Ewart A PGA Tour Americas Winner
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
(August 19, 2024) - In one week, A.J. Ewart has gone from relying on sponsor’s exemptions to get into PGA Tour Americas events to now being tantalizingly close to earning Korn Ferry Tour status.
The 25-year-old Coquitlam native changed his professional golfing life in a big way with an impressive wire-to-wire win at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open. That victory moved Ewart up to 14th spot on the PGA Tour Americas’ Fortinet Cup points list.
Three events remain and the top 10 on the points list at season’s end earn Korn Ferry Tour status for 2025.
“This obviously changes a lot,” Ewart said over the phone from Waskesiu Lake, Sask. “It feels awesome. Now there is some job security for a little while. I have given myself a chance for a Korn Ferry Tour card which is the goal on this tour. So it feels really good.”
After sleeping on the lead for three nights, Ewart delivered another solid round when he needed it on Sunday. He closed with a three-under 67 and his 17-under total was good for a one-shot victory. Ewart showed considerable poise on the back nine. He did not let a double-bogey on the par 4 11th hole rattle him. He simply birdied the next hole and two others down the stretch to seal the win.
“It didn’t really fluster me,” Ewart said of that double, which came after he pulled his tee shot into a hazard. “It was all good, I knew there were some scoring holes coming up. I drove the next green and two-putted for birdie and then I made a nice 21-footer on 14 for birdie. I knew 16 (a par 5) was pretty gettable and I two-putted for birdie.”
Ewart had avoided looking at any scoreboards, but after hitting his tee shot on the par 4 18th, he finally asked his caddie where he stood. “He told me two putts will do it.” Those two-putts were not easy.
“I had like a 31-footer down the hill and I left it short,” Ewart said. “So I left myself with a nice five-foot, downhill slider, but I poured it in.”
Much has been expected of Ewart, who graduated from Barry University in the spring of 2022 after a brilliant collegiate career. He was disappointed not to earn any status at qualifying school this past spring and is appreciative of the sponsor’s exemptions he has received.
“I have been given some opportunities so far this year and hadn’t fully taken advantage of them,” he said. “I had a good week in New Brunswick, but the last couple haven’t been so good. I wanted to come here and have a good week and see where that put me.
“This win will be a huge help going forward. Obviously, I did it in college, but to do it at this level is a confidence-boost. To know I can do it and to prove to myself that I can compete out here with these guys is a good feeling.”
Ewart, who earned $40,500 US for the win, hopes to carry his momentum into this week’s CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open in Winnipeg. The tour then heads south for its only U.S. stop, the CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Man. The season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship goes Sept. 5-8 in Caledon, Ont.
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