It was a home win in every sense.
Two days after moving into his new digs up at Bear Mountain, Riley Wheeldon collected a house-warming gift to the tune of the $2,500 top prize at the Vancouver Golf Tour’s Battle at the Bear on Tuesday.
Wheeldon, of Comox and sponsored by Bear Mountain, fought off the windy morning conditions to shoot a 2-under 68 to claim the inaugural VGT event at the Westin resort.
His 68 on the Mountain Course on Tuesday followed Monday’s 3-under 68 on the Valley Course.
“The front nine was blustery. It calmed down on the back nine, but I came here and played three weeks ago and it was five times worse than it was today. It was windy and rainy and it was good preparation for what I had to do on the front nine,” said Wheeldon, who was playing the SwingThought.com winter and pro tours in Florida before heading back north of the border in preparation for the upcoming PGA Tour Canada season.
“I hit it really good. I didn’t make anything. I left putts short all day, but I played smart and hit the ball good. Anything under par today I figured had a chance,” he explained. “When it calmed down on the back nine, I thought I would have to go 3- or 4-under on the back.
“I saw some of the scores and they were behind me so I played it safer coming in than I might have otherwise,” added Wheeldon, 24, who was actually 3-under on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 17.
Wheeldon — who will play a few more VGT events before joining PGA Tour Canada — finished three shots better than James Allenby (68-71) of Royalwood and Seann Harlingten (67-72) of Capilano, who earned $1,350 apiece for their tie for second.
Cory Renfrew of Victoria (68-72) and Brad Clapp of Chilliwack (70-70) finished tied for fourth for $950 cheques. Renfrew and Wheeldon were tied for third entering the day, one back of leaders Harlingten and Kevin Stinson of Hazelmere.
“I wanted to be up here. I just moved in two days ago and it’s a good start to my tenure, I guess,” Wheeldon said of playing on what is his home course after winning the Orlando Open this winter. “It was about as much of a home win today as you can get. I was walking to work.”
It was a $11,000 total purse for the first-time event with a field of 36 pros and 55 total players.
“It couldn’t have worked out better,” Bear Mountain director of golf Jordan Ray said of having his sponsored player come out on top.
“It was good to get some of the Vancouver pros and some of the aspiring younger guys out to play our courses and it was good to showcase our property and all we have to offer. A fair amount of them hadn’t played our courses before.
“It was our first Battle of the Bear and the first Vancouver Golf Tour event not in Vancouver, so we’re looking to build on it for next year and have an even bigger one.”
In amateur play, Bryan Toth of Gorge Vale topped the field after rounds of 72-78, five strokes better than Dean Phillips of Bear Mountain.
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