Ziemer's B.C. Golf Notes: COVID forces du Toit to hit the road; Hadwin, Taylor off to another big-money, no-cut event; Allenby-Stinson BC Match Play champs; UBC-Okanagan brings the Heat

Kimberley, BC's Jared du Toit, Is Shown Here During The Golf Canada Camp At Bear Mtn - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

One of Jared du Toit’s lasting memories of 2020 will be of the long hours spent in his car, alone with his golf clubs, in search of somewhere to play. 

When the PGA Tour Latino-America circuit went on hiatus after just one event in March, du Toit had nowhere to play. He went back home to Kimberley for a time before venturing out on the road.

“It has been super weird,” du Toit says. “I had a work visa in the U.S. and I was allowed to enter the country so I kind of made a plan for the summer to just travel around in my car and play as many events as I could.”

He played on the Dakotas Tour, some state opens, mini-tours in the Phoenix area. . .basically, anywhere he could. Du Toit also teed it up in some Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifiers and in early September played his way into one event, the Lincoln Land Championship in Springfield, Ill., where he tied for 46th.

His Volkswagen GTI got quite a workout travelling from event to event. “During a span of about a month and a half this summer I put 12,000 kilometres on my car just driving state to state,” he says. “I basically had my entire life in my car. I was fortunate that nothing went crazy wrong. The check engine light only flickered a couple of times.”

Du Toit, who will tee it up this week in the Sedona Open on the Outlaw Tour in Arizona, was buoyed by the recent announcement that the PGA Tour-LA has two events scheduled for December in Miami and the Dominican Republic.

“I am definitely going to play the one in Miami,” he says. “I will more than likely play the Dominican one, but I just have some concerns as a Canadian who is going to want to get back into the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. That could be a little complicated and worries me a little bit.”

The PGA-LA has also announced plans to play 10 more events between January and June of 2021, although a schedule has not yet been released. “I think some of the countries down there (in South and Central America) are going to have a tough time dealing with the logistics of everything and the Tour is going to have a lot of work to do,” du Toit says. “I am optimistic, but I can see things getting moved around. They may play more events in venues they know would be okay, like Florida, and maybe some parts of Mexico.”

GUARANTEED MONEY: Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin closed with a two-under 70 and finished tied for 28th at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Hadwin’s five-under total was 15 shots behind winner Jason Kokrak. Fellow Abbotsford native Nick Taylor tied for 61st at three-over par and made $18,720.

The CJ Cup was a limited-field event with no cut and Hadwin and Taylor will both be guaranteed pay-cheques again this week at the Zozo Championship, which has been moved from Japan and will be played at Sherwood Country Club in the Los Angeles area. Like the CJ Cup, the Zozo offers a huge $9.75-million purse to its 78-man field. Tiger Woods is the defending champion.

Kevin Stinson (L) And James Allenby Are Your 2020 B.C. Match Play Champions - images courtesy VGT/Mike West & Golf Canada/Chuck Russell

GAME, SET, MATCH: James Allenby of Langley Golf Centre and Kevin Stinson of Cheam Mountain Golf Course are the winners of the 75th playing of the B.C. Match Play Championship. Allenby and Stinson beat the Ledgeview Golf Club duo of Luke Bogdan and Brett Webster 1-up in the championship match played at Richmond Country Club. Allenby and Stinson each earned $1,500.

BRINGING THE HEAT: The UBC-Okanagan Heat won the men’s and women’s events at a BC Rivalry Series event at Northview Golf Club’s Canal Course in Surrey. UBCO’s Kayleigh Trowman shot 74 to lead the way for the women. On the men’s side, Nik Federko led UBCO with a six-under 66.

A day earlier at Sandpiper Golf Course in Harrison Mills, the University of Fraser Valley men’s team finished on top. Jackson Jacob shot a four-under 68 to lead the way for the Cascades and finished one shot behind individual winner Keith Ng of UBC.

On the women’s side, Shania Remandaban and Cecile Kwon shared the individual title and led UBC to the team win. Through four events, the UBC women lead the series with 11 points. UFV leads the men’s standings with 10 points. The series continues this week with events Wednesday at Northview’s Ridge Course and on Thursday at Mayfair Lakes in Richmond.

SCHOOL STRUGGLES: Duncan’s Callum Davison struggled at the final stage of the PGA EuroPro Tour qualifying school in Oxford, England. Davison shot a pair of 76s and missed the 36-hole cut by nine shots.

Jennifer Greggain & Colin Lavers, Both Big Parts Of The British Columbia Golf Performance Program Each Received Some Special Recognition Recently (BC Golf Images)

CHIP SHOTS: Congratulations to Chilliwack’s Jennifer Greggain, who has been appointed a coach of Golf Canada’s national junior squads. Greggain, who has done great work with British Columbia Golf in recent years, will work alongside head coach Robert Ratcliffe. . .Colin Lavers, British Columbia Golf’s Performance Coach, was named Jack Westover coach of the year at the recent PGA of BC annual awards celebration.