Eighty-one players, from golf legends to journeyman pros, will tackle the mountain course at the Bear Mountain Golf Resort in late summer for the 2016 Pacific Links Championship on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Such veteran golf luminaries as Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Sluman and John Daly are expected to be among the professionals making their way to the region for the tournament, set for Sept. 19 to 25.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said this could be one of the most prestigious events ever to come to the city.
B次元官网网址�(This) shows all the hard work and promotion of Langford is now starting to pay off,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔ive, 10, 20 years ago, you would never have thought you could hold a world-class event like that. ItB次元官网网址檚 fantastic; thereB次元官网网址檚 not a better event that brings tourist dollars and builds our economy B次元官网网址� What a great opportunity.B次元官网网址�
Young said if all goes well, there may be opportunity for future similar golf events.
B次元官网网址淟angford is getting recognized beyond the borders of our community. Without bureaucracy we donB次元官网网址檛 spend three years figuring out if we want it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen it came up, I said B次元官网网址榓bsolutely, bring that here.B次元官网网址� Really, that will be the biggest event in LangfordB次元官网网址檚 history and TV cameras will showcase Langford and Victoria and it will put us on the map again and bring more events.B次元官网网址�
Dan Matthews, president and CEO of Ecoasis Developments LLP, which owns and operates Bear Mountain, said the company is B次元官网网址渉onoured to be a part of Pacific LinksB次元官网网址� PGA Tour Champions event.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淗osting the Pacific Links Championship at Bear Mountain will enable us to showcase CanadaB次元官网网址檚 only 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf and go a long way in supporting our goal to demonstrate why we are fast becoming the finest golf resort community in Canada,B次元官网网址� he said.
Originally scheduled for Tianjin, China, the event moves to the West ShoreB次元官网网址檚 Jack and Steve Nicklaus co-designed course due to ongoing challenges in the city following a massive chemical warehouse explosion that killed more than 100 people in August of 2015.
The tournament will see the full field play 54 holes, with no cuts. All three rounds will be broadcast on the Golf Channel. The Pro-Am rounds take place Sept. 21 and 22.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com
