Papineau carries momentum into Tour’s second week
Published
WASKESIU LAKE, Saskatchewan— Canadian Étienne Papineau will try to make it two wins in a row when he tees it up this week at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Brandt, the second event on PGA TOUR Canada’s 10-tournament season.
Papineau, a native of Quebec, used a final-round 64 to post a five-shot victory at the season-opening Royal Beach Victoria Open in Victoria, British Columbia. His victory was the first by a Quebec-born player since 2013 and propelled him into first place in the Fortinet Cup point standings.
Papineau’s triumph came one week after Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor won the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open and was another encouraging sign for Canadian golf.
“I think it’s trending in the right direction,” Papineau said. “All the Canadians on the PGA TOUR, Nick Taylor and all those guys, are doing amazing. The goal is to get many more Canadian players on TOUR, and I think we’re trending in the right direction. There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s a good start.”
Also in this week’s field at Elk Ridge Resort are George Kneiser and Chris Korte, who tied for second in the season-opener, and Canadian Jared du Toit, Chris Francoeur, Sam Choi and Jason Hong, who tied for fourth.
Making his PGA TOUR Canada debut this week will be Ben Carr of Columbus, Georgia. He earned his membership based on finishing 17th on the PGA TOUR University standings and through his sixth-place finish at the Weston, Florida, Qualifying Tournament in February.
Carr, a graduate of Georgia Southern University, was runner-up at the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship and competed in the 2023 Masters and last week’s U.S. Open. He did not make the cut at the Masters but qualified for the weekend at the U.S. Open in Los Angeles and finished 62nd.
“I’m really excited,” Carr said regarding a chance to compete on PGA TOUR Canada. “I’ve never been to Canada, and I’m looking forward to seeing the country. I hear it’s beautiful. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the PGA TOUR Canada, and I’ve got a couple of buddies who have played there in the past and they say it’s great. I’m excited to get up there and see if I can play some good golf.”
Carr is a member at The Country Club of Columbus, where his regular playing partners are 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize and four-time PGA TOUR winner Russell Henley.
“I’ve been super blessed with a lot of cool opportunities,” Carr said. “Larry (Mize) has been really kind to me. I saw him a couple weeks before the U.S. Open, and he’s just an awesome guy. It’s cool to have somebody like him on your side.”