Salinda Earns Medalist Honours At Mackenzie Tour Qualifying Tournament
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-03-09
HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS, Florida — An eagle at the first hole for Isaiah Salinda, his first of the week, proved to be the difference in a two-stroke victory over David Sanders at the Mackenzie Tour—PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament.
The Stanford University product, who closed with a 2-under 70 to finish at 5-under 283, is now fully exempt on Mackenzie Tour for the 2020 season.
“It’s mission accomplished,” he said. “This was the goal heading in here, to put myself in position to at least get good status. After the first few days, the goal was to try and win this and be medalist. Every professional field is a good field that you can’t take lightly. I knew I had to bring my game this week to get through, but I’m very pleased with how I played.”
Salinda’s 18-foot eagle putt from the back fringe, coupled with another lengthy birdie putt at the sixth, were enough to erase a bogey and double bogey at Nos. 7 and 8. He added three more birdies on the back nine to overcome Sanders, who shot 3-over 75 after entering the day with a two-stroke advantage.
Thirteen other players finished inside the top 14 to earn six guaranteed starts for the 2020 season. Players that finished Nos. 15 through 40 earned conditional status for the season.
Sanders led the way with a solo-second finish at 3-under 285, despite ultimately being undone by a pair of bogeys and a double bogey on Nos. 6 through 8. The 29-year-old was appearing in his fourth career Mackenzie Tour Qualifying Tournament but had finished no better than tied for 75th.
Alex Smalley and Harrison Rhoades finished tied for third at 2-under 286, while amateur Thomas Forster closed with a final-round 73 to finish fifth.
“The plan was to win,” said Salina, a native of San Francisco, Calif. “It’s really the same everywhere. In a week like this, the goal was definitely to come out on top. I think I was a little hot and cold with the putter the whole week, but I gave myself enough chances to where I knew that some of them would eventually just go in. I just had to stay patient.”