Lompoc, Calif. – Antibes, France’s Julien Brun earned medalist honours at PGA TOUR Canada’s California Qualifying Tournament on Friday, finishing with a final round 1-over 73 to complete the 72-hole event at 4-under.
The three-time NCAA All-American, who will complete his collegiate career with the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs over the coming weeks before turning professional, holed shots from off the green on each of the last two holes to finish one stroke ahead of League City, Texas native Curtis Donahoe and Palos Verdes, California’s Paul McNamara III.
“My main goal was to come in and play my game and do my best. I didn’t know what kind of players I’d be playing against – I only knew about 10 guys in the field, so it’s tough to know what it would be like. I knew if I played my golf I would do fairly well, and that’s what I was able to do,” said Brun, who owns nine career NCAA victories.
The victory gives Brun exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for the 2015 season. 42 players in total earned status for the year, following 48 who earned status at last week’s Florida Qualifying Tournament.
“It’s a great relief. Not having to worry where I will have a place to play this summer is great. I have a good TOUR to play and it’s one step closer hopefully to the Web.com Tour next year,” said Brun.
One shot behind McNamara III and Donahoe was Los Osos, California’s Matt Hansen, with Richmond Hill, Ontario native Taylor Pendrith one of five players in a tie for fifth.
NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW
4-for-3: Four players competed in a sudden-victory playoff, with Neil Johnson, Matthew Record and Chase Seiffert prevailing over Joel Thelen on the first hole. Players in the top-18 earn exempt status through the first six events of the season and are then subject to the re-shuffle.
0: Players who shot par or better for each of the four rounds.
31: The number of spots Joey Crawford moved up the leaderboard, climbing into a tie for 12th.
CARD WATCH
The medalist this week earned exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 finished at 5-over in a 4-for-3 playoff, with the cutoff for the top 40 coming at 11-over.
QUOTABLE:
“It’s great that I got some status and I’ll be back home for the summer. That’s what I was hoping for and I’m glad it all worked out. I had a nice week and I’m excited for the summer,” said Taylor Pendrith, who will join fellow Golf Canada National Amateur Team alumni Albin Choi, Mackenzie Hughes, Eugene Wong, Matt Hill and Chris Hemmerich on PGA TOUR Canada this summer. “I’ve been with the same group of guys for two, three, four years now and it’s always great to see all those faces.”
NOTES:
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Weather: 18 degrees Partly cloudy. Cloudy. Winds 28 km/h.
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Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec’s Sonny Michaud (T34) was the only other Canadian to earn status alongside Taylor Pendrith.
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Brun is looking to follow in the footsteps of 2014 The Five member Greg Eason, who earned his PGA TOUR Canada status as an amateur at Q-School, completed his collegiate playing career, then turned pro and finished fifth on the Order of Merit.
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