Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: A ‘mature’ Svensson wins second Korn Ferry Tour event; Sloan struggles down stretch; New owners at Shuswap Lake Estates; Alisha Lau named Arthur Ashe sports scholar
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
Since losing his PGA TOUR status at the end of the 2018-2019 season, Surrey’s Adam Svensson has been on a mission to make a return visit to professional golf’s promised land.
The former B.C. Amateur champion took a huge step toward realizing that goal by winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Club in Savannah, Ga. Svensson rolled in a birdie putt from about seven feet on the second extra hole to beat American Max McGreevy.
It is the second Korn Ferry Tour win for Svensson, who also captured the The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in early 2018. The win moved to Svensson to 12th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. At season’s end the top 25 players earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2021-22 season.
Barring some major struggles, Svensson should be back on the PGA TOUR this fall. I’ve committed my whole life to this game, so I am pretty stoked,” Svensson said immediately after his win. “I would say it’s my biggest tournament win ever,” he told PGATour.com. “I put in so much hard work in the off-season. . .hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. I’ve never been that hard of a worker.
“I made a commitment to myself about five months ago. I was tired of playing well, not playing well, lost my PGA TOUR card, and it’s because I’m not working hard enough. Now I’m fully committed and we’ll see where it takes me.” Svensson birdied his final two holes for a six-under 66 to post 17-under. McGreevy tied him with a birdie on his final hole. Svensson, who began the final day four shots out of the lead, earned $108,000 for the win.
A Mere 10 Years Ago Surrey's Adam Svensson Was Accepting The BC Junior Boys Championship Trophy From Then BCGA President Keith Larson - File Photo
His dad Frank, who has been his son’s swing coach since he was a youngster, was following along on the Korn Ferry Tour Twitter feed. He said Adam, now 27, has matured as a player.
“He has a full-time workout coach and he’s got a putting coach and it has really turned his game around,” Frank Svensson said. “He works out three or four times a week and this is what the difference is. He is maturing now and we are excited for him.
“Adam has never been a guy to grind it out before and after rounds and on weekends. But I think he has kind of learned a lesson and I think it kind of happens after you get a little bit older. You learn what you need to do and this is what has happened with Adam. He has finally realized that you just can’t go and play golf with talent alone. You have to work hard. But we are very excited for him and know he is on the right track.”
Svensson showed signs a week earlier he was in good form when he tied for ninth at the Chitimachi Louisiana Open. Earlier this year, Svensson pocketed $100,000 when he won a lucrative mini-tour event in Florida called the Big Money Classic.
While Svensson was enjoying a memorable day, fellow British Columbian Stuart Macdonald was struggling through a difficult one. The Vancouver native began the day just one shot out of the lead, but closed with a four-over 76 and ended up in a tie for 28th at 10-under par. Svensson will play in this week’s Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin in Destin, Fla. Macdonald was listed as second alternate.
TOUGH FINISH: Merritt’s Roger Sloan had his sights set on a top-10 but was derailed by a tough finish at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. Sloan played the final two holes in three-over par and finished tied for 22nd at four-under par. He made $28,000 and now stands 127th on the FedEx Cup points list.
Sloan finished eight shots behind winner Joel Dahmen, who earned his first PGA TOUR victory. Dahmen, a former teammate of Nick Taylor’s at the University of Washington, won the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf & Country Club back in 2014 when he edged North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong and Brad Clapp of Chilliwack by one shot.
Ontario’s Michael Gligic recorded his best PGA TOUR finish with a tie for fourth in the Corales tourney. The PGA TOUR heads to Texas this week for the Valero Texas Open. Taylor and fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin return to action after taking a week off. Sloan is also in the field.
LAU LAUDED: Richmond’s Alisha Lau, a junior at the University of Colorado and a member of Golf Canada’s national amateur team, has been named one of 20 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars of 2021.
Alisha Lau Won The BC Junior Girls Championship At The Okanagan GC's Bear Course In 2017 - Photo Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
In addition to their athletic ability, the students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are students of colour who have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, are at least a sophomore academically and have been active on their campuses or in their communities.
Nearly 1,000 scholar athletes were nominated and one male and one female athlete will be selected as Sports Scholar of the Year later this spring.
NEW OWNERS: Shuswap Lake Estates Golf & Country Club has new owners. The Blind Bay facility was purchased recently by Karyn Bruschinsky and Ian Morrison from the Barker family.
The course was built in 1977 by Jack and Irene Barker and has been owned by the Barker family since then. The Barker’s six daughters bought the course from their parents in 2008.
CHIP SHOTS: Kimberley’s Jared du Toit tied for 42nd at the Mexican Open in Mazatlan as the PGA Tour Latinoamerica circuit resumed play. Du Toit’s final round 68 included nine birdies. . .Longtime UBC golf coach Chris Macdonald was named male coach of the year at Sport BC’s 54th annual Athlete of The Year awards. . .Coquitlam’s A.J. Ewart continued his strong play for Barry University, tying for sixth place at the Space Coast Collegiate Championship in Melbourne, Fla.