The PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship will have a slightly youthful look about it next month after 15-year-old hotshot Oliver Betschart booked his place in the field.
Betschart came through three rounds of PGA Tour Qualifying for the event with a final round of 68 to claim one of the three spots available for the event on November 9th at Port Royal Golf Club.
The teenager missed out on qualification by a shot twelve months ago.
After opening rounds of 75 and 73 he had work to do on his home course, lying six shots off the pace but his 68 to finish was the second lowest round of the day and he shot up the leaderboard and into the all-important top-3.
“I made a good 15-footer at 16 to save par then on 18 I had that really tricky downhill for birdie, and that was just kind of the breaking point there,” Betschart said to The Royal Gazzette.
“This year was going to be the year. I’ve played well and knew it was happening,” Betschart said. “I have been very close the last couple of years and just knew if I was patient one would happen.”
Betschart will become the youngest player to compete on the PGA Tour since 2014 and the fifth youngest since 2000 after Michelle Wie (twice), Tianlang Guan (six times), Andy Zhang (2012 US Open) and Lorens Chan (2009 Sony Open).
Seamus Power is the defending champion of the event having edged out Ben Griffin last year for his second PGA Tour title but a persistent hip injury which plagued his summer renders him unlikely to compete this time around.
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