UPDATED WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12, 12:37 P.M. A second consecutive 7-over-par 78 resulted in a missed cut at the Canada Life Series pro golf tournament for Stead.
ORIGINAL STORY
Vernon golfer Brady Stead has some work ahead of him Tuesday, Aug. 11, if he’s to make the 36-hole cut at a professional event in Victoria.
Stead opened with a 7-over-par 78 Monday at the Canada Life Series tournament at the Bear Mountain Resort’s Mountain course in Victoria, good for a tie for 75th spot in the field of 89.
The projected cut Tuesday morning was +4 (4-over). Stead began Round 2 at 8:50 a.m.
With the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season canceled earlier this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, PGA TOUR officials still wanted to give members playing opportunities. The question was how—and where.
Issues at the Canada-U.S. border made it apparent to Mackenzie Tour executive director Scott Pritchard that anything he would be able to put together could only include Canadians and those non-Canadians already in the country.
And the Canada Life Series was born.
Next week, Bear Mountain’s Valley Course will host the second event before players travel cross country to Ontario for the final two tournaments, at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon.
Stead was 1-under after nine holes, but ran into trouble on Hole No. 11, carding a triple-bogey 7. He recorded three consecutive pars after that but finished double bogey-bogey-bogey-bogey en route to the 78.
Former UBC Thunderbird golfer Evan Holmes fired a first-round 8-under 63 to take a three-shot lead over Lawren Rowe into Round 2. Rowe played college golf at the University of Victoria.
The top-55 players and ties after Tuesday advance to Wednesday’s final round.
The winner of the Order of Merit earns a playing spot in the 2021 RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR. The invitation is courtesy of Golf Canada. He also earns conditional 2021 Mackenzie Tour status and six guaranteed tournament starts.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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