Riley Wheeldon took a huge stride toward earning a spot in the RBC Canadian Open, slated for the final full week of July on the PGA Tour.
The Comox golfer claimed the PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 latest stop, the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, at the Fort McMurray Golf Club on Sunday.
His final-round, 6-under-par 66 gave him a one-stroke victory over Lucas Lee of Brazil. Defending champion Cory Renfrew of Victoria was tied for third as Vancouver Islanders have made the northeast Alberta stop feel like a second home.
More importantly, Wheeldon 鈥� who becomes the first Canadian winner in PGA Tour sa国际传媒鈥檚 inaugural season 鈥� now leads the circuit鈥檚 Order of Merit at $37,987.50 after three stops.
The top three on that list after this weekend鈥檚 Players鈥� Cup in Winnipeg will get to tee it up at the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey from July 25-28.
鈥淚t鈥檚 on my mind 100 per cent. It was one of my goals coming into this year to play in a PGA Tour event, specifically the RBC Canadian Open,鈥� Wheeldon said following his win. 鈥淭o be able to win this week and give myself the opportunity going into next week to get that exemption, as well as put myself in position for one of the five Web.com Tour cards at the end of the year, is huge.鈥�
The top five by year鈥檚 end will earn Web.com Tour playing privileges, another carrot dangled by PGA Tour sa国际传媒 since taking over from the Canadian Tour.
Wheeldon, 22, finished third at the opening event 鈥� the sa国际传媒 Island Savings Open in Victoria in June 鈥� and was the top Canadian in that field as well, earning an extra $1,500 paycheque as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week.
The top Canadian on the Order of Merit after all nine events will claim a $10,000 prize as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year.
Wheeldon currently has a healthy $16,025 lead over Abbotsford鈥檚 Nick Taylor in that department. Taylor is fourth overall on the Order of Merit at $21,962.50. Renfrew is eighth overall at $14,801.25, but third among Canadians.
At Fort McMurray, Alta., Wheeldon recorded rounds of 66-75-68-66 to claim the championship that Renfrew won in a playoff last year.
The Comox golfer bounced back from a quadruple-bogey he took on the fifth hole in Round 2. He did so with authority on Sunday, with birdies on holes 5, 6, 8, 11, 12 and 14 鈥� and not a single bogey.
Renfrew set the pace on Sunday with a solid 5-under 65, which was briefly marred by a bogey on No. 11, (though that was sandwiched by birdies on 10 and 12).聽
鈥淚 saw early that Cory was going pretty low, and I know what he did last year, so I had to make some birdies coming in,鈥� said Wheeldon, who is now tied for second in total birdies on the Tour with 55. 鈥淚 made some birdies early in the back nine and was able to play a little more conservative coming in.鈥�
Sooke鈥檚 Stu Anderson, a native of Fort McMurray, Alta., finished tied for 19th. He had opened with rounds of 69 and 68 before slipping to a pair of 73s on the weekend.
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