B.C. Golf Notes: Jared du Toit Ready For First Taste Of Pro Game
Kimberley's Jared du Toit Will See How He Stacks Up Against The Pros In This Week's SIGA Dakota Dunes Open - Image Courtesy Jared du Toit/Twitter
B.C. Amateur Champion Has Spot In This Week’s Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Event In Saskatoon
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
Fresh off a big win at Calgary’s Glencoe Invitational, Jared du Toit will get his first taste of pro golf at this week’s Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event in Saskatoon. Du Toit, the reigning B.C. Amateur champion from Kimberley, has been granted a sponsor’s exemption to play in the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open.
It will be the first professional tournament for du Toit, Canada’s top-ranked amateur player.
“I have never played in a pro event, so this will be my debut even though I am still an amateur,” du Toit said. “It is kind of unmarked territory for me. I am excited to check it out. A lot of my friends, former college guys I played with, are on the tour, so I have a decent idea of where I stack up. But you never really know until you are out there. It’s definitely a different atmosphere.”
This past weekend, du Toit won the Glencoe Invitational by two shots. He finished with a 54-hole score of 218 or two-over par on Glencoe’s 7,500-yard Forest Course. "That’s an unreal course,” du Toit said. “Hard, to say the least.”
Du Toit has taken up temporary residence in Calgary this summer and will have playing privileges at Glencoe. “Last year I lived in Calgary for the summer,” he said. “From a convenience standpoint, with all my travel, it makes sense and I am doing it again this summer. . .There are five us from the Calgary area that will be representing Glencoe this summer. It’s a great opportunity. The practice facility is unbelievable. I am really fortunate to be there.”
The 21-year-old just finished his junior year at Arizona State University and has his summer off to a nice start. Before winning in Calgary, du Toit finished third at the prestigious Monroe Invitational near Rochester, N.Y.
TOUR TIME: After a three-week break, Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor heads back to the PGA TOUR, where he will play in this week’s Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
Taylor warmed up for his return by winning the Algra Bros. UFV Cascades Pro Am Friday with a five-under 65 at his home course, Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford.
“The break has been nice,” Taylor said. It has been pretty busy. I had U.S. Open qualifying and had a really good friend’s wedding so that kept me busy for a few days. This past week has been nice and relaxing. It’s been fun.”
Taylor stands 118th on the FedEx Cup points list, but has no worries about hanging onto his exempt status for 2017. He is fully exempt through 2017 after winning the Sanderson Farms Championship in the fall of 2014, but Taylor wants to finish the year strong. He needs to finish in the top 125 to play the FedExCup playoffs.
“Obviously, I am exempt and it is easy to lay back, but I want to move up as much as I can,” he said. “I think if I can get into the playoffs I can move on like I did on the Web.com Tour and move up each stage. I am playing well and just need a couple of good finishes to secure a spot at least and go from there.”
Taylor has made 13 of 19 cuts this year. His best finish was a tie for fifth at the Puerto Rico Open in March. He has three other top-25 finishes this year. “I feel like I have played better than last year to be honest,” he said.
“I had one great finish last year. But I have been more consistent and have made more cuts, I have had a lot of tournaments where I've finished in the 40s or 50s and I easily could have been in the top 25. I wouldn’t say I blew shots, I just want to say I had some bad holes and hit some sloppy shots, that’s all. It has been frustrating that way, but I am definitely on the right track, so I am excited about that.”
Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin is also in the field this week at the Quicken Loans.
SOLID SHOWINGS: Hazelmere’s Phil Jonas and Bryn Parry of Point Grey made nice runs at last week’s PGA of Canada Championship at Victoria Golf Club. Jonas and Parry both advanced to the final four before losing their 36-hole semi-final matches. The 54-year-old Jonas then beat Parry 1-up in their 36-hole consolation final.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Quebec beat Ontario’s Bill Wash in the final.
TOP 20: Merritt’s Roger Sloan tied for 17th place at the Web.com Tour’s Nashville Golf Open on Sunday. Sloan finished at seven-under par, 12 shots behind winner James Driscoll. Sloan made $7,443 and now stands 38th on the money list. Surrey’s Adam Svensson tied for 49th at three-under and made $1,760. He stands 77th on the money list with $31,883.