Olson picks up first win at Mackenzie Investments Open presented by Jaguar Laval
9/10/2018 10:54:00 AM | Men's Golf
GS alum moves into contention for a spot on the Web.com Tour.
MONTREAL, Canada — It wasn't easy, but after a one-hole playoff with Corey Pereira, Blake Olson captured his first career Mackenzie Tour victory after firing a Sunday 67 at the Mackenzie Investments Open.
With the win, Olson moves from No. 42 on the Order of Merit to eighth, giving him an opportunity to move into to top five next week at the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship. The top-five money-winners following that event in London, Ontario, earn 2019 Web.com Tour membership.
"I said earlier in the week when asked about my goals that I was trying to get into the top 10," said the Pensacola, Fla., native. "This win does that, but by no means am I secure, so I need to go have a good week next week and see where things stack up."
Olson, entering the day two strokes behind Pereira, made his move during the first half of the round, making birdie on Nos. 3 and 5 before making three in a row, from Nos. 8-10, to put himself in a tie at the top of the leaderboard.
It wasn't until Pereira made bogey on No. 14, just his third blemish of the week, that Olson possessed a solo lead.
"I had been in a pretty good spot last year with nine holes to play and didn't finish it off, so this time I didn't look at many (score)boards," said Olson. "I would see my name at the top but wouldn't look at any scores, I just knew I was doing the right things and stuck to what I was doing."
With Pereira making birdie on 17 and Olson already having signed for a share of the lead, the 27-year-old watched as Pereira, who won earlier this season at the ATB Financial Classic, got up and down for par on the 72nd hole to send the two players back to the 18th tee for the sudden-death extra session.
With both players safely in the fairway, Pereira hit first, knocking his approach onto the back-left fringe, about 35 feet away from the pin. While Olson put his approach in the greenside bunker, he left himself with lots of green to work with, playing his third to eight feet.
Olson calmly knocked in his putt, and when Pereira was unable to get his down in two, Olson had claimed his first win on a PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tour.
"It's unbelievably hard (to win). This Tour is filled with so many good players, so many Web(.com Tour) guys can't even get into events up here," said Olson, who made two cuts on the Web.com Tour in 2016. "I was lucky enough to come up here and play a full season, but the caliber is so high. Everyone is getting better and, with Q-school around the corner, no matter what, if you compete on this Tour you're playing good golf."
Olson lettered for the Eagles from 2011-13 and played in 15 tournaments, posting a 76.28 scoring average.
With the win, Olson moves from No. 42 on the Order of Merit to eighth, giving him an opportunity to move into to top five next week at the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship. The top-five money-winners following that event in London, Ontario, earn 2019 Web.com Tour membership.
"I said earlier in the week when asked about my goals that I was trying to get into the top 10," said the Pensacola, Fla., native. "This win does that, but by no means am I secure, so I need to go have a good week next week and see where things stack up."
Olson, entering the day two strokes behind Pereira, made his move during the first half of the round, making birdie on Nos. 3 and 5 before making three in a row, from Nos. 8-10, to put himself in a tie at the top of the leaderboard.
It wasn't until Pereira made bogey on No. 14, just his third blemish of the week, that Olson possessed a solo lead.
"I had been in a pretty good spot last year with nine holes to play and didn't finish it off, so this time I didn't look at many (score)boards," said Olson. "I would see my name at the top but wouldn't look at any scores, I just knew I was doing the right things and stuck to what I was doing."
With Pereira making birdie on 17 and Olson already having signed for a share of the lead, the 27-year-old watched as Pereira, who won earlier this season at the ATB Financial Classic, got up and down for par on the 72nd hole to send the two players back to the 18th tee for the sudden-death extra session.
With both players safely in the fairway, Pereira hit first, knocking his approach onto the back-left fringe, about 35 feet away from the pin. While Olson put his approach in the greenside bunker, he left himself with lots of green to work with, playing his third to eight feet.
Olson calmly knocked in his putt, and when Pereira was unable to get his down in two, Olson had claimed his first win on a PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tour.
"It's unbelievably hard (to win). This Tour is filled with so many good players, so many Web(.com Tour) guys can't even get into events up here," said Olson, who made two cuts on the Web.com Tour in 2016. "I was lucky enough to come up here and play a full season, but the caliber is so high. Everyone is getting better and, with Q-school around the corner, no matter what, if you compete on this Tour you're playing good golf."
Olson lettered for the Eagles from 2011-13 and played in 15 tournaments, posting a 76.28 scoring average.
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