Canadian Tour’s best golfers coming

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/07/2009 (6240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Their objective was to make it a ‘must-play’ event on the Canadian Golf Tour.

They appear to have achieved that objective.

Next week’s $200,000 Players Cup at Pine Ridge Golf Course has attracted the cream of the Canadian Tour, a loop that has over the years produced such Canadian golf greats as Mike Weir, Dave Barr, Dan Haldorson and Moe Norman and such international notables as Stuart Appleby, Chris DiMarco and 2004 British Open winner Todd Hamilton.

Whether there are such future greats in this year’s Players Cup field remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the very best the Canadian Tour has to offer will be on display next week at Pine Ridge.

Eight of the top 10 players on the Canadian Tour order of merit — and 21 of the top 25 — are among the 156 players signed up to play beginning next Thursday.

"Everything’s coming together… we’ve got the best of the best that the Canadian Tour has to offer," tournament co-ordinator Mitch Zalnasky said at a news conference at Pine Ridge Tuesday morning. "This has become one of the major events on the Canadian Tour… there’s only one purse bigger than ours and that’s the tour championship.

"So it’s a big purse and the idea of getting an exemption into the Canadian Open (the following week) is very attractive to these guys. So all in all, this has become a tour stop most of the guys want to make."

The Canadian Tour stop in Winnipeg has gone by different names and offered varying purses over the years. But Zalnasky says there was a focused decision a couple of years ago to build the Winnipeg stop into one of the premier events on the Canadian Tour. And he believes the fruits of that will be on display next week.

"Twelve years ago when I took over the event, the purse was $100,000 and the winner took home $16,000. Today, we have a $200,000 purse and the winner takes home $32,000, plus the exemption (into the Canadian Open)."

In addition to the big purse and the exemption, Zalnasky said players are also attracted by Pine Ridge’s unique challenges. "They love playing here. It’s a great challenge for them. It’s different than what they normally play on.

"This is an old, traditional golf course designed by Donald Ross. You look at it and you say it’s not very long, but when you walk off the course you say, ‘How did I shoot that score?’ Because they can’t believe it. It is a course that demands accuracy and demands patience."

Zalnasky said part of growing the Winnipeg event into a major tour stop also involved bringing in a charitable element. He said major golf events generally have a charitable component and the Players Cup has adopted Kidsport — which supplies sports equipment to kids who would otherwise be unable to play.

And it is not a small contribution. Zalnasky said the Players Cup is structured so that corporate sponsorships pay the freight, which allows organizers, beginning last year and continuing this year, to donate all the proceeds from ticket sales to the charity. Last year, that worked out to be a cheque for $25,000 to Kidsport.

"We really felt like we wanted to give something back," Zalnasky said.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

See the elite at Pine Ridge

What: The Canadian Tour’s $200,000 Players Cup.

When: First-round action begins next Thursday, with the final round wrapping up Sunday.

Where: Pine Ridge Golf Course (Highway 59 to Garven Road).

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How much: A four-day pass is $25; first- and second-round day passes are $15; third round is $20; final round is $25. Kids under 12 free with an adult.

Who’s the local hope: There are nine Manitoba golfers signed up to play, including such recognizable names as Garth Collings, Rob McMillan and Adam Spiers.

Fun stuff: After the pros finish up on Sunday, a regular stiff is going to get a chance to drain a 40-foot putt on the 18th green for $36,000 as part of a Boston Pizza promotion. You can enter your name at participating Boston Pizza restaurants. Watch the ads in the Free Press for more information.

Calling all volunteers: Co-ordinator Mitch Zalnasky says they could still use some more volunteers and caddies.