National Young Pros coach Derek Ingram, this week at the Golf sa国际传媒 training centre on Bear Mountain, spoke of the camaraderie felt by the growing clutch of Canadians on the PGA Tour: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a real culture and proud sense of being Canadian and they practise together and have dinner together.鈥�
There was a time when Comox-product Riley Wheeldon鈥檚 name was whispered in the same breath as those fellow Canadians as Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Connors, Ben Silverman, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin.
Wheeldon aims to get back on that trajectory, continusing today with the first round of the home-Island Bayview Place DC Bank Open presented by the sa国际传媒 at Uplands Golf Club. The former sa国际传媒 junior champion is following up his tied for 10th overall, and top-Canadian finish last week with a 9-under 279 total in the Freedom 55 Financial Open at Point Grey in Vancouver. That was the first Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒 tournament of 2018, with the Bayview Place Open this week being the second.
鈥淚t was a great start, considering the way I started the last two seasons,鈥� said Wheeldon.
鈥淭he last two seasons were obviously disappointing, but I learned a lot from both of them, and learned to right some of the wrongs,鈥� added the graduate of Highland Secondary, who went on to play NCAA Div. 1 with the University of Louisville Cardinals.
鈥淚鈥檓 making progress and that was manifested last week.鈥�
The top-10 showing at Point Grey likely gained Wheeldon exempt status for the rest of the Mackenzie Tour season. He had earned exemptions for the first four tournaments by tying for seventh place last month in the final tour qualifying tournament, which was held on the Crown Isle track in Courtenay that he knows well.
鈥淚 should be good for the rest of the year [because of being top Canadian at Point Grey]. So I can focus now strictly on golf and more on wins, and not just about stressing week-to-week about staying on the tour,鈥� he said.
The 27-year-old is no raw rookie and has been through this movie before. Wheeldon placed third at Uplands in the Mackenzie Tour鈥檚 Victoria tournament in 2013 and was second in the tour鈥檚 Order of Merit that year behind Hughes, eventually getting a taste of the higher-tier pro Web.com Tour.
Despite an up-and-down campaign last year, Wheeldon qualified for the PGA Tour鈥檚 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey. That was his second time playing in sa国际传媒鈥檚 showcase tournament. So the talent is certainly there. It鈥檚 a matter of putting it all together this second time around.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about baby steps,鈥� said Wheeldon, who will tee off today at 9 a.m. in a group with Americans Wade Binfield and Ian Davis.
鈥淔irst, it was qualifying at Crown Isle. Then it was guaranteeing more than just the first four tournaments, and making it for the season, which I did by the showing at Point Grey. Now the goal is to make the top five on the season鈥檚 Order of Merit [which earns Web.com Tour status]. The PGA Tour is the ultimate goal.鈥�
The dream never dies. Wheeldon was once one step away from joining that emerging generation of Canadians on the PGA Tour.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 realize the Web.com Tour is not astronomically higher in talent level than the Canadian Tour. But it is much deeper in terms of the number of players with talent,鈥� he added.
鈥淏eing one step away from the PGA Tour can motivate you, but the pressure of it can also hold you back.鈥�
It was the latter, unfortunately, for Wheeldon. But he can at least again contemplate conquering that level after some career setbacks. As he said, however, it will take baby steps. The next step is this week, where playing on his home Island brings its own unique tension.
鈥淭he Victoria tournament is obviously a place where I like to play well because there are so many family and friends who will be watching me,鈥� said Wheeldon.
鈥淪o that adds a level of pressure to play well in front of people who love and care about you. I鈥檓 just going to put on the blinders and go at it.鈥�
Tee-off in the opening round today at Uplands, in the 156-golfer field, runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
