Zibrik and Appel co-leaders after Round One of the 2025 Axis Insurance PGA of BC Championship presented by GOLFTEC
Dave Zibrik (left) and Christof Appel (right).
Photos: Chelsey Sweet, CSweet Media
August 18, 2025
Victoria, BC (PGA of BC) - Dave Zibrik (Point Grey Golf & Country Club) and Christof Appel (The Golf Performance Project) share the lead following Round One of the 2025 Axis Insurance PGA of BC Championship presented by GOLFTEC, with both golfers firing a 67 (-5) to sit atop a jam-packed leaderboard. Thirteen other competitors will head into Round Two within four strokes of the lead at Gorge Vale Golf Club.
Like a chef nailing the first course of a long meal, Zibrik grabbed an early cushion after making five birdies across the first eight holes.
“I probably putted the best I’ve putted in a decade,” said Zibrik. “I rolled it really well and got off to a great start. Hit it to two feet on one, got up-and-down on two, hit it to three feet on three, made a 12-footer for birdie on four, then birdied the [front-nine] par-fives.”
Zibrik played the back-nine at even-par, making birdies on the 15th and 17th holes, and bogeys on the 10th and 16th holes.
Appel enjoyed a stellar round, including an eagle on the par-5 7th hole. Despite a bogey blemish on the next hole, Appel rebounded with birdies on 10 and 11. Stuck at four-under par for the next six holes, he birdied the 18th to seize a share of the lead.
“The greens were perfect, and the course is in amazing shape. I hit a bunch of good shots pretty close and made a few five- and six-footers for birdie. It was a really good, solid round,” said Appel.
“I love the layout of the course. It’s a great test and it really demands a lot from your game. It’s always nice being in contention, I really enjoy that, so it should be a fun round tomorrow.”
One shot back of the lead at four-under, Jonnie Motomochi (Morgan Creek Golf Course) and Robin Conlan (Cordova Bay Golf Course) are tied for third place. Steven Lecuyer (Seymour Creek Golf Centre) and Brycen Ko (Musqueam Golf & Learning Academy) shot 69 (-3) for a share of fifth.
The PGA of BC held a concurrent Regional Team Competition, with four representatives from unique regions of the province forming the teams. The format for this competition counted 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.
Team Lower Mainland took the victory by two shots over runner-up Team Vancouver Island with a combined team score of 3-under. Congratulations to Steven Lecuyer, Khan Lee, Kevin Stinson and Mike Belle!
Nike Golf was proud to outfit the Regional Teams in Nike Golf polos. 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 Association is grateful to Axis Insurance and Commercial Account Executive Lee Fulsher for their enduring commitment to the PGA of BC and for helping us deliver exceptional events to our membership.
Thank you to Presenting Sponsor GOLFTEC, GOLFTEC Canada COO & Vice President Dean Larsen, and GOLFTEC Canada VP of Finance Calven Wang for being on hand today and for their support of the PGA of BC.
Finally, we extend our appreciation to General Manager Mike Heenan, Head Professional Aaron Grice, and the entire Gorge Vale team for their hospitality and hard work.
To view the draw for Round Two, please click here. To view the full leaderboard, please click here.