Phil Jonas has another tournament championship to add to his impressive resume, after taking top spot at the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada PGA of BC Club Professional Championship Tuesday in Victoria.
Jonas, a former European Senior Tour golfer and a longtime teaching pro – Jonas Golf Academy is run out of both Hazelmere Golf Course in South Surrey as well as McLeery Golf Course in Vancouver – fired a tournament low four-under-par 66 score at the Victoria Golf Club to finish the 36-hole tournament at three-under.
Jonas, 55, edged Matthew Palsenbarg, a Clayton Heights resident and Northview Golf Academy pro, for the win. Palsenbarg finished two strokes back of Jonas.
“I really wanted to win this tournament, given it being my first attempt. And as I’m getting older, I have to win whenever I can,” Jonas said in a PGA of BC news release issued Wednesday.
“It’s very satisfying.”
Jonas began the day one stroke back of first-round leader Jesse Crowe of Salmon Arm, but made an early charge up the leaderboard after chipping in for eagle on the par-5 first hole.
“I played well the first few holes, then kind of got a bit scrappy for a few holes, then played well again,” the veteran golfer explained.
“And I was pretty solid down the stretch, although I was pretty nervous. It doesn’t seem to get any easier.”
Needing a two-putt for par on the 18th hole to secure the victory, Jonas sunk a 20-footer for birdie – one of four on the day.
He collected a winner’s cheque of $2,700.
Palsenbarg finished as runner-up for the second year in a row, and played a bogey-free final round to finish with a 68.
“I hit 15 greens and hit the ball really well. You can’t fault the putter when you’re burning edges and the greens are hard to read,” said Palsenbarg, who birdied the first and 17th holes and shot par on the rest.
“I made an eight-footer on No. 1, then just lots of two-putts.”