Press Release – Jerry Kelly wins the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
September 21, 2017Jerry Kelly wins the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
Kelly claims his second win in five weeks, shooting a final-round 68
VICTORIA, B.C. (September 17, 2017) – PGA TOUR Champions rookie, Jerry Kelly, claimed his second win in five weeks, shooting a final-round 68 en route to a 14-under total and a one-shot victory at the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship. Trailing by one at the start of the day, Kelly took his first lead after he parred No. 4. In the final round, he hit all 13 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. With the win, he won $270,000 bumping up his season total to $1,121,577. He is the eighth player to win more than $1 million this season, and became the fourth player with multiple victories this season, joining Bernhard Langer (4), Scott McCarron (4) and Fred Couples (2). Four players held solo leads during Sunday’s final round: Jerry Kelly, Lee Janzen, David McKenzie and Jerry Smith
Seeking his second win on PGA TOUR Champions, Lee Janzen led by three with four holes to play. He made bogey on No. 15, and on No. 17 was forced to pitch-out sideways after hitting an errant drive. He hit the green with his third shot and then three-putted for double bogey, leaving him one shot behind Kelly with one hole to play. The runner-up finish is his fourth top-10 of the season and 13th in 70 career starts on PGA TOUR Champions.
David McKenzie led by two after a birdie on No. 11, but parred Nos. 12 and 13, both par 5s, and double bogeyed No. 14 to fall three shots behind Lee Janzen. He also double bogeyed No. 17, but a birdie on the 18th hole punctuated a final-round 71 and a T3 finish, two shots behind Kelly.
Rod Spittle carded a final-round 69 and finished T7 at 9-under, which was best among the three Canadians in the field. He and Stephen Ames (T17, -6) are two of the three Canadian victors on the PGA TOUR Champions. Victoria’s Jim Rutledge finished T65 at 8-over-par.
Tournament organizers have confirmed that there was a total event week attendance of 29,000. This is 2,000 more than the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.
About Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship is an official event on PGA TOUR Champions featuring the world’s premier golfers aged 50 and older competing for a US $1.8 million purse. Tournament play at the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship was held on the Jack and Steve Nicklaus Co-Design Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, British Columbia, from September 11-17, 2017.
Website: www.PacificLinksChampionship.com
Twitter: @PacificLinksVic
Instagram:@pacificlinksvic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pacificlinkschampionship/
About Help Fill a Dream (Official Charity Partner)
Help Fill a Dream inspires hope, healing and happiness in children with life-threatening conditions. Help Fill A Dream makes dreams come true, improves the quality of life of sick children and assists families with care and financial support. Since 1986, Help Fill A Dream has touched the lives of 2,245 Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands’ children and their families.
Website: http://www.helpfilladream.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelpFillADream
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelpFillADream/
About Pacific Links International
Pacific Links was founded in 2009 to provide members with a premium golf experience through an innovative international membership structure focused on the Chinese golfer. Pacific Links offers them access to the finest collection of high quality golf clubs in the world. Since 2012, the Pacific Links Network of Affiliated and Reciprocal clubs now stands at over 600 properties located in 27 countries around the world. With a strong membership base continuing to grow in China, the planned expansion into other parts of Asia and the aggregated population of members from all the participating clubs, Pacific Links is now expanding the brand platform to encompass more than just golf. We are positioning Pacific Links International to be the preeminent Lifestyle portal for China’s HNW customer providing high demand travel itineraries inspired by golf but encompassing concierge services, flights, accommodations, local tourism experience and travel butler assistance. The main feature of a Pacific Links membership is reciprocal access. In the next 10-15 years, PLI will further expand its international affiliate network to over 1,000 clubs in North America, Europe, Australia, Japan and the entire Southeast Asia. www.pacificlinks.com
About Bear Mountain Golf Resort
Located on southern Vancouver Island a region known for its year round golf climate, stellar fishing opportunities and strong local food movement – Bear Mountain Resort offers two outstanding golf courses that combined represent the only 36-hole Nicklaus Design golf experience in Canada. The Mountain Course, a Jack and Steve Nicklaus Co-Design, features impressive landscape and dramatic terrain that lead to breathtaking 180 degree views of nearby Victoria, the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. The course, a par 70 playing at 6,900 yards, sets atop a 1,100-foot mountain and has been assigned a slope rating of 142 from the back tees. The 18-hole, par 71 Nicklaus Design Valley Course, a spectacular golf setting that is nestled in a pristine natural 102 acres of mature forests, measures just under 7,000 yards. Surrounded by 3,000 acres of parks and natural setting so close to a capital city. More than a resort and an incredible community, Bear Mountain is also home to Golf Canada’s National Development team, the high performance training centre of Canada’s National Mountain Bike team, and the construction of western Canada’s largest indoor/outdoor clay court tennis facility supported by Tennis Canada and Tennis BC is underway. The newly renovated Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa rounds out the amenities offering guests a luxurious getaway with outstanding fine dining options, the award-winning Sante Spa, and the Bear Mountain Golf Academy. www.bearmountain.ca
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of golf’s most recognizable and accomplished players, age 50 and older, including 32 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. In 2017, the PGA TOUR Champions schedule includes 26 tournaments in 18 states, Japan, Wales and Canada, with purses totaling more than $55 million. The Charles Schwab Cup, which includes the Regular Season and the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, is used to determine the season-long champion. Internationally, telecasts air live, tape-delayed or in a highlights-package format in excess of 190 countries and territories, reaching more than 330 million potential households. The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Follow PGA TOUR Champions at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Matt Bontorin
Public Relations Manager
Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
P: (647) 381-1463