Stinson, Locke Set for Final-Round Showdown. Bruce Builds Head Professional Lead at Redwoods
LANGLEY, B.C. — The race for the PGA Head Professional and Head Teaching Professional Championships of Canada is heating up at Redwoods Golf Club, where Kevin Stinson and Eric Locke are separated by just one stroke in the Head Teaching Professional Championship, while Adam Bruce holds a four-shot advantage in the Head Professional Championship heading into Monday’s final round.
Presented by Callaway Golf, the Head Professional Championship features Bruce atop the leaderboard at six-under-par, following consecutive rounds of 68. In the Head Teaching Professional Championship supported by UpSwing Golf, Stinson sits at seven-under-par after rounds of 68 and 67, with Locke one stroke back at six-under-par after producing the championship’s low round of 65.
Stinson and Locke Set for Head Teaching Professional Showdown
Stinson, who recently moved from Cheam Mountain to Chilliwack Golf Club, will look to secure his fourth PGA of Canada national championship victory, while Locke, representing Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club, and owner of Big Dog Indoor Golf in Cochrane, AB, is chasing his first national title.
Stinson followed his opening-round 68 with a four-under-par 67 on Sunday, moving to seven-under for the championship. Locke made his move with a six-under-par 65, highlighted by four consecutive birdies early in his round.
“I made more footage of putts there on the front nine than I probably have all year combined,” Locke said. “So, it was nice to catch a little bit of a heater there.”
Locke credited his putting for the surge, explaining that he was seeing the lines well and controlling his speed. He also made a point of improving his play on the par threes after discussing his opening round with his wife.
“She said, ‘You played the par threes three over par. Maybe just don't do that tomorrow,’” Locke said. “So that was realistically my only goal of the day, just to play those a little bit better.”
The adjustment paid off as Locke climbed within one shot of Stinson, setting up a compelling final-round pairing between two players who will be familiar with each other's games.
“It's great. It's why we play,” Locke said of being in contention. “Kevin is an unbelievable player. It's great to play with, and it's easy to watch. Sometimes you just got to try not to get watching too much and make sure that I'm playing my own game.”
Victor Ciesielski of Deer Ridge Golf Club and Matthew Mah of Mill Woods Golf Course share third place at two-under-par, five strokes behind Stinson. Alex MacDonald of The Links at Brunello sits fifth at even par.
Bruce Builds Cushion in Head Professional Championship
While the Head Teaching Professional Championship remains a tight contest, Bruce has established some separation in the Head Professional Championship.
The Northern Bear Golf Club professional carded his second consecutive two-under-par 68 to reach six-under-par.
Sam Kirkness of Inglewood Golf & Curling Club sits second at two-under-par, followed by Kaleb Gorbahn at one-under-par. David MacComb of Royal Mayfair Golf Club and Ron Kenesky of Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club are tied for fourth at even par.
Bruce's steady ball-striking has been a key to his success through two rounds. Despite recording a double bogey on the fourth hole Sunday, he continued to find greens and capitalize on scoring opportunities.
“It was an awesome ball-striking day for me today again,” Bruce said. “Hit a lot of greens and two-putted a lot. And then I made more birdies than yesterday.”
Bruce admitted that leading a national championship heading into the final round was not a position he necessarily expected to be in, but he plans to stick with the approach that has worked so far.
“I'm probably the last person that thought I'd be in this position, so I'm going to just keep doing what I've been doing,” he said. “I've had some awesome groups both days, and they've kept it light, so I'll try to do that again and see where it ends up.”
The tree-lined layout at Redwoods has also suited Bruce's eye. Surrounded by towering redwoods, the course has a visual tightness that he believes helps him focus.
“I've always liked tree-lined courses,” Bruce said. “It kind of makes you dial in, and with the giant redwoods here, it makes it feel a lot tighter than it actually is. But, yeah, I feel like it kind of shapes the course for me, and I really like that.”
With four shots separating him from Kirkness, Bruce will look to maintain his composure and convert his advantage into his first national championship.
Alberta Takes InterZone Team Title
The InterZone competition wrapped up Sunday, with Alberta claiming the top spot and the $1,600 first-place prize. The Alberta team featured Eric Locke, Matt Mah, Michael Harrison and Kevin Black.
British Columbia finished second to earn $1,000, while Ontario placed third and collected $600.
The individual championships conclude Monday at Redwoods Golf Club, with Stinson and Locke set for a head-to-head battle in the Head Teaching Professional Championship presented by UpSwing Golf and Bruce looking to finish off a wire-to-wire lead in the Head Professional Championship presented by Callaway Golf.
The final Head Teaching Professional group will begin their day at 10:18 AM PT while the final group of the Head Professional Championship will begin their day at 10:36 AM PT.
Locke and Stinson are tied at the top of the Birdie Juice Birdie Race, each with 12 birdies through two rounds, while Bruce has 9. Whoever makes the most birdies earns a $250 bonus thanks to Birdie Juice.