GREER, S.C. – Justin Lower continued his strong play at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation to maintain his 36-hole lead through the third round at 23-under. Lower leads Mito Pereira by three strokes entering the final round at the Thornblade Club.

Lower will seek to hold off Pereira – a two-time winner this season – on Sunday as the latter chases his third victory and an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR. Meanwhile Lower is seeking his first career Korn Ferry Tour victory and a leap inside the top-20 in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings.

“It feels like I’m coming into my own,” said Lower. “I know I’ve played over 100 events out here. I’ve been out here a while. I really don’t know how to explain it. My game has felt good all year. I thought this year could be a good year. It didn’t start off the way I wanted it to start. But I’ve been working hard the last month or so and results are starting to show.”

Entering the day with 18 birdies through 36 holes, Lower added to his tournament-leading total with a streak of five consecutive down the stretch on Saturday (Nos. 12-16). He bogeyed the third hole but rebounded with an eagle at the fifth and a birdie at the ninth before going on his back-nine run.

“I just kept getting good numbers and I was able to swing confidently at flags,” said Lower of his birdie streak. “Even on the par-5s, I was getting good numbers with longer clubs. The shot I had in on 15 was perfect.”

At 24 birdies through 54 holes, Lower is two birdies shy of the top 2020-2021 mark (26 by Chad Ramey at the REX Hospital Open) and seven shy of the all-time Korn Ferry Tour record through 72 holes (31).

With his Saturday 64, Lower has now collected seven straight rounds in the 60s, including rounds of 64- 63-64 this week. The 32-year-old entered the week 37th in the standings and is looking to finish the regular season inside the top-25 and earn his first PGA TOUR card. Lower claimed the only 54-hole solo- lead of his career at the 2019 Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS but went on to fall in a playoff to Vince Covello. 

“I played well that day,” reflected Lower on his final round in Louisiana in 2019. “I didn’t really finish it. My goal tomorrow is to finish it off. I know it’s going to be hard. Guys are going to be gunning for me. The weather is supposed to be nice. Scores will be low. I just have to finish the race.” 

In 2018, Lower experienced heartbreak at the final event of the season, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. He was hovering around The Finals 25 bubble coming down the stretch before facing an eight-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole. A birdie would have earned him his first PGA TOUR card but Lower missed on the low side and finished 26th, missing out on TOUR membership by one slot. 

Pereira will look to become the second player in a row to earn back-to-back wins after Cameron Young accomplished the feat two weeks ago. Prior to Young, a player had not gone back-to-back on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2013 (Michael Putnam). 

Canadian Stuart Macdonald is tied for fourth at 17-under and fellow Canadian Ben Silverman is tied for 70th.

Elsewhere in the tournament, the team of professional Evan Harmeling and former MLB All-Star pitcher David Wells (-26) won the low-handicap celebrity division (termed the X6 division) in walk-off fashion as Wells aced his final hole of the tournament (the par-3 ninth). The pairing of world champion boxer Canelo Alvarez and professional Matt Picanso (-29) won the high-handicap celebrity division (X7 Division) in a scorecard playoff. 

The final round will run from 8:35 a.m. through 2:45 p.m. off of the first tee at the Thornblade Club. 

GREER, S.C. – Justin Lower followed up a first-round 64 at The Cliffs Valley course with a second-round 63 at the Thornblade Club to take a one-stroke lead at 16-under at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation as play was suspended due to inclement weather. The second round will resume at 7:15 a.m. on both courses with the third round to follow after the conclusion of the second round. 

“I think this is my fifth year here, so it’s about time I figured it out,” laughed Lower of his past history at the tournament. “I’ve been playing well all year and just haven’t gotten the putter going. I started to get it going over the last month or so a little more and it’s starting to really show now.” 

Lower, a 32-year-old from Canal Fulton, Ohio, has birdied half of his 36 holes thus far, three more than any other player in the field. On Friday, he tallied six birdies on his back nine on his way to a closing 5- under 36 and 8-under 63 total.

While his scoring holes have been notable, Lower credited a par at the par-5 second hole early in his round as the catalyst. 

“I got up and down right of the green on No. 2 for par,” said Lower. “I was having trouble focusing. Just a lot of people going around, a lot of noise. I had missed the green with a wedge in my hand and I kind of had a tough shot and I hit it to two feet. Just to save momentum early was huge.” 

Lower entered the week 37th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings with eight tournaments remaining. In 2018, Lower experienced heartbreak at the final event of the season, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. He was hovering around The Finals 25 bubble coming down the stretch before facing an eight-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole. A birdie would have earned him his first PGA TOUR card but Lower missed on the low side and finished 26th, missing out on TOUR membership by one slot. 

“I want that PGA TOUR card,” said Lower, a Malone University alum. “Hopefully it’s not just that, it’s more than that, but my game feels good. Every year I’ve made a steady improvement so hopefully I keep trending in the right direction and it will happen eventually.” 

Last week’s champion Mito Pereira sits one stroke back at 14-under in his bid to go back-to-back and earn his third victory of the season and an immediate promotion to the PGA TOUR. Michael Miller, the runner-up at the last BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation, sits even with Pereira at 14-under. 

Elsewhere in the tournament, the teams of professional Andy Pope and former MLB All-Star A.J. Pierzynski are tied with professional Evan Harmeling and former MLB All-Star David Wells in the low- handicap celebrity division (termed the X6 Division) while professional Matt Picanso and world champion boxer Canelo Alvarez lead the high-handicap celebrity division (X7 Division). 

Canadian Stuart Macdonald is tied for seventh at 11-under with two holes still left to play. Fellow Canadians Ben Silverman and Albin Choi are tied for 25th and 85, respectively.

GREER, S.C. – Michael Miller had to wait two years to return to the site of his career-best finish. After a runner-up in 2019 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation and a tournament cancellation in 2020, Miller carded an opening-round 9-under 62 at the Thornblade Club to claim a one- stroke lead over Justin Lower, Vince India and Lee Hodges. 

“I just enjoy it here,” laughed Miller about his success at the tournament. “This was one of my first couple of events that I ever got into when I first had some status in 2014. And I played well and I’ve always kind of rode the momentum from there. I like the driving and the atmosphere and the people around.” 

Though still looking for another breakthrough performance, Miller entered this week’s tournament in better shape on the points list (99th) than in 2019. In 2019, Miller missed his first eight cuts of the season and 10 of 12 overall to enter the BMW Charity Pro-Am at 188th in the points standings. 

“I enjoy when I’m kind of feeling happy-go-lucky,” said Miller. “Sometimes this game will beat you up and lately it’s been beating me up. It’s nice to get back to a place where you know you have some good vibes and hopefully can continue them.” 

After a birdie at the par-4 10th to start, Miller tacked on three more birdies, a bogey and a hole-out eagle at the par-4 14th to reach 5-under 31 at the turn. On the front side, Miller added three more birdies, a bogey and another eagle at the fifth. With the 62, Miller sets a new career-low round on the Korn Ferry Tour, replacing a 63 at The Cliffs Valley course at the 2019 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX. 

With more than 80 percent of the Korn Ferry Tour’s combined 2020-21 regular season in the books, Miller noted the urgency that has started to set in. 

“I’m playing for my job,” said Miller. “That’s the way I look at it. It’s either you’re going to make it or break it. I’ve got eight events to hopefully prove that I belong at the next level and hopefully today’s a good start to build some momentum going forward.” 

Different goals are looking to be achieved by the trio one shot back of Miller. Lower and India are each looking to make the jump from top-50 in the points standings to top-25 and earning their PGA TOUR cards. Entering the week 10th in the points standings, Hodges is on the cusp of earning his first PGA TOUR card. 

Elsewhere in the tournament, the team of professional Evan Harmeling and former MLB All-Star pitcher David Wells lead the low-handicap celebrity division (termed the X6 Division) while professional Chandler Phillips and Olympic gold medalist curler Matt Hamilton lead the high-handicap celebrity division (X7 Division). 

Canadian Stuart Macdonald is tied for fifth after shooting a 7-under 65. Fellow Canadians Ben Silverman and Albin Choi shot 68 and 69, respectively.

Second-round tee times will run from 7 a.m. to 1:49 p.m. on Friday off of the first and 10th tees at both Thornblade Club and The Cliffs Valley. 

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Canadian Adam Svensson finished second Sunday in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational golf tournament, taking a big step toward securing a PGA Tour card for next year.

Svensson, of Surrey, B.C., carded a final-round 4-under 67 to finish with a 13-under, 271 total. American Cameron Young also shot a 67 on Sunday to post a 266 total and a five-stroke win.

Young earned US$108,000 for the victory while Svensson took home $54,000.

Three-stroke lead to the final stretch @ESInvite.@WakeMGolf alum Cameron Young keeps firing at flags. ?

• Cameron Young -16 (16)
• @AdamSvensson59 -13 (16)
• @TDicksonGolf67 -12 (F)#KornFerryTour pic.twitter.com/oSKqOxIgxN

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 30, 2021

Svensson is trying to return to the PGA Tour after losing his card following the 2019 season. He jumped to 11th from 18th in the tour standings with the result.

The top 25 at season’s end earn PGA Tour cards.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., finished 10 shots off the pace while Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald posted a 277 total, three shots ahead of Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont.

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Turns out Cameron Young is mortal after all. And the rest of the field still couldn’t catch him.

For the first time in two weeks, Young made a costly error and knew the position he put himself in was one of the toughest at The Glen Club’s links-style course. Young blasted his approach at the par-4 second over the green, left his chip shot off a downhill lie short and in the rough, then chipped on and two-putted for six. The double bogey negated an eagle from the par-5 first, but it was not enough to knock Young off the top spot of the leaderboard at the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank. 

“That’s about the only one I’ve made over the last couple weeks,” Young said of the mistake at No. 2. “I’ve kept it in play, made a lot of smart decisions. That was really the first bad mistake I made, hitting it somewhere where I knew it was really hard to get up and down.” 

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is third at 9 under, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is tied for eighth at 5 under. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 21st and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver is tied for 25th.

Young logged five birdies and a bogey the rest of the way, carding a 4-under 67 and extending his lead over Northbrook, Illinois native Nick Hardy to four strokes. It is the seventh consecutive Korn Ferry Tour round Young has at least a share of the lead, as well as sixth time in the last seven rounds he leads outright. 

The Scarsborough, New York native entered Saturday’s third round as the only player with fewer than three bogeys through 36 holes this week. Although Young doubled the second and bogeyed the par-3 11th later in the round, he still has fewer holes played over par than anyone in the field. Young only made five bogeys, tied for the third fewest of the tournament, in last week’s wire-to-wire win (solo leader after every round) at the AdventHealth Championship.

In addition to making fewer mistakes than anyone else, Young’s three eagles (one in each round) are tied with University of Illinois alum Luke Guthrie for the most in this week’s field. Young’s round-opening eagle Saturday was a drive in the fairway, followed by a 6-iron from 223 yards out, and a 25-foot putt. 

“My goal standing on the first tee was to hit the fairway. That’s what I did,” Young said. “To make the putt was a bonus and a nice way to start.” 

A par save off another downhill lie behind No. 3 green gave Young a quick boost, which he turned into birdies at Nos. 4 and 5. The birdie at the par-5 fifth came after Young escaped the trees on his second shot and knocked a wedge to eight feet. Four pars later, Young drove the 333-yard par-4 10th and notched a two-putt birdie. A bogey from the greenside bunker at the 11th cost him a shot, but Young got it back with a tap-in birdie at the par-4 15th. Young capped the round with a two-putt birdie from just left of the green at the par-5 18th. 

“I don’t think I hit it that great. I made a couple putts early,” Young said. “After that, I didn’t make much. I think I have a lot more in me.” 

Four strokes is double what Young’s lead was after 54 holes in Kansas City, Missouri a week ago. Even with the added cushion, Young knows he can ill afford to play cautiously, or try to protect his lead Sunday afternoon. 

“If I do that, I’ll get passed really quickly,” Young said. “Nick [Hardy] showed some fire on the back nine.” 

Hardy, a two-time All-American and the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year at the University of Illinois, rallied from a 3-over 39 on the front nine with a bogey-free 4-under 31 on the back nine. 

Even as Hardy provoked roars from the crowd after a long, double-breaking birdie putt went down at the par-3 11th, as well as dazzling approaches at the par-4 13th and 15th, Young stayed in his own zone. 

Scott McKean, Young’s caddie, is a major reason why they’re able to operate within their own little world. The two were close friends at Wake Forest University. McKean was also the best man at Young’s wedding. Young’s connection to McKean feels especially important this week, given the fact this event raises funds to support the Evans Scholars Foundation and its efforts to send caddies to college on full tuition and housing scholarships. 

With 18 holes left @ESInvite:

1. Cameron Young (-14)
2. Nick Hardy (-10)
3. Adam Svensson (-9)
4. Patrick Flavin (-7)

Full leaderboard: https://t.co/RJawDIV1X7 pic.twitter.com/R0KgGaokc5

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 29, 2021

When Young needed a caddie for last August’s Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, the third week the four-tournament run which earned him Special Temporary Membership status, McKean picked up the bag. Working for cybersecurity company, McKean took some time off, but also worked remotely while on the road. Young called McKean two weeks later for the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. Once again, McKean took off work and joined Young in Newburgh, Indiana. 

Young made an even bigger ask in late September. He needed a caddie for three straight weeks. McKean asked if he could call back with an answer. 

“He called me back an hour and a half later and had quit his job,” Young said. “He’s giving up a lot to be away from home a lot, and not necessarily get to play golf, do other things he likes to do. But we have a great time. We have a lot of fun. It makes the travel and the long days a lot easier.” 

Drawbridge, the cybersecurity company McKean left, is embroidered on Young’s polos. It’s an ever- present reminder of what the stakes are, what sacrifices have been made, and what potentially lay ahead. 

A victory Sunday would move Young from 26th to 12th in the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour points standings. More simply, finishing off a second win in as many weeks would take Young to the verge of his first PGA TOUR card. 

“Very thankful to be where I am. I knew what it felt like to be missing Monday qualifiers and making $50 in mini-tour events,” Young said. “I’m most of the way to where I want to go. I want that last little bit to be soon. That’s where I have my eyes set.” 

Final-round tee times will run from 6:54 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time Sunday off the first tee. 

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Two Canadian golfers sit in the top 10 at the halfway mark of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is two shots off the lead in third at 8 under, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is seven shots back and tied for eighth at 3 under.

American Cameron Young leads at 10 under through 36 holes.

Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver is tied for 12th at 2 under, while Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 22nd at 1 under.

Pendrith, who is fifth in the tour standings, already has secured a PGA Tour card for next season as he is guaranteed to finish in the top 25.

Svensson also currently holds down a PGA Tour spot at No. 18.

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Nick Hardy, one of roughly a dozen players in the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank field with local ties, had no issues navigating the kind of chilly, windy morning one would experience at a Chicago Bears tailgate. New Yorker Cameron Young actually enjoyed his first four holes in the same conditions, because once he reached the fifth fairway, scattered rain showers blew in and turned Thursday afternoon into one of the most miserable golf rounds he ever endured. 

Hardy and Young emerged from the wicked Chicago area weather with matching 7-under 64s, finishing the opening round with a one-stroke edge over Canadian Adam Svensson. 

Stuart Macdonald shot a 68, while both Taylor Pendrith and Ben Silverman shot 69 to put all four Canadians inside the top 20 after the first round.

A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Hardy has a share of the 18-hole lead for the third time in 42 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Young sits atop the leaderboard for a fifth consecutive Korn Ferry Tour round, as he turned in a wire-to-wire victory (solo leader after every round) amid rainy conditions at last week’s AdventHealth Championship. 

Hardy eagled his opening hole, the par-5 first, countered his only bogey of the day (a three-putt five on No. 3) with one of his six birdies the following hole, and snuck a 6-foot par putt in the side door at the par-5 18th to tie his lowest first-round score on the Korn Ferry Tour. 

“It was a tough day. Everything is tough with that much wind,” Hardy said. “The greens are fast, so you’ve got to control your pace really well, and predict the wind well on putts. I was unhappy I blew it by about six feet and (had) a sidehill putt (on No. 18). I was definitely antsy to make that. I just took the absolute high line because I didn’t want to four-putt… tried to drip it in, and I hit a great putt. Luckily, it caught the right side of the hole and went in. 

“That definitely helps going into a 24-hour break where you’re thinking about it. I was just relieved.” 

Hardy also caught a break at the par-3 17th. As his tee ball sailed 25 yards left of his target and dangerously close to the water, Hardy just hoped for a kind bounce. The ball landed softly enough it hung up in the rough within the penalty area. Hardy took advantage of his good fortune, saving par there and narrowly avoiding a three-putt bogey at the 18th. 

“I thought it was going to be okay when it was in the air, but I was sweating the bounce. If it got a bad bounce, it easily could’ve gone in the water,” Hardy said. “Saving that shot was huge. You have to finish that stuff off in the early rounds of the week if you want to put yourself in position Saturday and Sunday.” 

A strong contingent of fans followed Hardy around The Glen Club. It was hardly a surprise given the fact Hardy played countless rounds at nearby Anetsberger Golf Course, a nine-hole par-3 course less than three miles from The Glen Club, throughout his childhood. Hardy is also very familiar with this week’s venue, having grown up five minutes from it; he played the course in multiple Illinois Open Championships as well. 

Hardy starred at the University of Illinois, where he was a two-time All-American, the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year, and a three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Hardy played alongside fellow Illinois alum Brian Campbell Thursday, and their gallery included Dylan Meyer, a former Fighting Illini teammate with status on the Forme Tour. 

“There are a lot of people out here that mean a lot to me, that, growing up, helped me with my career,” Hardy said. “I want to play well in front of them, and it’s special to have this support. I just have to enjoy it as much as I can.” 

Young’s bogey-free 64 marked his fifth consecutive round in the 60s, and second consecutive tournament-opening 64. Prior to last week, Young had 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and never led after any of the 48 rounds he played. 

“That’s how I’ve been as a player through my career. When it starts feeling good, I feel like it just keeps going,” said Young, who played collegiately at Wake Forest. “I’m very comfortable. I’ve made a few little changes with the putter… being more comfortable and happier on the greens has changed how I’m looking at each day, and it’s bleeding all the way through the bag.” 

Once the showers rolled in, Young began his scoring run. After birdies at Nos. 5, 7, and 8, Young escaped wild drives at the ninth and 10th with a par and birdie, respectively. An 83-yard hole-out eagle at the par-4 13th took Young to 6-under, and an easy up and down for birdie at the par-5 18th, where he hit a 5-wood pin high and just left of the green from 258 yards out, capped the 7-under round. 

“Frankly, one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in my life. Crowned with a hole-out on the back nine, where I was just trying to hang on,” Young said. “I like days like this. I’ve had some good battles, especially in the last few months, through some weather. My caddie and I were joking, we kind of thrived on it. We’re just out there doing the best we can not to care it’s raining on us, that we’re miserable, and that it’s cold. We’re just smiling through it, and it helps when things are going well.” 

Friday’s forecast currently calls for more rain and temperatures once again hovering around 50 degrees. Don’t expect that to faze Young, who welcomed the impending weather conditions. 

“At this point, bring it on.” 

Second-round tee times will run from 6:45 a.m. to 2:16 p.m. local time Friday off the first and 10th tees. 

The long road to the PGA Tour was indeed a lengthy journey for Canada’s Taylor Pendrith.

He didn’t decide on professional golf plans until midway through his four-year run at Kent State University. Pendrith turned pro in 2014 and has since endured the grind of the lower-level circuits.

He bounced from tour to tour, lost status for a couple years, battled injuries and survived on minimal earnings.

Pendrith’s hard work would eventually pay off. A strong showing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season has cemented a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2021-22 campaign.

“It really is a story of perseverance,” said Golf Canada men’s team coach Derek Ingram. “Next (season) when he gets on the PGA Tour, everyone is going to be talking about overnight success and how quickly he took to it, how he came out of nowhere.

“But as I’ve said to Taylor, there’s nothing about his story that has been an overnight success or a guy that has just burst onto the scene. He’s been doing the right things for 10 years and building.”

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., played a variety of sports as a youngster, including baseball and hockey. He tried golf when he visited his sister at the Muskoka golf club where she worked at the time.

“He’d be hitting balls and we’d be like, ‘Man, he can hit it,’ said Jennifer Pendrith, now a superintendent at Kawartha Golf and Country Club in Peterborough, Ont. ”He just had this natural ability to hit the ball.

“He started getting really into it and it took off from there.”

Jennifer set up a small putting space in the family backyard so Taylor could work on his short game. Their father, meanwhile, set up a ‘contraption’ for Taylor to work on his ball striking.

“I think he had an old pool tarp or something and he hung it up so that he could hit balls in his own sort of little driving range,” she said. “It was kind of neat.”

Taylor Pendrith said he found golf to be “peaceful” and quickly fell in love with the game.

“I just seemed to hit the ball really far, so that was fun for me,” he said in a recent interview. “I just wanted to hit it as hard as I could and see how far I could hit it. It all just came together.

“I never really had a coach until I was 18 in the year off that I took before university.”

In his final season at Kent State, Pendrith was named co-Mid-American Conference golfer of the year with teammate Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., now a regular contender on the PGA Tour. Pendrith was one of only two players in school history to play in the NCAA Championships in all four college seasons.

His lower-level pro breakthrough came in 2019 when he won twice on the Mackenzie Tour. Pendrith said it did wonders for his confidence.

“I think over the last few years I’ve had a different mindset, trying to put less pressure on myself,” he said.

Sky's the limit for @TaylorPendrith. ??#TOURBound @HuntsvilleChamp pic.twitter.com/fPJBqq2JV6

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 28, 2021

His injury list, meanwhile, has been a long one. Since turning pro, Pendrith has had wrist and shoulder problems and torn ligaments in his forearm and hand.

He also had a “weird palm injury” where he couldn’t hold a club for four months. Pendrith adjusted his practice and training routine to minimize injuries and feels his mental game is stronger too.

He locked up his PGA Tour card last month after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

“I’ve worked really hard for the last six or seven years to get to this point,” Pendrith said. “It has taken me a bit longer than others and some of my other friends but I’m happy to finally get that card and join them next (season).”

Currently seventh on the Korn Ferry money list at over US$353,000, Pendrith is fifth on the tour’s points list. He’ll likely get into two PGA Tour events this season but is trying to make a push for top spot on the Korn Ferry list as it would give him more exemptions next season.

“(No. 1) is essentially much better than (No.) 2,” he said. “But I do have that card locked up, which is nice. It’s kind of a sense of freedom. I can go out there and play freely, so that’s exciting.”

Pendrith, who turns 30 on Sunday, is third in average driving distance on the Korn Ferry tour at 320.4 yards. He’s 123rd in driving accuracy (60.86 per cent) and is tied for 27th in putting average.

“He’s a nice combination of long and straight,” Ingram said. “He’s become very consistent over the last two or three years in his iron play and the rest of his game. On top of being long, he’s got one of the nicest set of hands you’ll see around the greens of a PGA Tour player.

“Very soft, subtle hands and the ability to get the ball close to the hole from even very difficult spots. It’s a nice toolbox that he has and it’s quite full.”

Pendrith has played in a handful of PGA Tour events over his career, finishing in a tie for 43rd at the RBC Canadian Open in 2014 at Royal Montreal.

He qualified for his first major last September at the US Open, finishing in a tie for 23rd at Winged Foot.

“I think I’ve proven myself at all levels and that I can compete with the best,” he said.

Canadian golfer Taylor Pendrith has earned his PGA Tour card after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., shot a final round of 7-under 64 Sunday at the Veritex Bank Championship, which moved him up 27 spots into a tie for 15th.

The 51 ranking points he earned at the tournament gave Pendtirh, who is currently third on the tour’s money list, a total of 1,748. The Korn Ferry Tour calls the 1,700-point mark its “fail-safe threshold” for earning a PGA Tour card for next season.

Pendrith called locking up his first PGA Tour card a “dream come true.”

"Dream come true to lock up my card." @TaylorPendrith, 29, has crossed our fail-safe threshold of 1,700 Points, securing his first @PGATOUR card for the 2021-22 season. pic.twitter.com/wAIVLhvG4y

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 26, 2021

“It’s been a long journey, for sure, starting in 2014 when I turned pro” the 29-year-old Pendrith said in an interview posted on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Twitter feed.

“But it’s always been a goal of mine and a dream to play on the PGA Tour, and I’ll be able to do that next year.”

Pendrith has six top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. He was runner-up at the Wichita Open and finished tied for second at the Pinnacle Bank Championship and the TPC San Antonio Championship.

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He also finished tied for 23rd at the 2020 U.S. Open.

The top-25 players on the Korn Ferry Tour’s money list at the end of the season earn a place on the PGA Tour for the following season.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is currently 13th on the list at 1,261 points.

There are seven active Canadians with full or partial status on the PGA Tour this season: Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.); Michael Gligic (Burlington, Ont.); Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.); David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.); Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.); and Nick Taylor (Abbotsford).

Graham DeLaet of Weyburm, Sask., started the season on tour but has been off since undergoing a back procedure in February.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Canada’s Adam Svensson captured the title at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Club Car Championship at The Landings Club on Sunday.

After birdies on the last two holes of regulation, Adam Svensson birdied the second playoff hole and defeated 54-hole leader Max McGreevy to win the Club Car Championship at The Landings Club. It was Svensson’s second career Korn Ferry Tour victory, and he becomes the first Canadian to win on Tour since Michael Gligic won the 2019 Panama Championship.

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Svensson played the final 10 holes of regulation at 5-under par and upended McGreevy’s bid to become the first wire-to-wire winner on Tour since Kramer Hickok won the 2018 DAP Championship presented by NewBrick.

McGreevy also birdied the final two holes of regulation to match Svensson’s total score of 17-under par.

Catchin up with the champ ? pic.twitter.com/kj8KMKdKkp

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 29, 2021

Both players had a chance to win on the first extra hole, the par-5 18th, but Svensson missed a 12-foot birdie putt after an aggressive run at an eagle try from off the green, and McGreevy missed a 6-footer for birdie.

“I thought (McGreevy) was going to make it,” Svensson said.

Svensson and McGreavy both found the fairway bunker off the 18th tee the second time around and were forced to lay up. Svensson hit his 95-yard approach shot to 8 feet and lipped in the birdie putt.

“I would say it’s my biggest tournament win ever,” said Svensson, whose last victory was at the 2018 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club. “I put so much hard work in in the offseason… hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. I’ve never been that hard of a worker.”

In 2018, Svensson posted five top-10s and a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour to finish 18th in the regular season standings and earn his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season. He posted three top-25 finishes and finished 167th in the FedExCup in his only full season on TOUR, but this week’s victory puts him at No. 12 in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings and in position for a return to the TOUR for 2021-22.

“I made a commitment to myself about five months ago,” Svensson said. “I was tired of playing well, not playing well, lost my PGA TOUR card, and it’s because I’m not working hard enough. Now I’m fully committed, and we’ll see where it takes me.

“You grow up and you realize you’ve got to do things correctly. I think the Korn Ferry Tour has done a great job of building me as a player.”

Svensson emerged from a crowded Sunday leaderboard, which he said he did not look at until just before his birdie putt at No. 17. McGreevy’s runner-up finish will move him from 19th to 11th in the Korn Ferry Tour points standings. Three other players finished at 16-under par, one shot behind Svensson and McGreevy.