IGA & VGT - Preparing Tomorrow’s Champions
Since 2006, IGA STORES OF BC has been supporting the Vancouver Golf Tour (VGT) as its umbrella Title Sponsor. Through this 18-years of support, IGA has enabled VGT to provide BC’s local professional, amateur and junior golfers the opportunity to develop their tournament skills and raise their confidence in a PGA Tour-like environment all across the Lower Mainland.
Whether it be An Amateur claiming their own Handicap or age division title or an aspiring young Professional looking to gain experience to play on a Worldwide Tour, VGT’s mission statement has always been to ‘Prepare Tomorrow’s Champions’!
PGA TOUR player, Adam Hadwin is a 3-time Vancouver Open Winner! (pictured in 2016 with Dave Ebner of Johnston Meier Insurance)
The Vancouver Golf Tour prides itself in growing the game of golf in British Columbia. Thanks to IGA’s 18 years of support, VGT has conducted over 500 tournaments for the BC golf community, providing exceptional tournament experiences for over 4,500 registered golfers over the same time period.
Through the format of their events, VGT offers local Amateurs a very unique opportunity to compete against top local Professionals in a majority of their events. “Our tour is giving our young rising stars (juniors and amateurs) a chance to compete head-to-head against the best professionals in our province on a regular basis. “We are giving Canada’s young stars an opportunity to see how some of Canada’s top local professionals play the game and play their way into a pro grouping on day 2 or 3 of our Major Series events, an invaluable experience for elite Junior and Amateur golfers” says VGT Commissioner Fraser Mulholland. “We are proud of the fact that some of Canada’s top local Juniors and Amateurs have used VGT as a platform to measure their play against some of Canada’s top Pros. This really instills confidence in their games when they can see where their scoring lies compared to some of our marquee pros who have played on worldwide golf stages as professionals”.
Producing PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR sensations, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin (from Abbotsford, BC) both enjoyed local success as young Professionals on the VGT. Adam earning his first 4 Professional wins in 2009 on the VGT, while Nick won his first Pro event (as an Amateur) on the VGT in 2010. Adam would end up recording a total of 8 VGT tournament wins, while Nick would etch his name on a total of 12 VGT tournament trophies from 2010-2013.
In 2014, VGT achieved its mission statement’s goals on a whole new level when Alumni Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor both graduated from the WEB.COM to secure their status on the PGA TOUR!
And fast-forward 10 years later, both Adam and Nick have gone on to achieve so much success, both becoming PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS, Adam with two WEB.COM TOUR wins and one PGA TOUR win, and Nick going on to earn four PGA TOUR wins, with the most memorable coming at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open with a 72 foot winning putt in dramatic fashion!
Both Nick and Adam have proudly represented Canada on the international stage, first teaming up at the World Cup of Golf in 2018 (4th place finish), and then Adam twice qualifying for the President’s Cup in 2017 and 2019. Both Adam and Nick are looking to represent Canada again at the 2024 Olympics and at the 2024 President’s Cup in Montreal.
Two more VGT alumni, Adam Svensson (a 5-time Amateur winner on the VGT) and Roger Sloan (2-time player) have gone on to achieve major successes in golf. Svensson winning on 2x on the KORN FERRY TOUR and once on the PGA TOUR, and Sloan winning 2x on the KORN FERRY TOUR. Both are currently members on the PGA TOUR in 2023-24.
VGT prides itself on preparing its local golfers. The road to the PGA or LPGA TOUR is extremely difficult to achieve. A number of VGT players have gone on to succeed well beyond the VGT. On PGA Tour Canada, VGT Alumni have taken home a total of 11 Championships and multiple Canadian Player of the Year honors!
Nick Taylor - 2020 VGT Chilliwack Championship
Adam Hadwin - 2016 Vancouver Open
Player Development, Recognition and Awards
Since 2006, the top ranked player on the VGT Order of Merit has been awarded a paid entry or cash award to compete at the PGA Tour Qualifying School. (now WEB.COM Q School). Since 2010 (thanks to our partners) three VGT awards have also been established; a $1,000 IGA sponsored ‘Rookie of the Year’ Award, a $1,000 “Top Srixon Tour Player”, and a $1,000 ‘Most Improved Player’ of the Year Award.
In 2021, thanks to IGA’s support, VGT established an annual player development fund and has awarded over $60,000 in awards and bursaries to its most deserving pros, amateurs and junior golfers.
Over the past 17 years, thanks to IGA’s incredible support, VGT has also paid out over $4.5 Million in pro prize money and amateur prizing to recognize player successes. Our goal is to reach over $5 Million in payouts through the end of 2024!
Charity
Thanks to IGA’s continued support, VGT has also played a significant role in giving back to the community, working hand-in-hand with a number of charity golf events. Over the past 17 years, VGT has played a part in raising over $900,000 for charities (BC Alzheimer’s Society, Prostate Center at VGH, Hadassah Hospital, The FIRST TEE & Make A Wish Foundation). VGT has also personally raised over $125,000 for various fundraising initiatives in the same period through initiatives at the Vancouver Open Charity Pro-am including Kids Up Front, the CKNW Orphan’s Fund, the First Tee Program, Habitat for Humanity, and the VGT Player Fund.
Membership & Event Growth
The IGA Vancouver Golf Tour has grown rapidly, expanding its database from 120 players in 2007 to over 4,500 full and part-time golfers participating in VGT events in 2023. The tour schedule has also developed significantly from 12 events in 2007 to over 40 events in 2024 that now includes Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Tour schedules. The VGT has become widely recognized as Western Canada’s Premier Developmental Golf Tour.
