At 16 years of age, Nolan Thoroughgood became the youngest player to ever win the sa国际传媒 Men鈥檚 Amateur Golf Championship last summer.
The junior member at Royal Colwood is now set to become the youngest ever to compete in the long history of the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒 and likely, although unofficially, the entire Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒.
Thoroughgood has already clinched the junior exemption for that local PGA Tour sa国际传媒 stop at Uplands Golf Club, set for June 8-11.
His 1-under par 69 on a cool, rainy Sunday at Cowichan Golf Club secured the berth. With Just two events remaining in the qualifying Bayview Place Vikes Performance Tour series (where the top finisher earns the one exemption), Thoroughgood鈥檚 275 points over his six events is an insurmountable lead.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited. I don鈥檛 have huge expectations, but I鈥檓 pretty confident in myself. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l be too nervous playing in it,鈥� he said of the local PGA Tour sa国际传媒 stop.
鈥淭his was definitely the goal. When I heard the Vikes tour had this exemption I was pretty pumped about it. So I set my sights on definitely trying to get the spot.鈥�
Thoroughgood has won the Cowichan, Royal Colwood, Bear Mountain, Cedar Hill and Gorge Vale Golf Course events on the junior portion of the Vikes Tour, failing to win the only other event, which was the first one at Cordova Bay.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty happy about my game and now that it gets dark at around 8:30, I should be able play a lot more,鈥� said the Grade 11 student at Royal Bay Secondary. 鈥淢y game is in pretty good shape.鈥�
Thoroughgood, who doesn鈥檛 turn 17 until August, credits his success to the work he puts in with coach Mac MacLeod of Royal Colwood.
鈥淚鈥檝e watched this event before,鈥� he said of the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open. 鈥淚t鈥檚 local and it鈥檚 an unreal quality of golf, which is always cool to see.鈥�
Now he gets to play in the event with his dad Garth caddying for him.
鈥淗e fills that role mostly because he comes cheap and by that I mean I don鈥檛 pay him anything,鈥� Thoroughgood said with a chuckle. 鈥淣ow I鈥檒l be able to say I鈥檝e played an official PGA Tour sa国际传媒 event.鈥�
For now, Thoroughgood will focus on his next competition, a CN Future Links junior tournament on May 12 in Chilliwack. He will not be competing in this weekend鈥檚 Island Open, set for the Gorge Vale and Uplands courses.
Thoroughgood sits first on the Bayview Place Vikes Junior Tour order of merit with his 275 points, ahead of Michael Wu of Cordova Bay with 183 and Nolan Brown of Uplands with 171. Other winners at the Cowichan junior event on Sunday included Akari Hayashi of Uplands, whose 72 topped the girl鈥檚 division.
