Big Four Move On

The championship’s top four seeds—Brian McCann (The Academy at BraeBen), Danny King (The Performance Academy at Magna), Bryn Parry (Seymour Creek Golf Centre) and Brett Burgeson (Country Hills Golf Club)—all advance.

High winds, rain, cool conditions and the stress of match play made things toug for the PGA of Canada’s best, though.

“It was really a tough grind out there today,” McCann said of his 3&2 win over Mark Strong (Vancouver Golf Club). “Match play is really stressful and when you throw in how tough this golf course is, you really get worn down.”

Reggie Millage (The ClubLink Academy at Glen Abbey), who had the honour of striking the championship’s first tee shot this morning at 7:30 a.m., echoed McCann’s comments, saying the wind played tricks on an already tough Talons Course.

“It got windier and windier as the morning went on,” said Millage, who won his match 3&1 over Shingo Akizuki (Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club). “It’s a difficult course, very fair, but the holes can play totally different depending on the wind. The par-5’s can play short downwind and some of the par-4’s you have trouble getting to into the wind, so it’s a test and you just have to take what it gives you.”

As was the case in 2011, this year’s championship is contested as a match play event with players from four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to the final championship match Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Talons Course at Country Hills Golf Club.

The eventual champion will not only earn a share of the $100,000 purse, but will also capture the historic P.D. Ross Trophy.

Last year’s champion Vincent Dumouchel (Vallee du Richelieu) won’t be taking home the title again this year, though. In the day’s biggest upset, Calgary’s Adam Pederson (Cottonwood Golf & Country Club) took down Dumouchel 3&2.

“I knew I was an underdog going in playing the defending champion,” Pederson said after his round Tuesday. “Vincent is a wonderful player, he struck the ball very well today and fortunately I came out on top and I couldn’t be any happier right now.”

Pederson was just one of nine lower-seeded players to win their match on Tuesday.

One of the major storylines heading into today’s first round, was the match between Country Hills’ head professional Brett Burgeson and Jacklynn Miller (North Bay Golf & Country Club), who is just second female to have ever played in the PGA Championship of Canada.

Even though Burgeson won the match 5&4, Miller said she was still pleased with her result.

“I had lots of fun and my goal was just to make it past the 10th hole, which sounds bad, but I really wanted to give him a good match,” Miller said. “Overall, it was an awesome experience; and I’m privileged and honoured to be the second female to play against all of these guys.”

Burgeson on the other hand was just pleased to get through Tuesday.

“Yeah, I’m glad day one’s over. It’s such a hectic time trying to organize and get everything ready,” Burgeson said of his duties as host head professional leading up to this week’s championship. “But now that day one is over I can move on and just try and play golf.”

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont., July 23-29.

McCann holds a slim 11-point lead over King, however, Parry, Burgeson, Dave Levesque (Academie de Golf Performance - Club de Golf La Prairie) and Mike Belbin (Royal Mayfair Golf Club) all still have a shot at earning the exemption with a win this week in Calgary.

To view all match results from Tuesday’s first round and for live scoring of Wednesday’s second round, CLICK HERE.

The first PGA Championship of Canada was contested in 1912 at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club. The championship was not held 1915-18; 1943; and 2006-2010.

For more information about the PGA of Canada, visit us online at www.pgaofcanada.com