A lengthy and twisting route throughout the continent has led Sam Fidone to Uplands, where he sits on the verge of winning the $200,000 Bayview Place DC Bank Open presented by the sa国际传媒.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough road and it鈥檚 put hair on my chest,鈥� said the native of Lufkin, Texas.
It has taken 25-year-old Fidone through the PGA Tour Latinamerica the past two years, winning the 2016 Honduras Open in the process, before taking medallist honours in the first of five qualifying tournaments this year to earn exemption for the entire 2018 Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒 season.
Fidone shot a four-under 66 Saturday for a three-round total of 196 to take a two-shot lead into today鈥檚 final round of the Bayview Place DC Bank Open.
These players do all this for a reason. 鈥淚 see myself on the PGA Tour one day,鈥� Fidone said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e good enough to be out here, you should think that.鈥�
The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒 feeds into the Web.com Tour, which, in turn, is the portal into the PGA Tour.
As unforgiving as the road can sometimes be, it鈥檚 all relative, said Fidone, who played NCAA at Southern Methodist.
鈥淲e get to do this 鈥� play golf in front of people in places like Victoria,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e lucky to be able to do this.鈥�
Fidone is two up on fellow American Blake Sattler, alone in second at 12-under 198, and three up on emerging Canadian player Jared du Toit, alone in third at 11-under 199. Rookie pro Dylan Wu, first-team all Big Ten out of Northwestern, is alone in fourth place at 200.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in first place and won tournaments before, so I鈥檒l use the stuff I learned in those situations,鈥� Fidone said about heading into the final round as the leader.
At stake today is becoming the 36th champion of the longest-running event on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒.
鈥淭his is what all the hours of hard work, and time away from home, is all about,鈥� said Sattler, 34, from Dover, Ohio. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see it pay off.鈥�
British Columbian du Toit is on his own vision quest.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to be holding that trophy Sunday,鈥� said du Toit, of Kimberley, who noted the difficult, swirling conditions in the third round.
鈥淭he wind made it tougher,鈥� said du Toit, 23.
鈥淭he fairway looks smaller when it鈥檚 windy like that.鈥�
Last week, at the Golf sa国际传媒 national training centre on Bear Mountain, du Toit was named to the Team sa国际传媒 Young Pro squad with Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. Pendrith was tied for 14th at Uplands with 203 after three rounds.
鈥淭he national team program has offered a ton of help and support and I鈥檓 thankful for all that,鈥� said du Toit, who played his NCAA golf for Arizona State.
Du Toit is well aware of the small clutch of Canadians 鈥� Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Connors, Ben Silverman and Adam Hadwin 鈥� currently on the PGA Tour ahead of him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to see them and I聽don鈥檛 see why I can鈥檛 be up there myself,鈥� du Toit said.
鈥淚'll keep knocking on the door to the next levels and see where it goes.鈥�
Zach Wright, the leader through the first two rounds, shot a 73 Saturday and fell to 201. Wright, with Web.com Tour experience out of the NCAA LSU Tigers, was in a four-player group tied for fifth place that included 42-year-old veteran Wes Heffernan of Calgary, who has twice played in the U.S. Open.
Riley Wheeldon of Comox, top Canadian and 10th overall last week in the season-opening tournament at Point Grey, was tied for 35th at 4-under 206. Jake DuVall of Uplands and amateur Kevin Carrigan of Royal Colwood were tied for 62nd at 1-over 211.
