The Southwood Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg was host to some of the world's best up-and-coming golfers last week, as the Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada swung through for the 99th Players Cup.

"It was a great run from start to finish," said tournament organizer Adam Boge. "Lots of good takeaways from the event, and lots to move forward with and build on."

Almost 400 volunteers and tournament sponsors helped to make the tournament the best possible experience for golf fans. Southwood head professional Andrew Steep had nothing but praise for the volunteers and staff at the course. "This is what we live for," Steep said of the crew, adding that the way the course was set up also allowed fans to get the most out of their viewing experience, as they were able to see drives, approach shots, and putting all from the same vantage. "This is the best the golf course has ever looked."

One other element of the tournament that was certainly a crowd pleaser was the presence of a hockey celebrity out on the greens. Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele was the guest of honour at the tournament, and while he was not quite on par with the rest of the field (he shot +25 in two days), his presence was a real boost for the tournament. "He did great," Boge exclaimed, who pointed out that Scheifele spent much of his time on the course interacting with fans and players alike. "He's a better golfer than people think he is."

While the course was certainly accessible to the public, it also was a worthy opponent for the professionals. "The players loved the golf course," said Boge, who highlighted that the changes in the wind (virtually none for the first two days switching to gusty crosswinds on the weekend) played a key role in making the course a challenge. One thing that the players enjoyed was the length of Southwood, which is not always the case on professional courses. The course's longer holes allowed players to hit long drives and brought scores down drastically.

"The course is built for a championship like this," said Steep, who himself was out playing in the tournament on Thursday and Friday.

The golfers were certainly up for the challenge, with three rounds of nine under tying the course record. The winning total was 22 under par, which belonged to Tyler McCumber of Florida. He shot two strokes better than second place finisher Michael Gellerman. With the win, McCumber has now won three of the last four events on the Mackenzie. No Manitobans made the cut at the tournament, but other Canadians like Michael Gligic of Burlington, ON and James Love of Calgary did put in strong showings. Gligic finished his tournament at 17 under par, while Love was 16 under par by the end of Sunday.

Southwood has a three year commitment with the Mackenzie Tour to host the Players Cup. Boge says that they are already in planning mode for next year's tournament.