Johnny Travale has golfed on the Island before when he was a member of the Canadian junior national team based on Bear Mountain. He doesn’t know Uplands Golf Club as well, having played it for the first time this week. But the guy from The Hammer, as his hometown of Hamilton is known, put the hammer down on the Uplands course Thursday.
Travale recorded an 8-under 62 to grab the early lead in the opening round of the PGA Tour Americas US$225,000 Digital Commerce Group Open. The rest of the first round was in progress at press time.
“I haven’t been playing particularly well and didn’t know how today’s round was going to go. But I hit the driver really well, hit a lot of wedges close, and got a lot of tap-ins. To birdie the first three holes provided a nice cushion,” said Travele, of his sixth start of the season in the PGA Tour Americas.
“I liked the course and the greens are in great shape. I started thinking about a really low number on hole No. 13. I thought if I get a few more good holes, I can tie my buddy AJ [Ewart] with a 59, but that didn’t pan out today, but it was still nice.”
He was referring to the 11-under 59 that his friend and B.C. golfer Ewart, who is from Coquitlam, shot in last year’s Times Colonist Victoria Open to set a new course record at Uplands. Ewart is now on the PGA Tour after winning the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School last December.
The top-10 finishers in the 2026 PGA Tour Americas season standings will get their cards stamped for the 2027 Korn Ferry Tour, which is one step beneath the PGA Tour in the pro golf ladder. At 152nd in the standings, Travale is a long way from that, but the points accumulation is tremendous if you win a tournament, not to mention the US$40,500 that goes with it.
“There’s not much time left, two more events after this one, but anything can happen,” said Travale, who played NCAA Div. 1 for the University of Central Florida, and tied for sixth as an amateur in the 2023 Jones Cup and represented Canada in the 2022 world amateur championship.
“I wanted to be aggressive and give myself a chance. I knew if I got my chances, I could make something happen. It obviously doesn’t always pan out like that but my driver feels really good, so it didn’t feel like much of a risk for me today. I want to keep giving myself looks and chances. If I can sneak in and get some status for next year’s [PGA Tour Americas], that’s great. But ultimately, I’m just getting myself ready for Korn Ferry Qualifying School, and trying to get in through that route.”
It’s all about chasing that dream to get to the PGA Tour, like Ewart did, and several more before him who also came out of PGA Tour Americas and its predecessor PGA Tour Canada.
“Sometimes you feel the pressure and sometimes it feels easy. It’s about managing both and today felt easy for me, but then I felt some nerves coming down the 18th, but that’s a good thing,” said Travale.
One thing for sure is the people rooting for him back in his hometown, which is also home to two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the famously historically rugged Tiger-Cats of the CFL and CPL powerhouse Forge FC.
“The Hammer really supports its teams and athletes,” said Travale.
Having a potential PGA Tour player lay down the hammer would fit the bill quite well.
American Corey Pereira also had an impressive opening round, carding a 62 for an early tie for the lead. Americans Cole Rueck and Adam Duncan were next with 7-under 63s among the early finishers Thursday.
The cut in the 156-player field will be made Friday at Uplands following the second round.
The third round is Saturday and fourth round Sunday.
