Aaron Goldberg
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Aaron Goldberg officially put his rubber stamp on one of the most dominating seasons in Canadian Tour history Sunday at the Canadian Tour Championship.
By claiming his third triumph in his last four starts at the $325,000 crown jewel of the tour season, the 25-year-old Californian left little doubt of his place in the Canadian Tour history books. A final-day 5-under 65 at scenic St. Catharines G&CC gave Goldberg a 15-under 265 total for four days work, six shots clear of Mitch Gillis of Williams Lake, BC, Clayton Rask, Josh Habig, Brian Unk and overnight co-leader Kane Hanson.
In a week highlighted by a Canadian Tour-record purse, it seemed only fitting that Goldberg, who is having his way on the circuit in his sophomore season, would pull away from the pack late in the day to collect his third championship payday of 2010.
In just seven starts this year, Goldberg has built a sterling resume that includes three wins, a second and three other showings inside the top nine.
Can you say simply dominating?
"I could get used to this," laughed Goldberg before yet another media interview. "This really seals off the year for me. It's been quite an unbelievable season."
Goldberg upped his 2010 bankroll to over $151,000, wiping out the all-time Canadian Tour record for money earned in one season set when Trevor Dodds took home $129,158 in 1996.
Now Goldberg has another Dodds record in his sights. Should he prevail at the season-ending Desert Dunes Classic, a first-year event to be staged in his home state in November, Goldberg would match Dodds' record for most wins in a season with four, set during that same 1996 campaign.
Not only did Goldberg officially clinch the Canadian Tour money crown with one event remaining in the season, but he also earned a well-deserved exemption into the second stage of PGA Tour Q-School this fall. Thanks to a back-nine 30, American Brock Mackenzie held off Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, BC by less than $400 to earn the second exemption.
"Getting through that first stage is just a huge bonus," Goldberg reasoned. "Obviously, you want to get through every year, but it's never a given. Not having to worry about that takes some pressure off. That's the time of year you want to be playing your best."
Paired with the Canadian Tour's hottest player of the year, Hanson didn't waste any time getting down to work with birdies on his first two holes to open a two-shot lead. Goldberg didn't take long to answer with birdies on four and five to pull even again. Both players double-bogeyed the eighth, allowing Andres Gonzales to take a share of the lead. That didn't last long as Gonzales doubled the par-3 12th.
With Hanson leading by one, the turning point came on the par-3 14th when Goldberg jarred a 15-foot birdie before a Hanson bogey, resulting in a two-shot swing. Goldberg added another birdie on 15 to open up a two-shot edge and essentially end any drama for the afternoon.
Closing in style, Goldberg added an eagle on 16 and another birdie on 17 to play his final five holes at 5-under.
"I knew down by one on 14 that I hard to start making a run," said Goldberg. "Someone was going to make some birdies coming in. I figured it might as well be me."
In 32 Canadian Tour tournaments rounds in 2010, Goldberg had just five rounds over par and shot in the 60s 21 times, including eight straight rounds through Sunday.
"I knew if a played how I was capable of, I could do something like this," he said. "It's been an awesome year, and I've seen the guys that have come off this tour and gone on to great careers on the PGA Tour. That's why I came up here.
"I feel it might be my time now."