Reed On The Greens September 24, 2015
That’s More Like It! Freedom 55 Financial Championship Reaches New Heights
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com
Tournament Photos: Jeffrey Reed/LondonOntarioGolf.com
The Freedom 55 Financial Championship is alive and well, and living at Highland Country Club.
After two sub-par years at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club, the Mackenzie Tour PGA Tour Canada season-ending tournament is back on its feet, thanks to a highly-successful week at its new digs.
It’s true, Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the tourney in 2013 and ’14 – the charter and sophomore seasons for the championship – but the members never fully embraced this event as have the Highland members. There was a much more positive vibe surrounding this year’s championship, and for many reasons.
Most of all, you must applaud all of the tournament stakeholders – and with apologies to the five golfers who earned Web.com Tour cards – that means the Big Five: Mackenzie Tour, Golf Canada, Freedom 55 Financial, Mackenzie Investments, as well as the host club. They’ve worked tirelessly together since the venue change was announced in early December. The key here is Highland has been on board 100 per cent. In essence, a team effort has helped produce a golf tournament which deserves to be a staple amongst the local sports calendar – our biggest championship event of the year, it says here.
The toughest job handed to the five partners – in particular, Golf Canada – is educating Londoners on where Mackenzie Tour golfers fit in, in the grand scheme of golf’s hierarchy. It’s true, they are potentially the “stars of tomorrow,” as they are billed, but finding a Mike Weir or Nick Taylor (both Tour graduates) amongst the crowd is like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s professional golf. It’s not like watching a top junior hockey player who is almost certain to find himself skating with an NHL club.
But the five partners have done the impossible: they’ve moved the needle in the right direction. Locals are most definitely more aware of how good these guys are now, and the players themselves are a draw. There’s still a lot of work left in terms of marketing this championship, if it’s to reach its potential as a major draw in London, but things are moving in the right direction.
At the conclusion of this year’s tournament, Golf Canada’s Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status, Adam Helmer, was visibly thrilled with the week’s events. Yet he admitted he still has his work cut out for him if this tournament – which drew a great Sunday gallery of 800 wrapped around the 18th green during sudden-death play – is to reach its potential.
“The membership has truly embraced it. They’re so keen, they’re so passionate about this championship. They want it to showcase their course, and they truly have this week. It’s a new chapter for the Freedom 55 Financial Championship,” said Helmer. “It’s truly been a collective effort between (all five stakeholders).
“Our overall objective is to make it a community event,” Helmer said. “We’re trying to make an impact on junior golf – and golf in the London community.”
Kids 17 and under were admitted free this year, and junior clinics were a big success – they’ll grow next year, according to Helmer. He also cited the charity component – Thames Valley Children’s Centre received 55 per cent of ticket sales – as big part of the community investment. In the end, with a $12,500 donation from the PGA Tour, on behalf of Mackenzie Investments, Thames Valley CC received a cheque for $44,048.85.
“We’re all making our notes for our post-mortem,” added Helmer. “Each year, we’re trying to grow and become that marquee event in London. Obviously it’s a hockey town through and through with the Knights. But we’re trying to (give) golf a presence, to get non-golfers get a club in their hands, and to come and experience and see how good these players are.”
Watch the entire interview with Helmer here.
Two 57s – And Now A 60
Just how good are Mackenzie Tour golfers? On championship Sunday, Curtis Reed of San Antonio, Texas shot a 60 – and his caddy said he even left some shots out on the course. Reed finished 12-under (T5) with rounds of 71-70-67-60.
“That was fun. I kind of blacked out there on the back nine,” said Reed en route to a new Highland course record. And although it was his best score in tournament golf, it wasn’t his lowest score.
“I’ve shot 57 twice at my home course Alsatian GC in Houston. I played both times with my dad. I have a coin here. My dad’s a banker, and he gave me this after I shot it – a ’57 half dollar. But (today) is definitely the best I’ve ever played. That was fun to do, especially with the way the course is. It’s short, but it really makes you pay attention on every shot you hit. The greens are really undulating. The overnight rain really softened up the greens.”
Reed said he turned to some relaxation techniques to calm down during the round.
“I was doing some breathing drills I’ve been working on. Hadn’t really had a chance to use them. I use it more when I get mad. But I was freaking out a little bit. I was really working on my heart rate, trying to slow that down, walk a little bit slower, and not think too much about it,” said Reed.
“My caddy was getting my mind off of it. We were talking about my dog (Marcus), and I love that thing. He’s about 5 and a half months old, so I’ve missed most of his puppy life. I’m kind of upset about that. But it will be fun to go back and see him,” said Reed.
Reed said a tip from his swing coach, Jonathan Dismuke, director of golf at University of Houston, and a good warmup session offered him some great swing thoughts before his record-breaking round.
“The wind was right to left on the range. And I don’t really like left to right winds. So I had a better warmup session. And actually last night, my old college coach, he’s my swing coach, sent me a little video and showed me something I needed to work on today. I did some stuff on the range. It clicked. I hit it a lot better today. I was hitting my irons phenomenally. And I was making some putts. It was one of those days when everything goes right.”
View Reed’s final-round scorecard here. Watch his YouTube video interview here.
Eye On The Prize
In late-April, Freedom 55 Financial gave this event, the Tour and the city a much needed shot in the arm. The tourney, now known as the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, has been extended through 2020. The purse increases from $150,000 to $200,000. In addition, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year money increases to $25,000 from $10,000, and Canadian Player of the Week prize money jumps to $2,500 from $1,500.
After sleeping on the 36- and 54-hole leads, Jason Millard of Murfreesboro, Tennessee posted a final-round 68 and outlasted Ryan Williams of Vancouver, British Columbia in a playoff to win this year’s event. With the win and a first-place cheque of $36,000, Millard jumped from No. 30 to No. 5 in the final Order of Merit to earn status on the Web.com Tour for the 2016 season.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ontario, finished T8 to clinch Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honors and the $25,000 prize.
After matching pars on the first hole, Millard converted a two-putt par from 15 feet while Williams was unable to get up-and-down from the front of the green, missing a par putt from 10 feet that would have extended the playoff.
Williams was foiled in his bid to win back-to-back Freedom 55 Financial Championships, having captured last year’s event at Sunningdale.
Los Angeles, California’s J.J. Spaun wrapped up Player of the Year honours, finishing with $91,193 in earnings on the season to top the Order of Merit and lead five players who earned status on the Web.com Tour for 2016.
The 25-year-old San Diego State University graduate set the new record for single-season earnings on the Mackenzie Tour, and became the first player to record top-five finishes in four straight starts.
Spaun, who posted seven top-10 finishes, will be fully exempt on the 2016 Web.com Tour after finishing $11,297 ahead of No. 2 C.T. Pan of Taiwan. Joining Spaun and Pan in The Five were No. 3 Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ontario, No. 4 Sam Ryder of Longwood, Florida and No. 5. Millard.
In addition to The Five earning status on the Web.com Tour, players finishing 6-10 on the Order of Merit earned an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, led by No. 6 Albin Choi of Toronto, No. 7 Michael Letzig of Kansas City, Missouri, No. 8 Drew Weaver of Atlanta, Georgia, No. 9 Adam Svensson of Surrey, British Columbia, and No. 10 Kevin Spooner of West Vancouver, British Columbia.
Players finishing 11-20 earn an exemption into the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-School.
Great weather (minus Saturday rain which still resulted in some great scoring), professional golf at its best, a Sunday playoff, teamwork from all stakeholders, bigger galleries and community investment: it all added up to a wonderful 2015 championship. It’s something to build on as this event has the potential to grow even bigger and better.
-30-
