Peloton Glencoe Invitational continues to grow, adding male pro division (2024)

It’s a full foursome.

And organizers of the Peloton Glencoe Invitational, always among the highlights on Calgary’s summer golf calendar, are hoping that will be par for the course for many years to come.

The latest edition, which runs Thursday-Saturday on Glencoe’s demanding Forest layout, will mark the debut of the male professional division. The tee-sheet now features four different categories — separate amateur and pro showdowns for both men and women — and you’ll see some jaw-dropping scores in all of them.

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“This has been the dream and the vision for a long time,” said tournament chair Dale Goehring. “On the women’s side, both the amateur and the pro side has really grown in three short years. It’s been amazing. What we saw was a void, and we filled it. People know the event already. Players want to be a part of it.

“And then by rounding it out and adding the male pro division, now we’re there. We’re very unique. I don’t see anyone else having this kind of format. Having a men’s and women’s competition, at the same time, on the same course, it’s something that I feel like is going to grow in the future. It’s nice to be on the early side of that.”

The history of the Peloton Glencoe Invitational dates to the early 1990s. It has long been considered a can’t-miss for the rising stars on the male amateur scene, with a list of past champions that is headlined by Graham DeLaet and Mackenzie Hughes.

Now, there are four trophies to be handed out after Saturday’s final round and a potential prize pool of up to $100,000, including a $15,000 payday for both pro winners.

An added bonus, the top two females — regardless of their division — will earn exemptions to compete alongside Brooke Henderson & Co. next month at the LPGA Tour’s CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey.

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“This was already a good tournament, a good purse for women,” said Quebec’s Caroline Ciot, one of a half-dozen past champions back this week for another rip around the Forest Course, as tough a test as you will find anywhere in Alberta. “And now they added this (exemption). I mean, you can’t find better.

“That’s definitely the goal. I’ve never had an exemption to an LPGA tournament, so it would be a first for me.”

“That would be the cherry on top, for sure,” agreed B.C.’s Christine Wong, who is already a two-time winner of the women’s pro division and describes the Peloton Glencoe Invitational as her favourite event. “But I still have to bring myself back to just hitting one shot at a time, especially on this golf course. You can’t think ahead to what happens after Saturday afternoon.”

The combined field for this three-round shootout — with a cut after 36 holes — is 100 players deep. That includes 11 members of the host club.

Among them is Brendan MacDougall, who is currently chasing his dreams (and collecting passport stamps) on PGA Tour Americas. MacDougall, now 26, has had a couple of near-misses at the Peloton Glencoe Invitational and is thrilled for another shot at a home-turf triumph.

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“I always hoped the pro division would happen, but I never knew it was going to come as fast as it did,” MacDougall said. “I’m really glad it’s taken shape. It’s definitely one that I would have liked to win as an amateur, and now it’s nice to have another chance to say, ‘Hey, I can put my name on this trophy as a pro.’ ”

This year, the engraver will be busier than ever.

There will be a full foursome of names to add to the hardware.

“Hopefully, this is the model for us going forward and we can just refine it,” Goehring said. “It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, but we’re proud to be here.”

FOX FINISHES SECOND

Quebec’s Yohann Benson prevailed in a playoff Wednesday to win the PGA Championship of Canada at Mickelson National.

It was a hometown heartbreaker for Mitch Fox, an assistant professional at Speargrass and one of 30-some locals in the field.

Benson and Fox completed three laps of Lefty’s layout with matching scores of 1-under 215. Benson carded a par on the first playoff hole to get his hands on the historic P.D. Ross Trophy.

Fox still collectsa nice paycheque, pocketing $8,000,and will carry some momentum into the Peloton Glencoe Invitational. He’s competing in the men’s pro division. Thanks to his strong showing in gusty conditions this week, he should also be among the favourites next month at the Mickelson National Invitational.

A hat-trick of dudes with Calgary connections — Wes Heffernan of Dynamic Motion Golf Performance, Chris Horton of Golf Channel Academy at Cottonwood and Sang Lee, who is now based in B.C. — split third-place honours at the PGA Championship of Canada. All three finished at even-par 216.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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