There are 13 golfers still mathematically in the running for PGA Tour Canada’s top prize, the Fortinet Cup.
The winner will be decided at the Fortinet Cup Championship, which gets underway at Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener, Ont.
Besides 600 Fortinet Cup points and $40,500 to the tournament winner, the overall points champion will earn Player of the Year honours, 2023 Korn Ferry Tour membership, a $25,000 bonus and a spot in next year’s RBC Canadian Open.
Players ranking second through fifth earn 2023 Korn Ferry Tour status, and those finishing sixth through 10th are able to skip all stages of the Korn Ferry Tour’s qualifying tournament and move directly to the finals, set for Savannah, Georgia, in early November.
The top 60 Fortinet Cup players will all retain their 2023 PGA Tour Canada playing privileges.
“A lot of things can happen on this golf course,” said Jake Knapp, who enters the final event as the points leader. “It’s going to be one of those weeks again where you really just have to stay patient and hit good golf shots.”
“There are a lot of guys who are fighting not only to get into the top five, or into that No. 1 spot, but also in the top 10, the top 20. So, there’s a lot at stake this week and everyone wants to play well. It’s going to be a high pressure week,” said Knapp.
Play in the limited, 58-player field concludes Sunday.
“I think it’s going to be quite the challenge,” said Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, who trails Knapp by just 40 points and is tied for second with two-time tournament winner Noah Goodwin.
“I think staying patient is going to be huge. There are going to be times out there where there’s some adversity,” Bateman said. “There’s no doubt it’s not a course where you can go out and fire at pins and shoot 25-under par. It’s just not going to be that way.”
Proceeds will benefit the Corey and Malory Conners Family Fund. Conners, who played on PGA Tour Canada, is at the Fortinet Championship in Napa, Calif., the opening event on the PGA Tour schedule this week.
“I’m a member at the Deer Ridge Golf Club, where the Fortinet Cup Championship’s being played back in Canada, the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour Canada schedule, so got a great field of young players there and I’m excited for them to see the golf course,” said Conners.
“Unfortunately, would have liked to have been there, but playing here this week and maybe in the future, I’ll be able to get up there, but the tournament, my wife and I are honourary chair people and the tournament’s benefitting our foundation,” he said.
“Our foundation’s goal is to give back to youth through education and sports in our local communities. It’s been really cool to be in a position to kind of give back to a few things, supporting some kids’ athletic programs, making some donations to the local schools,” he added.
“My wife was a teacher for a few years before I got out on tour here and she’s really passionate about everyone getting a good education,” said Conners.
“I played a lot of sports growing up, so being able to provide opportunities for anyone to get into sports, whether it be helping with entry fees or the sign-up fees or helping with equipment, so being able to do that’s been great,” he said.
“The tournament’s going to benefit some charities in the local area and it’s quite an honour really for them to have selected us to be involved, for us to be able to give back,” said Conners.
First round tee times at Deer Ridge are here.
