Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open: Canada’s Anderson leads PGA Tour Americas

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Matthew Anderson is sitting pretty.

He knows it, of course.

Yet, the Canadian golfer isn’t busy crunching numbers or re-arranging golf tees to see what he needs to do to clinch a top-10 spot in the PGA Tour Americas Fortinet Cup final standings and guaranteed exempt status for the 2025 season.

Let the golf tees fall where they may.

“Have I figured out what I need to do? Honestly, I don’t,” admits Anderson, who birdied two of his final three holes Thursday to salvage an even-par 70 in the opening round of the 2024 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open.

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“Obviously, at No. 1, I’m in a pretty good spot. I don’t like to really focus on that too much. I just try and focus on the things that I can control day by day, just trying to be better and going out there and doing my thing. I’m excited to see where it kind of all lies, but I would say I’m happy to be in this spot.”

Fellow Canadian A.J. Ewart emerged as the Day One leader with a 7-under 63 Thursday. Six players were tied for second with a 64 score and six more carded 65s. Eleven players shot a 4-under 66 and seven fired a 67. Scores are low and making the weekend will be a challenge.

Anderson, 24, is back at Elk Ridge and looking for some redemption after missing the cut a year ago.

“Did not do well — so I’m back now looking for vengeance,” he said during a media scrum Wednesday.

“I’ve played pretty well in the past four events — that kind of stretch in there … I was working with my coach and it’s kind of started to take shape. So I feel like it’s in a pretty good spot.”

Despite missing the cut in Saskatchewan a year ago, Anderson chalked it up to a learning experience.

“Just more course experience helps a lot,” he said. “Honestly, around here you’re just trying to keep the ball in play. Obviously, courses up in northern Canada are kind of tight, with lots of forest. Probably not using driver a ton … I’d say the 2-iron would be the club I’m going to use the most off the tee this week. I mean, you’re just trying to pick kind of the widest area of the hole, a spot that makes sense, and just kind of plot your way along.

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“You just kind of go with a game plan.”

Anderson, a native of Mississauga, Ont., attended the University of San Francisco. He’s a multi-sport athlete who also played hockey and tennis growing up. He’s now part of Canada’s next wave in golf.

Watching more and more fellow Canadians do so well on the PGA Tour is “very exciting,” admits Anderson, who has already earned conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025 after placing among the top two during the Latin American swing earlier this season.

“I think it’s partly due to how Canada is invested in its young players and their development systems, from their junior to amateur programs to now their young pro programs, which I’ve seen kind of the most positive change in over for my past couple of years, just putting a lot more resources and funding into that young pro program to kind of help out guys who are just starting with just coaching funding, just to practice,” he said.

“They’ve just been really good. I think you’re maybe starting to see the fruits of that hopefully coming soon.”

With PGA Tour Canada combining with the PGA LatinoAmerica Tour, the competition is fiercer than ever. There is even less margin for error.

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“It’s definitely deeper,” noted Anderson. “I’ve noticed that. I played on PGA Tour Canada last year, so I do have a little bit of reference, but just because of the fact that there’s less spots, essentially, at this level, it just makes the fields a bit deeper. And you can see that if you compare the cuts from last year to this year are, like, one or two shots better, one or two shots lower, and the winning score is maybe one or two shots lower, depending on the week. I can tell, just based on the scores, that the fields are deeper for sure.”

In the end of it all, a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour would be music to his ears.

“That would be awesome. It’s definitely a goal of mine at the beginning of the year, so it definitely would mean a lot to secure that in September.”

And that would also mean one step close to the ultimate PGA Tour.

“Exactly. And very, very excited about that. Yes.”

Dzary@postmedia.com

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