The 2014 Cleveland Golf / Srixon Canada PGA of BC Club Professional Championship will be contested September 30th and October 1st at North Vancouver's Seymour Golf & Country Club.
2013 champion Scott Rodgers of Meadow Gardens Golf Club will attempt to defend his title against a strong field of the province's best Head Professionals, Head Teaching Professionals, and Executive Professionals. More than forty players will compete for a $14,500 purse and the chance to add their name to the PGA of BC Club Professional Championship tropy - first awarded in 2006 to Bill Kelly of Glacier Greens Golf Course.
Dean Claggett of Two Eagles Golf Course & Academy will be a player to watch at Seymour Golf & Country Club. Claggett won the event in 2008 and 2012, and looks to become the event's first ever three-time champion. Claggett recorded a strong T11 finish at the PGA of BC Championship earlier this season, and is a perennial contender on the PGA of BC circuit. Look for the shotmaking abilities that saw him hoist the trophy two years ago at Victoria Golf Club to transfer well to Seymour's tree-lined fairways and tricky greens.
Victoria Golf Club's Lindsay Bernakevitch will make his debut in the Club Professional Championship this season. Bernakevitch won the 2011 PGA of BC Championship while an Assistant Professional at Vancouver's Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, and narrowly missed taking the trophy again earlier this summer at Point Grey Golf & Country Club. Now eligible to compete in the Club Professional Championship as Victoria Golf Club's Head Professional, look for Bernakevitch to bring his A game. Bernakevitch is ranked eighth nationally by the PGA of Canada Player Rankings.
Also keep an eye on..
Doug Morgan of The Redwoods Golf Course - Morgan won back to back titles PGA of BC Championship titles in 2009 and 2010, and finished in a tie for 5th this summer at Point Grey.
Olympic View Golf Club's Kevin Maxwell - Maxwell has played well all season, holding the first round lead during the PGA of BC Championship at Point Grey earlier this summer before eventually finishing in a tie for 5th. Known as a long and accurate driver, Maxwell's length will be a significant advantage.
Black Mountain Golf Club's Russ Latimer - Latimer teamed with Tyrel Griffith to win the PGA of BC Pro-Assistant Championship earlier this summer, and has carded top finishes in Interior PGA Tour events to add to his T21 at this year's PGA of BC Championship. After finishing T12 in 2013, Latimer will no doubt reprise a strong performance this year.
Point Grey Golf & Country Club's Jeff Buder - Known as a strong player, Buder's game is a good fit with the premium on accuracy at Seymour. A top ten finish at the PGA of BC Championship shows his game in good form.
Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club's Peter Hopley - Hopley's team won the PGA of BC Pro-Junior thanks in large part to a tidy 68 on Hopley's own ball. Look for him to draw on that positive experience at Seymour.
Seymour Golf & Country Club is one of the Lower Mainland's premier golf clubs. Founded in 1953, the course was cut from old-growth forest to create a challenging championship layout which played host to the British Columbia Amateur Championship earlier this season. The course is defined by corridors of large trees which dictate shot values on many holes, and features significant slope on many putting surfaces. The course will play near 6200 yards for the event, with a premium on placement and strategy.
Scoring for the event will be available on pgabc.org and on Twitter using the hashtag #pgabc.