LANGFORD, B.C.—Almost immediately after learning about the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s new Canada Life Series, Evan Holmes went to his phone to sign up. It turned out to be a solid decision.

Holmes opened the Canada Life Series’ inaugural event last week at Bear Mountain Golf & Tennis Resort Community’s Mountain Course with an 8-under 63. He used that stellar start to win the event and the $9,000 first prize. Holmes remains on property this week for tournament No. 2, this time players tackling Bear Mountain’s Valley Course. 

“When I first saw [the Canada Life Series] on Twitter or Instagram or something, I immediately went on to try and find out when I could register. I think all of us were all-in,” Holmes said of his mindset and those of his fellow players. “We had really nothing to play for the whole year. We weren’t really sure about going down to the States to try and play some mini tours and what not due to the whole pandemic, so I was thinking about just staying in Canada.

“When Canada Life started these events,” Holmes continued, “it was huge for us.” 

Even better for Holmes, a native of Calgary who played college golf at the University of British Columbia, he’s familiar with Bear Mountain and its two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses. 

“I like both of the courses. I’ve had success on some smaller tours at the Mountain and the Valley,” he noted, local knowledge that very well may have contributed to his quick start last Monday. 

“I knew I was playing well, but I didn’t expect to get off to that hot of a start in the first round,” added Holmes, who works and plays out of Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club. “It was definitely a career-low professionally, in a tournament. I’ll usually go low on the front nine and then peter off on the next nine and shoot just an all-right score. Last week I was able to put two nines together and keep it going. It was fun after the first round for sure.”

Holmes shot rounds of 70 and 72 over his final 36 holes, defeating Zach Anderson by two shots. Holmes will now look to do on the Canada Life Series what Bryson Nimmer has done on the LOCALiQ Series, a similar group of PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournaments held in the U.S. for the PGA TOUR’s International Tour players. Nimmer won the first two events on that Series, both tournaments in metro Atlanta. 

Monday at Bear Mountain, action gets underway in the 54-hole tournament with James Allenby first off the tee at 7:30 a.m., PDT. Holmes tees off 33 minutes later, playing the first two rounds with Chris Crisologo and John Mlikotic. 

On the strength of his victory, Holmes leads the Canada Life Series Points List, and with 25 percent of the season complete, he is aware of the advantage he holds. The points winner at the Series’ conclusion will earn conditional 2021 Mackenzie Tour status and six guaranteed tournament starts. Golf Canada is also offering the points champion a playing spot in the 2021 RBC Canadian Open. Players finishing second through fifth on the points standings also earn conditional Mackenzie Tour status and are assured two tournament starts. Players in the sixth-through-10th points-list positions will receive a discounted rate into one of the 2021 Mackenzie Tour tournaments. 

“I’m definitely more confident going into the second week, and I’d say that I’m riding a little bit of momentum,” Holmes explained. “I feel good about the course, I really like the Valley, and I’m looking forward to it. I think we’re going to get good weather again, so hopefully it’s a little less windy than last week, but you never know. You just have to take those as they come. But yeah, I’m really looking forward to the week, for sure.”

Two amateurs acquitted themselves well last week, with Nolan Thoroughgood, a junior at Oregon State University, and Laurent Desmarchais, a member of Golf Canada’s National Team, earning top-10s—Thoroughgood tying for eighth and Desmarchais tying for 10th. 

Runner-up Anderson played in five 2019 Mackenzie Tour events, his best showing a tie for 39th at the DCBank Open in early June. Anderson, like Thoroughgood, played college golf in the Pacific-12 Conference, for Washington State. 

Following this week’s tournament, the Series will observe a one-week break before traveling to Ontario for the final two tournaments, at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon.