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Explore NB Open: Pre-tournament notes, storylines, more

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The PGA TOUR Americas’ Explore NB Open arrives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, at the Mactaquac Golf Course.

Written by Staff

The eighth tournament of the PGA TOUR Americas season is this week's Explore NB Open in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the first of six events in Canada this summer. Ian Holt, currently No. 2 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, won the inaugural event at Mactaquac Golf Course in 2024, while David Perkins won last year en route to finishing No. 4 on the PGA TOUR Americas Points List and earning his Korn Ferry Tour card for 2026.

The 2026 PGA TOUR Americas season has featured a different winner each week, with Dawson Armstrong becoming the seventh winner two weeks ago in Wichita. Corey Pereira finished T2, losing to Armstrong on the sixth playoff hole, and moved to No. 1 on the season-long points list for the first time.

Joey Savoie (No. 5) and Étienne Papineau (No. 25) are the highest-ranked Canadians at the midway point of the season. Savoie will make his third start at the Explore NB Open, and Papineau will make his tournament debut.

Player notes

Corey Pereira (Sacramento, California) has posted top-five finishes in his last three starts, including a win at the Mexico Championship presented by Scotia Wealth Management in just his sixth TOUR-sanctioned start since his wife, Leah, died from cancer. The 31-year-old is No. 1 on the points list and in position to earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time since 2022.
Thomas Ponder (Dothan, Alabama) leads the PGA TOUR Americas with a 67.93 scoring average and is one of just three players who have made the cut in all seven events this season. He leads the tour with five top-10 finishes and is currently No. 4 on the points list.
Tripp Kinney (Des Moines, Iowa) returns to New Brunswick after finishing second last year, his best finish in 33 career starts on PGA TOUR Americas. He has three top-20 finishes this season and is currently No. 40 on the points list.
Joey Savoie (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) is No. 5 on the points list off the strength of his win at the Kia Open de Ecuador presentado por Diners Club. Since that victory, Savoie competed in the RBC Canadian Open for the third time and made the cut for the first time (T67), and he is poised to make his third start at the Explore NB Open.
Étienne Papineau (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) missed the cut in his first five starts of the season, but is up to No. 25 on the points list after a T2 at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship and a T55 at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open presented by Syndeo.
Ryan Voois (Orange County, California) finished No. 25 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2026 and tied for 17th in his professional debut in Wichita. One week later, the Illinois grad made the cut in his PGA TOUR debut at the John Deere Classic. The Explore NB Open will mark his third start in as many weeks.
Nick Ritchie (Quispamsis, New Brunswick) won the 2025 New Brunswick Amateur at Covered Bridge Golf and Country Club to earn an exemption into this week’s event.