Former PNGA Player of the Year du Toit wins on Mackenzie Tour

Jared du Toit came up clutch, winning the ATB Financial Classic by one shot over fellow Calgarian, Wes Heffernan. The Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada tournament was held on the Talons course at Country Hills Golf Club in Calgary, Alta.

Playing in the second-to-last group of the day, du Toit collected three birdies on the back nine, including a 20-footer on No. 18 to hold off Heffernan, who also made a birdie on the last.

“If you win by four or five (shots), it probably feels good, but it feels good in a different way,” said du Toit of his winning putt. “When you make a nice one, it’s a thrill for sure, and being in Calgary and having people cheer me on this week, it meant a lot for sure.”

Du Toit was named the PNGA Men’s Player of the Year in 2016. Born in Calgary, he resides in Kimberley, B.C. He played collegiately at the University of Idaho and Arizona State University.

It was du Toit’s first start on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada schedule this season after struggling to a 66th-place finish on the Forme Tour.

“It’s hard to win anywhere,” said du Toit. “When you’re beating 100-plus guys at the end of the week, you have to feel pretty good about your game. For me, doing that this week, I’m feeling even more confident heading into future weeks.

“On a day like this when you’re chasing (the leaders), you’re three or four shots back, you want to get off to a good start, and I didn’t really. I just made a bunch of pars. I stayed patient and kind of waited it out, then the game started coming to me and balls started going in.”