COURTENAY, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – The Chilliwack Golf Club team of Ryan Tofani and Zach Olson shot a final-round 61 in scramble play on Tuesday to capture the facility’s first G&G Brands & Callaway Golf PGA of BC Pro-Assistant Championship at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community.

 

As has been much of the case for 2022, players faced a variety of weather conditions throughout the two-day event in Courtenay, BC, which saw a tournament record 58 teams contest for this year’s title.

 

The Pro-Assistant Championship is a 36-hole tournament in which Club Professionals (Head, Executive and Head Teaching Professionals) team up with another PGA of BC Professional affiliated at the same facility to compete against their colleagues.

 

After posting a 5-under par 67 in Monday’s Best Ball format, Tofani and Olson found themselves just two-strokes back of first round leaders Richard Ingle & Gordy Scutt of Victoria Golf Club (1) and just one back of Victoria Golf Club’s second team comprising of Lindsay Bernakevitch and Mark Bicknell going into Tuesday’s scramble format.

 

“There wasn’t much strategy for us out there for us in scramble. Off the tee, I would usually go first to try and keep it in play. Ryan hits it a mile so I just wanted to open him up to be able to smash it. That led to a lot of short wedges into green for us which made it easy to score” said Olson.

 

Chilliwack Golf Club got off to a great start, making birdies on each of the first five holes. Playing in a group with Ledgeview Golf Club directly behind the leaders in the shotgun format, they went on to blitzed Crown Isle for nine total birdies and an eagle to shoot a tournament low 11-under 61 Tuesday. They played near flawless golf throughout the tournament, making a total of 14 birdies and one eagle to no bogeys on their way to a 16-under par team total.

 

“We didn’t have a number in mind today but knew that if we just kept giving ourselves good looks at birdie all day, we would be right in there”, Tofani says. “We couldn’t really tell what either team (in front) were doing so we just played our own game” he adds.

 

Bernakevitch and Bicknell made eagle on the first to share the tournament lead but neither they or Ingle and Scutt could build much momentum throughout the scramble. Both Victoria Golf Club teams finished at 14-under par for a share of second place, alongside Gorge Vale Golf Club’s Mike Heenan and Edd Boudreau.

 

Tofani and Olson claim the $3,200 first place cheque while each of the three runner-up teams cash $1,533 for their efforts. Rounding out the top five was Ledgeview Golf Club (Brad Clapp & Brady Stead), who finished at 13-under par and take home $1,050.

 

CLICK HERE for final scoring and payouts for the 2022 G&G Brands & Callaway Golf PGA of BC Pro-Assistant Championship. 

 

This is the first time Tofani and Olson competed together in this event, given that Tofani alternates his Assistant’s each year.

 

“It will be hard for us to alternate my teammate next year”, he laughs.

 

The PGA of BC announced at Monday’s reception that the 2023 Pro-Assistant Championship will take place July 3-4 at St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino in Cranbrook, BC.

 

Olson wins his second PGA of BC tournament in as many starts, having claimed the 2022 PGA of BC Assistants’ Championship present by Arbor Memorial just three weeks ago at Sandpiper Golf Resort in Harrison Mills, BC. He won that event in similar weather conditions in a playoff over Cory Renfrew (Modern Golf Vancouver).

 

Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community has quickly become a favourite destination for a variety of PGA of BC championships, having hosting five events since 2009. This year’s tournament once again showed why it’s a popular spot with PGA of BC Professionals, who raved about the resort’s facilities from start to finish despite torrential weather for most of the event.

 

The PGA of BC thanks host Executive Professional Bill Kelly, Head Professional Jared Siminoff, Superintendent Colin Stairs and the entire team of staff at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community for their outstanding hospitality.

 

Further appreciation goes to the tournament’s longtime title sponsors, G&G Brands and Callaway Golf, for their tremendous support and on-site presence throughout this championship.

 

---

 

Based in Langley, BC, G&G Brands is a leading wholesale supplier to the Canadian golf and corporate promotional industries. Since Gord German founded the business in 1991, it has continued to evolve and to this day remains proudly family-owned, with daily operations being carried out by Brad and Jessica German. G&G offers over 20 top-quality brands, two national sales forces and a best-in-class customer-service team to support over 1,500 active accounts across Canada, the USA and Australia. In its 31st year of business, G&G continues to share its collaborative formula for success with its current and prospective customers, suppliers, and employees alike. Welcome to the Family. Learn more at www.gandg.ca.

 

Through an unwavering commitment to innovation, Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) creates products designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells bags, accessories and apparel in the golf and lifestyle categories, under the Callaway Golf®, Odyssey® and OGIO® brands worldwide. For more information, please visit www.callawaygolf.ca and www.OGIO.com.

 

---

 

Donald Miyazaki

Executive Director, PGA of BC

604.303.6766