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14 of top 100 golf pros in the province work Greater Victoria greens

Victoria Golf Club, Highland Pacific, Royal Colwood, Cordova Bay boast top teaching pros
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Of the top 100 golf professionals in B.C. last year, 14 work Greater Victoria greens, nine of them at the Victoria Golf Club in Oak Bay. (Victoria Golf Club/Facebook)

A full 14 golf professionals from Greater Victoria are among the top 100 of 2021 in B.C.

Of the 100, 14 teach on Greater Victoria greens, including Callum Ashby and Jeff Palmer of Highland Pacific Golf, Nate Ollis of Cordova Bay Golf Course and Rich Chlopan of Royal Colwood Golf Club and Derek Orr of Iron & Wood Golf Simulators in Saanich.

The Victoria Golf Club in Oak Bay is home to nine – Lindsay Bernakevitch, Mark Bicknell, Dylan Cheyne, Scott Kolb, Justin Ford, Gina Hosie, Cailean Hourigan, Gordy Scott and Arlen Wocknitz.

The PGA of BC named the top pros as determined by the association’s professional development program Order of Merit.

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The program acknowledges PGA of BC professionals who make outstanding contributions to the association, their communities, the golf industry and themselves.

It also provides an avenue to showcase and reward the diverse strengths of PGA of BC professionals by crediting participation in continuing education, the association’s annual Buying Show and Awards Program, tournament competition and various forms of volunteerism.

Sunice and Bobby Jones provide a purse of nearly $5,000 to provide financial opportunity and incentive to pursue professional-development – for the top-10 finishers to split.

“The individuals comprising this year’s Top 100 list are a remarkable group of men and women demonstrating tremendous dedication to their craft and personal growth,” Sunice CEO Derek Faith said in a release.

Brian McDonald, executive professional at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in the Okanagan, finished atop the 2021 PDP Order of Merit. McDonald, 50, accumulated 107 points over the course of the season to top the standings by a single point.

Find the full list online at pgabc.org.