The PGA of B.C. Senior Championship at Big Sky in Pemberton featured two local players doing battle in the final round with Murray Poje tasting victory for the first time since reaching the "golden age" of golf.
The Tsawwassen Springs Golf and Country Club head professional, who turned 50 last November, held off Cove Links Golf Club professional Darryl Stubbs to capture the 36hole event.
Poje opened with a 70, then fired a final round best 68 for a two-shot win over Stubbs (69-71) in a battle of Tsawwassen residents.
Stubbs made things interesting when he cut his deficit in half with a twoshot swing on 17, however, both players closed out the tournament with birdies.
Poje, who has played on the Canadian and South African tours before establishing himself among the top playing teaching professionals in the province, is looking forward to the opportunities ahead as a senior age player.
He will be heading "Down Under" this fall to play a number events on the Australia PGA Legends Tour.
"This is something I have been working towards the last couple of years," said Poje, who earned $2,000 for the win and qualified for next month's $200,000 Canada Cup in Quebec.
"I was at the Canadian Senior PGA the previous week and didn't play well at all so it was nice to come back home, make some adjustments and put a good tournament together.
"I really feel I am playing better now than I ever have."
Stubbs was coming off an impressive seventh place at the Canadian Senior PGA in King City, Ontario, where he fired rounds of 73-70-72 to finish at +2 and earn $1,500.
