PGA Tour Canada will make its sixth stop of the 12-event 2014 season this week in Thunder Bay with the inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, marking the halfway point of the year.
Including this week in Winnipeg, PGA Tour Canada will play seven of the next nine weeks to conclude its second season.
PGA Tour Canada returns to Thunder Bay for the first time since 2001 for this weeks inaugural Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel. The Staal Family Foundation, the charitable foundation of NHL brothers Eric, Jordan, Marc and Jared Staal, plays host to week-long schedule of events including a star-studded celebrity pro-am, culminating with PGA Tour Canada’s sixth event of the 2014 season.
In addition to the Staal brothers and their parents Henry and Linda, other celebrities teeing it up included Olympic Gold Medalist Brad Jacobs, former Our Lady Peace drummer Jeremy Taggart, NHL players and alumni Robert Bortuzzo, Ryan Johnson, Stew Gavin, Carter Hutton, Trevor Letowski, Tom Pyatt, Taylor Pyatt, Matt Cullen, Brett Bellemore, Scott Walker, Ric Nattress, Lonny Bohonos, Rick Adduono, Ray Adduono, John Adams, Danny Gruen, Jeff Heerema and curlers Al Hackner and Rick Lang.
The top three players on the Order of Merit through this week will earn a spot in next week’s RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, taking place next week at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal.
Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen and last week’s The Players Cup champion Tim Madigan are mathematically guaranteed to finish in the top three, making for an exciting showdown for the final spot this week. SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel champion Matt Harmon is currently on the bubble, holding the third spot with $36,688. Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist champion Josh Persons could pass Harmon with a solo 14th place finish or better, while No. 5 Ricky McDonald would need a solo fourth-place finish or better to reach third. Robert S. Karlsson, Eugene Wong, Brock Mackenzie, William Kropp, Matt Hill, Brad Clapp, Michael Buttacavoli, Ryan Yip, Olin Browne, Jr. and John Catlin could all reach No. 3 with a win.
PGA Tour Canada members Beon-Yeong Lee and Michael Gligic have already secured a spot in the field thanks to victories at regional qualifying.