Canadian Fritsch Grabs PGA Tour Card and New Sponsor

Brad Fritsch must be feeling very good these days, knowing that he can call himself the National Capital Region’s first PGA golfer. Born in the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert but raised in Manotick, a half-hour drive south of Ottawa, Fritsch finished in the top 25 on the 2012 Web.com tour and will be playing next year in the big time: the PGA Tour.

He even has a new sponsor: the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. The Senators announced the deal one day after Fritsch secured his Tour card, but no monetary terms were disclosed. The 34-year-old will wear the Senators logo on his shirts and his golf bag and will be involved in some Senators’ community events — he is also likely to adopt the Senators’ red-and black colour schemes for his clothes and gear.

“We want to congratulate Brad on achieving his goal and earning his PGA Tour card,” Senators vice-president of marketing Jeff Kyle said in a statement. “We entered into this partnership with Brad because we believe that many of his best qualities, including his dedication and perseverance, reflect much of what the Ottawa Senators organization is all about.”

Understandably, this deal sits well with Fritsch. “I am overjoyed to partner with and represent the NHL team that I’ve grown up with the last 20 years. It’s an honour and a pleasure to be associated with the Senators, and my hope is that this is a partnership that will last for many, many years.”

Fritsch shot 2-under 69 for a four-day total of 276, tying for ninth place overall at the Web.com Tour Championship on Sunday at the Waialae Country Club in Oahu, Hawaii. The result earned him $26,000 and locked up the 18th spot on the tour’s season money list with a total of $212,168.

Another Canadian golfer, Abbotsford, B.C.‘s Adam Hadwin, fell short of his own PGA Tour card by a single stroke. However, Hadwin has one more chance: his 30th-place overall money finish earned him an exemption into the final “Q School” qualifying stage at La Quinta, California in December.

For his part, Fritsch will also be at La Quinta but to take a course for PGA rookies. He has participated in PGA tournaments before, either through qualifying events or sponsors’ exemptions. He made the cut at one of those events, the 2011 RBC Canadian Open at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club near Vancouver — he finished in a tie for 71st. Hadwin also played in that tournament, and ended up tied for 4th.

Now, though, it will be a different world for Fritsch — and for the 12-year pro, it’s been a long time coming.