Ryan Mccormick Earns Exempt Status For PGA Tour Canada
Ryan McCormick of Suburban, the NJSGA Player of the Year in 2012 and State Amateur champion that year, this past weekend finished tied for ninth at PGA Tour Canada Q-School to earn exempt status for the 2014 season as one of the Top 18 players in the event for the 2014 season.The event took place at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community in Courtenay, BC.
Before turning pro and joining the PGATour Canada the week of May 26 with the PC Financial Open in Vancouver, the Big East Conference individual champion will lead St. John’s University into the NCAA Regional this coming weekend in Auburn, Ala.
“I’m excited to play in Canada this summer on PGA Tour Canada,” said McCormick. “I feel like I’m playing great at the moment and am looking forward to competing in Auburn with the team next week at Regionals.”
McCormick, 22, who won the Met Amateur title in 2012, is also be playing in a U.S. Open qualifier at Bedens Brook on Tuesday, May 13.
“It’s great to end my collegiate career this way. I’m thrilled about the next stage in my career. I’m fortunate to be able to do it and pursue one of my lifetime dreams,” McCormick said. “I’m definitely looking forward to the professional ranks. It should be a blast.
“I’ve been looking at doing it for the past year. I wanted to see how I would stack up against other guys I knew who were turning pro. I feel my game is in great shape right now. Mentally, I’ve got my mind in the right place,” McCormick stated.
St. John’s claimed its first Big East title since the 1989 season behind the stellar play of its top-three golfers - McCormick, Ben Ludlam and Dylan Crowley – while all five Red Storm players placed in the top 30. Commanded by McCormick’s steady play, St. John’s led the team standings from day one.
On Tuesday, April 29, the final of three rounds were played at the BIG EAST Championships in Callawassie Island, S.C.. The event had nine teams and 45 players compete for the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship.
McCormick took over the tournament’s individual lead on Monday and his three-under 69 and held on for medalist honors.
McCormick, a current NJSGA Caddie Scholar at St. John’s, where he will graduate in May with a degree in sports management, kicked off his 2014 collegiate season with an impressive victory.
In February, McCormick fired a 15-under-par 201 to win the Snowman Getaway at Palm Valley Golf Club in Phoenix in St. John’s season opener. It was the second collegiate victory of his career. McCormick, who resides in Middletown, carded an opening round of 8-under-par 64, a career best, on Monday, before rounding out Day One with a 68 for a two-round best of 132 (-12). He added a 3-under 69 for the 201 total on Tuesday
“My mindset wasn’t any different today than it was yesterday,” said McCormick. “I’m not the type of player who looks at the leaderboards and wants to know where I stand. I can only control what I’m doing and I just went out and stuck to the way I play.”
He did exactly that as he took a two-stroke lead into the final round and birdied two of his first three holes to start the day. After bogeying on his next three out of four holes, McCormick turned things around with five more birdies to end the final round for his three-day total of 201, marking yet another career-best for the St. John’s captain.
“I’m thankful to be around a great team and coach that are so supportive,” stated McCormick, the New Jersey State Player of the Year in 2012.
Heading into the final round holding on to a fifth place lead, the Red Storm finished four strokes over par on Tuesday finish in eighth place overall in the field of 17 with a final total of 866 (+2).
