Photos from the event can be found here
Content from the event can be found here
By: Brendan Stasiewich, PGA of Canada
Sometimes, placing in second is heartbreaking. A tournament can come down to one single shot, or one single mental mistake.
Sometimes, though, like this week for example at the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and supported by G&G Brands, nobody was left thinking that.
Sometimes, a player gets on such a heater, no other player can even think about 13 strokes they could have shaved off.
After rounds of 67 and 68 at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida, Stinson closed with a final-round 66, the low round of the tournament, for a commanding victory.
“It was a great week,” said Stinson, who made five birdies and an eagle on Thursday. “It was my first time playing golf in Florida and it was cool to be out here playing on different grass than we’re used to. I got to play with some great guys and great players out here, too.”
With the victory, Stinson becomes the only player in history to win the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada, the PGA Championship of Canada and the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada.
“This course is challenging, I just wanted to hang in there on the front nine because it’s demanding. I shot even on the front and, on the back, with the way the wind was going, it was a bit easier, and I had a hot finish.”
“The guys I was playing with had a bit of a tough start so that gave me a bit of breathing room and I played some good golf coming in,” said the Cheam Mountain Head Teaching Pro.
Despite starting the final round with five bogeys on the front nine, G.W. King battled back with an eagle on the 10th hole to finish one-stroke ahead of Eric Locke to finish in second place.
Kevin Black, who finished in 7th overall, wound up with Club Pro honours by one stroke over Eric Laporte.
During his speech at the awards ceremony, Stinson made sure to thank those that make these events possible.
“Callaway Golf, Golf Away Tours and G&G Brands, we can’t have tournaments and purses without you, so I want to thank you for being involved,” said Stinson. “These national events are huge. It was quite a fun week, and I really enjoyed it.”
At each National Championship, a hole is deemed the E-Z-GO ‘It’s Good to Go’ Hole of the Week. This week, the par-5 14th is the selected hole. Any player to make eagle will be put into a draw for a $250 bonus prize. One player made eagle on 14 on Tuesday: Kyle Brodhagen, while our leader, Stinson, joined him with an eagle Wednesday.
On Thursday, four players managed to make eagle on the hole: Eric Locke, Danny King, Philip Jonas and Chris Callihoo.
After a random draw, Philip Jonas takes home the bonus $250 on behalf of E-Z-GO.
In 2023, the PGA of Canada won the Four Nations Cup in South Africa – and now it is our turn to host in 2025, with venue TBD.
Kevin Stinson, who was a member of the winning team in 2023, will receive an invite to the 2025 event alongside the winner of the 2024 Assistants’ Championship and next year’s PGA Champion of Canada. They will be joined by the top player on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by ECCO Golf.