The list of exempt players to earn their way into the upcoming Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒 through the Bayview Place Vikes Performance Tour is now complete.
Keaton Gudz secured the amateur exemption courtesy of four impressive wins on the Vikes tour. He is joined by Isaac Weintraub, who edged Ben Griffin for the pro position. Earlier, Nolan Thoroughgood secured the junior exemption off the Vikes tour.
Gudz and Thoroughgood are junior members at Royal Colwood, while Weintraub is an assistant pro at Gorge Vale Golf Club.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 unreal,鈥� said an elated Gudz after finishing well back on Tuesday鈥檚 stop on the Vikes tour on a brutally windy day at Bear Mountain鈥檚 Mountain course, but that mattered not as he had easily secured the spot. 鈥淥bviously, I鈥檓 stoked. I never thought this would come true and this opportunity is going to be great.
鈥淚鈥檝e just played really solid, right from the start of the year. I think my scoring average is at par or even slightly better,鈥� said Gudz, who just turned 18. 鈥淎ll my tournament rounds have been great.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be an unbelievable experience, for sure. I鈥檓 not really expecting much playing in it. I鈥檓 just going to soak it in and see what it鈥檚 like to be on that type of stage,鈥� said Gudz, a Grade 12 student at Spectrum who also attends the Canadian Sport School at PISE. He will attend Oregon State University later this summer.
鈥淭hey are some of the best players in the world,鈥� Gudz said of playing as an amateur on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA sa国际传媒 stop at Uplands Golf Club in June. 鈥淎 lot of people on the PGA Tour are guys who have previously played on the Mackenzie Tour. I鈥檓 going to be playing with people who are future PGA Tour players, so it鈥檚 going to be remarkable.鈥�
Weintraub earned his spot by finishing tied for second in this past weekend鈥檚 Cedar Hill Open. His two-day total of 129 fell four strokes back of wily veteran Jim Rutledge, who carted off the Dick Munn trophy for the win.
That left Weintraub just .125 of a point ahead of Griffin on the Vikes tour order of merit. More points were available Tuesday at Bear Mountain, which Weintraub easily won with an impressive 73 in the strong winds. Griffin, an assistant at Uplands, did not play because of a PGA education commitment.
At Cedar Hill, Weintraub was tied with Eric Wang of Uplands as the two finished three shots better than Olympic View鈥檚 Gordy Scutt. Griffin, also of Uplands, was another stroke back with a 133 total along with veteran Paul Devenport.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited,鈥� said Weintraub who played his college golf at San Jose State and played on PGA Tour sa国际传媒 for a handful of years. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 played a PGA Tour sa国际传媒 event since 2009, when I was on that tour. I fell off the tour in 2009, had an ankle injury, and I鈥檓 looking forward to playing at that level again. It鈥檚 a total bonus to sneak into this event.鈥�
On Tuesday, the 34-year-old bested Rutledge by four shots to top the pro field at Bear Mountain. Nate Ollis was third at 78. Mike Flegel captured the amateur side ahead of Daniel Fratczak in second and Mac Keats in third.
On the weekend, Gary Doherty, who had a hole-in-one on No. 15 on Sunday, captured the low net championship at the Cedar Hill Open. The local member of the club finished with a two-day total of 126. Brent Wilson, of Gorge Vale, was the low gross amateur winner at 130.
CHIP SHOTS: Uplands club champion Brian Sluggett also has an exemption into the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open. Two more exemptions from the local tournament committee are yet to be announced, as are two from Golf sa国际传媒. Another 10 spots will be open through Monday qualifying 鈥�. Thor Larson also had a hole-in-one on Day 2 play at the Cedar Hill Open, on the fourth hole.
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