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Adam Cornelson has always had a love affair with Victoria and specifically the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒, although you certainly couldn鈥檛 blame him if he told you he would have preferred to be elsewhere this week.
The popular defending champion and Langley resident will tee it up at Uplands Golf Club, a piece of property that he dominated in 2016 as he established a PGA Tour sa国际传媒-era 72-hole record on the Mackenzie Tour.
His final-round 5-under 65, which included a chip-in on the last hole, led to a 20-under 260 total and broke the previous low mark of 261 set by Brock Mackenzie 鈥� another popular pro among the fans in Victoria 鈥� at the 2014 ATB Financial Classic.
It also brought the previous tournament low mark of 265 鈥� established the year prior by Albin Choi 鈥� to its knees.
Cornelson went on to finish fifth on the Order of Merit (money list) and captured the last of five spots to earn him partial playing privileges on the Web.com tour 鈥� the primary development tour of the PGA Tour.
The Web.com Tour is where most of these PGA Tour sa国际传媒 players aspire to be. Cornelson had his brief taste, playing in four events to begin the 2017 season, but missed the cut in all four and had to withdraw from another.
The reshuffle on the Web.com Order of Merit sends him back to the Mackenzie Tour, so the 28-year-old will play the hand that is dealt to him.
鈥淚 had my opportunities at the beginning of the year and, unfortunately, I didn鈥檛 take advantage of them. You can look at it either way, but I鈥檓 looking forward to getting back to Victoria. It鈥檚 a great spot for my family and I and I think it will be positive for me,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he calibre isn鈥檛 much different on the Mackenzie Tour than the Web.com tour. It鈥檚 a little deeper on the Web.com tour, but you have to take care of your own business. If I had played that way on the Mackenzie Tour, I would鈥檝e missed the cuts there as well. It鈥檚 all on me and about taking advantage of the opportunity.鈥�
Cornelson played two events in the Bahamas, withdrew from a Colombia stop, missed his third cut in the Dominican Republic and also missed the mark in South Carolina May 18-21 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am event that had a three-day cut in which he shot 79 in Round 3 after a 72 and 74.
Travel obviously affects performance, but Cornelson wasn鈥檛 using that as an excuse, although in his first event he had just a few days鈥� notice so arrived two days prior.
鈥淚 came in cold. I hadn鈥檛 been playing too much so I was a little rusty for that one. The others I was ready to go,鈥� said Cornelson, who didn鈥檛 have much down time after the 2016 Mackenzie Tour season. He spent October in Vancouver and travelled to Phoenix in November to practise and play mini tours, and had the final stage of Web.com qualifying school 鈥� as he was attempting to better his playing status 鈥� in December.
Come January, he was off to the Bahamas so he only really had two weeks off at Christmas.
鈥淚 know I can play and compete out there,鈥� he said of his failed bid on Web.com Tour. 鈥淚 just have to go through the same road again. My career has never come easy. I鈥檝e always had to battle through.鈥�
And he鈥檚 always played well in Victoria.
鈥淲hat a special week that was for me,鈥� he said of his 2016 win. 鈥淚t鈥檒l be nice to get back there and have those memories come flooding back. I love that place. I听had some success there before the win as well. Last year was just a great memory for me. I think I听birdied the first three holes of the tournament and it just flowed from there.鈥�
Cornelson, who made $56,020 last season, said the Mackenzie Tour does prepare its players for that next step.
鈥淵ou see a lot of guys have come off the Mackenzie Tour and have success on the Web.com tour or PGA Tour. The tour prepares you for all the little things people don鈥檛 see, like doing your laundry on the road after three weeks. It鈥檚 run exactly the same as the bigger tours. Sure, it鈥檚 a little bigger out there [on the PGA or Web.com Tours] with more stuff on the course, but golf is golf. You have to be ready for your moment,鈥� he added.
The top five on the Mackenzie Tour money list earned exemptions to the Web.com, but only Dan McCarthy 鈥� the top earner 鈥� gained a full exemption (the rest were partial). Asked if he felt that number should be increased, Cornelson said: 鈥淎fter a long season and a long summer of playing good golf, you鈥檇 like to see 鈥� maybe in the future 鈥� a few more exempt spots, for sure.鈥�
But that鈥檚 not his main concern now. His main focus is getting off to a good start and he hopes to have a similar big finish in Victoria where his mom, Leslie, and grandma, Barbara, usually follow him. His father, Doug, is also here on weekend play.
鈥淭hey were there last year for the win and that was great,鈥� said Cornelson.
In the 34 years the Victoria tournament has been played, there has never been a back-to-back winner.
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2017 MACKENZIE TOUR
鈥� JUNE 1-4 - Freedom 55 Financial Open, Point Grey Golf and Country Club, Vancouver
鈥� JUNE 8-11 - Bayview Island Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒, Uplands Golf Club, Victoria
鈥� JUNE 15-18 - GolfBC Championship, Gallagher鈥檚 Canyon Golf and Country Club, Kelowna
鈥⑻齁ULY 6-9 - Players Cup, Pine Ridge Golf Club, Winnipeg
鈥� JULY 13-16 - Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, Whitewater Golf Club, Thunder Bay, Ont.
鈥� JULY 20-23 - Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar, Laval Club de Golf Quatre Domaines, Mirabel, Que.
鈥� AUG 3-6 - Syncrude Oil Country Championship, Windermere Golf and Country Club, Edmonton
鈥� AUG. 10-13 - ATB Financial Classic, Country Hills Golf Club, Calgary, Alta.
鈥⑻鼳UG. 17-20 - National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, Hylands Golf Club, Ottawa
鈥� AUG 31-SEPT. 3 - Cape Breton Open, Bell Bay Golf Club, Baddeck, N.S.
鈥� SEPT. 14-17 - Freedom 55 Financial Championship, Highland Country Club, London, Ont.
* (All purses $175,000 except final event, which is $200,000)
