It came down to splitting hairs, or in this case, slicing a few blades of grass.
Victoria Golf Club head pro Lindsay Bernakevitch edged Olympic View assistant Gordy Scutt by an slim two points to earn the Vancouver Island Pro Tour’s exemption into the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist next month.
Bernakevitch, a former Canadian Tour player, now gets to tee it up in the PGA Tour Canada-Mackenzie Tour event at Uplands.
Scutt defeated Bernakevitch in a playoff at Qualicum Beach on Tuesday (after they both shot 68s), but Bernakevitch finished just above Scutt on the tour’s Order of Merit after the first five events, the formula used to determine the exemption.
“I just snuck it out, by two points, which is the narrowest of margins when it comes down to our Order of Merit,” said Bernakevitch.
What made it more exciting is the top four candidates were in the same foursome as Bernakovitch and Scutt — in a group with Kevin Maxwell, also of Olympic View, and Bill Kelly from Glacier Greens.
“We’re all friends and it was a ton of fun playing. We all made a bunch of birdies and, of course, we had our little two-on-two game on the side,” said Bernakevitch, who played the tour for a handful of seasons back in the mid-2000s.
“I try and block out those years. I”m kidding,” he said with a chuckle.
He recalls playing this event four times, twice at Uplands Golf Club and once each at Gorge Vale and Royal Colwood.
“It was one of my highlights and one of the reasons why I fell in love with Victoria,” said the Regina native, who eventually made his way to Vancouver for school in the fall of 1998. He was at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club before Victoria Golf Club hired him.
“My game is hit and miss. I still have the ability to play golf at a high level. I find I just don’t have as much time to play. But I’m going to prepare for this just like any other tournament,” said the 35-year-old.
This 2016 Mackenzie Tour event will be different from his previous years on tour in one very important aspect.
“I was talking to my wife about it this morning. I think what we’re most excited about is when I was on tour, we didn’t have kids. I’m looking forward to having them along and watching. I told my son he can skip school and come watch,” he said of 51Ú2-year-old Luke.
Bernakevitch and his wife, Jill, also have 31Ú2 year-old daughter, Kate.
