Wes Heffernan chases second-career PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada Presented by Callaway Golf Title
Even when Wes Heffernan doesn’t quite have his best stuff, he has the talent to score his way around a golf course and put himself in contention, which is just what he did on Tuesday at The Ranch Golf & Country Club just outside Edmonton, AB.
Looking for his second-career title at the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf (his first coming in 2019 at TPC Toronto), the Calgarian jumped out of the gate quick with a birdie and eagle on his opening two holes en-route to a first-round 66.
“I putt well today, it was one of the rounds where I scored well but I wasn’t too comfortable out there,” said the 2022 BetRegal PGA Champion of Canada. “I hit a few sideways shots and didn’t hit my target lines, but I did make a couple putts and after a good start I made a few more birdies coming in.”
“With the way the course plays, if you get it going, you can go low, but you just have to be careful, especially the finish, you have to get it in play and not make big numbers and take advantage of the par-5s,” Heffernan added.
Looking to lead Alberta to the team’s third-consecutive InterZone title, Heffernan and his team will need another strong day on Wednesday to overtake British Columbia, who is one-stroke ahead. While the individual competition is a 54-hole event, the InterZone championship concludes Wednesday when the field is cut to 60+ties.
“I’m pretty close with our Alberta team,” said Heffernan. The same group of guys are usually on the team every year, with some switching in and out.”
While he is too modest to say so, others may switch out, but Heffernan is the common denominator on most teams.
In addition to Heffernan’s title chase and the InterZone battle, there is no shortage of storylines heading into the final 36 holes.
Katy Rutherford not only has a chance to have the best result for a female in competition history (Christine Wong placed T32 in 2021), but she is also in contention to put her name on the trophy. The co-low PGA of Canada professional at this past summer’s ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada made six birdies to fire a 2-under 69.
There is a four-way tie for second after the first round. David Li Sheman, who lost in a playoff earlier this summer to Kevin Stinson at the BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada, is deadlocked with David French, Zaire Odle and Zach Olson at 4-under par.
The fifth hole was the NoSweat Hardest Hole of the Day. Players who made birdie on the hole were put into a draw for $150. Thanks to his birdie, Nicholas Vandermey earned the bonus courtesy of NoSweat.
The second round gets underway on Wednesday at 8 AM MT.