Wes Heffernan takes home PGA of Canada Championship
Wes Heffernan is one of Calgary's all time great golfers. Until Friday, one championship that he had never won was the PGA Championship of Canada.
That all changed last week at the Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ontario.
Heffernan finished the tournament at 10 under par and beat his nearest competitor, veteran Jim Rutledge by five strokes.
Heffernan said it was a satisfying win.
"It's kind of our major. It's our national championship at the PGA level," the 45-year-old said.
"It's as big as it gets in Canada and for me probably the one event that I focus on and try to peak for the most. Being at the start of the year it's tough to peak right away but I did play extremely well so I'm very happy to win it."
IMPRESSIVE NAMES
Heffernan took time to look at the trophy after he won and couldn't help but notice the names that were on it.
Arnold Palmer has his name engraved on it. So does Lee Trevino and Moe Norman.
Heffernan said there's a lot of history to this event.
"The Alberta Open is kind of the same," he said. "It has a storied past too and there's some pretty cool guy s on there like Moe Norman that you just mentioned," he said.
"The PGA Championship of Canada takes it to another level with the PGA tour players. Some of the biggest stars that have played in the game have played in that event."
Heffernan joined Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Moe Norman, among 99 others, as a PGA of Canada champion, recording four birdies and three bogeys to shoot a one under 71, defeating Jim Rutledge by five shots.
GREAT RUN FOR CALGARIANS
Heffernan is the third straight Calgarian to win the title. Dustin Risdon won the Championship in 2019. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID. In 2021, Riley Fleming took home the title.
Heffernan said he and Fleming really push each other and they make each other better golfers.
"It's really cool and specifically Riley won everything last year so in all of our events I'm always chasing him and trying to beat him. He's really tough to beat so it's helped me a lot trying to chase him down and I was lucky enough to win this year."
BUSY START TO THE YEAR
It's been a busy year so far for Heffernan. He also played in the Canadian open won a few weeks ago by Rory McIlroy.
Heffernan said even though he didn't make the cut it was good for his game because he got to go up against some of the best golfers in the world.
"I hadn't played (The Canadian Open) in 11 years. Rory actually won the last event that I played in 2011. I think for me specifically it really helped me win the tournament last week because I was able to play under those kinds of conditions against five or so of the best players in the world."
Heffernan is going to take some time to relax and then get prepared for three big events coming up: the Alberta PGA Championship, the Alberta Assistants Championship and the National Assistants Championship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.