Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: Stuart Macdonald closes in on Korn Ferry Tour promotion
Juvenile champ Tim Hachey commits to UBC; Stouffer third at Canadian Seniors: Jenny Guo second, Tyson Valk third at Canadian U15 Championships
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
(September 2nd, 2024) - Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald took a big step toward securing a promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour with a tie for 12th finish at the PGA Tour Americas’ CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Minn.
That finish moved Macdonald up two spots to seventh on the Fortinet Cup points list. Just one event remains on the PGA Tour Americas schedule — this week’s Fortinet Cup Championship at TPC Toronto —and if Macdonald can remain inside the top 10 on the points list he will have full Korn Ferry Tour status in 2025.
The top 120 players on the points list qualify to play in the Fortinet Cup Championship. Four other British Columbians will be in this week’s field, including Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart, who stands 16th on the points list.
Victoria’s Lawren Rowe (No. 97), Chris Crisologo of Richmond (No. 98) and Jeevan Sihota of Victoria (No. 106) are also in the field.
There is more than finishing in the top 10 to play for. Players finishing the season inside the top 80 on the points list retain their PGA Tour Americas status for the 2025 season.
Macdonald closed the CRMC Championship with a three-under 67 that left him at 12-under par. That was 12 shots behind Denmark’s Frederik Kjettrup, who won for the third time this year to earn an automatic promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour.
UBC BOUND: Tim Hachey, the Osoyoos teen who won last month’s B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship at Blue Ocean Golf Club in Sechelt, has committed to join the University of B.C. golf program. Hachey, who is just starting Grade 12 at Osoyoos Secondary, will join the Thunderbirds in the fall of 2025. He said UBC just seemed like the perfect fit. “It’s a great school, first off,” Hachey said in an interview. “I want to go into business and their business school is very, very good. And it’s in Canada, which is nice, because I will only be 17 when I go there next year.
"It’s close to home. And of course it is a really good golf program and they get to travel all over to play against other good schools. It’s just a great fit for me.”
UBC coach Chris Macdonald is delighted to have the left-hander on board. “Tim has continued to progress as a player and become one of the top juvenile golfers in B.C. and Canada,” Macdonald said. “His skill combined with poise, maturity and intelligence on the course impressed me and I’m thrilled he will be a T-Bird next fall. For Tim, UBC has the right balance for his golf and academic future, so I was excited to offer him a UBC Thunderbirds letter of intent.
SILVER LINING: UBC’s J.P. Kahlert and teammates William Forgues of Laval and Anthony Jomphe of the University of Montreal earned a silver medal in the team competition at FISU World University Golf Championship in Kuortane-Seinäjoki, Finland. The Canadian trio finished 11 shots behind the first-place team from Spain. Kahlert, a Maple Ridge native, tied for 24th in the individual competition. Spain also won the women’s team title. The Canadian team, which included Morgan Best of the University of the Fraser Valley, finished 12th.
SCHOOL IN SWEDEN: Vancouver’s Ilirian Zalli, who finished second at last week’s Vancouver Open, is heading to Sweden for the first stage of the DP World Tour qualifying school. Zalli finished one shot behind amateur Jace Minni of Delta at the Vancouver Open, but received the $12,000 winner’s share. That will help cover Q-school expenses. Zalli is competing Sept. 10-13 at a first-stage site in Roserberg, Sweden. Two other British Columbians are also playing at first-stage sites. Duncan’s Callum Davison is competing this week at a site in Huddersfield, England, while Stephen Thomas of Vancouver will play Sept. 24-27 at a site in Jutland, Denmark.
BIRDIE BINGE: A late charge by Shelly Stouffer fell just short as the Nanoose Bay resident finished third at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship in Georgetown, Ont. Stouffer, a two-time winner of the event, got off to a rough start by shooting a four-over 76 in the first round. She followed that up with an even-par 72 in the second round and then went on a birdie binge early in the third and final round. Stouffer made six birdies on her front nine and was within one shot of the lead at the turn. After a one-over back nine, she ended up in third spot, four shots behind winner Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont.
Stouffer, Jackie Little of Procter and Sandra Turbide of Maple Ridge combined to win the inter-provincial team title for British Columbia that was contested over the first two rounds. They finished two shots ahead of Ontario and Quebec. The same trio also won the team title for B.C. in 2022.
CLOSE SECOND: West Vancouver’s Jenny Guo followed up her win at the B.C. Juvenile Girls Championship with a second-place finish at the Canadian U15 Championship in Elmira, Ont. The 12-year-old completed the 36-hole event at three-under par, one shot behind winner Nobelle park of Oakviklle, Ont. Charlotte Tam of Burnaby tied for sixth at three-over par. In the boys’ competition, Tyson Valk of North Vancouver finished third. His two-round total of even-par left him two shots behind winner Carter Lavigne of Moncton, N.B. Tiger Xie of Surrey (T6) and Jeevyn Lotay of Burnaby (T10) also finished inside the top 10.