Not that John Ellis is in danger of losing his lead in the Canadian Tour's Order of Merit, but the Morgan Hill native was narrowly beaten Sunday in the Seaforth Country Classic in Ontario.
With his 8-under-par 63 final round, Ellis tied for second place with Wil Collins and Daniel Im, falling two strokes short of tournament winner Kent Eger.
Ellis mounted a torrid charge on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, plus an eagle on the 16th, but couldn't overcome a day of destiny for Eger. The Regina, Saskatchewan, product fired a 64 Sunday at the Seaforth Golf Course, capturing first place by a near-record 26 strokes under par. Eger's score fell one stroke short of Tim Clark's tour-best 27-under set in the 1998 New Brunswick Open.
"How's my confidence? It's great now," Eger told CanTour Communications. "When you're in contention, you're confident. Once you get in the moment, you become more focused and block everything else out. The problem is getting there."
Heading into the 18th, Ellis was threatening at 24-under but his approach shot went into a deep rough, forcing him to get up and down for par.
Ellis retained his commanding lead in the Order of Merit through 11 events, a streak that's lasted since February. Sunday marked his fifth top-three finish this season.
Ellis is currently playing in the Canadian Tour Championship in Barrie, Ontario.
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