Preview: 2025 Axis Insurance PGA of BC Championship presented by GOLFTEC
August 14, 2025
Richmond, BC (PGA of BC) - Gorge Vale Golf Club is a classic 1927 design by legendary Pacific Northwest architect A.V. Macan. The course combines a traditional parkland layout with subtle elevation changes and well-protected greens, demanding precise ball striking and smart decision-making from start to finish. The course will serve as host for next week’s Axis Insurance PGA of BC Championship presented by GOLFTEC, taking place August 18-19.
General Manager Mike Heenan said the club has been looking forward to this year’s event and credited Gorge Vale’s membership for helping make it possible.
“It’s something we’ve been looking forward to for some time. As a proud PGA of BC member, I’m thrilled to be able to host. We’re thankful to our membership for giving up the golf course for two days, with a bunch of them volunteering. We’re very excited to host, and I’m excited to see lots of friends from around the province.”
The most demanding hole at Gorge Vale is No. 12, known as the “cemetery hole.” The Veterans Cemetery, God’s Acre, sits between holes 12, 15 and 17, creating a rare internal out-of-bounds. The hole’s design places a premium on accuracy and forces players to commit to their target, with mistakes often proving costly.
“Ball-striking is always the key at Gorge Vale, keeping the ball in play and missing in the correct spots,” said Heenan. “The greens are firm and fast; the rough isn’t incredibly long but it does seem to be thick. The course is playing very fair, but if you miss in the wrong spots, it can be difficult.”
Gorge Vale will welcome nearly 100 PGA of BC professionals who are competing in hopes of clinching the William Thompson Trophy as PGA of BC Championship victor. At last year’s Championship, held at Morgan Creek Golf Course, Lindsay Bernakevitch (Victoria Golf Club) outlasted Kevin Stinson (Cheam Mountain Golf Course) and Andy Lin (Pacific Golf Academy) in a sudden-death playoff. That victory clinched his second win at the event, with the first coming in 2011.
Bernakevitch returns as the defending champion. The local professional is familiar with Gorge Vale after years competing on Vancouver Island.
“I know I’m pretty subdued on the surface, but I’m definitely a competitor. I hate to lose,” said Bernakevitch. “I do feel comfortable on that golf course. Having played it enough times over the years, there’s nothing out there that will surprise me. I know what clubs to hit off what tees, I know where to leave myself on the greens. If I can find a decent swing for a couple days and make some putts, I think I’ll be fine.”
The Regional Team competition, introduced last year, will make its return for the 2025 Championship. Four representatives from each unique region - Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Interior & Kootenays/North - will compose the teams. The format for this competition will count the three best scores from each team as an aggregate score. Regional teams were determined by the corresponding regional tour's 2025 Order of Merit standings as of August 1. Nike Golf is proud to provide uniforms to each regional team. We extend our gratitude to Nike Golf and to Jon Kadin and Mark Lindsay, Sales Representatives for Nike Golf & Mint Green Group, for their great support of our competitors.
The PGA of BC thanks title sponsor Axis Insurance and Commercial Account Executive Lee Fulsher for their consistent and unwavering dedication to the Association, having served as sponsor of the Championship for a number of years.
We also extend our thanks to presenting sponsor GOLFTEC and GOLFTEC Canada COO & Vice President Dean Larsen. The PGA of BC looks forward to GOLFTEC’s presence next week and is grateful for their support.
The Association extends its gratitude to the many supporting sponsors whose patronage helps enhance the event: FG Club Solutions; The Golf Park Company; Hoyne Brewing Co.; Nike Golf; The Print Culture; Sandman Hotel Group; Tagmarshal; Thunderbolt Sign; and Vegas Baby.
Finally, we thank Mike Heenan, Head Professional Aaron Grice, and the entire Gorge Vale team for their preparation and diligence in advance of the Championship.
To view the Round One Draw, please click here.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lindsay Bernakevitch, Victoria Golf Club
Lindsay Bernakevitch is the defending PGA of BC Championship winner after his playoff victory last year. He won the same event in 2011, and is one of only ten professionals with multiple victories in the Championship. Bernakevitch’s electric form continued into 2025, winning the Tournament of Champions with teammate Craig Doell. A four-time Saskatchewan Amateur champion, Bernakevitch was inducted into the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame in 2020.
Kevin Stinson, Cheam Mountain Golf Course
Kevin Stinson won the 2018 PGA of BC Championship and is the 2021, 2023 and 2024 PGA of BC Stan Leonard Player of the Year. In 2023, he emerged victorious at the PGA Championship of Canada in a thrilling playoff. Last year, he won the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada by a staggering 13 strokes. His strong play to top the 2023 PGA of Canada Player Rankings earned him a spot in the 2024 Canadian Open, marking his second time competing in the event. On the Lower Mainland’s G&G Tour in 2025, Stinson has two victories and sits second on that tour's Order of Merit.
Steven Lecuyer, Seymour Creek Golf Centre
Steven Lecuyer is the three-time reigning champion of the PGA of BC Assistants’ Championship, with wins at Chilliwack Golf Club in 2023, Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in 2024, and Meadow Gardens Golf Club in 2025. Lecuyer and teammate James Legault won the 2025 Pro-Assistant Championship, where Lecuyer fired a 59 on his own ball during the best-ball competition at The Rise Resort. He topped the PGA of BC’s season-long Order of Merit standings in 2023, recognizing excellence in competition over the course of a full season. Lecuyer is a two-time Vancouver Open champion, joining PGA Tour star and Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin as the only golfers to win multiple titles in the event. Lecuyer has three victories on the G&G Tour in 2025, and sits first on that tour's Order of Merit.
Doug Morgan, Richmond Country Club
One of the most accomplished golfers in PGA of BC history, with wins in four different decades, Doug Morgan’s most recent victory came earlier this summer. He topped the leaderboard at the 2025 PGA of BC Seniors’ Championship at Cordova Bay Golf Course, his third career title at the event after wins in 2017 and 2022. Likely needing to upgrade the size of his trophy case, Morgan also won the 2009 and 2010 PGA of BC Championship, the 1995 PGA of BC Assistants’ Championship, the 2014 PGA of BC Club Professional Championship, the 2004 PGA of BC Pro-Assistant Championship, and the 2003 PGA of BC Tournament of Champions.
Maxwell Cohen, GreenTee Country Club Langley
Maxwell Cohen heads into the PGA of BC Championship with momentum and confidence, having just won the 2025 Cultus Lake Open. That victory saw Cohen fend off an elite field that included several top PGA of BC pros, including Lecuyer. In 2024, he tied for second place at the national PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada. Cohen’s recent consistency has kept him in frequent contention, with top-20 finishes at the 2024 PGA of BC Championship, 2025 PGA of BC Assistants’ Championship, and 2025 PGA Championship of Canada.