Dreams do come true and Riley Wheeldon and Kevin Carrigan are the perfect examples.
The two Vancouver Island golfers are set to tee it up in their first PGA Tour events today at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club with a field that includes Graeme McDowell, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Justin Leonard and Charl Schwartzel.
鈥淒reams come true, that sums it up nicely. I鈥檓 pumped,鈥� said Carrigan, a member of Royal Colwood, who earned his way into the event by way of his 2012 Canadian Mid-Amateur championship.
Wheeldon took another route, as leading money winner on PGA Tour sa国际传媒 after the first four events (the top three qualified).
鈥淭hey鈥檙e treating us all like kings. It鈥檚 definitely something I can get used to,鈥� admitted Wheeldon, who arrived in Oakville, Ont., Monday after the Players鈥� Cup in Winnipeg.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled. Ever since I first picked up a club, this is where I wanted to be playing and to have reached that goal and playing in a PGA Tour event 鈥� hopefully there will be more to come.鈥�
Both are walking the hallowed Glen Abbey grounds 鈥� designed by Jack Nicklaus 鈥� for the first time.
Carrigan kidded with Victoria media last week about having only played it on the Tiger Woods 2007 video game.
鈥淣eedless to say, I was a little disappointed because when I played it on Tiger Woods 2007 I shot 57. I was no where near that today, but I enjoyed it,鈥� Carrigan said after a practice round.
He played nine holes of it Tuesday with McDowell 鈥� the 2010 U.S. Open champion 鈥� and his good friend Anders Gonzales, who he knows from University of Nevada Las Vegas.
鈥淚 saw Graeme McDowell on the range, so I went up to him and asked him if I could play with him for the practice round. As we鈥檙e waiting on the tee, two guys that I know, and have played with before were coming through, having already played the back nine [Gonzales and Donald Constable]. It was a real treat,鈥� said Carrigan. 鈥淚t was a friendly little game.
鈥淗e [McDowell] is a gentleman and a scholar. TV doesn鈥檛 do justice to how much of a class act he is. I was blown away,鈥� said Carrigan, who had the courage to approach him at the range.
鈥淚 just said, 鈥楬ey, my name is Kevin Carrigan. I鈥檓 a nobody, but if you have room in your group, I would love to join you.鈥� He said, 鈥榊eah for sure.鈥�
鈥淭hen as I was walking away, his swing coach said, 鈥楢nd you鈥檙e playing this week, so you鈥檙e not a no one.鈥� 鈥�
Carrigan pegs it up today with Gonzales and Canadian Roger Sloan at 6 a.m. PST.
Wheeldon, who played a practice round with Sloan and fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet, heads out at 11:05 a.m. PST with American Luke List and Korean Si Woo Kim.
鈥淚t was pretty cool getting here,鈥� said Wheeldon, of Comox. 鈥淛ust the atmosphere in general was special and so new to me, so I was just soaking it all in and having a great time.
鈥淓verything is on a bigger scale than I am used to 鈥� more people, more TV towers, more ropes [keeping fans off fairways and initial rough]; everything is bigger so it was a bit of an awe factor, but once I was on the course I started to feel more at home.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure come [today] I鈥檒l have some nerves, but that鈥檚 just because I鈥檓 at the level I want to be playing at and I鈥檓 excited. I鈥檓 going to be nervous, but I鈥檓 going to try to embrace it.鈥�
As is Carrigan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome. Super long. It鈥檚 a long walk and there鈥檒l be a lot of mid-irons into greens. The rough is getting a little gnarly and very punishing if you鈥檙e not hitting fairways,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he layout sets up well to my game. I do tend to hit it long, but I spray it. But there鈥檚 lots of room to miss. Every hole moves left to right, which is similar to Colwood and suits my fade. I鈥檓 over-the-moon excited to get this underway.鈥�
Both have goals to make the two-day cut, but are expecting much more out of their games.
