Doeden Rallies But Chiarella Wins in Lethbridge

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta (Canada) -- Justin Doeden rattled off five birdies in a seven-hole span on Sunday, as he came from five strokes behind to tie for the lead with five holes to go at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open. But he could have used one more birdie, plus a par at the 17th hole.

Instead, it was Alex Chiarella who made the crucial birdie. His 2 at the long par-3 17th was the difference as he claimed a one-stroke victory, along with a first-place check of $36,000. The University of San Diego alumnus, who led after 54 holes, closed with a 4-under-par 68 for a 72-hole aggregate of 264 (20 under) on the Paradise Canyon Resort course. 

Travis Trace birdied two of the last four holes to slip past Doeden into second place. He shot 67 to finish at 265. 

Doeden was tied for the lead after 16 holes, but he bogeyed the 17th and fell two behind Chiarella. The 24-year-old former Gopher star had birdied the 558-yard, par-5 18th in each of the three previous rounds, but on Sunday he parred it. That gave him a 68 and put him in a four-way tie for third at 266, along with Andrew Yun (67), Jake Johnson (64) and Hayden Buckley (66). Doeden earned $9,600 and moved up from a tie for 84th place on the Mackenzie (Canadian) Tour money list to 18th. He's made $10,740 in four tournaments.  

If, however, he had been able to produce another birdie at the 18th -- or a par at the 17th -- he would have doubled his check (Trace made $21,600 for second) and moved into the top 10 on the money list.  

That matters, because the Mackenzie Tour is one of the ways to get to the Korn Ferry Tour (which was the Web.com Tour until last week). The player who finishes No. 1 on the Mackenzie money list is fully exempt for the following season on the Korn Farry, and No. 2 through 5 are conditionally exempt. Those finishing No. 2 through 10 are exempt through the first three stages (Preliminary, First and Second) of Korn Ferry Q-School and go directly to the Final Stage. Those finishing No. 11 through 20 are exempt into the Second Stage of Korn Ferry Q-School. 

Basically, the goal of every player on the Mackenzie Tour this year is to be on the Korn Ferry next year, then graduate from the Korn Ferry to the PGA Tour in 2021. 

The prospects for Chiarella to move up to the Korn Ferry did not appear all that great last week when he arrived in Lethbridge. He had missed the cut in all three of the Mackenzie Tour events he played in this year. But the 25-year-old from Hawaii says that he had been playing fairly well, just hitting a few errant tee shots and not making putts, and that changed at Paradise Canyon. He opened with a 64, followed it with a 67 and moved to the head of the pack with a 65 on Saturday. 

On Sunday, he expanded his lead with two birdies in the first three holes. That gave him a four-stroke advantage over Trace, and five over Doeden, who bogyed the 433-yard, par-4 third. But Trace birdied the fourth and fifth holes. Doeden, who went birdie-bogey on 4 and 5, began his rally with a birdie at the 446-yard, par-4 seventh. He and Trace both birdied the par-5 ninth (547 yards), while Chiarella was making a bogey.

All three parred the ninth; so as they made the turn, Chiarella and Trace were tied at minus 18. Doeden was two behind at minus 16, but then he proceeded to birdie the 10th (381, par 4) and 11th (306, par 4) and pull even. Both Chiarella and Doeden birdied the par-5 13th (518 yards), which put them at minus 19. Trace bogeyed 13 to fall two behind, but he got one stroke back with a birdie at the 436-yard, par-4 15th.

Although the official yardage for the 17th hole was 217 yards, it was playing more like 230 to a back pin on Sunday -- and it was into the wind. Chiarella had just missed a short birdie putt at the 16th, but he made no mistakes at the 17th, hitting a 5-iron that penetrated the wind and left him with a 20-foot birdie putt from the back right fringe. He made it, and went to the final hole with a two-shot cushion. 

Trace was on the 18th green in two, but missed his eagle putt, which meant that Chiarella needed only to two-putt from 10 feet for his par.

With the $36,000 that he made, Chiarella vaulted all the way to No. 3 on the money list.

Also moving up on the money list, but not nearly as much, was Andrew McCain, the two-time Minnesota State Open champion. He closed with a 65 and jumped up into a tie for 19th. That was worth $2,600 and bumped him from No. 42 to 38, with $6,536 in four events. 
 

MACKENZIE (CANADIAN) TOUR

Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open

At Paradise Canyon Resort

Par 71

Lethbridge, Alberta

Final results (money won is shown in Canadian dollars, which were worth $0.76 as of Sunday) 

1. Alex Chiarella            $36,000        64-67-65-68--264

2. Travis Trace              $21,600        63-65-70-67--265

T3. Justin Doeden        $9,600         68-62-68-68--266

T3. Andrew Yun             $9,600         66-70-63-67--266

T3. Jake Johnson          $9,600         66-69-67-64--266

T3. Hayden Buckley      $9,600         64-71-65-66--266

T31. Andrew McCain   $2,600         67-71-68-65--271

Missed cut (138)

Derek Chang                                       71-69--140