John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Jared Du Toit was planning the subsequent section of his {golfing} profession final summer time, casting a large internet by coming into qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour, the DP World Tour, and anything he might consider.
However a pal from his days taking part in at Arizona State College nudged him towards the Asian Tour.
Quick ahead to now and Du Toit, from Kimberley, B.C., sits seventh on the Asian Tour’s order of benefit after incomes a top-10 end in his first-ever event on the boys’s golf circuit.
“I used to be speaking to him somewhat bit in the summertime and he simply stated ‘you’re loopy should you’re not giving Asia a attempt. The competitors is stable, the occasions are nice, and the cash is fairly good,’” stated Du Toit. “That sparked some curiosity so I gave it a attempt, not considering a lot of it.
“However (the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour) didn’t work out so I went to Asia, acquired standing that method. Now we’re right here and having fun with it, having fun with it rather a lot up to now.”
The 28-year-old Du Toit tied for seventh at 17 below on Sunday on the IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort & Golf Membership, six photographs again of winner David Puig of Spain.
Du Toit was ready to overlook the lower midway via his second spherical however rallied to shoot a 64 and see the weekend. He then fired a 62 within the third spherical to rocket up the leaderboard earlier than a 71 settled him into seventh.
“Going from mainly the cutline to 3 or 4 contained in the quantity and within the thick of it somewhat bit I felt like I used to be on the home cash bit and simply had an excellent spherical three, which acquired me proper into it,” stated Du Toit. “Sadly, I didn’t play my finest on the final spherical, however all issues thought-about going from the cutline to competition to ending high 10 was a stable begin to the yr and I’m excited to get going over right here.”
His subsequent goal is to earn his method into a few of the co-sanctioned occasions like subsequent week’s New Zealand Open or certainly one of males’s golf’s majors, just like the British Open.
“I used to be fairly shut final week being in competition in Malaysia. There was three spots for the Open,” stated Du Toit. “It is likely to be somewhat more durable to try this, don’t assume they simply give away spots so I positively misplaced a little bit of a chance final week, however I’d love to try this.
“I simply nonetheless attempt to play my finest, make as many cuts as I can.”
Du Toit has his subsequent probability to just do that this week on the Worldwide Sequence Oman at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, Oman. Toronto’s Richard T. Lee can be within the event.
PGA TOUR — 5 Canadians are within the subject at this week’s Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, Mexico. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top-ranked member of the Canadian contingent, coming into the week at 62nd within the FedEx Cup standings. Mackenzie Hughes (72) of Dundas, Ont., and Ben Silverman (99) of Thornhill, Ont., are additionally within the subject, as are unranked gamers Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C.
OUTSPOKEN HUGHES — Hughes, who’s on the PGA Tour’s participant advisory council for an additional yr, stays outspoken concerning the upstart LIV Golf circuit. He spoke to CBS whereas on the course of final week’s Genesis Invitational concerning the ongoing rivalry.
“Now we’re in a spot the place I feel followers are simply usually somewhat bit fed up with it, to be trustworthy,” stated Hughes. “These are the those who drive our sport so I’d like to enchantment to the lots much more.
“Actually, the way in which we’re going proper now, to me, isn’t fairly it.”
DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian on this week’s Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Membership in Nairobi. He completed second on the occasion in 2022.
LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Fall, Ont., is the lone Canadian within the subject at Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Nation Membership’s Previous Course in Chonburi. She sits sixth within the Race to CME Globe standings after inserting third on the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions on Jan. 18 and tying for sixteenth on the LPGA Drive On Championship.
MEN’S NCAA — Calgary’s Hunter Thomson gained his season opener with eight birdies within the closing spherical of the Palmas del Mar Collegiate event in Humacao, Puerto Rico. He gained the occasion by two strokes on Feb. 13, serving to the College of Michigan to a fourth-place end.
