JUNE 5, 2017
SALMON ARM, BC (PGA of British Columbia) -- A battle is shaping up at the PGA of BC Assistants’ Championship presented by PowerSwing & Irene Strong, Mortgage Professional between the tournament's defending champion and its all-time winningest player.
Four-time champion Bryn Parry and 2016 winner Oliver Tubb share the overnight lead after both posted 6-under-par rounds of 66 at Salmon Arm Golf Club on Monday, leaving them three shots ahead of Kevin Stinson.
Meanwhile, the PGA of BC Senior’s Championship also has a tie atop the leaderboard, with Doug Morgan, Roy Abbenbroek and Keith Vandenbrink jointly holding top spot at 1-over.
Parry assembled a bogey-free round that included a closing birdie at the par-5 18th. Tubb, meanwhile, had seven birdies on his card after a bogey at the first.
Not only will Tubb and Parry be in the last group together for Tuesday’s final round, they’ll be sleeping under the same roof Monday night, as both are staying at Parry’s mother’s home in nearby Blind Bay.
“Maybe we should thank my mom and (her husband) Terry, because they fed us last night and they’re looking after us this week,” said Parry, who plays out of Point Grey Golf & Country Club. “There’s gotta be something in the Blind Bay water.”
Parry credited some new TaylorMade gear for helping him play some solid golf in recent weeks. He said he only learned Monday that his four victories in the Assistants' Championship were already the most on record in the PGA of BC's modern era, and a fifth would be a welcome addition.
“I’ve spent most of my life just living in the moment, so that will be fun stuff to think back about later, but we’ll go have fun tomorrow,” said the 45-year-old.
Tubb, who had never played Salmon Arm until Sunday’s practice round, said he finds the course can set up well for his game. He's chasing a third Assistants’ Championship in a four-year stretch, as the University Golf Club Professional also captured the event in 2014.
“If you play correct, which is hitting the ball in the right place and putting it on the green in the right place, you can make some birdies,” said Tubb, 35.
“I’m probably going to need another similar type of round (Tuesday) to be in the mix.”
Stinson (Cheam Mountain Golf Course) was also playing the course for the first time and did not get in a practice round, since he was playing to a top-40 finish in the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event at Vancouver’s Point Grey on Sunday. Nonetheless, he’ll be in the final group Tuesday after a bogey-free 69.
“I drove (the course) last night really quick in a cart and played pretty conservative,” said Stinson.
“This has been a nice stretch, I’ve played a lot of golf the last couple of weeks… It’s nice to get in a bit of a groove and play a few rounds in a row.”
Two other players broke par Monday, with Sunset Ranch Golf & Country Club’s Cody Bell shooting a 2-under 70 and Two Eagles Golf Course & Academy’s Ethan Danish coming in at 71. Five others are at even-par.
In the Senior’s Championship, the Ben Colk Trophy is very much up for grabs. Morgan, Abbenbroek and Vandenbrink are sitting just one stroke ahead of another group of players at 2-over, including two-time defending champion Phil Jonas.
Vandenbrink, from Hillview Golf Club, said his familiarity with the demanding Salmon Arm track paid off Monday.
“I know exactly where I can hit drivers and what lines to take. The local knowledge helped out but I just struggled on the greens today,” said Vandenbrink, who was surprised to find himself in a share of the lead.
“Usually I’m six back after Day 1, so I’m quite excited.”
Morgan described his round as “pretty boring” – he had two birdies, one bogey and one double-bogey on his day – but it has him well-positioned in his first Senior’s Championship start.
“I was totally nervous,” the 50-year-old from Richmond Country Club joked of his debut in the event. “It’s nice to be able to call myself a rookie.”
A closing bogey kept Abbenbroek from taking the outright lead into the final 18 holes Tuesday. The Seymour Golf & Country Club Professional is looking for his second victory in this tournament, having also won in 2013.
Jonas was frustrated by a round that featured just one birdie but he’s happy to still have a chance to pull out a third consecutive title Tuesday.
“I can’t really hit my driver out here, so that doesn’t really suit my game so much,” said Jonas. “Hopefully tomorrow I can do some things well.”
John Randle (Morningstar Golf Club) and three-time Senior champion Greg Pidlaski (Life Professional) also carded 74s and will play in the second-to-last group with Jonas.
Click here to view full scores from the Assistants' Championship.
Scoring for the Senior's Championship is available by clicking here.
The draw for Round 2 has now been posted. Click here to view Tuedsay's tee times and groupings.
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About PowerSwing
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About Irene Strong, Mortgage Professional
Irene Strong’s diverse background in marketing, event planning, logistics and account management has been the foundation of her a client-focused, Strong Mortgage Promise – a promise to provide consistent, reliable and relevant mortgage advice while connecting clients to an all-star real estate team and developing a mortgage investment plan that is customized to their lifestyle. As part of the Xeva Brokerage team, Irene is committed to its vision to become one of the largest, most competitive, recognizable National Mortgage companies in Canada (within the Verico® Network), while operating at the highest degree of professionalism, excellence and ethical standards. For more information, visit www.irenestrong.com.
About PGA of BC
The Professional Golfers' Association of British Columbia is an association comprised of nearly 700 golf professionals who work at and operate golf courses, driving ranges and other facilities across the province. Its mandate is to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. The Zone Office is located in Richmond, BC. For more information, visit www.pgabc.org.
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