Canadian Tour Members Moving With The Herd

By John Berkovich
Media Director - - Canadian Professional Golf Tour

At Brooksville, Fla., George Bradford will be teeing it up alongside Erik Compton, Patrick Damron, Andrew Johnson, Tom Johnson, Keven Fortin-Simard, Peter Laws, Brock Mackenzie, Andy Matthews, Jon Mills, Grant Waite, Lee Williamson, Brennan Webb, Jess Daley and Jason Enloe.

Bradford enjoyed his best year on the 2008 Canadian Tour with three runner-up finishes and a fifth place finish on the Order of Merit.

Compton continues to be an inspirational story. The two-time Canadian Tour winner and its Order of Merit winner in 2004 is just six months removed from his second heart transplant and made the cut last week at the PGA TOUR's Children's Miracle Network Classic where he finished T-60.

Patrick Damron went wire to wire at the 2003 Times Colonist Open and is hoping to join his brother Robert as a PGA TOUR member.

Andrew Johnson played the Canadian Tour in 2004 and won the Nationwide Tour's 2005 Cleveland Open.

Tom Johnson was a Canadian Tour member in the latter part of the 1990s and earlier this decade.

Keven Fortin-Simard was a Canadian Tour rookie in 2008 as was Peter Laws.

Brock Mackenzie finished seventh on the 2006 Order of Merit and has since played the Nationwide Tour.

Andy Matthews struggled on the Canadian Tour this season but the Player Director is finding his game at the perfect time.

2003 Order of Merit winner Jon Mills finished just outside the Top 150 on the PGA TOUR money list this year, necessitating a return to second stage.

Grant Waite played the Canadian Tour early in his career and went on to capture the 1993 Kemper Open while Lee Williamson divided his team this season between the Canadian and Nationwide Tours.

Brennan Webb, Jason Enloe and Jess Daley played the Canadian Tour earlier this decade and Enloe and Daley have been on the Nationwide Tour in recent years.

Up in the Florida Panhandle at Panama City, Guy Boros, Nick Manfre, Hoyt McGarity, Alan McLean, David Morland IV, Rodney Butcher, Sal Spallone and Brent Schwarzrock and are in the field.

Boros - the 1996 Greater Vancouver Open champion - has been both a PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour member for several years.

Nick Manfre and Hoyt McGarity are current Canadian Tour members as is Alan McLean, whose 2008 European Tour season was cut short by injuries.

David Morland IV played the PGA TOUR from 2000 to 2004 and is hoping to return after spending the past four years on the Nationwide Tour.

Rodney Butcher won the Bay Mills Open Players Championship in 2003 while Sal Spallone was a Canadian Tour member earlier this decade.

Brent Schwarzrock played the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour for several years before a series of back injuries slowed him down. He won the 2007 Desjardins Montreal Open in his first Canadian Tour start.

At Kingwood, Texas, the field is filled with current and recent Canadian Tour members. Jason Allred, Glen Day, Graham DeLaet, John Ellis, Brad Fritsch, Robert Gates, David Hearn, Daniel Im, Jeff Rangel, Dustin Risdon, Michael Sim, Adam Speirs, Omar Uresti, Dong Yi and Zoran Zorkic.

Allred is a former All American at Pepperdine who graduated to the PGA TOUR in 2005 and has since played both it and the Nationwide Tour ever since.

Glen Day won the 1999 MCI Classic on the big tour and divided his time this year between the Nationwide and PGA TOUR.

Graham DeLaet continues to advance his career. He won the Desjardins Montreal Open and finished second the next week at the Jane Rogers and again two weeks later at the Tour Championship. His fine played earned him a spot on Canada's World Cup team this November.

2008 ROLEX Player of the Year John Ellis won three times this season on the Canadian Tour and finished outside the top ten only once.

His winning the Order of Merit earned him a bye into second stage. Add in a pair of runner up finishes and it's easy to see why he qualified for both the U.S. Open and Canadian Open.

Brad Fritsch played the Canadian Tour up to 2008 before moving up to the Nationwide Tour the last two years where he earned three top tens this season.

The Canadian Tour's Fall 2008 Q-School medalist Robert Gates has yet to tee it up at a Canadian Tour event but the 22-year-old easily advanced to second stage. Playing near his hometown and on a familiar course will only help him.

David Hearn won on both the Canadian and Nationwide Tour in 2004 before moving up to the PGA TOUR in 2005. The Brantford, Ont., native has played the Nationwide Tour the past three seasons.

Daniel Im was voted the Canadian Tour's 2008 International Rookie of the Year after winning the Riviera Maya Classic and the Times Colonist Open. He finished second twice and finished the season third on the Order of Merit.

Jeff Rangel and Dong Yi both played the Canadian Tour this season while Michael Sim, Zoran Zorkic and Omar Uresti were Tour members earlier this decade.

Dustin Risdon took his second Tour title this year at the ATB Financial Classic in a playoff over George Bradford and Adam Speirs broke through at the Greater Vancouver Charity Classic at south Surrey's Hazelmere Golf and Country Club.

At Pine Mountain, Ga., Michael Clark looks for a return to the PGA TOUR as are Ian Leggatt and Mike Heinen.

Also in the field are Trevor Dodds, Jim Lemon, Mark Leon, James Love, Fran Quinn, Richard Scott, Jason Schultz, and Brian Unk.

Clark has two Nationwide Tour wins and also captured the PGA TOUR's John Deere Classic in 2000.

Ian Leggatt took the PGA TOUR's 2002 Tucson Open and the Nationwide Tour's Dayton Open in 2000 and has divided his time between both Tours' the past several years.

Mike Heinen, the 1994 Shell Houston Open winner, has, like Ian Leggatt, played both Tours since his win in Texas.

Trevor Dodds owns six Canadian Tour titles in addition to four Nationwide wins and the 1998 Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic.

The Namibian won back to back Order of Merit titles on the Canadian Tour (1995, 1996) and still holds the record for most money won in a season with over $129,000 in 1996.

Jim Lemon, Richard Scott, James Love and Mark Leon were full time Canadian Tour members this season. Scott picked up three top tens and Love Monday qualified for several Nationwide Tour events.

Mark Leon, a Canadian Tour rookie in 2008, finished 50th on the Order of Merit this season with a fourth place finish at the Players Cup.

Jason Schultz won the Nationwide Tour's Chattanooga Classic and played the big tour in 2006 and 2007.

Fran Quinn played the Canadian Tour in the early 1990s and had been a Nationwide Tour member since 1998.

Canadian Tour member Brian Unk played the Nationwide Tour in 2007.

The next wave of second stage qualifying begins Nov. 19 at Beaumont, Calif., and Lantana, Texas.