Ryan Curran Takes the Lead, Étienne Papineau and Dom Lalonde Strong Contenders

Get the complete results – Victoriaville – Fenergic Canada Cup

Victoriaville (Centre-du-Québec), August 18, 2023 – For the second day in a row at the Victoriaville – Fenergic Canada Cup, Ryan Curran shot a 66 (-6), propelling him to the provisional overall lead ahead of Étienne Papineau and Dom Lalonde, tied for second before the weekend's rounds.

As he had done the day before in the tournament opener at Club de golf Victoriaville, Curran enjoyed his fair share of success once again on Friday, recording just one bogey against seven birdies, bringing his cumulative score to -12 (132).

"I had a few problems during the day, but I still managed to get through the crucial moments. Otherwise, I'd say I took advantage of every opportunity where I had a chance to save a shot," commented the leader, emphasizing the importance of his short play in this second round.

"I dropped several important putts of 10 to 15 feet, so that helps a lot. For the rest, my rhythm was good, and I stayed in the moment, just like Thursday. I finish with an identical score, hopefully carrying that with me into the weekend!"

The Ontario player will go into the third round with a three-shot lead over Étienne Papineau (Pinegrove), Dom Lalonde (Saint-Anicet), and American Austin Fox, all tied for second place at -9 (135).

"Once again, I hit the vast majority of greens in regulation, so I couldn't have played worse than my 67 (‑5) today (Friday). My ball striking is excellent right now, but my putts don't always want to drop. Still, I'm in a good position and we'll try to correct that for the last two rounds," said Papineau, who offset one eagle with four birdies on Friday.

My plan was to be both passive and aggressive, in other words, to choose the right places to attack," said Lalonde. “It paid off, and I've only made one bogey since the beginning of the tournament. My aim is to give myself a chance to win, so I've succeeded so far, and we'll keep to a similar plan for the rest of the tournament."

Just behind them are Quebecers Yohann Benson (Le Mirage), Marc-Olivier Plasse (Vallée du Richelieu), and Max Gilbert (Saint-Georges), currently tied for fifth at -8 (136).

Marc Casullo, the event's first round leader, carded a +2 (74) to slip into a tie for 14th place (139).

In the amateur category, Ontario's Aiden Gavey is the new leader with a cumulative score of -4 (140), while young Émile Lebrun (Club Laval-sur-le-Lac), aged just 16, is second at -3 (141).

A total of 73 golfers made the cut after Friday's round. Over thirty golfers from la Belle Province will be taking part in the weekend's rounds.

"There's something special going on here this week, especially with so many Quebecers in the field! A lot of us are standing out of the crowd, the atmosphere is excellent, and it's a lot of fun. Let's hope it stays that way!" concluded Dom Lalonde before heading back to the practice green.

The 63 professionals and 10 amateurs who are still in the race will be back on the starting tees from 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

A total of $125,000, including $25,000 for the winner, will be awarded at the conclusion of the Victoriaville – Fenergic Canada Cup, the largest independent tournament for Canadian professional golfers from the tours associated with the event: Vancouver Golf Tour, Great Lakes Tour, Toronto Players Tour, East Coast Pro Tour, PGA of Québec, PGA of Canada, and Golf Québec.

Admission is free throughout the tournament for spectators who want to experience the unique atmosphere of this competition!

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Sources:

Alain Danault
General Manager – Club de golf Victoriaville
819 752-4907, ext. 223
819 552-3266 (cellular)
adanault@golfvictoriaville.com