The clouds may roll in this weekend but nothing will lift the golden glow that envelopes Uplands Golf Club and Canadian golf in general as it comes off one its greatest historic triumphs.
“It was the monkey off the back. It was huge,” said pro golfer Jared du Toit of Kimberley.
The euphoria in the sport across the nation still lingers from Abbotsford native Nick Taylor’s victory Sunday to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher of Victoria in 1954. It is still being felt among the Canadian golfers gathered today through Sunday for the 40th Royal Beach Victoria Open presented by the sa国际传媒, the opening tournament of the 10-event 2023 PGA Tour sa国际传媒 season.
“We were kids and inspired when we watched Mike Weir win the Masters and we are now seeing the fruits of that moment,” said du Toit.
It became a beacon for the likes of Canadian pro golfers who came after such as Taylor, du Toit, Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson and Comox’s Riley Wheeldon.
“In the same way, Nick [Taylor’s] win will be inspirational to the next generation of golfers in sa国际传媒 because a lot of kids were watching and following along Sunday,” said du Toit.
Du Toit, 28, came close to beating Taylor to the breakthrough moment when still an amateur in NCAA Div. 1 with the Arizona State Sun Devils. Du Toit was one stroke behind leader Brandt Snedeker after three rounds in the 2016 RBC Canadian Open and in the final group that Sunday for the final round before placing ninth.
Du Toit turned pro a year later and has been chasing the dream since. He’s in the right place. Weir, Taylor, Hadwin, Conners, Hughes and Svensson all came through the Victoria Open and PGA Tour sa国际传媒 (in the case of Weir, an earlier incarnation of it).
The former Canadian Tour became the Mackenzie Tour PGA Tour sa国际传媒 in 2013 and 56 PGA Tour sa国际传媒 alumni have advanced to play on the PGA Tour over the past decade with 18 PGA Tour victories between them.
More than 300 PGA Tour sa国际传媒 alumni have gone on to play on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2013 with 52 victories between them.
At stake in the 2023 PGA Tour sa国际传媒 are five spots into the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour, which is the tour directly below the PGA Tour, and the gateway to the big time in the pro golf progression.
“You could have had a great amateur or college career, but you start all over again at square one when you turn pro, and you have to make it here [PGA Tour sa国际传媒] before you make it anywhere else,” said du Toit.
The 2013 sa国际传媒 junior champion has had some good runs as a pro at Uplands and will be closely watched this weekend.
Chris Wilson of Toronto is another aspiring Canadian pro who felt a jolt Sunday.
Wilson got a hole-in-one on the ninth at Oakdale last week in a CPGA event a day before the big-time pros took over the course for the Canadian Open. He was in Victoria by the time of Taylor’s heroics in the final round and glued to the TV.
“We watched for four hours Sunday [at an Island establishment] and nobody was leaving. It was awesome to see,” said Wilson.
“It will help the game grow across the country. Four Canadians have already won on the PGA Tour this season. Canadians are on the rise in golf.”
Wilson hopes to be part of that wave. The NCAA Div. 1 graduate of Colgate University placed 24th in the 2022 PGA Tour sa国际传媒 Fortinet Cup season standings. Wilson, whose sister Colleen graduated this week from the University of Victoria with a teaching degree, is on Team sa国际传媒 and said the Uplands layout suits his game.
“You can’t bomb and gouge here. You have to think your way through this course and strategize,” said Wilson.
The first round of the Royal Beach Victoria Open begins this morning. The second round is Friday, third round Saturday and final round Sunday.
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