When he isn’t busy being director of golf at Mountain View Golf Club, Whitehorse’s Jeff Wiggins is busy putting Yukon on the map in B.C.
For the third time in four years Wiggins placed top five at the PGA of B.C. Club Professional Championship on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old tied for fifth — the same as last year — out of 36 club pros at the Quilchena Golf & Country Club in Richmond.
“I feel that anytime I am able to perform to a level that gets me a top five finish in a professional event that I should be quite happy and I am,” said Wiggins in an email to the News. “I haven’t played golf to my own standards for a good year and a half other than this event last year and this year so I’m pleased with those results and I’m looking forward to 2017 and getting my game back in shape for professional competition.”
Wiggins carded a 71 in the opening round to finish the day in a five-way tie for second. He then hit a 78 in the second round on Tuesday to finish three-over.
Dave Zibrik of Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf & Country Club won the championship with a nine-under, five strokes up from the second place finisher Matthew Palsenbarg of Surrey’s Northview Golf Academy.
“Round one was good although I felt I could’ve got a few putts to drop to shoot three or four under par, but any rounds under par in a professional event are good especially with our tough course setups,” said Wiggins. “Round two we were treated to 40- to 50-km winds, which made for a very difficult round especially with our traditional final round pin placements.
“Staying in the top five was the goal and I accomplished that, so all in all not bad.”
With a top five finish Wiggins qualifies for the 2016 Canadian PGA Club Professional Championship in November, but due to pro-am tournament engagements in Phoenix and Nevada he’ll miss this year’s nationals. In 2011, while becoming the first club pro to represent the Yukon at the event, Wiggins finished tied for 20th in his best finish to date.
Wiggins, who was named PGA of B.C.’s Golf Professional of the Year in 2012, produced a career-best third place finish at the 2013 B.C. club pro championships.
“(The) number one goal this off-season will be to have some nagging injuries fixed and some fitness and strength conditioning in preparation for a three-year competition plan that will include events such as the Canada Cup and other prestigious national events,” said Wiggins.
“Three of the past four years I have finished in the top five at this event so hopefully one of these years I will be able to get a win and bring a professional trophy into the Yukon which has always been a goal,” he added.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com