2026 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open Caps Record-Breaking Week With Hometown Champion Ilirian Zalli
Record $125,000 in cash and prizes, $40,000-plus raised for player development and sold-out field highlight biggest Vancouver Open in tournament history
VANCOUVER, B.C. — September 2, 2026 — The 2026 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open concluded Sunday after its biggest and most successful tournament to date, combining high-level competitive golf, record prize money, record fundraising and a celebration of the Vancouver golf community.
Held August 28–30 across Vancouver Parks Golf’s three public championship courses — Fraserview, Langara and McCleery — the sold-out championship featured 324 players, including 63 professionals and 261 amateurs, with additional players on the wait list.
And fittingly, the record-setting week ended with a hometown story.
A HOMETOWN CHAMPION
Ilirian Zalli captured the 2026 Vancouver Open Championship with a three-day score of 13-under par, earning a record $15,000 first-place cheque from the tournament’s record $60,000 professional purse.
For Zalli, this was his second Vancouver Open victory, and a full-circle moment.
Zalli first played and practiced at the Fraserview course at approximately seven years old. He continued developing his game there throughout his teenage years and into his early twenties before signing on as an ambassador Professional at Richmond Country Club.
To return to Fraserview as a professional and leave as Vancouver Open champion for the 2nd time in 5 years made the victory particularly meaningful.
“This is a really special place for me,” said Zalli. “I grew up playing here, so to win the Vancouver Open on a course that has been such a big part of my development means a lot.”
Zalli finished four shots ahead of a three-way tie for second at 9-under, featuring Chris Crisolgo of Richmond, Jeevan Sihota of Victoria and Cole Madey of Oregon who each earned cheques of $5,166.67 for runner-up spot.
RECORD PURSE STRENGTHENS CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2026 Vancouver Open featured a record $125,000 in cash and prizes, including the largest professional purse in tournament history.
The $60,000 professional purse provided an increased competitive opportunity for professional golfers, while the tournament continued its commitment to amateurs and players across multiple ages and abilities.
The championship crowned winners in a wide range of divisions:
- Vancouver Open Champion: Ilirian Zalli — Richmond Country Club (-13)
- Runners-up: Chris Crisolgo, Jeevan Sihota and Cole Madey (-9)
- Women’s Champion: Sarah Armstrong — Medicine Hat, Alberta (-6)
- Men’s Amateur Champion: Domenic De Luca — The National Golf Club, Toronto (-6)
- Women’s Amateur Champion: Freya (Fang Xin) Song — Vancouver (+10)
- Championship Flight Gross Winner: Jay You — Northview GC (-3)
- Amateur Flight 1 Champion: Henry Omidi
- Amateur Flight 2 Champion: Scott Heke
- Amateur Flight 3 Champion: Dominic Yun
- Senior Champion: Per Hansen — Beach Grove
- All Abilities Gross Champion: Johannes Grames — Fraserview Golf Course
As the 2026 Women’s Champion, Sarah Armstrong received a $1,000 bonus cheque courtesy of Maui Jim Canada, in addition to her $2,433.33 prize for finishing T6 overall.
The tournament also celebrated two significant age milestones.
At just 11 years old, Vancouver’s Alex Chen became the youngest amateur golfer ever to compete in the Vancouver Open, while 16-year-old Freya Song became the youngest Women’s Amateur Champion in tournament history.
RECORD FUNDRAISING TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION
The tournament week began August 26 with the Odlum Brown Fundraising Pro-Am at Fraserview Golf Course, bringing together 190 participants for a day of golf, networking and fundraising in support of the VGT Player Development Fund.
Thanks to the support of Odlum Brown, Maui Jim Canada and Vancouver Parks Golf, along with significant corporate and private contributions — including major support from Getz Prince Wells and the Stephen Ames Foundation — the event has generated over $40,000 for the VGT Player Development Fund at the time of this release.
Additional proceeds from the VGT Live Auction are expected to push the total significantly higher. The auction closes September 16.
“This year’s fundraising total is already the highest in the six-year history of the Vancouver Open’s fundraising campaign,” said VGT Commissioner Fraser Mulholland. “We are excited to see where we can get to when our Live Auction closes on September 16 at our final fundraising event of the year.”
Launched in 2021, the VGT Player Development Fund provides young golfers in the region with scholarships and bursaries to help offset the costs of golf development, including travel, coaching and tournament entry fees.
To view the amazing list of auction items and support the VGT Players Fund, CLICK HERE
The Fundraising Pro-Am also welcomed PGA Tour player and celebrity A.J. Ewart and former NHL goaltender Martin Jones.
The Odlum Brown team of Martin McNish, Martin Jones, Jordan Jones and Derek Lee, captained by professional Jackson Jacob, captured the Pro-Am title with a 29-under-par team score. Jacob fired a 65, 7-under to lead the team to victory.
The top five Pro-Am teams were:
- Odlum Brown 3: -29
- VGT 2: -27
- Triwest: -26
- GolfBC Group: -26
- MNP: -26
DATA BRINGS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE VANCOUVER OPEN
For the first time, tournament week also featured extensive performance data captured by Iron Station Trackman Lounge.
Trackman technology provided players and spectators with insight into the performance of both professional and amateur competitors. Your Vancouver Open Performance insights include:
- Average and longest driving distance
- Shot dispersion
- Club speed
- Ball speed
The complete Vancouver Open performance data, including Pro-Am and all three championship rounds, is available through Iron Station here: https://www.ironstationgolf.com/2026vanopenshotdata
Iron Station Trackman Golf Lounge is a new private golf club scheduled to open in Mount Pleasant in Winter 2026, with limited membership details to be released in October.
THREE COURSES. ONE CHAMPIONSHIP.
The Vancouver Open’s identity remains closely tied to Vancouver Parks Golf’s three public championship courses: Fraserview, Langara and McCleery.
All three courses were presented in exceptional condition throughout tournament week, thanks to the dedication of the grounds teams who worked extensively to prepare the layouts to championship standards.
The tournament recognizes the tremendous work of:
- Fraserview Golf Course: Jarrod Oliver
- McCleery Golf Course: Sean O’Toole
- Langara Golf Course: Jon Thomas and Pete Rodrigues
More than 150 volunteers also contributed their time throughout tournament week, supporting tournament operations, player services, scoring, hospitality and countless behind-the-scenes details.
The combination of a sold-out field, strong spectator attendance, record prize money and record fundraising underscored the continued growth of the Vancouver Open as a major golf event in the region.
PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUE TO DRIVE GROWTH
The 2026 Vancouver Open marked the second year of a three-year agreement with Odlum Brown and Vancouver Parks Golf, with Odlum Brown continuing as title sponsor and Vancouver Parks Golf serving as presenting sponsor and host of the championship venues.
Maui Jim Canada also continued its support of the Vancouver Open for the 10th consecutive year, contributing to the tournament’s fundraising initiatives and helping strengthen its position as a premier golf event in Vancouver.
“The Vancouver Open has always been about more than competitive golf,” said Mulholland. “It is about creating opportunities — for professionals, amateurs, young players, families and the broader golf community. This year’s tournament showed just how much the event has grown, and having Ilirian Zalli, a player who literally grew up on these courses, win the championship made the week even more special.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2027
Following a record-setting 2026 edition, the Vancouver Open will return next summer.
The 2027 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open & Fundraising Pro-Am is scheduled for August 27–29, with championship rounds taking place at McCleery, Langara and Fraserview Golf Courses. The Fundraising Pro-Am will launch tournament week on August 25.
From a record $60,000 professional purse and the largest winner’s cheque in tournament history to the highest fundraising total in six years, the 2026 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open marked a significant milestone for the tournament and the Vancouver golf community.
And at the centre of it all was a hometown golfer who came full circle — from learning the game at Fraserview as a seven-year-old to lifting the Vancouver Open trophy as its champion for the 2nd time.
For full 2026 tournament results, scoring and prize information, visit the Vancouver Open tournament pages below.
- Full breakdown of 2026 tournament scoring.
- 54-Hole Open Division Purse Payout
- 54-Hole Amateur Prizing
- Pro Results, Pro-Am Prizing & Draw Winners
VGT Player Development Fund Live Auction: Additional fundraising continues through September 16.