Back-to-back 67s propelled Vernon鈥檚 Conner Kozak to the PGA of BC Assistants鈥� Championship at the immaculate Kamloops Golf and Country Club Monday and Tuesday, July 19 and 20.
Kozak, a teaching pro at 琉璃神社鈥檚 Okanagan Golf Club, finished at 10-under par 134, two shots ahead of Keith Martin of 琉璃神社鈥檚 Tower Ranch Golf Club and Zach Olson of the Chilliwack Golf Club to claim the $3,000 first-place cheque.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty crazy,鈥� Kozak said of winning his first PGA of BC title. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really think that this was an option coming into the week. I haven鈥檛 golfed a ton (this year) so I鈥檓 just as surprised as anyone else is. It鈥檚 awesome and it鈥檚 a great feeling.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 final round was wide open for much of the day, with 10 players within two shots of the lead at one point early on the back nine. Starting on Kamloops Golf and Country Club鈥檚 10th hole both days, Kozak had played his first 28 holes of the 36-hole championship without a bogey before suffering setbacks at his 11th and 13th holes Tuesday. He bounced back in a big way with birdies at the 14th and 15th before adding another on the par-5 18th.
鈥淚 knew there was going to be a point where there might be a little bit of adversity,鈥� said Kozak. 鈥淎t that point, you鈥檝e just gotta keep on doing what you鈥檝e been doing and get after it as best you can. I was really happy with the way I responded after a couple of bogeys on the back nine and closed out really, really well.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 final round was only Kozak鈥檚 eighth time playing golf in any setting in 2021, as the 28-year-old鈥檚 schedule is mostly consumed with teaching juniors at The Okanagan Golf Club 鈥� efforts that earned him the PGA of BC鈥檚 Jack McLaughlin Junior Golf Leader of the Year Award in 2019.
鈥淚鈥檇 been playing well in the rounds that I had played, which was nice,鈥� said Kozak, whose previous best finish in a PGA of BC event was a tie for third in the 2018 Assistants鈥� Championship at Bear Mountain Golf Resort. 鈥淢y goal was just to give myself as many opportunities as I could and keep it really simple, which I think I did a good job of.鈥�
Kozak鈥檚 longtime friend, former Vernon junior playing mate and competitor Brady Stead, a pro at Abbotsford鈥檚 Ledgeview Golf Club, finished in a tie for seventh at 5-under following rounds of 68 and 71. Stead earned $575. Among those in at 5-under was Ethan Danish of Gallagher鈥檚 Canyon in 琉璃神社.
Cody Bell from 琉璃神社鈥檚 Sunset Ranch was in a four-way tie for 11th place at 4-under 140, good for a $390 cheque. Lionel Taylor of Chase鈥檚 Talking Rock Golf Course won $295 for finishing in a tie for 16th place at 1-under (73-70). Finlay Young and Ryan Sturgis, both of GolfTEC 琉璃神社, tied for 23rd at 2-over-par. Each earned a $215 payday.
Austin Bosquet of Vernon鈥檚 Hillview Golf Course won $180 for ending up in a tie for 27th with a 3-over total of 147 (74-73).
Clay Stothers of the Okanagan Golf Club was out of the money at 6-over 150 (74-76). Clubmate Steven Coulthard finished at 8-over 152. Jake Pilon of Gallagher鈥檚 Canyon shot rounds of 74-82 and Matt Hardman of Sunset Ranch came in at 13-over (78-79). Brody St-Martin of Shuswap National had rounds of 85-83 and Jeff Liddle from Talking Rock fired rounds of 87-83.
琉璃神社鈥檚 Rob Anderson, head pro at the 琉璃神社 Golf and Country Club, won the PGA of BC Seniors鈥� Championship, making four birdies over his last six holes to secure a five-stroke victory over Peter Kenneford of Creston. Playing the event for PGA of BC Professionals aged 50 and older for the first time, Anderson took home $1,400 and will have his name etched on the Ben Colk Trophy.
鈥淚t feels very good to finally post a good round. I haven鈥檛 played a lot of great golf so far this year, so it was nerve-wracking and fun to be out here,鈥� said Anderson.
Keith Vandenbrink of the Vernon Golf and Country Club finished tied for eighth at 3-over par (75-72). Vandenbrink pocketed $232.50.
Shuswap Lake Golf Course at Blind Bay pro Brian O鈥橩eefe finished out of the cash in 21st place at 13-over (78-79).
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