Dylan Bell can scratch qualifying for a PGA Tour sa国际传媒 event off his bucket list.
The 21-year-old member at Royal Colwood outlasted wily veteran Craig Doell and Brock Holland in a three-man playoff to win the Zone 5 Men鈥檚 Amateur golf championship late Sunday night on a wind-swept Victoria Golf Club track.
Bell made par on the par-3 13th and 14th holes in the playoff, defeating Holland on the second extra hole. Doell lost out on the first hole.
With daylight depleting and a strong crosswind on the 196-yard 14th, Bell hit his tee shot just short and right of the green while Holland found the trap on the right-hand side and left himself with a difficult out.
Holland鈥檚 long bunker shot flew well over the green and he was forced to take a double bogey while Bell rolled in a four-footer for par and the victory. The win brings with it a qualifying spot for the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by the sa国际传媒 on the Mackenzie Tour at Uplands Golf Course on Thursday.
鈥淚鈥檓 more than ecstatic. My grandparents and my mom and dad, they鈥檙e going to be pretty happy. It鈥檚 going to be great,鈥� said Bell, who works at GolfTown and attempted to Monday-qualify for the PGA Tour sa国际传媒 event last year, with no success.
鈥淚 shot a billion and I had a tee time for 8 a.m. [for Monday鈥檚 2016 qualifier at Gorge Vale], but I can tell you something, I鈥檓 not going to be there now,鈥� he said with a smile.
Bell finished with a flurry on Sunday making a 35-footer for birdie on No. 16 and on 17 he knocked a 7-iron from about 160 yards to within five feet for an eagle. He three-putted from 80 feet on 18 or he could have won outright.
鈥淭hat was a little frustrating, but at the same time I was 2-under on my last three holes. It was blowing 20-30 [kilometres per hour] and you could easily get frustrated. You had to keep your head in the game and use all your energy focusing on the shot and the wind,鈥� said Bell.
On the first playoff hole, he rolled his 60-foot putt within 18 inches and put pressure on Holland to make a five-footer for par to continue to the 14th.
Bell went 72-71 (the first round was at Gorge Vale on Saturday) along with Doell, while Holland was 70-73.
Doell blocked his tee shot on the first playoff hole on No. 13, hitting the tree guarding the left side of the green and fell in front of the putting surface. His chip went long and his 25-foot putt lipped out or he would have carried through to No. 14 as well.
鈥淏ad tee shot, bad chip,鈥� he said.
Bell, Holland, Doell and Kevin Carrigan (73-71) will form the Zone 5 team for the sa国际传媒 Amateur, set for July 12-15 at Pheasant Glen in Qualicum Beach.
Carrigan recorded a triple-bogey on each day or he could have easily claimed the title himself, finishing a shot back of the threesome. Adam Veenstra (Arbutus Ridge), Phil Kondrak and Josh Miller (both of Gorge Vale) finished one shot back at 145 totals.
The top 16 qualified for Pheasant Glen. Doell and junior Keaton Gudz had already pre-qualified by finishing in the top 10 at the sa国际传媒 Amateur last year.
