Chilliwack/Squamish (with files from RBC Canadian Open/Barry Douglas Chilliwack Chiefs) – Brett Webster of Chilliwack birdied the first hole of a playoff to edge out Sukhraj Gill of Surrey, B.C. to earn a direct exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, following the B.C. Regional Qualifier at Squamish Valley Golf Club in Squamish.
Webster, a six-time winner on the Vancouver Golf Tour admitted he hadn’t had much success in playoffs as of late but emerged victorious on Thursday evening to earn his first ever appearance at the RBC Canadian Open and on the PGA TOUR.
“I told my caddie, this is my Rory McIlroy moment. I bogeyed the last hole, let’s make up for it here,” said an excited Webster following the playoff win.
“I feel like it hasn’t quite sunk in. I can’t wait to call my wife and facetime my kids, they’re down in Chilliwack and tell them I’m coming home. We have a two-and-a-half-year-old and six-week-old so my wife is probably ready for me to come home, but she will be really excited about this,” added Webster.
NOTE – From Barry Douglas, VP, Chilliwack Chiefs – How cool is this ?! Way to go Brett Webster !! Chilliwack Chiefs staff alumni style. So happy for you. Goes to show hard work and perseverance pays off. Go get em ! He was on staff for the 2021-22 season.
Webster was part of the afternoon wave and players were faced with a change in the weather as the winds had picked up. He admitted he did not play in a practice round prior to the qualifier, making his task a little taller. He carded seven birdies in his round, including a strong finish with birdies on holes 14, 16 and 17, which put him into the lead. However, a bogey on 18 would bring him back into a tie with Gill at 5-under (67), who had finished his round hours prior.
Webster has gone back and forth in his career on whether or not to check the leaderboard, after his tee shot on 18 he wanted to know.
“I asked my caddie what he thought I needed, and he said to try and make par, so I thought I may have had the lead,” he added.
The pressure built for Webster as Gill connected on his drive to begin the playoff. Webster found the cart path off his drive for the third consecutive hole, having done so on holes 17 and 18. He was able to take relief in the rough and hit a 3-iron into the green.
“When I hit it, I thought I smoked it over the green, but it slowed down on the edge of the rough and trickled down. My hands were shaking as much as they ever shook on the first putt and once it got to two feet I was like ok, I think I can handle this,” said Webster.
Webster admitted that while he is a little older in golf terms, and competing with many up and comers on the Vancouver Golf Tour, earning this qualification is special.
“Winning on the Vancouver Golf Tour is amazing and you beat a lot of good pros and all that, but this was 139 guys playing for the opportunity to play on the PGA TOUR and where I’m at in my career, I feel like this is the last thing I want to do and I feel like I could be satisfied if I didn’t play after that and just get to play with my kids,” he added.
In addition to Webster’s exemption, the top 10 per cent of the 139-player field, 8th place plus ties (20 players total) from the B.C. Regional Qualifier have advanced to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier on Sunday, June 1 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont.
