DUNKIRK — When the PGA Tour and LECOM announced a four-year partnership with the Web.com Tour to hold a golf tournament at Peek’n Peak last year, Shorewood Country Club Golf Pro Brad Smith hoped his Dunkirk course could benefit.

Last year George Bryan IV and Wesley Bryan — known as the Bryan Bros. — put on a trick shot display at Shorewood Country Club as they were in town for the tournament later in the week.

Now, thanks from the help of Kevin Sanvidge, who is the tournament director and a Shorewood Country Club member, Shorewood Country Club will really benefit as it will host the Web.Com Monday qualifier tournament on July 3.

“Kevin went to bat for Shorewood and wanted to get it here,” Smith said. “I contacted our tournament director of WNY PGA to show interest. It snowballed from there. We were able to secure it. Kevin gave a great pitch for it. Obviously with LECOM having a four-year contract at Peek’n Peak, we would love to hold the qualifier the next two years as well. We would also love to host a WNY PGA events throughout the year. This is a start for us.”

The winner of last year’s Monday qualifier, Rick Lamb, went on to win the LECOM Challenge at Peek’n Peak.

“It only takes one good week,” Smith noted. “That week changed his life around. It only takes one week to grind it out and to get your status on the tour.”

Of the 150 golfers who will compete at the Monday qualifier at Shorewood Country Club, only the top 12 advance to that weekend’s LECOM Challenge.

“People who have status on the Web.Com don’t have to come to this,” Smith explained. “Those who don’t have the status, come to the Monday qualifier. People will be amazed at the talent that comes here. You are going to see some low scores. It will probably take a 65 to get in. It’s unbelievable.”

The event will be open to the public to watch and Smith hopes it gives the golf course along Route 5 a chance to showcase its amenities.

“We are excited to have this,” Smith said. “It puts us in a more championship-caliber golf course. People will be able to see our course and how we feel it is one of the better ones in the area to host something like this. We haven’t had big events here in a long time. It’s nice to have the Monday qualifier. Certainly, we are not Augusta, but it shows we have a nice golf course and our facility has a lot to offer. We are ideal for a WNY Pro-Am.”

“We want to get a Pro-Am through WNY PGA here and this is the first step in doing that,” Smith continued. “We are going in the right direction for Shorewood. This puts us on the map. Our executive director of PGA has never stepped foot on our property. A lot of people haven’t. If you’re from Rochester or Buffalo, you might not come this way. I hope they will come and see it.”

For Sanvidge, who is also the director of the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Economic Development, he noted the event will be good for tourism and the city of Dunkirk.

“People will come to our hotels and eat at our restaurants,” he said. “It’s good for our area. It’s all part of our plan to grow the economy and Chautauqua County.”