August 14, 2023
REVELSTOKE, BC (PGA of BC) - Mark Kitts (Shadow Ridge Golf Club) jumped out to an early one-stroke lead following the first round of the 2023 PGA of BC Championship presented by Axis Insurance, taking place at Revelstoke Golf Club.
Kitts came out of the gates with a well-executed early birdie on the first hole, followed by another on Hole 4 to give himself a cushion. The cushion was slightly deflated with a bogey, his only of the round, on the fifth, but he was able to rebound with a string of pars. To close out the front-nine, Kitts hit an awe-inspiring three-wood from the right side of the fairway, settling on the green where he buried it for an eagle.
“After the bogey, I was trying to stay pretty level-headed. Playing with Nate [Ollis] and Zach [Olson], they were striping it. Staying close to them was the goal today, and I’m pretty fortunate to come out a couple shots better,” said Kitts. “I kind of chipped away, kept trying to make putts and finally made a really good eagle on nine that really jump-started me.”
Kitts said he’ll stay bold off the tee tomorrow, especially on the back-nine where he sees ample opportunity for low scores.
“I’m going to stick to the game plan. I’ll probably change the club off number five, that’s probably the only thing I would change. Other than that, just stay aggressive and get through the front nine.”
Max Cohen (Langley Golf Academy) sits in solo second, shooting a 5-under 67 today. Cohen was pleased with his performance and said that he never felt stressed. He played with great confidence and consistency, piling up five birdies while avoiding a single bogey.
“I didn’t really make too many putts. Honestly, I find these greens challenging to read, so if I misread a green I’m not going to beat myself up over it,” said Cohen. “Fortunately, I hit a lot of the par fives in two, and didn’t make any mistakes today.”
Tied in third place, Zach Olson (Chilliwack Golf Club) and Lindsay Bernakevitch (Victoria Golf Club) each shot a four-under 68. Olson had an exciting round today where he demonstrated his ability to overcome adversity. Despite four bogeys, he also made four birdies and added two eagles. Bernakevitch got off to a perfect start, eagling the first hole. He didn’t make a single bogey today, playing a solid and strong game which saw him add two birdies.
The PGA of BC Championship would not be possible without the generous support of our presenting Sponsor, Axis Insurance. We would like to thank Axis Insurance for their incredible support of this tournament and of golf in BC.
We also extend our gratitude to our gracious hosts at Revelstoke Golf Club. Thank you to Executive Professional Dean Jackson, Head Professional Charles Beneteau, and the whole Revelstoke Golf Club team.
Finally, we enjoyed immense support from the Local Supporting Sponsors who all contributed to making this tournament memorable. It means a lot to see such passion for golf in the community.
The first group tees off at 7:30 tomorrow morning. To view the Round 1 leaderboard, please click here. To view tomorrow’s draw, please click here.