Quick Facts:
First-Place Cheque: $9,000
Field Size: 109 players
Course Details: The Redwoods Golf Club, Langley, B.C.
Par 71/6,537 yards (m), 5,411 yards (w)
Dates: September 11-14, 8 AM PT first tee time, 2:10 AM PT final tee time
Defending Champion: Yohann Benson
Format: 54-hole individual stroke play, cut to 60+ ties following second round
Schedule of events, pairings and results
109 PGA of Canada professionals from across the country have gathered in Langley, BC this week looking to claim one of the country’s biggest professional events; the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.
Last year’s event went down to the wire, with Yohann Benson, Wes Heffernan and Devon Schade all heading to the final hole with a chance to win. With a one-stroke lead, Benson made par and watched on as Heffernan and Schade both failed to make birdie.
Earlier this summer, Benson won the PGA Championship of Canada, marking the second time in a row that a player has held the PGA Championship and PGA Assistants’ Championship title at the same time; Kevin Stinson accomplished the feat in 2022/2023.
With a narrow golf course ahead at The Redwoods Golf Club, the winner will likely be the one that takes care of business off the tee, keeping the ball in play and paying attention to the little details of the course – similar to how Golf Away Tours takes care of all the details when planning golf getaways – let’s take a deep dive into what players are in store for this week.
Can Alberta continue InterZone dominance?
The PGA of Alberta are on the hunt for their fourth-consecutive InterZone title at the event. Last year at The Ranch Golf Club, Wes Heffernan led the Alberta squad, firing consecutive 66’s the first two rounds.
Alberta will have to get the job done without Heffernan this time around, as the team this year consists of Scott Smith, Tyler Labouthillier, Chris Horton and Mitchell Fox.
While teams consist of four players, only the top three player’s scores will count towards the team total each day. Full teams can be found here.
The Field
Year in and year out, the Assistants’ Championship of Canada is known for having one of the strongest professional fields in the country.
The 9:50 AM – 10:50 AM window features many past champions and players high up on the PGA Rankings presented by ECCO Golf.
Victor Ciesielski has been on a heater this summer – recently shooting 59 in a casual round just weeks after claiming the PGA of Ontario Assistants’ Championship. He tees off at 9:50 AM and leads off a stretch of phenomenal players.
Chris Horton, Brad Kerfoot and John Shin bring plenty of talent to the 10 AM pairing, as do Mitchell Fox, James Seymour and Steven Lecuyer, teeing off at 10:10 AM.
Defending champions Benson is set to play with Dillon Batsel and Jordan Ells at 10:20, while Heffernan will get his tournament started alongside David Li Sheman and Bryn Parry at 10:30.
Click here to see the full field
The ‘TJ Rule(s)’ of the Week
With support from Golf Away Tours founder (and great player in his own right) TJ Rule, here are a few of the local ‘rules’ and things to watch for from a competitions standpoint.
- Officials will be using a few different teeing areas on select holes this week. The 380-yard 2nd hole will likely be moved up to 296 yards during one of the competition days, giving some players the opportunity to drive the green.
- With large trees guarding the edges of several fairways, keeping the ball in play will be very important for players this week.
- The InterZone competition will be decided after 36 holes. Because the InterZone groups need to remain together, the tee sheet will not be re-paired after the first round.
- Keep your eyes on the PGA of Canada’s Instagram account, where we will keep you apprised of all the action.
- Players know that we are getting close to finalizing the RBC Canadian Open exemption for next year. With only a few zone events remaining to pick up valuable Player Ranking Points, this week will be essential for those near the top of the leaderboard.
What Else is Going On?
Thanks to our tournament partners, we are excited to elevate the experience this week for both players and fans alike.
The 14th hole has been chosen as the ‘E-Z-GO ‘It’s Good to Go’ hole of the week. All players who make eagle on the par 5 throughout the week will be put into a draw for a $250 cash prize.
The leaderboard will be available throughout the week here.