Pro golfers getting teed up for Osprey Valley Open

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

With the PGA's Canadian Open on the horizon this weekend in Hamilton, those looking to reach such heights have their sights set on the Osprey Valley Open exactly one month later.

The only stop in the GTA for the Mackenzie Tour, the third-tier tour below the PGA and Web.com Tours, the Osprey Valley Open in Caledon will serve as a launching pad for those golfers looking to take their careers to the next level.

Just look at Michael Gligic, who teed up for the inaugural Osprey Valley Open last summer: the Burlington native, and longtime veteran of the Mackenzie Tour, is now just steps away from a PGA Tour card after filling out what has been an impressive resume this season on the Web.com Tour.

Gligic was announced as the tournament's honourary chairman by the club last week.

“I spent nearly a decade of my career playing on the Mackenzie Tour, so any chance that I have to give back I try and do so.,” said Gligic. “It's played a huge role in my life, and being the honourary chairman is just the least I can do, it's a small token of my appreciation.”

The 29-year old, who will be teeing it up this weekend at the Canadian Open after an exciting win in Panama on the Web.com in February, said he is excited to take on the role.

“It's an event that means a lot to me, being so close to home, just about an hour away.”

Osprey Valley Open Tournament Director Brad Parkins said in a statement that Gligic's progression on the Mackenzie Tour has been “a thrill to watch.”

“We're extremely grateful for his support and look forward to working with him to promote this year's tournament.” 

As for the competition, the tournament will once again take place on the “North” course, formerly the “Toot” course. It boasts a parklands style layout, with what the course's website describes as “generous landing areas and naturally rolling fairways.”

Yet it is the field itself that provides the challenge, with many of the next up-and-coming golfers looking to follow in Gligic's path.

“The competition out there is unbelievable. It's the most local tournament, it's the one I looked most forward to, I played it last year and it helped pave my way to the Web.com Tour.”

Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday said that the tour was “absolutely thrilled” to be returning with the second rendition of the Osprey Valley Open, and they “look forward to returning for many years to come.”

“The players were delighted to compete at such an outstanding facility, and we look forward to working with the Osprey Valley team to grow the tournament's profile and impact in the Greater Toronto Area in the future,” said Monday.

The trifecta of courses at Osprey Valley hit a prestige level yet unseen in Canadian golf circles in August of 2018, when the 54-hole facility was named the first Canadian location to the PGA Tour's prestigious list of TPC facilities, the thirty-third overall property in the TPC network.

The deal reached for the Osprey Valley Open to continue as a Mackenzie Tour stop was signed for five years in 2018. The tournament runs July 8 – 14, with tickets available at www.ospreyvalleyopen.com.