It was a good day for former University of Victoria Vikes.
Connor Gann, who played just one collegiate season before turning pro, and former Vikes team captain Todd Halpen were among the 10 golfers to get through Monday qualifying for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒 stop in Victoria this week.
The 10 will tee it up Thursday at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by the sa国际传媒 at Uplands Golf Club.
John Wise of Portland won the day with a tidy 5-under 67 on a blustery round in which the wind picked up and died off at times, playing havoc with the field of more than 100 at Gorge Vale Golf Club.
Gann was among a group of six at 3-under 69 which included Austin Graham of Calgary, Nick Sherwood of Albany, Oregon, Christopher Trunzel of Orlando, Calgary鈥檚 James Love and veteran Steele DeWald of Park City, Utah.
Halpen had seven birdies on the wind-swept outing and finished at 2-under 70 along with fellow Calgarian Scott Stiles and Aaron Cokerill of Gunton, Man., an amateur who is turning pro this week.
DeWald鈥檚 69 came in the last group and ended the hopes of eight players tied at 71 who were awaiting a playoff for that final spot.
The day, however, belonged to Wise, who was, surprisingly, unimpressed with the round.
鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 hit the ball very well. It was just one of those days where I kept it in front of me,鈥� said the 27-year-old who is in his first year of turning pro, having played the Gateway Tour in the winter. 鈥淚 made a few putts, a few 10-12 footers, but it certainly wasn鈥檛 the best ball-striking day, that鈥檚 for darn sure.鈥�
He finished with seven birdies and two bogeys.
For Halpen, who works with Golf sa国际传媒 as a full-time instructor, it was like coming home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easy for me to come back out here. It does feel like home with lots of good friends,鈥� said Halpen, who captained the Vikes鈥� team from 2002-06. 鈥淚 make it out to the Island at least twice a year. Westjet; easy flight. My buddies pick me up and we usually have a three-day golf weekend, every year, spring and fall.鈥�
He, too, had a strange day with seven birdies, a double bogey and bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17.
鈥淚 switched from interlock [grip] to overlap grip two days ago, so it felt like someone else鈥檚 hands,鈥� said the 32-year-old, who missed a spot at qualifying school in Comox by a shot.
As for Gann, who plays out of the Victoria Golf Club, it was a steady round with four birdies and a bogey.
鈥淚 missed two short ones,鈥� he said of birdie putts of five and eight feet on hole Nos. 17 and 18.
鈥淚 made two from 30 and 50 [feet, on holes No. 7 and 13] though. That made up for it right there.鈥�
Gann, 20, finished second in his first-ever pro event on the Pepsi Tour stop at Cimarron Golf Club in Cathedral City, California, this winter.
