When his NCAA golf season came to a disappointing end in early June, Jared du Toit said he was ready to sharpen his focus, intent not on simply contending, but instead on stocking his trophy shelf.
If this past weekend is any indication, the Kimberley product — Canada’s top-ranked amateur men’s golfer — is doing exactly what he set out to do.
The 21-year-old Arizona State Sun Devils’ star etched his name in history alongside the likes of Canadian pros Graham DeLaet and Wes Heffernan by going wire to wire and claiming the prestigious Glencoe Invitational at Calgary’s Glencoe Golf & Country Club on Sunday.
Opening the tournament with a two-under 70, du Toit — who sits 67th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings — held the lead at the conclusion of the first round and never looked back.
He followed up with back-to-back 74s, finishing the 54-hole venture at two-over par (218), good enough for a two-stroke victory over runner-up Emmett Oh (four-over, 220) of Calgary’s Bearspaw Country Club.
Du Toit is calling the Glencoe Golf & Country Club his home course this summer, making him the first host-club winner of the esteemed event since Vince Ramscar won the title in 1995.
DeLaet, 34, is one of Canada’s most recognized PGA professionals. He won the the Glencoe Invitational in 2005 before turning pro in 2007 and eventually winning three Canadian PGA Tour events, including the ATB Financial Classic in 2009.
Heffernan, 39, has won three events on the Canadian PGA Tour since turning pro in 2000. He won the Glencoe Invitational in 1999.
With a triumphant showing at the 7,505-yard, par-72 Forest track at the Glencoe Golf & Country Club, du Toit added a Crystal Keeper Trophy to his cabinet, while also earning exemption into a trio of high-end tournaments throughout the rest of the summer.
The Glencoe win provided du Toit with exemption into the final qualifying round for the RBC Canadian Open (July 18 to 24 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.), exemption into the ATB Financial Classic (Aug. 8 to 14 at Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary) and finally, exemption into the Canadian Men’s Amateur (Aug. 8 to 11 at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club and Eagle Creek Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.).
For du Toit, the winning effort in Calgary comes on the heels of another strong showing one week prior in Pittsford, N.Y.
Competing at the Monroe Invitational at the 6,898-yard Monroe Golf Club, du Toit came into the clubhouse at two-over through 72 holes of action (71-73-67-71) to finish with a share of third place.
The Glencoe Invitational was established in 1992, though took a three-year hiatus from 2012 to 2014 as the The Forest underwent extensive restoration.
Next on the calendar, du Toit has been granted a sponsor’s exemption into the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, set to get underway this week at Dakota Dunes Golf Links, approximately 30 kilometres south of Saskatoon.
“We are delighted to reward these individuals with the opportunity to participate in this year’s event,” said Brad Parkins, tournament director of the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open in a news release. “We had an extremely accomplished list of players reaching out to us and we would like to thank each and every one of them for their interest in our event. It is a difficult task, but we are very pleased with the individuals we selected.”
Joining du Toit on sponsor’s exemption are James Love (Calgary), Lucas Kim (Toronto), Hugo Leon (Santiago, Chile), Jerry Christiansen (La Ronge, Sask.), Dakota Cameron (Okemasis First Nation), William Kropp (Indianapolis) and Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.).
The SIGA Dakota Dunes Open is a PGA Tour Canada event and will be the first pro tournament of du Toit’s young career.
The SIGA Dakota Dunes Open began Monday, June 20, with the Graham Slam Celebrity Pro-Am, hosted by the Graham & Ruby DeLaet Foundation, in an effort to raise funds to improve children’s health and wellness in Saskatchewan. The charity event wraps up Tuesday, with practice rounds scheduled for Wednesday.
The first round of the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open gets underway Thursday, with the championship round taking place Sunday, June 26. The prize purse is set at $175,000, with the winner taking $31,500.
Du Toit was unavailable for comment prior to print deadline Monday.
