Monday qualifying is one heck of a way to bite around the edges of the pro game in golf. But it seems there is no shortage of players willing to chase that elusive dream.
Next Monday鈥檚 qualifier at Gorge Vale for the $175,000 Bayview Place Island Savings Victoria Open presented by the sa国际传媒 is already beyond its 156 capacity, out of which the top-10 and ties will advance to the main field for the PGA Tour sa国际传媒-Mackenzie Tour tournament June 2-5 at Uplands.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been crazy,鈥� said Murray Thomas, tournament director since 2009, of the 34-year-old Victoria pro tour stop.
鈥淲e鈥檝e never been close to that number before. Last year, we were just over 100 for the Monday qualifier. Now we have an alternate [waiting] list of six. And it鈥檚 growing.鈥�
Golf experts predicted it would only be a matter of time before the PGA Tour鈥檚 now four-year-and-counting official involvement in the Canadian Tour, as part of the development ladder, would begin to pay dividends. In hockey terms, the now-labelled Mackenzie Tour is the ECHL level, with the next step up the AHL-level Web.com Tour, the latter of which feeds directly into the big-league PGA Tour.
It鈥檚 a process the likes of Darren Day Jr. of Royal Colwood and Steven Lecuyer and Darren Hupfer, both from Bear Mountain, are tackling as the 12-stop Mackenzie Tour opens its 2016 season this week with the $175,000 Freedom 55 Financial Vancouver Open at Point Grey. The three aspiring Island pros used the Monday qualifying route at Swanaset in Pitt Meadows to make it into the main field for the first round starting Thursday at Point Grey. They were the only three Canadians to advance among the 10 qualifiers, led by Kyle Peterman of Savannah, Georgia, and Mason Mallory of Morgan Hill, California, who both shot 67.
鈥淲e call it the Monday Mentality . . . where you know you have to shoot at least three-under to have any chance of being the 10 to advance to the main tournament,鈥� said the 22-year-old Day, who has qualified for his first Mackenzie Tour event.
That鈥檚 exactly what Day and Hupfer shot Monday 鈥� three-under 69s 鈥� in a five-way tie for seventh place. Lecuyer did one better in a three-way tie for third place at four-under 68.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited and looking forward to Thursday,鈥� said Day.
鈥淚t is only going to elevate my game playing with those regular Mackenzie Tour pros.鈥�
Day isn鈥檛 shy about where he hopes to take this start. That, too, is part of the 鈥淢onday Mentality.鈥�
鈥淢y ultimate goal is the PGA Tour and I view this as the first step,鈥� said the Belmont Secondary graduate.
鈥淚n the end, I just want to be the best player I can be.鈥�
Wherever that leads. Day began his pro career in the introductory Gateway and Dreamchasers tours in the U.S.
Day feels he has a sort of home-course advantage because Royal Colwood has a reciprocal agreement with Point Grey and he has played the latter Vancouver course on a couple of previous occasions.
鈥淚 like the traditional courses like Royal Colwood and Point Grey,鈥� he said.
Day, of course, hopes he makes the cut and that his first Mackenzie Tour event lasts the entire four rounds. Even if that will make him one tired golfer as he looks ahead to Monday qualifying at Gorge Vale for his hometown Mackenzie Tour tournament next week at Uplands.
鈥淸If he makes the cut at Point Grey], it will be a late ferry ride Sunday night, and then up early the next day for Monday qualifying at Gorge Vale,鈥� Day added.
But there鈥檚 a way around that. If the rookie finishes high enough this weekend at Point Grey, he can earn enough Tour points to completely bypass Monday qualifying at Gorge Vale and go right into the main draw at Uplands.
That鈥檚 a big if, of course. But that鈥檚 what dreams are made of and what the pro chase is about for the likes of Day, Lecuyer and Hupfer, the last of whom played collegiately for the Arizona State Sun Devils and University of Victoria Vikes.
The Gorge Vale qualifier begins Monday at 7:30 a.m. on split tees, the first and 10th. The last group is expected to tee off at about 2:30 p.m. There is no admission charge to the Monday qualifying.
