Ottawa’s Craig Stefureak is one of the best Canadian golfers playing the game right now, and now he’s heading to the PGA Tour. The 29-year-old golfer captured his second consecutive Canadian PGA Championship last week in Cranbrook, B.C. at St. Eugene Golf Resort, and did so by shooting a final round course record score of 61. Stefureak is also the only Indigenous golfer to win the PGA Championship of Canada. “To put my name as the only back-to-back winner of the Canadian PGA Championship with George Knudson, who’s just a Canadian golf legend, yeah, incredible,” Stefureak told CTV News Tuesday at GreyHawk Golf Club, where he was set to compete in the final grouping of the PGA of Ottawa Zone Championship. The win also qualifies Stefureak to play in the 2027 edition of the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour. “To be considered one of the best Canadian golfers right now, it’s incredible,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming about [making the PGA Tour] for over 20 years, so yeah, it’s an incredible feeling.” By his side through every round has been his caddie Luc Lafrance. The two met at The Bunker, an indoor golf simulator in the Glebe, where Stefureak teaches. Two national championships later, Lafrance is headed to golf’s premier competition alongside the 29-year-old. “First time we met, I fell in love with that kid. He’s a good kid, so I wanted to help him out. I offered to caddy for him being retired, I had a lot of time, so here we went,” said Lafrance. During the final round in Cranbrook, which saw Stefureak go bogey-free with nine birdies and an eagle, Lafrance says it was the best round of golf he’s seen in his life. “When he’s dialed in, he’s got so much talent, and he’s got so much determination that he really stepped above everybody else in the field,” Lafrance said. “[The Bunker] took me in when I was at my lowest and gave me a shot to rehab and do the things that I needed to do,” said Stefureak. “I can’t thank them enough. And now we’re going to go play on the PGA tour.” But maybe the most meaningful aspect of Stefureak’s national victory was the fact that it took place at a former residential school site. “It’s tough. I mean, as much as we have to look at the past, we’ve got to learn from it too and move forward together. So, to those Indigenous youth, put your head down and work hard. It is possible and we’re going to do it.” Growing up, Stefureak says his family didn’t have the finances to help him get ahead in golf – a sport that already has limited accessibility due to expenses. He’s hoping his journey can persuade decision makers in the sport to make it more available at each level of society. “Finances are big. So, if organizations can help out the middle class, I think that’s going to be massive moving forward for middle-class, blue-collar Canadians and Indigenous youth.” Stefureak won the PGA of Ottawa event Tuesday by four strokes and will leave for Europe on Wednesday where he is set to compete in events in Finland, Sweden and England. “I’ve had a headache because I’ve been smiling so much. So, I kind of want to keep those headaches around.”
