ATB Financial Classic Is Next Canadian Tour Stop

The players, 23 of the top 25 from the tour's 2010 money list, have their sights set on a first price of $40,000 from a total purse of $250,000.

(With files from the Canadian Tour)
Current Order of Merit leader Brock Mackenzie, coming off his maiden tour win at the Times Colonist Open in Victoria, leads the U.S. charge into Edmonton and is accompanied by a Stars and Stripes supporting cast that includes Aaron Goldberg, Mike Grob, Daniel Im, Tom Stankowski, Rob Grube, Andy Matthews, Andy Walker, George Bradford, Alex Coe, John Ellis and Byron Smith. Smith and Ellis were the Order of Merit winners in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

Among the Canadians to watch this week are Adam Hadwin, James Allenby, Roger Sloan, Wes Heffernan, Richard Lee, Brad Fritsch, Alan McLean, Stuart Anderson, Kent Eger, Derek Gillespie, James Love and Andrew Parr. Nationwide Tour members Barrett Jarosch and Dustin Risdon, both Alberta natives, are also headed north for the week.

International players that could find themselves in the hunt in Edmonton include Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (Mexico), Lucas Lee (Brazil), Clint Rice (Australia), Jae An (New Zealand), Mauricio Molina (Argentina), Josh Geary (New Zealand), Luke Hickmott (Australia), Hugo Leon (Chile), Thomas Petterson (Sweden) and Jose Trauwitz (Mexico).

Defending champion Graham DeLaet fvrom Weyburn will not be back to defend his crown, but for good reason. The reigning Canadian Tour Order of Merit champion is in the midst of an outstanding rookie season on the PGA Tour.

The ATB Financial Classic marks the resumption of the 2010 Canadian swing and kicks-off a three-week run with stops in Saskatoon and Winnipeg to follow. The ATB Financial Classic, $250,000 Dakota Dunes Casino Open and $300,000 Players Cup will not only go a long way to shaping the Order of Merit for the late-summer stretch drive , but will determine who gains a berth in the RBC Canadian Open next month.

After the Canadian Open, the Canadian Tour will move into Ontario for a three-week run highlighted by the $325,000 Canadian Tour Championship in St. Catharines.