VICTORIA -- Golf Canada and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) are hosting two high-profile golf tournaments on Vancouver Island this summer.
Since the 2020 Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19, four smaller tournaments have been scheduled across the country as part of a “Canada Life Series.”
Two tournaments are taking place at the Bear Mountain Golf & Tennis Resort Community in Langford, and two will be held at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
The first Bear Mountain tournament will take place on Aug. 10 to 12 on the resort’s Mountain Course.
The second tournament will take place on Aug. 17 to 19 on the resort’s Valley Course.
“Bear Mountain’s two courses are quite diverse, and (Jack Nicklaus and his son Steve) designed them in such a way that we think the tournaments will certainly have different feels to them while at the same time providing excellent tests of golf,” said Rob Larocque, Bear Mountain director of golf in a release Friday.
The two tournaments in Toronto will take place on Sept. 2 to 4, and Sept. 9 to 11.
Contestants in the tournaments will include professional Canadian golfers, “elite amateurs,” and Mackenzie Tour members who are currently living in the country, regardless of their citizenship.
Golf Canada estimates that tournaments will range between 90 to 120 players, with prizes set at $50,000 per tournament.
Once the tournament concludes, top ranking golfers will receive conditional Mackenzie Tour status for the 2021 Mackenzie Tour, as well as guaranteed tournament starts.
“It was certainly disappointing when circumstances surrounding COVID-19 required us to cancel the 2020 Mackenzie Tour season,” said Scott Pritchard, Mackenzie Tour executive director.
“We were poised for a great summer of golf, but we never lost sight of the purpose for this Tour, which is to give players opportunities to play tournaments on quality golf courses.”
