McCumber ‘in the zone’ and aiming for three-peat
Tyler McCumber’s famous father is simply trying to stay out of his way.
As a 10-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mark McCumber is certainly a fountain of knowledge for any up-and-coming birdie machine.
But since his boy has rolled to back-to-back tournament titles on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada and owns a slice of the lead after the first round of the ATB Financial Classic on the Talons Course at Country Hills, Mark insists this is no time to be doling out advice.
“There’s nothing to say other than, ‘Hey, nice shot!’ ” said Mark, in Calgary this week to support his son as he shoots for a three-peat. “It’s easy to smile, so if he’s looking at my face, he knows I’m enjoying what I’m watching.
“Honestly, I’m just as happy to follow him if he shoots 72. But I know how hard this game is, so it is nice when you get rewarded.”
Tyler, 27, who sits atop the tour’s order of merit, has certainly been reaping the rewards of his hard work over the last few weeks.
The smooth-swinging righty from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., topped the leaderboard at the Osprey Valley Open, shaving an incredible 25 strokes off par at the inaugural event in Caledon, Ont.
He made it a win streak last weekend at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship, finishing two shots clear of the competition in Edmonton.
And with his father getting a live look for the first time in two months, Tyler didn’t cool off any during Thursday ’s sweltering spin at Country Hills. He matched the course record on the 7,209-yard Talons track with an 8-under 63 and shares top spot with Jonathan Garrick and Chris Killmer after the opening round of the $200,000 showdown.
McCumber is, as his proud pops summarized, “in the zone.”
“I think ‘zone’ could be related with focus, related with just thinking the right things,” Tyler said after Thursday’s opening round. “I’m in a good habit mentally right now and that’s what it feels like. It feels like I’m really thinking right. Physically, I feel good and that’s going well. And the ball is going pretty much where I’m looking, which is always a nice thing.
“To hold on to that for three weeks, that feels pretty good.”
McCumber arrived in Calgary on an unprecedented tear. In the six-year history of the rebranded Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada, he is the only guy to win consecutive tournaments.
Mark, who stays busy at 66 as a commentator for PGA Tour coverage on DirecTV and SiriusXM Radio, was impressed.
“Golf irritates you more often than it pacifies you. But if you stick with it, you do have these good runs,” said Mark, whose resume is highlighted by wins at the 1988 Players Championship and 1994 Tour Championship. “And he’s been playing well for quite some time now, so we’ve seen it coming.
“When I watched today, I could see in person what I had been seeing on the computer. It was … holy crow. I mean, he’s driving it 100 miles down the middle of almost every fairway. I think he missed one fairway where it didn’t just run through into the rough. He had one three-putt after a wedge spun back about 40 feet from the hole on No. 12.
“Other than that, it was just simple. He hit every par 5 in two. His drive on No. 11 was 404 yards. I know it’s downhill and I know the air is thin here, but still …
“These kids are all really good and it’s hard to win at any level. He’s just in the zone. Everything is going his way. He’s worked very hard for it, though.”
Chip shots: Corey Pereira’s round of 64 included an ace on No. 6 … Ryan Williams of Surrey, B.C., is tops among Canadians after firing a 6-under 65 … B.C.-raised, Calgary-based Jared du Toit (Glencoe) is the leading local at 5-under.