GolfBC Group announced a $75,000 donation to the BC Cancer Foundation, the tournament’s designated charity beneficiary, at the closing ceremonies of the 2022 GolfBC Championship held at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club. This donation brings the total charitable contribution over the six years of the event to $750,000.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — If Stuart Macdonald’s wife looked more excited than he did after his hole-in-one on the par 3 13th hole in Sunday’s final round of the GolfBC Championship, there’s a reason for that.

It was the Vancouver native’s ninth ace. His wife Carly, who was caddying for him this week, didn’t see any of the first eight.

A PGA Tour Canada media staffer happened to be on site when Macdonald dunked his eight-iron from 188 yards and captured some wonderful photos, including one with a look of pure joy on Carly’s face.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — They were playing golf but Noah Goodwin and Scott Stevens went at it like a pair of heavyweight boxers in the final round of the GolfBC Championship, punching and counter-punching their way around Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club.

The knockout blow was finally delivered on the 18th green as Goodwin, a 22-year-old Texan, rolled in a five-foot putt for birdie and his second win of the PGA Tour Canada season.

“It was an absolute dogfight out there between me and Scott,” Goodwin said. “I know we were both loving every second of it.”

Goodwin won with a total of 23-under after closing with a seven-under 64. He and Stevens, who shot a 65, were paired together and staged quite the battle, especially on the back nine.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — The GolfBC Championship is the final full-field event of the PGA Tour Canada season and the last opportunity for players to lock up spots in the season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship.

That event, scheduled for Sept. 15-18 at Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener, Ont., is limited to the top 60 players on the Fortinet Cup points list after the GolfBC Championship.

Two British Columbians, Chris Crisologo of Richmond and Kimberley’s Jared du Toit, punched their tickets to the Tour Championship by making the cut this week at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — If the GolfBC Championship could be likened to a horse race, the leaders have rounded the clubhouse turn and are heading for home.

It’s shaping up to be quite the stretch run in Sunday’s final round of the $200,000 PGA TOUR Canada event at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — Apparently there is no giving up in Ilirian Zalli’s world.

The 20-year-old Vancouver Open champion has shown some remarkable grit in the first two rounds of the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club.

Zalli earned an exemption into his first PGA Tour Canada event by storming back from being down four shots with four holes to play and winning the Vancouver Golf Tour’s marquee event a couple of weeks ago.

In Thursday’s opening round of the GolfBC Championship, Zalli was down again. But not out.

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — It was as close to a perfect round of golf Noah Goodwin has ever experienced and the 22-year-old Texan was determined to savour it.

“Days like today, they don’t happen often and I am waiting to wake up,” Goodwin said after firing a 10-under 61 in Friday’s second round of the GolfBC Championship. “It was just one of those rounds of golf where just about everything was perfect.”

Goodwin wasn’t just talking about his golf. The weather during his morning round was sublime and Goodwin has fallen head over heels in love with Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club and what he called its ‘vibe.’

By Brad Ziemer

KELOWNA — Jordan Hahn did something in Thursday’s first round of the GolfBC Championship he had never done as a professional golfer. He left his driver in the bag for an entire competitive round. Didn’t even take the head cover off of it.

“That’s a first,” the 25-year-old Wisconsin native said of going driverless at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club. “Not in a competitive round, maybe I’ve done it on a par 3 course or something like that.”

Hahn’s strategy seemed to work as he fired a seven-under 64 to share the lead with Georgian Luke Schniederjans and Cole Madey of Portland, Ore.