VICTORIA, British Columbia – Canadian A.J. Ewart fired a blistering 11-under 59 to set a new course record at Uplands Golf Club, grabbing a three-shot lead halfway through the Times Colonist Victoria Open presented by Andrew Sheret Limited. The 26-year-old British Columbia native carded 12 birdies against a lone bogey on a picture-perfect afternoon. Adding to his opening 67, he moved to 14-under 126 for the week. Fortinet Cup No. 1 Michael Brennan, the winner of three of the last four PGA TOUR Americas events, sits in solo second at 11-under.

“I’m very comfortable here,” said Ewart, who grew up in Coquitlam, just 130 kilometers away. “I was talking to my coach, Louis Melanson, this morning, and he told me, ‘This is what you grew up on, this is the type of grass you’re used to, just be comfortable.’ I kind of just let it happen, and here we are.”

Ewart started going birdie-bogey off No. 10, but momentum quickly built as he rattled off five straight birdies. A birdie on 18 closed out a 29 on his first nine, while three more birdies on Nos. 2-4 kept him rolling. After a crucial par save at No. 5, he added back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7 to reach 11-under, closing with two pars to finish his impressive round.

“I honestly didn’t really think about it until I got to the eighth tee,” Ewart said. “I knew I was around 10 or 11 under, and it was in the back of my head, but I tried not to count. I just focused on making birdies and hitting the least amount of shots possible. I did a good job of staying in the moment.”

His father, Brad, was among the spectators following closely as the round unfolded.

Ewart became the third player to shoot 59 this season and the fourth in PGA TOUR Americas history. He joins Harry Hillier, the first to accomplish the feat at the 2024 Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship in Colombia, and Philip Barbaree Jr. and Brett White, who did it on consecutive days a couple of months ago at the 2025 Commissionaires Ottawa Open presented by Lepine Apartments.

The leader already knows what it is like to win on PGA TOUR Americas, which he did 13 months ago at the 2024 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Lake Country Co-op. Another win this week would vault him into the Fortinet Cup Points List Top 10, with just one tournament remaining before Korn Ferry Tour cards are awarded to the top 10 finishers.

With 36 holes still to play on a course yielding plenty of birdies, Ewart knows the job is far from finished. “When I tee it up tomorrow, the 59 won’t really matter,” he said. “It’s the same mindset—go shoot the lowest score I can. I’m happy to be in this position, but it’s far from over. I know that.”

All players finished second-round play on Friday, with 66 players making the cut at 4-under. Third-round tee times begin Saturday at 7:50 a.m. PDT, running through 1:20 p.m. in twosomes off No. 1. Ewart and Brennan will go off last.

Charting the leader

About A.J. Ewart (first/-14)

 

• Carded a tournament career-low 11-under 59 in the second round to set a new course record at Uplands Golf Club. Had 12 birdies (holes 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7) and one bogey (hole 11) in a round he started off No. 10 at 12:35 p.m. Eclipsed the previous record set by current Korn Ferry Tour member Cody Blick, who posted a 10-under 60 in 2017.
• Records the fourth sub-60 score in PGA TOUR Americas history, and the third 59 this season.
  • A.J. Ewart/second round/2025 Times Colonist Victoria Open presented by Andrew Sheret Limited
  • Brett White/fourth round/2025 Commissionaires Ottawa Open presented by Lepine Apartments
  • Philip Barbaree Jr./third round/2025 Commissionaires Ottawa Open presented by Lepine Apartments
  • Harry Hillier/second round/2024 Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship
• As No. 25 in the Fortinet Cup, he entered the week as the leading Canadian on PGA TOUR Americas this season. Up to this point, he has made the cut in 10 of 14 starts, recording three top 10s (T3 in Colombia, T10 in Peru, T10 in Ottawa) and three other top 25s.
• A win at the Times Colonist Victoria Open presented by Andrew Sheret Limited projects him No. 6 in the Fortinet Cup
• Last season, he finished No. 23 in the Fortinet Cup while capturing his first professional title at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Lake Country Co-op (August 18, 2024). He held that tournament’s lead or co-lead through 72 holes and finished at 17-under for a one-shot win over a trio of players that included eventual 2024 Fortinet Cup winner Johnny Keefer.
• Has been a member of Golf Canada since 2017; initially joined the team’s amateur squad from 2017-18 and 2022. Has been on Team Canada, as a professional, since 2023-24.
• Played four seasons at Division II Barry University (2019-23); won a school-record 14 times, breaking the previous record held by fellow Canadian and current PGA TOUR player Adam Svensson.
• Tied Adam Svensson’s school record of seven victories in a season during his junior year in 2022; finished inside the top-15 in each tournament appearance that season (13).
• Won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top player in Division II golf as a junior (2022).
• Was just the second Division II player ever to win the Golfstat Cup, finishing the year with a 69.78 scoring average.
• Began playing golf at 2 years old; got into the game through his father, who was a touring professional and now teaches golf at Burnaby Mountain Golf Course.

Competition notes

 

Course Setup: Par 70 / 6,420 yards; R2 average: 68.807

Weather: Sunny with a high of 22 C (72 F). Wind from the southwest at 14-19 km/h

• Fortinet Cup No. 25 A.J. Ewart, the leading Canadian on PGA TOUR Americas this season, holds a three-shot lead following a course record-setting 11-under 59. He leads at 14-under.
• Fortinet Cup No. 1 Michael Brennan is solo second at 11-under.
• Following identical scores of 63-67, Chris Petefish and Griffin Barela are tied for third at 10-under.
• 66 players made the 4-under cut.
• Hole No. 7, the 513-yard par-5, played as the easiest hole at Uplands Golf Club on Friday (-0.632 strokes over par).
• Hole No. 14, the 185-yard par-3, played as the toughest hole at Uplands Golf Club on Friday (+0.252 strokes over par).