CANADIAN TOUR STORYLINES – DAKOTA DUNES CASINO OPEN
TALE OF THE TAPE
Dakota Dunes Golf Links
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Par 72 – 36/36 – 7,301 Yards
Designed: Graham Cooke & Associates - 2004
Course Record: 61 - Cody Slover (2010 Dakota Dunes Casino Open)
Website: www.dakotadunes.ca
HADWIN RETURNS FROM WEB.COM TOUR
2010 and 2011 Rivermead Cup winner Adam Hadwin will make his first start on the Canadian Tour this season. The Abbotsford, BC native and two-time Canadian Tour winner grabbed headlines in 2011 by contending at the RBC Canadian Open. Hadwin also made the cut at the US Open and went on to earn more than $440,000 on the PGA TOUR. Hadwin has earned $53,900 on the Web.com Tour this year, with a season-best finish of T-5 at the Soboba Golf Classic and currently sits 50th on the tour's money list.
The Web.com Tour is off this week so a number of dual members will be playing at Dakota Dunes. Other Web.com Tour members in the field this week include Stuart Anderson, Dan Buchner, Mitch Gillis, Craig Hocknull, Andy Matthews and Sean Shahi.
YOUNG GUNS CONTINUE RUN
In winning the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON last week, Cory Renfrew - at a seasoned 26 years old - became the oldest winner on the Canadian Tour this season. Renfrew edged 23-year old Matt Hill of Sarnia, ON in a playoff, and finished two shots ahead of 21-year old Nate McCoy of Des Moines, IA.
It's been a season for the young guns so far in 2012, with Renfrew joining 23-year old Andrew Roque and 22-year old Michael Gligic in the winner's circle. 25-year old Roger Sloan also won the Sun Rivers Pro-Am, an unofficial event in Kamloops.
RENFREW BUILDS ORDER OF MERIT LEAD
With his win last week at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, Cory Renfrew jumped atop the Canadian Tour Order of Merit, building himself a lead of $7,502.13 over Times Colonist Island Savings Open winner Andrew Roque. It was Roque who denied the 26-year old a victory in front of hometown fans in Victoria with a final-round 61 that included seven straight closing birdies, but with Renfrew's T-2 finish there and win last week, the UBC graduate is up to $36,339.63 in earnings on the season. Renfrew and Roque now sit 1-2 on the Order of Merit, in position to nab the two RBC Canadian Open exemptions that will be available after the Players Cup in Winnipeg next week.
CANADIAN ROOKIE RACE UPDATE
Cory Renfrew took a commanding lead in the Canadian Rookie of the Year race presented by The Great Waterway Tourism Region. Renfrew now sits atop both the Order of Merit and the rookie race with a total of $36,339.63 in earnings. Matt Hill of Sarnia, ON is $17,039.63 back of Renfrew and $5,135.00 ahead of his good friend and former Team Canada teammate Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, BC. Rounding out the top five are Edmontonians Wilson Bateman and Steve Lecuyer.
1. Cory Renfrew, Victoria, BC - $36,339.63 (1)
2. Matt Hill, Sarnia, ON – $19,300.00 (5)
3. Nick Taylor, Abbotsford, BC - $14,165.00 (7)
4. Wilson Bateman, Edmonton, AB - $4,900.00 (26)
5. Steven Lecuyer, Edmonton, AB - $2,400.00 (55)
CANCON
Speaking of Canadian Rookies, both Renfrew and Hill are in the Top 10 on the Canadian Tour Order of Merit. A total of six Canadian's occupy the Top 10 currently.
1. Cory Renfrew, Victoria, BC - $36,339.63
2. Andrew Roque, Monterey Park, CA - $28,837.50
3. Michael Gligic, Burlington, ON - $28,000.00
4. Matt Marshall, Scottsdale, AZ - $23,300.00
5. Matt Hill, Sarnia, ON – $19,300.00
6. Lucas Lee, Brazil - $15,780.31
7. Nick Taylor, Abbotsford, BC - $14,165.00
8. Joe Panzeri, Meridian, ID - $11,950.00
9. Roger Sloan, Merritt, BC - $11,575.00
10. Derek Gillespie, Oshawa, ON - $10,831.25
DEFENDING CHAMP PANZERI A FAVOURITE THIS WEEK
Meridian, Idaho's Joe Panzeri earned International Rookie of the Year honours last year thanks to a win at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open. Coming into this year's tournament, there aren't many players playing better than the 26-year old, who was T-10 in Fort McMurray last week and T-3 in Edmonton, where he shot a course record 62 in the second round.
TEENAGE DREAMS
One week after Kota Kagasaki, a 15-year old believed to be the youngest professional on any worldwide tour, made his CANTOUR debut, he'll be joined on tour by Dan Bowling, a 17-year old from Sarnia, ON. Bowling earned non-exempt status at the California Qualifying School and is making his first start after finishing high school last month.
Bowling also hails from the Sarnia, ON area, in Mooretown. The Southwestern Ontario area is also home to 2003 Masters winner and CANTOUR alum Mike Weir and last week's runner up Matt Hill, who both hail from Bright's Grove, ON just outside of Sarnia proper.
COURSE RECORDS FALLING EVERYWHERE BUT DAKOTA DUNES MIGHT BE SAFE
The past two tournaments in Edmonton and Fort McMurray have seen a total of six course record-tying or breaking rounds, including two each by Renfrew and Matt Marshall. Marshall shot a nine-under 62 in the third round in Edmonton to match the new mark set by Joe Panzeri the day before, then accomplished nearly exactly the same feat in Fort McMurray by shooting a third-round 64 (-8) to match the record set by Renfrew and Micah Burke the day before. Renfrew ended up setting the new course record at Fort McMurray Golf Club with a sizzling 63 of his own in the final round. This week, however, it's going to take a extremely low round to beat Cody Slover's 2010 record of 11-under 61. Slover shot that in the final round where he finished T-5. Will Wilcox was the eventual champion that year.
CALIFORNIA Q-SCHOOL SUCCESS CONTINUES
Cory Renfrew's win in Fort McMurray continued a trend of success from this year's California Q-School, joining Andrew Roque as winners from this year's crop. Other notables from this year's California school who posted solid finishes in Fort Mack include Nate McCoy, who finished T-3 Tyler Aldridge, who posted a T-6 for his second top-10 of the season, Micah Burke, who shot a course record 64 in the second round and Mark Hubbard, who shot under par in all four rounds to finish T-10.
CADMUS DELORME READY TO MAKE HIS MARK
Regina's Cadmus Delorme is looking to make his first cut in five tries at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open, but don't be surprised if the 26-year old does that and more this week. In June Delorme became the first-ever First Nations winner of the prestigious Lobstick men's invitational, an event held in Prince Albert for over 70 years. Delorme is also well-known for his activism efforts at the First Nations University of Canada, where he is the Student Association President. At the Lobstick, Delorme won the Open portion of the tournament, an event open to professionals and amateurs, as well as the match play event that followed.
FIELD BREAKDOWN
This week’s field includes 55 Canadians, 75 Americans and 31 players from 13 other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Chile, So
