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TSN Senior Reporter

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The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada gets underway on Thursday in Vancouver and when it does, Canadian players will be vying for a newly named award. The tour announced that the Freedom 55 Canadian Player of the Year award will be renamed the Dan Halldorson Trophy.

“It seems like such a good fit,” said Jeff Monday, the president of Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada. “Dan was instrumental to Canadian golf in so many ways, as a player and later as an administrator.”

Halldorson, a two-time PGA Tour winner and member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, passed away in November after suffering a stroke. After his playing days ended, he returned home and spent a number of years working on what was then known as the Canadian Tour, helping young players grow their skills.

It was the same circuit that helped Halldorson get his start. He was a seven-time winner there before making the jump to the PGA Tour.

“He was a mentor to so many young Canadians and to see them have success excited him,” added Monday.

Among those that Halldorson gave advice to were Mike Weir, David Hearn and Graham DeLaet.

Halldorson also played a key role in getting the PGA Tour to take over the Canadian circuit, which was struggling. Now it’s grown into a key feeder system for the Web.com Tour, as well as the PGA Tour.

The fourth season of the PGA Tour-backed circuit kicks off at the Point Grey Golf Club with the Freedom 55 Financial Open. Over the course of the season, golfers will attempt to finish inside the top five on the order of merit, which will earn them privileges on the following year’s Web.com Tour.

“Every year we get more excited for what we’re seeing,” said Monday. “There’s been a lot of positive growth.”

He added that the tour has given young players a good opportunity to hone their skills and learn what being a professional golfer is all about, which isn’t just about hitting golf shots. Already, graduates are making their mark with alums Nick Taylor and Tony Finau having gone from playing in Canada to winners on the PGA Tour.

“The level of talent gets better and better every year,” Monday pointed out.

Fourteen former players are currently inside the top 75 on the Web.com Tour, including seven who played in Canada last year.

This year’s crop of golfers will make a dozen stops from west to east including new ones in Edmonton and Kelowna, British Columbia.

However, there is still a chance that one of those tournaments may not be held - the annual visit to Fort McMurray, Alberta. While the course is intact, all the buildings at the Fort McMurray Golf Club burned down.

“We’re really in a holding pattern right now,” Monday said, making it sound doubtful that the Syncrude Boreal Open would be held as scheduled. “Could we play there? Yes. Is that what we should do? We’ll see. The golf tournament could be a positive, but we have to see what’s in proper alignment with their priorities.”

A number of golfers have been raising money for the relief efforts in the northern Alberta city. Graham DeLaet spearheaded a fundraiser on the PGA Tour and last week, a number of Web.com Tour players did the same, pledging money for birdies and eagles made. The same thing will happen this week with the first Canadian stop.

Among the notable young Canadians who will cross the country with their clubs in tow are Corey Conners of Listowel, Ontario, who played in the 2015 Masters, and former order of merit winner Matt Hill of Bright’s Grove, Ontario.