Golf fans across the globe are in for a treat this week as the 2025 Times Colonist Victoria Open tees off at Uplands Golf Club, bringing together a vibrant mix of seasoned pros, rising stars, and social media sensations. With a prize purse of $225,000 US and a coveted spot on the Korn Ferry Tour up for grabs, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The tournament, the penultimate stop on the 16-event PGA Tour Americas, has attracted a field of 156 players representing 18 nations, including 19 Canadians eager to make their mark on home soil.
Among the most talked-about entrants is Mac Boucher, who’s made a name for himself not as a traditional competitor, but as a “creative” golf shooter. While Boucher bristles at being labeled a trick-shot golfer, there’s no denying his flair for the extraordinary. With 630,000 Instagram followers and more than 30,000 YouTube subscribers, Boucher’s unique approach to the game has captured the imagination of fans who crave something different. “My job is to promote the tournament and bring eyeballs to it,” Boucher explained, reflecting on his journey from frustrated amateur to social media phenom. “It just happened over time. I didn’t go super viral. It was more just like adding 500 followers a day sort of thing.”
Boucher’s inclusion as a sponsor exemption is a nod to the evolving landscape of professional golf, where digital influence can open doors previously reserved for the game’s elite. He’s joined by another sponsor exemption, Jeevan Sihota, a 21-year-old local standout who’s enjoyed a remarkable 2025 season. Sihota has racked up eight victories and three runner-up finishes in regional pro tournaments, including the Vancouver Golf Tour. His resurgence comes after losing his tour status, but he’s bounced back in style, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s most promising young talents.
Sihota’s confidence is palpable as he prepares for his fourth consecutive Victoria Open. “My game is sharp right now,” he declared, brimming with optimism. “I have been driving it straight and my putting has been solid, things I have perhaps lacked in the past. You can’t overcomplicate golf. It’s a simple game about driving the ball hard, getting it close to the hole, and then putting it in the hole.” Sihota’s strong play has also kept him exempt for the Korn Ferry Tour qualifying school, where he’ll compete in the first stage next month in New Mexico. The local crowd will be out in force to support their hometown hero, and Sihota admits, “Having the gallery is always nice and I can feel the support behind me.”
For Boucher, the Victoria Open represents a rare opportunity to showcase his skills alongside tour regulars. He’s quick to acknowledge the gulf between his creative exhibitions and the grind of tournament golf. “Tournament golf is a whole different beast,” Boucher admitted. Still, his presence adds a dash of unpredictability and excitement to the event, reminiscent of the Harlem Globetrotters in basketball or the Savannah Bananas in baseball. While few pro golfers can replicate Boucher’s jaw-dropping shots, he’s equally candid about his limitations: “I realized quickly I was not good enough” to make it as a touring pro, he said, but he’s carved out a niche that’s all his own.
The Victoria Open isn’t just about social media stars and local favorites, though. The field is stacked with talent from around the world, including 111 Americans and competitors from countries as far-flung as China, Argentina, Australia, Norway, Colombia, and South Africa. The international flavor of the tournament underscores the PGA Tour Americas’ growing stature as a proving ground for golf’s next generation.
All eyes will be on American Michael Brennan, who leads the Fortinet Cup season standings and arrives in Victoria riding a hot streak. Brennan, a standout from Wake Forest University’s NCAA Division I program, has won three of the last four PGA Tour Americas tournaments, making him a formidable presence. He’s set to tee off at 12:15 p.m., while Canada’s top-ranked player, A.J. Ewart from Coquitlam, will get underway at 7:35 a.m. Ewart, ranked 25th in the standings, has posted three top-10 finishes in 14 starts this season, and he’ll be eager to improve his position with a strong showing in front of a supportive home crowd.
Thursday’s opening round kicks off at 7:15 a.m., with Sihota and Boucher anchoring the final group at 2:15 p.m. The cut will be made after Friday’s second round, whittling the field down for the weekend’s action. The third round unfolds on Saturday, with the tournament culminating in Sunday’s final round, where one player will walk away with the $40,500 US winner’s share—and, perhaps more importantly, a major step toward PGA Tour stardom.
But the week’s golf buzz isn’t confined to the fairways of Victoria. Across the Atlantic, English star Charley Hull made headlines of her own, attending a lavish state banquet at Windsor Castle on September 17, 2025. Hull, fresh off her third LPGA Tour title at the Queen City Championship in Ohio, was among 160 distinguished guests, including US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and King Charles III. Hull, 29, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, found herself in esteemed company, rubbing shoulders with fellow sports icons like Sir Nick Faldo and Dame Katherine Grainger.
The evening took an unexpected turn when President Trump, whose passion for golf is well documented—he owns 11 courses in the US and three in the UK—personally invited Hull to play a round with him later this year. “He said he wanted to sort a game out,” Hull revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 5Live. “We’re going to try to sort a game out towards the end of the year and that’ll be pretty cool.” Trump had previously reached out to Hull about playing together last year, but scheduling conflicts got in the way. This time, it sounds like both parties are eager to make it happen.
Reflecting on the banquet, Hull described it as a “pretty incredible experience” and said it was “an honour to be invited.” She also had the chance to meet Catherine, Princess of Wales, who she described as “an absolutely lovely woman.” Hull admitted she was “pretty chill” about the high-profile occasion, though she confessed to being most nervous about driving herself to and from the event after declining a chauffeur.
As the US President’s second state visit concluded on September 18, the intersection of golf, politics, and celebrity was on full display. It’s a reminder of the sport’s unique ability to bring together people from all walks of life, whether on the lush fairways of Victoria or the regal halls of Windsor Castle.
With the Victoria Open underway and anticipation building for a possible Hull-Trump golf showdown later this year, golf fans have plenty to talk about. The action at Uplands Golf Club promises drama, surprises, and maybe even a viral moment or two. As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on the leaderboard—and on the personalities who make golf such a compelling spectacle in 2025.
