The pre-tournament favourites at the Titleist/FootJoy PGA of BC Championship Presented by AXIS Insurance hit the links at the Salmon Arm Golf Club on Monday and showed why they’re the best in the province.
Seymour Creek’s Bryn Parry shot a 4-under 68 and is a just a shot ahead of three players also having great summer campaigns.
“Overall, I played really well and I was never in trouble,” Parry said of his five birdie and one bogey round. “The greens were nice, they firmed up and the course played very fair today.”
Parry is the midway leader in the 36-hole medal play tournament which features the top PGA of BC players vying for a $6,000 top prize out of a total purse of more than $32,000.
Parry’s Seymour Creek colleague, Dave Zibrik, had it to -5 before taking a triple bogey on 15 before recovering with another birdie at 18 to finish at 69.
“I’m a little disappointed because I played pretty well for 17 holes and had one train wreck of a hole,” said Zibrik, who led for the first three rounds of the Canada Cup before finishing second. “But before the tournament, I said eight (under) was the number and I still think that’s what it will take.”
Playing with Parry in the final group are two players on a serious summer roll.
Olympic View’s Kevin Maxwell is also at 69 on a course where he worked for the better part of six years between 2005 and 2010, while pre-tournament favourite and 2013 Canada Cup Champion Greg Machtaler also shot 69 to sit only one stroke behind Parry.
“I hit a whole lot of greens and was three-under through seven when I hit a nine-iron short and made par on a birdie hole,” said Maxwell who made a $10,000 ace on Vancouver Island earlier this summer. “That was a little bit of a bummer.”
Maxwell would make bogey at 15 before making birdie at 18 to finish at 69.
“It was a day of what could have been,” said Maxwell. “I felt very in control.”
Machtaler said his day turned on two all-world par saves, first at 4 and then at 12.
“I’d just made a horrible double at 3 and then I pull hooked my drive and had to chip out. I then hit the next one onto a downslope and then I had to make a 20 footer for par. I made it and instead of being three-over for two holes, I felt like I got away with one.”
If that par was amazing, then Machtaler’s par at the 12th he called “one of the best up-and-downs in my life.”
“I think it was 180 yards and I hit my six-iron about 20 yards deep,” said Machtaler. “I was lucky to get it on the green to 20 feet and then I made the putt.”
Machtaler would also have to contend with a bee sting on the 16th green as he lined up a three-foot putt.
“It flew up into my shirt and I had to take my shirt off for it to go away,” said the Summerland native who recently cashed a $30,000 cheque for his Victoriaville victory.
“That’s one thing I didn’t have, a bee sting,” said Parry, who’s no stranger to the winner’s circle after claiming the top prize at the PGA of Canada Championship in Ontario earlier this summer. “I think I’ll have to go low and lower tomorrow because that’s what (the guys chasing) me can do.”
Tuesday’s rounds begin at 7:30 a.m., with the final group of Parry, Machtaler and Maxwell going out at 11:24 a.m.