Drew Nesbitt of Oro-Medonte, Ont., and Terry O'Brien of Barrie, Ont. advanced to the final stage of qualifying for the 2025 Canadian Open after strong performances in Monday's regional qualifier at Brampton Golf Club.
Nesbitt and O'Brien were among a field of 144 golfers playing in 2025's first regional qualifier. Both were the top performers among eight golfers from the Barrie and Muskoka areas in Monday's event.
There are five such regional qualifying events in May, in which the top player in the field qualifies directly for the Canadian Open, and the following top 10 per cent advances to a final qualifying round. In this case, 22 players are advancing having finished T-12 or higher, shooting even par or better.
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Nesbitt, 30, a pro with one top-five finish in three starts on the PGA Tour Americas this season, finished T2 at three-under in Monday's regional qualifier.
He teed off on the second nine, starting his round with a birdie on the 10th hole, before a bogey on the 12th set him back. He remained even after through nine after a birdie on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th.
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Bouncing back immediately, back-to-back birdies on holes one and two bumped him up to two-under par through 11. Another birdie on the fifth put him tied for second and within three strokes of the lead.
However, he ended his round with four straight pars, including on the par-five ninth, carding a 68, finishing three-under, tied with fellow pro, Marcus Rodrigues.
Nesbitt is aiming to qualify for his second Canadian Open, having played in the 2023 edition at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. He missed the cut by seven strokes in his first career PGA Tour event.
O'Brien, a local PGA of Canada professional, teed off in the third-to-last group and went bogey-free through 15 holes, sitting tied with Nesbitt and Rodrigues at three-under. Again, another Barrie local was within striking distance of the lead with three holes left.
That never came to fruition, however. Bogeys on the par-three 16th and the par-four 18th brought him down to a final score of 70. That left him tied for seventh at one-under.
O'Brien's missed opportunities for a direct qualification came on the par fives in this round. He parred all four of those holes.
Monday's low score belonged to Cougar Collins of Mono, Ont., who carded a six-under 65 to claim direct qualification to the 2025 Canadian Open. That will be his first Canadian Open start, and second PGA Tour event this season after missing the cut at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April.
This year's Canadian Open will be played at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, a venue that was also recently confirmed to be hosting the 2026 tournament as well. For Collins, it's not a long drive from his hometown.
“It’s actually my home course so it’s really freaking cool,”Collins said following his win. “I’ve wanted to play in the Canadian Open since I started golfing. Obviously, this is like our major championship if you will, for Canada, so I’m pretty pumped to be playing in it.”
Collins made birdies at holes one, six, seven and nine, holding a field-best score of 33 through the first nine. He followed that up with consecutive birdies at the 14th and 15th to shoot himself up to six-under par.
At the par-3 16th, his tee shot found the water, which could've ruined his round. He made a double bogey but immediately regained his three-stroke lead with an eagle on the 17th.
Nesbitt and O'Brien's final chance to qualify for the Canadian Open will be June 1 at the Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont. A minimum of four spots will directly qualify players from this tournament to the Canadian Open.
Four more regional qualifying events remain, including Tuesday's at Cherry Hill Golf Club in Ridgeway, Ont. Four golfers from Barrie are competing, while a few other locals are playing in other qualifiers outside Ontario.
SCORES
T2 - Drew Nesbitt (Oro-Medonte, Ont.): -3
T7 - Terry O'Brien (Barrie, Ont.): -1
T34 - David Kowalewski (a) (Barrie, Ont.): +3
T71 - Brady Zordan (Midhurst, Ont.): +6
T88 - Branson Ferrier (Innisfil, Ont.): +7
T88 - Jeff Ash (Barrie, Ont.): +7
T113 - Josh Lane (a) (Huntsville, Ont.): +10
T127 - Liam Boyter (a) (Barrie, Ont.): +12
