Mackenzie Tour hosts 4-event series

Call it the mini-mackenzie Tour. At least for this year, the COVID-19 one.

With border restrictions affecting cross-country travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Mackenzie TOUR-PGA Tour Canada calendar is being replaced by a series of four tournaments for golfers residing in Canada.

“It was certainly disappointing when circumstances surrounding COVID-19 required us to cancel the 2020 Mackenzie Tour season (last month),” said Mackenzie Tour executive director Scott Pritchard. “We were poised for a great summer of golf, but we never lost sight of the purpose for this tour, which is to give players opportunities to play tournaments on quality golf courses.”

The tourneys comprising the Canada Life Series are set for Langford, B.C., and Caledon, Ont., in August and September, with all events contested under the direction of the Mackenzie Tour and its staff.

Bear Mountain Golf & Tennis Resort Community in Langford on Vancouver Island will play host to two 54hole events, on the Mountain Course Aug. 10-12 and on the Valley Course Aug. 17-19.

Then, after being given a week to travel cross-country, golfers will tee it up at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the other two 54-hole events. They will take to the links-style Heathlands course Sept. 2-4 and then return to the same signature Doug Carrick layout Sept. 9-11 for the Canada Life Series Championship.

“Canada Life has been an incredible partner in helping us put this together, and with two terrific venues we will stage four exceptional tournaments,” Pritchard said. “To be able to promise the top player from the Canada Life Series additional playing opportunities next season on the Mackenzie Tour only enhances what we’re trying to do.”

Indeed, the player who earns the most points during the four tournaments will be granted conditional Mackenzie Tour status and guaranteed six tournament starts on the 2021 schedule. In addition to those playing opportunities, Golf Canada will also award the top player a spot in the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.

The players finishing in the second through fifth positions on the final points standings earn conditional 2021 Mackenzie Tour status along with two guaranteed Mackenzie Tour tournament starts. The players finishing between Nos. 6-10 earn a discounted rate into one of next year’s tour qualifying tournaments.

The Canada Life Series will field Canadian professionals and elite amateurs, as well as Mackenzie Tour members, regardless of citizenship, who are already in Canada.

Officials anticipate field sizes between 90 and 120 players, with purses set at $50,000 per event.