For Immediate Release August 12, 2018
Dominating at altitude in the Great White North
Brian Gray drives his way to his fifth WGA Open title in sixteen years
KIMBERLEY, British Columbia. Leveraging massive drives at altitude that allowed him to take advantage of the longer holes, Brian Gray shot a record-setting NET 20-under par to easily win the 2018 Western Golf Alliance Open. This record score included a GROSS 2-under final round during which Gray reached every par 5 in two shots, and birdied them all.
"I drove great throughout the entire tournament, and that set me up to score on these tight tree-lined courses," said Gray. "I made sure America remained great, and I'm happy to be the one who ensured the Coveted Pewter Mug returned to U.S. soil instead of staying up in Canada."
Overall, the field scored better than in any prior WGA Open. Runner-up Mike Nadon, a Canadian with knowledge of several of the courses, shot NET 13-under, a score that would have won every prior Open. Nadon shot consistently strong scores throughout the event, and in fact was the 36 hole leader. In addition, Trever Esko's NET 4-under tied for the 5th best final score in the 18-year history of the event.
"I was motivated to bring the Coveted Pewter Mug to Canada, but it just wasn't meant to be," said Nadon. "In the mountain conditions, Brian's driving was just too much for the rest of us to keep pace with all week."
Weather played a minor factor throughout the event, as temperatures in the first three rounds surprisingly hovered around 38 degrees Celsius. As those rounds concluded right in the heat of the afternoon, players focused hard on hydration and concentration late in every round.
"In the end, I put in the effort to get my game to peak at the right moment, and my driver stayed as hot as the weather for the entire week," Gray explained. "Even though I didn't lead wire-to-wire, I never believed victory was in doubt."
The final standings - top three:
Brian Gray
Mike Nadon
Trever Esko
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About the Western Golf Alliance: The Western Golf Alliance is the premier golf organization in the United States. The WGA exists to further the greatness of this grand sport of golf through the improvement of golf play by its members, the promotion of golf rules, etiquette, and tradition, and the ability to gather together from time to time for golf events and tournaments. The regional organization spans five western states, and is organized into nine geographic regions. Further information is available at http://www.westerngolf.org/.
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