Laforce is Strong at PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada

Jean Laforce continued his ball-striking clinic Thursday at Beverly Golf and Country Club in Copetown, Ont., posting his second-consecutive 4-under-par 66 to hold a two-stroke heading into tomorrow’s final round.

The 59-year-old from Rawdon, Que., sits at 8-under par for the championship thanks to impressive accuracy off the tee and into Beverly’s small, tricky greens.

“I’ve only missed three greens over the last two days and that’s really been the key to playing well for me,” Laforce said. “I started pretty strong and was 4-under thru eight holes but made a couple stupid bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10. A couple birdies on my back nine helped me salvage a good round.”

Trailing Laforce is Danny King, who shot 66 Wednesday. The 50-year-old—a three-time winner of the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada and past PGA Championship of Canada victor—sits at 6 under in solo second.

“I’m playing really nicely right now and I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” King gushed after his round. “I don’t mind coming from behind because I know if I continue to play the way I’m playing, everything will take care of itself.”

David Wettlaufer will join King and Laforce in Friday’s final group. His two-day total of 5-under-par has him alone in third spot. David Banks is at 4 under for the championship, while Marc Girouard and Serge Thivierge are at 3 under.

A trio of players sits six shots back of Laforce at 2 under: Scott Allred, Dan Olsen and five-time PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada winner Jim Rutledge. Fraser Mcintyre, Martin Plante and Ken Tarling round out the top 10 at 1 under.

For the full leaderboard and third-round tee times, CLICK HERE.

The Super Senior’ and Diamond Divisions were decided Wednesday at Beverly Golf and Country Club. Thivierge captured the Super Senior’, while Canadian Golf legend Bob Panasik won the Diamond Division.

With the victory, Panasik pads his already impressive stats. The 76-year-old from Windsor, Ont., is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship of Canada, the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada, the PGA Super Seniors’ Championship and a three-time winner of the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada. He was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2005 and the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame in 2014.

At the 1957 Canadian Open, Panasik made history, surviving the 36-hole cut as a 15-year-old. He would go on to play in 13 more Canadian Opens and nine U.S. Opens over the course of his career.

The PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the Canadian PGA Championship. In 1973, the championship became an independent event and has stayed that way since.

Among the Canadian golf legends to win the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada are Stan Leonard, Moe Norman—who won a record seven straight years from 1979-1985—Bob Panasik, Al Balding—who wowed the golf world by winning at age 76 in 2000—Jim Rutledge, Ray Stewart, Dave Barr, Bob Panasik, Murray Tucker, Bill Kozak, Gar Hamilton and Remi Bouchard who won at Beverly in 2014.

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