Patrick Newcomb Wins PGA TOUR Canada Cape Breton Open

Final Leaderboard:

Patrick Newcomb – 71-66-68-64 (-19)

Kramer Hickok – 71-67-66-68 (-16)

Robby Shelton – 69-67-67-69 (-16)

Hunter Stewart – 71-65-67-70 (-15)

Will Starke – 69-65-72-67 (-15)

By Brian Decker

Baddeck, N.S. – Murray, Kentucky’s Patrick Newcomb shot a final round 8-under 64 on Sunday at Bell Bay Golf Club to win the Cape Breton Open, his second victory of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 27-year old came out of the gates on fire with an eagle and three birdies in his first nine holes to take the lead, then put the tournament away with two more birdies and a chip-in eagle at the par-5 13^th to win by three over Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton.

“Things have to go your way, and things really went my way today,” said Newcomb.” I had a couple of pitches that were going to be easy tap-ins that happened to fall in the hole. When you have stuff like that happen, it just makes for a special day and a special win.”

Already a winner earlier this season at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, Newcomb bolstered his position on the Order of Merit and moved to No. 3, just behind Hickok and Shelton and in position to earn Web.com Tour status for 2018.

“The guys up here are so good, and beating great players means a lot. For me, over the last little while it’s been about staying within myself and staying patient, because I’ve been striking the ball so wall. If I stay patient and within myself, I think I can beat anybody,” said Newcomb, adding that his mentality is one he believes is common among his peers. “Robby and Max (Rottluff) and Kramer and Johnny (Ruiz), I think we all think that way, and you have to think that way, that you can beat anybody anytime.”

With the win, Newcomb becomes the first multi-time winner this season and the first since Dan McCarthy won four times – including the Cape Breton Open – in 2016. Newcomb also claimed victory on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica earlier this year at the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort.

Hickok notched his third runner-up finish of the season to go with a win at the Players Cup, while Shelton’s was his second of the year to go with a victory at the GolfBC Championship. Kentucky’s Hunter Stewart and South Carolina’s Will Starke finished in a tie for fourth at 15-under.

27-year old Patrick Newcomb was making his seventh career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. He owns three top-10s on the season, including a win at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON and a T6 at the Players Cup.

With his win in Edmonton earlier this year, Newcomb became the first player to win on both the Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where won the Honduras Open presented by Indura Beach and Golf Resort.

Newcomb is the first multi-time winner this season. Below are the other players to win multiple times in the same season on the Mackenzie Tour:

Joel Dahmen, 2014: Freedom 55 Financial Open, Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON

C.T. Pan, 2015: Players Cup, Cape Breton Open

Dan McCarthy, 2016: Freedom 55 Financial Open, GolfBC Championship, Players Cup, Cape Breton Open

Patrick Newcomb, 2017: Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, Cape Breton Open

Newcomb’s 8-under 64 is the lowest round by a winner this season and the lowest since Dan McCarthy shot a final round 64 at the 2017 Players Cup.

Newcomb played college golf at Murray State, where he collected nine individual victories.

With a total score of 13-under par in a tie for seventh, Burlington, Ontario’s Michael Gligic finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

With his win on Sunday, Patrick Newcomb moved back inside the top five on the Order of Merit. Below are the top five through 10 of 12 events this season:

1. Kramer Hickok $86,202

2. Robby Shelton $77,260

3. Patrick Newcomb $74,065

4. Johnny Ruiz $62,731

5. Max Rottluff $54,223