Bryson kicks off Commissionaires Open

DUNROBIN – Local boy Jake Bryson is one of three golfers in the featured group as the Commissionaires Ottawa Open kicked off this morning (July 20) with the first round of the PGA Canada event hosted by the Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club.

Bryson, 25, grew up playing hockey and golf out of the Dunrobin area and is a member of Eagle Creek, was part of the last grouping which also included former PGA Tour player Brad Fritsch and National Hockey League superstar Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux.

Bryson turned his focus to golf at the age of 14 playing in the Eastern Ontario golf circuit.

After three years on the Golf Ontario Provincial Team and an encouraging junior career, he enrolled at Utah Valley University, accepting a scholarship offer to pursue NCAA Division 1 college golf.

While at UVU, Bryson made steady progress on the golf team, dropping his scoring average by 1.5 shots each year and competing in a total of 26 tournaments. This positive trend instilled the confidence in Bryson to turn professional in the late summer of 2022.

In his first four professional events, Bryson notched four top 10 finishes, including two second place finishes, a third place and a seventh-place finish across multiple Canadian mini tours. 

The Commissionaires Open is a PGA Tour Canada event and part of the Fortinet Cup series, is one of the biggest tournaments Bryson has competed in as a professional.

Today, as players make their way through the first round of the four-round tournament, Bryson site at +1 through eight holes, good enough for T50th in the tournament. Bryson lipped out a short par putt on the first hole for his first of three consecutive bogies, but he seems to have found his game birding two of the next five holes (11:55 a.m., July 20).

Fritsch, is even through eight. Fritsch birding the first hole with a wedge to about two feet of the cup. Through eight he has two birdies and two bogies.

Giroux, playing as an amateur and an exemption as the honourary chair of the tournament, is three over par after eight holes with four bogies and one birdie.

American Davis Lamb is tied for the lead at -5 through 17 holes with fellow countryman Sam Choi who is five under after only 10 holes.

Low Canadian is Joey Savoie at -4 after 15 holes.

For live scoring for the Commissionaires Open at Eagle Creek, click here.