2011 VGT Year In Review
I look forward to seeing all of you in 2012 as we kick off what is going to be the most exciting VGT season since our inception in 2006! I hope you all follow along, whether it as a member, spectator, e-newsletter subscriber, volunteer or sponsor!
PLAYER RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
2011 CLEVELAND/SRIXON ORDER OF MERIT WINNERS:
- Professional: Bryn Parry (4th straight year)
Won a $5,000 entry to PGA Tour Qualifying School - Championship Amateur: David Cao
- Flight A Amateur: Murray Reed
- Flight B Amateur: Robert Parihar
*All players won VGT Leather Tour Bags recognizing their Order of Merit victories!
2011 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – $2,500 AWARD PRESENTED BY NICKEL HEATING & VENTILATION
- Brett Webster
2011 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – $1,500 AWARD PRESENTED BY PAINE EDMONDS LAWYERS
- Ryan Williams
2011 CLEVELAND/SRIXON STAFF PLAYER OF THE YEAR – $500 AWARD
- Ryan Williams
FACTS AND FIGURES IN 2011
- Number of VGT players now playing on Canadian Tour or higher – 17
- Number of VGT golfers (past or present) ranked in Top 10 of Official World Ranking in Canada – 4
- Number of VGT players winning on Canadian Tour in 2011 – 4
- Number of VGT players at first stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School – 9
- Number of wins on VGT by Canada’s #1 Golfer Adam Hadwin – 5
- VGT worked alongside charity golf events that rose over $75,000 for charity this year
Two VGT players gain Nationwide Tour Status for 2012
Congratulations to VGT Alumni Adam Hadwin and Stuart Anderson on their exceptional play this year out on the Canadian Tour and all other professional tours they played on this year!
First off, Stuart had an exceptional this year on the Can Tour, winning the Canadian Tour Championship and pocketing $36,000. He furthered his great play on the NGA Hooters Tour where he played ½ his schedule, winning early in the year and finishing 2nd three times on what is one of the most competitive mini tours in all of the U.S. He continued his exceptional play at the PGA Tour Fall Q-School, fighting his way through 1st and 2nd stage and earning himself a birth at final stage this December.
Adam was a bit more noticeable in the media this year with his success, starting with qualifying for the U.S. Open in June, making the cut and birdying 3 of his last 4 holes to finish in the top 40 of the event! He continued his exceptional play with a win on the Canadian Tour, and then on the PGA Tour captivated a Canadian audience at the RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy with a 4th place finish playing in the final group! He then went onto excite our local Vancouver audience, drawing in the largest attendance in the Vancouver Open history and winning his 2nd consecutive Van Open title in dramatic fashion on the first playoff hole!!
Throughout the ’11 season, Adam took full advantage of 5 PGA Tour events he played in, making all 5 cuts including a second top 10 at the Frys.com Open in California and vaulting himself to be Canada’s #1 ranked male golfer in the World Golf Rankings.
Although Adam and Stu fell short on their bids for their PGA Tour card at final stage of PGA Tour School, both earned rights to start their 2012 golf seasons in February on the Nationwide Tour where they will look to vault their into the top 25 at the end of the season to earn status on the PGA Tour for 2013!
VGT congratulates Adam and Stuart on their fabulous 2011 seasons and we wish them all the very best on the Nationwide Tour in 2012!!! We are very proud to call you one of our own and we have no doubt you will be joined by many of the talented VGT golfers coming through the ranks in the coming years!
Major Thank-you’s, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Before we part for the 2011 season, I would like to extend my personal thanks to each and every one of our loyal supporters.
SPONSORS
Our team of sponsors this year were unbelievable and we could not have done all the great things we did this year without your assistance. In particular, our Tour’s Title Sponsor MARKETPLACE IGA and our Vancouver Open Title Sponsor PAINE EDMONDS LAWYERS who have been with us since our inception as Major Partner Sponsors!
Please click HERE to see all the major contributors of the success of VGT!! We appreciate your loyalty to those sponsors who are making VGT possible for all our local golfers to develop and harness their tournament skills!
MEDIA
In 2011, the VGT received over $200,000 in media exposure and has gained an amazing amount of respect from local, regional and national media. The VGT has rapidly become a driving force in the Canadian golf scene. Our continued thanks to our amazing media partners who have helped us promote our events and recognize the support of our corporate partners. Our 2011 Media supporters included:
- Television – Global TV & CTV
- Radio – TEAM RADIO (1040, 1410) & CKNW 980
- Print – The Vancouver Sun & Province, Score Golf, Van Net Newspaper Group, Inside Golf, Real Golf
- Electronic/Web/Social Media – BCGolfGuide.com, Globe & Mail, BCGolfNews.com, CK Golf Solutions, Sportswave.ca
VOLUNTEERS
Special thanks to the many volunteers who have taken endless hours out of their schedules to help us facilitate our VGT events as professionally as we possibly can! You are all instrumental to the growth of our tour! Thank-you!!!
VGT TEAM
To the trusted members of the VGT Team: You are such valuable assets to the co-ordination of our Championship events and day-to-day operations of the tour that I cannot thank you enough. To Heidi Tran, Holly Pearson, Mike West, George Sterling, Brian Small and Bill Schabes, I thank-you with all my heart!
HOST GOLF COURSES
Finally, to all the golf courses who have supported our dream of ‘Preparing Tomorrow’s Champions’, I thank-you for your continued assistance in the set-up and conditioning of your premier facilities on our VGT rotation!
Happy Holidays to All! I look forward to seeing everybody in the New Year!
Sincerely,
Fraser Mulholland
Commissioner
Vancouver Golf Tour
‘Preparing Tomorrow’s Champions
