Manitoba Open: Pre-tournament notes, storylines, more

Five events remain in the PGA TOUR Americas season, and the schedule resumes this week at the Manitoba Open. The tournament began in 1919 and has been a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event since 2013, and this year, the Donald Ross-designed Elmhurst Golf & Country Club hosts for the first time since 1999.

Past champions include PGA TOUR members Johnny Keefer (2024), Hayden Springer (2023), Parker Coody (2022), Tyler McCumber (2018) and C.T. Pan (2015). Last year, the Manitoba Open was played at Breezy Bend Country Club and Theo Humphrey won the event, which was shortened to 36 holes due to weather.

Player notes

Thomas Ponder (Dothan, Alabama) moved to No. 1 on the points list with his win at the Explore NB Open, and he added to his lead with third-place finishes in his next two starts. The third-year pro out of the University of Alabama leads the Tour with eight top 10s and 5.25 birdies per round, and his 67.23 scoring average (10 starts) is second only to Lance Simpson (66.88 in four starts).

Étienne Papineau (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) won the Osprey Valley Open three weeks ago on the second playoff hole at TPC Toronto, the Tour’s most recent event. It was his first TOUR-sanctioned win since the 2023 Digital Commerce Group Open on PGA TOUR Canada, and he improved 22 spots to No. 5 on the season-long points list.

Papineau became the sixth Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas, joining Joey Savoie (2026 Kia Open de Ecuador presentado por Diners Club), Drew Nesbitt (2025 Digital Commerce Group Open), A.J. Ewart (2024 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open), Stuart Macdonald (2024 Diners Club Peru Open) and Matthew Anderson (2024 ECP Brazil Open).

Jack Lundin (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is one of three players (Thomas Ponder, Connor Howe) who has made the cut in all 10 events this season on PGA TOUR Americas. A third-year pro out of the University of Missouri, Lundin has three top-five finishes, including a pair of playoff losses, and is No. 4 on the points list.

Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah) joins Lundin and Ponder as the only three players with 10 made cuts this season. He has three top 10s, including a T3 at the Osprey Valley Open, and is No. 17 on the points list. Howe finished No. 18 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2023 after five seasons at Georgia Tech, where he was teammates with current Korn Ferry Tour points leader Ross Steelman for two seasons (2021-23).

Lance Simpson (Knoxville, Tennessee) hasn’t missed a cut since turning pro in June, including top-10 finishes in his last three starts. The University of Tennessee product earned membership by finishing No. 11 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2026, and he’s No. 16 on the points list in just four starts.

PGA TOUR Americas Points List

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