It鈥檚 quite a leap from Uplands to the big time. But some aspiring pro golfer will be making it.
There is a major perk awaiting the winner of the Bayview Place DC Bank Open presented by the sa国际传媒, which runs May 30 to June 2. It was announced Friday the winner of that PGA Tour sa国际传媒-Mackenzie Tour event will be granted an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open the following week in Hamilton.
鈥淭his is a really big deal,鈥� said Keith Dagg, a director with the Victoria Open Golf Society, which organizes the Bayview Place DC Bank Open.
鈥淚t will make Saturday and Sunday at Uplands really exciting because of what鈥檚 at stake for the winner 鈥� a spot in the Canadian Open.鈥�
The RBC Canadian Open used to be held in July, with the three Mackenize Tour Order of Merit season leaders up to that point gaining berths into the Canadian Open.
But the move of the Canadian Open this year to June 6-9 means that only two Mackenize Tour tournaments will have been completed by then 鈥� the Bayview Place DC Bank Open in Victoria and Canadian Life Open in Vancouver. So it was decided to award Canadian Open spots to the winners of those first two tournaments, which certainly gives the Victoria and Vancouver stops a little more gloss.
鈥淚t will be special for the winners of the first two Mackenzie Tour events to know they鈥檒l have an opportunity to compete on the game鈥檚 greatest stage,鈥� said Mackenize Tour vice-president Scott Pritchard, in a statement.
鈥淏ecause of the date change with the RBC Canadian Open, we felt . . . [the Victoria-Vancouver tournament winners advancing] would continue to reinforce that the Mackenzie Tour is part of the pathway to the PGA Tour.鈥�
