. I am excited to get there and see what I can do.”

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Announced Their 2018 Qualifying Tournament Sites Including Vancouver Island's Crown Isle Resort - Image Courtesy Facility

(November 15, 2017 – Toronto, Ont.) - The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament will take place at five separate sites during the spring of 2018 as players compete for Mackenzie Tour membership for the 2018 season.

Submitted by Brad Ziemer,  Nov 14, 2017

The PGA Champions circuit won’t be making a third stop at Bear Mountain in 2018.

The senior tour’s 2018 schedule was released recently and does not include the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship, which had been held at the Victoria-area resort the past two Septembers.

The tournament’s demise should not come as a surprise. This year’s event, which was won by Jerry Kelly, was the only event on the PGA Tour Champions 2017 schedule that did not have TV coverage after the tournament sponsor failed to ante up for Golf Channel coverage.

The only Canadian stop remaining on the PGA Tour Champions schedule is the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary. That event goes Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.

Submitted by Brad Ziemer,  Nov 14, 2017

Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club is making a pitch to bring the Presidents Cup to Vancouver.

“Recently the Club has been asked to participate in a bid process which could see Shaughnessy host the Presidents Cup in 2023,” general manager Jason Sigurdson said in a recent note to members.

Submitted by Brad Ziemer,  Nov 14, 2017

West Vancouver’s Seann Harlingten and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver have both qualified for the final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying school.

Harlingten advanced by finishing tied for 20th at a second stage Q school site at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, Calif., while Macdonald finished alone in seventh place at another site at the TPC at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Tex.

Riley Wheeldon of Comox missed advancing by one shot at Bear Creek, while Kimberley’s Jared Du Toit fell four shots short.

Macdonald and Harlingten will join fellow Canadians Ryan Yip of Calgary and Albin Choi of Toronto at the Q school finals, which go Dec. 7-10 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz.

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.

Vancouver, BC's Stuart Macdonald Is Moving On To The Final Stage Of Web.com Tour Q-School In Arizona Next Month - Image Credit (Chuck Russell/Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada) 

Courtesy Golf Canada

Canadians Stuart Macdonald and Albin Choi both advanced to the third and final stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School on Friday at separate events across the United States.

Macdonald, a Team Canada graduate and Vancouver product, carded a final-round 68 (-4) to finish alone in 7th place. The Purdue University alumnus came in at 11-under par (66-75-68-68) to become the only Canadian to advance at the TPC at Craig Ranch event in McKinney, Texas.