Dillon Batsel One Round Away from First National Title at PGA Championship of Canada Presented by Tapinn
Dillon Batsel is 18-holes away from the biggest victory of his career.
The 2025 PGA of Canada Mike Weir Male Player of the Year backed up his opening-round 65 with a 5-under 67 on Wednesday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Championship of Canada presented by Tapinn at St. Eugene Golf Resort.
Batsel entered the week as the reigning PGA of Canada Male Player of the Year, earning the Mike Weir Award in 2025 after a season that included runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship of Canada and the PGA of Alberta Assistants' Championship, a third-place finish at the PGA of Alberta Zone Championship and an eighth-place showing at the PGA Assistants' Championship of Canada. Now, he has an opportunity to add the one accomplishment missing from that remarkable season, a national championship.
"Honestly, I started off really good. Started off better than I did yesterday," said Batsel. "I was just a little bit off from probably the middle of the front nine to the middle of the back, and I just couldn't really get anything going. I made one bad swing on 10, but I made a lot of good putts today. My goal today was just to have something that started with a six, and we met that goal."
The Desert Blume Golf Club pro’s momentum began late in Tuesday's opening round, when he birdied each of his final three holes to climb into contention. The strong finish carried into Wednesday, helping him maintain his position atop a tightly packed leaderboard.
"We played the practice round the day before and I finished eagle, birdie, birdie," Batsel said. "So I knew the last three holes were very scoreable. Yesterday I finished birdie, birdie, birdie, made about a 25-footer on 17 and hit it inside 10 feet on 18. It was a really good way to finish both days."
Lurking just one shot behind is defending champion Craig Stefureak, who followed his opening-round 66 with another strong performance to remain firmly in contention. Stefureak is looking to become the first player to successfully defend the P.D. Ross Trophy since Canadian golf legend George Knudson accomplished the feat in 1976 and 1977.
Along with the P.D. Ross Trophy and the title of PGA Champion of Canada, this year's winner will also earn an exemption into the 2027 RBC Canadian Open, raising the stakes even higher for Thursday's final round.
"It is so much fun (to be in contention)," said Batsel. "I love the competition. I love playing in events like this. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I'm very happy to be in the situation where I have a chance to win. Especially with a potential berth into the RBC Canadian Open, it's going to be a lot of fun to see how my game holds up tomorrow."
Adding another layer to Thursday's final round is the relationship between Batsel and Stefureak. The two have become friends over the past year and are sharing accommodations this week in Cranbrook. After Tuesday's round, they joked about playing together in Thursday's final pairing, a scenario that will now become reality.
"We've become decent friends over the last couple of tournaments," Batsel said. "Hopefully we can trade birdies and whoever plays better golf tomorrow will be the winner. That would be the ultimate goal."
With just 18 holes remaining, one of Canadian golf's premier championships is set up for an exciting finish at St. Eugene Golf Resort. Whether Batsel can capture his first national title, Stefureak can make history with a successful title defence, or another contender emerges from the pack, Thursday promises to deliver a memorable finish.
The field was cut to the low 60 players and ties following the second round. For a full purse breakdown, click here.
Batsel’s 14 birdies through two rounds has him tied at the top of the Birdie Juice Birdie Race leaderboard alongside Luke Bogen. Whoever finishes the event with the most birdies will take home a $250 bonus.
Players also enjoyed support from several tournament partners throughout the opening round. TEED UP beverages were available on course to help competitors stay energized, while every player received a StrackaLine yardage book to assist with course management and green reading.
PGA of Canada professionals can also track their performance throughout the championship using the Condor app, available free to all PGA of Canada members. Download Condor for iPhone here.
Golfers looking to improve their own game can connect with a PGA of Canada professional from anywhere through the PGA of Canada On-Demand Lesson app powered by Tapinn. The platform gives amateurs access to personalized virtual instruction from PGA of Canada professionals at the click of a button. Download the app here.
The final round will begin at 7 AM MT on Thursday, August 6