Digital Commerce Group Open: Pre-tournament notes, storylines, players to watch

PGA Tour Americas travels to Victoria, British Columbia, for the third-to-last event of the season, the Digital Commerce Group Open. The event was established in 1981, with Uplands Golf Club hosting since 2008, and past champions include Steve Stricker (1990), Brandt Jobe (1993) and Ken Duke (1999).

Two weeks ago, Justin Biwer made 34 birdies and two eagles en route to a two-stroke victory at the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd, Minnesota. With the win, Biwer moved to No. 6 on the PGA Tour Americas Points List and is in position to earn one of 10 Korn Ferry Tour cards at the end of the season.

Three players from the PGA Tour University Class of 2026 are currently in the top 60 on the points list and in position to qualify for the season-ending Dominican Republic Tour Championship presented by Scotiabank. Bryan Lee finished runner-up at the CRMC Championship to move to No. 34, while Daniel Svärd is No. 17 off the strength of his win at the Manitoba Open and Lance Simpson is No. 19 with three top 10s.

Player notes

Justin Biwer (San Diego, California) won the CRMC Championship in his ninth start on Tour to move to No. 6 on the season-long points list. A second-year pro out of the University of Colorado, Biwer earned membership via PGA Tour Americas Q-School in April and has three top 10s. The rookie has also made three Korn Ferry Tour starts as a non-member, posting top 10s at The Blue Championship (T5) and AdventHealth Championship (T9).

Étienne Papineau (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) is No. 4 on the points list with three top 10s and a win this season, and he returns to Uplands Golf Club after winning this event in 2023. Three of the last five winners at the Digital Commerce Group Open are Canadian, as 2025 champion Drew Nesbitt (Toronto, Ontario) and 2021 champion Blair Bursey (Gander, Newfoundland) have also hoisted the trophy in Victoria.

Bryan Lee (Fairfax, Virginia) carded a course record-tying 61 in the third round at the CRMC Championship en route to finishing solo second, his best result in five starts on Tour. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Lee earned membership by finishing No. 17 in the PGA Tour University Class of 2026, and he’s now No. 34 on the PGA Tour Americas Points List.

Jack Lundin (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) and Drew Doyle (Louisville, Kentucky) both return to the Digital Commerce Group Open after finishing T5 last year. Lundin has three top-five finishes and is No. 5 on the points list, while Doyle is No. 7 on the points list with a win at the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship.

Patrick Flavin (Highwood, Illinois) finished T3 at the CRMC Championship, his fourth top 10 of the season, and he maintained his position at No. 3 on the points list. The Miami (Ohio) University product (2014-18) is looking to return to the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time since 2023.

PGA Tour Americas Points List

• 1. Thomas Ponder (USA)
• 2. Corey Pereira (USA)
• 3. Patrick Flavin (USA)
• 4. Étienne Papineau (Canada)
• 5. Jack Lundin (USA)
• 6. Justin Biwer (USA)
• 7. Drew Doyle (USA)
• 8. Patrick Sheehan (USA)
• 9. Joey Savoie (Canada)
• 10. Dawson Armstrong (USA)

At the end of the season, the top 10 players on the final PGA Tour Americas Points List earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2027 season.

Since its inaugural season in 2024, PGA Tour Americas has prepared players for success at the highest levels. Johnny Keefer (2024) and Michael Brennan (2025) each finished No. 1 on the PGA Tour Americas Points List and continued progressing on the path to the PGA Tour. Keefer earned his PGA Tour card for the 2026 season after finishing No. 1 on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, while Brennan earned PGA Tour membership by winning the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship during the FedExCup Fall.

PGA Tour Americas: 2026 season summary