It's less than a week until the Titleist/FootJoy PGA of BC Championship Presented by AXIS Insurance hits the links at the Salmon Arm Golf Club Aug. 19 and 20 and defending champion Brad Clapp of the Chilliwack Golf Club will have his hands full defending the title he won at Crown Isle in Courtenay last year.

Clapp is coming off a T3 at the Canada Cup in Victoriaville earlier this month, but his biggest challenge will come from players who did just as well or better than Clapp in Victoriaville.

Greg Machtaler of Summerland is having a season to remember, winning the PGA of BC Pro-Assistants Championship at Clapp’s home course in June, added the Pro-Assistant with Tye Babkirk in July and then cashed the $30,000 winner’s cheque at the Canada Cup with scintillating rounds of 63 on Saturday and Sunday to win going away. Machtaler will be looking to add to his trophy case and bank account and heads into Salmon Arm on form and one of, if not, the favourite

Bryn Parry of Seymour Creek also has a resume to match Machtaler’s, having won the PGA of Canada Match Play Championship at Magna in late June. That win earned Parry a spot at the RBC Canadian Open and while he didn’t make the cut, he played respectably and showed that his game can rival that of the players on the PGA Tour. In between those starts, Parry won the Chilliwack Open, which is something Clapp certainly would have noticed.

Another dangerous player in the field is Parry’s Seymour Creek colleague Dave Zibrik, who led for the first three rounds of the Canada Cup before being overhauled by Machtaler’s second straight 63. Zibrik finished solo second for $18,000 and is playing some of the best golf of his career.

Also not to be discounted is 2011 PGA of BC Champion Lindsay Bernakevitch of Shaughnessy, who also had a top 10 finish at the Canada Cup.

With 75 top-notch PGA of BC players in the field, this year’s PGA of BC Championship at Salmon Arm promises to be an exciting and competitive event.

Players will be playing 36 holes of stroke-play for a purse of $33,500 (based on a full field).

The itinerary of events includes:

Monday, August 19th
9 a.m. - Registration & Practice Facility Opens
10 a.m. - Tee times start on 1st tee
7 pm - Championship cocktails and dinner (Dress Code: Business Informal)

Tuesday, August 20th
6 a.m. - Practice Facility Open
7:30 a.m. - Tee times start on 1st tee
TBA - Awards Presentation