Brian McDonald, the director of golf and general manager at Fairview Mountain in Oliver, British Columbia turned in a 5-under-par 67 in the final round to capture the annual PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada, presented by Titleist & FootJoy.
The event was played at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield, Arizona, located west of Phoenix. The Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Gold Course, also known as the “Arizona Monster”, played host to 108 CPGA professionals from across Canada.
McDonald posted a 54-hole total of 205, 11-under-par to win by five shots over Matt Palsenbarg of the Northview Golf Academy in Surrey, B.C. MacDonald closed with a flurry, a back nine four-under-par 32 on the final day.
“If you would have told me at the start of this week that I’d be a national champion when it was all said and done, I wouldn’t have believed you,” McDonald said in an interview for the CPGA website.
“But when I made the turn today I told myself if I kept to my game plan, I would take this championship home to British Columbia.”
The PGA of BC contingent provided a strong showing. Five other players finished in the top 25, including,
Mark Strong (T7-214) Richmond G&CC
Lindsay Bernakevitch (T11-216) Victoria G&CC
Alec Hubert (T18-218) Kamloops G&CC
Bill Kelly (T22-219) Glacier Greens GC
Padraic O’Rourke (T25-220) Fairmont Chateau Whistler
“The win this week means so much to me as a golf professional,” McDonald said, after rounds of 68, 70 and 67. “I’m a very proud PGA of Canada member and knowing that I’m a national champion I can always hang my hat on that . . . and no one can ever take that away from me.”
In addition to the $8,500 winner’s cheque, McDonald receives an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open in June at the Hamilton G&CC.
(photo credits: CPGA, BCgolfguide, PGA of BC)