Three boys from Weyburn invited to soccer academy in Madrid
Sep 10, 2024
"We were driving home and my mom got an email saying we got to go to Spain, and it was amazing."
By Logan Lehmann
It was a weekend that Canadian A.J. Ewart won’t soon forget.
The Coquitlam, B.C. golfer claimed his first professional tournament win on Sunday, taking top prize at the 2024 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open by shooting 17 under par (263). He took home $40,500 as his share of the $225,000 total purse.
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The 25-year-old began and ended the tournament at the top of the leaderboard after finishing the first round on Thursday in the lead. After 36 holes, Ewart found himself in a four-way tie for first before reclaiming the lead by a single stroke after round three on Saturday.
With four holes to go on Sunday afternoon, Ewart once again was part of a four-way tie for the lead, but a birdie on the 16th hole put him back in front. With bogeys from Taiwan’s Chuan-Tai Lin and American Bryce Lewis, Ewart was able to secure the victory with a par on the 18th hole.
With the win, Ewart became a fully exempt member on PGA Tour Americas for the rest of the 2024 season and through the Latin America Swing of 2025. He said he’s looking forward to continuing his golf career.
“It’s really special just having some job security, right? And knowing where you’re going to be and plan ahead,” he said. “The last month and a half or two months have been kind of chaotic. I didn’t know where I was going to be or what I was going to be doing, just playing everywhere and whatnot. Now it’s nice to know exactly what’s going to happen.”
Additionally, the win propelled him 155 spots up the Fortinet Cup to number 14 on the points list. The top 10 players after the Fortinet Cup Championship will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the 2025 season.
“Obviously it’s special, right?” said Ewart on the opportunity to contend for a Korn Ferry Tour card. “That’s what we want to be. We want to keep moving on up and eventually make our way to the PGA Tour. To have a chance for a Korn Ferry Tour card is everything that I could wish for. I’m thankful to be in this position and looking to make the most of the opportunity.”
This year is the first pro season for Ewart after his graduation from Barry University in Florida, where he spent his four-year collegiate career. There, he won 14 collegiate titles, breaking the previous record held by PGA Tour player Adam Svensson.
He’s expected to be in the field at next week’s CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open in Winnipeg.
As for the rest of the competitors at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open, Australian Grant Booth along with Americans John Keefer and Brendon Doyle tied for second at 16 under par (264), while six other players tied for fifth at 15 under par (265).
As for how other Canadians faired, Chris Crisologo was one of the six players who tied for fifth, Jimmy Jones managed to tie for 28th at nine under par (271), and Johnny Travale and Kade Johnson both tied for 41st at seven under par (273).
A full leaderboard can be found on the PGA’s website.