New golf pro Brayden Eriksen had a great performance in his professional debut at the Fraser Valley Open.
Eriksen, from Qualicum Beach, finished six shots off the leader for a three-day total of 211, earning him second place in his first pro tournament.
The Fraser Valley Open — played on a different course for each of the three days — saw a tight finish between Eriksen and the two others he was paired with in the final round.
The second place finish earned Eriksen a payday of $1,800 and 2,000 merit points in the Vancouver Golf Tour.
“It all went well,” Eriksen said. “I was able to get over there early and get two days of preparation in.”
“I managed to keep bogeys to a minimum, which was key, especially on the last day where I was bogey free.”
“I was able to put some birdies together through the tournament, struggled a bit on the second day but managed to let it not slip away too much and had a strong finish in the final day of the tournament.”
Eriksen fired a round of 69 on the final day, the second lowest round on the day.
With his first showing in a professional event under his belt, Eriksen knows what it takes to make it and knows what to expect while he’s out there.
“I got lots of good insight,” Eriksen said. “The two guys I was paired with on the final day, I got to talk with both of them quite a bit about what it’s been like for them on the tour as a pro, so that was pretty nice.”
“That and being in a battle with both of them for second place as the round went on was really good for me. I learned a lot out there and was very happy with the way that everything turned out.”
Eriksen’s next tournament, the Connor Richey Legacy Fund Tournament, took place this past weekend (score not available at press time) at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club in Roberts Creek.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Eriksen said. “I played my last junior tournament at that course back in 2012, so it’s exciting to go back and play there again. It’s a good track and I had a good finish the last time, so I’m excited to play it again.”
After the Connor Richey evcent, Eriksen planned to head home and continue his research regarding tournaments he can find and play in. It’s going to be a process, but it’s all part of the territory.
“I’m always looking for something,” Eriksen said. “After the Connor Richey, there’s not really all that much left in B.C. for tournaments, so I’ll be looking far and wide. I’m hoping to make a short term and a long-term schedule that I can follow.”
“It’s an adventure, that’s for sure, but getting that first tournament under my belt has really given me a lot of confidence and it’s helped me get an idea of what to expect.”