Following the third round, Sam Fidone mentioned that he would be feeling nervous as he approached the first tee Sunday at the Bayview Place DC Bank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Confidence plays a key role and on this day he appeared to have the much needed confidence striping his first tee shot down the Uplands Golf Club fairway beginning a bogey-free 65 and an impressive five-stroke victory.

The youngster (25) attended Southern Methodist University calls Lufkin, Texas home and turned pro in 2013 had a two-stroke lead over Blake Sattler all due to three consecutive scores in the mid-60s.

The 11th green saw him fist-pump the entire 10 yards from where he stroked his putt to the hole, and even as he picked up his ball from the cup any hopes other players winning  was put to rest.

Fifone told the media “The putt on 11 was kind of my ‘let’s go get them, you have the control and the dominance over everyone right now’ moment.”

He continued “I just continued to game plan the rest of the day, but that putt was really the catalyst to bring me in and make me feel really solid.”

The moment came after a near flawless front-nine that included three birdies and no bogeys.

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The rest of the back nine was much of the same, consistent golf that allowed him an easy tap-in on the last hole to solidify himself as a Mackenzie Tour winner.

The media loved him and he told them “I definitely feel like I’m on the right trajectory and II feel like my game is trending, and my attitude towards my game is trending, in the right direction. I’m making more mature decisions every time I step up to the tee, and I think that’s the biggest part about winning at every level.”

He spent the spring honing his game on the Adams Tour, winning the Options for Independence Houma Classic earlier in April, with rounds of 70-67-69-65.

His only other start (this year on the Adams Tour) resulted in a second-place finish after dropping a playoff at the Business First Bank Classic, firing scores of 69-63-66-69.

Regardless, he cashed his check for $36,000, the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island without looking back.

With the exceptional help of volunteers, sponsors and donations made by the community of Victoria it was announced at the closing ceremony the tournament raised $180,000 for the foundation.

Next on tap for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada is the third and final stop of the B.C. Golf Swing, a three-tournament stretch through Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna.

A field of 156 golfers will tee it up at Gallagher’s Canyon on June 14-17 to see who can join Fidone, and last week’s winner, Jordan Niebrugge, in the 2018 winner’s circle.

Key Information

• Sam Fidone is just the second ever player to win on both the Mackenzie Tour and the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica. Along with his win at Uplands Golf Club, Fidone won the 2016 Honduras Classic by one stroke with an eagle on his final hole. The only other golfer to accomplish this feat is Web.com Tour player Patrick Newcomb.
• In a tie for second heading into the final hole, Ohio’s Blake Sattler chipped in from 10 yards off the green to finish the event in sole possession of second place.
• Wes Heffernan claimed the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week Award after a sixth-place finish in Victoria. The Calgary, Alberta, native did so in dramatic fashion, jarring his shot from the fairway on the 15th for eagle and chipping in for birdie on the 18th to shoot 68.
• Corey Pereira rebounded from a third-round 75 with a 10-shot improvement Sunday, playing his first four holes on the back nine in 5-under par—with an eagle on the 12th. The 65 shot the University of Washington grad to a tie for 23rd, bettering his tie for 41st in Vancouver.
• After a missed cut at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, Dylan Wu made only three bogeys for the week in his second professional start, at the Bayview Place DCBank Open. The Northwestern product tied for fourth with a final-round 68.
• Max Greyserman had the round of the day in Victoria, making only two front-nine pars as he made the turn in 30 strokes. The Duke University graduate, who is the second alternate for next week’s U.S. Open, tied for 14th.
• Heading into the third week of the season, The Five consists of Sam Fidone, Jordan Nuebrugge, Zach Wright, Blake Sattler and Cody Blick.

Final-Round Weather: Mix of sun and clouds. High of 14. Wind 12 KM/h.

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