South Africa's Andrew Georgiou
South Africa's Andrew Georgiou and Peter Laws of Milton, Ont., both carded 7-under 64's to capture two of the final four spots in Monday's Final Qualifier for this week's RBC Canadian Open.
Georgiou earned his spot in the qualifier, played at Heron Point Golf Links, after winning the Regional B.C. Qualifier last month. The PGA Tour Canada and Sunshine Tour player will be making his first appearance at the Canadian Open, while Laws will make his second start after playing in the 2003 event at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Jesse Smith, an American who lives part-time on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, carded a 6-under 65 to claim the third of four spots. He qualified through the regional event in Montreal earlier this month. Smith shot 59 at a Florida mini-tour event this season and also qualified for the U.S. Open.
Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., a member of Team Canada's National Squad, earned the final spot by winning a three-man playoff. Banks and Americans Jake Scott and Wes Homan all shot 66 on Monday with Banks making birdie on the third hole of sudden death to to advance to the Canadian Open.
Justin Shin, an amateur from Maple Ridge, B.C., who plays for New Mexico State, and Cam Burke of New Hamburg, Ont., just missed making it a five-man playoff by a single stroke.
The addition of Laws and Banks brings the total number of Canadians in the field at Glen Abbey to 19. They will be joined by Canadian PGA Tour pros Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., Stephen Ames of Calgary and Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont. Other Canadians set to compete include Kevin Carrigan of Victoria, winner of the 2012 Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship; recently crowned 2013 PGA Championship of Canada winner Bryn Parry of Vancouver; and Brian Hadley of Sarnia, Ont. who earned an exemption after winning the Ontario Regional Qualifier. Rounding out the list of Canadians will be five recently announced exemptions including Web.com Tour players Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C. as well as up and coming Team Canada graduates Eugene Wong of Vancouver, Albin Choi of Toronto, and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. They will all be looking to become the first Canadians since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win Canada's National Open title.
A world class field that includes four of the world's top 10 ranked PGA Tour professionals will compete for the US$5.6 million purse when the tournament tees off at Glen Abbey on Thursday for a record 26th time.
Results of the final qualifier can be found here.