A pair of local golfers are on Vancouver Island hoping to land a coveted spot on the PGA Tour Canada and take a major step forward in their respective golf careers.
Brett Stewart and Brett Webster will be among 35 Canadians in the field this weekend at the 2015 PGA Tour Canada qualifying tournament this weekend at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay.
Stewart and Webster are both graduates of the University of the Fraser Valley’s golf program and are both based out of Ledgeview Golf Club.
Stewart has tried to qualify twice, while Webster has taken a swing at the PGA Tour Canada once before.
Stewart, the son of former PGA Tour player Ray Stewart, said his mental game has improved substantially in the last year.
“I’ve been grinding to think better and [be] more positive on the golf course,” he said. “My putting has also improved immensely as well which should help me the entire year.”
Stewart’s had a solid start to the season, finishing second after losing in a playoff at last month’s 2015 Ledgeview Classic.
Webster, meanwhile, recently returned to competitive golf after working in the restaurant industry.
The 26-year-old, who finished 13th at Ledgeview in April, says he is feeling good about his game and is hoping for a top-20 finish.
The 72-hole tournament runs May 5 to 8, with the winner gaining full exempt status for this year’s PGA Tour Canada season, while those who finish in the top 18 get exempted for at least the first six tour stops. Those who finish between 19th and 40th gain conditional status.
r r r
On Thursday, a pair of local graduates of the PGA Tour Canada will be in action at the highest level of golf. Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin will both be in action at The Players’ Championship, one of the biggest tournaments on the PGA schedule.