June 26, 2024
Whistler, BC (PGA of BC) - Following an incredible two days of championship golf at Nicklaus North Golf Course, Bryn Parry and Taylor Kim emerged as the 2024 PGA of BC Seniors’ and Women’s champions.
Seniors' Championship
The Seniors’ Championship presented by Honma Golf & Levelwear, which took place Monday and Tuesday, was a hard-fought battle with a fluid leaderboard throughout the event. Seymour Creek Golf Centre’s Parry took his first Seniors’ title with a come-from-behind victory on the final day.
Shooting a 2-under 69 in the first round, Parry trailed Ledgeview Golf Club’s Luke McKenzie by three strokes entering Round Two. He chipped away at the lead, pulling ahead and into first place on the front-nine Tuesday after reaching 4-under overall. However, Breaking Par Golf Academy’s Brett Burgeson wasn’t about to let Parry walk away with an easy victory. Burgeson made birdie after birdie, riding his momentum to catch Parry and temporarily grab the lead on the back-nine. Finishing his final round at 5-under for the day’s low score, Burgeson headed to the clubhouse at 3-under par for the tournament and waited to watch Parry come down the challenging final stretch.
At 4-under par overall as he walked to the 17th tee, Parry controlled his own destiny as he sought his first Ben Colk Trophy as Seniors’ champion. He hit his tee shot on the signature par-3 17th right of the greenside bunkers, leaving a difficult and long chip over the sand. Standing over his ball with a daunting task ahead of him, Parry floated a gorgeous chip over the bunkers which rolled out to about four feet from the hole. He calmly sank the putt and headed to the par-4 18th tee with a one-stroke cushion, needing a par or better to clinch the win.
Parry flew a three-wood dead straight down the middle of the fairway and looked to be in a very favourable position. However, unbeknownst to the gallery of spectators watching on, his ball had settled into a deep divot. Despite the challenging lie, Parry landed his approach shot in the middle of the green to give himself two putts to clinch the title. He rolled his first putt at a perfect speed, leaving a short tap-in for par and the victory.
“It feels amazing. I came up here hoping to play well, I didn’t think it would quite go like this. I had a lot of things go my way, especially at the end of the day today with a couple unbelievable up-and-downs that you’re typically not going to make,” said Parry.
“A little bit of adversity, I hit a great three-wood right down the middle into a sideways deep divot and had to hit out of the divot over the water. I’m proud of myself for how I finished the round.”
Parry’s title was his second victory in recent weeks, winning a Pro-Am tournament at Vancouver Golf Club.
Finishing as runner-up, Burgeson demonstrated great resolve and perseverance to climb up the leaderboard on the second day of the Championship. His final round 66 paced all competitors yesterday, making seven birdies to earn second place.
Cheam Mountain Golf Course’s Chad McAdie and Cordova Bay Golf Course’s Lance McCullough tied for third place, coming in at 3-over par for the tournament. McAdie eagled the 11th hole during his second round to help guide him to an impressive 2-under 69 Tuesday, while McCullough’s steady and consistent play across both rounds kept him near the top of the leaderboard.
Seymour Golf & Country Club’s Roy Abbenbroek and Eaglequest Golf Centre’s Rob Boyle paced our Super Senior competitors of 65 years old or better, tying for thirteenth place in the overall field. Playing from a set of tees approximately 7.5% shorter than their younger counterparts, the incorporation of a dynamic tee system allows for a more inclusive field to compete for the title.
Women's Championship
The Women’s Championship presented by Honma Golf, Levelwear & GolfBC Group saw the largest field in event history, with 20 women teeing it up this week. Beach Grove Golf Club’s Kim earned a wire-to-wire victory to secure her first career PGA of BC Women’s Championship title.
In Round One, Kim fired a 4-under 67 to take a three-shot lead over Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club’s Esther Lee, who was competing in her first Association championship. As the final round progressed, Kim demonstrated great patience and a steady mentality as she fended off her competitors. A birdie on the first hole increased her lead, and a consistent back-nine which saw Kim make par on every hole secured a thorough and undeniable seven-stroke victory.
Before the tournament, Nicklaus North Golf Course Head Professional Andrew Smart pointed to the challenging and unique par-3s as the key to victory. Kim proved Smart’s prediction correct, playing ten par-3 holes across two rounds to 1-under par, including two birdies on Monday.
“It just feels amazing, I had so much fun out here this week. It feels really special to come up here and play well. I would say I was very consistent off the tee; I didn’t really miss any fairways. I think that’s what you need to play solid golf on this golf course,” said Kim. “I made quite a few putts both days, around the greens I was able to scramble well and make a few putts here and there which definitely helped me.”
Kim pointed to her birdie on the first hole of the final round as a catalyst which solidified her trust and belief in herself.
“I started strong with a birdie, I hit it tight to about three feet. That really made me confident to get the round started. That birdie definitely served as a booster and gave me the momentum to continue playing well.”
Finishing as runner-up, Lee finished at 4-over par for the event. She displayed her skill and precision in her first career PGA of BC tournament, making eight birdies across two rounds.
At 5-over par, Predator Ridge Resort’s Kyla Inaba earned third place. Inaba secured her finish with an impressive second round, which she played to even-par.
Blue Ocean Golf Club’s Rhona Law finished as the low Senior competitor in the Women’s field, ultimately earning a tie for sixth place overall.
The PGA of BC extends our gratitude to Honma Golf and Levelwear for their support, and to GolfBC Group for their sponsorship of the Women’s Championship which helped drive a record field. Events like these are not possible without the generous support of our sponsors, and we are very appreciative of their involvement.
Thank you to our rules officials, Jack Croucher and Brian Schreiner, for their tireless efforts leading up to and during the tournament; and to the team of volunteers who aided with registration and scoring.
Finally, the Association thanks Head Professional Andrew Smart, General Manager Gavin Eckford, Superintendent Aaron Mansbridge and the entire Nicklaus North team for their fantastic hospitality throughout this memorable experience.
For the full Seniors’ & Women’s leaderboard, please click here.
