Canadian A.J. Ewart — who is playing in this week’s RBC Canadian Open in Caledon, Ont. — won the PGA Tour Americas event last year at Elk Ridge.
Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
There’s a big absence among the Saskatchewan golf scorecards this summer.
Once again, there won’t be a PGA professional event being played in the province. The Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open — after what was an abbreviated run — is not included in the PGA Tour Americas circuit for 2025.
Canadian A.J. Ewart — who is playing in this week’s RBC Canadian Open in Caledon, Ont., being held at TPC Toronto/Osprey Valley — won the PGA Tour Americas event last year at Elk Ridge.
American John Pak — who is also competing at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open this week — won the Saskatchewan event back in 2023.
Prior to that, the Elk Ridge Open had been cancelled due to heavy rainfall in 2022 after a trial-run event was held during the COVID pandemic in 2021.
The Elk Ridge event had marked the return of professional men’s tour golf to the province after a three-year absence between 2017-2020. Previously, the Dakota Dunes Golf Links — located south of Saskatoon on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation — staged Saskatchewan’s pro tournament for seven years straight, from 2010-2016, as part of what was then under the respective Canadian Tour, PGA Tour Canada and Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada banners.
The name changed from Saskatchewan Open (2008-2009) to Dakota Dunes Casino Open (2010-2012) to Dakota Dunes Open (2013) to SIGA Dakota Dunes Open (2014-2016).
Winners included the likes of Josh Geary, Andres Gonzales, Will Wilcox, Joe Panzeri, Matt Hill, Wil Collins, Matt Harmon, Michael Letzig and Max Rottluff, former college golf teammate of Jon Rahm.
Many former Dakota Dunes participants are playing on the PGA Tour. They include Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Nick Taylor,Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners , Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman, as well as the likes of J.J. Spaun, Tom Hoge, Tony Finau, Joel Dahmen, Mark Hubbard, Jake Knapp, Sam Ryder, David Skinns,C.T. Pan and James Hahn.
There was no PGA pro golf event in Saskatchewan between 1985-2007.
Who knows when the PGA Tour will return to the province.
HEAVY CANADIAN ACCENT
This year’s RBC Canadian Open featured a 23-player Canadian contingent, including 2023 champion Nick Taylor, a former Canadian Amateur winner at Saskatoon’s Riverside Country Club.
Also starting in the field were PGA Tour winners Conners (world No. 20), Taylor Pendrith (world No. 39), Hughes (world No. 49), Hadwin (world No. 101), Svensson and Silverman, plus former Dakota participant Roger Sloan, David Hearn, Mike Weir, Hunter Thomson, Matthew Anderson, Justin Matthews, Brett Webster, Myles Creighton, Ashton McCulloch, Matthew Scobie, Matthew Javier, Cougar Collins, Mark Hoffman, Sudarshan Yellamaraj, Wes Heffernan and Ewart.
Also in the field is 2024 Canadian Amateur winner Tyler Mawhinney, of Florida. Mawhinney was crowned Canadian Am champion at Saskatoon’s Riverside Club.
McCulloch was runner-up at the 2024 Canadian Amateur in Saskatoon after winning the event in 2023.
TOMMY DANIELSON TOPS IN NIPAWAN
Saskatoon’s Tommy Danielson won the MNP Northeast Open this past weekend at the Evergreen Golf Course in Nipawin
Danielson, who played collegiate golf at Nicholls State University in Louisiana, finished the two-day event at 8-under-par with scores of 67 and 69. That was five shots better than runner-up Corey Bailey (71-70) and six up on third-place finisher Phil Jonas (70-72), who previously played on the PGA Champions Tour and European Tour.
Four golfers finished tied for fourth at even-par, including Cole Taylor (68-76), Carson Harcourt (70-74), Jerry Christiansen (73-71) and Will Blake (74-70). Danny Klughart (70-75), Shawn McNall (71-74) and Brett Henry (76-69) were next at 1-over.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Men’s Lobstick is scheduled for June 9-15 in Waskesiu.
The Reliance Gregg’s Central Amateur is slated for June 28-30 at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, followed by the Concorde Group Saskatoon Men’s Open July 5-6 at Riverside Country Club and Holiday Park Golf Course in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Amateur and Mid-Amateur will be played July 15-18 at the Humboldt Golf Club.
On the women’s Order of Merit Tour, the Ladies Northern is set for June 7-8 at the Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, followed by the Saskatoon Women’s Open June 16-17 at the Willows Golf and Country Club.
The Saskatchewan Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur will be played July 15-17 in Humboldt.
