Golf pros from across B.C. are getting ready to hit the greens at the Talking Rock Golf Course for the PGA of B.C. Championship Aug. 20 and 21.
Though Talking Rock has hosted PGA events in the past, such as the Pro Assistants’ championship, the PGA of B.C. Championship is far and away the most prestigious competition to hit the course. Club professional Adam Blair is ecstatic at the opportunity to bring out so many of B.C.’s top golfers to the course and showcase it to the professional community.
He says the chance to host these championships comes from a decade of work spent elevating the course to be among what he considers the best in the province.
“We have done a lot of work over the last 10 years to really showcase this golf course as one of the top golf courses in the province,” Blair says. “We are slowly starting to get the recognition, but to be able to host a championship like this, the excitement of the players coming here to play us, it really kind of puts us up there as one of the top facilities in the province.”
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As for what he is most excited about regarding the upcoming event, Blair is looking forward to seeing how the pros perform at Talking Rock.
“I am just looking forward to seeing how some of the really good players that are always in contention manage their way around the golf course and you know what kind of scores are produced ultimately,” he says. “I think it is a scoreable golf course but it is always nice to see when your facility is kind of put to the total test, when the best players in the province come to play and see how they react.”
Blair is himself entered in the B.C. Championship, along with three assistant pros from Talking Rock: Nathan Grieve, Harris Stoneman and Dave Munn. Jesse Crowe of the Salmon Arm Golf Club is also entered in the championship. Blair notes he has been putting in plenty of time on the course in advance of the tournament.
“I’ve been playing as much as I can, lots of nine-hole rounds with my two young daughters who are learning how to play as well, I’ve been getting them out a bit,” he says. “I am feeling really good about my game; I have been playing quite well over the last few weeks, it seems to be kind of coming into form just in time.”
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A victory or high placing in the B.C. Championship will land players a near-guarantee of qualifying for the PGA of Canada Championship in the spring, as well as a shot at earning the PGA of B.C. Player of the Year distinction. The top-placing club professionals in the B.C. event will also qualify for the PGA Club Professionals Championship in Arizona this December.
John Shin of the Northview Golf Academy, the 2017 PGA of B.C. champion, is entered in the championship to defend his title. Blair also notes there are several players to keep an eye on during the tournament, including Phil Jonas (founder of the Phil Jonas Golf Academy), Bryn Parry (Point Grey Golf Club) and Matthew Palsenberg (Northview Golf Academy).
The Talking Rock Golf Course will be open to spectators during the PGA of B.C. Championship and it is free to attend. Spectators should check in at the golf shop upon arrival for a briefing on spectator etiquette during the event.
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