GolfBC Championship set to tee off this week at Gallagher’s

Today’s schedule features Opening Ceremonies, Long Drive Challenge

The GolfBC Championship, the third event on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada schedule, has finalized its exemptions ahead of Thursday’s opening round at Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna, where two more local players have been added to the field.

Gallagher’s own Matt Hopley was awarded an exemption after finishing as the 2018 Zone 2 Junior Tour Order of Merit Winner, and Finlay Young has been chosen as the representative from the Interior PGA Tour.

Hopley and Young round out the five sponsor exemptions, joining the already announced Jimmy Jones, Garrett Kucher and Conner Kozak.

Hopley emerged from the Zone 2 Junior Tour, comprised of a geographic area reaching from Osoyoos to Kamloops and consisting of 13 events throughout this region.

The season began in April and culminated at the two-day Tour Championship held at Gallagher’s Canyon this past weekend.

Juniors compete weekly to accumulate Order of Merit points. Competitors played for double points in the final event, at which time the Order of Merit winner was announced.

Hopley, 15, previously became the youngest player to tee it up in a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event in 2017.

Hopley also finished second at an event in Idaho last year to qualify for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship played at Flint Hills National in Wichita, Kansas. Hopley was the third-youngest player in that entire field.

Hopley finished tied for third place at the 2017 B.C. Juvenile Championship and also tied for second at last year’s Provincial High School Championship, firing a 68 in the final round to lead Immaculata to the team title.

More recently, Hopley competed in the U.S. Open local qualifier in Washington State, finishing tied for seventh and missing the sectionals by one shot.

Young was selected as an exemption from the 80-plus professionals who compete in Interior PGA Tour events.

Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, Young is a CPGA teaching professional at the Harvest Golf Club here in Kelowna. He has played professional golf across Europe and North America and has 17 wins to his name.

Young won the Interior PGA Tour’s Order of Merit in 2015 and 2016, while also playing NCAA Division 1 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

A total of 10 more players were added to the GolfBC Championship field from a qualifying event held Monday at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course.

The GolfBC Championship tournament tees off Thursday and runs through Sunday at Gallagher’s Canyon.

Purchase a four-day tournament pass for only $35 — a savings of $25 from single-day prices. Day passes are available for $15 each.

The general public is also welcome at today’s Opening Ceremonies, which features a Long Drive Challenge for Charity and the annual Tee-Off Party, starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Gallagher’s Canyon No. 1 tee box.

Long-ball hitters are invited to hit three shots for $25, with all proceeds going to the BC Cancer Foundation.

Longest Drive Amateur will win a pair of Adidas Tour 360 golf shoes.