They got their PGA TOUR Canada cards at Weston
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WESTON, Florida—The first of six PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournaments is in the books, with The Club at Weston Hills again hosting up-and-coming players as providing a stern test of golf earlier this week. England’s Harry Ellis prevailed and will be eligible to play in all PGA TOUR Canada tournaments in 2023, with the Tour set the announce its full schedule in early March. Players will remain in Florida next week, as Howey-in the-Hills’ Mission Inn and Resort, outside Orlando, will host the second qualifier. Besides Ellis, nine other players secured guaranteed starts in the first half of the season. Here’s a brief look at the newest members.
Harry Ellis (England)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Won
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Career PGA TOUR Starts: 4
Something Worth Knowing: He won the 2012 English Amateur, breaking Nick Faldo’s record in the process for the youngest winner of that tournament. He then won the 2017 Amateur Championship, becoming on the third person in history, along with Michael Bonallack and Michael Lunt, to win both tournaments.
Brandon Hoelzer (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Second
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 12
Career Korn Ferry Tour Starts: 9
Something Worth Knowing: Hoelzer won the 2018 Ohio Amateur in commanding fashion, defeating current Korn Ferry Tour member Alex Weiss by six shots at Wedgewood Country Club in Dublin. Prior to the start of the final round, the Fremont, Ohio, native held a tenuous one-shot lead over Weiss but fired a final-round 67 to capture the title.
Eric Beringer (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Second
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Starts: 5
PGA TOUR Series-China Starts: 10
Career Korn Ferry Tour Starts: 2
Something Worth Knowing: He is planning a June wedding, so he knows going into the 2023 PGA TOUR Canada season that he will miss at least one tournament because of his marriage and honeymoon.
Hayden Shieh (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Second
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 11
Career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Starts: 4
Career Forme Tour Starts: 8
Career LOCALiQ Series Starts: 8
Career PGA TOUR Starts: 1
Career Korn Ferry Tour Starts: 2
Something Worth Knowing: The Santa Clara University product has made a total of 33 career appearances on six PGA TOUR-affiliated Tours. This will be his third year as a PGA TOUR Canada player, with one of those season—2021—played on the U.S.-based Forme Tour.
Jake Sollon (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Second
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Starts: 2
Something Worth Knowing: After playing the bulk of his collegiate career at Rider University in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, the Garden State native transferred to the University of Oregon for his final year of college golf.
a-Ben Carr (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Sixth
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Something Worth Knowing: He is currently the 48th-ranked amateur in the world and is No. 31 in the PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global standings. Carr has won the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, the Sun Belt Conference Championship and the Scenic City Collegiate during his time at Georgia Southern University, and he also won the prestigious Southeastern Amateur twice, in 2019 and again in 2021.
a-Sam Jean (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Seventh
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Something Worth Knowing: Last September, Jean picked up his second collegiate victory when he edged Alex McCulla and Ty Gingerich by a stroke to capture the Bearcat Invite at Coldstream. His first victory came at the 2021 Badger Invitational.
Luis Gerardo Garza (Mexico)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Seventh
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Starts: 10
Career Korn Ferry Tour Starts: 1
Something Worth Knowing: He already holds PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status, having played in three events after finishing fifth at that Tour’s Mexico Qualifying Tournament. His lone made cut in the 2022 portion of the 2022-23 season was a tie for 41st at the Chile Open.
Taylor Kay-Green
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Ninth
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 0
Something Worth Knowing: Taylor was born in Needham Massachusetts. He grew up playing at Charles River CC. Caddied for James Driscoll on the Korn Ferry Tour. He birdied his final hole to secure his 2023 status, becoming the first player from Trinity College to earn their PGA TOUR Canada card.
Ryan Orr (United States)
Qualifying Tournament Finish: Tied for Ninth
Career PGA TOUR Canada Starts: 8
Career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Starts: 2
Something Worth Knowing: This is the second consecutive year Orr has earned PGA TOUR Canada membership at a Qualifying Tournament held at The Club at Weston Hills. In 2022, Orr used a final-round, 5-under 67 to tie for 12th and earn status that allowed him to play in eight tournaments. He finished 152nd in the Fortinet Cup standings.