Monday qualifiers: RBC Canadian Open

TORONTO, Ont. – Patrick Flavin is getting pretty used to this Monday qualifier thing.

Especially if they’re for events outside the United States.

“For some reason I have the international ones covered,” Flavin said with a laugh after earning medalist honors at the RBC Canadian Open’s Monday qualifier.

It was his fourth successful Monday this season to go along with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, the Puerto Rico Open, and the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Flavin was 1 over through nine holes at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto but fired a 4-under 31 on his back nine to finish at 3 under. His performance could give him a good preview of next year’s RBC Canadian Open, which is scheduled to be played at Oakdale.

Brad Adamonis, former NCAA champ Braden Thornberry, and Jeffrey Kang got through a 4-for-3 playoff after finishing at 2 under. Adamonis was in a playoff with Kenny Perry at the John Deere Classic 14 years ago while Thornberry was college golf’s player of the year in 2017 and on the stacked U.S. Walker Cup team alongside Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Champ and others.

Oakdale has never hosted the RBC Canadian Open before and Flavin said he was “impressed” at the classic Canadian layout.

“Obviously having the Canadian Open next year, it’s going to be a great golf course,” he said. “It’s so hard so I really didn’t have a number in mind. My experience in these Mondays … you never know what it takes.

“I was 1 over through nine and I knew I had to get it going. With how tough it was playing and with the wind and the golf course in general, I knew I was still in it. I was happy to play really well on the back nine and … I honestly can’t believe it.”

Flavin has played five PGA TOUR events this season and has earned 76 non-member FedExCup points. He’ll qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals if he can earn an amount of points greater than or equal to No. 200 on this season’s FedExCup points list after the Wyndham Championship. Bronson Burgoon, who has 80 points, currently sits 200th in the FedExCup standings.

Flavin says he usually gets “distracted” by having to arrange logistics and the travel while playing a schedule of Monday qualifiers, but earning enough Non-Member FedExCup points remains “the carrot” he’s chasing.

And so far, he’s doing a solid job with that chase.

“I’ve gotten into a really nice mentality of enjoying the competition and enjoying the grind of it,” he said. “I don’t think there is a better feeling in the world than Monday qualifying because you’ve accomplished something that’s so hard, and you still have the tournament to look forward to. It’s a dream come true. I’m thrilled.”

Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Patrick Flavin (68)

Age: 26
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Alma mater: Miami (Ohio)
PGA TOUR starts: 6
Cuts made: 3
Best PGA TOUR finish: T17, 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship

Notes: 3-for-5 in made cuts this season on the PGA TOUR. He Monday qualified into the Butterfield Bermuda Championship (T17) and Puerto Rico Open (T22), and he received a sponsor exemption into the Corales Puntacana Championship (T54) … Sat T8 through 54 holes in Bermuda this season … Finished No. 6 on 2019 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit … Recorded two top-10s in 13 starts on 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour … Currently holds 76 non-member FedExCup points, which would currently place him No. 204 in the season-long standings, as he chases a top-200 position that would gain Korn Ferry Tour Finals entry in August.

Braden Thornberry (69; advanced in 4-for-3 playoff)

Age: 25
Hometown: Germantown, Tennessee
Alma mater: Mississippi
PGA TOUR starts: 9
Cuts made: 4
Best PGA TOUR finish: T4, 2017 FedEx St. Jude Classic

Notes: Best TOUR finish came as an amateur, the same year he won the NCAA individual title and Haskins Award as college golf’s player of the year … Was a member of the 2017 U.S. Walker Cup team that also included Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Cameron Champ and a handful more TOUR players ... Was an 11-time winner while at Ole Miss … Finished No. 57 on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List in 2020-21 season.

Brad Adamonis (69; advanced in 4-for-3 playoff)

Age: 49
Hometown: Cumberland, Rhode Island
Alma mater: Miami (Ohio)
PGA TOUR starts: 72
Cuts made: 28
Best PGA TOUR finish: T2, 2008 John Deere Classic

Notes: Rookie season on the PGA TOUR was 2002 … Has one victory on the Korn Ferry Tour (WNB Golf Classic, 2007) … Lost in a playoff to Kenny Perry at the 2008 John Deere Classic … Last appearance on the PGA TOUR was the Valspar Championship in 2021 … Turns 50 and will be eligible for PGA TOUR Champions in January.

Jeffrey Kang (69; advanced in 4-for-3 playoff)

Age: 30
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Alma mater: University of Southern California
PGA TOUR starts: 2
Cuts made: 0

Notes: Finished T7 at the season-opener on PGA TOUR Canada last week … Made first career TOUR start at the WM Phoenix Open (also Monday qualified). Earned his spot in the field on the 10th playoff hole … Won 2018 Chengdu Championship on PGA TOUR Series-China, one of six top-25s in 14 starts that season … Has made three Korn Ferry Tour starts.