JUNE 29, 2022
RICHMOND, BC (PGA of British Columbia) – When the tournament kicks off Monday at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community, the field of 60 two-person teams will make-up the largest participation ever gathered in the 31-year history of the G&G Brands & Callaway Golf PGA of BC Pro-Assistant Championship.
The annual event touted by many PGA of BC professionals as their favourite event of the season features teams comprising of one Club Professional (Head, Executive or Head Teaching Professional) and another PGA of BC member from the same facility. Teams from across British Columbia will challenge the Graham Cooke-design over 36-holes in best-ball and scramble formats.
Located in Courtenay, BC, Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community has long been a popular destination for PGA of BC events for a variety of reasons. Host Head Professional Jared Siminoff states that the primary reason is the amenity of everything being on-site.
“Crown Isle prides itself on the stay-and-play aspect. You can arrive, leave your keys on the counter, and just enjoy a few relaxing days at the resort without feeling stressed about the environment you’re in.
“I know it’s been a crazy stretch for our industry and in particular, golf professionals. So, we are excited at the opportunity to be able to welcome them for a couple days as we take a break away from the norm. I think that’s why we have seen such strong participation numbers - we are thrilled to welcome our peers from all over the province next week”.
The 2021 Pro-Assistant Championship was contested at Talking Rock Golf Resort where Shadow Ridge Golf Club’s team consisting of Executive Professional James Presnail and Head Professional Mark Kitts narrowly edged Eaglequest Golf Centre at Coquitlam by one stroke after Luke McKenzie and Kyle McMurphy couldn’t convert a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 36th hole to force a playoff.
Last year’s crown marked their second Pro-Assistant win after the duo claimed their first title in 2018 at Kelowna’s Black Mountain Golf Club, where they won in a playoff over Northview Golf Academy’s Matt Palsenbarg & John Shin.
“Mark and I love this event and tend to play well together in this format. Best ball is definitely our weakness and that’s where Mark keeps us in it. If we are just able to hang within striking distance, I like our chances” says Presnail.
Both of Shadow Ridge’s victories came in come-from-behind fashion after trailing following day one of competition. But the duo have blitzed the field in the scramble portion, shooting a 14-under par 57 at Black Mountain and 13-under par 59 at Talking Rock – both tournament lows.
“We love the scramble format and our games complement each other well. I don’t want any pressure on me so I hit first and it usually goes not so great. Then Mark steps up and pures it under pressure and that just seems to work for us all day” he jokes.
Presnail and Kitts look to become just the third duo to win this championship three times, previous accomplished by duos Daryl Stubbs & David Bolton (Pacific Coast Golf Centre) and Jeff Buder & Trevor Hay (Point Grey Golf & Country Club).
Crown Isle recently hosted PGA TOUR Canada’s qualifying school in late-April and the facility’s General Manager and Executive Professional, Bill Kelly states that tournament players can expect desirable conditions when they arrive on site.
“After a rough spring, we’ve really started to hit our stride here. It will be playing fair but definitely firm and fast. You’re going to want to hit in the fairways here as the rough is getting a little long and gnarly. In order to be able to control your shots, the fairway is going to be a welcome place to hit from as the greens here are tricky.
“But regardless, everyone is going to have a fantastic time when they visit Crown Isle. The weather is forecasted to be great, and they’ll be able to sit back and relax during the event. We are excited at having such a strong field and we can’t wait to see everyone on-site”.
Crown Isle has hosted the Pro-Assistant Championship once previously in its history. In 2007 when the event saw its only co-champions, Buder & Hay finished the event at 14-under par, tied with Randy Smith & Scott Rodgers of The Vancouver Golf Club. Smith, now at Sagebrush Golf Club, will be competing in this year’s championship alongside Executive Professional Mark Strong.
The facility last hosted a PGA of BC event in 2020, when Keith Martin (Tower Ranch Golf Club) claimed the William Thompson trophy as the PGA of BC Championship winner after his 6-under par total (69-69) edged Ledgeview Golf & Country Club’s Brad Clapp by two strokes. Both Martin & Clapp will be competing next week as they team-up with peers Miles Palahniuk (Head Professional, Tower Ranch Golf Club) and Brady Stead (Apprentice Professional, Ledgeview Golf & Country Club), respectively.
The 60-team field edges the previous capacity record of 50 teams, which was accomplished in 2021. Teams will be playing for a piece of the $18,000 purse with the winning squad set to split a top prize of $3,200. Competitors tee off in shotgun start formats on Monday at 1:00pm and Tuesday at 8:00am.
Click here to view the tournament page with all event details and a list of confirmed competitors. .
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ABOUT G&G BRANDS
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.
ABOUT CALLAWAY GOLF
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.
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For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Donald Miyazaki
Executive Director, PGA of BC
(604) 303-6766
donald@pgabc.org