Three From B.C. Among 7 Canadians To Gain Exempt Status At Mackenzie Tour Q-School
Port Moody's Brendan Dillon Was The Top Canadian At The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Q-School Held At Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community In Courtenay - Image Courtesy VGT
courtesy Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour
(May 6, 2016 – Courtenay, B.C.) – Lake Elsinore, California’s Aaron Wise shot an even-par 72 on Friday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community to take medalist honours and earn fully exempt status for the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season at the British Columbia Qualifying Tournament.
The 19-year old sophomore at the University of Oregon finished at 14-under for the week, two shots ahead of Dallas, Texas’ Conrad Shindler and Atherton, California’s Jonathan Garrick.
Port Moody's Brendan Dillon was the top Canadian Finisher at 6-under par in a T6th followed closely by Langley's Adam Cornelson and Thomas Hay one shot back at 5-under and T9th. The top 16 finishers earned exempt status for the 2016 Mckenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada season.
“I set the goals out in mid-January this year to get status, and was able to do it. I worked hard this past year-and-a-half on my putting and went to Saunders Rodgers Golf putting studio (at Meadow Gardens GC in Pitt Meadows) and they really helped me out with a blueprint. We totally changed everything, and it’s great to see the results,” said Dillon.
Added Langley's Hay, “It was a big learning experience. Obviously it didn’t really work out the way that I liked, but you know what, it’s always a learning process and I think I’ll be way more prepared this year.”
“It feels awesome,” said medallist Wise, who admitted victory had eluded him in recent weeks competing for the Oregon Ducks. “The last four events coming into this one, all four were top-10s and three of them were top-3s and I didn’t quite win one. I knew I had a great opportunity after the first three rounds I played, and I did well to finish this one off.”
Starting the day ahead of Shindler and San Antonio, Texas’ Jeff Rein by four shots, Wise held steady with two birdies and two bogeys on the day, giving the world’s No. 6-ranked amateur a confidence-boosting win heading into the NCAA Regionals and Nationals.
“I know I’ve been playing great, but winning’s a whole other level, and to win on a stage that’s even bigger than the college stage is awesome. Going back for regionals and nationals, I’m going to do everything I can to help my team out and take it from there,” said Wise.
The Southern California native said he plans to turn pro following the completion of the NCAA Championships on June 1, meaning he’ll miss at least the season-opening Freedom 55 Financial Open. That make his exempt status through the 2016 season even more important, a fact not lost on Wise.
“It’s awesome, especially because I’m going to miss the first two events. To be able to build your own schedule, I can plan flights and hotels and all that in advance, which is awesome,” said Wise.
In all, 41 players earned status, including 30 Americans, seven Canadians, two Chileans, one Scotsman and one Argentinian.
FINAL SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS:
1st (Exempt for 2016 season): -14/1st
16th (Exempt through 1st re-shuffle): -3/T16 (3-for-1 playoff won by David Lee)
40th plus ties (Conditional status): +1/T37
PLAYER NOTES
AARON WISE: World’s No. 6-ranked amateur owns four collegiate victories in two seasons at the University of Oregon and was named a semi-finalist this year for the Ben Hogan Award.
CONRAD SHINDLER: Texas native and 2013 Mackenzie Tour member won Adams Tour’s 2013 Gateway Buick GMC Cadillac Championship and donated entire $15,000 winner’s check to charity. Helped Texas A&M to NCAA Championship in 2010.
JONATHAN GARRICK: Three-time All-American at UCLA is listed at No. 40 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
JEFF REIN: 2015 Mackenzie Tour member made six cuts in 11 starts on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015, with a season-best T21 finish at the Wildfire Invitational
JONATHAN MOORE: 31-year old owns one Asian Developmental Tour win and helped United States to Walker Cup win in 2007.
JAY MYERS: 2014-15 Mackenzie Tour member was college teammates with 2013 The Five member and PGA TOUR player Mark Hubbard at San Jose State. Held 54-hole lead at 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Open.
BRENDAN DILLON: Port Moody, B.C. native captured first professional victory earlier this year on the Vancouver Golf Tour.
JOSEPH HARRISON: Las Vegas native and University of San Diego grad made three cuts in 11 Mackenzie Tour starts in 2015.
DAVID FINK: Hawaii native spent summers growing up on nearby Grandby Island. Played 11 Mackenzie Tour events in 2015, making three cuts.
JACK WHELAN: Topsfield, Massachusetts native played collegiate golf at St. Lawrence University (DIII).
TAYLOR MOORE (a): University of Arkansas senior was named an honorable mention All-American in 2015 and was co-medalist at the 2015 U.S. Amateur.
JOEL THELEN: Lansing, Michigan native made two cuts in nine events on 2015 Mackenzie Tour.
THOMAS HAY: Langley, B.C. native held first round lead at 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Open before finishing T31.
ADAM CORNELSON: Langley, B.C. Owns nine top-25 finishes in 50 career Mackenzie Tour starts, including a T2 at the 2014 Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
AARON COCKERILL: Gunton, Manitoba played college golf at University of Idaho and made cut at 2015 Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist (T46) after Monday qualifying.
DAVID LEE: Former SMU Mustang prevailed in a three-for-one playoff to earn 16th spot and exempt status through the first four events.
NOTES:
- Weather: 24 degrees Celsius. Sunny. Winds 12 km/h.
- Aaron Wise, currently No. 6 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was named a semi-finalist for the Ben Hogan Award this year, given to the top player in college golf. Fellow Mackenzie Tour member Matt NeSmith, who earned status at the USA East No. 2 Qualifying Tournament last month, was also named a semi-finalist
- Former Ducks to win on the Mackenzie Tour include two-time winner Eugene Wong and 2015 ATB Financial Classic champion Daniel Miernicki
- Conrad Shindler donated $10 per birdie and $25 per eagle to relief efforts for wildfires in Fort McMurray over the final two rounds. Shindler carded seven birdies and one eagles for a total of $95. In 2013, Shindler won an Adams Tour event and donated the entire $15,000 winner’s check to tornado relief in Moore, Oklahoma
- In 2013, Conrad Shindler made four cuts in eight starts on the Mackenzie Tour and finished 92nd on the Order of Merit
- Seven Canadians earned status this week: Brendan Dillon (T6), Thomas Hay (T9), Adam Cornelson (T9), Aaron Cockerill (T9), Russell Budd (T16), Brian Churchill-Smith (T26), Mitchell Sutton (T26)
- In total, 42 Canadians have earned Mackenzie Tour status for 2016, including 19 players from the 2015 Order of Merit, 18 who earned status through Q-School, four who joined from the Web.com Tour, one 2014 past champion
- Jonathan Garrick is currently the world’s 40th-ranked amateur and a three-time All-American at UCLA.
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