Golf tournament wins don't get much wilder than West Vancouver native Kevin Spooner's victory at the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada Syncrude Boreal Open held June 25-28 in Fort McMurray, Alta.
Spooner began the day nine strokes off Ben Silverman's 54-hole lead, but came out on fire with four birdies and an eagle in a front-nine 30. After adding three more birdies at the 10th, 12th and 15th holes, Spooner made par at the par-5 18th for a nine-under 63 and a 16-under total. He then had to wait nearly two hours to see how the players in the final groups would answer his challenge.
Talor Gooch of Oklahoma and Thornhill, Ont.'s Silverman both matched Spooner's tournament total forcing the three of them into a playoff that lasted five holes, the longest playoff of the PGA Tour era on the Mackenzie Tour. Spooner tapped in for par on the fifth playoff to seal the win.
"Teeing up this morning, I thought I had absolutely no chance to get into contention for the win, being nine shots back to start," Spooner said in a release. "I got off to a great start, played pretty aggressive and made a lot of putts. It was quite the grind, quite the battle to keep going there for five holes."
The win gave the former University of Washington Huskie exempt status on the tour for the rest of the season and moved him to No. 2 on the Order of Merit behind leader Albin Choi.
"I was just trying to get status on this tour," said Spooner. "I don't think I have to worry about that anymore."
